Family Pictures at Ayr Mount

 Due to an unrelenting residency schedule, we couldn't make it out for family pictures until late November. By that time, no photographers were available to take our pictures. However, after viewing a friend's perfect family photo shoot taken with a self-timed camera (where her two children, puppy and husband were all looking cheerfully at the camera) I thought, "How hard could this be? We have a camera and a tripod." Dan invited his dad to come last minute to help us out. Thank heavens he did because even with 4 adults, this was one tough photo shoot. 

 Davyn cried most of the time because he just wanted to hang with his Nana and forget this joker family of his. 

 I had to bribed Eole with promises of lollipops if only she would stop making silly faces and SMILE!

Truthfully, it was hard for her to concentrate on looking at the camera and smiling with this freshly cut meadow tempting her to run and play. 

 

Davyn looking up to the heavens from where this little angel fell.

Moses guiding the children of Israel...giving Davyn a big stick was the only way to stop him from crying. 

Do you see what I had to work with here??

Nope. No cute "walking while holding hands" pictures for us. The kids insisted on "1-2-3 WHEE!"

Finally, something workable. Then Dan had concerns that we would look pretentious sitting on this 18th century mansion's front porch, so FULL DISCLOSURE: We are impostures. This is not, no ever will be, our house....unless we win the Power Ball. 

A Preschool Parade

And then there was the preschool Halloween parade where we may have been slightly upstaged by the boy with the NASA astronaut suit and helmet (not pictured, but totally awesome!)

Happy Halloween

 We were Cowboys this year. Why? Because Eole has a BIG fascination with horses right now, and because this is a very easy costume for her easily overwhelmed mom to pull together.

 "Open up, Mr. H! We know you're in there!"

 

 Did you ever see a lamb with cuter chubby cheeks?

A reminder to me that we live in the best neighborhood ever.

To the Pumpkin Patch

 This past October we ventured out to the Great Pumpkin Patch for our fill of Autumn fun.

 The kids loved playing in the Corn Crib...although dried corn came out of all sorts of nooks and crannies when I was getting them ready for bed that night!

 

 There was a hay stack maze...

 and tunnels and slides throughout the hay "mountain"

 Since this is the south, we had to pick some cotton. Davyn loved the feel of it.

 Then we went on a hay ride out to the pumpkin patches

 Eole insisted on choosing her own pumpkin

Eole became quite attached to her pumpkin and would carry it around for weeks afterward...Davyn not so much.

First Day of (pre) School!

 

We waited all summer for this!

 

Eole Turns 4

 A blue cake for a pony-loving-4-year old

  And her favorite “bone stick” (drumstick) and biscuits from Bojangles

Happy Birthday to our Tender Muffin

Our Trip to the Mountains

 At the end of the summer, we vacationed in an enchanting place called "The North Carolina Mountains."

 We stayed in a lovely cottage in Spruce Pines with its own meadow, stream, and camp fire.

  We hiked the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. It was so tall, we were in the clouds. (it is also about as high as my sister’s basement in Salt Lake City).

  We looked for the faerie homes in those mountains

  We explored an old mine in Emerald Village

  We drove the Parkway and stopped for the occasional “view”

  “Blowing Rock” did NOT live up to its name. We thought it would be a little grander. And, much to our disappointment, there was no wind to blow up the leaves we dropped

 We felt better after a trip to Tweetsie Amusement park where we played "Cowboys"

 Rode the Ferris Wheel

 Flew planes

 Drove boats (which Davyn refused to vacate, forcing the operator to let him stay several rounds)

And road a real steam engine train.