Elaine's Visit to Texas and Kent's Visit to Oregon

I spent the last few days of September and the first week of October in Houston. I was there to babysit Kiera and Savannah while Lissa and Jason went to Singapore. It was a fun, but tiring, week for me. 

After getting Kiera out the door to school I would load up Savannah to go to Adri's house so we could see her family.Adri had some fun outings planned, like going to the Houston Children's Museum. In the picture below Sophia and Savannah were shopping in the pretend grocery store. 

 We also went to the pretend cafe and played with the food there.

 We went swimming at the Firethorne pool. It was a bit chilly, so we had the pool to ourselves.

 Here's Savannah helping me make dinner. I took Savannah out to lunch with me one afternoon while big sister was in school, and I wish I'd taken a picture of us at the restaurant.

 Another outing Adri had signed up for was a tour of a REAL grocery store. The preschoolers got to sample some bread, cheese, vegetables and fruits. In the pictures below we're in the seafood department.

The kids could touch the live lobsters, but as you can see, Sophia preferred to view them from afar.

 I took Savannah to her dance class. I was in Texas for two Fridays, so I got to see Savannah's dance class twice. All the little dancers were quite adorable.

 The girls were happy to see Mommy and Daddy when they got home.

After Lissa and Jason got back we had Sophia's third birthday party. Adri did lots of cute food and decorations for the Daniel Tiger theme.

Jason, Lissa and Kiera enjoying the cake and ice cream.

 The birthday girl with her daddy and some of her party guests.

 While I was in Texas Kiera wanted me to make her a skirt, so I made matching ones for her and Savannah.

Sophia had her third birthday photo shoot at a park in downtown Houston, and I thought this was a cute "behind the scenes" view.

Besides the skirts, I sewed a cape for Savannah's Halloween costume, and made  Sophia's Halloween costume. I'd made Kiera's "Elsa" costume last spring.

Sophia's dress wasn't finished in the photo above, so I had her pose with me in the finished dress. I didn't have a pattern for the "Sofia the First" dress, so I used pieces from different patterns I'd kept from the dresses I sewed for Lissa and Adri, and put them together to make the dress. It turned out very well and looks pretty authentic, if I do say so myself!

Adri posted this photo of her two girls in their Halloween costumes. I made the mermaid costume for Kiera six years ago, and Grace is the third baby girl to wear it!!

While I was in Texas, Kent spent a week with his family in Vancouver, WA. He helped his mom shell some pecans she'd been given.

 I believe the three pictures below were taken at the lake property they own.

 Kent with two of his brothers and his mother.

 I believe this is a view of Mount Saint Helen's.

Kent must have been inspired to go to Vancouver at the end of September, because he was able to see his younger brother, Robby, who passed away less than a month later.