Hollowed Days

We didn't actually go trick-or-treating tonight, our week was already full enough with activities, and we had plenty of candy, especially now with the left overs since we only had 5 trick-or-treaters.  And to start it off right, Anna was spooked by the first two kids, who were dressed as Freddy Krueger and the Scream mask ghost.  Hopefully we don't have any nightmares!
After a couple of other ideas, Maria decided on Madeline for her costume.  I have to say, it turned out pretty cute!  She happened to have the dress, and I found the hat for $1.50 at the thrift store, not too bad, huh?
Last weekend we went to a church Fall Fest, and the girls had a great time.  Then later in the week Maria went trick-or-treating with preschool, and finally on Friday we headed to the library for their party.  SO by the time Sunday rolled around, we I was done.  Anna dressed up as Genevieve, the dog that is in the Madeline series.  We just used some brown clothes that we had, and gave her a leash.

In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines
lived twelve little girls in two straight lines
They left the house at half past nine
The smallest one was Madeleline

a new kitchen

This play kitchen was something my dad built for us as kids, and it was sitting in a shed just waiting for a makeover.  My mom worked at a cabinet company for a while and brought the doors home to use on it.  I painted it white and added some custom kitchen updates.  Maria and Anna love playing on it.

the home stretch

Well, since we have had the lake house for officially one year, it's fitting that we are almost "done" with the projects.  I say "done" because the list may get completed, but then I just add to the list!  Next summer will definitely be a outdoor project kind of summer, add a flagstone patio, do some landscaping, etc.  Here are some of the last indoor projects finished.

I made some coasters out of a map we had from our vacation last year to Traverse City.

We needed a bit of privacy in the bathroom as the window was a bit too open for my taste and I didn't want to block the natural light.

I used some privacy contact paper and cut out circles with my scrap booking tools to give it a little interest and so I could look out in the backyard if I needed to.  A very simple and cheap solution that can easily be taken off if needed.

I changed up some of the pictures in the hallway and mounted them on the brown paper with spray adhesive.

I had an ugly frame that needed a bit of TLC, so I hot glued some twine around the edges...haven't found a picture I want to put in it yet.

I was super excited to have found these paper coasters at the thrift store that matched the kitchen perfectly.  I decided to make a boarder of them using spray adhesive(I love that stuff!).

Adds just a bit of character and they can just peel off if I repaint or get tired of them.

The floor has been finished for a bit,  but I needed to do the trim, and I forgot to get pictures when I did get that finished.  My dad spent much more time than we thought it would take getting it done.  We didn't anticipate the wood flooring in the kitchen to be glued down, so in the end he had to cut up the whole flooring including the subflooring and replace it before putting down the laminate.

We love it and it's so nice looking.

Makes cleanup under the table so much easier than carpet, especially since Anna is in a "I'm done, so I'll dump my plate" stage.

Thank you dad for the gift of the floor...it's amazing.

I painted the cupboards in the bathroom brown because they were a  bit dingy and banged up, and I wanted to change up the hardware.  In order to save money I decided to spray paint the existing pieces.

This also helped to hide the marks that the backplates had left on the cabinets.  I'm pretty happy with the overall result.

new duds

My mom has been busy again...and Maria loves her new cat jacket.  It's a little big, which means she'll get to wear it longer!

pumpkins and bows

 Maria's "happy" pumpkin...she loved pulling out the guts.

A good friend made this adorable bow headband for Maria...thanks Marcy, she loves it!

We have plenty to praise God for; pumpkins and bows!

randoms

 Do you like Anna's sideways hat that reminds me of these soldier helmets?  And the chair that is a wee bit too small, but she insists on trying to sit on it anyway.

Anna was trying out the new table and chairs I picked up at a thrift store...only $25.  The girls love them.

don't ask?

Who knows why our kids do some of the things they do...I don't even try to figure out some things, it's part of the fun!



We have plenty to praise God for; just having fun!

friendly visitors

 Anna checking out baby Lydia

 beautiful brown hair, blue eyed baby!

 Geesh, does Anna's head always look that big?  ;)

 Three cuties

 CHEESE!

 Peek-a-boo

 mini-mamas

awwww

It was great having Mindy and the kiddos visit...why is it we never get a picture of us together anymore???  The kiddos are pretty cute, but we'll have to work on that!

We have plenty to praise God for; lasting friendships.

mini-vacation

We took off Friday morning to Indianapolis and the Children's Museum.  We had an amazing day, especially since the girls were so good all day, despite missing nap and being extremely overstimulated.  We got to the museum about 10:30 and just about closed the place down leaving around 4:30.  Maria said her favorite part was the Barbie exhibit, but I think she had the most fun in the Playscape area, as did Anna.  They also enjoyed the Dinosphere and Egypt areas.

 Discovering fossils

 Driving the train

 Checking out the trains

 Making her own Chihuly sculpture.

 The bottom of the Chihuly sculpture

 The water clock...which was out of order at the moment, can you tell Maria is excited to be at the museum.  She told us several times, even before getting inside "I really like the museum!"

 Riding a "donkey?" in Egypt.

 Maria busy at work making pitas in her Egyptian store.

Anna was determined to sit on this pita in her little tent.

 Trying to help out at the store, which almost resulted in an avalanche.

 Daddy and Anna riding in a Tuk-tuk.

 No visit is complete without a ride on the carousel.

 Daddy and Anna opted for a bench instead of a horse.

 Peeking out of a log.

 Drive faster sister!

After our day at the museum we headed to the Drury Inn, which is our favorite place to stay.  If you are in need of a hotel, seriously look into their chain.  They offer free kickbacks in the evening, which they say are appetizers, but we considered it a meal with, hot dogs, chili, chips, salad, raw veggies, popcorn and drinks.  They have a nice indoor/outdoor pool, which we used twice during our stay.  They offer free long distance calls in the evening, though we had no need to use it this time.  In the morning they have an awesome breakfast including fresh Belgium waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage, french toast, and the assorted cereals, breads, fruit, yogurt and juice.  It really is nice to have those extras without a huge added cost!

The girls chilling in the hotel room.

Saturday morning Larry participated in yet another half marathon, his 10th to date in the last 5 years.  He made a new PR time of 1hr 53min.  The girls and I didn't attempt to get up to cheer him on so there are no pictures, but we are so proud of his achievement.

After the race we wanted to spend a bit more time in Indy, so we made our way to the center of town and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.  I had been there, but never when it was open to see the museum and venture up to the observation level to view the city.  I must point out that it was Larry's brilliant idea to climb all 330 steps to the top of the tower after running 13.1 miles.  It was quite an amazing view, especially on such a beautiful day.  We did decide to take the easy route of the elevator down!

We have plenty to praise God for; a great weekend away.