Get in the Frame

Fellow blogger Emily from The Anderson Crew sends out the call every Thursday to get in front of the camera with your kids (or spouse or friends).  So that when they are all grown they will have some sort of proof that you were actually there.  Documentation is a good thing.  I have documented all sorts of moments in their lives so far.  From the first day of school to that mysterious dinosaur egg/rock that they discovered.  I take pictures of them all the time. 

 I didn't think it would be a big deal to snap a picture with me in it with them.

Wrongo!

These two weren't too hard because I can still catch them.

This one was being goofy and preteen-ish and didn't want to look like she might like her mother.

But we did get one eventually.

This one acts like he doesn't want to be in pictures at all!  Much less with his mother putting her arms around him.  I mean, gross.  He ran.  I employed the help of his siblings.  I tried tackling.

Maybe I should have busted out the pig-nose-hold that I used in my hog wrestling days.

This worked somewhat.

I don't want to forget to document this guy either. 

He's my love and friend that has committed to walking through this crazy life with me. 

We gotta remember how we were just then in that moment.

Thanks for the challenge, Em. 

It was a physical challenge but I hope it will be a treasure for my little rascals one day.

It's a treasure for me now.

If you would like to link up with Emily too, just click on her button below. 

Halloween 2011 Recap

This was the year for Potter costumes!

 Here is the crew before going out trick-or-treating.

The kids had several opportunities to dress up so there was more than one costume worn.  Dylan was a cowboy and batman but not "inny yon" like he said he was going to be for the last two months.  Trek went from Mad-eye Moody to Spidey.  Joe stayed with the Harry Potter theme but swiched from the Slytherin house to the Gryffindor house.  Jono wouldn't let us help with his costume but based on what he came up with we declared him Lockhart.

Bring on the candy!

We also did some pumpkin carving with some friends.

Didn't they turn out great?!

Pumpkin seeds were saved for roasting with this recipe.

How was your Halloween?



How Tall This Fall?

I know I just posted about how much my kids have grown

but just look at this please.

The one on the left is 2007 (a couple months after we moved out here) 

and the one on the right is this year.

It just confirms what has been hitting me lately...

that I need to be grateful each day for the time I have with my kids because they will be grown and gone before I know it!

"I try not to let the good things go by unnoticed."

-from Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

Lord, help me to notice and remember the good things

and not focus on the little, fleeting frustrations.

At the Pumpkin Farm

This has been an annual trip for us since moving to California.

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm.

Aren't these pumpkins beautiful?!

It is quite the operation.

They have talking chickens that say things like:

Why did the rubber chicken cross the road?

'Cause he wanted to stretch his legs.

Ba dum chick.

What is a chicken's least favorite day of the week?

Fry-day!

Ba dum chick.





The big kids got to try out the corn maze for the first time.

I made Jono go with them.  I am directionally challenged so put me in a corn maze and you won't see me again until the new year.  I probably shouldn't have revealed that tidbit.  It could probably be used against me.

There are animals to pet and feed.  The piglets had not been born yet and that is the only time pigs are ever cute so I purposely neglected to take their picture.  But the goats were pretty sweet.

 

We accessorized a couple shirts for the occasion with puffy ghosts and iron-on letters that I had found on clearance last year.  Amazingly, I was still able to locate that stuff to use it.

Trek was so proud of his letters.  He kept saying "O-O-B spells boo!"

The finale was trying to get a cute family shot in the giant pumpkin patch...

So maybe not.

It was a good day with the fam even if they wouldn't cooperate for the picture.

We came home with several sugar pumpkins for baking.

Any pumpkin recipes you'd like to share???

Last Minute Costume Ideas

We happened to be in Ukiah for their annual Pumpkinfest!

It was cute.  They had a hometown parade where all the local peewee teams and dance classes and karate classes had a float.  And--what a stroke of genius to do this kind of thing in the fall instead of a Christmas parade.  You know the temperature is guaranteed to drop below freezing if you even think about scheduling a Christmas parade.

If you are looking for a last minute Halloween costume, you might find some inspiration in the following pictures.

1. Mariachi band member  2. Shriner  3.  Scary Hobo Clown  4.  Zombie Roller Derby Girl or Super Roller Derby Girl  5. Any Star Wars character  6. Super-serious Dirt Biker

There was other entertainment.

We watched our lost balloon fly away.

We played in the bounce houses.  Always fun.

Climbed the rock tower.

With the very foam-muscled purple superhero. 

I would have thought he was the LSU Superfan but he didn't have a cape. 

And that, folks, is costume suggestion number 7.

DIY Nature Finds to ???

Today I have a tutorial for you.

But it isn't here.

It's over at Poppytalk's Handmade Artists Blog.

It's about taking the treasures you have found outside and turning it into

a special souvenir or great holiday gift.

I used these treasures...

Go on over there to see what I made!

Except if you are expecting a Christmas present from me maybe don't go look.

You may or may not be getting one from me come December. ;)

Annual Park Pic

There is a park in town that has these four little balancing mushrooms to play on.  When we had Big D that made four kiddos.  Fun place for us to take a photo with all of them. 

We have been able to do it three years in row.

(quite a feat for us since that means having been in one place for at least that long) 

Check out how much they have grown!

2011

2010

2009

Those of you with more than one child can attest to the fact that it is difficult   a physical challenge  

a great test of patience and fortitude to get all of your children looking pleasant and natural all in the same shot.  I don't know how professional photographers do it on a regular basis.

 The one I shared was the best one over all but here are a few more shots

that just make my heart glad...