Picking Pumpkins

We know this great couple who is older now but still plants a garden like they have a young family.  They give away everything they don't use which is more than half since they plant more than an acre of "crops".  We started a few years ago helping them pick their pumpkins.  This year it was raining and a bit cold but without complaint the girls put on their garden boots and picked away.  Grandma Gretchen and Uncle Judd and Nanny Jen came with and we picked about 400+ pumpkins.  It was a messy but great day!

Elizabeth's 10th Birthday

So this extra special thing happened on Elizabeth's birthday - besides the miracle of her.  Matt found out that a group of students were going to light lanterns on campus.  We decided to go and watch.  It was windy and cold and the lighting was slow going but cool to watch none the less.  On our way in the car a couple stopped us and asked us if we wanted a lantern of our own.  We found out later that this was Elizabeth's birthday wish.  We took the lantern home, lit it and sent it off with a wish from every girl.  The night was late and it was cold but all of our daughters and granddaughters will always remember the night we lit a lantern like Tangled and let it go with a wish!

Daddy's Bread

So for those of you that don't know Matt loves to make bread.  He started doing it to relax - something about kneading the dough.  We love the outcome regardless - as a matter of fact Bella will only eat Daddy's bread.  Anyway, one afternoon Andi, Jimmy and the girls were over and all 6 girls helped Daddy/Grandpa make breadsticks for dinner.  I was glad that Matt didn't care about the mess and just basked in the moment and enjoyed the "help" he received.

Busy Barns Fun Day

Bella and the bunny

Bella and Elizabeth on a horse ride

Cierra wouldn't let go of the kittens

Rylee with the calf

Brooklyn in the tube slide

Andi and I met at Busy Barns Farm for a home school day.  The girls could have moved in there! So much to do from jumping off hay mounds, playing in tube slides, feeding and holding animals, watching animals, going on a hay ride, picking pumpkins ... We hope to make it an annual event.

Camping in Michigan

Painted Rock, Michigan

So Matt, the girls, Uncle Judd and I went to the UP camping for a week.  It was a lot of fun and so relaxing. The girls swam in Lake Superior (yes even in the 2nd week in September), collected rocks, did some remote/hike in camping, canoeing and all around just great time.

Cierra turns 8

Cierra chose to be baptized and was able to do so the day after her birthday.  It was a beautiful ceremony and we are so very proud of her.  She is a wonderful example of faith and obedience.  In so many moments it is she that teaches me.  Each of my daughters is so different, so unique, yet so special.  I am grateful that Heavenly Father has entrusted me with their special spirits and in doing has helped me to become a better woman than I would have been without them.  Cierra is one of the most loyal, giving, compassionate people you will ever meet and it is my honor to be her mother.

Rylee's Birthday

 Bella won't have anything to do with feeding the goats.





And neither would Brooklyn.

Kaydence however loved every minute of it

Riding the merry-go-round

Kaydence feeding Bella birthday cake

 Rylee's 6th birthday was spent at the zoo with Grandma Ruth, Grandma Gretchen, Andi & girls and Matt, I and her sisters.  We then went back to our house for cake and presents.  It was a great way to spend her special day.

Words can not adequately express how I feel about this child.  From the moment she came into our lives I felt a calming peace.  That feeling was interesting then as one would not think that the 5th child would bring peace.  It is interesting now because Rylee is almost the opposite of peaceful.  Her high energy, on the go personality keeps me on my toes more than anyone else.  If there is trouble to find, one can be assured that Rylee will find it.  Then at the same time she is cautious and watchful.  She is the one who alerts me most often to Bella getting into something she shouldn't be.  Rylee is the one that is always letting me know when there may be danger.  She is so loving and so devoted to those around her.  She is quick to forgive and will be the very first to offer a hug and a kiss.  So wild and crazy and tender all wrapped in this cute, precious package.  Her family is everything to her, and she is everything to us.

Botanical Gardens

Matt was out of town for several days so Andi and the girls came and spent the night with us. We went shopping to redo my bathroom and then we took the girls to the Botanical Gardens.  There were many butterflies to try to get to land on us and the girls really enjoyed the chance to be outside and in such a beautiful place.  The rain held off just long enough to make it through the exhibit and get all the punches we needed for a free frozen custard at a local shop.  It was a great couple of days together.

Bella's 1rst Haircut

 Bella wasn't so sure about getting her haircut but we tried it anyway.  As long as she sat on my lap she was ok but sure was glad to be done.  I do have to say I have the best hair stylist.  She has a great personality and fabulous people (big and little) skills - and that helped a lot.

The Babies

Well they really aren't but that is what we still call them - the babies, Kaydence and Bella.  They really are like twins in many ways.  Not so much in personality but they just love to do everything together and not always trouble like Rylee and Brooklyn did.  They just love to hang out and play together.  They eat the same snacks, play with the same toys, like the same things...  They just well, love each other.  Some of the cutest things over their two years together .... Bella taking Kaydence's pacifer out of her mouth to give her a kiss or a snack and then putting it back in and Kaydence letting her like it was the most natural thing in the world, pretending they are taking dance classes together like their older sisters, feeding each other dinner, dessert, snacks, insisting on whichever "Mom" is holding one holds the other... Regardless of their task for sure this is the best way to have "twins"!!

Big Rig

So who would have thought that Bella with all her shyness and need to cling to Mom's hip most all of the time would love big trucks.  Wow, does she ever.  I actually think it may have been one of those get to know what you are scared of moments but she just loves all big trucks.  I took her, Rylee and Cierra to a Big Rig show where they got to climb in all kinds of different trucks and pretend to drive them.  All the girls loved it as much as I thought they would.  My sweet little girls who love to dress up as princess would climb on top of a dump truck, water tank, fire engine, back hoe even in heels if given the chance.

Update

So I decided to try to go back and blog everything that I missed out on the last year in the same detail that I have been blogging would take more time than I currently have.  I went back and looked at my blog. My last normal blog was right before we found out that my Dad was sick.  My life went upside down and sideways for a while after that.  At this point however, how far behind I am is keeping me from getting caught up.  So I came up with this idea.  I am going to give some highlighted bullet points to catch up everyone and some of the bigger things I will blog in more detail for those interested in going back and reading them more fully. (If want to see greater detail go to my "blog archive" on the far right column and click on 2011 and then pick by date.  March 2011 is the earliest)
*My Dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer April 2011
*We adopted a dog through a Brittany Rescue April 2011
*Isabella and Kaydence turn 1 year old April/June 2011
*Dad's celebration of life party June 5
*Dad died June 8, 2011
*Nick married Kelsey on August 6, 2011
*Girls big birthday party - pirate themed September 2011
*We started homeschooling November 2011

It is hard to lump all those things together but they are the main things of the year.  I will be blogging each of them in more detail over the next week possibly with a few more things like camping trips, blueberry picking, random cute things.  My Dad's illness and then death affected everything.  It has been more difficult and life changing than I ever thought it would be.  I think of him every single day and it is hard to look back and only have memories.  We don't have a lot of pictures together and I didn't journal very many of our activities together - more just took for granted that they would be there for a long time to come.  It sounds like a cleache  but live life and enjoy, taking in everything you can and spend as much time as you can with those you love ~ journal, blog, take pics, enjoy as you never know when time and circumstances will change.