The Holden Family: November 2015

The fall has been full of new experiences and new schedules. We are enjoying all the times we are having as a family and the fall as it is one of our favorite seasons! It has been a warm fall here so far, but one that has made me long for the colors of the South. The trees are nice here, but there is just something special about a Southern Fall to this Southern Girl and the richness of the colors of the leaves in the hills and mountains of the South. (I guess you can take the girl out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the girl!)

We started the Fall by checking off apple picking. This has been on our bucket list for a looooong time! We had plans to go last year in the mountains, but God had other plans to move us here, so we waited another year! We had a great time and loved the apples!

Ben's sister came and visited his parents and we were able to see them and have them meet Mia! Gotta love Quinny, she has her own ideas when it comes to pictures!

While Daddy was out of town, we went to the zoo. They were cleaning the bear habitat at the zoo, so the girls and I got to go inside! It was pretty fun to go in their habitat and see where they like to roam at the zoo!

We had a great time at the corn pit before picking out our pumpkin!

Mia's face is adorable! She had the best smile!

We celebrated Daddy! He is now the big 3-5!!!

We carved our pumpkins! Ellie got really into it this year! It helped that they carved one at school for Pumpkin Science.

Excited for carving!!

Quinn picked Ben's (the face) and Ellie picked mine (the owl)!

We had Elsa, Rapunzel and for the last time our little butterfly! We waited for Daddy to get home from work and then headed out! We went the furthest yet and Mia had a great time riding in the stroller. Ellie, Quinny and Mommy went to all the doors. Mommy did a lot of trick or treating and they were kind enough to share their Almond Joys with me, which they don't like and I do, so win-win! Quinny was loving it! She would have gone for quite a while, but Ellie was tired and so was Daddy. We had a great time and they got a good amount of candy to choose from!

We also made Mummy Dogs!

Ellie's school had a costume parade for parents to come to and each class had a party. We all went to the parade and then Mommy and Quinny stayed for the party while Daddy took Mia home.

Ellie and her teacher! All the Kindergarten teachers were rainbows! Ellie is LOVING Kindergarten! She is rocking it! She was Student of the Month in her first month of school! We had her conference last week and she has met all the goals for the end of Kindergarten already! She is beginning to have assignments and activities for reading and math that are specific to her to challenge her and allow her to continue to excel. We are so proud of her and her teacher is AMAZING! Ellie absolutely adores her. Ellie is our child that always wants to meet the goal and push herself beyond it. She desires to do things right and well, it is ingrained in who she is, so she has made this time more than easy. Not only has she excelled in academics, but she is a great friend and has a fun personality to match, or as her teacher says, a little flare! God has tremendously blessed us!