Nanie 2

The kids and Nanie playing in the kitchen.

Right before Nanie left we finally got pictures with her in them.

This is at a great little park we found.  You have to live nearby to get access, but Marilyn, who is in the primary with me lives right next to it, so we go through her yard.  It's got just the right sized toys, a huge lawn, that will be great for sledding with little kids and river access.  We love this park.

Reagan will play on this slide all day.

There I am nice and fat!  There were quite a few ducks swimming around, which we always love, and then a huge dog came and Coen thought that was way cool.  He kept trying to go over and play with it.  After playing here, we went to "Old McDonalds" to have lunch and play there too.  Reagan finally climbed all the way to the top by herself.  Usually she gets about half way up and gets scared, but not this time.  Then it was time to say goodbye to Nanie.  We were so sad!!  Reagan was sad all day, she even took a nap.  She has moved on now, about 5 times a day she talks about when we to the airplaneport at christmas and see Nanie and Hailey.  She tries to slip in a visit for her birthday too, but usually I can distract her from that.  Always something to look forward to.  Thanks for coming Nanie!!!  We love you and miss you already!!!

Nanie's Visit Part 1

It started with a trip to Dillon to see Papa & GG, Ben & Kim, Tim & Stacey & Nanie.  We met up to watch the Ohio State/USC game, which unfortunately for us, did not turn out as we had hoped.  The kids had a great time though.

Hailey adopted GG as her grandma, making it a little easier for Reagan to be nice & smile.

Then we came back to Post Falls.  Reagan talked Nanie into making her a Belle dress for Halloween.  Coen was fascinated by the noise the sewing machine made.

Wednesday, we took a trip to the beach.  It was great weather and we found a spot that was shallow forever, so the kids could go out really far.  They played in the sand.  Nanie brought a big floaty for me and the kids to share, but it was obviously not made for such a pregnant lady & I thought I would die of hypothermia before I could get the kids off me and get up.

Nanie has just been crowned queen of the ducks.  Lucky her.  There was a cute little duck that stayed pretty close to us for quite awhile, but eventually Coen scared her off by furiously quacking at her, which does sound kind of like a chicken not a duck and so probably confused her.  Reagan kept giving Nanie the rocks she found and making Nanie put them in her pocket.  When we got home we put them in a bowl and now I am finding rocks all over the house.

Pictures

One of Reagan's first shots.  Very typical.

Coen's first picture not screaming.

He's watching the big trucks move dirt.

After taking the kids in for pictures when Coen was three months, I have kept my vow of never getting their pictures taken again.  However, some grandmas had a problem with that.  A friend of mine takes pictures of her kids that are absolutely adorable, so I talked her into taking some for me.  We went to the park and Coen was all excited to see her, let her pick him up and when she put him down on a rock, he immediately began screaming- and didn't stop.  I took him for a walk and then tried to get him to walk back to me, so she could get his picture walking to me.  He turned around, saw me and smiled, then saw her and screamed and ran away.  Once he saw the big trucks it was all over.  All the pictures had to have him facing the trucks, so while we didn't get many smiling pictures at least he wasn't screaming.  Reagan hammed it up most of the time, but kept doing weird things to her dress or sticking out her tongue.  This should last us for a few years I think.

Nick B-Day & Another Day

I have been sorely remiss in my picture taking lately.  I couldn't find my battery charger.  So sorry Grandmas!  Nick took his birthday off and we went to climb Tubbs Hill and look out over the lake.  Then we went down to the lake and the kids played in the water.  It wasn't planned, but it was perfect weather.  We just took off the kids pants and let them splash around, Reagan was soaked head to toe.  We came home, had a nap & went out for dinner.  Reagan helped me make a birthday cake.  A "brown one with brown frosting."  It was a really nice, fun relaxing day.  The kids gave Nick gummy bears.  I think that's the only thing Reagan thinks is an acceptable present.  She tells Nick all about them as soon as we buy them, so there is never much of a surprise.

I invited Caysen over to help the kids learn how to play in the sprinklers.  They just stand there and look at them.  So Caysen had lots of fun, but not so much for Coen obviously.

I had to bribe Reagan to get her to stand on Elmo long enough for me to take a picture.  I'm not sure why they refuse to play outside for me.  If Nick is home, even if he's not outside, they'll play out there for hours.  I don't get it.

This is basically why I don't buy toys.  Who needs them, when you have old shelves?

The Beach, A Potty Party & Halloween

Pretty hot sunglasses huh?

Just laying out, like the not very covered lady next to us.  We went to the beach the next day with a bunch of friends and the kids got into the water by themselves for the first time.  We had lots of floaty toys and they had a blast.  I even got in- huge sunburn though.  It was really fun.

Reagan is obsessed with birthdays and birthday cakes.  She went to a birthday party the other day and was determined to buy him a cake instead of a toy.  So, after one week of no accidents Reagan got to go to the store and pick out a birthday cake.  She chose ladybug cupcakes and ate ALL the frosting first, she wanted everyone to have mustaches like her.

Brother trying to stick out his tongue like Reagan, good mustache. 

I think he is trying to be a princess pirate.  It could be the latest thing, like the puffy shirt.  I guess we'll have to wait and see if it catches on.  We'll try to find a more manly costume for Halloween.

Our First Camping Trip

This is as close as they got to sleeping in the tent.  

Reagan wants to be Belle one day, so she's practicing doing her hair just right.  I think she's just about got it.

Coen foraging for food.

Our favorite game!!

We're trying to get ourselves prepared for emergencies.  So we thought we'd try out the tent in the backyard and see if it was possible for the kids to fall asleep with us in there with them, before we ever have to do it for real.  We were all ready with our scriptures read when we heard some thunder and then saw some lightning.  So we had to come inside.  We tried to wait it out, but after an hour and a half we admitted defeat and put the kids to bed in their rooms.  So boring!!!  We'll try again some other day.

More Summer

Solar cooked Reagan.  YUM!

Our tomatoes!!!  We can't wait to have tons of fresh tomatoes!  That is one plant in front of Nick and one behind him.  Then there are 3 other tomatoes, 2 peppers, a cucumber & a pumpkin.  We didn't get any beans or peas this year, but hopefully next year we will.

We went down to Art on the Green today.  It was great fun.  Perfect weather.  The kids played on the beach after slurping smoothies & buying way cool sunglasses.  Of course I didn't bring the camera, but Coen looked smokin'.