From Halloween

Here are pictures from October (still trying to catch up)

Cousins, Vann, Marissa, Kohlton, Kyle at the pumpkin patch

Pumpkin sling shots

With Grandma and Grandpa

The pumpkin carving

Sue, Tony, Tonia, Gina, Marissa, Leann/Kohlton, Steve, Kyle Paul

Kyle, Marissa, Vann at the church Harvest party

Cousins Taylor and Kyle at Papa's

Ruby holding Kohlton

Taylor, Kyle, Marissa and Ruby at Papa's

Picture for the fam

Here is a couple shots from the night we went out to dinner with Uncle Harlan.

Mom, Fred, Joey, Uncle Harlan (from New Jersey), Dad

Shay, Michael, Ruby, Marissa, Kyle, me and Kohlton

Uncle Bob sat at the kids table (as it should be)

Here you can watch on YouTube Uncle Harlan doing a burnout in Uncle Bob's funny car. (Uncle Harlan was a professional funny car racer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bku9z9XHUpI

Joke Of The Week

Here is another one of Marissa's favorite jokes...

Q: Why can't you tell jokes on the ice?

A: Because the ice might crack-up!

Here is another one..

Q: What kind of dog likes to take a bath?

A: A Shampoodle!

Big Birthday Bash

Still catching up from previous months...
Here are pictures from the kids' birthday party. Marissa turned 7 and Kyle turned 3. Looking through these pictures makes me so thankful that my children have such wonderful friends to grow up with! And such loving family members!

Grandpa helping Kyle open his presents

The kids doing a relay race balancing a marshmellow on a spoon

Playing Hot Potato - Carter won!

Marissa, Olyvia, Ellie, Fendi, Hannah, Brady, Declan, Hunter, Carter, Miles, Olivia, and Jada

The straw hay treasure hunt. The kids' favorite game!

Taylor, Alex, Fendi, Marissa, Carter, Hannah, Hunter, Ellie, Olivia, Eliana, Olyvia

Looking for toys and candy

Hunter

Cousin Taylor, Alex

Cousin Ruby

Friends hanging out by the fire pit

The end of the night! Taylor, Fendi, Marissa, Ruby, and Kyle

We celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary back in September but am just now getting the pictures up. We took the kids down to Ocean Shores for a few days. We had so much fun. The kids loved the hotel. We had a great room which they loved playing in. They especially loved running down the hallways, taking the elevator, eating the continental breakfast, getting ice :), and most of all the swimming pool. We spent a lot of time swimming and they did great.

This was a little ferris wheel at the Fun Park

Paul on the go-cart slick track. Neither of kids would go because they didn't want to get sprayed.

We also played mini-golf, Marissa did really good. Kyle really liked it too but by the end he was having a hard time and would look at his golf club and say"My golf club if broke! I want a new one". Blame it on the club, Paul probably taught him that :)

We had the most fun at the beach. We packed picnic lunches, played in the sand, Marissa and Paul jumped the ocean waves (Kyle didn't like the waves), flew kites and Paul and Kyle raced his RC car.

Daddy and Marissa flying kites. Funny story, Paul wrapped one kites' string around the side mirror on our car while we were at the beach. Then when we were driving off Marissa got all upset and said "Dad that's not funny!" and he asked her what she was talking about and she replied "I don't like your idea of driving with my kite out there!" Whoops, we forgot it was even there because it was so high.

The view from our hotel room. We saw several deer out in the dune. It was a beautiful view.

It was a great trip. On our actual anniversary at the hotel Marissa asked me and Paul to close our eyes and she made us a plate of cheese and crackers and a beautiful picture of us on our wedding day (with tux and wedding dress on). It was so precious. She is so sweet and thoughtful.

Family Photos

My friend Jessica has a photography business. She is great at it. She took these photos of us and my side of the family. Thanks Jessica! We love them!

Kyle

Marissa

Kohlton

Me, Mom and Shay

Mom and Dad (and their baby, Teddy Bear)

The cousins: Taylor, Marissa holding Kohl, Kyle, and Ruby

Grandparents and their grandkids

Joke Of The Week

Marissa wants me to type her jokes for everyone to hear. She spends so much time making up her own jokes and retelling the ones she hears. It is adorable. Here is her joke for the week...

Q: What do you get with a rooster, a poodle, and a cocker spaniel?

A: A Cocker-Poodle-Doo!

These are crowns Marissa made for all of them to wear.

Back from sabbatical

Haven't posted in awhile because I have been having a serious problem with blogger not downloading my pictures and videos. I was frustrated because I really try to limit the time I spend on the computer now that I am deep into the adventures of homeschooling. But due to my cousin Angie's nagging I have returned :)

Here are some updates on the kids...


Marissa (7) is still loving ballet. She is rehearsing to be in her first Nutcracker performance. She is a mouse and a baby Angel. She is still taking swimming lessons and making good progress over her worries about deep water. She still amazes me everyday how helpful she is with her brothers. She loves on them all the time! She loves to boss, I mean "teach", all her little cousins and siblings to sit quietly and listen to her lectures on math and reading. She has mastered hula-hooping, jump roping, snapping, whistling, and rollerskating with much practice. I am currently teaching her how to knit and still working on sewing. She can name pretty much every dinosaur, can read well now, loves geography, and spends most of her free time drawing. She still loves her chickens and begs for more! She also LOVES to tell jokes. Will be posting some soon...


Kyle (3) loves flashcards and just being in the mix while I am teaching Marissa. He loves monster trucks and pretty much anything with wheels. He like to shoot his nerf gun at pretend coyotes and bears outside. His most favorite pass time is listening to his Elvis impersonator cd that Uncle Bob gave him and plays his guitar and sings along. His favorite song is called "Money Honey", not sure why but he loves it. And if you dare sing or say Money Honey he will be quick to correct you that "Elvis says it like Momma Hone-knee". It's pretty funny and disturbing to hear your 3 year old sing about money and blue suede shoes. He constantly asks for a "baby puppy" or really any baby animal. Potty training went smooth over the summer and he is accident free now! Yay! His favorite food... steak. He makes his daddy proud.

Some of his cute words...

"On your marty, Rit set, Do!" = On your mark, get set, go

"What clock is it?" = What time is it?

"I got a D-Deah!" = I got an idea!

"Co-Tin" = Kohlton - oddly we all tend to call him Co-Tin occasionally

"That's punny" = That's funny

"pooter" = computer

"wrastle" = wrestle (thanks dad!)
"Ogurt" = yogurt - one of his favorite things to eat
"bow-way" = ballet

"Grandpa Steeb" = Grandpa Steve

He also told me the other day when I asked him what his favorite dinosaur was (thinking it would be T-rex or something simple) he so perfectly rambled off "Oh probably, brachiosaures." I didn't even know what that was.


Kohlton (5 months) is such a happy baby. Smiles all the time loves to watch the kids play. Generally a happy, easy baby but doesn't care too much for car rides. I love babywearing him! He is so happy in one of my carrier's. He is grabbing at everything and seems to be especially fond of pulling hair. He still sleeps with us and is such a snuggler - I love it! He sleeps great and loves to have his hand tickled while falling asleep. He is super ticklish so of course I spend way too much time trying to make him laugh by tickling him. I am sure it's sheer torture. Poor guy. Besides all my tickling, Kyle and Marissa are constantly kissing and hugging him and are often found fighting over who gets to hold him...still.

Paul has been promoted again. He is such a hard worker and we are so proud of him! And when he isn't at work he is SuperDad! The kids go nuts over him the minute he walks in the door and he is so good at giving them his full attention.


And I can usually be found doing the same ol' thing... if I'm not cleaning, cooking, playing, or homeschooling, then I can be found babywearing, nursing, shopping, or reading ;)


We are so blessed! Doesn't get any better than this!