Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet

Leading up to Halloween, anytime you asked Zeke what he was going to be, he responded with "hmmm..." So, I was a little worried, but our wild animals had a blast Halloween. Zeke wasn't too excite about actually putting on his costume, until he saw Ben dressed up. By the end of the night, I was a little worried he was going to bed as a giraffe. Zeke took about 2 houses to warm up, and then it was ON. At each house, he would say "Trick or Treat, thank you, Happy Halloween, I wanna go to nother house". On the houses that would just offer the bucket of candy, he would hold up one finger and say "Just one" and carefully choose the perfect piece.
Ben and Spence returned home to give out candy and hot beverages to our neighbors with the rest of our small group. By the time, Zeke and I wandered back, Ben was asleep and our house was so fun with all our friends hanging out in the driveway. Zeke turned on his party mode and danced the night away. At one point I was asked how much candy he had had, and my response was NONE. At the very end of the night I shared a mini bag of M&M's, so he had maybe 3.
It was so much fun and I can't wait til next year when Ben can enjoy it as well.

Ben the Monkey

Zeke the Giraffe

Do you see him Mom?

Spence told people he was a lumberjack

Happy Halloween from the Sheltons

When we asked for the boys to take a pic, Z kept bumping B with his booty

Are you ready?

YES!

Ready to get some CANDY!

My favorite part of the costume

Back home with a pumpkin full!

We found a monkey loose at the zoo

We met the Gastons at the zoo last Friday. We had a blast chasing our boys all around and avoiding all the school groups.

Crazy boys

Shelton boys

BFF

This is Katie future: Holt playing with poop (this was a dung beetle sculpture)

Of course Z had to join the fun

Ben had fun too

We picnicked before heading home

On the way home, Spence and I found a Sonic and risked stopping and our boys waking up. They did and then Zeke stole my orange cream slush :(

A Fair is a Veritable Smorgasbord

We went to the fair for the first time Thursday (no we didn't know it was can food day, yes we paid $16 to get in, UGH!) We hadn't been able to go the past two years. These are the first two years I missed going since elementary school probably, I can't remember and I am just guessing. I was pumped about sharing the fair with my boys. While walking around, I kept thinking of Charlotte's Web and Templeton at the fair :) We can't wait to go back and Zeke has suggested it while we are in the car a couple times. Sorry buddy, that yummy deliciousness only comes once a year.

MOO!

Alphabet Soup

Zeke found the letters to spell out their names

Ben tried out Dada's sunglasses

Where ya going?

BIG CHAIR

Zeke driving and Ben...well gnawing

Baby chickens!

Be gentle!

First Fair Food: Al's Fries!

YUM!

We moved onto corndogs and fried Snickers

Zeke's first fair game

Get that FISH!

First prize!

OK, this has nothing to do with my children, but did you see these?!

I wanted to do it. They were big beach ball type things that kids could get in and then run around on the water, so cool!

Zeke loved the helicopter, but didn't understand why he couldn't get in

WOW, a motorcycle

Mommy's favorite: Roasted corn

Now Zeke's favorite

To bathe or not to bathe?

To bathe

or not to bathe

That is the question

Answer: YES!

Wilmington Weekend

Spence and I celebrated our anniversary 3 months delayed this year. We chose Wilmington because we were already going to a wedding there. We got some great recommendations, booked our hotel, sent the kids to my parents (small cryfest when that happened), and headed out. We got into town in time to have dinner at Osteria Cicchetti. O.H M.Y. W.O.R.D.!!!! I wanted to wrap that place up and bring it home with me. I had chicken parmesean and Spence had lasagna. Yummy deliciousness! Then we walked around downtown. Enjoying drinks and dessert at Trebenzios. We split a chocolate orange truffle cake, it made me want to slap Spence and the waitress it was so good! For breakfast on Saturday we hit up Sweet and Savory where I enjoyed the best french toast known to man. (it was so good we went there again on Sunday). Saturday night we got to go to the wedding of my friend from Meredith, Shannon. It was on the beach and beautiful. We had a blast hanging with my big sis's Melissa and Lindsay and their husbands Reade and Dan and even convinced them to join us for breakfast the next morning. After breakfast Sunday morning, we headed to Port City Community Church. We enjoyed a tour, service and lunch with the guy who is their Spence. I can't remember the name of the place, but it was down near the beach and we got to eat outside. We were so blessed by this trip, but were so excited to get home to our boys. I squeezed them tight when I got my hands on them. Ben was especially sweet by touching my face and just staring and Zeke just immediately said "Mommy, Dada, let's go!" and was ready to head home. It was great to get a way but really nice having them to come home to.
Here are the only picture we have from the weekend:

My love and I on the beach after the wedding

Melissa and Reade

Lindsay and Dan

The whole group

Ballin'

Zeke was invited by some friends of ours to participate in a demo for a kiddie basketball program. Some of his best buddies were there with us which of course made it so much better.

He's a baller

Stretching

The windup

AND shoot!

Coach Craig- I'm thinking things weren't going as he planned

Really cute hoop game

Zeke wasn't the fastest kid on the block

As you can see everyone ended up waiting on him

Brayden and Zeke running to get

THIS!

He shoots! He scores!

And this is what Benjamin did when he could get away from his Yaya

Zeke being a bit stingy I think

Ben wanted in on the action

This is just one of the MANY videos that my mama was able to capture. They were all pretty hilarious.