Halloween

Dear Briana,

We don't normally do anything for Halloween, but this year we decided to take your sister to enjoy some church festivities. Grandma pitched in to buy her a cute little princess costume, which I can't wait to see her in, so the plan is to dress her up and take her out for a short night of hay rides and games, which she'll most thoroughly enjoy watching other children participating in. She is walking (almost running) now, so she'll at least wear herself out by running around the place. The place we're intending to bring her won't be overcrowded so it'll be perfect for her little legs.

We took her to a pumpkin festival last weekend, where she enjoyed a hay ride and running around to pick out her own perfect little pumpkin. It now sits in our living room on her playmat, where it gets tossed to and fro.

Your sister is getting big and playful. She now dances to music, screams on the top of her lungs when excited, and continuously runs backs and forth across the living room retrieving books for me to read. We read books all day long; she absolutely loves books and words.

Sometimes I can't help but think of you when looking at Avalyn. I wonder how you would have looked at her age and what different activities you would have enjoyed. When I see her so happy and smiley, her own most incredibly unique personality exposed, I so wish I could see you like that. That's when it hurts the most.

Missing you, as always...
Mommy