Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins!

After weeks of promising I finally took the girls to get pumpkins today. Even with the very unfall-like temps (a high of 86 today???) and the wind, we had a fun time and came home with a few more pumpkins than planned!

The photos really don't do this pumpkin patch or our morning justice. It's hard to get them both to pose when it is just me and when there is so many other more exciting things to look at and do than to sit still for a photo. It was a really neat place and I'm so glad a friend told me about it. We definitely will be going back next year and next time we'll go on a day we can get a hay ride out to the fields to literally pick our own pumpkins!

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

The little pumpkin in Samantha's hand is the first one she picked up as soon as we got there and she would not put it down for anything! So of course that little pumpkin had to come home with us and is now sitting as a table centerpiece with the other little gourds we bought.

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

Now we just have to find the time in the next 3 days to carve all these pumpkins!

Our First Field Trip

Gabrielle had her first field trip this week. We met her class at Marbles Kid Museum in Raleigh. Such a cool place! We had been only once before and Gabrielle was not even two years old. The museum had lots of new stuff and it was so much fun for everyone.

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

Giant game Connect Four!!

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From My Little Sunbeams

A favorite area for both Samantha and Gabrielle was the pet store. Lots of stuffed pets to take on walks, feed and groom.

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From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

Giant Lego area -

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From My Little Sunbeams

Hurricanes hockey area

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From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

Ed and I had talked about having Gabrielle's birthday party at Marbles this year but decided to save the money. I think we might have to figure out a way to make it possible next year. It really is such a fun place.

I thought Samantha was too cute yesterday with her pigtails and overalls - I had to share this one!

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My Big Girl

Today was Gabrielle's 4 year checkup. Here she is in the car this morning as we were leaving -

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And here she is after her appointment.

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Notice anything different? Here is a hint - look closely at her ears!!

Her daddy finally - albeit a little reluctantly - agreed to her request for earrings. Poor daddy just doesn't want to see his little girls grown up.

It was a rough morning for Gabrielle. First there was the unexpected pain of getting her ears pierced and then the horrible 4 shots she received. But she was so good for everything. Now that her tears are gone she is very happy about her sparkly earrings and can't wait to show them to everyone she knows.

I just had to take this picture - she was so cute in her little paper gown at the doctor's office!

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Taken Over By Ponies!!

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Our house is slowly being taken over by My Little Pony and Barbie - but mostly My Little Pony (for the time being anyway). From the picture I'm sure it is hard to believe there are actually still MLP sets Gabrielle does not yet have. And you better believe those items are on her "must have" list to Santa.

School Picture Day

Tuesday was picture day at Gabrielle's preschool. Our first school photos! I had the option of making an early appointment to have Samantha and Gabrielle's photo taken together. When we got to school that morning I was surprised again to be given the option of having Samantha's individual picture taken as well.

I thought the girls were just so cute in their new dresses - in my new fave color combination of orange and pink - I had to take some photos of my own before school.

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My little green-eyed girl didn't want to stand still for the photo. On my first attempt she came charging at the camera and the above photo is the result.

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From My Little Sunbeams

They both did really well for the school photographer and I can't wait to see the final photos!

Gabrielle had a surprise when I picked her up from school. Her name was drawn from the basket that day to bring home the other class animal - Clifford!!

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Cake, Ponies, & Barbies!!

September was a busy, busy month. Gabrielle started preschool. Ballet resumed. Then we were all out sick for a week as a nasty cold ran its course through our family. Then it was birthday and anniversary time!!

We had a mini-birthday celebration at GrandDad's with Aunt T, Uncle Nick and cousin Domi. GrandDad even surprised the birthday girl with a very cute - and very delicious - cake.

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

Since school started Gabrielle talked nonstop about her conductor day - her special day in which she gets to be the conductor of her class. As conductor you provide snack for your classmates, pass out the snack, stand first in line, ring the bell, help the teacher and most importantly of course you get to bring home Little Bear!! The conductors will rotate throughout the school year but Gabrielle's teacher also tries to assign each child's conductor day as close to their birthday as she can. Gabrielle was so excited on her day! She just couldn't wait.

This was the special birthday snack Gabrielle took for her class. The color of the day was red so we added some yummy strawberries to our mini cupcakes.

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This is Little Bear in his special travel bag. I wish I had a photo of Gabrielle as I picked her up from school. Her sweet little face was beaming!

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Little Bear, Gabrielle and Meemaw. Gabrielle is wearing her special "I am 4 today" birthday hat her teacher made her. (I really have got to get a keepsake box soon for all this cute school stuff!!)

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And then finally Gabrielle's My Little Pony birthday party arrived. Here is her invitation -

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We had rainbow cupcakes -

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The birthday girl and her Pony cake just after I finished it -

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From My Little Sunbeams

Pony themed food -

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We had "Sweetie Belle's Crunchy Munchies", "Pinkie Pie's Perfectly Pink Lemonade", "Scootaloo's Tutti Fruiti" and the favorite -

"Rainbow Dash's Crazy Cornfetti"

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Delicious gourmet popcorn from Palsie's.

Pinkie Pie (pull string) pinata -

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

And a special pony craft designed and made especially for Gabrielle's party by my friend Casey, owner of Ready Craft Packs -

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

From My Little Sunbeams

Gabrielle had so much fun - hopefully all of her guests did as well! Our trash can was full - and I mean full - of My Little Pony and Barbie boxes. With the rainy weather this week it was great to have all the new toys to keep the girls busy.

Ed and I also celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Our anniversary is the day before Gabrielle's birthday. Since Meemaw was visiting for the party we were able to get out for a nice dinner Saturday night. Thanks Meemaw!!