Fall is Here

Holy Sumac!  It's grown so much this year.  We're excited to see how big it gets next year.  Hopefully this year it's big enough to not be completely buried in snow.

Happy Halloween!  We're totally ready.  Coen can tell you what a ghost says and Reagan knows all three Halloween songs that I do.  We've watched It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and Garfield's Halloween.  We tried to get Reagan to watch Nightmare Before Christmas, but although her eyes were glued to the tv, she said it was scarey so we didn't make her.  It's getting a little too cold to be at the park for very long.  So after about 45 minutes, we went and had lunch with daddy at work.

We don't have a tree in our yard, but luckily our next door neighbor does.  We've been trying to help them take care of their yard this yard because they've had some health problems.  So for Family Home Evening this week we went and raked their yard and then tried to drive home the importance of service and helping others.  Mainly we focused on helping Coen and cleaning up the toy room.  I guess we'll see in the coming weeks if it took or not. 

Reagan had never experienced the joy of a pile of leaves.  We were half way done before she figured out that she could be like Charlie Brown & Linus and play in the leaves.  When she finally did, it was with much sorrow that she continued to help us scoop them up into the bag.  She kept trying to get us to dump it out.  Fortunately for her, there are still tons of leaves on the tree.

Opa Comes to Town

We took Opa hiking up Tubbs Hill.  It's got a great view of Lake Coeur d' Alene.  We also think we could see the floating green of the golf course.  It was perfect weather and Nick took the day off, so it was great.  We went to the beach afterwards, of course, and had a picnic and fought with the seagulls.  Nick got to throw a football to someone who could actually throw it back, so that was fun.

That night we went to an what Reagan calls an "Estrant"  where she got her own play dough.  She's been talking about it ever since.  Then we went to a little fruit stand and picked out pumpkins.

This is Nick's favorite picture.  After the pumpkins, Opa bought some ice cream to take home and eat.  Reagan is completely convinced that Opa will be back on Saturday to buy her more Rocky Road with marshmallows.  I've been trying to let her down easy.  Thanks for coming Opa!  We love you!!!

Halloween Cookies

After having one of those ridiculously bad days, Wednesday, where your children find a way to push every button you ever had and lots that you had no idea could be pushed, we worked extra hard to have a good day on Thursday.  We made these sugar cookies in the morning, watched Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin, and went swimming at the hotel in the afternoon.  

After a yummy Thai curry dinner (each of the kids had 3 helpings) we made the frosting.   Reagan got to chose the colors.  Coen just ate the cookies as fast as he could, but Reagan didn't stop until every single cookie was frosted.  Then we had hot chocolate and cookies.  Reagan just licked all the frosting off of course.

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?