Finding the Perfect Pumpkins!

We went to Pumpkinville to find the perfect pumpkins to carve!  Surprisingly, they didn't have a huge selection left, but we were able to find three that we liked:)

The kiddos with one of the pumpkins Ethan picked out

Ethan's Baptism!

Yesterday Ethan was baptized!  Sean and I didn't get much sleep the night before because Owen kept us up, so we prayed that we would have the energy to make it a great day for Ethan.  Sean made Ethan his favorite breakfast (pancakes) for breakfast and after hanging out for a little bit, we all got ready to go.  Earlier in the week, Owen and I went to the mall on a mission to find matching ties for Sean and Ethan.  It was so nice to see them in their matching ties!  William, one of the other boys in our ward, was getting baptized, too. The Relief Society room was almost full of family and friends!  My visiting teaching companion, my visiting teacher (anbd her family), some of Ethan's neighborhood friends...  It was so wonderful to see all of the people who came to celebrate and support Ethan and William!  My parents, Dad, sister, and brother in law also came:)

Watching Ethan during the program I was thinking about the first time I took Ethan to church and how much we have gone through since then... The Sundays when he was a toddler and "testing the boundaries" when I didn't think we would ever be able to sit through Sacrament without having a talk in the hallway to the boy he has become.  I am so incredibly proud of him!

Afterwards, we came back to our house where we had some snacks and cake.  Then we took Ethan to the church bookstore by the temple (in Maryland) and bought him his own set of scriptures (with his name engraved on them), and a scripture tote.

It was such a wonderful day and I hope Ethan will always remember it!

Today was a testimony meeting at church.  Ethan was the first one to go up and bear his.  He said that yesterday people kept asking him if he felt different after being baptized and that he did "and that I know it was the Savior."  :)

The boys before we left for Ethan's baptism

 Ready to be baptized!

Sean and Ethan before Baptism

My family <3

Owen Can Roll Over!

This afternoon I put Owen on his tummy to show Poppy how well he does for "tummy time."  Shortly after, he rolled over!  I grabbed my camera and put him back on his stomach to see if I could get it on video... Sure enough, he did it again (and I got it on video!).  I put him back on his stomach to see if he would do it yet again and he did... What a big boy! :)

Bittersweet Goodbye to My Car...

Saturday we did it - we sold my Honda Civic for a van.  Although I was the one who wanted to do it (two kids in a Civic is a tight squeeze!  Add a stroller in the trunk and there isn't anymore room!), it was still sad to let go of Civic.  I bought it in February 2006 - it was an early college graduation gift to myself.  I paid for it all with my own money, every cent.  It was kind of a symbol of my own 'real' independence.'  Unfortunately, at this stage in my life, though, Civic just wasn't big enough.  It had over 85,000 miles.... all but 81 of them I put on it.  It took Ethan and I to Cincinnati, Ohio once, and Oak Island, and Myrtle Beach multiple times, alont with other trips we went on.  It was a great car!  Even though a semi-moving target for other cars to hit:(  It sure was sad to leave it at the dealership, but I'm so excited for our van!  It has the power sliding doors which is fantastic!  It also has navigation and a DVD player (that we will only use when we are traveling for vacation).  So nice, and so much more space:)

Owen's Blessing Day

Today Owen was blessed at church and my parents, my sister and her husband, Sean's two sisters and their families, and the McQuivey's came for it.  I am so grateful that they were able to come to celebrate this special day!!

First Picture Of Owen Smiling! (kinda)

Owen randomly smiles, especially after he eats when he is just entering "dreamland" and I have been trying to get a picture of it, but they happen so fast that its hard!  Well this morning I just so happened to have my camera right next to me since I'm downloading all of August's pictures on the computer so I was able to snap this one as he sits in his car seat next to me:

So it's not his biggest smile he's shown us, but it's definitely a smile nontheless!  He is starting to smile more when he is awake and we are playing with him (he smiles especially for Ethan!) so hopefully many more "smiley" pictures will be coming soon!

Ethan's First Day of Second Grade!

Today was Ethan's first day of second grade!  I think this was the first year that I didn't start crying when I sent him off to school.  I think it is because I knew how bored he was here at home.  No matter what I did to try and keep him entertained (take him to Harper's Ferry, Mount Vernon, berry picking, go on bike rides, etc) he was always bored. 

He came into our room at 6:30 already dressed in his clothes for the day.  We did our normal morning routine (breakfast, family scripture study, feed/walk Josie) and at 7 he wanted to go to the bus stop... even though his bus doesn't come until 7:30.  So I was able to stall him a little bit so we didn't head to the bus stop until 7:15.  I was only able to get a picture of his cute face by telling him if I didn't take one now (while we were walking) then I was going to take on at the bus stop in front of everyone.  He was pretty quiet this morning (usually he talks my ear off about anything and everything) - he was probably a little nervous but I'm sure he is doing just great! 

After school we are going to get ice cream... our tradition:)

Walking to the bus stop...

Yay - he let me take a picture of him! :)

Getting on the bus...  (he is at the top of the stairs on the bus)

Home from school!