Monday, October 27, 2014

More Fall-y Things!

We took a family hike in the mountains. This was traveling to the trailhead from info center. 
 Sweetness.
 Isaac kept picking up sticks. This is the one that Elias wanted to pick up. 
 Monkey? or Isaac?
 Rock climbing.
 That's one way to get in a picture.
 Rock throwing.
 Building bird house.
 We still have to paint and hang.
 Sleeping with his head out the door.
 I just think he's so cute!
 Olivia took a cake decorating class at school during fall break.  We made some more and practiced at Grandma's house.
 I love that he hangs on to my hair no matter what I'm doing...even putting away laundry.
 This is not halloween practice. This is Olivia after she spontaneously pulled out one of her teeth.
 Olivia realized she could carve faces into mushrooms before cutting them up. It made it more fun to cut them! My little cook!
 He found this suit when pulling out the next size of clothes.
 He flew all through the house.
 Cooked "bricks we made after reading about Moses and Pharaoh. The broken up pieces was the brick "without straw". (It was really just mud and weeds. Very messy, but very fun.)
 Foothills Fall Festival.
 It was super fun and all free. Too bad this was the last annual festival.
 This squirrel was driving the boat around the pool. Olivia, Elias, and I got to pet it after the show.


 Isaac waited forever in line for this, but it was totally worth it! We'll have to go for real laser tagging!
 No fear! 
 This was the awesomest pig race! I felt like I was in the movie Sweet Home Alabama during the "country" part. The man in charge could have made the crowd excited enough to eat worms!
 Olivia is back there in the middle somewhere with a pink shirt on.
 He likes these things.
I was going to go the the Tim McGraw concert and sit outside to listen, but then a friend called with an extra ticket because her husband was sick! Boo and Yeah all at once!
 That's about as clear as I could get from where I was at.
 Found them together one night.
And my last picture.....what happens when you try to be quiet during nap time. Another great cooking show missed! Darn! I was trying to be on the ball with snack time after school. I was making avocado chocolate pudding. It was all accidental, but the gist is I had the lid off and a piece of blender shot out and the pudding splatted ALL over the bathroom. Of course, the picture doesn't do it justice. (I may or may not have had a spoon in the blender.) So instead of being prepared, I spent most of nap time cleaning this good intention up. And by the way, the little bit I salvaged was not as good as I had hoped, and it was frowned hugely upon by the kids.
Olivia found me a $3 blender at a garage sale that will tide me over till Christmas! :-)  
*Check out "older posts" for Ohio travels with the kids.

Ohio Born!

The first weekend of the kids fall break I took the kids to Ohio to visit the Hocz family. Justin stayed home to work on all his college courses he's taking.
Here's the gang at Young's Dairy...a place that has super great chocolate peanut butter ice cream...and I went to lots growing up.
 Goats are still there.
 Elias liked this one!
 Watching the cows being milked.
 Giant Pumpkin.
 This speaks for itself...
 Elias thought this was cool that he could hang.
 Yee Haw!
 This was how Elias walked to the car...following my voice. 
 And this was the van. A little tight. But it worked.
 The house I grew up in for 19yrs.  It used to be brick color, with a black tri-level and rail, and a double orange door. I saw that the inside is completely redone too when it was up for sale a few years back. Oh the memories!
 Meals at Hocz house.  Kids got the table. Adults got the island.
 THANK YOU thank you thank you Todd and Kristen! We had SO much fun! Sorry I didn't get a picture of your awesomely finished basement we got to stay in!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

September Has Ended

Justin had a birthday and I happened to be at school eating lunch with Olivia when lo and behold, he walked outside to eat lunch also which happened to be 100ft away. So we enjoyed eating lunch together, all the while missing Isaac.
 This was his box in a box in a box in a wrapping in a wrapping.
 This is what was inside (not the tablet).
 And here's the dinner that takes me 20 years to make because I always forget how I make it cuz I only make it once in a blue moon. (yes, i'm following the recipe each time) However, it is delicious and even the kids like it! Dilled Turkey Cutlets, or was it Dilled Carrots and Pecany/Limey/Dilled/Twangy Turkey Cutlets? 
 E&I picked out their clothes for the next day.  Awww....
 Just because Olivia wanted some pictures of us matching. (maybe cuz the boys match so often???)


 Water coloring coffee filters...
 ...to make Joseph and the coat of many colors. Which turned into a whole family with nice coats. Thanks Aunt Tara for the idea!
 Elias watching Isaac play on the tablet, gun ready for anyone who may cause danger.
 Awesome neighbor Kristin who helped make 2 chicken tetrizinis and 1 giant bowl of rotini salad! The two girls were tough sports, they stood there for almost 2hrs helping me!
 Gramp and Nana came for a one day visit. The was the only picture I got. Olivia had done Nana's hair while she was sleeping.
 Fun meeting Gma...
 ...and Gpa for random get togethers during school days.
 E, I, &O helped our neighbor do some yardwork (although this picture doesn't really show it). Not sure how much work got done, but they kept her ears busy!
 Took Elias to the zoo and saw this bear. You could stand at the glass where the dark line is at the bottom left of the picture. It was way cool and the closest I've ever seen a bear here, but Elias didn't want to get out of the stroller. I guess I don't blame him seeing the bear claws.
 Zoo snack.
 Also at the zoo. For some reason, sand doesn't gross me out when it's cool outside.
 Scottish/Irish Festival in Dandridge. They were watching a dog parade.
 Fun to listen to, but a little on the annoying side after a long while.
 Kid area was right next to stage area...hence leaning toward a little on the annoying side.

 1st time Gma has ever gotten her face painted! I convinced her to get a football since Gpa was home watching the game!
 Isaac playing some random girl a game of checkers.
 He chose the ladybug. It's so cool to see him make decisions that are not the same as Isaac or Olivia.
 Olivia also got her name on the other cheek.
 Pretty sunset at G&G's house.
 We've spent quite a few Friday nights their since J has started his EDS program back in August.
 After going on a hunt in a dark room for Elias, I found this during the "last check" for the night. Despite what it looks like, Isaac insists that the floor is cooler than his bed, and therefore "chooses" it some nights. I would have to agree with him.