Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!  Our Halloween started Friday night with a costume party at the Cothern home.  We went as Disco Dawleys.  It's always fun visiting with great friends.

We went trick or treating early Saturday night.  Gabe was a dinosaur for the second year in a row.  He was a different type of dinosaur, but we did tell him that he would have to switch to something different next year.  He had fun with Connor, Peyton, and their friend Lane.  They were soldiers who were going to protect the dinosaur. 

Gabe got plenty of candy, and enjoyed trick or treating.  We didn't trick or treat very many houses, though, because it was time for Mr.Power's Pumpkin Party and Gabe was definitely looking forward to that!

Mr. Power's party was really more like a small carnival than a party.  He had three large inflatables that the kids absolutely loved.  I think Gabe spent most of his time there.  In addition to that, there's a candy walk, hayride, disco dancing, and face painting.

I think the adults had as much fun as the kids did.  Everybody brought a dish and we were able to sit around, eat, and laugh while keeping our eyes on the kids.  Most of the adults dressed up as well.  David and I recycled our utensil costumes from the Cothern costume party a few years ago.

All in all, we had a great Halloween weekend which we followed up on Sunday night with Trunk or Treat at church!

Fair Fun

The Mississippi State Fair holds so many fond memories for me.  As a child, I remember the excitement of seeing the rides being put up near the Coliseum.  My father always took me on opening night.  It was just the two of us and  we would have so much fun riding the rides together.  As I got older, those father/daughter opening nights gave way to the teenage years of going with friends and double dates at the fair. 

Today, I can honestly say that the fair still holds the same allure for me, but in a different way.  I love walking down the Midway with David trying to figure out exactly what I want to eat. (I always peruse everything but my choice is always the same: a Pronto pup smothered in mustard) A new addition to my fair "must eats" is a fried snickers bar.  I figure I can indulge once a year on one.  Besides the food, I like to see Gabe's smile when he rides a ride and hear his laughter when he feeds a goat a carrot.

Through the many years of attending the fair, I can say that it seems unchanged to me. (Everything but the prices that is) I know that Circus Maximus will always be there.  The acts may vary a little from year to year, but they are basically the same I have grown up with.  The Trademart with the car show is a standard, as is the 4-H display.  We simply have to purchase our honey there, just as my mother always got her honey straws in my childhood.  The State Fair is truly a walk down memory lane for me.  In a time where everything changes, the fair is a constant.  It is there that I have memories that span seasons of my life, and I love the new memories I add to my storehouse with David and Gabe.

Pumpkin Patch

We were so happy that David's oldest brother, Chuck, and his family were able to come for a visit and go to the pumpkin patch with us.  They live in Columbus, MS, and drove down to spend the day with us.  We really appreciated it, because we remember how hard it can be to travel with a baby.

The Nichols-Boyd Pumpkin Patch has become a Dawley tradition for us every October since we had Gabe.  We always look forward to going every year.  Gabe loved being able to point out everything to his cousin, Hunter.  Tiny Krissi slept through most of the hayride. 

After seeing the zedonk (zebra/donkey mix), the goats, the catfish pond, and the cows, we finally made it to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins.  This always take serious consideration, especially for Gabe.  He insists on finding the perfect pumpkin. Lucky Daddy gets to cart around the pumpkin picks!

The pumpkin patch area has a hay maze for the kids to run through and pumpkin swings to ride on.  Hunter and Gabe had lots of fun running through the maze, playing in the corn sand box, and climbing the haystack tower.  It was a very fun day that we topped off with a yummy dinner from Cock of the Walk.

Soccer

We have had such a busy October!  I truly don't know where the month has gone! 

Gabe has enjoyed playing soccer so much.  He was reluctant to play at first when we discussed the idea, but quickly turned over a new leaf when he realized how much fun it was.  He had a fun season, especially since his friend Braden was on his team. 

Gabe scored his first field goal on a Thursday night.  He immediately ran, full of excitement, right off the field and into my arms.  His smile covered his face and I don't think I will ever forget that look of surprise mixed with joy.  We were both so sad that David was unable to be there that night. He was at a business meeting out of town.  David and I had jokingly laughed beforehand that perhaps Gabe would score his first goal on the one game David would miss.  Wouldn't you know it would happen! Oh, the irony!

Gabe's team wrapped up their season close to the end of October with only one loss.  They played a good season, and Gabe is definitely looking forward to the spring season!