Stone Mountain take 2

Keith had a rare day off so we decided to hike Stone Mountain. We heard it wasn't very hard but I was definitely feeling the burn carrying Emmett on me. Clara spent more time on dad's shoulders than on the ground. It was a pretty hike and one I would do often if we lived a bit closer.

The pine trees here often make me feel like I'm back in Washington.

 I'm sad it was so smoggy that the pictures didn't turn out well. The view was stunning with the fall colors.

 This home was too beautiful to not take a picture.

Halloween

 Clara's first trial run in the monster costume. It was a hit

 Emmett donning on of his many Halloween outfits. we got a lot of hand me downs so he had lots of fun things to wear this time of year.

 We went to our ward trunk or treat the week before Halloween and the girls had their faces painted. Clara loved it and asked me to paint her face the next few days. The ward party was amazing. It was held at a big southern home with plenty of acreage. We had a chili dinner then there were lots of kid carnival games with hot chocolate stands and popcorn. The kids got tons of candy from the trunk or treat. It was kind of chilly and dark so no pictures.

 Cute Emmett was perfect on Halloween night. He hung out in the carseat while his sisters ran from house to house for a couple of hours.

Shane, Kenzie, Cammie and Clara

 This year we went to our friends neighborhood. The homes were charming and some were really decked out but the lots were large and half of them were dark. We missed our old neighborhood but the girls had fun regardless.

Field Trippin to the Pumpkin Patch

A visit to a pumpkin patch has become an annual tradition for our family. In the past, our favorite spot was Huber Farms and I was missing it this year! Luck had it that my friend Cassidie wanted to switch babysitting with me so we could each go with our daughters on their field trips. It was weird fun to not have a baby in my hands and focus my full attention on Mackenzie.

 We started with a hayride to the mini pumpkin patch. She wanted to sit next to her BFF Aisla on the left.

 There was a little petting area with chickens, goats and peacocks. They had to pet the animals through the fences though which was a little weird

 This was the kids favorite part. A big bouncy area set against a beautiful backdrop.

There were so many field trips there that we didn't get to spend much time in any area but the kids had fun and I'm glad I could hang out with my sweet little girl for a couple of extra hours that day.

Fun times with Grandpa and Grandma Shaw

 Keith's parents were kind enough to bring a trunk of childhood goodies back to him. The girls have really enjoyed the Legos

 Grandpa took some time to mold clay with the girls

 And they spent some quality time on the Ipad

Randy and Joan took Clara and Emmett to the Botanical Gardens so Keith and I could take a trip to the temple. We barely missed the endowment but were able to do some sealings. The temple is 45 minutes away in a busy part of ATL and with 3 little kids, it's really hard for us to get to on a regular basis so we really appreciated this opportunity.

After our session, we met them at the gardens but didn't walk around as we had to go pick up Kenzie from school. We were able to stop at Piedmont Park which is really cool. If you've seen "What to Expect When You're Expecting" it's the park they film a good portion of the movie in.

Stone Mountain

 After a few months of living here, I can't tell you how many times we heard about Stone Mountain and how we needed to see it. We took advantage of nice weather while Keith's parents were here and I took a little trip with them while Keith was at work. We rode the skylift to the top which was pretty cool. The view was great, though it was really windy.

 Kenz doesn't normally wear 50 little clips in her hair but she was being Fancy Nancy that day

 We took a look around the museum which I really enjoyed. Worth going one time through for sure.

We ate lunch at the Marriott located in the park. We had a view of the lake and Stone Mountain which was about the only fun part about lunch:) This picture was taken during the calm moment. Sorry Joan and Randy for another Mackenzie meltdown and crying from all three children.

Chattanooga

 I'm officially in love with Chattanooga. If we had a job offer there, I would pick up everything and move in a heartbeat. The city was clean, family friendly and just the right size.

 On the walking bridge that took us over to one of the best ice cream shops I've been to.

 They had little wading pools and splash pads scattered around the downtown area

 Tennessee, I love you...please let us find a job in your beautiful state!