Albuquerque Turkey

Here is Abby performing this darling little Thanksgiving song that she learned in preschool:

Wettest hour

I can pretty much guarantee you that the single wettest hour of Saturday was from 10:45 to 11:45 AM. Now, how would a mom know such a thing? I bet you can guess: soccer.

From the moment we left our home until the moment we got back to the van after the game, it poured rain. Emily's coach talked the other coach into playing a 15 minute first half, and I believe the second half was called off when the second girl on our team got mud in her eyes and ended up in tears. The field was a total mud pit!

When we arrived at the field, I wondered why on earth I had thought it was a good idea for Abby to join us on this adventure. But then I had a stroke of pure genius: Carson's stroller and rain-fly. Abby huddled for the entire game inside her own little cacoon. When we got back to the van she was bone dry from head to toe.

As usual, I didn't have my camera with me, but these are Em's clothes after the fact. The only reason you can see any gray on her shorts is that she wore her rain jacket, which hangs pretty long, under her jersey for the whole game. I guess it was a good teaching moment in how we don't melt in the rain!

A glimpse of October

A field trip to the Washington Arboretum with
Great Grandpa Gray:

Enjoying the day's sunshine at a park near the Arboretum:

Holding baby Lane at Great Grandpa Gray's birthday party:

Gracie's 2nd birthday ~ no Bdays go uncelebrated here!

Celebrating Great Grandpa Cooper's birthday:

Halloween night ~ a darling princess, a daring pirate, &

a dangerous dragon :-)

Fall field trips

We've had the flexibility to take numerous fun and educational outings this fall, including visiting a zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, the Arboretum, Fort Warden, taking a library tour, and getting a private tour of Uncle Mike's firestation (for which I'm still kicking myself over not bringing my camera).

Actually, I am seriously guilty of not taking my camera on many occasions this fall. Fortunately, my mother and mother-in-law are excellent photographers and are much more religious about photo-taking than me (something about keeping track of 3 children lowers the priority of having a camera). Also fortunate for us, grandparents are often a part of our field trip outings. What a lucky bunch of field trippers we are!

Here are the girls riding camels and feeding the Budgies (these darling birds that fly right up to you to eat the seeds you're holding) at Point Defiance Zoo:
















Exploring the bunkers, tunnels, forest pathways, and fields at Fort Warden in Port Townsend:



















The Seattle Aquarium:
(pictures to come, if I can get them from whoever had a camera that day!)

More September ~ Making memories with cousins

We had the delight of having Craig's brother, David, and his family here from Virginia in late September. I say "here," but really just mean in the vicinity. They spent the majority of their week in Port Townsend, and we taggad along :) Having just seen them in July ("just" sounds funny there!), it was fun to see them again so soon (bummer being across the country from one another!) All 6 cousins had a great time together. What fun memory-making it was!

(More pictures coming... I've got to bug someone for them - - someone who kept track of 6 grandkids and took photos that week!)

Looking back: September 2009

Labor Day Weekend:
Camping in the PNW. Good thing we cheated and rented a yurt in one of the state parks... it poured rain all 3 nights. But the day weather held out and our kids had a blast!

Our little soccer player:

The first day of school:
Here are Emily (6) and Abby (4) ready for their first day at Heritage.

The disappearance of July

Yes, I know, August is now almost over. You'd think I'd be writing about the disappearance of August. But actually, August can go, as far as I'm concerned. It's been fine and all, but July was packed full of fun, and is definitely the month I would want back.

July was priceless. We were blessed with a marvelous trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Craig's family, and also enjoyed another blissful week on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene with my folks. I've been slow to post pictures... partially due to a lack of time, and partially due to some silly feeling that writing about our fun and putting pictures up won't really do it justice. The memories are just perfect how they are in my head! Nonetheless, here are some pictures of our time spent with special family in beautiful locations!

The Outer Banks

Sunrise on the East Coast

Abby enjoying the sand

Carson chillin' in his floaty

Emily exploring the evening waves

Sisters playing in the sand

Six cousins, age 6 and under, excited for the Fourth of July

Coeur d'Alene

The best spot - riding in the bow

Life jackets required at all (okay, most) times

Grams & Gramps

Unable to discern between our boat and others,

Carson greeted all passers-by from his secure look-out on the dock

I'm assuming this picture doesn't require a description

Looking back toward our cabin from the neighbor's dock

This tube is so much fun - perfect for the whole fam.

We call it the water couch.

Abby, cuddle-floating with cousin Christy

Sunset on the West Coast

All dressed up... nowhere to go:

Well, in case we never put this on him again, here's Carson in the darling costume that Lisa lent us, which he MIGHT wear for Halloween :-) He lasted just a few seconds before we ended the torture.

Sweet Abby turns 4!

Our dear, sweet Abigail turned 4 earlier this month. As she turns from toddler to pre-school-aged little girl, she continues to be a generous, cheerful, easy-going darling. Among her famous phrases around here is, "I like it, but I don't love it," or "I don't like it, I love it!" She has good discernment between love-worthy items, and simply status-quo things.

Happy Birthday, snuggle bunny Abs! We LOVE you!!

Gone...

...to

the beaches

of North Carolina's

Outer Banks.

(back in a couple of weeks!)