Nashville

Last weekend we took a trip to Nashville. We went to visit Matt, Jessica and Patrick and to go to the USC/Vandy game to celebrate Matt's birthday. We had a great time. Alina and Patrick had a lot of fun playing together.

Here they are being cute in the back yard. They were playing in the leaves. It was really cute, but it was really hard to get two toddlers to pose.

Relaxing on Saturday morning

Game day: Tailgating at the house. You can't stop these guys!

Alina and Patrick also enjoyed tailgating.

We got a babysitter for the game and all headed out to watch Carolina beat Vanderbilt. Well, in the first half we weren't really sure if this was going to happen.

Matt, Dave, Chris and Jess enjoying the game

Mary Catherine and Douglas

On Sunday morning we went to church with Matt and Jess and then headed to brunch at a cute place in downtown Franklin. It was a short walk from the church, so the kids rode on their daddies shoulders.

After brunch, Alina and Patrick played in an 'alley' across the street. Putting them in a container is about the only way to get them to 'pose' together.

Beautiful stop on the way home

Apples!

My friend, Pauline (blog is Roger's Neighborhood on the left), went apple picking with her family last weekend and wanted to do some baking using apples this week. So we made one of my mom's pastries on Tuesday night. It was fun and the pastry was good!

Tons of apples!

Pauline in her kitchen

We improved my mom's recipe by making one of the pastries with apples AND cream cheese filling, it was delicious!

Waiting

So good!!!

Grandmas

My mom came to visit for about a week in late September. It was very helpful to have her around to take care of Alina and to help me around the house. At the end of that week, she took Alina to Texas with her, so I could get some more rest and Justin could get some more written. The following weekend I went to Texas for Lily's birthday and picked Alina up. Pictures of Lily's birthday will come soon, or you can check out Irina's blog:)

The week before Nina came, she and Gigi (Justin's mom) sent us a surprise package. Gigi sent some pajamas, which Alina loves. Here she is insisting that she can put them on!