Shades

Anna and Grandpa getting ready for a walk.

Apple Orchard 2008

Our annual trip to the orchard was another great family day! The kids (and us too!) look forward to this all year and at the first signs of fall are already asking about when we'll be going to pick apples. It's such a yummy tradition! Like years past, Grandpa, Grandma and the kids joined us. We make quite the crew roaming through the rows of Apple trees and pumpkins. Here's Miss Joy enjoying another Apple Doughnut!Anna was just tickled by the goats! She loved feeding them corn.
Another Beauty! Grace discovered this year that it's a little bit difficult to eat apples without front teeth but, as they say, where there's a will there's a way!

Micah and Daddy

Over MEA weekend Ryan and I went to a little cabin in Hayward, WI for a couple of days - minus the kids. It was so nice and much needed to get away and spend some time exclusively with each other. The weather was a little bit chilly but nice and we had fun doing whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, you know, how it was before the kids! Ryan's been talking about going back there already (actually, he was talking about that before we even left there!) Ryan got a little hungry while we were fishing!

Sunset on the lake

Micah's Birthday

Our little All Star had a sports/baseball themed birthday this year for his 4th birthday. He was so excited about his party, the cake, the decorations, everything really! The funny thing is that now that he's turned 4, he thinks he's 5 now - probably because big sister has been telling him that he can go to school too when he's 5 and "old enough".

Our Kids Love Their Veggies!

We've all heard about the Princess and the Pea, well how about the Princess and the Cucumber?! We had such a bumper crop of cucumbers out of our garden this year that we drew "Larry" faces on a few and gave one to each of the kids to play with. Anna loved hers so much that we found her snuggled up to it in bed one night - you can see the replaced Teddy Bear in the corner! So cute!

Soccer

Grace enjoyed playing her first 'season' of soccer this fall. She played for the Park & Rec 1st and 2nd grade group and was happy to have several kids from school and church playing with her too. She kept wanting to know when the "big game" was going to be!

First Day of School 2008

Grace's first day of school this year was wet and rainy, but that didn't dampen her spirits any and she was happy for a chance to use her Hello Kitty rain coat and umbrella!

Summer Fun!

Grace learned how to ride her bike without training wheels this summer and had great fun riding up and down our street and going on bike rides as a family. Micah & Anna are working on it...