It's pumpkin time!!

I love this time of year!  The weather starts to cool off and the leaves start to change colors.  Fall really is my favorite season.  This weekend we got together with James' family and carved pumpkins.  It was a beautiful weekend so we carved them outside.  We had partners.  Abby and Avery, Emma and I, James and Noah, and Ginny and Bill.  Emma loved sticking her hand in all the pumpkin goo!

Emma picked out a great stencil for our pumpkin.

It was half scary and half happy!

James and Noah picked up a spider web and spider for theirs.

Abby and Avery are both "sporty" girls and downloaded their favorite team logo's to carve on their pumpkin.

Abby chose Georgia and Avery is a HUGE Texas Ranger fan.

Bill had to choose just the right stencil for his and Ginny's pumpkin!

Everybody worked really hard!  They all turned out so good!

Notice Emma soaking her feet in the pool.  It was fun being "poolside" while carving pumpkins

The finish products!

What a fun day!!

Woodstock Middle School Homecoming....I'm so not ready for this!

Woodstock Middle School has a homecoming dance every year.  Last year Abby went with her friend Jessica.  This year she went with her boyfriend Mark.  She has talked about Mark and how she was excited to go.  We had planned on dropping her off and her meeting up with him at the dance.  Earlier this week she asked if it would be alright if Mark and  his mom  picked her up at our house.  Sure I said.  It didn't hit me until he came and I saw them together, that this was the first boy that has picked her up.  Sure, she has had little crushes on other boys but she and Mark have been "dating" since school started.  I really wanted to cry!  When did she grow into this beautiful young lady!  I was watching her getting ready and she seemed so grown up!  I still can't believe she is 8th grade!  She will be in High School NEXT year!!  She looked so pretty!

She is taller than me even without heels!

We had called and talked to Mark's mother earlier in the day.  She is Abby's PE teacher at school.  We felt very comfortable with her driving them to the dance.  They arrived and we had to get pictures!  He was a gentleman.  He introduced himself and shook our hands.  He brought Abby a corsage too! 

Look how cute they are.  He even has his arm around her.  OH MY GOSH he has his arm around her!!!

This was a silly picture.  We told them to point and look up!

They were ready to leave.  Mark said it was nice to meet us.  They walked down the driveway.  He opened the car door for her.  Then off they went.  My baby was on her first "date"!  I really, no kidding, wanted to cry!!! 

Monday's Memories...Reconnected not by accident!

James and I attended his 20 year class reunion in mid July.  I had gone to elementary and middle school with most of the people he went to high school with.  I was excited about going and seeing some old friends.  I have to admit I really didn't expect to reconnect with anybody.  James and I arrived and I did recognize some people, but there was a lot of people I truly didn't remember.  We sat down at our table and talked with some people.  I looked across the table and I thought I recognized a really good friend from 7th and 8th grade.  We both looked at each other and finally spoke.  It was in fact who I thought it was.  We chatted and were both surprised to find each other.  We chatted on Facebook and emailed each other for several months.  We decided to meet for coffee about a week ago.  I truly believe that we did not reconnect by accident!  There was a reason we found each other!  We each talked about our families and schools our kids attended.  I brought up that Noah has Aspergers and she shared with me her 9 year old has Aspergers as well.  I really thought I was going to cry.  We shared our struggles and joys with all that Aspergers is.  It is amazing to see God work!  I know with all my heart that God brought us together to be a support for each other!  We want to make plans to get our families together.  There is no doubt that we will stay connected! I didn't remember to take my camera so no pictures:(