Halloween 2021

2021 was a Seussical Halloween for our kids!  

Here's our mischievous Cat in the Hat:

And a sneak peek of what actually goes on behind the scenes of our annual puppy costume photo shoots:

Thankful for creative cropping so that Daddy (bribing her with treats) isn't seen in the finished product:

What a difference two years makes!

2019 vs. 2021

All grown up!

Here are Millie's sidekicks: Thing 1 and Thing 2!

I'm not sure how much longer everyone will agree to family costumes, so I'm savoring the cuteness this year:

L&L chose different costumes for Trick or Treating.  Leah was an adorable pug, and Luke dressed as The Slenderman, a creepy fictional supernatural character:

Leah was able to wear her costume to school on Friday and had a class Fall Party.  It was heartwarming to see how excited she was about this bit of "normalcy" in a different COVID school year:

Someone was a little sad that she didn't get to go to school to celebrate with her sister:

This is the only picture I took of jack o' lantern carving.  Luke opted out this year, but Leah diligently scooped out all the pumpkin seeds and asked me to roast them.  She and Mark created a cute design and we played spooky Halloween music and had a dance party.

Sweet Peanut, don't ever grow up!  Life is so much fun with you!

Our neighborhood gang of kids gathered to go Trick or Treating together on Halloween night:

Right after these pictures were taken, Luke and Deuce decided that they were way too old and cool to hang out with the younger kids (but not too old for candy apparently).  They chose the opposite cul de sacs as the younger group and stayed as far away from their siblings as possible.

Elementary-Aged Trick or Treaters

Middle School Boys

We joked that our boys looked like two dads trick or treating since they are so tall.  Without his mask, Luke was "Tired P.M. Dad, disheveled in a suit after a long day at work..." and Deuce was "Tired A.M. Dad, in a bathrobe, pajama pants, and slippers":

The kids filled their bags with candy and had a wonderful time.  They came home, sorted their loot, and ate way too much sugar for a school night (I felt for those poor teachers on Monday morning!).  It was the perfect night and great weather this year!

Happy Halloween!

Biltmore

Our October adventure was a trip to Asheville to visit the Biltmore for Fall Break.  The mountains of NC are gorgeous in the fall, and we had the most beautiful two days to explore!  Mark and I hadn't been to the Biltmore since before the children were born, and the activities on the estate have expanded since then.

We chose to stay on the property in the hotel at Antler Hill Village.  This area has a village green (which had a live band playing all afternoon/evening), quaint shops and outdoor dining, and a barn & farmyard.  We saw blacksmithing, wood working, and broom making demonstrations, historic farm equipment, and lots of friendly animals in the barnyard:

Since we were staying on the grounds, we had access to the expansive Biltmore gardens and trails.  We hiked around the Bass Pond (which was more like a huge lake), wandered through the terraced and Italian gardens, and were in awe of the breathtaking seasonal mum garden:

After a glorious afternoon of enjoying nature, we checked out the outside of the massive Biltmore House:

The porticos reminded me so much of my beloved Venice.

We had reservations to tour the Biltmore House the next morning, so we returned to Antler Village for a fun evening of outdoor dining and music.  The village is self-contained, and we allowed the kids to walk to food trucks and the ice cream shop to order dinner on their own.  They were thrilled with the independence and Leah was absolutely thrilled about the mini glass bottles of ketchup that she was given with her take out order.  "They can be my souvenirs, Mommy!".  We giggled at how sometimes it really is the simple things:

The cotton candy sky was beautiful, and L&L took pretty pictures of the sunset:

Photo Bomber

After dinner, we danced and enjoyed the band on the Village Green:

On Monday morning, we had timed reservations for the Biltmore House.  We had audio guides included in our tour, and this was a perfect way to learn about the history and architecture of the house as we went from room to room:

Every room was stunning, and I was delighted that some were decorated for Christmas already.  The already opulent Biltmore House is at its finest during the holiday season and people make special visits during winter months to ogle the lavish decorations.  Each room was amazing, but the library was my favorite:

We even spotted a century-old rowing machine in the basement gym, which appealed to Luke:

We had the best time on our Biltmore getaway, and are thankful for this Fall Break adventure!

It's Fall Y'all!

It's fall, which means it's time for Wake Forest football.  WFU is having a record-breaking season this year, and we are loving every minute of it!   

It's been awesome to be back on Deacon Hill for the first time in two years.  Here are some pics from our fun fall in DeacTown:

My big birthday present was family tickets to Wicked.  Mark and I saw this show when the kids were very little, and we were excited to take L&L:

Best way to spend my birthday afternoon!

Leah checking out the orchestra pit.

Bean and Poppy visited for an October weekend to watch their favorite NC grandkids play soccer and perform in the marching band.  We were having too much fun to take pictures, so I only have this one of Luke trying to prove that he's taller than Poppy now:

Fall also means critters, and the return of Percy and Simon (the opossum and racoon who visit our persimmon tree each night):

Some people in our family are more enamored with our annual animal friends than others of us, but who doesn't love those adorable ears and pink nose?

Simon brought his whole family to our yard this fall... I peeked out at 5 a.m. one day and saw 4 of them!

(4th raccoon is only visible by tail on left side of frame as he scurried away.)

Leah also caught this frog on our screened-in porch as he hopped out of a planter.  Thank goodness for my fearless kiddo!

Another unique species was also spotted this month:  Three middle school boys at the bus stop.  We crack up at their morning routine of sitting on the street (because it's apparently too taxing to stand) and playing video games and music on their phones as they wait for the bus:

Leah's fall weekends have been filled with soccer games, and Luke has lived and breathed marching band this fall, but those are posts of their own.  

Happy Fall, Y'all!