Family Pictures

The weather was so nice this last weekend we decided to take some pictures. our last family pictures were over 2 years ago. We went out to Todd's parents' campsite by the Platte River to use their senery. I am very happy with how they turned out since we are not professional and I only have a basic camera. It is amazing what a little editing can do for pictures. Cole got bored very quickly with taking photos so I don't have very many solo pictures though I have quite a few of the back of his head

Bailey Boo having fun playing with a ball

Gage chewing on a rock- Natures teether right?

Austin wouldn't let me get a natural picture he always posed.

Bailey climbing under the logs to get to the 'fort'

Gage is so proud of himself because he could stand beside the log

The boys balancing on the fallen tree


 

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Cole walking on the fallen log



A Spook-tactular Halloween

The kids had so much fun this Halloween season. We had a fun filled week of costume parties so for once their costumes got plenty of use. The boyscout troop hosted a costume fun day with pumpkin bowling, three leg races, and s'mores by the fire. Then we had the school parties. The kids had a blast doing those with their friends at school. Bailey, Gage and I got a little dizzy running back and forth between Austin and Cole's class but they both loved that we got to join them. Then we finished off the week with our church's trunk or treat and then trick or treating around the neighborhood.

All the kids (with my blow up witch) before we headed out to trick or treat

Gage was the cutest puppy ever-him crawling around added so much to the costume

Austin as a troll soldier thing

Bailey as a pretty witch

Cole was a xray skeleton

Fall Fun

    A few weeks ago the boys had a day off school so we decided to go down to the Children's Museum. During October the museum has Cobweb Castle which is a cute little spooky house exhibit for the kids to walk through.




Decoration in Cobweb Castle- skeletons on the ceiling.

 



 Even though it is not really supposed to be scary Cole was freaked out a few times-he is very brave. There was a few cut outs to pose behind, some hidden doors to discover, some mysteries to solve behind cupboard doors, and even skeletons having dinner on the ceiling. 



The kids looking at a spooky room full of old pirate stuff and a pirate skeleton



Overall, the kids had a great time. They always love going to the children's museum. I love that they can actually just run and play and i know they are safe.

Today we went to a small pumpkin patch. The kids had so much fun petting the animals. There were goats, chicken, 2 Calves, plus a bunch of chickens running around. Bailey wasn't so sure that she was loving the animals, but we finally convinced her to feed one of the goats.



The kids petting a 6 wk old calf



 



Cole and Austin trying to pet a goat




Austin and Todd posing behind a cut out





Cole posing in a pumpkin cut out



 There where lots of different games for the kids to play. Todd ran the obstacle course with the big boys. There was a combine that was converted into a slide which the boys thought was awesome.

And of course the kids favorite part of pumpkin patches- the corn maze. Cole was a little upset at first because he didn't get to pick every turn that we made. He was worried that if we really got lost we "would have to live in the maze. And the only thing to eat was yucky, dry corn." We did finally manage to make it out of the maze so no search party is required.

The kids deciding which way to go

Gage and Todd in the corn maze

To end our day we went on the hay rack ride to the pumpkin field and picked our own pumpkins. Austin took the largest one he could carry while Bailey and Cole both wanted little pumpkins. I will post more pics after we paint the pumpkins. I finally gave up on getting a good picture of the kids in the field, Gage was very fascinated by the dirt so he wouldn't look up.
 

The kids with their pumpkins they picked



Splish Splash

Gage is getting so big. Since he is sitting up so good lately I decided to let him take a 'big boy' bath. He loved it. I think he was as facinated with what Bailey was doing as he was with the water. He did finally figure out that splashing was fun, but then he splashed himself in the face. That was a little confusing for him.

Oops, the other video is cute but here is the one I ment to put on the first time.

School Bells are Ringing

 It seems like summer flew by too fast. Now it is time for another school year. I am back in classes at UNO. Halfway done, but a long way to go. Austin is in 4th grade this year. He still hasn't decided if he likes school but it is more fun than being home all summer. I guess I am that boring. Cole started Kindergarten and is loving it. He was very excited that some of his friends from preschool are there too. He loves to show me the pages they do in class and tell me all about the fun things they learn.

 

Bailey is in her first year of preschool. It is hard to believe she is big enough for preschool because the boys were 4 before they went. She is doing great and loves to go to her school.

This is a crazy time of year for our family and I am sure it will get crazier as the holidays get near. I am in class Monday thru Friday mornings, thanks to the grandmas for watching the little kids. I also have two evening classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Poor Todd is home by himself with the kids. He does great but little baby butt, Gage, is still not sure he likes to be happy when mommy is not here.

Austin is a busy little boy these days. He and Cole are both doing Karate still. We have that on Monday evenings but once a month Austin is supposed to be at Boyscout at the same time. We still haven't figured out how that is going to work for the long haul.

Overall, life is going good. We are always busy but by now we get confused if we have spare time so I guess it works for us. I am looking forward to the holidays so we can hopefully see a lot of people we haven't seen in awhile.

A Summer Recap

  The family and Papa Jim had a lot of fun in July at Austin's Boyscout Fishing Derby. It is held at a private lake (big pond) that used to be a sand quary. So Bailey had a lot of fun playing on the sand 'beach' while the boys fished. No one but Todd had much luck catching antyhing but it was still a good time. Of course, part of the bad luck could have been from the 2 little imps that insisted on throwing things in the water and were sitting on a fallen log in the water. Boys will be boys.

    

We had Bailey's 3rd birthday party at our house, I love summer birthdays. All the kids had a good time playing in the bouncy house and being crazy kids. Mom and I had quite the adventure the night before making Bailey's cake. I came up with the great idea of making a 48 cupcake pull apart cake. It turned out okay but never again will I try a pull apart cake.

It was a very busy and fun few weeks for us. We finished off the summer with a trip to the Natural history museum at UNL and then a day trip to Mahone State Park. The kids had so much fun at both. The museum has many cool dinosaur exhibits with life size skeletons.

At Mahone we rented paddle boats, Bailey and I won our race. It was a little nerve wrecking at times because Bailey kept wanting to just get up and walk out of the boat. She didn't understand that she would sink in the water.



Austin (laying down) and Cole (climbing up) were 'hiding' from the water

 



After the paddle boats we headed over to the waterpark. It was so much fun. They have a large wave pool, a kiddie jungle gym in water, and large water slides. It was very crazy in the wave pool-where the kids wanted to be the whole time. I was afraid to let them go too far out because everyone was bumping into each other. It was chaotic but fun.





Austin shoting water out of one of the water guns



Trying my hand at Blogging

I have decided to try to figure out all this blogging stuff. It seems like a rather easy and fun way to keep everyone up on what is going on in our hectic lives. I am not sure how often I will be able to update this but I am hoping at least once a week. Enjoy.