Mashed potatoes

A few nights ago, we had mashed potatoes for dinner. Colter was too impatient to have me feed them to him, so we just put a big scoop of them on his tray. By the time he was done, he was covered in mashed potatoes. He even had them in his eyelashes.

Megan's 1st day of preschool

A week after Lindsey started school, Megan started preschool. This is a class for 3-4 year olds and she goes for two hours, two days a week. Megan loves school! The first thing she does when she gets in the door is run around the classroom giving all her teachers a hug (she has about 4 teachers). Then she will come and give me a hug before she heads off to the painting area. She loves to paint. Every day when I pick her up the teachers have a stack of paintings to give to me. Unfortunately, I am starting to run out of wall space. I am amazed at the things that she can do at 3 years old. She loves to color, just like Lindsey, and she takes her time and colors inside the lines. She is very precise about this. She is also beginning to draw stick-figure pictures.

Lindsey just had to be in the picture with Megan.

My big pre-schooler!

Lindsey's 1st day of Kindergarten

My baby girl is growing up! On August 29th, I sent her off to school for her first day of kindergarten. She goes all day, and has really adjusted well. Her teacher is Mrs. Anderson (Mrs. A) and Lindsey just loves her. She is learning to read and loves to draw pictures and copy letters. It is amazing all the things that she has learned in the last two months.

Haircut gone wrong

At the end of July in an attempt to get ready for school, I took both girls to my hair stylist for haircuts. She did a great job and they looked so cute. A few days later, Megan came up to me and said, "Mommy, I cut my bangs!" She was so proud because she did it all by herself, but I suspect she had a little help from her sister. On further investigation of her hair, I noticed that she not only had cut her bangs to the scalp, but she had cut off the left side as well. I was pretty upset because I had JUST gotten her hair done! It's been a few months now, but her hair still hasn't grown out. I get people asking all the time if she cut her hair by herself. I do try to "hide" the fact that she cut her hair when I fix it in the mornings, but really how can you hid something like that?

Jelly roll dress

I made both girls a dress from a jelly roll this summer. In quilting a jelly roll is a bunch of coordinating fabrics cut into two inch long strips all rolled up into a pretty bundle. Trust me when I say that a fabric jelly roll to a quilter is almost as tempting as an actual jelly roll. Well I couldn't resist, so I made two dresses, and they turned out very cute if I do say so myself. Lindsey did not want to wear her dress for the pictures, but she did want to be IN the pictures.

Daddy's helpers

I think that I have two little daddy's girls. Both Lindsey and Megan love to be with their dad. Whatever he is doing, they want to do too. Even if it is a chore that isn't much fun like mowing the lawn.

It took both of them to push the mower.
But when it got tough, Dad was there to help.

Megan had fun despite the work.

Tent trailer

This summer we decided it was time to take a step up from tent camping, so we bought a tent trailer. These are pictures from our very first night in the trailer. Sadly, we only owned this trailer for a total of four days before Jason sold it and bought another (larger) one. I have yet to take pictures of the larger one, but we have used it a few times. I must say that I love camping now because it is so much easier with a trailer.

The stove actually works!

Colter enjoying the new trailer.
Lindsey coloring.

The trailer.

Lindsey, Megan, Jason and Colter sitting around the fire.

Colter loves being outside.

Our guard dog, Luke. He chased down all the squirrels for us.

Enjoying our campsite.

Megan

Lindsey. I LOVE this picture! Dirty face and all!

Lindsey wanted her picture with the flowers.

Being goofy.

Megan had to do what her big sister does.

My boys.

Colter-bear

The girls love to roast marshmallows.

Jason enjoying the campfire after the kids are in bed.

Another campfire picture of Jason.

Almost there!

Well, when I took these pictures at the beginning of July, Colter was not crawling. He was just starting to get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth. He started crawling on August 1st, and is getting so fast I can barely catch him.

Sandbox

My mom and dad put in this amazing sandbox at their house this year. My kids loved it! I think all the other grandkids loved it too!

Meggie playing with the toys.

She loved the sandbox.
Kacey is all boy. He loved playing in the dirt.

Kacey, Joseph, and Meg all digging in the sand.

Johanna liked the sandbox too, but she also loved playing with Luke.

All the kids: Megan, Kacey, Joseph, and Josh.

Swinging

Lindsey has discovered that she loves to swing. This summer she even learned how to "pump" her legs which is even better for both of us. She can swing as much as she wants and I don't have to push her! She loves the swing at my mom and dad's house because it is easy to get on. And she gets to swing up high into the tree.