I Heart Fall!

Hayley's s'more, sans the marshmallows!

My men toasting marshmallows for me!

A few weekends ago, the weather was finally making a change and the cool, fall like air was making it's first appearance for the season. I ran to Walmart and purchased a firepit. Chris and I have talked about getting one for years, so we decided now was the perfect time. Of course, what campfire is complete with out making s'mores! I bought the marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers ready for our first real s'more experience together as a family.

Come to find out, I am the only one who likes a true s'more (marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers all mushed together in a toasty gooey mess). Luke and Chris both don't like chocolate (which I have known), but I thought for sure they would have a toasted marshmallow between two graham crackers. NOPE. Neither of them like marshmallows either, so instead they feasted on just the crackers.

Hayley is a lover of chocolate, just like me. But when it came to the white gooey mess that is the toasted marshmallow, she opted out and just wanted chocolate between her crackers.

So for the first time in my life, I discovered that s'mores can be made more than one way and it was so much fun.

After the snacks, we sat around and took turns telling "G" rated ghost stories that always seemed to end up with someone shouting BOO! I think we are going to really enjoy all the cool crisp nights around our new firepit.

6 Weeks Left

Well...we are at 34 weeks as of today and I am definitely feeling it. We have been battling head colds in this house for the past few weeks (praise the Lord it has only been colds), and I have been exhausted by lunch time. I don't remember being this tired with the other two, but life was not quite as busy as it is with a 6 and 4 year old.

In the past week, my feet swell beyond recognition by the end of the day and my favorite spot in the world is lying on the sofa with my feet up.

I really cannot complain. The pregnancy has been a healthy one which is such a blessing. I am just so ready to hold her rather than carry her around in my belly. If Hannah Beth follows along the same lines as her brother and sister, she will make her arrival a week or so before her due date. I'm hoping for the first week of November.

For those of you wondering, we did finally get the nursery almost completely done. My Dad has made H.B. a beautiful quilt shelf just like he did for Luke and Hayley. My Mom put it in the mail this week and I can't wait to get it up on the wall. I love that all 3 will have a special shelf that their Papa made for them!

I believe that I already posted a picture of this corner of the room. Nothing has really changed here except that all the clothes in the closet have been washed and put away. Yes, I am so type A that I even washed the clothes for baby #3!

I found this adorable bookshelf/toy storage online at Target. It is actually very sturdy and I know she will be able to use it for many years to come. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her name hanging on the wall. I bought these exact same letters for Hayley's nursery and just had to get them for HB.

The crib all put together and dressed in the bedding! I just love the fun bright colors. I hope HB will love them too!

Game Ball

Of course, I don't have any pictures to prove it, but Luke got the game ball last night after his tee ball game. He has really been enjoying himself this season. I think he is finally getting the hang of all the rules, when to run, how to stop a grounder, which base to run to, etc. He LOVES to bat and run to the bases, but he is quite reserved about running fast. And trust me, I know the boy has some speed.

He made it to first base last night and the first base coach leaned down and told Luke he wanted to see just how hard and fast he could run to second base. When the next batter took a swing and a hit, Luke was off!!!! He was running as hard as he could and just before he made it to the base he fell. I mean dirt in your eyes, red clay on your pants, scrape your elbow kind of fall. He didn't shed on tear, just got right back up and got to the base. He is becoming such a little man.

When the coach pulled the team together to give away the prized game ball, Luke's face lit up like a Christmas tree when his name was announced. He looked right at me with the biggest grin on his face. I'm so proud of my Bubba and how hard he works and tries his best. I think more tee ball will definitely be in our future!

This Is What Happens........

When you have pregnancy brain and pack your children's snacks for school..........

At least I found the cheese only 15 minutes after I placed it in the drawer! Sheesh!

Ode to Homework

One of the things Luke was most excited about for this school year was actually having homework. Yes, seriously. I think he believes this huge step officially moves him into the big boy category. Well, he didn't come home with homework the first day of school and I thought he might be devastated, but when I told him not to worry I'm sure we would get some homework this week he was ok with everything. Low and behold, Wednesday came and in his folder was his first piece of REAL homework. He was to work with me in making a book about himself to share during show and tell next week. Each day after lunch, we clear the table and sit together and work on his book. I have so enjoyed this time with him and he is so diligent in his work. Here is the product we have so far:

Now all he has to do is cut it into pages and put it together like a book. Hooray for homework time.

FAME!

This is the pose I got for a picture just before Hayley's first ballet class this year. Every time I look at this particular photo, I can't stop singing :



FAME! I'm gonna live forever. I'm gonna learn how to fly, HIGH! I feel it coming together. People will see me and cry, FAME! I'm gonna make it to heaven. Light up the sky like a flame, FAME!

Baby, remember my name

remember

remember

remember

FAME!



Silly girl! I love her so.........

Batter Up

Swing and a hit!

Another first in our house this week, tball. We had our first game as a Yankee! To be honest, I have been stressed out about how this tball thing would pan out. I was worried about my baby boy's feelings when he got out, missed a pop fly, or didn't know which way to run. I know that we all go through these life lessons, but I am learning it is so much harder on the Mommy side of things. I think I feel the hurt just as much as he does.

Luke's first practice went well. We couldn't be more thrilled with his coaches. They are so patient with all the players, especially those that are new to the game. Luke had a great time and couldn't wait to get his uniform and play in a real game.

We showed up on Wednesday night decked out in our new hat, pants, shirt, cleats, and socks. He even got a new glove and bat for the first game. I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when I found out:

1) They play three innings

2) They don't keep score

3) They don't track outs

4) Everyone gets to field

5) Everyone gets to bat and run the bases

Whew! All that silly stress for nothing. Watching all the little 4,5, and 6 year olds play ball was such a blast. Luke LOVED every minute of the game. He said his favorite part is hitting and running to first base. He did an awesome job and I couldn't be more proud of my little Yankee.

It's School Time Again!

The first day of Kindergarten and Pre-K went so smoothly this year! Both Luke and Hayley were excited about their teachers and meeting up with old and new friends. Having both of them at the same school is wonderful. We love the program and curriculum. They are both just loved and loved on by this year's teachers as well as their teachers from last year. It does my heart good to know how much they love school and learning. Here's to a successful and fun year.

10 Year Tally

Chris and I celebrated 10 years of marriage on Sept.4. My incredible husband planned a surprise getaway to Williamsburg , and boy, was I surprised. He asked my sister to come in town on Thursday and watch the kids while we went away. Holly got to the house and Luke and Hayley were beyond excited to see their Aunt Holly. After hugs and kisses and a quick bag packed, Chris and I were on our way. We went to dinner and a movie, toured Old Town Yorktown, shopped, ate some more, went to Williamsburg, and ate some more. It was a wonderful time laughing and enjoying each others company. Strolling around with no plans, holding hands, and talking. Needless to say, Chris did a great job with the surprise. I also may have gotten a beautiful sapphire necklace as a gift too. He still treats me like a princess and I am so blessed to call him my husband and best friend.

So for the 10 year tally:
5 moves
5 cars
1 sweet doggie that is very missed
2 beautiful children and 1 more to arrive in two months!
4 deployments
Trips to Kauai, Big Island, Molokai, Maui, and Okinawa
1 cross country trip from L.A. to Virginia
1 trip to Gatlinburg
2 trips to Disney World (and many more to come!)
Beach trips to Myrtle and Kure Beach
6 weeks of living out of our van last summer
1,000,000 + laughs
Hugs and Kisses (too many to count)

I love you so much, Chris. Thank you for asking me to be your wife. I am truly blessed. To the next 60+ years......I can't wait to see the tally then.

Baby Room Update

So we are about 1/3 done with Hannah Beth's room. The progress is slow but steady and I love how it is coming together. I actually see the light at the end of the tunnel and Hannah Beth might have a place to lay her sweet head down (besides my arms) by the time she arrives.

This is the same changing table we bought when Luke was on his way. It is one of the FEW things that we did not get rid of ....thankfully!! The cute art work came with the bedding set that Mimi and Papa got for Hannah Beth.

One corner of the room that is COMPLETE! The valance and pillow in the chair also match the bedding. I love the bright colors and it matches the blue in the room perfectly. So fun!

The bookcase/toy storage. This spot is not the permanent location for the shelf........

THIS spot will be the future location of the bookcase. As you can see, we still have to find a new home for the twin mattress.

Again, more items to be moved to the garage, but here is where the crib will be.


I will update again SOON with the finished product! (I hope)

Down on the Farm

The cutest pot-bellied pigs!

Friday was the first annual Ooorah Summer Bash at Hunt Club Farms. MCCS (Marine Corps Community Services) put the entire thing together for Marine families in the Norfolk/VA Beach/Chesapeake area. They had games, bouncy houses, food and of course the location, the FARM.

We spent most of our time hanging out with all the cute animals at the petting area. Hayley was always first to jump in and pet whatever creature we met. She absolutely loves animals.

Being the last Friday in the month of August, it was HOT! I really thought that I might melt, but we all had a good time. Yee-haw!

We Needed An Ark

Hayley was telling us that she felt a rain drop

Trying to catch Luke jumping from log to log

Saturday we ventured out on another first for the Steele family, the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. I had heard great things about the children's garden there and we thought we would check it out for ourselves. Everything was beautiful and blooming. Lots of butterflies and bumblebees to watch flit from flower to flower. We made our way to the WOW Childrens' Garden where they had a water spray park and several cool areas with mud huts, playgrounds, a cabin, and a garden with actual crops growing like corn and squash. We even saw the beginnings of a pumpkin letting us know that Fall is not too far away.

A good 40 minutes into our adventure, I noticed a dark cloud looming in the distance. Hoping it would blow the other direction, we kept on playing and exploring. The kids then noticed how close the clouds were getting and Hayley said she felt a rain drop. It began sprinkling which was actually a blessing since I was beginning to get hot (and we all know how that turns out)! The rain began to fall steadily, and we thought maybe we should start the 10 minute walk back to the parking lot. As soon as we made the call to walk, the heavens opened up and the skies began to poor! I mean poor! We were soaked to the bone by the time we got to the car. I wish I had taken some pictures of just how wet we were. Quite a funny sight! Next time, I will definitely pack the umbrella or a small john boat so we can just float back to the house.

All You Need Is a Box......

In the spirit of school starting in two weeks, we have been gearing up by playing "school" to review letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. Both Luke and Hayley are getting very excited about meeting their teachers next week and starting a new year at school. Here is some of their work.

Hayley's Family Portrait. She even included Hannah Beth. And folks, Hayley does not have bunny ears. I was corrected and told that she has pigtails!!


Another family portrait

A picture of Chris and I made by Luke




Luke is going into KINDERGARTEN which kind of blows my mind. The only thing that helps me not sob uncontrollably about this HUGE step is that we are keeping him at the school where he attended Pre-K. Hayley will also be at the same school in the Pre-K class. Public school Kindergarten in VA is only half days, and Luke and Hayley's schedules would have allowed me about an hour and forty five minutes to run errands, clean, yada yada yada. With Hannah on her way, Chris and I thought that having them in the same place on the same 9 to Noon schedule would help as far as keeping things as simple as possible. Not to mention, we absolutely love the school that they attend. Next year when they both head to BIG school, I may need a few boxes of Kleenex just to make it through the first day!!!!!!


Anywho....back to the box. With all the coloring, letter writing, and creative thinking we have been doing, both Luke and Hayley have created some beautiful masterpieces. One of their favorite things to do is color or draw a picture for Baby Hannah's nursery. I have about 20 to 30 pieces of artwork that I will make into a book for Hannah to have when she arrives.



Hayley working on another picture for her sister.


A picture Luke colored for Hannah

On Wednesday, we headed out to Babies R Us to purchase an infant car seat for Hannah. The kids crack me up in that store! They run to all the different outfits for baby girls and ohhhhh and ahhhhh over how cute Hannah would be in each one. Once we got home with the car seat, I thought the box might make some new creative moments. They were so excited about their "Clubhouse" and got right to work.
A shot of the inside of the clubhouse. Many windows were put in so they could have some sunlight come in!


The ladybug that lives on top of the clubhouse

All you need is a box!