Rewind to Halloween

     Yep! You guessed it. I'm really behind on my posts. I need to catch up for my own benefit (I like to look back on these later) so I'll be writing a lot of new posts soon. Keep your eyes peeled!

     Halloween was a fun time for our family this year. We visited the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkin. We definitely waited too long, since there weren't many choices left when we got there. Nevertheless, we got a great one! Sara Beth helped Adam clean it out and then Adam carved the face of our jack-o-lantern. I hate that I didn't get a picture of the finished product. We roasted the seeds too. That was the best part for me, of course! They were yummy!

     The weekend of Halloween was a whirlwind of activities. Saturday we celebrated Eli Spikes' 4th birthday with a Mickey Mouse party at his house. Sara Beth's favorite part was the gigantic bounce house with a very tall slide built in. She could've done that for hours! Next, we headed over to Carie and Travis' house to celebrate our nephew Charlie's 1st birthday. It was a sweet time with family and a perfect day for a party.

     That evening, we drove out to the country to join the Montessori Trunk or Treat event. Our friends, the Reneaus, invited us. We played, went trick-or-treating around the LONG line of cars, and even camped out that night. The next morning we indulged in a wonderful breakfast at the cabin. The Montessori crowd was so welcoming to us! After breakfast, we made the short drive to Lake Bistineau State Park so Adam and Justin could get in some mountain biking time. Our plan was for Diana and me to take the kids hiking, but I was starting to feel terrible so we just hung out in the parking lot instead. SB and Tristen rode bikes and played with toys while I tried to keep my breakfast down. Come to find out, whatever stomach bug I had was passed around at the birthday parties. Just about everyone I know got sick over the next few days. It was horrible!

     By the time Monday night (Halloween) came around, I was feeling better, but Adam was out of commission. I ended up taking Sara Beth trick-or-treating with my mom and my nieces out in the Twelve Oaks subdivision while he stayed in bed. We didn't stay long, but I think SB had fun. She was an adorable little ladybug!

Must. . . be. . . crafty!

     Since I've been back at work, I haven't done much sewing, or anything crafty really. I've pinned all kinds of lovely things and fun ideas on Pinterest, but haven't actually made any of them. So, tonight, I had to change all of that. I had to use some creativity and have a little fun with my sewing machine. When Sara Beth wakes up in the morning, she'll be the proud owner of four pairs of leg warmers and a cute little Christmas t-shirt. Ah! That's better. I feel a little more like myself now.

$5 for 4 pairs of knee socks at Big Lots + about 20 minutes of sewing = cute leg warmers for SB

$3 T-shirt from Hobby Lobby + a few fabric scraps from my stash =A very cute Christmas shirt for SB

Red River Reveling

     Fall has finally arrived in Shreveport! The weather is cooler, the pumpkins are on display, and the Red River Revel is hopping. Usually, I look forward to the Revel food (which is amazing and fried and delicious), but this year I was excited about the children's area. We met up with Sara Beth's friends, Tristen and Owen (and their sweet mommies), one afternoon to have some fun. Here are some pictures from this year's Revel fun.

Lazy Sunday

     It is our tradition to visit with family on Sunday afternoons after church. We alternate weekends with my parents and Adam's parents. There is always good food and good company invloved! It's on days like these lazy Sundays that we realize how truly blessed we are to have such a supportive family so close by. Last Sunday, we spent the afternoon on the lake with Nonni, Opa, Uncle Travis, Aunt Kiki, and Charlie. Here are a few shots from our lazy Sunday.

Adam. . . a.k.a. Super Dad!

     Let's review for a minute. My husband quit his job to be a stay-at-home daddy to Sara Beth this year. He's amazing at it! Really! She is learning so much from him. I'm amazed! Not only is he a great daddy, he also whips up yummy deliciousness like this loaf of homemade bread, while I'm at work. Are you jealous? Well, you should be! He's the best!

Best Friends

     Last week, Adam did a little babysitting. Tristen and Sara Beth had a blast together! This is such a fun time in their lives!

Birthday Celebrations

     I'll be the first to admit that I've been terrible about keeping up with the blog and updating facebook since I've started working again. Honestly, I just can't find the time. So, here's my attempt to get caught up. The next few days should bring some new posts about the last couple of months at the Hart home.
     Last month, we celebrated birthdays for some of our really special friends. First, we made the long trip down south to Hammond, LA for Sullivan Tabb's 2nd birthday. His parents, Michael and Kristin, just built a new house on some great property, so this trip was a good excuse to see their new casa too!  The tractor party was fun, the jambalaya was delicious, and the weather was perfect. But the best part was just getting a chance to spend time with good friends. I wish we could do that more often!

Tactor ride!

Sully and his mommy blowing out the candles

Who knew an ice chest full of ice could be so much fun?

     Later in the month, we drove over to Marshall, TX to celebrate the birthdays of ALL 5 of the Stringer kids. Our long-time friends, Michael and Laurie Stringer, have 5 precious kids. Little Michael and Hope were turning 7. Titus was turning 5. Faith and Grace were turning 1. Each kid had their own decorated table and their own homemade cake in whatever theme they requested. It was so much fun! Kudos to them for raising 5 children! I can barely handle one!

According to SB, the watermelon was the best part of the party!

Water slide fun

Cool girl!

The Stringer family