Halloween 2009

Our trick-or-treating gang:

Just to show how much the kids grow in 1 year, here's the same gang last year:

Dancing to the Monster Mash with Angelina:

Pumpkin competition at work - the Nemo, crab, pineapple & blow fish are all pumpkins:

Bzzzzzz

Pizza at Boccali's

Eating outside at Boccali's with Grandma has become Ojai visit tradition.

Anne & Scott's Wedding

So, here we are at the wedding:

It's embarrassing that my only photo of the happy couple is this terrible one:

But I did get one of her & I! Room-mates in 2001/02, friends always:

Making Caramel Apples with Grandma

Hanging out at Grandma's House

Grandma bought a whole set of children's furniture to turn her spare room into the perfect playroom for Abigail & Morgan. Daddy put it all together:

Boccali's Pumpkin Patch

We got to do another Pumpkin Patch with Grandma!

Seventh Wedding Anniversary

In the early summer, I received my friend Anne's wedding invitation. It was to be at this beautiful Courthouse - where we were married! How wonderful to go! Then I saw that it would be on our own wedding anniversary weekend - how funny, huh? So, we planned our next trip home to CA around Anne & Scott's wedding, knowing that it would be the best way possible to celebrate our own.

Grandma babysat Abigail (she got to have In & Out, and go to an Art Gallery opening), so that we could spend some time before Anne & Scott's wedding wandering the Courthouse & standing in the exact spot we were married 7 years ago. We even wrote some special 'notes' & read them to each other at (what we think) was roughly the hour we were saying vows. It got very unexpectedly emotional - we both spoke words so monumental & tender we were both crying! Anyone (all 5 of you) remember this exact spot 7 years ago? Do we look the same, lol?

Ventura on our Anniversary

We spent the actual day of our anniversary (Monday) doing 3 of our favourite things: we hit the beach where it was unusually warm for the end of October, then we had sushi, then we went to a coffee shop/ice-cream shop & sat on Main Street in Ventura, chatting & enjoying the cool California evening weather.

California October 2009

I'll break this CA trip up into a few different posts because there are so many pictures I want to share.

But I will start by saying that the ball finally dropped for Abigail & California :) HOORAY. It was wonderful! She was happier, more secure & confident, and, most importantly NOT ATTACHED TO ME THE ENTIRE TIME :) She happily chased Grandma's dogs around, played, bossed Grandma around, all her usual behaviour. It was wonderful! Joking aside, I was so relieved. Every month she grows a little more confident & the trips to California were always a struggle. This one she actually had FUN. It was wonderful - did I say that already?

Pumpkin Patch in Scottsdale

My parents got here this year just in time for the cooler weather & a trip to the Pumpkin Patch. Except that it wasn't really cooler weather, it was still blazing hot:

Fall School Pictures

I don't love these; in fact, I always hate the staged backgrounds - I wish they'd do all the shots on the grey. Just me, you are more than welcome to love them :)