Family Field Trips

Last year we started a goal to find really cool things to do nearby our house. We have found that there is a lot available really close to home. We don't know the names of all of the places, but we know how to get there. This past weekend we hit the ponds just off Legacy Highway in Centerville.

It was a beautiful day and we didn't want to waste it.

We saw a lot of birds (even two bald eagles - both on the drive home from the pond), a huge dead fish and tons of animal tracks. Ethan is checking those out below.

Most of the tracks were from raccoons and pelicans.

We also checked out the new lambs at the little farm just up the street from us.

Recent "Body Art"

Aubree standing in front of the wash basin at all hours is a common occurrence in our family lately. She has taken to a form of body art. This has always been "a thing" with her, but used to be limited to portraits of her dad on her belly and arms - you know, something we could always cover up with clothes.

Lately, the girl has decided that her face is a great blank canvas. In the above picture, she was washing off her clown face. It didn't come off for a few days. Below is part of the remains of her werewolf art. I scrubbed her for over an hour and it faded nicely enough that you would really have to look to see it.

There are a few things that I know for sure. As long as we have Aubree, we will know to always expect something new and "exciting". As much as Aubree can wear us out, we love her spunk and the crazy ways that her mind works.

We have been having so much with Samantha/Sammie lately. She has developed quite the little personality. She doesn't cry very much, unless she does not have mom or dad. Then, our normally even-tempered child shows that she does have lungs.

She loves to eat - pretty much everything that we have tried. It's no wonder, the child is growing quickly. She is 98% and perfectly porportioned. The outfit that she is wearing in all of these pictures are ones that Aubree wore when she was 14-18 months old. (Granted, Aubree was 5% at 5 months and at 14-18 months.)

Sammie is now able to sit for about 5 minutes unsupported. She also has three teeth and a few more coming in. She is growing up too fast. Although Ethan and Aubree tell us that they can not wait until she can crawl and walk so they can play with her more, Chad and I feel that it is all going too fast. We are really enjoying this little one.

My Boy - Just some photos

I should put them on Slide, but I don't want to right now. Having Sammie had made me realize just how fast they grow. One day they are just cute, little lumps of need and the next they are so big you wonder where the time went. We are so happy to have Ethan and the joy that he brings to our family.

Long Time, No Blog

Well, originally this post was started just for fun and abandoned for a year.
Then, we decided to blog to keep in touch with a few out of state relatives. Then we found out that the blog was not viewed by them at all because their internet collection was so slow.

As anyone who checks this blog can see, we were blessed with a wee one (okay, she is not so wee, but she is still young) four months ago. We are enjoying her so much, and holding her so much even when we are not enjoying her that we really aren't having a lot of free time to update the blog. (And when the mom does get a few minutes of free time, she is usually checking out your blogs (but not leaving comments because that took time) or playing on facebook (also not updating or commenting).

So, we have struggled with what to do with the blog now. I had, at one time, thought this would be a great place to vent my feelings, but discovered I really have quite disturbing feelings that could really get me in trouble if they were ever expressed and fell into the wrong hands. This is nothing that would get me fired, even if I was still in the work force. I guess I am just a wimp. I want to have my thoughts with no repercussions, and once you voice them, there can be some bad consequences.

So, I guess that I am venting the feelings that wont get me proverbially grounded and wondering why I do it. I am also appalled at how awful my grammar is, and how little I care to correct it.

Anyway, we are taking lots of pictures, we just are having them printed in photo books to send to those relatives in far away places. Since we have uploaded over 500 past pictures (and some current) for a Christmas project, I think maybe we will share some soon.