A New Adventure

Alison decided that she would like to be Belle for Halloween... but not the Belle at the end of the movie in the yellow ball gown. (You know, the one that the Disney store sells?) Nope. She wants to be the Belle at the beginning of the movie where she walks through town with a basket full of books. While I applauded my daughter for making this "intellectual" choice, I groaned inside as I wondered how in the heck this was going to happen!? Thank goodness for my mom... she coached me as I sewed a Belle costume! Ali gave us very specific directions as to how to make it... and although you can't look too closely at the stitches... I was pretty dang proud of myself.

Pumpkin Patch

It was another perfect fall day! Kristen, Bridget and I took the kids out to Fir Point Farms for the afternoon. They had a ball! The highlight of our trip was the journey through the "dark, dark maze". It was quite an adventure trying to keep track of six kids while stumbling through a pitch-black maze. The kids took turns holding the flashlight (which was sometimes helpful) and the moms tooks turns frantically calling for their kids. At one point I didn't really care if we went back out through the entrance... I just wanted out!! It was a joyous moment when we saw the light of the exit. We were covered in dust and hay, but completely thrilled to be out of there!

OSU Game

Yesterday was a perfect fall day... perfect for a football game! First, we all piled into the motorhome for the trip to Corvallis. (Lots of laughs along the way!) After we found our spot we unloaded tables, chairs, and food... so much food! It seems like I ate an entire meal, and then Ken fired up the BBQ for lunch! (Of course, I ate again.) The Beavers played a great game! The final score was 66-13!! Go Beavs!


There is nothing like Corvallis in the fall! The streets are full of trees and amazing colors. Being there today reminded me of how much I loved walking to class at this time of year.

We walked down to the "Ette for a pop. We should've gotten a fountain soda like we used to! Instead we got a 6-pk of Diet Pepsi (not my favorite to start with!) and when we got back to the tailgater, we discovered that the pop had expired in August of 2007!! I had always wondered if the numbers actually meant anything... apparently they do. It tasted nasty!!

Merilyn's Celebration

Today we had a little family party for Merilyn. She's turning 2 on Tuesday! She was full of energy and excitement all day. She was thrilled about everyone who came through the door, and her expressions while opening presents were priceless. Each gift she opened was like the winning lottery ticket! These past two years have zipped by... and I'm grateful for each and every minute with our "baby" girl. She's a special gift to this family!

Happy Birthday Natalie!

It was a beautiful day at the zoo on Saturday. We met NJ, friends and family at the zoo for Natalie's 5th birthday. We found our spots on the grassy hill and the kids ran, and ran, and ran! From there we got in line to see the baby elephant. It was sleeping when we first walked through, but the momma nudged it awake, so we got to see it standing for a minute or two. After cupcakes and presents we made our way around to see a few other animals. It was perfect weather day... lots of sun {but not too hot!} with a nice breeze. Thank you for sharing your day with us Natalie! Happy Birthday!

Merilyn

Let's see... where to start. The girls were riding bikes and eating Push-Ups. In true Mer fashion, she had Push-Up everywhere, so I stripped her down and threw the clothes in the wash. When it came time to take off the helmet, she threw a fit. So, I decided it was a battle I didn't need to fight. We proceeded to go about our business.

Kindergarten is Fun!

Hi, I'm Ali and I love to dance. Today I went to kindergarten and there were so many things to do! There were songs, snacks, and even stuff for surprises. Like, chocolate and a treasure chest with toys. My teacher gave me a heart. There was a playground and more kids to have fun with. We colored, played on the playground, ate snack, and sang songs. My favorite part was on the playground. My whole family was proud of me for going to kindergarten. My mom and dad took me so they could see my school. We were all dressed and ready, and I was so excited. The room had books and little hangers for our jackets and backpacks. I go in the afternoons and I like my teacher. She has the same name as me! Some days I hope my gramma will pick me up, and I won't go on the weekends. My mommy is going to pick me up sometimes when she doesn't have school, and my daddy will take me every day. By Alison


A Note from Mommy: I had such mixed emotions about this day. I was thrilled for her because she was so excited - and ready - for kindergarten. But, I can't believe Ali's in kindergarten! What happened to the last 5 years?! {I did really well until it was time to say good-bye. I kissed her and said "Have a great time!", then had to get out quick because I started to get choked up!}