Fall Fun!

Lots of exciting things have been taking place around the Hardisters! We have been enjoying the fall weather and having fun performing in Fall Plays at school!

Jay raked all these leaves you see here and the girls had a ball jumping in them!

Sister Love!

I finally made my first pound cake! I have been trying to master my mom's pound cake for quite some time now, and although I wouldn't say I have mastered it, this is the only cake that has actually not fallen apart! I made two cakes, one for a tester and one for the girls thanksgiving program at school!

It was yummy!

The girls performed in their Thanksgiving program at school and were absolutely precious! I can't help but get teary-eyed when I see them up there singing! They were too cute in their little turkey hats! Ella Grace was singing with her whole heart and was very concentrated on remembering all the words and hand motions! She did GREAT as did Lu! Ella kept waving to Jay and me and blowing us kisses. It is moments like this that are absolutley priceless and I will always hold close to my heart! We were very thankful Ra Ra could come celebrate and share the day with us!

Since we have moved I always miss out on the "Target Trips" with Mom and Kasie and ALL the kids! So, what did we do after our performance? We headed to Target! Lucy Anne was in love with her personalized Turkey hat made out of colorful construction paper so much, she just had to wear it into Target!

No trip to Target is complete without an Icee and My two little turkeys, and my Mom! Of course next time we hope Aunt Kasie, Charlie, Wylie, and Bess will be with us!

A Mermaid Trick or Treat Tale

This year two mermaids splashed out of the sea! Ursula granted their wish for feet and they danced around in an attempt to find their prince charming and of course obtain as much candy as possible from the human world!

This Mermaid was extremely excited about her feet! She chose to dress them in sparkle shoes!

On their adventure they met many new friends! They ran into the three little pigs. They thought these pigs were the cutest pigs ever! They had to take a break from searching for their prince charming and getting candy to give these guys some magical mermaid hugs!This little pig wasn't sure what to think. All he knew was he was really cute and he laughed alot at Ariel!

And this little piggy stood back in amazement! She couldn't help but think of the day her hair would be as long as Ariels! You might not know, but the mermaids granted her a special wish and soon her hair will be as long as Ariels!

They were amazed when they saw Snow White! For they had heard of her in many stories that were told in the magical underwater kingdom or true princess that lived on land! Another visitor arrived! A ladybug! These mermaids spent so much time in the underwater world searching for treasures they had never even seen a ladybug. They loved seeing such a beautiful little ladybug!

After the mermaids spent some time playing with their new friends they had met it was time to go trick or treating. For the night was almost over and they had only a few hours left to find their prince charming! On their way to trick or treat they met another wonderful person. She looked a lot like their Gran Sandy, but they knew it couldn't be so. For Gran Sandy lived with them in the sea! This lady was lovely with long blonde hair and dressed in a beautiful blue gown. A princess she was indeed!

Off we go to find our prince charming!

Our Prince!

How Many More Days Mom?

Trick or Treating is drawing near and the girls are getting very excited. I believe everyday this

week Ella Grace has asked if "next day" is Halloween day? The girls both have Halloween parties

at school on Friday and even get to wear their Halloween costumes! Today they were very excited to wear their pumpkin dresses! Ella Grace learned a pumpkin poem at school and loves sharing it with others, so here it goes.

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late." The second one said, "There are witches in the air." The third one said, "But we don't care!" The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run!" The fifth one said, "I'm ready for some fun." The oooooo went the wind and OUT went the light, And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

To my two little pumpkins I love you with my whole heart and look forward to many more Halloween Adventures with you both! You two are the cutest pumpkins I've ever seen!

Love Mommy!

Fall Beach Trip!

It may be Pumpkin time, but that doesn't stop these two girls from heading to the beach for a weekend of fun! We always look forward to October for many reasons. I love Halloween and fall! Picking out Halloween costumes is always exciting and my two little helpers love to help me decorate for the holidays! Perhaps one of the most exciting events that happens though is going to the beach with our Gran Sandy! We always have so much fun and enjoy spending time with each other at the beach! So off we went to the beach! The weather was great and sunny! The water was quite chilly, but that wasn't going to stop these two beach girls!

I promise Mommy I am not cold! I promise. I promise.

Okay you know I may be a little cold, but I'm still smilin!

Ella Grace on the beach! She would stay all day and night on the beach if she could! She loves the beach!! If you ask Ella Grace what she wants to be when she grows up she will tell you,"A Mermaid."

Ella Grace got her first driving lessons from her Daddy! For Real!Hold on Daddy!

Lucy pouting because she wasn't getting to drive with daddy! I love it! Look at those lips!We spent lots of time swimming in the indoor heated pool! This water felt much better in here than in the ocean! Of course we visited the arcade! Lucy is counting her tickets she won! She was so funny with "her tickets." She wanted them to go right in her pocket! Ella Grace cashed in some of her tickets for a fashionaable pair of pink vampire teeth to scare Gran Sandy with!The girls played Putt-Putt for the very first time! Of course they chose pink balls for their first putting adventure!Go Lucy Go! Check out Lucy's form! She is such a talented putter! Able to hold the putter with only one hand!

Ella Grace rocked putt-putt! This is her picture by her Hole-in-One!!!Before we left the beach we had to hit Broadway at the Beach! The girls love the rides! Up and away Jay and Ella went in the ferris wheel! How was the ride Jay?Daddy and Ella being silly!Lookin good Jay! Harley Girls!

Ella the Mermaid on her boat ride looking for her Mermaid friends!Happy Halloween!

Gran Sandy, Thank You for a wonderful beach trip! We had so much fun playing with you! Thank you for the wonderful time we shared together! We love you with our whole hearts! Love Ella bella, Little Lu, Jay and Amy!

Rainy Days

This week has been filled with lots of rain! I love a rainy day! A day to stay in your PJ's, watch movies, lounge, and use your imagination to keep little ones entertained! A rainy day always makes for a fun day! What happens on rainy days at our house you ask? Well first we of course have our dress-up time.

But, not our typical dress up time with fairy and princess dresses. No, this is a day to create your own! Leave it to Ella to put on one of Lucy's dresses with a snow hat! When I took this picture I found Ella Grace looking at herself in the mirror, talking, and smiling!

She is such a fashion girl!

Ella Grace used her fashion sense to help sister Lu find the perfect outfit for our rainy day! A little dress with white tights and tap shoes! Why Not?

A little after lunch Lucy's room looked like this! Wow!

They moved on to Ella's room being since there was no room left to play in Lucy's, but I had to quickly intervene before more destruction occurred.

After cleaning our rooms up it was soon time for bed! It's on days like this I wish I was Mary Poppins and could snap my fingers and the toys would magically fly to their assigned spot in the room! Of course our favorite sleeping gown had to be pulled out this night. This is Ella's "fancy sleeping gown" as she would say! She got her Daddy to buy it for her one day! It is just fabulous and she lights up as you can see when she puts it on. It is a mixture of polyester, toile, and velour! I'll save this one for you Wylie!

Lucy Anne ready for bed! Perhaps one of the highlights of the week was Lucy's fascination with her new black shoes! Who would have thought a little girl would have become so attached and in love with a pair of black shoes. She insists on wearing them at all times, even to bed!

Goodnight Sis! I had lots of fun playing with you today!Lucy is dreaming about her new black shoes! I sneaked in her room to take off her shoes!

All tucked in! Sweet Dreams little Lu! Mommy loves you!

A Mind of Her Own!

Ella Grace has the biggest imagination of anyone I have ever met! The girl can design an outfit in a matter of minutes and loves to decorate for the holidays! She loves to have parties and of course wear a party dress. Just last night she chose to sleep in a terry-cloth beach cover-up, intstead of her typical princess "sleeping gown", because she said it reminded her of the beach (which she loves)! I got so tickled when I found this in her room. She got in her Daddy's closet and added some whimsical decor to her Aerial Salon!Jay's ties were everywhere! I mean who else would even think do this with ties except Ella Grace?

Another beautiful creation by Ella Grace!

Jesus Loves Me

After I dropped the girls off today at preschool I came home and had my quiet time. My Dad gave me a Mom's Devotional Bible which I love and would recommend it to every Mommy! Today I wanted to share just how thankful I am for God's love and all the blessings he has given me. He has blessed me with a wonderful family, a husband who is my very best friend, two girls that I couldn't imagine one day without, and so much more!! One of my favorite readings in my Mom's Devotional Bible talks about how children are "Tiny Teachers." It says, "Children are the best teachers in the world. They teach young women how to be mothers and young men how to be fathers. They teach older men and women how to be grandparents. Children teach the world how to love. They teach us how to be honest, open and innocent. And they teach us how to hug and laugh and be enthusiastic. Children make us keep our promises because they never forget one that we make. They even make us into scientists and professors by asking "Why?" about everything that moves and many things that don't. Isn't it interesting that while we are teaching our children to be adults, they are teaching us how to be children? That's especially important when we remember that Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14)." This is one of favorite readings out of the Mom's Devotional Bible and one of my favorite Bible verses!

Lucy remindes me everyday how to love and how to look at Jesus and the kingdom of heaven through the eyes of a child! She carries her "Baby Jesus in a manager" around the house ever so gently. She will place him in a basket and cover him with a blanket. She gets upset if she looses him and she likes him to sleep next to her on her pillow. This remindes me everyday how I should carry Jesus with me in all that I do! Her favorite song is "Jesus Loves Me" and Jay and I sing it to her every night!

I am so thankful Jesus Loves Me and for all he has blessed my life with!