This Girl is 3!

Here's what I did with the pictures I took earlier in the week.

We love you Avery Nola!

Sneak Peek

Today Avery and I went out and took some pictures for her third birthday which is on Friday!  She had such a fun time and was so great while taking pictures.  We got some great pictures and the rain thankfully waited until we went inside.  I have some plans for the pictures, but I won't share them until Friday.  So until then here's a sneak peek!

The last one is possibly my favorite.

Early Thanksgiving

About a month ago Louis and I were driving and I suddenly came up with an idea to have our Keeffer Thanksgiving a little early since everyone is going to be spread out this year for Thanksgiving.  So after talking about it for a few minutes I sent out a text to my family with my idea and asked who could come.  Just like that Louis and I were hosting Thanksgiving!
The day went really well, Louis woke up at 5 in the morning to put the turkey in.  Throughout the day we set up the table and made the potatoes and stuffing.  Louis also made a chocolate silk pie for dessert.
People showed up around 5:00 and we did a Thanksgiving craft.  We had a coloring page and we also had them trace out their hands and glue them onto a paper plate for turkey feathers and then draw the turkey's face on the plate.  After the craft and after the turkey had finished cooking I read a Thanksgiving book.  Then we got to feast!
Along with the turkey, potatoes, and stuffing, we had sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, and lots of desserts!  Everything was delicious and the company was great!
I'm glad I got this spur of the moment idea and had Thanksgiving with my family.  I am grateful for my family and that we are close.  I'm grateful that even though our parents are on a mission we still get together.

Trick-or-Treat

This year we had two days of Halloween fun!  On Wednesday we were invited to the Pugmire's Fall carnival.  It was lots of fun I just wish Louis could have come.  Louis actually missed all of the Halloween fun this year.
The carnival had lots of fun activities!  We started with the doughnut on a string eating contest.  Avery and Isaac went up against each other.  Aver actually did really well.  They also had some crafts for the kids to do, a spook alley, a cake walk, you could sword fight with a pirate for his gold!  We had fun!

On actual Halloween day we started the day by going to the local radio station where they were giving away milk and doughnuts and you could also spin the wheel to win a prize.  We didn't win anything.  After Mary's nap we headed to Lee's Marketplace, a local grocery store, to trick-or-treat.  Then across the street to the mall for some more trick-or-treating!  

Later that night we went to our ward building for some trunk-or-treating!  It was our first time going and it was nice, I liked it.  I know some people don't like trunk-or-treating, but I like it!  After our trunk-or-treat we went to Jake and Celestial trunk-or-treat!  They were also having a ward carnival that night.  It was a lot of fun.  They had a bunch of things set up in different rooms.  They had crafts and a bean bag toss in one room, and a cake walk in another room, and they had a no hands doughnut eating contest, pictures, and more!  It was great their ward did a good job.  I personally think Halloween is stupid.  I don't understand it.  I was talking to our landlord who grew up in Germany and he also doesn't understand it.  BUT!  The girls had a good day and really enjoyed themselves so I'm happy!  Even with not liking Halloween I'm really loving this season and seeing Avery start to understand and comprehend more things.  She was so excited about Halloween an getting to be Pooh bear and getting to say trick or treat and get some candy.  I have loved this year and the growth she has made!

Black Island Farms

Last Friday we went to the Black Island Farms pumpkin patch.  It is in Syracuse so it was a little bit of a drive, but worth it!  Along with the pumpkin patch they have lots of slides, a kernel pit, tunnels, animals, train rides, bounce house, and other fun things to do.  Avery was looking forward to going to the pumpkin patch for over a month!  We rode on a trailer pulled by a tractor over to the pumpkin patch and they let everyone off to go pick their pumpkins!

After we picked out pumpkins we put them in the back of the van and headed in again.  We ate lunch then went to see some animals.  Our favorite was the goose.  Avery and that goose had a good conversation!  Avery would honk at it and it would honk back at her!  It went on for a good minute.  Avery loved it!  We wanted to stay longer, but there was a line forming waiting for us to move on.  

After the goose we headed over to some fun swings and a hay tunnel.  Then Avery ran off to the slides so we followed her over!

Avery ran off on her own to this big black tube slide.  Louis went after her and she insisted she wanted to go down it.  So Louis took her up, but at the top when she saw how high it was she freaked out!  There was only one way down though!  She was not happy.  

The rest of the day went well.  We played some music, rode on a train, Jon and Louis shot some corn, (Louis won) we went through some more tunnels and down some more slides.  It was such a fun day for all of us at the pumpkin patch!