A perfect day at Vala's pumpkin patch.

We ate...hot dogs

We ate...roasted marshmallows We ate...s'mores We played... on antique tractors and equipment

We played...with the "mini village" We played...in the sand.

We played... with the apple launcher. Just for the record Avery's apple hit the farthest target. We rode...on the go-carts


And, together on the "family cart"

And down the slide..together
Our family enjoyed a beautiful fall day at Vala's. After postponing the first date due to rain I was concerned about the weather. No need to worry- it was 60 degrees and the sun was shining bright. We reserved a fire pit, and roasted hotdogs for dinner and smores for desert. The Enlows, Fentons and the Williams families joined us. We missed you- Bischoffs. Vala's is huge! Infact, calling it a mere "pumpkin patch" hardly does it justice. There is a full day of activities in store for you at Vala's. A few of our favs are: the go carts, apple launcher, giant tube slide, petting zoo, and huge jumping "pillow" (basically inflatable trampoline to hold 40 kids at a time) Did I mention the kettle corn? It's a delicious combination of sweet and salty. We wrapped up the evening at the pig races. Each race they would call a volunteer from the audience to come to the front and vote for their favorite pig. Ellie desperately wanted to get the nod. No Luck. Maybe next year.

A special visit

We love having visitors come to Omaha. Our children love having their grandparents to snuggle and play with each and every minute. This week Gigi came to town. She came to our rescue (long story) when we needed her. We are so thankful to our parents, we love them dearly. They are wonderful grandparents, and we are blessed to share our lives together. Thank you Gigi & Papa, Grandma & Grandpa for all you do for our families!

As usual we were very busy with Gigi in town. We are still trying to fit in some shopping in the Old Market ( next time, Gig, I promise) but this week was packed with good times. Avery and I picked Gigi up from the airport, and of course, off to lunch we go. Next, on to Fire Ridge to pick up the twins from school. It's fun to see them run out with screams of delight when they see their grandparents standing there waiting for them. The Enlow boys came over after school, I'm glad mom had the chance to meet these sweet boys. For the "main event" Jeff drove us all down to the Qwest center, dropped Ellie and I off at the concert and they went to dinner. What a fun day, definitely worth making a scrapbook page, wouldn't ya say? The next couple days were filled with shopping, lunching out and Target runs. Avery got sick, and so Thursday we stayed close to home. Thanks again, Mom for coming to visit. We love visitors.

The hottest ticket in town...Hannah Montanna

Where there's a will there's a way. Ellie and I scored Hannah Montanna tickets to the concert on Tuesday night. This was so no simple feat, mind you. I tried 3 times and each and every time I was denied. This concert sold out in 8 minutes. A week later Ticketmaster raffled off more tickets. I along with 600 other people waited in line to get my wristband just for the opportunity to buy tickets on the off chance my number was drawn. No such luck. As my last ditch effort, I put my name on Craig's list. Unbelievably, Saturday night this thoughtful but anonymous woman called to alert me that a few extra seats were being sold at that very moment. Thank you to the stranger. Finally, we had our tickets. We surprised Ellie with the good news Monday night. She was beyond excited, and I think very curious. She has never been to a concert before now. We eagerly arrived at the Qwest Center with plenty of time to spare. We checked out our seats and then grabbed a bite to eat. The anticipation was unbearable for Ellie. The show started with the Jonas Brothers. They were great, and the crowd loved 'em. Finally,when Hannah Montanna took the stage the Qwest center went wild! The little girls all decked out in "Hannaha" attire were screaming with excitement. The energy was out of control. Hannah put on an incredible show. She is a little girl with a Big voice who obviously loves to perform. She dazzled the girls with many sparkly outfit changes and dance moves. The show was well worth the money. But more than the show, the chance to spend a special night out with Ellie was priceless. I also couldn't wait for this night, however I had different reason in mind. I was looking forward to spending this time with Ellie, just the two of us. I wanted to share with her the excitement. I wanted to see the thrill in her face. I wanted to feel the bond that is created when mothers and daughters share special events together. Right now as an 8 year old girl going to the Hannah Montanna concert is the pinnacle. But for me it is hearing "I love you, mom" many times throughout the evening. Thank you, Ellie for the music to my ears and for making my night unforgettable.

Just a few more...

She's a little peach

a perfect trio.

2 little sweet peas.

The 2 Hannah Montannas together. Ellie and Kylie

Shhh...A surprise is coming up for Ellie!

Stay tuned to hear all the details.

It was a Spooktacular night

A scowling pirate with his daddy. Jeff dressed up as a "hottie" husband.

Hannah Montanna with her B.F.F =Best friend forever! Mckenna was a rock star, and they had a blast together.

Zachary and Neely Sadler, our Primary Pres. and friend. Notice how Zach is always smiling when he is with the "laaadiess."

Avery and one of her many "boyfriends", Mason

Brighton, Ellie, and Avery. Zach stayed far away from the "girl cooties."

At the end of the night and the beginning of the sugar rush, the kids all piled into the Enlow's car

The Halloween Trunk-or-treat is always a favorite for us and this year was no exception. First, a chili cookoff then carnival games and then the much anticipated trick or treating. The night was wonderful ,and the weather was even warm. We brought with us Hannah Montanna, a pirate, a sweet little kitty, a princess and a cute baby. We were babysitting Brighton (the princess) and the cute baby-Brooklyn. They were delightful and we enjoyed having them. Since the purchase of our new camera (which I love by the way) I spend way to much time trying to capture that "perfect moment" on film. I am not a photographer, that is clear but I do enjoy learning about and using our new camera. Enjoy a few of the many pic's I took Saturday night.

A new post is coming...the blogger site is having difficulties and currently fixing the problem. When it's back up, I will post a picture. Enjoy the day, Laurie

Ladies who lunch

Avery is officially part of our lunch bunch. As of right now, it's just Mia and I ( & of course, Aves) however, anyone is welcome to join us for an afternoon out. Avery was so excited to join the "Big girls" for lunch- she wanted to get all decked out in her most sparkly& "grown up"

outfit. She choose to wear her silver sparkle shoes from Gigi, along with her pretend cell phone as an accessory. She then asked for her "Hollywood sunglasses" and wanted to wear them, too. I'm not so sure that a 3 year should know about Hollywood, let alone ask for a piece of it. I have so much fun with Avery during the days. Don't even mention to me Kindergarten is full day and in 2 years. Avery thrives in preschool. She is social- very social. She has already been the student of the week and had her 1st show-n-tell. She brought in her webkinz, so did the other little girl. Each and every day when we leave the building Avie says" I love my preschool"!

Snug as a Bug in a Rug...

with 3 little kiddos all tucked in at night. Actually, they didn't all sleep together just there for story time. Yesterday we had a "Zachary kind of day" we stayed in our jammies and snuggled, relaxed, and played together. We watched conference and all the while Zach would nestle up to one of us and snuggle. In between the sessions we played & snuggled some more. You may even consider our day one of the laziest on record, but it was well worth it - every minute . Brunch @10:30, dinner @ 5:30. bath@ 7:30- simplicity at it's best! Finally, it's bedtime and we snuggled some more. What a day!

It's just not the same!

Without a camera to showcase the "Anderson adventures" this blog just doesn't feel the same. I am determined to keep it from dying however, but I must admit "I've lost that lovin' feeling" towards updating our blog. But, for my few fellow bloggers and readers I will keep it up and anxiously await the day of a new camera purchase. We are in full swing with the changing of the seasons here in Omaha. Fall is here to stay. Although, the air is not yet cool and crisp, I noticed today a slight but distinguishable change in the color of the leaves. Nothing compared to the breathtaking visual of driving through the mountains of Denver and Salt Lake in Autumn time. However, still a sight worth mentioning. Fall in Nebraska is a fun time of the year. It happens to be Nebraska's best season. The weather is mild and there are so many festivities to partake of for family fun. I am excited for this fall for various reasons. A few of them are:

1.Vala's pumpkin patch- you've never truly seen a pumpkin patch till you visit Vala's.
2.sweaters and jeans- I am a sweater girl, I love the comfort and warmth of a classic sweater. Throw on a pair of jeans and I feel most at ease.
3. By October I am ready for the cooler weather. You may need to remind me of this come Decemember when the wind is howling and the snow in blowing. But today, I am ready for a change. I love the weather of fall.
4.The new season fall t.v shows- who isn't sick and tired of the boring summer reruns?
"Hooray" for Grey's!
5.gearing up for Halloween. I start asking the kids what they want to dress up as in early September. I don't make their costumes anymore but, I still enjoy planning them out. So far this year we have Hannah Montanna for Ellie, a mad scientist for Zachary and a ...princess for Avery. I'm sure that doesn't come as a surprise, she is 3 after all. I won't actually buy anything yet, you never know who might change their mind.
6. Soup. I love making soup for dinner. Actually, we all like soup so it's an easy dinner idea for us
7.Looking at fall decor around the neighborhood. I also usually enjoy "dressing" up our house for the holidays, however, this year we got off to a late start and may just make it simple with a new fall wreath for the door.
8.shopping. I love the bargains at this time of the year. Summer clothes (for next year)- you can't beat the deals... I love it love it love it. Yesterday, I got Zach 2 shirts for 3.99 each. I also love Christmas shopping and I like to do a little bit at a time- I start in October.
9. Pumpkin cookies, bread,& pancakes. I got a wonderful recipe for pumpkin pancakes from Dianne this summer and I can't wait to make 'em. Maybe this Sunday for conference.
10. Fall is the start of the holiday season. I love the Holidays. I love getting the family together - the more the merrier. I love the season of giving thanks and celebrating !