Turkey Day is zooming in...

so I guess I'd better post Halloween pics!

Our (doubled from last year!) clan pumpkin picking at Mike's Farm

2 Happy Halloweenies celebrating with face paint at the carnival!

Halloween Storytime with Mason the Dragon!
I TOTALLY conned Charley into wearing this costume because I selfishly still love it, since it was my first endeavor into making stuff for my kiddos!

BIG BABY BUMBLEBEE and his petite little flower...

Our crazy little beans ready for some candy huntin'!


OOOOOOHHHHHHHH....scary punkins!

One VERY scary little ghost and the Princess of the Ice Kingdom
(Makes sense since Charley scares the crap out of me most of the time and Eva has boiling water in her veins.)

The bigs returning from round #2 of treating... Daddy is so much nicer than Mommy. I made them walk, like I HAD to when I was a kid. See, my parents were mean and made me & my sister walk to all the houses. My brother, on the other hand, got a chauffered hayride around the neighborhood. Hee Hee Hee....

Eva, TOTALLY brave, and so not scared of this awesome haunted house. (although...she did have a death grip on my hand...)

SO...
The night before Halloween, we had a great time visiting Mike's Farm. The hayride was a blast for the kiddos, picking pumpkins was a 1st for the kids and they loved it!... the food at that place was UNBELIEVABLE and the little carnival was just right for the night.

And Halloween was fun. The bigs got just enough candy to be happy and not so much that I had to haul it away in a wheelbarrow. Evie got to visit with Lauren, Brooke, Shawn and the gang after treating while Mommy raided her candy stash and hung out with my pals. I DO so miss the camaraderie and craziness of trick o' treating on base. These last 6 years have been so much fun and this year was definitely different... I think next year we'll just head over to Mandy's neighborhood for our crazy fix! That place is hoppin' on halloween!

Charley had a blast BOOING everyone and Eva was quite the Princess in her finery and high heel shoes. Mercy did some treating with her sisters for a bit while Max handed out candy (somewhat appropriate I guess... the tiny one goes on the run and the caveman grunts and chucks candy at kids...) with Daddy. Next year should be REALLY interesting with FOUR little tricksters running around!

It was so wonderful to have our whole family together for such a fun weekend! Can't wait for next year...I'm planning the costumes already!

Enjoy the pics!
love,
the clan mac mama

Eva Grace is now seven...

crazy bigs at outback to celebrate!

what a gift she is from heaven!
Funny, sweet and silly too,
Help is what she loves to do!
Growing up, but not too fast,
I hope these years are not soon past!
So much joy my firstborn brings,
I especially love to hear her sing!
It fills me to the brim with pride
whenever she is by my side!
Such compassion and grace are in her heart,
She'll never set others apart!
Her laughter tinkles like the sweetest of bells,
Especially when a joke she tells!
Oh, my sweet little Eva Grace,
you make this world such a better place.
Thank you for the love you share,
and how often you truly show you care.
We love you more each and every day,
and are awed by your sweet and sunny rays!

Happy 7th Birthday Evie Grace. WE LOVE YOU!!

Mommy, Daddy, Charley, Max and Mercy

Birthday baking before the sugar sets in...

And after!!


Mommy and Mercy posing for photographer Charley...
(yes, she really took this. I swear she takes better pics than me!)


My other "set" of twins.
(might be easier to see if Mercy wasn't trying to eat the buzzer, but hey, we were all starving!)

Fall...

is here! And, let me tell you, I am happier than a pig in you-know-what. It has been SIX years since I have lived with seasons, SIX years since I saw leaves change, smelled the scents of fall, went to a real pumpkin patch, rode on hay in a wagon, WELL, you get the picture! I am such a seasonal person and I am SO happy to be back east again. (And yes, I know our seasons here in NC are a bit less dramatic than you lucky ones up north, but I'll take what I can get!)

Life is mach 4 with our hair on fire most of the time. These minis keep up running. We are VERY lucky to have a wonderful babysitter who comes 2x per week, so we actually do get a bit of grown up time now and then. I think I'd eat mac and cheese every night to afford her. (well that wouldn't be too much of a stretch, since I actually love mac and cheese, possibly even more than my kids do.)

My life seems to be settling in to something of a routine. I'm really thankful to have several old friends and a few new ones around these parts, most that are just as crazy as me or are at least entertained by my antics! Our new church is nice, (the kids love it and Charles is clearly comforted by the preacher's words, since he is comfy enough to fall asleep there pretty regularly...) As for me, I'm surprised every day how much I actually like living here again. Never thought those words would come out of my mouth (or from my rapidly typing fingers.) Guess it's the slower pace of life, the lack of plastic people, the salt of the earthness of the locals and the simple weekends that make my heart smile. (Now, mind you, I am still in mourning for my CA shopping and pining for Nordstrom, but I am holding out for a trip home to satisfy my "how may I kiss your butt" shopping experience.)

As for my minis....
Oh boy, oh boy. Is Max a real boy! Truly a caveman, he has hamhocks bigger than my biceps, not a shred of neck, cheeks that are incredibly kissable AND the most devilish eyebrows I've seen since my brother Mark was a baby. (And he really favors Mark & he favors Charles too, so the best of the handsomest men in my life!) He has his bottom 2 teeth now, and seems to be chewing his way across the house, so i'm guessing a few more teeth are inbound. He has FINALLY started to figure out how to get his hefty self mobile, so he is "sort of" crawling/scooching/rolling his way around.

He is truly the happiest baby I have had and could spend hours chewing on some random object while staring at the ceiling fan and laughing. My personal fave is when flips onto his back and "stiffly" waves his arms and legs all over the place. He looks like a bug stuck on it's back, trying desperately to flip rightside. It is hysterical! (It's also reminiscent of boot camp for me, when they would yell grenade and if you didn't dive for cover fast enough, they'd make your roll over and act like a dead bug. Ah, those fondly humiliating memories...)

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. The littlest estrogen member of this clan is most definitely the DIVA. Mostly a very happy little bean, she is prone to random silly crying, all the while staring at Mommy (or occasionally Daddy,) like, "can't you see I'm upset here? PICK ME UP!" This does impede my ability to multitask and do all my maidly duties. So, the laundry and dirt does pile up a bit more than my freakishly clean self would like. She is incredibly mobile, exploring EVERY nook and cranny of this house, squeezing her tiny self through every blockade I attempt to impose.

And tiny she is. Just now 17 lbs, she is still solidly in 3-6 mos and mostly feels like I'm holding air when I sweep her up. (Now, Max on the other hand...that's like holding a bowling ball. or two.) She is also VERY curious and wants to be aware of what's going on in every corner of the house. She has a little loop she makes around the downstairs to check everything out. She is not going to be pleased when she wakes up and discovers the new gates the handy hubby has set up. :-) I really enjoy watching caveman and the diva fight over toys now. Super cute and very entertaining. I also love watching them grab and smoosh each other. AND, finally... imagine my umm.... shock? when I walked into her room and discovered her standing up, holding on to the side of her crib yesterday. Oh, yeah. little terd. Oh, and she does FINALLY have her first tooth, lower left!

As for my bigs? WELL...................

that will have to wait for the next post. I am out of steam and need to attack the 154 piles of laundry awaiting my attention.
stay tuned for more fall adventures and the trick or treat update....

love,
tiff