Happy Halloween!

October was a beautiful month.  The weather was fantastic and we had lots of fun things to do.  

 Lillian was so surprised when Halloween decorations began popping up around our neighborhood.  We quickly altered our walks so we could pass by every decorated house.  Lillian would hold out her little hands and say, "Touch," and as soon as she received the OK, off she toddled to touch all the decorations.  This giant cat was definitely her favorite!

We had a great time in Florence, AZ at the HAMC Tucson Demolition Derby.  Lillian was a sponsor and had her name painted on one of the cars. I had never been to a demo derby and I must say it was pretty exciting!  When we came home, playing was all about crashing toys. "Boom! Bang!" Lillian would shriek as her trucks flew into things.

I love that Lillian is starting to want to "dress up" in my clothes or Josh's clothes.  She shuffles around the house in our shoes, hats, and sunglasses.  It is just too cute. I am always impressed when she finds a matching pair of shoes to wear.

We are pretty busy during the week so Saturdays and Sundays are our days to just hang out at home.  I relish the time we spend playing around the house and in the yard.  It is so nice to not have to rush off somewhere.  These are the days when we clean the house,

wash the dogs,

rescue people with our fire truck,

go to the library,

and enjoy our books.

Josh worked a lot in October so, when time permitted and he was actually available, we headed to the station to see Dad.  Lillian loves sitting in the trucks, watching the lights flash, and waving to her Da-Da when he goes out on calls.

A week or so before Halloween, we went to Apple Annie's in Wilcox, AZ.  I have always wanted to go but October is one of our busiest months and we never seem to make the time.  This year I made sure we took the time to go and I am so glad we did!  We picked pounds and pounds of apples and, of course, we picked out our pumpkins.

On our way home from Wilcox, I talked Josh into stopping to see The Thing, a roadside attraction.  There are about a million signs along I-10 advertising its existence and I have always been curious.  It felt great to finally know what The Thing is all about.  I will not reveal the secret.  Go yourselves and check it out, it is only $1.00!

We made applesauce, Apple Pie Bars, and Snickers Apple Salad, with all of our apples and we carved four lovely pumpkins. I thought maybe Lillian would be grossed out when she touched the pumpkin guts but she didn't seem to mind.

At the beginning of the month, I decided to run a half marathon.  When I looked up training plans online, I was pleasantly surprised to see I was already running the correct number of miles a week to be in shape to run one. So, with a few tweaks to my normal routine, I was able to run 13.1 miles by October 26th.  I chose a low key event in Marana, AZ and had a blast! I finished slightly slower than I had hoped  but I felt strong and was already thinking about the next race when I crossed the finish line.  I enjoyed my run and I enjoyed seeing my cheerleaders periodically through out the race.

Halloween was upon us before I knew it! Josh worked so Lillian and I dressed up as the Queen of Hearts and the Three of Hearts, and went trick-or-treating in Gladden Farms with Renee, Darrell, and Lillian's cousins.  Lillian was so cute saying, "Treat!" to everyone when they opened their door and signing "Thank you," before walking away.  

Fun, fun, fun.  This life I lead is full of it and I am so very thankful for the life I have been blessed with.  I am sure November will be full of even more thankfulness as Thanksgiving approaches.