Trick-or-Treat

Trick-or-treating is one of my favorite things since moving to Ohio. The streets are lined with people, and the candy passers sit out on their decorated porches. It's a perfect environment for great memories with Cooper.

Last night we trick-or-treated in New Phila. We went with our friends, Sarah and Bronson, and their baby Henry. This year we had a Ninja Turtle theme. Here is our night in pictures.

He posed himself like this.

Henry was Raph and Cooper was Mikey.

Cooper has a pretty big case of big brother blues when Henry is around. He has a hard time with the attention Henry receives, and hasn't wanted to be too close to him. So, this picture of him not only close to Henry, but smiling at Henry makes me smile. 

Andrew: Donatello, Me: April O'Neal, Coop: Michaelangelo
(Cooper said Daddy had to be Donatello because Donatello saves April O'Neal.)

Don't mess with us.

Cooper does a ninja run with his arms out behind him.

My brother texted me asking if Cooper was having fun. I texted him back with this picture and a simple "yep".

Hope everyone had a great and fun Halloween!

in our home: halloween decorations

Tonight we go trick-or-treating. Can you guess what Cooper will be this year? 

 I can't believe fall and winter holidays are already here. 

Here are pieces of Halloween around our home.

A friend once told me to decorate for Halloween with pictures of Cooper dressed up in his costumes. I loved the idea and have put a picture from each year in a frame.

This is what they look like all together.

I made this fabric banner. It was really inexpensive and fun to make.

This sits next to our front door.

Cooper wanted to put his crayons in this spider box.

It sits on his little table with his Bible and book for the week.

Nana and Grampsy

Watching my mom and dad take on the roles of "Nana" and "Grampsy" has been one of the neatest things I've witnessed. They love Cooper in a way no one else does. And in a way that baffles me, as in "that would have never been ok when I was little." They give him lots of attention and love. They are the suppliers of most of his clothes and toys. Cooper is their joy. Their eyes light up with a spark when they see him/talk to him.

I know that moving away has not been easy on them. We have taken their biggest joy away. But they have risen to the occasion of not letting distance hinder their relationship. They send packages, cards, and special treats. They FaceTime/Skype with us (thank you, technology)...and I'm still baffled because Cooper's request of "show me your trains" quickly becomes an all-out railway with switchers and fast paced Thomas trains on their living room floor while Cooper watches on with glee. 

And watching Cooper take on the title of their grandson has been a wonderful thing to watch as well. He adores my mom and dad, and enjoys his time with them as well.

They were able to visit us for a few days in the beginning of October. Their visit was nothing short of special and wonderful. They filled up our love and quality time tank. We fit in as much as we could to make their short visit a memorable one. 

Tourist season makes for long lines at the classic Amish restaurants. But waiting in line means we have time for a couple of pictures!

We went to the pumpkin patch!

I love this picture of mom. Standing just like her mom. She's beautiful. The other day a friend told me I always put my hand on my hip when I slice pizza. It must be in the genes. Like mother, like daughter.

Dad and Cooper decorated one of the pumpkins. Three faces in one!

We did a day in Amish Country.

Mom and I went to a restaurant called Rebecca's during her last visit. She ordered a chai latte and loved it. She waited a whole year for another one. It was a chili day and perfect for warming you up.

Pretty much sums these two up.

The leaves were starting to change while they were here.

Andrew and I escaped to Canton for a short date one night. When we came home, mom was in the kitchen making a Halloween treat with Cooper while listening to Christmas music. The cooler weather made it feel like Christmas to her. This was one of my favorite moments. I remember mom cooking and doing crafty things during the holidays. It was so nice to see that Cooper will have the same memories.

Mom and Dad, "Nana and Grampsy" - thanks for spending a few days with us. We are thankful for our time with you. We love you.