Introducing...

Reese Marianne Reading

Born October 22nd 10:21 a.m.

6 pounds 10 ounces

19 inches long

So Happy

Hospital Visitors

Going Home

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning at the hospital... I am so glad to be home. It was nice to just be with my newest baby and it was nice also to miss my four other little ones at home. It's easy to get burned out and tired of motherhood. However, being away from my kids for four days was too long. I loved to have them visit me and I feel ready and somehow more capable to be home and be mom again.

Worth the MESS?

Homemade Halloween sugar cookies. Doesn't it just sound like this fun little family activity? Everyone working together with Halloween sounds in the background? Then the perfectly shaped and decorated cookies that you can share with your neighbors.
Truth is, the kids did have fun. The parents could appreciate how activities like this are worth all the effort, but the mess is too much. Tyler even did some online searches on the scuba and the rumba (the little robot floor cleaners). As we were making these cookies Sydney asked if we should give any of them to our friends. Tyler and I laughed pretty hard about how we really should give some to our worst enemy. Which then lead to a discussion on the word enemy. So who will be getting the cookies? The kids decided we should share them with Satan. Pretty funny.

Not feeling well...

So Ella has only wanted to be held lately. She is so big and I am so big, that holding her all day is a work out. Then I discovered that she is getting four new teeth all at the same time. She has had stinky pee, so after a trip the doctors we discovered that she also has a UTI. Only to find that on top of that she has a strange virus called slap cheek syndrome (it makes you not feel well and at the end of the course you get really red cheeks). So if you add the runs and diaper rash that she's been dealing with... You would want to be held all day too. Not to mention she is going to be a big sister in 3 days. Poor girl!

The Crazy Corn Maze

I have never been to a Corn Maze. We went earlier so we would be warmer, stay out of the dark, and avoid the wild teenagers. It was a lot of fun, even with Tyler almost getting pulled into the corn by multiple invisible monsters. After about an hour or so of getting ourselves lost Sydney and Carson started to get concerned that we would never find out way out. However, we safely made it back to our car.

Pumpkin Patch (round 2)

Grandma and Grandpa Halliday have been growing pumpkins in their garden. We went over and cleaned them out. Come to find out, my Mom does not like carving pumpkins, I had no idea growing up. So we now have a porch stocked with 18 pumpkins (all shapes and sizes). We will see how many get carved...

Picking Pumpkins

If it looks cold and miserable in these pictures it's because it was. The kids liked choosing their own pumpkins, but we were pretty much all business. I think we choose the coldest day of October to go. Owen isn't shown because he's crying from cold in all of his pictures.

Ella, where's our new baby?

When asked this question Ella points to her own round tummy. Do you think she's ready to be a big sister? She has been such a fun baby to have. I think one of the hardest things about having a new baby is that your youngest looses baby status. She does love babies and she really likes the baby's socks and little diapers, does that count for anything?

Fall leaves

We just love being in the mountains. Our kids love it and everything seems easier. The changing leaves are so pretty and it is so beautiful. On this hike Owen and Ella wanted to be held the whole time, 9 month pregnant me was not up for carrying anyone other then the baby inside me, so Tyler ended up carrying both Owen and Ella most of the trip. It was a short hike.

Not quite like the Apple picking we're used to...

You can find anything with google. Who knew that there was a little apple orchard near our house? We drove up and just started laughing. five rows of apples right off a busy street surrounded by neighboring houses. 90% of the apples had worms, so we had to be very selective. It wasn't quite New York or Ohio, but it was still fun... or at least funny.

Ella Loves SHOES!

Ella is always taking off her own shoes and socks and then putting on other peoples shoes and socks. In this picture she is wearing Carson's church shoes and socks.