Pumpkin Carving

On Wednesday night we had our first Cissell/Aguilar pumpkin carving party. (It was a party because there were cookies).

Gilbert checking out his blank canvas.

Cory, Gilbert and Amy getting started.

Sophia checking out the pumpkin insides.

I had hoped that Gilbert would free-hand his carving, but he decided to cheat and trace the design like the Cissells.

Cory's pumpkin.

Amy's pumpkin.

Gilbert was still carving. He had to pick the spider - with a bunch of things to cut out!

Sophia decorating her pumpkin.


The finished product.

Election Time

On Monday Gilbert and I mailed in our absentee ballots. He and I are like 1/3rd of the households in America in which the house is divided on which candidate to select for President. Although I do not agree with Gilbert's choice, I am happy that this is the first election that he has voted in - and hope that he will continue to exercise his right to vote. I also hope that by the next election, our home will not be divided (help me out with this Danny!).

Princess Eva-Renee

Weekend Update

This weekend was pretty laid back - which was nice. We were able to visit with friends on Friday night (thanks for having us over Lindy & Danny) and tackled some projects/errands on Saturday and Sunday. Gilbert even got to watch some football!

One of my projects was sorting through Eva's clothes. It is officially fall here and I don't think Eva will be needing any more of her shorts! It was sad to pack them up, knowing that I won't see them again unless Amy or I have another girl (and as of right now, I am done!). I don't know why I forget that babies grow - Eva is already in her 6 months clothes. They are still a little big - but since she is so long (she is now in the 75% for height and 50% for weight), I would much rather her pants cover her legs than be highwaters!

Here are some pictures from Saturday night. We went to church and dinner with my parents. Going to church on Saturday night is great - it gives Gilbert a full day to relax - since he will be working OT most Saturdays....

Baby Love

More Excitement...And Anxiety

Well, no one has bought our house in Austin. Time is ticking. But I am trying not to totally flip out. We did have quite a few showings this past week, which is a positive sign that people are looking.

Which made it hard and exciting to pick out plumbing fixtures for the new house. I was able to pick out the kitchen sink and bathroom fixtures.

Bathroom sink fixtures.

Shower fixtures. Both will be in chrome. I wanted to do black to match the bathroom light fixtures, but wouldn't you know that black is the MOST expensive finish? Go figure! I also selected towel bars, toilet paper holders and towel rings to match. The brand is Moen and the style is Brantford. It was between the Brantford and Eva. I really wanted to pick the Eva - but just liked this one a little better....

Kitchen Sink. It is a granite composite - won't chip or scratch.

I also picked out the kitchen sink fixtures. Nothing too exciting there - trying to stay in the budget:)

Stage 1 Foods

Eva turned 5 months old on Sunday and we decided to go ahead and try her on some stage 1 food. She was getting tired of the rice cereal and was taking an active interest in whatever we are eating or drinking. So I decided to start off with some yellow squash. My sister suggested that I purchase a jar first to make sure that she liked it before making my own - but I just really didn't want to give her food from a jar.

So I bought the squash and boiled it until soft. Then I used Amy's Foley food mill to mush it down.

Gilbert fed it to her and she really seemed to like it!

So I am going to the store tomorrow to buy some more squash for her. But this time I am going to steam it instead of boiling - to make sure all the nutrients don't get boiled into the water! If all goes well the next few days with the squash, I am going to try zucchini next, then maybe green beans and peas. I want to save the sweeter veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes for later.

Sunday Afternoon Visit

On Sunday afternoon we went over to my Meme's house to visit Aunt Michele and celebrate Meme's birthday. My Dad also came over with Pancho and Chloe. All the humans went to O'Charley's for a late lunch and then we enjoyed the apple pie I bought a Huber's. It was such a nice visit!

Getting the pie and coffee ready.

Hanging with Aunt Michele.

Looking at pictures with Meme.

Happy baby!

Pumpkin Patch

Today was the perfect fall day. Sunny and cool - I love fall in Indiana!! I wanted to take Eva and Gilbert to Huber's to pick out a pumpkin. Not that Eva will have any memory of the experience, but I wanted to experience fall at its best. The drive to Huber's was beautiful. Gilbert and I are going to save our pennies so one day we can live out that way:)

We didn't stay too long because it was a bit breezy and we forgot Eva's warm blanket. I also felt like a horrible parent because all the other little ones were wearing hats. I need to just stash some in the car....

Self portraits are tough when you are trying to get 3 people in the picture!

This is the one! Our first pumpkin!

She was not enjoying this part. I guess she doesn't want to drive a tractor!!

Friday Night Gymnastics

On Friday night Eva and I joined Amy and Sophia at gymnastics. It was so fun to watch all the little girls running around, jumping, rolling, etc. I can't wait for Eva to get a little older and join them!

Hungry Baby

Eva has really been enjoying her rice cereal. I think it is time to start her on veggies now. She takes interest in whatever I am eating and has even tried to feed herself. She is a mess!

Shake Rattle and Roll

On Thursday Eva officially rolled over from back to front. She has done it a few times before, but it always seemed like an accident and she would never repeat. Thursday and Friday she has done it a lot - but I have missed it every time! I always get the before and after. But Gilbert has witnessed it - so we know it happens!

Before

After

Hanging with Roxie.

Decorating

Today I went to PC Materials to pick out cabinets, flooring and light fixtures for the new house. I wasn't as indecisive as I thought I would be. What helped is that I had a budget that I had to stay in - which limited my choices a great deal:)

I also finally selected the paint color. It is called Rich Cream and is a nice yellow/tan.

Next week I meet with the plumber to pick out the sink and plumbing fixtures. I love this stuff!! Now if my house in Austin would only sell....

Here are the cabinets that will go in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Cabinet fixtures. Handles will go on the drawers and knobs on the cabinets. See picture below for visual...

Countertop.

Flooring next to cabinet. Pergo will be everwhere except the bedrooms (carpet) and the bathrooms (tile).

Light fixture for kitchen nook.

Light fixture for the kitchen and foyer.

Carpet Selection next to Pergo selection.

Pergo, Tile and Carpet selections. I even had to pick the grout!

Outdoor light fixtures.

Bathroom light fixture

Ceiling fan for family room and master.

Light fixture for hallways and other bedrooms.