Counting our Blessings

October 9, 2012

Horses and soccer...

Clara had a great time at a week-long horse camp at the end of the summer with her friend, Evelyn. After the first day, she told me not to worry about getting a dog anymore, that she would rather just have a horse! ;) She learned so much in just a week, and I was amazed at what she could do when I watched her ride her horse, Quinn, on Friday. She was able to have her horse walk, trot, turn and stop all on her own! She did an overnight on the last night with her counselors and group of girls and had a great time!

Exhausted, asleep with her new horse!

Clara has been playing soccer with her same team from last year, the Pink Panthers. She loves seeing her friends each week, and is starting to show some aggressiveness on the field at times! It's amazing how much they all improve after a year. We are thankful for two wonderful coaches and lots of nice girls on the team!

September 17, 2012

20 months....and counting....

This boy is acting more like two than one these days! He is watching his sisters closely, and trying to follow them in everything they do. He jumps on the tricycle in the garage and pushes off with his feet, flying down the driveway and off the slanted curb at the bottom into the street, right behind the bikes and scooters of his sisters. He "helps" me cook, and insists on having his turn at cracking eggs and stirring pancake batter. He carries the step stool around the kitchen to get right in the middle of the action! He is starting to talk so much more, and instead of just saying the word when we ask him to repeat it, or when we point to something, he is coming up to us and yelling "Mama" or "Dada", then telling us about things. A few of his favorite phrases are, "Mama, let go!" (when I try to help him on the scooter) and "I want choco" and "I see!" (for anything he wants to see) and a new favorite is to pick his nose and then go around to each sister, saying, "Lizzie, booger" "Hannah, booger"....he has to show each person in the family before he will let me wipe it off his finger! He is always asking where someone is if he sees they are missing "Where Dada?" (asking me this one 20 times a day!) "Where Lizzie?" He ADORES his Dada and cries every time he leaves and runs to him screaming with laughter when he gets home! He points out every big truck on the road and wants us all to acknowledge that we see it, going through each person in the car showing them. He loves to play with any ball he can find and will kick a soccer ball back-and-forth and throws a football across a room!

Isaiah is usually the first one up in the morning, and he likes to sit on the couch with his milk and read books with me until we hear one of his sisters coming down the hall. We are having so much fun with this little guy!!!

September 13, 2012

T-ball playing

Hannah played t-ball this summer with her good friend, Jacob. She loved being part of a team and learning a little about t-ball!

camera pics

Just the right number of swings for these 4...

Playing with his sisters in a borrowed shirt :)

Loves to kick the ball!!

Awww..can I keep it??!!

Facepainting at horse camp...

Posing at the park...

Late summer evening swimming...

Hitching a ride with his buddy, Charlie...

September 4, 2012

Weekend with Nance cousins!

We spent a beautiful, fun weekend in Portland with our Nance cousins! Grandma made the drive down with us, and we took a day trip over to Lincoln City. The kids can always count on Grandma to spoil them, and she did not disappoint! They had a ride on the carousel and each got money to spend at the toy store. We ate way too much candy and stopped for a memorable dinner on the way home at Camp 18.

Watching kites in the sky...

We stopped to watch a street performer in town, so Clara had the idea to roll in the sand to be a "tin man" and put out her bucket for money, then did a robot dance for us while Daddy provided the music!