Happy Halloween

We had such a great time spending Halloween with our Villages of Brentwood friends. All of us headed out down Village Way together for some trick or treating before meeting back at Katherine and Charlie's for a potluck-style dinner. The kiddos loved hanging out in their costumes and eating all their candy!

Here's a picture of Keaton with all his neighborhood buddies: Kate, Jack, Lucy, Charlie, Rory, Townes, and Eli. Can you tell that Elmo was not that excited about the group picture idea?












Now that Keaton is in bed and we have an extra hour tonight - time to raid the candy stash!!

Here's my favorite Jerry Seinfeld stand up all about Halloween. It's kinda long, but so worth it! You will laugh, trust me.

Boo at the Zoo

Last night, Mom, Dad, and Elmo Anderson decided to try out the Ghouls at Grassmere event at the Nashville Zoo. I have to admit, there is something pretty spooky about the zoo at night!

Keaton really loved wearing his costume. This picture shows him in his car seat on the way there. He has a mirror on the back of the passenger seat, so he can look at himself. He cracked up at his costume all the way to the zoo. I did not expect the positive attention we would receive! Literally, we had 2 year olds all night walking up to Keaton in awe wanting to touch his fur like they were meeting a REAL celebrity. We thought about setting up our own little booth where we could charge to have pictures taken with him.

My disclaimer is that we really did TRY to have fun, but unfortunately, chasing an 18 month old (that refuses be led ANYWHERE) around a dark, crowded zoo at bedtime was $10 worth of PURE TORTURE for Mom and Dad. We should have realized that the stuff they had setup was much better suited for older kids. We will definitely try again when he is older and can understand what is going on!

Grandma's visit

Grandma Archambo came to visit for a few days this week. We had a wonderful time, as always. By the time she left, Keaton was rotten to the core, and Scott and I were so stuffed full of apple pie and homemade noodles that we did not need to eat for a week!

Wearing Grandma's glasses...my little Harry Potter and his book of spells.


















We spent Wednesday afternoon at the zoo. It was such a beautiful day. Keaton is finally starting to notice some of the animals. He really wanted in there to play with those meerkats!






































Fun at the library park...

















Hey Guys, can I play? I love watching Keaton making new friends. He loves BIG KIDS! Thankfully, these kids were happy to share their ball!

Surprise!

I wasn't there for this special event, but I wish I would have been! On Tuesday night, my dad whispered to my niece Mia that they were having a surprise birthday party for Grandma. Of course, he was just kidding - my mom HATES birthdays and birthday parties! Papa should know not to joke with five-year-old girls about parties! Well, Mia thought he was serious and when she found out the party was off, she was crushed! So, just for Mia, my family staged a "surprise" party for my mom last night, complete with party hats, decorations, and cake made by Mia. I love the expressions on everyone's faces in the 3rd picture. My mom said it was one of the best birthdays EVER! I'm looking forward to celebrating with her this weekend when she comes to Nashville!

Taking the edge off...

Before you turn me in, here's the story behind this picture: I used the beer in a chili recipe tonight (very yummy, by the way). Keaton, who is often at my feet while I cook, asked for the empty can. I told him to throw it in the trash. He decided instead to carry it in the living room with him while he watched his movie. Hence, the photo op.

Happy Birthday Mom!

While the cat is away...

To give you an idea of what Keaton was up to while we were at the concert - we received this email from Laura (11 yrs old) just as the concert was starting:

Dear family,
It is us the famous Keaton Ray and Laura Anne! We bring great news! The kings and queens are out, just the retired ones are here. So since the castle is ours for the night, we invite you to a "hip, groovy, and funky" party. Our DJ is Keaton and the dancer is Laura. Some of the "groovy" songs will be the Little People theme song, "Apple Bottom Jean-Jeans", Let's get Crazy, and Love story. The party will begin at 10:00 PM sharp. The clothing should be funky and colorful! Come soon! Thank you!

10:00 PM
MarnRay Castle
Host and Hostess: Keaton and Laura

From: Keaton and Laura

Here's a short video of Keaton and Laura playing on Grammie's computer. I love watching Keaton's face in this video.



Needless to say, Keaton was in good hands and had a blast hanging out with his big cousins!

Rock Concert

Grammie ("Ami", as Keaton is now calling her) and Papa Anderson watched the kiddos for the night so that Scott, me, Rob and Lisa (Scott's bro-in-law and sister) could attend the U2 concert in Atlanta last Tuesday. U2 in concert is definitely an amazing experience! This is the second show that I have seen and Scott's 3rd. There is truly nothing like it. Here are some pics from Rob's iphone that show our view of the concert.

Great Quote

My mom sent me this quote in a card today. I had to share...

"Those who make the glory of God their end, and the Word of God their rule, the Spirit of God the guide of their affections, and the providence of God the guide to their affairs, may be confident that the Lord goes before them, as truly as He went before Israel in the wilderness." - Matthew Henry

Thanks, Mom. I needed that.

Trick or Treat...here we come!