Fright night highlights

Mason had the pleasure of trick-or-treating at my office on Halloween. Consumer Source had a big Halloween bash and candy was everywhere! I was sure that Mason didn't need to go trick-or-treating any more after all of the booty he got at my office, but my co-workers insisted that it's the experience rather than the candy that drives a child on Halloween. I have my doubts about this theory, but we went out anyway.
After dinner Brian, Mason and I ventured to Perimeter Mall to scare up some more candy. He did really well at saying "trick or treat" as well as "thank you" after he got what he wanted. He was a perfect angel at the office and at the mall. The reward? Candy of course!
We got plenty of trick-or-treaters at home as well. We had kids knocking on our door until 9:30. I was sure that my scary Jack-o-Lantern would scare them away, but it just seemed to attract more! I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!

Halloween is coming...hahahaha!

Tuesday is Halloween! Mason is getting excited about being Yoda and about his party at school. In preparation, he was practicing being scary with the traditional vampire teeth! EEEEK!

Ah...Fall!

It's the best time of the year to be outside. There is a chill in the air and Halloween is just around the corner! Mason is finally big enough to reach the peddles of his tricycle, but his legs aren't strong enough to push himself yet. We will keep working! Who needs a posed picture when you have such a genuine smile!

The new baby...

It's official! We have a new addition to our family. Although it was sad to see the Grand Prix go, she was on her last leg (or tire). She served us well, but it was time
for an upgrade. Sadly, we found out that she isn't worth much to a dealership with 235,000 miles. Weird, I know! Brian has some prospects of selling her to the guys at work for close to Bluebook value, though.

Brian did his research and for his profession, a truck was more sensible than another car. Weeks and weeks went by and I heard about nothing but what kind of truck he wanted and what we were willing to pay. I'm glad I married such a smart shopper! In the end, Brian found this silver beauty at Stone Mountain Ford (about an hour's drive from our house in Norcross). Amazingly, you can really get something this big at an affordable price! Now if only gas prices would keep going down, we would be set! Mason really enjoys riding in daddy's new truck! He was disappointed when I strapped him into the Grand Prix for the ride home. Hopefully she will be out of our driveway by the end of the weekend. Wish us luck!

Strange, but true!

I have a friend that lives in Dallas, and he and I must be living the same parallel life! I was taking a look at his blog this afternoon, and up came this drawing of a guy that looks just like my next door neighbor! The only difference between Ben's "that guy" and my neighbor is the size of his beer gut and that my "that guy" doesn't ride a bike (obviously because his gut is so much bigger) – he waxes his 1980-something bright orange Porsche every other day without a shirt on. Ew! Thanks Ben! How about a rendition of my "that guy" next to your "that guy"?

Corporate Challenge 2006!

The Corporate Run/Walk & Company Picnic attracts approximately 20,000 participants of all levels of fitness (walkers, joggers and competitive runners) from more than 600 Atlanta companies, and a portion of proceeds benefits the Atlanta Braves Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. I was proud to be among the 50+ Consumer Source employees to participate in this yearly event.

So long Bobby!

Living in Atlanta, Georgia has it's perks; and having Whitney and Bobby as local celebrities is one of them! On a weekly basis we hear stories about how Whitney was spotted cracked out at a bar in Buckhead or that Bobby was arrested again for a domestic dispute. Well, the big headline this week is that they are divorcing after 14 years of blissful wedlock. Where are our celebrity headlines going to come from now?

Unwelcome Roommate!

Our peaceful household had an unwelcome visitor Monday evening! It was a typical night at home...which means Mason is on the floor playing with his play-doh and trucks. I had just sat down to relax when something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. To my horror, I happened upon this monster of a wolf spider hanging out on my lampshade. As a photographer, I take pictures of every mundane thing that I can focus my lens on, but this monstrocity is something that everyone had to see! I did my best to not project my fears onto Mason, but as I put the quarter next to the spider to take a picture, it moved! I squeeled in absolute terror (like a little school-girl, mind you)! Needless to say, this is the only photo I got of the spider with my finger anywhere near it!

Summer fun!

Summer is the time for playing outside– especially for little Masons. The county of Gwinnett has built a brand new park right down the road from our new place! Mason had a great time trying out all of the new things this park had to offer. There is a rock climbing wall (for little guys), slides, swings, monkey bars, and even telescopes to look through!
One other really cool feature about this park is that it is right along side of the Chattahoochie river. There is a deck with seating that overlooks the river, and access to fishing below. I don't think Mason and I will be indulging in getting closer to the river until he is old enough to swim...or date...maybe even old enough to go to college. Diving into a muddy river after a 3 year old just isn't my idea of a good day at the park!

Our new addition...

Every kid needs a pet growing up, so when I saw an ad for free kittens at work, I pounced on it. We took Mason to choose one of three kittens. Two of the little boogars were orange and white, and one was grey with white. They were all as cute as can be, but Mason chose the grey one to be his childhood friend. The car ride home was interesting since we didn't have an animal carrier. Yes, this little furry wonder was let loose inside of a moving vehicle! Please don't call PETA on us, this will not be repeated. We got her home and decided that with Mason's history of naming things after what they were (Bear, for instance), we would take on the task of naming her. Brian and I chose the name Elsa. She quickly made herself at home...and is quite tolerant of Mason chasing her around everywhere she goes. As you can see, she will come in handy in the winter because she likes to snuggle so much. Ah, my own personal electric furry blanket!

Mason visits the land of Oz...

At the end of July, Mason visited his grandparents in Larned, Kansas. While he was there, he got to spend some time with his cousins. Madison (top) is four, Brooklyn (bottom left) and Jordan (bottom right) are twins and they will be two in November. Mason and Madison are inseperable whenever they are together, which makes me thankful that they are so close in age, as Brooklyn and Jordan will always have each other. This will prove to be useful at large family functions for entertainment purposes.






Janet will tell you that he was once a "Grandma's boy", but Mason quickly figured out that Grandpa does some really fun things on the farm. Riding in the tractor is every boy's wish...and here is Mason...in the DRIVER'S SEAT! Look out cows!









Mason must be the biggest sweet-talker ever to have gotten Janet onto the ferris wheel and Bill onto the kiddie roller coaster at the Rush County fair!

Who says women can't fish...

Okay, so I didn't catch as many fish as Brian, but mine was the biggest of the day!

Tiffani & Athena visit Atlanta!

As most of you know, my incredibly smart sister is going into Medical school in Kansas City in a few short days. In preparation for her long stent as a student-doctor, she and Athena made the trek to Atlanta for a visit. The second day they were here Tiffani, Athena & Mason ventured into downtown Duluth to have some fun playing in the fountains.




After some fun in the sun, they enjoyed one of the local ice cream shops!







Tiffani had never been to Uncle Lynn and Aunt Ginny's in Summerville, SC before. We made the 6 hour drive and arrived at about midnight on Friday morning. Dale is only a year older than Athena, so I think they had a good time. Mason was good at tagging-along! Aunt Ginny showed us around Charleston, and even took us out for a seafood lunch! YUM! We strolled through the slave market and enjoyed all of the beautiful things they had for sale. It was interesting to see the local men and women weaving the baskets that were being sold.
















After the tour of Charleston, we all soaked up some sun at Isle of Palms Beach. What a beautiful day it was for the ocean! Athena got buried in the sand, everyone enjoyed riding the waves, and not a sunburn in sight!