Trick or Treating at HP

Every year, Hewlett Packard opens it's doors up to families for Halloween trick-or-treating.  It's really the only time all year that I've ever gone inside the sacred walls.  This is now our third year to take Chase.  I think John really enjoys having his little girl there to show her off.  She was going to dress as a ladybug, but I made a last minute switch and dressed her as a UGA cheerleader.

She was very shy and hesitant at first (she HAD just woken up from her nap).  She would not say trick-or-treat or thank you.  But we know our stubborn little one and know that she was thinking it in her head!!  By the end she had really gotten the hang of it.  She would delicately pick out a single piece of candy, then put it in her pumpkin. She never asked to open or eat a single piece.  I'm not really sure she would know to, since she doesn't really eat candy.

It was a fun afternoon!!

By the way, don't you just love her new little trick-or-treat pumpkin that I bought at her school craft fair?  I think it is just darling!!  And already there is too much temptation of candy in the house.  I am trying to think of what to do with it all after Sunday's big outing.

The World We Live In

Here is a sweet video of Chase's cousins singing Happy Birthday to her from afar

In some senses this is sad, but in another sense, WONDERFUL!!!

Mostly we are thankful to live in a world where we can communicate 

and even see each other hundreds of miles away.

I just love watching 7 bobble heads bobbling around and hope you do too!

The Restoration Project



Before :: Drawers not shown, forgot to photograph in it's entirety



This cupboard was built for me when I was a little girl by my Grandpa Heinkel

I decided that "I" would refurbish it for Chase for her birthday

But then John was so gracious that he helped me!! 

 Because a project that looks small, always ends up being more painful than thought to be!!





Step 1 :: Remove hardware
Step 2 ::  Tape off
Step 3 ::  Paint two layers
Step 4 ::  Put on new hardware
Step 5 ::  Put up pretty gift wrap on the back wall

The end result?  One very happy little girl!

A Bee-Day Party!!

Last Saturday was Chase's bee-day party!

:: We invited several of our dear friends and my parents were in town ::

:: Yellow and black abounded ::

:: Kids had a great time playing on the playground ::

:: Yummy cupcakes were eaten ::

:: Fun was had by all ::

Can't believe another year has gone by!!

The Pumpkin Patch

We got to go

with Mimi and Grandpa

to the pumpkin patch!

What fun it was!

A little bit of a pitiful patch in comparison to our cousins' up in WA!!

This is the face that Mimi calls "little John"

We have truly been experiencing Fall out here.  It has been cool and rainy for days on end now.  

Even my parents from Colorado thought it was a bit too dreary and cold!

It's been fun.  But I'm ready to see the sun again.

A Two Year Old's Celebration!

This is how her day began.  Remembering to take her Minny Mouse napkins to school for snack time.

Birthday dinner with the Carters.

Opening her first gift from Great-grandparents Heinkel.  Tupperware dishes.  But what to put them in....

A fabulous new cupboard which used to be mine. (Refurbishing photos to be shown later in the week)

The big reveal of the cupboard...

Already a big hit with the girls!!

The Carters' gift...a pink laptop!  What every 2 year old needs.  Just ask Ava and Emi.

Singing Happy Birthday to the big girl!!  John thinks that Chase is the link between Ava and Emi.  I think he has a good point.  Ava is on left, Emi is on right.  It's almost like she looks more like each of them than they do like one another!  Does that make sense?

 

The end of a fun day!  Look for photos of the big birthday bash!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Chase!!!

It seems like just yesterday that this proud Papa held his baby girl for the first time!

Look at that sweet face!  Born at 10:02pm on a Sunday night and weighing 6.8oz.  We couldn't believe how tiny she was!  It was an ordeal getting her here involving a last minute c-section. 

Doesn't she look so sweet and innocent?  Just give her a few weeks to truly "wake up"!

I would be remiss to not mention Chase Josephine's namesake.  She is named after John's grandmother, Josephine Krider.  Mamo Jo to her grandchildren.  She was a godly woman who was southern through and through!  This was the first time the two met, in May of 2009.  Mama Jo went to be with the Lord on August 23, 2010. 

Our Chinese student, Minny, sent Chase a birthday gift.  She was born in the year of the mouse!

Oh Chase how we love you so and enjoy the fun and adventure that you've brought to our lives!!

SEEDS!!

Last night at church we had a fun family concert.  Seeds Family Worship is Scripture that is set to fun music.  So it is a great way for children to hide God's Word in their hearts!!  This is the second time they've come to our church and both times John has had the opportunity to play in the band.  It is a really fun night.  We invited our good friends the Carters with their girls.  All 3 little girls had so much fun dancing, jumping and clapping!  Here you can see all of the fun that was had (by A and CJ)!

Here is a heart-warming photo of our little friends



Daddy showing of his guitar playing skills!!

We are thankful for these fun yet meaningful opportunities as we parent!!



Hello Fall! Come on In!!