Jakob Daniel and Everleigh Grace Hall

Every year, Shelburne Museum has a morning where volunteers hand out candy for trick or treaters.  This was our first year going, and we were surprised to have to wait in line when we arrived exactly when it started.  Good thing we got there early, because by the time we left around 11:15, the place was mobbed and it had started to rain.  The kids loved running around to get candy, and Dan and I loved that it was a safe area with no cars for them to explore.  (Funny side note: they didn't actually close the museum to non-trick or treating guests, and there were a handful of people there who weren't associated with goblins or ghosts.  You could tell they were pretty bummed that they hadn't checked the events page before arriving, ha!)

In mid-October we drove down to Rockport, MA to spend a few nights of vacation with my parents and Karen.  The break came at a much needed time for us, as I had just had a supremely busy stretch at work, followed by Dan's Lyme disease scare and Everleigh's big bump.  It was such a great change of scenery, and Grandma and Grandpa Janelle and Aunt Karen kindly took the kids for a morning while I did some work and Dan rested.  We also got to see the Luttati family, which was so much fun but too much action to take a picture, unfortunately.  We did get professional pictures of our family done, which I'll post eventually. 

Right after Dan was admitted to the hospital with the Lyme carditis, I got a call from Everleigh's daycare that she had fallen and bumped her head -- hard -- on the corner of a bookshelf.  They said they didn't think she needed to go to the ER or be seen by a pediatrician, but that it had swelled up and gotten black and blue immediately.  Fortunately it was clear from her behavior that she didn't have a concussion, but it did make quite an impressive mark.  Glad that stretch of bad health is over!!!   

Both are through the gum, and although they still seem to be giving her a tough time, she's so close to being done with teething.  FINALLY!

Our silly, outgoing little lady is a year and a half old today!  There's never a dull moment when Everleigh is around, and she packs an amazing amount of personality into her pint-sized body.  She loves everything Jakob loves, most particularly Jakob himself, and she is doing her best to say his name.  She loves dancing to music and spinning in circles, or just chasing Jakob in a circle around our staircase.  She loves being held and running free, time with her immediate family and meeting new people, being fed and feeding others (whether you want it or not), playing at home or being out and about (although she most certainly does NOT enjoy the car ride), swimming in pools and lakes or playing in the sandbox, trying on everyone's shoes and taking hers off (she says "shoes" now too...adorable!), chasing cats and dogs, and pointing out different parts of faces.  Our baby doll puts 100% of herself into every waking moment of her day, including her epic tantrums, wh...

One of the hardest parts of leaving PlayCare for their new schools was separating Jakob from friends he's had almost his entire life.  One of his best friends, Finn, just happened to be at the library last week when Dan took Jakob to the play group there.  We had Finn and his 8 week old baby sister, Molly, over to our house yesterday morning to play, and the two boys were so happy to be with each other.  Everleigh enjoyed chasing them around the house too, and Molly slept through the vast majority of it...although I did get some little baby snuggles for a few minutes! Here's one from the library a couple of weeks ago.  So much fun!!

Jakob got a great report!

Jakob has a dentist appointment this morning, and because it isn't until 10:30, he and Daddy are out to eat.  Looks like a delicious way to start the day!!