The Elf on the Shelf

Last year my friend Lindsey introduced me to The Elf on the Shelf, and I couldn't wait to start my own tradition. Now, although Alex is way too young, I might have Colt play along this year!

In case you haven't heard, the elf watches the kids during the day and each night leaves the house and reports back to Santa how the kids behaved that day. Then when the elf comes back to the house, he hides in a new place. When the kids get up every morning they have to hunt to find the elf's new hiding spot. I think it's a super fun tradition and can't wait until NEXT year when Alex will get to play along :)

Thanksgiving

Top 10 things I'm thankful for in no particular order...

1. Alex
2. Colt
3. Family & Friends
4. My fellow Mama friends - who just get it ;)
5. My job...this one is tough, but in the end, I am thankful.
6. Gus
7. My faith
8. Chocolate
9. Chai
10. Disney Movies

Random

Giving Mama kisses. I just love this guy so much!

Crawling..

We took a trip to the beach with some friends over the weekend. 7 adults and 5 babies! It sounds much scarier than it actually was. We had a great time, and as I expected, Alex started crawling. Watching his two buddies, August (7 mos) and Joey (6 mos), crawl around all weekend long was all it took to motivate him enough to give it a go. I love it and can't wait for him to get faster. I'm excited to see where he decides to go once he realizes he can explore. I know, most of you are rolling your eyes thinking, just wait Candice - you will miss the good ol' days of putting them on the floor and knowing they are stuck there. That's probably true, but I can't help my excitement for him. Baby gates, here we come!

Pumpkin Patch

Our first trip to the pumpkin patch with Alex was so fun! We went to Lakeview Farms in North Plains and it was such a cool place. Train rides, face painting, and of course pumpkins everywhere! Alex was such a good sport for all of our pictures too ;) I already can't wait to go back next year! It was definitely a success.

Something's Gotta Give...

I've stolen this title from not only the popular movie, but also from Scrummys. I couldn't help myself, it is the perfect phrase for my life right now. Have you ever felt like you are juggling too many things at once, or that your balancing act is becoming unbalanced? I read somewhere that having too many choices is actually more stressful than not having any choices. My two seemingly simple choices have become extremely hard. One choice would be the financially responsible choice, and in these economic times nobody can afford to be irresponsible. The other choice has more to do with family values. Have you guessed yet what I'm talking about?

Speaking of family.... Alex is now 5 months old, and weighs 17.3 lbs! He's rolling, almost scooting, and laughing up a storm every night. He's not a baby anymore, he looks like a toddler! I will post pictures next time, I promise!

And as far as our house goes, we almost have a garage! Colt recently tore down our carport and has been working since August on building our garage. Hopefully this will add a good amount of value to our house. Speaking of that, there is another important choice we will be making in the near future. To move, or not to move...