The Time of Our Lives...

Whitewater Center

Oktoberfest...Payton wearing Dan's hat, and not too happy about it!

Tophams dancing with all the other kids

Payton getting warmed up

Payton is OCD..always has a napkin or paper towel in her hand, ready to clean!

Pausing for a moment to check in on her Patriots

I guess she was hungry? ;) Out at the Whitewater Center

And she worked up a thirst!

Pumpkin!

Sharing her water with Baby Abby while watching Sam Bush, the bluegrass band

The Always Smiley Griffin

Andy and Griffin at Oktoberfest

Some of the Oktoberfest Gang

Happy boy!

Show me your muscles!

Helping Mommy work

All bundled up for our morning run!

My little snowboarder-to-be!

Griffin (10 weeks) and Camryn's (1 week) second date...by the bonfire

Light's Out!

Baby Camryn on her birthday

Strong baby girl!

The Boughman Family

Auntie Cheryl with Griffin

What hospital beds were made for...The Crew

Raegan playing with Baby Griffin

Griffin and Camryn's first date...watching Sesame Street
They didn't have much to say to each other ;)

Beautiful Camryn Reese! Check out that dimple!

Great Granddude meets Great Grandson Griffin

4 Generations of Kuglers...and Griffin keeps the name alive!

Great Granddude, GiGi, and Griffin

Doing it all ;) Brian was taking pictures...

Great afternoon for a walk around the lake...Payton discusses the Patriot's touchdowns

The Kugler Crowd

Loves to read her books...

Loves her baby brother!

Loves kissing her baby brother

Loves the Tarheels :)

Handsome little man

Payton and Kyler at the Whitewater Center

Payton and Daddy climb around the rocks

Kyler (2 years old)

Kyler has always loved Payton!

Celeste (Kyler's Mommy) and Griffin (and pregnant with baby boy #2, coming in Feb!)

JUMP!

Superman!

Payton and Kyler bouldering on the rocks at the Whitewater Center

Sun's going down, getting chilly....I'm ready to shake my booty!

And we can't forget the sweet girls...Emma and Callie

We're now well into October, and the temperatures have reflected that...it's been in the lower 40's and even upper 30's at night! I'm looking forward to snow, but I'm not quite ready for "cold" yet! It's still that weird time of year where it's hard to dress...cold in the mornings, but into the 70's during the day. Lots of layers, I suppose!

October 13th was Brian's (gulp) 32nd birthday!! He's SO young! We had dinner and invited a couple friends over for "porch wine" and had some cake and goodies. Payton drew a picture for Daddy and both kids gave him a card, along with a few presents too! We were also anxiously awaiting news from Auntie Cheryl on the arrival of their new daughter...Cheryl was admitted to the hospital on Brian's birthday, to be induced the next day. We had high hopes of her making her debut on the 13th, but one day off isn't bad...

So, welcome to the world little "Camryn Reese!!" Cheryl, Jeremy, and big sister Raegan welcomed her at 3:27pm, Friday, October 14th. She was 8 1/2 pounds, and 21 inches, which is MUCH bigger than little peanut Raegan was (under 7 pounds!) She came out with a head full of thick, dark hair, and looks a lot like Jeremy. She has a dimple on her right cheek, and she is perfect! Raegan has been a very good big sister, helping with Camryn as often as her mommy will allow. Griffin and Camryn had their first "date" the other day, as they cuddled on the couch watching Sesame Street ;) Don't worry, it was only for a few minutes. I think Raegan and Camryn will be fighting over Griffin one day!

Granddude, Grandmom, Great Granddude, and Virginia (dubbed "GiGi") all drove down from Radford, VA to visit us last weekend. It was Burton (Great Granddude's) first time meeting Griffin. We all visited, went for a walk, had lunch, some took naps, then Great Granddude treated us to dinner at the Waldhorn Restaurant (the place where Ocktoberfest was being held). We had a nice dinner outside on their patio (PERFECT weather), then we ventured over to the tent where the (very loud) band was playing. We all had a nice time visiting, hearing about Burton and Virginia's wedding, and it was great seeing everyone.

At Ocktoberfest, Payton tore up the dance floor! She had a blast dancing and watching the band. I wish I would have had my camera. The Collins, Tophams, Tisdales, and Andy Herrin all met us there. Madi, Sam, and Payton had a good time on the dance floor, while Caroline and Whitt ran around the yard area. We may have to make that an annual tradition!

Saturday, October 22nd was one of my dearest friend's birthday. Celeste wanted to celebrate by going to the Whitewater Center to see a bluegrass band, Sam Bush. Now, I know NOTHING about bluegrass, and frankly don't care for it at all, but evidently Sam Bush is the Aretha Franklin of bluegrass.

The kids....Payton is eating at least one good meal a day, & snacking some. She's less finicky than she's been, but still pretty picky. Surprisingly enough, she'll eat spinach salad with raspberry balsamic vinaigrette, and she likes "dip" on her chicken...ie, ketchup or Ranch dressing. She's, amazingly, still sleeping like a rock star, about 14 hours per night, if we let her, and still taking about a 3 hour afternoon nap...although I think she is in there playing more than she sleeps. Regardless, she's getting "quiet" time. She's very flexible with nap and bedtimes, which makes it easy on us when making plans. Payton is beginning to say more and more words, and piecing 2 sentence phrases together. Her favorite is "sit down." We're at the stage which Cheryl and Jeremy call "Captain Obvious." She'll point to everything and say what it is. She's becoming a little more shy, at first, but after a couple of minutes, she's showing off and having fun. Griffin is getting on a more regular schedule, though still not completely predictable. He's been sleeping through the night for a couple of weeks now, which is AWESOME and really early. He goes down somewhere around 11p and sleeps until approximately 8a...so things will have to adjust some when I start back at the office next week. No more sleeping in for us :( He's been eating 4 oz of milk each feeding since about week 1 or 2, but now I think it's time to move up to 5 or 6 oz, as he's fussing when he finishes. He's mostly wearing 6 mo clothes now, but can still squeeze into 3 month stuff. He only cries when he's hungry or tired...we do have to walk and pace with him at night to get him to fall asleep before putting him in his bed. I hope that changes soon too! Other than that, everyone is happy and healthy, and praying that continues through the winter, as having a sick infant would be no fun!! Lots of hand washing around here!

Next weekend we're going to a pumpkin patch with the Boughmans, Tophams, Greenes, and Richardsons. I hope we get some beautiful fall pictures, and I know the kids will have a blast riding on the hay ride and visiting the petting zoo! We'll be carving our pumpkin and then, of course, there's Trick or Treating on Halloween. We've been practicing with Payton, so she now has an idea of what's to come, and knows when she knocks on a door and says those magic words, candy is dropped into her bucket :) Happy Halloween week everyone!! BOO!