Fall in the Commonwealth: Part 2

Part 2 of our Fall in the Commonwealth.  :)

Babies....and little kids....should always have funny hats.  I walked in one day to find that Dave had positioned John just so.  :)  The older boys couldn't stop laughing.

And seasonally appropriate hats (like pumpkins in Fall) are a MUST!

Halloween was big this year.  Jeffery had only been talking about what he wanted to dress up as since April.  Geesh!!!!!  Yes, Jakob was a pirate last year too.....but this year, according to him, he was a Spooky Pirate.  (I'm not sure how he differentiated between the two but moving on.....)  Jeffery was a police officer and John....well, John had three outfits!  :)

He was just too cute to only be in one!  :)  (Jeffery was in the banana suit when he was a baby and Jakob wore the lobster suit when he was a baby!)

We had 4 families join us for trick or treating in our neighborhood.  19 kids in all!  And then everyone came back to our house to play while the adults enjoyed some adult beverages and conversation.  It was mass chaos but it's the 4th year we've done this and we LOVE it!

 Soon after Halloween, Oma came to visit!!!  While we had an amazing time with her, her visit was also marred by illness as the older boys came down with Croup.  :(  UGH!!!!!  Jeffery rallied pretty quickly but Jakob....oh my poor viking boy.  He wouldn't talk for 3 whole days!  If you know our Jakob, you understand how sad that is.

We still got in some fun though.  Mom and I took John to Maymont where we delighted in the fall colors.

And we made it to Buzz and Ned's for dinner.  

 And while Dave was called in to do music for a funeral, I took everyone to Carter Mountain Orchards outside of Charlottesville to enjoy the mountain, the fall colors, the apples, and the apple cider donuts.  YUM!!!!!  An annual tradition which my mom has been with us for 3 or 4 times now.  :)

Mom, being the awesome Oma that she is, didn't mind the sick children or the bitterly cold weather.  She just reveled in playing games and reading stories with the boys and having cuddle time with John.  She even babysat everyone one night so Dave and I could have a dinner out!  

She, too, is marveling at how fast little John is growing.  

Four months already!  How is this possible?!

Just days after my mom left to go back to AZ, Dave's parents came to visit.  Luckily, the weather warmed up and we were able to enjoy some time outside.  We took them down to Williamsburg and walked the Colonial Section and then enjoyed a trip to Bottom's Up Pizza.  We also enjoyed the sights and crisp fall air while walking in Maymont.  Dave and I agree that this fall has been one of the prettiest we can remember since coming to Virginia.  It has been stunning!!!!!

Just looking at the trees on our property has been a sight to behold!

Dave parents left right before Thanksgiving and we turned our attention to the holiday weekend.  Thanksgiving weekend is jam packed with little family traditions that have become near and dear to us.  Thanksgiving day always includes a walk over to the park across the street and playing soccer in the big fields.  It was a GORGEOUS day!

We then returned home and started to prepare for the day's feast.  Our friends from Brazil joined us this year.  We had them over 2 years ago....went to their house last year.....and they were back this year.  Another tradition in the making?  I hope so.  Their kids are just about our kids' ages (and we are godparents to their youngest as they are godparents to John!) so it was tons of fun!  7 kids under the age of 7 years old sat around our table.  It was great!

The next day was the annual trip to the Model Railroad Exhibit at the Science Center.  A MUST if you live in this family!  :)

And then, as tradition calls for, the boys set up their trains after afternoon naps were done.  Everyone got in on the action.....even John!

The next day, we had our friends (and our former neighbors) and their twins over for Dave's Biscuits & Gravy and Mimosas and then we all set off to get Christmas Trees.  We've been doing this for 7 years and I love this tradition.  

It is a beautiful tree (as always).  Jeffery helped me put on the lights and ribbon and everyone put on ornaments while Dave and I enjoyed the traditional margaritas.

This fall has been full of wonderful visits from family and friends, annual traditions, new experiences, and lots and lots of laughter and love.  I can't wait to see what Winter has in store for us!