One Final Boo!

Buzz Lightyear, Spider Man & our little pirate girl had a blast at their final Boo in the Zoo and trick or treating in Greenville! My parents were able to be here to witness the mayhem at Boo in the Zoo. Between the arrival of the baby giraffe and the entire city wanting to partake, busy was an understatement. Thanks to following the advice of a friend to purchase tickets in advance we waltzed right past the long line and enjoyed perusing the zoo in costume. Sadly, we spent our final Halloween night with the Barden's :( For five years they have welcomed us into their home and neighborhood where we have enjoyed pizza, trick or treating and their friendship. I remember bombarding their home with our two boys when they had not yet had children, and now we total five children between our three and their two! We will sorely miss spending this holiday with them! This year our friends Alben and Shafer Miller (and their parents) joined us, which was so fun and made for great memories.

Dane is 5!

Dane turned 5 on October 30th (yes, I am behind)! We had a fun Spider Man themed celebration that included a bounce house in our own backyard complete with a GIANT Spider Man at the entrance. Dane had no clue this was happening and the look on his face as it was blown up was priceless. He enjoyed bouncing with his friends, snacks and cupcakes, and a generous spread of gifts. Our youngest son has turned into such a smart, kind, funny little boy who continues to have a strong personality. Dane is amazing us with his reading abilities, his quick understanding of addition and his natural athletic abilities. We know this year has great things in store for him!

Buddy Walk 2012

Our last Greenville Buddy Walk was on October 27th. This year I was asked to be on the committee, which was such a great learning experience and so much fun to spend time with such great parents of children with Down syndrome. However, that also made for a very long day of work for me. I was also unable to walk with my family because I was appointed the event photographer the morning of the walk! Although it wasn't ideal, this year's walk was extra special because my parents were able to travel to Greenville to join us. The event was wonderful with lots of games, a local Tae Kwan Do group (see Blake breaking boards above!), the Greenwood Genetic bus (a science experience) and of course the walk and activities took place at the beautiful Furman University campus. We will certainly miss the smaller, quaint walk here in Greenville, but look forward to the Buddy Walk in San Diego next year. What a fun day it was and how great it is that we are able to set aside a day to celebrate Blake!

Behind

In the past week or so we have celebrated Dane's birthday, Halloween, The Buddy Walk and a visit from my parents. Great fun was had by all and I have lots of pictures to prove it. However, after being up to my elbows in cupcake frosting, wrapping paper, costumes and editing pictures from all of the above, I have been neglecting the blog. I have high hopes for some free time this coming week...