Friday, October 26, 2012

Kendall field trip to the Apple Orchard

 It's always a beast to arrange baby sitting to go on field trips with the kids but they love it when I go with them and I love too.  Kendall and I took the wildest  hayride I've ever been on.  Kendall milked a fake cow. Yuk!

 Kendall loved the flat trampy thing!



 In which picture are her eyes bigger?


Monday, October 22, 2012

What was I thinking?

 When Garrett was about 3 years old, he really wanted a puppy, but I was not ready for a dog and babies.  So we told him, when you're 8 years old, you can get a puppy.  Thinking he would either forget about the promise or we would be ready for a dog by then.  As is turns out, I was even more stressed out with babies, then when he was 3, he didn't forget about the promise and Keith was made the Bishop about a week after he turned 8.  Because I was so overwhelmed last year, we put Garrett off for one more year.  Guild got the better of me this summer and I decided we need to follow through.  Keith did the research to find a great dog. So we decided that let all the kids go with us to pick him up in Straysburg, PA (the place with all the trains).  As we started to get close to where we were going, I noticed that everyone have amazing yards and gardens, then I noticed a horse and buggie, and then a we Amish people.  When we drove up to the house with our dog, it was milking time, and a nice little Amish man came out to greet us.  It was perfect!  They had a tiny white female, that was adorable, but Garrett, Keith and I like the look of Fudge, the name the breeder gave him.  Garrett was in HEAVEN!  He held him the whole 4 hour ride home then brought a blanket and pillow down to sleep by him all night.  
 He's a F1B Goldendoodle.  He's a 1/3 Golden Retriever and 2/3 Poodle mix.  Don't ask!!  Any ways, he'll only get to about 35-40 lbs. He has hair and not fur, no sheading.  And they say, he suppose to me smart like poodles and mellow like retrievers.  We'll see about that.  But so far, he's a very easy going dog that takes a lot of TOUGH love from every kid in the neighborhood. 



 Naming this little guy was more difficult then I had expected.  Keith like Barkley, but the kids say it Broccley.  Taryn want Fluffy, Kendall likes Dexter, and Aline want to keep it simple with Puppy.  Garrett changed his mind every day.  On the night he had Scouts, his name was Scout.  The next night he was Nash, after Steve Nash. But we finally settled on Shaggy, because he's not a Scooby.   Nicknames, Shaggolious, Shaggomister, the Shagster, Shagobot, and Shraggy.  We love him, now if I can just train him, and get an underground fence.


Monday, October 8, 2012

Outer Banks

 We calculated that this was our family 5th trip to Outer Banks, NC in the 9 years we've lived here.  We always stay at the same little hotel, The Seagull, on Hatter Island.  It's only about 2 minutes from the ferry that goes over to Occacroce Island.  It's great because it's literally 20-30 yards from the Ocean, has a pool and kitchens.  Perfect for us!.  This is the first time I've been hear without being pregnant or just had a baby. That made the trip a lot easier for me.
 Landon was pretty leery of the ocean, and Alina keep asking me to "turn it off , it was too loud."


 This is Alina's O face, that she makes when see gets excited.  Silly girl!







 Garrett was obsessed with going out beyond the wave to hunt for shells.  He LOVES to snorkel!    He would come back with half the ocean in he's pants, not to mention other things!!!

 The babies loved digging in the sand, and didn't seem to mind the sand all over their faces.  Garrett was ing Heaven at the beach.

 Taryn liked to try and jump waves.  Landon is so much like Garrett, it's scary.  Those boys love adventure, dirt, and are so easy going,  I love them both.


Girls Staycation!

 This summer the boys went home for Tyler's homecoming, Will's farewell, and a little getaway.  So the girls and I decided to have a staycation.  The girls really want to go to the mall, and sleep over night in a hotel.  Easy enough!  We went up to the Dulles Town Center for a carousel ride, and shopping.  Eat out at a "fancy restaurant" Apple bees  then swam, and played in the hotel all afternoon.  The girls were in HEAVEN!  


 I thought I was missing baby Landon, Alina just keep walking around the house calling his name, look in his crib, highchair, and then in his car seat.  So she decided to dress herself in his clothes to honor him.  

 The next day we went to the American Girl Doll store for some day dreaming about all the fun  and expensive things that every girl no matter their age would LOVE.  We settled for a pretzel and some lemonade, then 15 trips up and down the escalator. I can not figure kids love of that mode of transportation?