Halloween

Yes. Halloween Pictures a month later...
And our blog is out of order because when you start one that's where it lines up, but I figure most of you get that Halloween is before Thanksgiving. Just bare with us. We're always a couple of months off it seems.

I bought River a monkey suit, but after a couple of tries and crying, I decided to take it back. Maybe when he's older he'll like dressing up. Last year he was a cowboy, and this year a farmer who refused to wear his hat.

We carved pumpkins with the Sams.' It's a running tradition we've had for 7 years. I think we missed one year. But it's a tradition we always enjoy.

Ben and Melanie brought the girls over to my parents, and we had dinner and trick or treating. Ryan had to work this year, so we missed him! But we did have a blast watching the kids get excited about the candy and looting the houses that left candy on the porch for self-service.

River and Addie

Three Pumpkins Later...

Karis giving her best mad pumpkin face.

"I don't want to hear a hat!"

Cleaning up the sidewalk before his lady friends arrive for trick or treating

And we're off for a night of candy!!

Exhausted from all the fun!

Halloween PJ's and mismatched socks

Attack of the Turkey!

*Ryan wrote this blog, but this is Kari suggesting that the best way to read this blog is to read it out loud with your best redneck accent. It'll provide the best reading enjoyment for this story!!

Thanksgiving morning we woke up and were having breakfast, preparing to travel to Jim and Choyers to eat Thanksgiving turkey and all the fixins. I just happened to hear something out in the driveway so I took a quick peek. There were about 20 turkeys hanging around our front yard. The male turkeys were chasing the females around and were spreading their big tail feathers out like they were peacocks. Then I notice this one turkey staring at our car. I wondered what in the heck he was doing. All of sudden he started pecking at our car and jumping and scratching. I sure didn't want to have to explain to the insurance company that a turkey fighting his own reflection was the cause of all this damage to my car, so I ran out the door clapping and yelling and scared the turkey away.
Then, a bit later, Kari looked out the window and the turkeys were back! I ran out the door again, this time with Chaco, and scared those turkeys away a second time.
Sure enough, a little while later, those turkeys were back and that male turkey was fighting itself in the reflection of our car again! So this time Kari took post and ran out the door. She must be scarier than I am because those turkeys didn't come back. I'm not sure, but I think she yelled something about turkey dinner and the chopping block.
Needless to say, I no longer feel like I have to wash my car. If a turkey thinks it's that clean, then it must be clean. And no cars or turkeys were hurt in the process of this story!

Playin' In The Dirt

Now that it is not 100 degrees outside, River has been playing out of the house more. We have began perfecting the art of baby proofing the inside of the house but didn't think about the outside of the house, so needless to say, River found the first thing to make a mess.
Fortunately, we don't mind. He is a little boy. It's in his nature to get dirty and make a mess. I know he sure had fun doing it. We just don't always enjoy the clean up afterwards.

I am a living dirt tornado!!

Sometimes it's just nice to be out of my pants, playing my kazoo, and kicking around some dirt on the porch.

Mom doing the hard work of cleaning up my mess

Help! I'm in a wooden jail!

My Mommy and Daddy let me roam around the yard now that all the bugs are gone.

Touch a Truck

The Teals church was putting on a touch-a-truck day for local kids. So while Kari was in a class one Saturday, River, Larry, Janice and I all went to look at some big 'ole trucks.
River was a fairly stand-offish. He wasn't sure what to think about the big trucks. But we ended up having fun after we got to ride the little train and paint our own wooden race car (and getting paint on our face!)

River loves to see trucks on the road, but he wasn't sure about standing on the back of a big dump truck!

I didn't mind the extra affection though.

Thank you for taking me Grammy and Pappy!

To Charleston

Back in September River and I went with Grammy and Pappy to visit our newest family member, Mallory, in Charleston. I saw my niece the first few days of her life, but it had been 3 months. So, I was thrilled to get some snuggles with her. She's growing up so fast, and she's a beautiful girl! When we were there, we just hung out. We played on the playground, went to Market Street, ate at Hyman's Seafood, and saw the sunset at the beach. AND we even got to babysit while Derek and Mandy had a date.

"Oh, Aunt Kari! I just love your necklace."

Do you remember, Mr. Buckethead? He's a man of many talents. He's also Mr. Diaperhead!!

"Daddy, I love your kisses. But your breath stinks!"

River had so much fun at the beach. He cracked me up! He ran and ran into the waves, down the beach, into the waves, down the beach......

I Love This Boy!!

"That's Cow Juice, River!!"

"What?!!!! You have to be kidding me."

Mallory Grace

A Fall Life

So, it has been quite some time since we updated the blog. Again, life takes hold and we can barely find time to check our email, much less put pictures on the blog.
Seeing as fall is our favorite time of year, we thought we would put on some extra pics that don't fit into a titled blog. So, here it goes:

Welcome to my fort!

How do you like my overalls?

It's a family affair

Here are some more samples of Kari's donuts. Can't you just taste them by staring at the pictures??

I've learned to climb on things to get my hands on things I want.

I love to find things and then put them on my head. Here we have an applesauce colander.

Kari busy reading books for her class work while River naps

River loves to be squished and get kisses!

Grandma & Grandpap!

In September, Grandma and Grandpap took a trip down to spend some time with River! It was my Mom's birthday. It has been so long since they came that I hardly remember all that we did. I do remember going to hike and having dinner with the Teals. Here are a few pics to help me remember...

Opening presents with Grandma

Who turned the lights out?

Grandma taught me the magic of static cling stickers!