Life With Our Little Ladies: October 2014

This year, we spent Columbus Day weekend at Lake Bluff. We weren't able to go the last few years because we had young babies and it was too cold or rainy. This year, with our girls being a little older, and a plan in place for how to stay warm, we hit the road. I think I might be in the minority on this, but Columbus Day weekend is one of my favorite times at the Bluff. While I love the summer, October means chilly sweatshirt weather, a cozy fire burning in the stove and a lack of mosquitoes. I love it.

The girls were really excited to get to the cottage!

When we pulled in, Claire greeted the girls and couldn't wait to show off her little critter. Those fuzzy caterpillars were everywhere. By the end of the weekend, the girls were carrying them around too. Ella just didn't understand why all of hers stopped moving after she squeezed them.

I love the way she is watching her Grammy and that banana.

Have you ever carved pumpkins with such a beautiful backdrop? The afternoon was perfect and the kids were so excited. Ella was pretty fascinated by the messiness of the pumpkin. Abby was more focused on her design. Abby decided on an Elsa pumpkin. She asked her daddy to make a braid down the back of it and carve Elsa on the side. This was serious pumpkin business.

orange everywhere

This view seriously never stops being breathtaking to me.

Elsa's braid

When the carving was complete, the kids lined the woods with their jack-o-lanterns. When it got dark, everyone walked the trail and admired them.

After dinner on Saturday night, we celebrated G-Diddy's 68th birthday with cake. We saved gifts and more celebrating for his actual birthday the next morning.

Abby was Grammy's party planning helper. She took her candle job very seriously.

You see that finger action going on there? She's a quick one.

hanging with Lauren

The nights were going to be pretty cold, so we decided to pile four of us (Abby, Oliver, Joe and I) into a full size bed. Ella had the twin bed right next to us. Needless to say, these three managed to lock me into one position and slowly inch me out of the bed throughout the night, but it was worth it for one night to all be together in the same room and curled up together. The bonus was keeping warm. :)

How sweet is this?

Our girls take birthdays very seriously. They can hardly wrap their mind around grown ups who don't have big parties and celebrate for days. So, you can imagine their excitement when they got to wake up before G-Diddy, decorate the cottage with Grammy and get the table ready for G-Diddy's birthday breakfast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSp5T__kgLg

Abby and Ella ran upstairs singing Happy Birthday and jumped on G-Diddy to wake him up. That morning, he didn't just hang the flag. He hung the flag in his birthday hat.

This was the weekend of celebrations. A Columbus Day pumpkin party, G-Diddy's birthday party and then we celebrated Lindsay at her bridal shower brunch.

the little Bluff ladies

Lite Brite!

selfies with Uncle Tommy

our family 2014

brothers

The kids spent the afternoon playing in the leaves. Their faces say it all!

playing Chutes and Ladders with Greeley

Before we headed home, we went to Nana's house for a visit. It was great to see her and have dinner together even if it felt too short.

As part of G-Diddy's birthday gift, we gave him a box of Beanboozled because we know he never turns down a good challenge. If you haven't heard of Beanboozled, read about it here. G-Diddy was willing to take the challenge, but decided that he wouldn't be the only one to participate. Smart man! The responses were less dramatic then we had hoped, but the videos still make me smile.