Thankful

Time seems to be going by faster than it used to. It seems as if school just started and now we're getting ready for Christmas! We had a nice Thanksgiving with LOTS of family!! (not pictured: Sam and Aubrey because they weren't here yet) Chad's family came to our house this year, so we had a houseful! It was fun watching the cousins play and staying up late laughing :) We sure have a lot to be thankful for!! Speaking of, we are especially thankful for our newest addition coming in July!! There's nothing more special than family!

Halloween 2009

I know it's late (and the top picture is small)....sorry! Hope you all had a great Halloween!! Ours was full of fun, full of candy, and full of smiles! Trying to think of costumes for the next adult party and looking forward to what costumes the girls will think of for next year :) They are so creative!

Fall

Things we love about Fall:

changing leaves
pumpkins
the smell
wearing long sleeves
pumpkin pie
apple cider
garage sales
warm days,cool nights
choosing Halloween costumes

Happy Fall!

Canning Closet

We absolutely LOVE our new house! Not only is there more room, there's more storage!! My favorite closet is our "canning closet". It's so nice to have a place to put all the food we work so hard to store. Thank goodness canning is over (I'm ready for a break) but we're excited for next year's garden :) We still have a long way to go, but we're on our way!!

Five and Fabulous

Regan is FIVE!! What a fabulous birthday for a fabulous kid! She is super shy, but full of fun (especially when no one is watching) and tells the funniest jokes. The morning of her birthday we were having a big breakfast and she informed us that her name wasn't "Regan" it was "Birthday Girl"...so that was what we had to call her. She gave orders too! She told us to bark like a seal and meow like a cat (and her sisters did!) Regan is a wonderful girl and we sure love her!! Happy 5th Birthday Monkey!!

Fashion Sense

It's a good thing my husband doesn't work as a fashion consultant. Mollie wanted him to help her get dressed and this is what they came up with. They BOTH think it matches because it's all pink! She was so happy with her outfit, I didn't fight it (yes, she wore it out in public!) Thanks for your help Dad, but I'll take it from here!

Too Tired

We have a little patch of carpet between our couches at our new house. Today was Mollie's first day of Joy School and boy was she tired afterward! It wasn't long until she got really quiet and this is what we saw. She was just too tired to go anywhere else!

Quiet Smiles

If you know my sweet Regan, you know she is VERY shy. I am glad that her birthday makes her one of the oldest in her class because she really needs the extra year before Kindergarten to grow socially. Needless to say, I was extremely nervous to send her to her first day of preschool! I thought she would be scared, maybe cry, and not want to stay. Luckily, I was WAY wrong!! She was SO excited and ready! She had a wonderful time and her teachers said that she didn't talk much but was full of "quiet smiles". That describes Regan perfectly.....quiet smiles :) Love you Regan!!

Time, Teeth, and Tears

TIME: Time has flown by. I know every mother says that, but it's true. I can't believe Carli is big enough to be in 2nd grade. It seems like just yesterday she was a little 5 lb. newborn in my arms and now she is a beautiful, independent girl! I just don't have enough time with her each day! I hope she has a wonderful time in school this year.

TEETH: Carli is starting this year with 6 new teeth! 1st grade started without losing one and through the course of the year/summer has lost 6. Another example of how big she's getting! I wonder how many teeth she will lose this year?

TEARS: Carli is 7 and I should be used to this, but the morning started with the usual tears from Mom. Even as I write this there are tears! (the reason I am wearing my big sunglasses) I love to watch my girls grow, but at the same time, I try to enjoy every little moment...they are over too soon! I love my Carli....Happy 1st Day of School!!

This one's for you...

Cancer Walk 2009

For my wonderful dad and fabulous friend Jen...this one's for you!! What a great experience!Love ya!!

Forbidden Fruit (WARNING:Adult Content)

Sometimes, our garden has a mind of it's own. Below are some of it's creations. I have to warn you that it is for adult eyes only!! X-Rated content.....

Pack 'em up and move 'em out

Yes, we are moving! The rumors are true. We aren't going far (just down the street) and we couldn't be happier about it! Same school, same church, same friends BUT more room!! Honestly, we are a little sad because we've had some great memories in this house (and we don't want to leave our garden!). We'll be out by the end of the month and with school starting soon, it's going to be busy :)

"Two" Sweet

Two girls that are too sweet. We had two birthdays in one week. Carli turned 7 and Mollie turned 3. It's hard to believe how fast they are growing! My little freckle-faced girls aren't babies anymore. They are such beautiful girls who are full of personality! We love them so much!! Happy Birthday to my two sweet girls!

So far...

July is always a busy month. It's been so busy that there hasn't been time to blog!! So far this month....

....we went to the town of Ouray with friends

for the 4th of July. We camped at Ridgway,

went to the lake (Mindy's first time kneeboarding)

and the Hot Springs before watching fireworks

.....while in Ouray, we hiked the Box Canyon

Falls. It was really high, but really fun!

....we have had TONS of playtime with friends
and lots of swimming too!

.....thanks to some great friends, Chad and Mindy had the chance to go whitewater rafting on the Colorado River. Mindy was pretty nervous because she's not a great swimmer, but we had a GREAT time!! We finished off the trip with some cliff jumping (where Chad still did backflips, just with his cast on!)

.....we have started our yearly canning. So far, we have canned cherry pie filling (which we picked from our neighbors tree) pickled beets, green beans, and pickles from our garden. We still have a long way to go but we can't wait to stock up our supply!

.....we have spent hours in our garden! This is Chad's favorite place to be after work each day. He is really good at gardening and this year's garden is thriving. We have:

tomatoes (red, yellow and cherry)

sweet corn

squash

watermelon

canteloupe

cucumber (pickling and regular)

green beans

peppers (jalapeno, cherry, and bell)
lettuce

spinach

garlic

beets

onions

basil

cilantro

It should be a busy harvest time!

We have more to come, but it's been a busy month.....SO FAR!!

Priceless

Tackle box: $12

Worms: $2

Watermelon: $5

Day fishing with friends: PRICELESS

SHOES (a little late)

To the best dad in the whole wide world, there's something we must say-
You make us smile, you make us laugh, you hug us everyday.
Your shoes are big and hard to fill, there's no one quite like you,
We hope you know that we love you and all the things you do!

You are my Sunshine

The girls went to Sunshine Generation Summer Camp the first week of June and the director asked if I could be a helper. I said I would, but I would have to bring Mollie. She said it was fine, but on the first day, there was a change of plans. Mollie wanted to "sing and dance" too! Miss Jen is AWSUM and let her join the youngest group (with Regan). The week was a little long for her, but overall a success. They performed for the families on Friday and all three girls did so good!! I've posted some video, but it's a little shaky (I was holding a friends baby) and VERY windy. Hope you enjoy watching my little sunshines!!

"Pretty in Pink"

The dad of all girls...what more can I say?!? Such a dork :)

Having a Husband

So, it's a long story but Chad got hurt again. My husband is a fun man who likes to do fun things. He is an avid outdoorsman, which means he is usually doing things that involve a little risk. (e.g. rodeos, hunting, biking, skiing, snowboarding, 4wheelers, etc.) Long story short, Saturday morning he went on an early morning mountain bike ride (very normal) and came home with a broken arm. It is broken just below the elbow, at his wrist and possibly his thumb. He has an appt. tomorrow with the orthopedic Dr. to determine if it can be casted yet (it was really swollen) I love my husband very much and in the ten and a half years we've been married I have learned that this is just part of having a husband who likes to play! Oh well.