Halloween ... here we go!

With Halloween on the horizon, today marked the start of the spooky and kooky festivities including a room redecoration by some sneaky ghosts, school Halloween parties this morning, and trick-or-treating at Scott's work in the afternoon. What a fun start to the Halloween weekend ... here we go!

The boys awoke this morning to a spookified room...

cobwebs, a Halloween banner, a skeleton & spider!

Guess the ghosts had been busy in the night!

Tinkerbell & Ironman

(AKA Luke with his teacher Miss Lee)

Skeleton Reid with Mrs. Frank (decked out in '60s attire)

Trick-or-Treating at Dad's Work

'70s Mama (with baby disco ball),

Ironman & Skeleton Reid...

busting out some disco moves!

Fun Fotos

Just a few random photos from this week...

4 going on 24... So cool in aviator sunglasses!

This week Luke's school is celebrating Spirit Week,

and each day they are dressing as a different theme.

Check out what Luke wore for "Dress Like a Role Model" Day.

Introducing Officer Luke...

Bump Watch :: 27 Weeks

Goodbye, 2nd trimester ... hello, 3rd trimester! This week marks the grand finale of the 2nd trimester. It's hard to believe how quickly the last 3 months have flown by, but spectacular autumn weather, school activities, and lots of fun projects have been keeping us on the go. This past weekend was our first big round of "nesting" -- organizing several closets & the laundry room. Let's hope Mama's energy stays at the great level it has been ... at least for a little longer!

Some fun highlights of Month 6:

• The baby moves all the time! His kicks are getting stronger and stronger. Perhaps he's gearing up for soccer with his big brothers!
• You say, "Tomato." Jami says, "No thanks!" The heartburn has continued, but we've identified the worst offender as tomatoes ... so no more marinara, soup, or even ketchup for Mama.
• We've been getting acquainted with our new family vehicle this month. We LOVE our new Ford Flex and its additional space!
• Still no big decisions in the Name Game. We didn't decide on Reid's name until the final weeks ... so it may be a bit yet!

Señor Reid

This morning we learned that Reid has a new hidden talent -- counting in Spanish. Check out Señor Reid below...

Scaredy Cat & the Raven

With Halloween on the horizon, we waved our magic wand -- or rather exacto knife -- and transformed our pumpkins. We've always taken the route of the traditional jack-o-lantern ... carving a face with eyes, a nose, and a mouth. But this year, we decided to try our hand at making etched pumpkins. Thanks to some great patterns on the Martha Stewart website (thanks, Martha), we have welcomed Scaredy Cat & the Raven to our Halloween decor. The process took a bit longer than typical jack-o-lantern carving, but it was definitely a fun creative endeavor for our family!

A Rockin' Birthday

For his 34th birthday, we gave Scott a special gift of adventure -- rock climbing in Garden of the Gods! This red-rocked landmark in Colorado Springs is one of our greatest natural treasures and is truly breathtaking. On this beautiful fall Saturday morning, Scott set out for "the Garden" along with three other novice climbers for a 4-hour class led by Front Range Climbing. After getting fitted in shoes and harnesses, they were set to scale the towering rocks.

Scott finds his footing to get started.

The guy on the left was the instructor

who helped run the safety lines.

Don't look down!

Almost to the top...

Who knew we had our very own

Spiderman in our family!?

Go, Dad, Go!

Rappelling back down.

Dad & the boys

Pumpkin Patch

Today was one of those perfect fall days! Both boys were home from school (Luke was off for parent-teacher conferences) so this afternoon we ventured over to our local pumpkin patch. With a 70 degree day, blue skies, and the pumpkin patch practically to ourselves, we had the best of fall outings.

Snow on Pikes Peak.

Pumpkins at the patch.

Boy + burlap sack =

quick trip down the straw slide

All smiles for the slide!

Thrill seeker!

Corn, corn, and more corn!

When you don't have snow,

why not make a corn angel?!

Hmmmm ... those scarecrow faces look mighty familiar?

Finding their way out of the Snow Fence Maze.

A helping hand...

On top of the Hay Bale Pyramid.

On top of the world!

Ford Flexin'

This week we bid farewell to our beloved vehicle of 7 years -- our Mazda Tribute. We purchased the Tribute a few months before Luke was born, and we have loved driving it all these years (and many miles later.) With Baby Boy #3 on the way, we needed a bigger vehicle to fit our soon-to-be-family-of-five! After much research, we decided on the Ford Flex. We picked it up at the dealership on Tuesday night and absolutely love it! The boys have taken up residence in the "way back" as they call it (3rd row of seats), and all the new bells and whistles are such fun to figure out. We are looking forward to many years, miles & memories in our new Flex!

Celebrating 4 & 34

With their birthdays just one day apart, Reid and Scott often get to share some birthday festivities, especially family dinners. Tonight we treated the birthday boys to dinner out at Salsa Brava and then returned home for German chocolate cake and presents.

Make a wish!

Reid loves to sing, so what better gift

than a microphone!

The birthday boys open a present

from the Kearys... so excited for

Halloween pancake molds!

A Little about Reid at Age 4

• My favorite color is blue.
• The chipmunk is my favorite animal.
• I like to sing the Batman song.
• At school, I like to wear the costumes. The construction worker and police officer are my favorites.
• I like to play video games with Dad.
• Luke and I like to play Legos.
• I help Mom with cooking.
• I like to watch Clutch Powers (Lego movie).
• My favorite foods are pancakes and mac-n-cheese.
• "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat" is my favorite book.

Captain Reid's 4th Birthday

For months, Reid has been asking us, "Am I four yet?" We could tell that he was really getting excited for his next birthday. So we set the wheels in motion for his party plans: pirate theme, pumpkin cupcakes (his favorite), and even a pinata!

Today nine lil' swashbucklers joined us for

Walk the Plank Pizza, Landlubbers Lemonade, and

Captain's Pumpkin Cupcakes (with cream cheese frosting!)

Pint-sized pirates!

With a rainy day upon us, we had to improvise the

pinata festivities. Brave Scott held on tightly

while the kiddos took a swing.

The treasure inside... packets of candy corn!

Our next game ... Pin the Patch on the Pirate. Arrrgh!

4 Candles for Captain Reid

Oh, look! 4 TRICK candles!! They kept relighting.

He had to huff and puff but finally blew them out.

Thanks, friends, for a wonderful day!

Superheroes

It's a bird, it's a plane...

it's Batman, Superman & Robin!

Air Force Football

Fall, football, friends ... and so goes our Saturday! Today the neighbors gathered together for our 2nd annual tailgate & Air Force football game. We kicked off tailgating about 9 a.m. with a full brunch spread ... and a chill in the air (glad we packed our coats!) With game time upon us, we headed into the game to see the Air Force Falcons take on the Colorado State Rams. Not only did we see a great football game, but the Air Force fanfare always adds so much to the game with the mascot parachuting onto the field, the F-15 flyover, and the marching precision of the cadets & band. Oh, what a day!

Two Air Force football rookies Luke & Jake

Cadets marching on the field

The Air Force Falcon mascot soars onto the field.

The flyover ... always impressive!

Breckenridge Bound

Some days everything just seems to fall into place for a perfect road trip! Here are our favorite highlights from today's fun road trip to Breckenridge.

1. Luke had today off school for a teacher work day. Now that he's in school full-time, we try to make the most of his days off and do something special and memorable.
2. The Meyer family (good friends from Arizona) were in Summit County on vacation this week. Since we are always looking for a reason to trek to the mountains, what better way to spend the day than catching up with dear friends! We first met the Meyers early on in our Arizona days, and we've been friends ever since. Today was so much fun to see how the kids have grown and to hear about their interests now.
3. Today's trip showcased fall weather at its finest! The leaves in Breckenridge were the most beautiful golden shade with snow-capped mountains set in the background. As if that wasn't enough to enjoy, then it started to SNOW mid-afternoon! What a treat to see our first flakes of the season!

Jami & April in Downtown Breckenridge

Is it a rock or a frame? Why not both!

Mom & the boys with the

Breckenridge ski resort in the distance

Perfect day for some park playtime

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!