My Little Pumpkins!

This morning we took an outing to the pumpkin patch. We normally get there earlier in the season but for some reason this year we were running behind. I think it was all those October birthday parties! Unfortunately we had to take this pilgrimage alone since Dad is out of town for work. It was a little bit of a logistical nightmare. How do you manage 4 kids and all the pumpkins? Well, a baby b'jorn, a wagon, and a good friend are how we did it. We were lucky enough to have my good friend and her two kids with us so everything went smoothly. Aside from the chilling winds and damp air, we had a great time. C was happy that she could run around and fortunately she was not scared of pumpkins this year. And little W was a trooper and seemed to think the pumpkins were just dandy! Afterwards we all warmed up by heading to Noodles. Yum!

Happy Birthday!

Today we celebrated another birthday in our family. Little A turned 9! We had a fun party with some friends at a local laser tag spot. The boys had so much fun shooting it up - apparently they are all natural born killers! A was thrilled to have fun with friends. Nana and Gipa came up for the day too so that was a treat. He loved opening presents too of course. I think the favorite was the new skateboard, followed closely by the book "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." Of course a book mom has been avoiding but he was THRILLED to get! Enjoy the pictures.

Happy, Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was little C's 2nd birthday! What fun. She was supposed to have a little party with her some friends in the morning but unfortunately big brother has been home sick so we had to postpone the party. But, we still celebrated as a family last night.

Her favorites these days include Elmo and anything Sesame Street so I made an Elmo cake for her. She loved Elmo but was not sure about the fact that he was a cake. It took a little while for her to understand that we were going to eat that Elmo!

She had a fun time opening her presents as well. She got a new scooter from her grandparents - she was thrilled. Now she can be a big kid just like her siblings. We got her a zebra bouncer which seems to be a big hit too. It was a very fun birthday!

Bon Appetite! Let's Eat!

Our sweet little baby is almost six months old now and has just started eating cereal. She seems to like it so far. Although it is exciting that she has reached a new milestone, I am sad that she is growing up so fast. The fact that she is eating cereal now really says that she is no longer my itty bitty little infant! She does not just curl into you and snuggle anymore when you hold her - she wants to be up looking around and checking out the world. She talks to us all the time, and lights up when her big brother or sisters come into the room. She is really becoming her own person now! Here are a few pictures from her first experience with food. Of course, most of it comes right back out the first time you try.

School is in session!

School has started and the kids are getting back into the routine. Both big kids seems to like school well enough and like their teachers as well. Now that M is a big girl and in kindergarten, she has a whole new set of worries. Her biggest stresses seem to be lunch and recess. It is a little intimidating to go out on the playground with all those 5th graders. And hot lunch is a little complicated! Now that a couple of weeks have passed, she seems to be getting more used to things and it not quite so scared. Here are a few pics from the first day of school. As you can see, M was thrilled but A, not so much!

The FROG Days of Summer

The last few days of summer were spent anxiously trying to get all the playing in that was possible. A and M played all day outside and loved every second of it. One day they found a toad in the yard. They appropriately names him Jumpy Spots. They spent the entire day playing with the frog - poor thing! They created a home for him and thought he must have been soooo happy to be found by them. I did make the rule that he had to be released by the end of day so he could survive. As wonderful as the "habitat" they created for him was, I thought he was better off free! :-)

Busy Summer Days

Well, it has been a long time since I have posted anything on here. We have spent several weeks traversing the US for multiple family reunions. In addition to that, our computer has been on the fritz. So, I have had trouble getting my pictures from my camera to the computer. Tonight I was able to accomplish that so I thought I would update this blog a bit.

The kids have had a wonderful summer so far. We have been able to visit with grandparents, great grandparents, cousins, second cousins, and on and on. Here are some pictures from all our reunion times!

We started our summer travels in Denver visiting my side of the family. It was great for everyone to see W and of course for us to see them. The cousins all had a great time together. It was wonderful to get to spend time with my soon to be sister in law as well. We had a great visit!


After Denver it was on to Michigan for another family reunion. This time we spent 4 days canoeing and enjoying a beautiful setting at a beautiful lodge. Again, we enjoyed seeing many cousins and extended family. And we celebrated Mimi and Grandpa's 60th anniversary. What a blessing to be a part of this wonderful family!