Halloween Fun!

Chloe dressed up as a ladybug for Halloween this year and was so adorable everyone who saw her couldn't stop commenting on how cute she looked in her costume!

We went to 'Trunk r Treat' the Sunday before at church and she had fun playing in the baby zone at the little kitchen they had there, sliding own the slide, checking out the pumpkin patch, and saying hi to everyone.

In the pumpkin patch...

Cookin' up some gravel at Trunk r Treat...

Then, on Halloween, we went to Nana and Papa's house for a big family dinner! It was a great way to celebrate Autumn, with family and good food!

Chloe and Brianna: ladybug cousins!

Decorating herself with Winnie the Pooh halloween stickers...

Enjoying a drink out of her pumpkin cup from her godmother!

Fun with daddy...

At the Pumpkin Patch!

We took Chloe to the pumpkin patch today! It was 85 degrees outside and she was dressed in a sundress with sunscreen all over and we still could only stay a half hour or so before we all started getting overheated. Ahhh, the joys of living in sunny California! :) Love it!
As soon as we drove up to the farm and she saw the field of pumpkins, Chloe got very excited, squealing and saying 'pum-pum' over and over!

After taking lots of pictures and wandering around the pumpkins for a while, Chris picked out a big one for us, Chloe picked out a baby pumpkin for herself, we visited the llama, watched the train go by and then headed back to the car for some air conditioning, graham crackers, and a nap on the way home.

A Petrified Forest, Old Faithful, and french fries...

Chris had a Friday off, so we decided to check out some of the natural wonders in our neck of the woods and headed north, past Napa, to the Petrified Forest in Calistoga.

Driving through the vineyards...

We paid to get in and then walked a half mile trail through a little forest filled with petrified trees. After wondering why Chloe was so enamored with the dirt, rocks, and pine cones on the path, we realized that it was her first time out in nature! She actually walked most of the trail by herself, which turned what would have been a quick 15 minute walk into a 45 minute adventure examining bugs, dirt clods, rocks, trees, and autumn leaves! So much more fun! :)

Chloe checking out a petrified tree...

Mommy and Chloe!

Chloe and Daddy enjoying the nature path...

Afterwards, we headed another 15 minutes away to the Old Faithful Geyser which consisted of a goat pen, a dry wishing well, and a pond with the geyser hole in the middle and benches around it. Not exactly what we expected to see after paying $10 each to get in and seeing all the hyped up signs for miles around. After standing around for 15 minutes, a fountain-like stream of water started coming out of the hole and a minute later it was over. A bit disappointing. By this time we were all hungry and Chloe was ready for a nap, so we got back in the car and headed towards home.

While driving through the little town of, St. Helena, we saw a burger place on the side of the road, with a totally packed parking lot and a huge line out front, and decided to see what all the fuss was about. You ordered at a row of windows and picked up your food there when it was done, but behind the place was a big green grassy field with umbrella covered picnic tables spaced nice and far apart! The food was gourmet, the setting was perfect, and the weather was balmy 75 degrees! This was the highlight of our day... like having a picnic in your own back yard with delicious food being served to you and no mess to clean up!

Feeding daddy a french fry...

Petrified Forest admission: $26, Old Faithful Geyser admission: $20, burgers, fries, grilled cheese, and a pumpkin milkshake: $30, driving for hours, laughing at rocks and fountains, and having a burger picnic as a family: PRICELESS!!

Daily Cuteness...

Here are some pictures from the last two days capturing just a few of Chloe's moments of cuteness...

She found, and insisted on wearing, her tank top pajama shirt over her pumpkin pajamas, while waiting for her breakfast. Quite the fashion statement!

Her first taste of curry and naan at our favorite place in Berkeley... loved it!

Trying to 'get her foot in the door'...

Enjoying a snack of bananas and cheerios at Nana and Papa's house!

Swimming lessons!

Chloe is in her fourth week of a six week swim class with her little friend Brooklyn from church and is LOVING it! On the first day of class, she was terrified of the water, wrapping her legs and arms around me like a monkey and holding on for dear life. She was a good sport though and by the end of the lesson it seemed like she was getting comfortable with the water.

Brooklyn and Chloe waiting for swim lessons...

Chloe's first swim lesson...

The following week was a completely different story. As soon as she saw the pool, she started squealing and laughing, trying to get out of my arms and into the water! She jumped off the side of the pool into my arms, kicked her feet, paddled her arms, and stuck her face in the water to blow bubbles! Her teacher was amazed and so were we! Check out the video of her ‘swimming’ last week to a floaty toy… we’re so proud of our 13 month old little water baby!