Food Storage!

It is that time of year - the case lot sale. Time to stock up. Good thing I have lots of helpers to haul all of that heavy food! Just look at their muscles bursting through their shirts!
What a helper!
The old "bucket brigade". Truth be told, I think they had a lot of fun unloading all of those cases of food. They made the work fun. Even conned cousin Jeff into "having fun". They got it done in no time flat! Good job guys!

Now, if someone could just schedule a disaster at the end of fall, when the pantry is full - instead of the spring or end of summer - that would be nice! Not that I am asking for one- mind you! Great. I think I just jinxed the world. Better get that food storage!!!

Bed Head

The girl has been getting up rather late now- a -days for school. She just doesn't have the extra time to primp that she obviously needs!
Happy Halloween!!!

Cookies!

We decided to make some family home evening sugar cookies. Brannen had a great time - and I got to clean up a BIG mess.
Reese is always the best helper in the world!
Rae is pretty good too!

Keeping it real! Go Viks!

Fall Football Fun

We love Fall! We try to get outside and enjoy the weather when we can. One of my kids favorite things to do is go to a high school football game. Much fun is had.
Brady spends his time - playing half of the time, and watching the other half.
Reese plays the entire game. Running around with friends - what's better than that?
The boy loves it too. He just loves being outside - the football watching is a big bonus!

Happy Birthday Rae

Our girl turned fourteen on Thursday and I can't believe how time has flown. I know every parent feels like this - you blink and your kids are older. Kelly and I were just looking at a movie he made for his media class entitled "A Day in The Life". It basically just showed a normal, average day in 2002 for Kelly. It was so fun and strange to see how little our kids were, and how much our lives have changed. Makes me interested to see what is to come.
Anyway, Rae had a great birthday! Notice her new hair do! Highlights for the growing up girl. She is really getting older. Wow.
On her birthday, we had a message left on our answering machine by a teacher at Rae's Middle School. She didn't know it was Rae's birthday, she just called to compliment Rae on her behavior at school. She said what a respectful, fun and kind girl she is. She also really wanted to tell us how nice Rae is to students who have a harder time fitting into some social aspects of school. I guess that talk Grama Chris gives at the beginning of the year has been sinking in! Way to go Rae! Thank you Grama!
We had Grama Chris, Grama Marge and the other birthday - Grampa Barry - over for dinner on Rae's b-day. I made Rae her traditional un-cooked birthday cake, and Grampa's tradional carrot cake. Yum -O!! We had such a fun time being with them. Brannen sure wished that Grampa would have stayed all night long and played catch with him until the sun came up! He had a great time, as we all did.

Another year down! Time sure does fly!

School Pictures

It was picture day today for the kiddos. I actually thought it was only picture day for Reese, so she looked beautiful with her perfect outfit and perfect hair - but apparently it was the day for Boo too. He came home with his mostly wrinkled kind of strange football shirt on, hair in most definite need of a cutting and said - mom it was pictures for me today too. Well, that might be interesting.
Anyway, because we live in the BOONIES, I always take my toddler into the school to get their picture taken too. (Yes, I live 2 hours away from the nearest Target or Wallmart portrait center. No thank you-- kids are always dirty and cranky by the time we have driven 2 hours!) So today I took Bran to the school freshly scrubbed and combed. He was really cute. Entertained him until it was our turn. He was all grins and happy. Set him on the picture stool - you know what happens next - mad face, tears. So I proceeded to find his favorite person in the world to make him smile. Reese! It did the trick. She came, he was all smiles and happy yet again- until his tiny bottom hit the dreaded picture stool. Tears again. Why do children all over the world torment their parents on picture day?? Is it part of their training in baby school?? I think it might be.
So here's the real kicker. We get in the car and I give him the talking to. Buddy - why won't you smile? You smile so good. Can you smile for me?
The little stink smiled all the way home. On command. Every time. He just took years off of my life with the stress of jumping around making stupid faces, trying to get him to smile. What can you do?
So I came home, and got some proof of the smile. I may print this picture and hang it next to the terrible one that the school will give me in a couple of weeks. Sounds like a plan. Proof of his smile.

Winter time!

September 30 - our first snow of the year for 2009. We are okay with it. It is inevitable. It will snow, melt, snow and melt for a couple of months now. And it does give Bran a chance to wear his new coat - and really see snowflakes fall for the first time. He was really intrigued by it all. We had a couple of inches by morning - but it is all gone this afternoon. Tis the season.