The Baby Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree farm we buy our Christmas tree from was handing out pine tree saplings when we were there.  Other years we have forgo-ed bringing the sapling home but this year we figured, why not?  Gabe loves a good mess and growing a tree is kind of like a rite of passage for little kids.  After buying some soil from Home Depot Gabe set to work adding soil to the pot then burying the roots of his tree in the soil.  

Yes that is a mixing bowl filled with soil and a kitchen spoon he's using to dig.  Don't judge.  It's winter in Ohio and we were not going to look around the garage for the proper tools.  It's all about the experience anyways, right?

 I love Gabe's excited face!

Days 3, 4, 5 and 6

Our kindness advent has been so much fun!  It's been great doing for others rather than doing for ourselves. What's been even greater?  Seeing Gabe's excitement as he learns how much fun it is to be kind to others.

Day 3.

Our day three act of kindness was delivering cookies to the police station.  Gabe was so excited to go to the police station!  And the officer that was there to receive the cookies was so sweet.  She repeatedly thanked Gabe, told him what a sweet boy he was and even gave him a Junior Police Officer.  It was such a pleasant experience and I really want Gabe to learn to trust and respect our public service officers that I think this will become a regular activity for us.  

Day 4.

Sending care packages.  What's more fun than receiving mail?  Sending it!

Day 5.

Buying the person's drink in the car behind us.  Gabe had his milk in his drink holder when we pulled into Starbucks.  The usual "mommy get a drink?" and my usual answer of yes was accompanied with pure excitement when I told him we were going to surprise the car behind us with a drink too.  Gabe loves surprises.  He's getting the whole idea of "it's better to give than receive" and his excitement was palpable as the barrista caught a little bit of Gabe's cheer when she saw just how high the excitement level was in our car. Sharing smiles.  Sharing coffee.  That's Gabe.

Tomorrow is Day 6.  Gabe and I will be delivering cards to a nursing home a few streets away from our house.  We spent the evening with my nephews and they helped us with making the cards.

Twenty-five handmade cards ready to go spread some Christmas cheer.  And these cards are fun; Christmas trees, stars, smiley faces, hand prints, Mario and Luigi drawings... Jake, Sam and Gabe covered all the Christmas topics. 

"For it is in giving that we receive."

St. Francis of Assisi

Mapleside Farms

I love autumn.  

The smells.  

The chill in the air.  

The colors.  Oh how I missed the radiant leaf colors while we lived in Houston.  

And for our family, welcoming Fall means welcoming traditions.  

Being back in Ohio meant a visit to Mapleside Farms was in order.  

The last time we were there Gabe looked like this: 

Three years later, my how he's grown! 

Traditions started with pictures with pumpkins...

 and continued with more adventurous activities.

Racing down the biggest slide in Ohio was our first stop.

  

 The winners!

Everyone loved the ride through the apple orchards on the cow train.  

Seriously a cow train?  It couldn't get any cuter! 

Gabe and I bounced on a huge "pillow" before he finished the afternoon going down big tunnel slides.  

I love fall.  And family traditions.  

While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease" - Genesis 8:22

And then he turned 4 (Part 1)

Gabe's 4th birthday started off per our family tradition.

 Gabe went to sleep in his bed with his doggy by his side in his ordinary room...

but woke up in a room filled with 30 balloons! 

Birthday's are special. 

Turning 4 is special.

And we like to celebrate! 

I love how excited he was when he woke up in a room full of balloons.  

The smile, the giggles, the wanting to hold all the balloons at once...

definitely a family tradition that we will hold on too. 

Gabe walked around all morning holding onto a bouquet of balloons.  

Funny boy! 

The Fair (Round 1)

We are big fans of fairs in this house.  

County fairs, street fairs, little town festivals.  

If there is fair food, we will come!  

If there are animals, we will come and stay longer.

If there is a slide and you will let my sweet boy ride on it, your fair/festival will be my favorite.

Score 1 for the Fish Festival, 0 for the Medina County fair

(They wouldn't let Matt help Gabe up the stairs to slide down the giant slide so we had to walk away with one sad little boy. It certainly won't be the last time this happens, so we will prevail and keep looking for fairs that will bend the rules for our sweet boy.)

But thankfully there were lots of animals! 

The first animal Gabe wanted to see... sheep!  I wanted to bring this soft guy home with us.

Kissing cows!

Petting piggies.  I liked when Gabe asked to give the animals hugs.  It was pretty sweet.

Someone's Thanksgiving dinner [Smile].

Gabe specifically requested not to see the chickens.  But we walked into the poultry building by mistake and he was pretty happy to see them anyways.

Petting ponies.

Gabe didn't want to eat anything.  Gasp!  But Matt enjoyed a Walking Taco and I had delicious fresh squeezed lemonade and the best fried cheese. 

Watch out local fairs, we're coming for you!