We tink it's Maebry's first Halloween - Fables and Fairytale style

Halloween is definitely one of the Kraatz's favorite holidays! Our whole neighborhood goes all out and we get tons of trick r treaters. This was our first Halloween with Maebry and it was soooo much fun! First, here's a look at our neighbors doing their thing!This was an entire family of psycho clowns harassing innocent passers by! VERY scary but way fun!
This was a haunted house put on by our new friend John Minton who lives a few blocks over. There was a line all night with kids and adults alike looking for a little fright!
Here is the only shot of the '09 trio! Peter Pan, Capt. Hook and little not-so-thrilled Tinker Bell.
Here we see Daddy Hook and Mae Bell sitting outside ready to pass out candy to all the kiddos!
Too sweet precious Maebry posing with her Tink tutu, flower headband and onsie...she really didn't mind rockin the costume! Good pick mommy!

As many of you may know, we throw an annual Halloween bash with a different theme each year. This year we went for "Fables and Fairytales"! Our friends really went all out this year with some fantastic costumes. We had an absolute great time and thanks so much to Grand-Momma and Grand-Daddy Kraatz for watching Maebry that night...you did a great job!
Here we see the three little pigs and our good friends Jason, Kim and sweet little Faeryn! Way to go on the bacon!
This was a Kraatz Halloween first...we had a band play! The Hatchetmen played about 20 minutes or so and were awesome! They did ukelele and drum covers of old punk rock songs...needless to say Dusty and Kye had a field day! Thanks for playing guys!
Here we see our elvin friends Matt and Savannah! They knocked this one out of the park! Nice tights Matt =)
A little pic of our decorations in the house. We had our lights in full effect this year, forming a tree in the middle of the room...to go with our "Haunted Enchanted Forest" theme.
Here lies little Franken-Mae! Maebry rocked her skeleton onesie many many times the weeks around Halloween...too cute!
Thanks to Grandmommy and Grandaddy, Maebry had her very own PUMKIN OUTFIT! We took sooo many pictures of her in her outfit, but this face was the one we just had to share.
Mommy and Pumkin Mae posing in the yard. Mommy looks so pretty and Maebry...well, let's just say she was juuuust about done taking pictures for silly mommy and daddy!

We had such a great Halloween '09! Can't wait for next year! Thank you so very much to all of our parents/grandparents and friends that helped make it a great time.

Mae - 4th Generation baby

The past weekend snuck up on Dusty and I. We have been feverishly working on our annual Halloween party and knew the annual Kraatz-Raab family reunion would also be celebrated in the month of October.

Maebry was able to visit another set of great grandparents but this time from Dusty's side of the family. This marked the first time she was able to meet her Great Grandfather on Dusty's mom's side, "Popo" and Great Grandmother on Dusty's Dad side, "Nanny". Maebry smiled and laughed with them and you could tell that both Nanny and Popo really loved getting to spend time with little Maebry. Here's some proof,

The reunion was a big success with a nice turn out and great weather, other than the crazy wind! You'll notice in the pics below that hair was a lot of fun for everyone...well, everyone except Maebry...her little head of hair looked picture perfect at all times =) ...we think she might have got a little wind burned...poor baby.

The entire family loved on Mae and played with her feet and hands. Maebry smiled for everyone and melted a lot of hearts. She did such a great job staying pretty happy and overall, our trip to the reunion was a big success! From meets and greets to smiles with shades on to annual family auction. Here are the pcitures from the 2009 Kraatz-Raab Reunion -

This weekend was the first time we took Maebry to Fredericksburg to stay a few nights at Grand-momma and Granddaddy's and boy did they love having her in the house! Maebry played quite a bit for them, had several nice naps in her swing, ate many a meal at the dinner table on mom and dad's knees and really just had a grand 'ole time!

Now we are back...still unpacking and getting ready for the big Halloween extravaganza this weekend! Dusty and I really love Halloween...especially when it falls on the weekends! We have our annual Halloween bash on Friday "Fables and Fairy tales" themed. Maebry will be staying overnight with Dusty's parents (crossing our fingers that she doesn't make it too terribly rough of a night) and then Mae Day is coming back in town for Halloween night to pass out candy and experience her very first Halloween!

Everyone have a very safe and fun Halloween! Hope to see you all soon!

D, C and M

PS: Here is a cute picture of Mae in her new Bumbo. She looks so cute.

Look at Mae, we think she is saying, "Don't miss with me Bumbo."

Two Birthdays in One Day = Double the Good Times

Well, well, well...this past weekend brought a lot of good times for the Kraatz family. We had quite the festivities to attend to during the third weekend of October. The autumn weather allowed for outdoor fun and great friendly-gatherings. Our girlfriend Danielle was celebrating her 30th birthday party while Robin and Justin's baby Jude was having his very FIRST birthday!

Danielle had a "Not so surprise birthday party" out at her house in McDade, which is about 45 mins outside Austin. We started our journery that lovely Saturday with all good intentions of getting things done and making both destinations for said birthday celebrators and revellers. And you know what, we did.

We got up early and got Maebry ready for her big birthday debuts. We picked up more Prilosec for her at the ever-so-cute Buda drug-store. Dusty also got us some yummy flavored candy sticks. Its like a candy-cane with no hook...ok...back to birthday parties.

Here are a few pictures from our first birthday party welcoming Danielle into the dirty 30s. We had a great time in the short amount of time we were there. Danielle and Brian worked ever so hard on getting their Halloween themed party under way. They had the college football games on, meat grilled for the men, veggie plates and awesome "yummy crackers" for the ladies, adult beverages for all, pumpkin painting for the kids and goody bags to boot!

Here is Danielle's great friend and her cute kiddos. The one getting bunny ears is the birthday girl Danielle's daughter, Emma...too funny and too cute.

More birthday revellers.

Here is Daddy and Mae enjoying Emma's rocking chair.

Here is Christa and the favorite b-day girl. Happy 30th Dani, we love you!

Our other birthday party was in South Austin at our friends Robin and Justin's house. Their son Jude was celebrating his first birthday. Robin put together the most cutest western theme for "Jude the Dude's" first birthday. Too CUTE! We had a great time. Maebry was just a doll. Mommy and Daddy visited and we able to watch the opening of birthday presents and destruction of the birthday cake. Another "TOO CUTE" is required. Here are the photos from Jude's first birthday party.

Here is "Jude the Dude" opening some presents and looking ever so playful with birthday bow on his head.

Here is Abbey and her cute daughter, Kinsey. Aren't kids the cutest. We all think Kinsey "nose something is up." What a cutie!

Mommy and Mae, enjoying the presentation of the plethora of presents at pirthday party. Wait a minute... Duffy duck hijacked the laptop and started typing and spelling stuff wrong. Sorry about that.

Here is the birthday dude in the ceremonial smashing, gnashing and tongue lashing (licking) of ever so delicious birthday cake. Jude did a great job and got some on his hands and decoratively on his face.

One last photo and it's the bestest from the westest. It's Jude the Dude and main Momma-dude. Thanks for a great party and fun times. We were so happy to help celebrate this fun-filled day.

Thanks to Jude's birthday we have another Kraatz family portrait. Except Maebry was to busy looking all the cake and wondering when it is going to be her turn.

Our first Mae-cation

Well cyber friends we are proud to annouce we made it through our first over-night trip with Maebry. We are here to report that she did great. We thought the car ride alone would be hardest part, and it wasn't.

Our friends wanted to get together over the weekend and take a trip to the beach. We headed to Port Aransas for great time...even if it was October.

We had some errands to run on Friday before we left, so Dusty and I wanted Teri to come over and watch Miss Mae. We ran to Austin and got some things we needed. I needed some makeup and we needed food for the trip. All the while Dusty was trying to get our tires looked at by a local tire shop. They reported we needed to replace one of the tires on the 4-Runner. And here comes the funny part those Yahoos didn't even think to use the spare and change the tire for us. Thanks guys. So, needless to say, Dusty had to get our tire changed on the car all the while I was trying to get us packed.

We finally got on the road and made the three and half hour trip to Port A. Maebry stayed asleep for most of the trip. It was great. We ate snacks on the road and we able to get to the beach around 9 pm. And then we "let the wild rumpus start."

Well, not too much. Most of the folks there had little ones with them as well. Mae was the youngest. Each day we would wake up to Robin's good breakfast, eat lunch that the Niemann's and the Barry's brought or made, and mix in some snack items we brought and finish each evening with one of Jessica's deliciously baked dinners. We had yummy enchiladas the first night and we went Italiano with lasagna on Saturday.

Saturday brought us good weather on the beach but rain back home. Good thing. Everyone made their own family outings and went to the beach. We took Mae for a little stroll but it was a bit cool for us to get her near the water. It won't be too long before she will dip those cute feet and hands in the lovely Gulf of Mexico. And by the way, we weren't really ready to tackle our stroller on the sandy beach just yet.

We are very grateful to our great San Marcos, South Austin and Cedar Park crew who made the trip with us. Thanks to Mark and his client's great house. We wanted to thank Mark and his client for helping make our trip happen. We loved the Master suite and we very grateful for the nice bed and shower.

Here our pictures from the trip. See how life is just little bit more fun when you are near a beach...don't you think.

Here we find Maebry hanging out in her new bed to go. This was very convenient and folds up as a little should bag...awesome!

Dusty, Matt and Maebry...relaxing and all smiles.

Maebry hamming it up...beach style!

A view of the living room where much football was enjoyed and many babies played!

Mom rocking Maebry and both taking a little snooze...ahhhh vacation!

Our very first pick of all the kiddos! We hope to make a tradition of this very pic. Here we have (from left to right) Brody, Maebry, Kinsey and Jude.

Maebry turning to Kinsey for a little....support lol

Maebry's first Bumbo chair session! She is allllmost ready to sit in one all on her own! She sat up in it for a good little while and really seemed to like it...Target here we come!

Once again, many thanks to Mark for getting the very awesome deal for us to stay in Port Aransas, thanks to Mark and Jess, Robin and Justin, Matt and Abbey and Shane and Nida for all of the great food, spirits and great times! We really can't wait to do it all again next year!

A "Swingin" Nap

Just wanted to post a little video from this morning.  Maebry FINALLY has learned to love her swing!

Christa tried her in it Sunday and she stayed for 10 minutes...which was AWESOME!  I decided to toss her in it this morning when she wasn't too happy, and look what happened =)