A SuperKid Halloween

She likes to plan ahead, way ahead. As she took off last year's mermaid costume she said, "Next year Landon can be Superman and I will be Super-Addi. Mom you can make me a cape with an A on it."

Checking for candy!

We joined Addi and her class at their class party.

 I caught Addi telling secrets to the boys!

Sharing a treat.

We trick-or-treated with our special friend, Jordyn-the-Explorer.

Landon loved trick-or-treating. He was so concerned that when a person went to place a piece of candy into his pumpkin bucket that they were going to take candy out. He would say, "No. Me do it." He would pull his bucket away and fumble with his mittened hand to grab the candy and put it in his bucket himself. He didn't want to stop. "Another house. More door?" 

It was so windy all day. He was so concerned he was going to blow away, "Me blow away?", he kept asking. After he got his costume on and went outside, I told him that he won't blow away he will fly because he has his cape on. So he was saying all day, "Me no blow away. Me fly!", as he watched his cape flutter in the wind.

Addi has more faith in my sewing abilities than I do. She kept saying, "I know you can do it, Mama." She was thrilled even when I sewed her A emblem so crooked. She said, "I like it crooked." I just love her! Her only requests were that it was pink, and extra long, "dragging on the ground like a wedding veil."

Their Super-Dog!

 Sorting through their loot at the end of the night. Addi organized her candy into piles and then counted it. I used to do the exact same thing.

"I Wuv You."

He jumped on his bike, and for the first time ever he said, "Bye Mom. I wuv you." 

With all the doubts, terrors and uncertainties that surrounded Landon at the time of his birth, thinking ahead to the time when he would tell me he loved me never, ever crossed my mind. It was an unanticipated gift that waited patiently to present itself to me. It always seemed so far away, why would I think about it. For a long time we learned to take Landon's life one day at a time and for many months, one second at a time. We lived in the moment, often holding our breath through those moments, but living them the best we could. And even though now he is a 100% healthy - a crazy, wild, hilarious 2 year old - I still try to really live in every moment. Soaking him up as he is now. I don't think about what he will be like in a year or in a month. He continues to do things on 'Landon-time' and rushing him or wishing him through things doesn't work. We sit back, watch, laugh and have faith that he will get there and since second one, he has.

Because I wasn't expecting it, his little words hit me like a freight-train and nearly collapsed me. My boy. Alive. Happy. Thriving. And openly, loudly and proudly he is verbalizing that he loves me back.

Time stood still and I knew it was one of those moments, a precious gift in life, that I would recall all throughout my life. My heart would sing praise and my face will smile whenever I think of him on his little red bike darting away, but not before telling his mama that he loved me.

The Corn Maze

Fall would be incomplete without a day spent at the corn maze.

Landon grasped a handfull of hay while Addi explored the children's maze. I could see the wheels in his little brain moving. Of course, throw the hay at mama!

Waiting for the "cow train" to pick them up.

The whole ride Landon was saying, "It's tooooo bumpy!" And it was way too bumpy.

Corn kernel box.

Corn kernel angels.

She lead us through the giant maze.

Investigating the corn stalks.

Mama could not do the bumpy cow train again!

How they measure up.

Great Falls Rendevous

Uncle Spencer was attending a youth conference in our neck of the woods, so along with Grandma and Grandpa Powell we met him in our nearest big town for an overnight get-away. We shopped, swam and had a candle-lite party at the yogurt shop!

Just Him.

I try, at least once a week, to head into the woods for a little adventure and photo taking - just me and him.

Yesterday we found ourselves near a reservoir surrounded by the crisp, autumn morning air and a rainbow of fallen leaves. With the tips of the peaks covered in new fresh snow, the golden yellow and red of the turning aspen trees danced in perfect contrast. We saw several hawks and falcons and even a golden eagle, waiting on the power poles for the thermals to heat up so they could take flight. It was one of those days when the sky is so blue; that clear, clean blue that goes on forever and doesn't look real. A pristine imagination couldn't dream this day any more perfect.

He was a little crabby. Too crabby to wear his gloves and explore on his own. He didn't want to stack rocks or throw berries at me. His sweater was bugging his neck and Mason couldn't get near him with out being squealed at, but Diego never left his hand. It wasn't funny when I threw handful of leaves at him and even lifting my camera to my eye had him hiding his face in his hands. Of course I thought it was adorable - his little fits of protest, and I continued to torment him just a little, preserving it forever.