Carving Action

The boys and I enjoyed carving scary faces on our pumpkins. I'm more excited about the toasted seeds myself. I thought the boys would love the squishy pumpkin guts but Max informed me they don't like getting dirty (I don't buy that one).

Virginia

The boys and I had a fantastic time visiting Ephraim's family in Virginia (the 35 pictures below are evidence). The boys loved every minute with Grandpa and Grandma, Aunt Hayley, Uncle Adam, Uncle Jake, cousin Ellie, and all the dogs. The trampoline, the Smithsonian Zoo, and the beach area in Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood were also big hits. We were so glad we had the chance to celebrate cousin Ellie's first birthday and spend time with Uncle Jake before he headed off to El Salvador on his mission. Thanks for a great vacation! Can't wait to see you guys again!

P.S. I was blessed on the drive home with angelic boys. In a 10-hour stretch we only had to stop once. The whole trip was a miracle straight from heaven.

P.P.S. 5 (ish) more weeks until Ephraim comes home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exodus Interruption to Introduce.......

Our new camera. After 4 years of marriage and 5 broken digital cameras, we decided to invest in something we would love and take really, really good care of. We love our new Canon Rebel and the boys love having their own cameras to play with (actually, they have multiple play cameras now). Ephraim wanted proof that the camera's working great so, here's a slew of pictures for you, my love.

Washington DC Exodus: Part One

I loaded up the boys and spent most of September trekking across the country to visit Ephraim's family outside DC in Virginia. I was a little nervous about doing this solo but miraculously, the boys were angels in the car. I guess with enough snacks and movies, anything is possible.

We made our way across Texas and Louisiana then stayed the night in Mississippi. Anyone ever stayed in a hotel alone with two crazy boys? I thought by requesting an "accessible" room on-line I'd be getting a ground floor room that would be more convenient. Instead, we were still up a few floors and the "accessible" part really meant that everything was lower, therefore at toddler level. So, my brilliant idea backfired. The boys got into everything and drove me slightly crazy but we survived (and the room did too, somehow...)

Next we drove to visit Ephraim's brother Alex, his wife Sara and son Jensen in Alabama. The boys loved playing at their house and antagonizing their sweet Shitzu Kiki. It was so nice to see them. Thanks for having us, Alex and Sara!

We forged ahead to Savannah, Georgia to Ephraim's brother Philip and his wife Paula's house. The boys had a blast with their cute cousins Isabella and William. We had a great time at the beach at Tybee Island and as always, enjoyed Paula's fantastic cooking. Homemade pralines and cream ice cream is to die for.

We survived our next day of driving up to Grandma and Grandpa Garner's house in Virginia and were excited to spend a few weeks with them. Look for details to come in Exodus: Part Two.

Max and cute cousin Jensen

Izzie and squishy-faced Ezra

Izzie and Ezra at Tybee Island

Don't be fooled by the boys' expressions, they LOVED the beach as much as I did.