a tisket, a tasket, let's use the picnic basket

If you are living in the Midwest right now... I hope you are enjoying this weather and making the most of it. It is Absolutely Gorgeous out!! We have the windows open, the a/c off, flip flops back out.... I cannot believe it is October?!? So needless to say the dust rag has been put up and "fun" mom is here. "Fun" mom is the mom who plays PIG with the kids in the driveway, who sits in the yard and picks blades of grass, who draws massive pictures on the driveway with chalk and doesn't obsess about how dirty the house it. That is "fun" mom. Not to be mistaken for "mom on a mission" who would like to get something done without being interrupted, or "mean mom" who just won't let them do anything... said in a very whiney voice. ;-) Being outside has been a must for this wonderful weather and we have been taking full advantage of this rather warm fall weather.

Yesterday was a perfect day. I really mean it. It is one of those day where everything falls right and goes as planned. Mommy can't ask for much more. I had a play date with a Quad City Moms Group and then we stopped off at Target to get a few things for a picnic and spent the rest day at the park. Lovely!!! I just happened to grab my camera bag and decided to take Lil Miss's 12 month pictures while I was at it!! Here is the view from laying on our picnic blanket!

{picnic lunch! the cupcake is all Gigi's!! }
Our menu at the picnic was as follows:

Gigi -- lunchable, frosted cupcake (reminder not to go by the bakery at the grocery store with her!! ) and strawberry milk to wash it all down

Mom -- buffalo chicken wrap, apple, and diet dr. pepper
Lil Miss -- a little bit of this and little bit of that -- seriously she is at the stage of eating all big kid food and not the baby food I pack her anymore. She enjoyed frosting off the cupcake, crackers, bits of chicken, and puffs and Formula to wash it all down!

{beautiful... there are no other words}

This two girls have a bond. It is amazing to see them interact and how Gigi takes care of her little sister. At night, I listen to them through the baby monitor to Gigi singing in her bed to put her little sister to bed... twinkle, twinkle, little star. So sweet! In the morning when they wake up Gigi gets toys for lily to play with. They are the perfect roommates and best of friends.
The park we visited had an added bonus in that it had a duck pond! Gigi could sit forever watching the ducks swim by. She kept trying to coax them closer to her! I fell in love with this park. I actually called Daddy when we were leaving and told him that "I found my dream park". It has everything a mommy and amateur photographer could wish for. A duck pond, fountain, playground, stone bridge, big grassy lawn (reminds me of the oval at Ohio State), just everyplace in the park is beautiful. It was the first day in along time that I wasn't checking my phone every 5/10 minutes. I just enjoyed the time with my girls and enjoyed the experience.

{ here ducky, ducky!!}

How can you not love this? My only wish was that I wish daddy and the other kids could have been there to enjoy it with us.

Can't get enough of my girls shoes! last week they all got a new pair of kicks!!

{Gigi's shoes}
Gigi is gaga over her new shoes. We wear a dress everyday to match the shoes. She gets lots of compliments which only makes her smile brighter and twirl around a little more! What a diva!!

And then we got lily smiling for a few photos. I made a deal with Daddy a week ago. I have been looking around for a photographer around here for Lil Miss's 1 year pics and instead of having someone take them... Mommy could spend more money on an outfit and instead of spending more on one outfit... I bought all the girls new shoes!! I think it is a steal! ;-) So hence the new shoes... now only if I can get them in mommy's size! :-)

{both my girls were angels and so photogenic}
The pictures aren't as good as they would be if I had a photographer with better lighting and someone to help get the girls smiling at me. But, I think they will look just fine on my wall. It really helps that they just have gorgeous smiles!

{this girl has really grown up}

She is my girl who looks to look at pictures for hours. She will go in the living room and pull out a photo album and just glance at all the pictures. We got out her "baby' book and her face has just changed so much in the last 2 1/2 years. Really... she has grown up and looks more and more like big sister.

{lil miss and her lamb friend}

I needed daddy there to capture her ornery smile.... she gave me her cute look... but she gives daddy her "I'm going to give you gray hair" look.

I love LOVE this book. I love you through and through is such a cute book and I treasure when I get to sit down and read it to the kids.

{this picture is my absolutely favorite!}

Lil miss fell asleep in her stroller! an exciting day out on the town wore her out!!

fingers need I say more... {sisterly love}
I am definitely feeling more like home her in the quad cities. This week was the first week I felt relaxed and settled and we have been able to discover more around town. I still truly miss all my friends back in Ottumwa, but the family time her in the quad cities is wonderful!! Daddy even gets to enjoy us more with a little better schedule now. Makes mommy happy!!!

{sidewalk art}

{homework time}

A ritual everyday after school, we get our homework done. Rosie has been working exceptionally hard on school work and is very smart. She reads more and more everyday. Rosie has adjusted to moving very well, her favorite part of the new house is her own room. She has her own crafting tools in her room and is in a phase of making snowflakes. There is bits and pieces of construction paper ALL over the house. We have a pile of snowflakes in her room from all her hard work. We have enough snowflakes we can make it "snow" in the house! But I guess she gets it from mom and soon we can be crafting together! Some kids just can't handle all the excitement and drop from exhaustion. And her is miss ornery with her new discovery of mommy's kitchen cabinets. On daddy's list of things to do... put child locks on the cabinets. She loves the Tupperware drawer and I think I have organized a couple dozen times and then it has been unorganized. Oh well... the joys of motherhood!