Polar Express!!!

Okay, it has been quite awhile.. Haven't really had much to blog about though.. But this weekend we went to the Calera Train Depot and rode the Polar Express! It was SO MUCH FUN!! It truly cant be put into words because its so magical! I think everyone should do it at least once, but we all decided it should be tradition! I didn't take Braxton this time because I think hes still a little young and wouldn't truly understand it just yet.. Hayden was on cloud nine!! This is the first year that she hasn't been afraid of Santa, she actually LOVES him! This Santa was so realistic and so sweet, I think he just might be the real thing! =) Anyway, here's a few pictures from our trip to the North Pole aboard the Polar Express!

Visions of sugarplums!!!

I have officially been bitten by the Christmas bug!! I swear I don't know what hit me but today I just suddenly got SO SUPER excited for the holidays!!! I feel like a kid in a candy store.. I cant wait to get together with family and EAT!! I think being with family is so comforting and right now in this crazy world we live in, we could all use a little comfort! I'm dying to get out my Christmas stuff, but the small part of me that is still sane (mind you its a very small part) is telling me NOT YET! I hope everyone is as excited as I am!!!

Nothing Gold Can Stay ~ Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold. Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower. But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief.

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay..

Hayden's first competition!!

Well, we took a road trip to Chattanooga, TN today to Hayden's first gymnastics meet.. It was well worth the drive!! She did so well, I couldn't be more proud of her!! Her scores are as follows;

Floor Routine: 9.0

Bar Routine: 9.6

Vault Routine: 9.5

Beam Routine: 8.275

Awards were given out based upon Level and age group.. In Hayden's group she won first place in three of the four events, third place on beam, and she won the all around competition with the highest score!! She did AWESOME!! I have to edit some of the pictures of the award ceremony because they were taken by Chase and they are so-so.... But for now here are a few from the day!!

babies carving pumpkins.. well, sort of...

I'm a bit late blogging this but better late then never I guess.. Last weekend we visited Becca and Tatum so that we could carve pumpkins together.. The kids were completely uninterested and the moms ended up doing the carving but it was still fun! It was a perfect day outside, not too hot, not too cold, just right!! We had a great time and the pumpkins ended up looking SO cute!! At the end of the day they hopped in the tub together and an hour later they were passed out in our laps.. What a great day!!

Pictures of Hayden at the Pumpkin Patch!

Braxton and I didnt get to go to the Pumpkin Patch with Hayden so here are a few pictures taken by Lindsay Lou! :)

Braxtons first pumpkin...

This past weekend Hayden went to the pumpkin patch with Lindsay for Adams birthday.. She picked out a perfect, round pumpkin to carve.. She begged and begged to carve it and finally late Sunday afternoon we decided to go ahead and do it... After cutting the top off and scooping out the "guts" for 30 secs she was no longer interested.. Soooooo, I let Braxton have a turn.. Brave I know! At first, he hated it.. If you touched him with the slimy, stringy insides he would gag, and then throw up.. Yes, literally THROW UP.. It took a few minutes for him to get used to it and then he loved it.. It became a game of dropping the spoon inside and getting it out.. It didn't turn out to be the best looking pumpkin in the patch but we sure had fun doing it! ;)