Cross Country Finals

Lizzy ran in her Eighth Grade cross country finals.  It was so fun to see her really push herself and get better every year .  This year she finished third overall in the entire region which was so exciting.  It was between the whole region so it was really an accomplishment that she got third overall!  I know she is really going places and I am so excited to watch how she does in high school! 

 

Preschool Pumpkin Patch

It was really fun to take Clara to the pumpkin patch with her preschool class.  It's a little trippy for me to only have one kid left at home with me.  It was really fun to have some one on one time with Clara and it was also really fun to see how she interacts with other kids.  She is way more outgoing than I thought she would be.  She is also a lot more fearless than I though as well. She is such a cute little goose and I am so glad that we had our Clara. 

 I loved watching the kids sing their Halloween songs. Clara loves to sing and I just love watching her do it. 

Russ 7th Birthday

It was so fun to celebrate my pizza loving lego building boy!  Russ is seven!  He was so excited to get to go our for pizza and go and pick out his birthday present. 

He wanted a lego cake for his cake.  It wasn't the easiest thing to make but I think he liked it so I guess it was worth it.  I sure love this sweet boy of mine!

 

Bishop's Pumpkin Patch

 We had to make our annual pumpkin patch visit.  That's really not true though, we don't always make it there every year because honestly when you are trying to pay for eight people to do activities it can eat up a ton of money really quickly. So some years we just don't go.  But we do enjoy it every time we do go.   Another thing that is really nice is that because it is cheaper and less crowded on the weekdays we usually go after work, but here is Northern California it is still nice and warm so can wear our shorts and have a great time. 

                                     The train is always a favorite. Even with the bigger kids. 

Kevin has decided to grow a beard.  I really love it!  He has never grown one before but it is something I think I want him to keep for a while! I love that he will still go places with me and the kids even though it can get a bit crazy at times.  It is also getting a lot more fun to take the kids places.  They are getting a lot easier and I love it.  I feel like we are just now getting into the prime of our parenting lives. I cant wait to see whats in store for us as a family this next while. 

Drive-In Movie

I hadn't been to a drive-in movie since I was a little kid.  I have such fun memories of going to them.  Maybe because with having such a big family it was pretty much the only time that I got to see a first run movie. Or maybe it was the novelty of getting to watch a movie from your car. All I know is that when I went again as an adult it was not what I remembered and that is putting it lightly. You cant hear a thing, kids are super wiggly and  cant seem to find a spot to sit.  Its uncomfortable and last but not least we had someone in an old car in front of us that decided to keep their car running the whole time pumping out nasty fumes. But the kids did think it was the coolest thing so I guess maybe I will go back. Haha! 

 

It was fun to go with friends and have the kids have someone to bug and play with while waiting for the movie to start. 

 Clara was SO exhausted by the time we got home.  She never falls asleep in the car, even as a baby she never did, so we knew how tired this girl was! 

September Stuff

 Usually by this time of year my basil plant is toast.  But this year I decided to change locations and this new one was way better. It almost became a basil tree!  I was pretty proud of it. I love gardening but have felt pretty overwhelmed with everything else I had to do in life to really give it too much time, but now that kids are getting older it feels like I have time for a few more of these things and I love it!

 Clara said, "Its as big as me!"

 We had to take the kids to the gas station for Grandmas sake. I mostly won't do it because I feel like its reserved for when Grandma takes them. It makes it more special that way. But every once in a while I will take them.

 Our really good friends the Waldrons got a boat and they invited Kevin and I and Clara, to come with them on a Friday afternoon.  It was a blast. I got up on the wake board, maybe not for a really long time, but I did get up and for a 39 year old lady and having it be the first time, I was pretty proud of myself.  Clara had fun with her friend Piper. They are really cute together.  Even though Piper is Annie's age and Annie's friend she is always so nice to include Clara too.

 Kevy of course got up and did awesome. It was fun watching him do something I have never seen him do before.

 Clara was pretty darn good the whole time and just hung out on the boat, That was until she needed to pee. we tried to have her go in the water but she totally flipped out and refused but of course there was nowhere nearby to go. She was freaking out because she had to go so bad so we tried to get close to the shore and I got out and got her to the shore and started walking up the bank in gross mud and when we almost got there she peed all over me. It was great.

 Annie loves riding her bike all over the place. She is such an adventurous person. I love it!

 Clara had Gold Rush Day so she got to dress like a cowgirl. She loved it. Even of cowgirls don't wear shorts, haha.

 These two kill me.  They get a long really well and its so funny that they are about the same size even if they are the farthest apart in age.

 We were invited on a day off to go to the Crocker Art museum in Sacramento on a day that school was out.  It was such a fun field trip and all the kids had a good time.  It was so fun to get out and to do Something out of the ordinary.  I got to go with the little kids so I had Annie and Clara with me.

 The little ones had a great time learning about art and getting to do some interactive things as well. The cute little art docent ladies were elderly, but just so fun.

 Lizzy just being a silly goose.

 I have loved going running myself and I love running down these nature trails with the giant oak trees.

We enjoyed seeing Lizzy race in Cross Country.  She continues to improve and do so well. I love how much she loves it!

Clara"s First Day

It was 3 weeks after the other kids started that Clara finally did.  It was a long three weeks!  She was so bored at home with me and I was going a little bit crazy with her because she wasn't used to having no one to play with and she wanted constant attention.  But the day finally arrived and she got to go.  She was SO excited that she was finally getting to go to Miss Patty's Place. What a lucky girl.  She wasn't scared at all either. I was so proud of her and how brave she was. It was so crazy for me to because it was the first time in 15 years that I got some real time to myself!

 I just loved her expressions in all the pictures so I couldn't pick just one.