Charlotte turns 3 (she thinks she is 4)

This time of year gave me mixed feelings. I thought back on Charlotte's birthday last year (BTW, reading comments from that post made me so grateful for loving and supportive friends and family) and I can't believe the difference a year makes. I had some sad feelings being reminded the diabetes diagnosis but also very happy and grateful feelings when I compare the pictures. She is happy and healthy and LOVING her Birthday.

We went with my family to Jumping Jacks to celebrate her and cousin Persayes' birthday. They loved it. Cloe wanted me to keep chasing her in, out, up and over all the slides and dang that was exhausting.

On Sunday, Grandpa and Grandma Brown came down for dinner and more celebrating.

Nonna's annual Halloween Party

Abbey the witch
Dracula
Mad Scientist

and a pink butterfly
Grandma served a yummy lunch then had some fun games for the kids to play. Donut on a string with these glasses on was the most entertaining.

Such a Happy Halloween

The weather could not have been more perfect, it was a perfect Fall evening after days of cold weather. The kids only needed gloves and long sleeve shirts under their costumes and the colors on the mountains were gorgeous from the sunset and Fall colors.

Our ward had a party on a dead end street that they blocked off and served hot dogs and chilli and people set up chairs up and down the street for the kids to trick-or-treat. Then we headed out through the neighborhood. After each house, Charlotte would say "now where we go?"

Cloe was a queen, Brody was Dracula, Abbey is a Bratz cheerleader and Charlotte was Sleeping Beauty. I refused to buy costumes this year and *gasp* my children survived ;)



I loved the set up at this house, it felt and smelled just like Fall. They pulled out all their tomato and chili plants from the garden and weaved them into the archway and they still had some fruit on them. I thought that was a clever idea and it looked really neat. I love the smell of candles in a pumpkin and then at the end of the walkway was a fire. slowly roasting pumpkin and a fire burning, mmmmm, loved it.