notes

I got a note and a plate of cookies from the Dickson girls a couple weeks ago...

And then this one showed up in my mailbox a couple days ago...

first snow

at the Veteran's day parade.

Happy Halloween 2014

Oatsie's visit

Such a fun visit with Oatsie. I put some very sad children to bed tonight after she left. We miss her!! Check out the captions for trip highlights...

Oatsie arrives!!

Here's Oatsie reading to the girls. She read to the kids a ton
while she was here!!

Oatsie came bearing gifts!

Oatsie played with the kids while Chris and I went to the
Weber Homecoming game. Thanks Oatsie!!

Us and Oatsie after church
on Sunday.

Oatsie accompanied us to the Eaton Family Halloween
Party where the TMNT costumes were a hit!

Storytime! OK, so Penelope wasn't all that into it...

Visited Daddy's college, saw the ambulance simulator and
tried on hats!

Strolling down 25th Street.

Cutting and decorating cookies with our pals.

The kids won the Cutest Costume award at the Eaton
Alliance Halloween Party. Oatsie was so proud!!

Made a couple of Costco runs with Oatsie. Here's Penelope
after sampling a green smoothie there. Mustache!!

Olive and Lucy cried so hard when Oatsie left. 

Watching Oatsie leave.

Watching Oatsie get on the plane.

pumpkin mania

We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday and today with the preschool classes, and ended up with 12 pumpkins! Plus, tonight we hosted the church youth activity - pumpkin decorating - and ended up with even more spoils. Here are some closeups of the creative work we did tonight (first Chris', then mine, Olive's, George's, and Lucy's), and a shot of what our front step looks like right now :

backyard stories