Spring Yard Saling Adventure

I came up with a brilliant (at the time) idea for mom and any available sister to all go yard sailing bright at early last Saturday morning and then blog it...NOT such brilliant idea at 5:30 AM...but whatever I got baby kins up and we headed to Rachel's house, after a quick trip to Circle K for some coffee and cash. I had several addresses written down (from craigslist) and the GPS. Unfortunately, I forgot the paper with the addresses!
 So Rach, mom, Elma and Isabel blindly piled into the Armada and set off to the one address I could remember from the list. The first neighborhood was a dud and all we did were drive- bys. After Mom said all the good stuff is gone by now (note: 7:35AM) I made up a new rule...all of us had buy at least 1 thing.
 We knew we hit the jack pot when we came across a gated neighborhood wide sale! There were at least 2 to 3 sales on every street, and we all found something.
 Sifting through a strangers belongings in the front yard while they stand there and watch you is such an old thing, not something I really enjoy but I do love a rock bottom price and the excitement of what I can transform my purchases into. Apparently this is called up-cycling, and I am adding it to my list of hobbies.
  Here are 2 of the items I am most excited about up-cycling. 1st a old pine liquor cabinet...cost $10. 2nd an old wooden window with the glass still intact...$4.

Who is up for another round on the 16th???

My hubby, the carpenter

Josh started a little side business...building chicken coops! Well, I started him a side business, but he enjoys it. He loads new music to his Zune and jams out in the carport, chats with the neighbors, and gets to use power tools...what could be more fun!
This is 4th one in 2 months, and 2 are on order!
I'm so proud of him.

Rare White Tiger Sighting

We also did a little baking...pumpkin cookies and she went on a date with Papa to pick and carve a pumpkin (more of those pics to come.)

Then it was on to Colossal Cave for a Hayride (haunted) note to self: read fliers thoroughly.I held it together when a headless horseman rushed the wagon...the horse actually was breathing on my neck! Isabel was facing the opposite direction on my lap so she was spared and once she heard everyone laughing she was cool with it. And then a candlelit cave tour...ehhh  not so fun carrying a 26lb person up and down 500 unique steps with no uniformity (words from our "tour guide.") The peeps that went will understand the quotations around tour guide...lets just say, he was brand new and the only one they could probably get Halloween night.

Scarrry Breakfast

Today was free decorate your own Scary Pancake at IHOP, so the girls, minus our hardest working sister Nessa :( made it a date. We arrgued over when to have Thanksgiving and discussed other holiday plans while we ate Pumpkin Pancakes and the 2 youngest ate their own Scary Faces.

Auntie Em is the favorite aunt today cuz she has an awesome coloring app on her new phone!

Mom and me with our chins held high...lol.

Apple Annies Trip

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First Annual Apple Annie's Fall Trip. We had lots of fun. Unfortunately no one paid attention to the sign that said "only pick what you will buy" because we picked a ton! Isabel munched on her first whole apple on the wagon ride back. We had a picnic lunch and only one minor mishap when Emily realized she for got to bring the paper plates...but never fear, Josh did a covert opp and stole some from the hamburger stand. The girls all went shopping in the bakery on the way out, a pie , a cookbook, some pumpkin spice coffee, and a wheel of butter (apple butter) was purchased. Rach what are you going to do with all that butter?

Here is what we did (with only a fraction of our apples) when we got home.

Yummy!

4 years

Josh and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary on September 17th. What an exciting 4 years! A quick trip down memory lane... We moved to a new state (lovely Colorado) for a time, I learned how to drive in the snow and that sweatshirt hoods have an actual purpose. We got our first pet...Cricket, who would curl up on our shoulders and watch TV. Josh had a near death experience when 180 volts of electricity went from one hand and out the other (through his heart.) Our family grew in more ways than one. Josh met his half brother for the first time at age 29 and found a great friend. I gained 2 nieces and a nephew in a matter of months when my sister and her husband adopted 3 siblings. And then the real adventure began when our daughter was born and we became parents! It has been an adventure so far, thankfully I have my best friend by my side. I can't wait for the next 4!

I can't work under these conditions!

Today was Picture Day. I thought it would be a fun thing to do to mark the end of Isabel's first "trauma".  That being her knocking out most of her front 2 teeth and having 2 brand new front teeth... all by the age of 22 months!
My friend Elka, a photographer vignettesphotography.blogspot.com/ specializes in children and deserves an award for that alone, took pictures of my baby this morning. We did some outside and then did a wardrobe change and did a few more inside.
  About 10 minutes into the shoot I was over it...I was done trying to get her to sit just right...keep her chubby little legs together and catching her sandals as she flung them off her feet into the air. Luckily Rachel had come along and took over the distraction/ entertainment ideas for a bit. Isabel loves to be pleasing but she just had her own opinions about where she should stand and where she will NOT sit. Typical first born. Elka is perfect at what she does. She got down and chatted with Isa, showed her things to look at and had ABSOLUTE patience with her the whole time. By the end of the outside shoot Isabel wanted to hold Elka's hand back to the car. I can't wait to see the pictures!

  After pictures we came home for a nap and then we were off to a baby shower with all "my girls" (sisters, nieces and daughter.) Who doesn't love a baby shower? Cute clothes, birth stories, guessing the tummy size, and best of all ...the famous baby shower punch! Sprite, fruit punch, and ice cream.
  This was Isabel's first shower and she thoroughly enjoyed it. She ate chocolate chip cookies, yummy chocolate cake and punch, danced with string bows on her head, made a friend... with whom she then said "share" and overtook his "better green balloon" leaving him with her hot pink one (he never had a chance) and then helped pick up tissue paper off the floor while singing the clean-up song.
  Hours later after dinner Isabel announced "Mimi's?...Ok, you ready?" It being Saturday night I thought I would appease her, so we headed across the neighborhood in the stroller for a visit. For the next hour and a half she had a great adventure with Bapa. They played out front, out back, walked hand in hand down the street to get the mail, then they decided to run in the sprinklers under the leftover twinkle lights from Vanessa's wedding 3 weeks ago. Then to end a perfect day Isa ate a yummy bowl of cut up strawberries and peaches. Needless to say, she will be sleeping good tonight!