Happy Halloween!

Riley had so much fun celebrating the holiday that is all about dressing up and candy, candy, candy!

This year was the first year that Riley could help in choosing her costume and she decided that she wanted to be one of her favorite storybook characters, Curious George.  Never wanting to miss an opportunity to humiliate our kitty, we found a banana costume for Bella.

During the week leading up to the actual holiday, we tried to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible for putting on her costume and having some Halloween fun.  On Monday, she got to go to Pomona's Trick or Treat Street with her friends Joe and Grace.  It was a quick trick or treat around the school that resulted in a pumpkin that was so heavy with candy that Riley couldn't even carry it. 

Checking our the buckets full of candy!

On Friday night, we took advantage of our Children's Museum membership and went for their night time Halloween festivities.  Riley got to play in her costume and do some Halloween themed crafts. 

 Trick or Treat!

 Driving the fire truck, one of her favorite things to do at the museum

 The museum had been a relatively sweet-free experience, so as a special treat we hit Little Man ice cream on our way home.  Riley the perfect little bitty sized dish of "chowachwat" and it was hard to tell whether that or the great big slide was the best part of our pit stop.  Knowing my girl, the ice cream still one out.

Ready to give her daddy a sliding high five!

The next morning we got up early to make the Longmont Halloween parade.  Our friends, the Nichols, live up there and this was the 2nd year that we got to join them for this fun event.  It was so cute to see all of the little ones dressed up and parading down Main Street.  Riley loves any opportunity to hang out with her buddy James.

On Halloween, our friends the Abote's invited us over for a yummy pre-trick or treat dinner and then we let Riley and her friend Audrina loose on the neighborhood.  It didn't take too long for the girls to get the hang of trick or treating door to door.  The hardest part for Riley was remembering to take her bucket as she went up to the door, but once she got up there she would proudly announce "Trick or Treat!" and then "Happy Halloween" as we would head back to the sidewalk. 

 Curious George and the banana

 Riley's favorite thing to do right now is to pick Bella up and carry her around.  It's quite the site being that Bella weighs about half as much as Riley and as you can see Bella has completely surrendered herself to this torture.  She has drawn the line at being put in the baby doll stroller, despite Riley's best efforts.

 Tinkerbell and Curious George trick or treating

Post trick or treating with Gigi and Popdaddy

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Pickin!

 Since Halloween is just around the corner, we decided to take Riley to the pumpkin patch to pick the perfect punkins!

 Riley decided that she would like her picture laying on a pumpkin instead of sitting on one.  We compromised so that we both got the photo op we wanted, as evidenced by the first picture.

 Riley helped pick some really good pumpkins and she even managed to lift a few all by herself which was pretty hilarious to watch.  There were so many pumpkins that it was hard to choose the best ones.  Despite the vast array of pumpkins all around us in the field, Riley never really felt that any were right for her until we found some little bity pumpkins in a barrel at the end. 

So she left the big pumpkins for her daddy and I to carve this year and she opted to paint her "baby" pumpkins. 

Oklahoma

It's been over a year since we have been down to Oklahoma and a family wedding was a perfect reason to head out there for a visit.  Riley and I got to spend a week seeing family and friends and visiting some of our favorite places. 

Ready for take off!

Riley adores her Aunt Judi and Uncle John and she was so excited to get to stay with them that week.  They had candy, ice cream, a piano to play and tons of new books for her to read.  She was thoroughly spoiled during our stay.

Reading to Uncle John

Our family has grown a little in the last year and we were really excited to get to meet our newest cousins, Reece and Aiden.  Riley and I got to be at the hospital the day that Reece was born, but alot changes in a year. 

10/1/09

10/19/10

Reece's grandpa, my Uncle David arranged for us to go and visit a miniature pony named Tuck and his

side kick a chicken named Nugget.  Riley will not have anything to do with the mechanical penny pony at the grocery store so I was a little skeptical when she said that she was going to ride Tuck.  To my amazement, she hoped right up there like a little cowgirl and rode that pony.  It also helped that my cousin Cyd had bought her a very cool pair of cowboy boots for the occasion. 

Two little cowgirls, post ride

My cousin Kurt and his wife Katie have a new little boy, Aiden, who was born in March.  So we were excited to get to meet him too.  Just like her mommy, Riley will get to be the oldest of all her cousins and teach them her all of her tricks, for now she was a little confused as to why the little ones wouldn't talk to her. 

We never miss an opportunity to see our friend's Tim and Susie while we are Kingfisher.  Riley and her Gigi even got to ride along with Tim in his swather while he cut hay. 

Hanging out on the patio in her upside down sunglasses

Reading books with Tim

Tim and Susie also had a fire pit that was the perfect place to roast marshmallows. She always has so much fun hanging out with them.

While we were there, our friends the Shoemakes had diven up from Dallas for the OU game, so Riley also got to spend some time playing with her buddy Audrey and I got to see my friend Kerri.  Riley can never get enough of Audrey and despite the fact that they don't get to see each other very often, they are such good little friends. 

Just don't ask the two of them to pose for a pic with there moms...zero cooperation

Cute little BFFs

The wedding also meant that we got to spend some time with some of our family from California that I had not met before.  Riley had a great time playing with her cousin Dallas and was pretty impressed with everything he did.

Hanging with Dallas on the ATV

Helping Gigi, Mike and Dallas fill up the wheat

Riley and Jade

Riley got to try her hand at driving a John Deere Gator power wheel...it was a good thing that she had a wide open space because her steering is a little rough.

An experienced wedding goer, Riley was great during the wedding ceremony and then got her groove on at the reception.  She is a dancing queen!

Dancing with Gigi and Popdaddy

We had so much fun in Oklahoma and I am so thankful to have our Oklahoma family and friends.  Hopefully we'll be back again soon!

Cannonball!

We were so lucky to have had an a sort of extended summer this year.  The really warm weather at the begining of fall meant that we got to have a few more pool days that we usually get this time of year.  Riley absolutely loved the time she spent in the water and we noticed an amazing change in her swimming skills from the begining of summer up till now.  She definitely lives up to her self proclaimed title of "baby otter".  Here are a couple of videos showing her latest tricks.