Annabelle's First Pumpkin Patch

Once upon a time, way back in October, we took Annabelle to her very first pumpkin patch. We didn't go last year, since she was so tiny and young. We just didn't see the point.

This year, she is walking and super into everything, and we knew she would LOVE it. Unfortunately, we couldn't find an actual patch around us... so we went to a gardening center that had a fun set-up. There is a nice pumpkin patch about an hour away, so we plan on going there next year (assuming we're still in this area by then).

It was a great success! She loved posing with the pumpkins and carrying the small gourds away. Everyone there was watching her because she was being her sassy, smiley self!

I'm so glad we decided to lug the big camera out with us on this day. We got some of my very favorite shots of her... ever!

Halloween 2016: Rosie the Riveter

I'm clearly a little (okay, a lot) late to the game here, but since I was on my unintentional blogging hiatus around Halloween, I never got to share these sweet photos, and how could I not? After all, this blog is a space for me to look back and reflect upon, and if I didn't have these pictures later on, I'd be devastated.

Yes, I have them elsewhere, but I do plan on turning these posts into a nice book for Annabelle to have one day - maybe for her high school graduation? We'll see.

Anyway, without further adieu, I present to you my Little Miss Rosie the Riveter!

Can you believe how itty-bitty she was just one year ago?! It's crazy how time flies. I miss her being this teeny-tiny little kitty cat! 

We got a pumpkin for Annabelle to paint this year. We thought she'd love it. She did not. Total failure. At least it's cute... but homegirl was ready for bed. The timing just didn't work out. I wanted Dan to be there too so he could see her... and I NEEDED him there because hello mess. But he got home late from work, and by the time we had dinner, it was bed time, and we made her paint a pumpkin first... she was not pleased. 

But she DID love reading her brand new Daniel Tiger Halloween book in her super adorable Halloween jammies from her Great Meme! 

We did a little pre-Halloween event at the nature center here in Wichita Falls, and since Annabelle got this Supergirl dress for a dress-up outfit for her birthday, I couldn't resist putting her in it for her costume for this event... I was Supergirl once upon a time as well, and I just had to make a comparison collage! ;-) (Yes, I had WAY more hair than she does...)

Halloween 2015 (a chocolate chip cookie) versus Halloween 2016 (Rosie the Riveter). My, how she has grown!

Major Catch-Up / Life Lately

Hey guys, remember me? I used to blog consistently over here, but now that my baby is over a whole year old, she is into literally everything, and it's tough to get enough time to shower and eat, let alone blog.

I soooo miss this space and the fellowship with my blog friends, though. I want to try to be better. No promises. No guarantees. But I'm going to try. Even if it's just one post a week... that's still better than none, right?

I am thankful that I am friends with so many blog friends on Facebook (or at least follow on Instagram) - it makes it a bit easier to stay caught up with everyone!

Waaaaay back in September, Annabelle turned one. For her birthday, Dan and I decided that we weren't going to buy her a gift since she doesn't need anything... so we decided to start the gifting of experiences tradition with her. We decided that her first trip to the zoo was in order, so that's what we did! Living two hours to the closest zoo makes it tough to go all the time like some of my friends and their kiddos do, but we had a fun little weekend trip to Dallas, and she LOVED the zoo. (She has since been to the St. Louis Zoo and the Tulsa Zoo as well! She's a zoo-hopper, I guess! We created a monster... she is hooked on them!)

Annabelle and I drove up to Kansas City at the end of September because I was a bridesmaid in one of my best friend's wedding. Little Annie got to spend a couple nights with her Grammy and Great Meme while I was busy with wedding festivities. They fed her lots of ice cream, and she had a blast. She's now looking forward to seeing them again TODAY!!! (for the first time in seven weeks! Woo!) 

We did find out that she's a chips and salsa junkie just like her mama... see below. :) 

While I was in already in Kansas City, Annabelle and I drove across the stat to St. Louis to see another one of my best friends, Michelle! We had to meet little Huxley, who was born in July. We had a blast catching up in person rather than via Skype, and we took the kids to the zoo (and to eat food... lots of food!) It was so great seeing so many friends during my trip to Missouri... but I was SO glad when we made it back to Texas. There's just nothing like your own bed, right?! 

Phew! That was a lot all at once... sorry! It feels great to be sharing again, though! :)

(Since I'm still WAY behind, I have a few more catch-up posts coming before I'm back to normal... sorry in advance!)

Life Is Crazy... But Here I Am!

Time flies when you're... not blogging? Well, anyway, I can't believe two months have passed by since I was last writing in this space.

My life is so crazy right now keeping up with a crazy toddler. She just goes, goes, goes all day, and when she's napping, I'm trying to catch up with house work, making dinner, or just sitting down in peace for a few minutes.

I really do miss this space and the connections I've made through blogging. I can't promise I'll be regular and/or consistent on here, but I do plan on "coming back". I really do. I want to try to schedule a few posts and just see where it takes me.

I know the first couple will be some major catch-up posts, so be on the look out for those!

I hope all my blog friends are doing well. Thank goodness for social media and being able to stay up-to-date with most of you regardless of my absence from the blog!

I'll write more soon - hopefully! :)