Catching up with blogging -
With Gloria’s arrival in October, we also enjoyed the arrival of other special guests in our home.
Aunt Martha. What fun to have her around for a long weekend!
Mary Stuart and Joel came and we got to celebrate Mary Stuart's birthday all together. Noa waited all week to make MS a special strawberry cake.
Uncle Joel, Aunt Martha, and Baby E (Lily)
It was an extra special weekend to be together because Lily was baptized. I love this beautiful family and miss them so much right now (they're in Belgium for a month). Looking at these photos makes me long for their quick return to Florida.
We had a fun picnic all together at the park. I'm pretty sure this was the moment that Mom and Maggie swore they saw a gator in the water and Joel and Jonathan were exasperating them by staying in and trying to see what it was.
the girls loves this big tree that provided shade for our picnic...
...and the daddies and uncle helped them climb in it.
Earlier that weekend, we met up with our good friends, Stewarts and went to the pumpkin patch. This is a fun American fall tradition and it was my and my children’s first time to experience it. Does it count that the pumpkin patch in Florida is on a sand volleyball court?
I like this photo because it shows what a tiny BEAN Gloria was then!
Isabel was sweet to pull the littler girls around in a wagon.
All the bigger kiddos together.
One of the best parts of October was having my mom here for 2 whole weeks.
Mom, with 5 of her 9 grandchildren.
Isn't she beautiful? She's wonderful too.
Since long before Gloria was born, Noa had talked about making a birthday cake for our new baby with Baba. So, finally, the day before Baba left, she helped Noa to make a birthday cake.
Making the birthday cake.
She also made us a really special final dinner.
It ended up being a birthday cake for all three girls. Very fun.
We were so sad to see her leave, but so thankful for her love and sweet service to our family in the time she was here. I've said it before, and I will say it again: I don't want to have new babies without her close by. Eric calls her "an enabler". She makes it easy (or easier, anyway) to have kids. We're thankful for that. 
Even though it was so sad to see our visiting family leave, we are so thankful that we (usually) get to live so close to Jonathan, Maggie, Annie, and Lily.
One of the last fun things we did in October, to celebrate the fall, was to make caramel apples. The girls LOVED this treat, and really enjoyed making them with me.
my little kitchen helpers unwrapping the caramels for me.
i LOOOOVE when you post pictures!!!!!! i miss you guys SO much already but i had a great tea date with Hikari today which made you all feel a little closer! love you!
Your family is adorable. I feel the same way about my mom. She is such a wonderful grandma too.
sigh…I loved reading this post and reliving the moments of fall. We miss y’all so much, A Say. Got up early this am and thought of you. Praying for you and missing you much!
Love, Maggs