Where did I leave off?

Oh yea... the rest of October.  The rest of the month was pretty much madness.  With Garrison and Riley-Anne both having birthdays in the month of October and football season in full swing I guess it will always be like that!  Speaking of football season, we are in the playoffs!  YAY!  But pics from recent games will have to wait, as usual, I have helpers at my feet doing what they do best... make NOISE! 

Back on subject, since Garrison and Riley-Anne's birthdays are in the same month we decided to have their parties together. Ryan gave me a lot of grief about this, but in the end I think we would both agree the party turned out great!  Garrison actually was very excited about having his party with Riley-Anne.  From the very beginning him and Ri have had a special bond, so I hope when Riley-Anne is old enough to realize she shared her first birthday party with her brother she wont mind either!

For obvious reasons the party was Halloween themed.  Well, a "not so scary" Halloween themed party!  I will let the pics from the party do most the talking...

The party table.  All of the food had themed "names".  The menu included:  Costume cupcakes, Creepy crawly cheese and crackers,  Halloween Chili, with and without bones (beans),  Frightful French onion dip, Frankenstein fruit kabobs and Cackling corn bread.

Trying to sneak some treats!

Note to self: Never plan a birthday party during nap time :)

I wish I had a close up of the table.  The "pooky" (spooky) trees as Garrison called them were branches from our back yard that I spray painted black. We hung pics of the babies from the year on the "branches" of the trees.  I always love looking back at how much they have grown- even though it hurts a little bit!  We also had a smaller "tree" on the other side of the room for guest to write Riley-Anne a birthday wish.  They were all so sweet and I'm sure they will be very special to her.

More party pics...

Garrison has been wanting a "Beard and Mustache" party all year... so this was the best idea Pinterest I could come up with ;)

Next big party in the house will be Crystal's shower!  Maybe we should sport our 'staches?!?!

Cake time!  Well cupcake time!  

Riley-Anne was not at all impressed by her cup cake.  Pretty sure its because she has had icing before.  Thats what happens when you have a third, you give in to things that were once BIG No Nos!

The birthday girl!

Thanks to everyone who came to the "not so scary" Halloween birthday party!  We had a blast and I think the babies did too ;)

Let me just catch you up on the whole month of October ;)

Seriously, its been a month?!?  Wowzers.  I have my coffee going and my ONE year old at my feet , so get ready for a long, overdue, catch up kind of post- hopefully it will make sense, Riley-Anne is not the best typer ;)

Lets start way back at the beginning of October.  I had to take Allie-Parker to the doctor because she was having awful nosebleeds.  Like every night, every day, tons of blood, bad nosebleeds.  Well before we went we had a coffee date, just me and her.  It was so fun!  She was just precious.  She ordered a blueberry cupcake (muffin) and I got a frap.  She told the lady her name so they would call it out when our order was ready.  

"Me's nose not bleeding.  Me not need to see Dr. McDonough."

Wait, they said Allie-Parker

Happy girl.

The appointment went great!  Allie-Parker is finally growing out of her intense clingy stage and she talked to EVERYONE at the office.  We ended up just having to put some cream in her nose at night and it cleared it right up.  

Moving right along...  Riley-Anne turned ONE on October 18.  Can you even believe it?!?! I don't remember all of her stats but she weighs around 24 pounds and is 75% for height.    Actually, on her birthday me and Ryan were supposed to go on a long overdue date, but ended up having Ri tag along with us.  So we changed dinner plans and went to a loud restaurant instead!  We ended up having a great time spending time with just her.  She entertained everyone at the restaurant by clapping and saying "DADADADADA" as loud and as many times as she could.

Total Daddy's girl

Cuteness

Ok.   So confession time here.  This year, we were just not up for the whole pumpkin patch thing.  Maybe it was because of football season, maybe its the whole three kids thing, I don't know... I just could not bring myself to figure out three coordinating, cutesy outfits, then iron all those little cutesy outfits, dress the three wild animals and  get everyone in the car with just a CHANCE of getting a cute picture of all three.  I mean, Ri is a year old and I still do not have a good picture of the three of them!  So we boycotted the pumpkin patch this year and did the unspeakable... we took the kids to Walmart, threw them in the hay bails at the front of the store and let them pick out a pumpkin! HA!  I am laughing just thinking back about it!  Me and Ryan were ROLLING the whole time.  But seriously, we had so much fun!  The kids had a great time too- Non stressed out parents = happy kids!  While we were riding up there the ol' Mommy guilty started to set in, but to be honest, we will probably go back next year and do the same thing!  It was so refreshing just to load the kids up and go!  No fussing, no fighting, just fun!  Isn't that how is really should be?  Just doing things as a family for the fun of it, not the pictures?  I have to remind myself of this from time to time.

At the pumpkin patch ;)

Garrison wanted to find a pumpkin that had dirt on it, typical boy

He ended up with the the biggest one he could pick up

Allie-Parker at the pumpkin patch

She wanted this one because "Hers stem needs a band aid."

Daddy picking out his pumpkin

Well that is all for now.  My coffee was just turned over by a crazy one year old that is still a little sugar high from trick or treats :)