A Halloween Surprise!

Today as you know is Halloween. Now, unless you work with children you just have no idea how much "excitement" happens on this day.  My students were really good today considering it was Halloween.  When I was in the lunch room today, I looked up and who did I see coming through the door.....Miss Viola Swamp! And she was accompanied by a little gray elephant, a cowboy riding his house and a Meme.  They had come to school to surprise me and my kids today.  It was a nice surprise and my kids really enjoyed it too!  Miss Swamp read a book to my class and then passed out pumpkin cookies.  I will say that Miss Swamp will be on my speed dial in case I need her in the future. :0)

Miss Viola Swamp aka Aunt Tori

 

Reading to my class the book Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard

 

 

My students really enjoyed the book and Miss Swamp's visit.  However I will say that if Miss Swamp has to make another appearance to my classroom it probably won't be as pleasant.



More pictures to come later!

Welcome Home Harper!

With all the excitement that has gone on around our house the past 2 weeks, I haven't blogged about the most wonderful news that has happened in the last 2 weeks. Little Miss Harper came home from the hospital! Praise the Lord! As far as I know she is doing well and Mom and Dad are so glad to finally have their baby girl home where she belongs.  Thank you to all who have kept this family in your prayers.  All babies are miracles and all babies have a special story to tell and Harper is a very special miracle.  I'm so happy for you Dave and Tara and of course Harper.  Welcome Home!

Halloween Fun

This afternoon my mother-in-law, Mrs. Katie, had some Halloween fun at her house!  She invited family, extended family, friends, and church members to come to her house to join in some good family fun for the kids for Halloween.  There was a train ride, bouncy house, games, hayride, food, treats, candy, and of course a few... superheros, ninjas, animals, monsters, clowns, Dorthy, etc.  Here's some pictures from our fun afternoon!

The Train Ride

Hunter & Madalyn

Geoffery

Kayla

Lily Kate as Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz

Hunter as a Cowboy and Madalyn as an Elephant

The Bouncy House-Madalyn's Favorite

Madalyn jumping with her Nana watching her

Games

Madalyn and G-Dad on a big pumpkin

Pick a Duck-this was Madalyn's favorite game for two reasons: 1.) She loves ducks right now 2.)She loves water.  She wanted to stay and play in the water.

Her prize..a cupcake filled with candy!

The Hayride

Madalyn and Me

Trunk -r- Treat

MeMe and Madalyn (Kayla as a Pink Power Ranger)

What a fun day we had!  Madalyn and all the other children I know had a good time.  We adults had fun too.  Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Here are pictures of Madalyn in her Halloween dress and her Halloween costume.

Last year I couldn't decide on what I wanted Madalyn to be for Halloween and I never found a costume that I liked.  So this year I wanted to make sure I found something for her.  While out shopping in September, my mom and I went to the Carter's outlet store and I found Madalyn's costume.  This year she is an.....Elephant!  and it's just my opinion, but I think she's the cutest elephant ever.

Mountain Day Trip

This past weekend, Kevin, Madalyn, and I went to see my parents.  On Saturday, we drove up to Sky Top Orchard to pick some apples and have a fun day in the mountains.  Then we drove over to Chimney Rock before heading home.  It was beautiful weather; the sun was shinning, it wasn't too windy or too cold.  We had a nice day.

Kevin and Madalyn on their way to the apple orchard.

 First stop: The Sheep

It was a long hilly way to pick apples.

We had orders from Kevin's grandma, Mrs. Kitty, to bring back some Rome apples.  Well...we had to walk to Rome to get these apples it seemed like.

Madalyn learned a new word: apple

Look in the tree...is it a bird?...no, it's Grand Dad!

We had so many apples, Madalyn gladly gave up her stroller to share with the apples.  Everyone who passed us thought that was a very creative idea to use the stroller.

After apple picking...it was off to 

the Pumpkin Patch!

Over the river and through the woods it's to Chimney Rock we go!

The view from the top of the Rock

Kevin and Me

My Dad and Me

Madalyn and my Mom stayed at the bottom of the mountain.

A look back...

This was Madalyn at the pumpkin patch last year at Grand Dad's Orchard. (7 months old)

This is Madalyn this year at Sky Top Orchard (19 months) A huge difference! I mean I don't even know the baby in the first picture, do you? 

Here's another picture from last year. Boy, she sure has grown up! Her looks sure have changed too. She has grown out of her "daddy" look a like stage I do believe, sorry Kevin!

This is the 3 of us this year at Sky Top Orchard.