HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!!

Buddy the monarch was born today! And he's a she! Male monarch's have distinctive black spots on their wings, and our Buddy does not, so she's a she! This morning when I looked at her, the chrysallis looked really dark and transparent. About an hour later I looked up and she was a butterfly! When the kids get home from school we'll let her free. Sorry for the crummy pics, my good close-up lens is getting fixed, so I had to use the bad lens that won't let me zoom in.

Buddy, day 10

His chrysallis is beginning to turn translucent, which means it's almost time! Hopefully we'll have a beautiful butterfly in a few days!

Happy Fall!

First day of fall, and I had to take a picture of this beautiful tree down the street from us. This tree always turns bright red, and turns color a lot earlier than the other trees. I love it!

S'mores and Camping in the back yard

Ben and Jeff wanted to camp out in the backyard before the weather got too cold, so Rich set up the tent for them today. It's 8:14 pm and they are still out there....we're taking bets as to how long it will take them to come in and sleep upstairs :). Rich also made them a campfire (?...maybe a mini-campfire?) and we had Grandma Cathy and Aunt Linda over for s'mores. The boys did a couple of sparklers too.

UPDATE: They made it to 9:34 pm :).

Happy Halloween!

Ok, so I put up some Halloween decorations today. I know, it's 41 days until Halloween, but I so love fall! Ben and I spent an hour this afternoon stuffing the little ghosts, then we hung them and put up some orange lights. I got Grace's costume today also, she wants to be the Little Mermaid. I got her costume & the red wig, and will probably get the tiara and shoes later. Thanks Grandma Cathy...she gives the kids money every year to get their costumes!

Ben hasn't decided 100% what he wants to be...he thinks a ninja, but the second he spots something else that interests him he changes his mind, so I think we'll wait a few weeks to get his costume. Matt's our candy hander-outer this year, but he's dressing up as Slash, the guitarist from Guns N' Roses. Wouldn't have been my first choice.

Grace's day with Thomas the Train

Sunday Grace's friend Ava invited her to go up to Boone and ride Thomas the Train with her and her family. They had a ball! Ava's parents were too nice, they got her this t-shirt and a toothbrush that plays the Thomas theme song (which we have heard about 2,974 times now). It was a little chilly, but the girls had lots of fun together.
And on a side note, this has been freaking me out all day today. Grace and Barbie were sliding yesterday, and she left her on there. Every time I see it I think someone is out in the back yard.

Buddy's still hanging in there!

Literally! Day 4 of being a chrysallis and he is still looking the same.