Halloween

Holidays are big time around our neighborhood.  It seems no matter what the occasion people go all out and Halloween is one of the bigger events.  This year was Yegi's favorite since we bought our house because she now has a reason to go to all the big events...River.  She and Laila dressed him up as a shark (from Finding Nemo because they always say to him "Shark Bait! Ooo Ahh Haa!" and he laughs hysterically) and they as a fish and lobster, respectively.  Yegi and I took him up to the neighborhood pre trick or treat party and then over to her parents neighborhood to meet up with Laila so they could trick or treat.  Before we headed out for candy Yegi wanted some "fall" pictures of River and that's what we start out with below.

 Kid on straw bales, what could be cuter.

Maybe in front of straw bales with watering pale?

Or perhaps the pop a squat and turn and look behind you pose?

This reminds me of those senior pictures where they make you lean on a "tree" that is in fact a fake 6-foot tall plastic log.

The entertainment behind that smiling face.

Swimming down the street.

Nemo & Shark Bait.

 Cousin J (Woody) and his friends.

Hanging out at the pre-game.

Festivities.

Cousin Addalee (Jessie), River (Shark Bait), J (Woody)

One of the guys in the neighborhood has a home built cotton candy spinner.  Cotton candy is Yegi's favorite food.

Someone else had an old fashioned popcorn maker set up.

Pure Happiness/sugar

I think they were pretending to be scared of the shark.

First batch of candy and pretty much the last because shortly after this River was over being carried around town dressed as a shark and was ready to go home.

Daddy River Weekend

The following pictures are labeled as "Daddy River Weekend" in our iPhoto library.  Yegi went to Charleston with her mom and sister to plan Laila's wedding and I stayed back with River.  Anytime Yegi asks me if I know what to do when she is leaving River with me I always roll my eyes and say something along the lines of "It's not my first Ro deo cowboy" (actually I have no clue what I'm doing).  Yegi is a HUGE planner and loves to write out very detailed instructions about what I am suppose to do while she is away.  I'm horrible at following plans and always forget something it seems.  This particular weekend I got up with River and began the loading up process to go back to White Pine to visit my family.  1 full wardrobe, 2 dogs, 3 hundred diapers, 4 boxes of toys, and 5 hrs later we made it to WP.  The one thing I did forget...Cowie (Cowie is River's little Cow/Blanket thing that he has clutched all night since day one and is very attached to).  I remembered him about the time I was pulling into Mom's driveway when the dogs got so excited they woke River from his sleep.  I called Yegi and she told me I needed to go back but that just was not an option.  Luckily because of my non-planning ways I have become quite the "winger" and can improvise in most situations.  I found something about the same size/shape and slipped it into his hands as his eyes got heavy during his final bottle of the night.  He slept from 7:30pm to 8:15am...victory.  We had a great weekend and got to visit my Mom, Grandmother, and Nana & Dee. 

Fall Y'all.

Enjoying one of the last few warm days of fall with G-mom.

Learning to feed himself.  We should of started this earlier but Yegi and I both love to hold and feed him.  This is on my Grandmother's back porch in Morristown.  A place where I have a million memories and not a single bad one.

Happy boy.

All tuckered out and ready to head home.

Santa's Lap

Yegi got a couple of free tickets to the Fantasy of Trees at the Knoxville Convention Center so she, her mom and sister took River to see the trees and then Santa.  He loved the trees but mostly the people walking around.  He's quite the social little man (gets that from his mom) and loves to talk and wave to people, at least until someone tries to pick him up or take him from us (gets that from me).

Hanging with Mom.

Thinking about it.

Warning cry.

Game Over.