This & That

These are some random pictures from August and September that haven't been posted yet. 

Owen eating a zucchini straight off the vine in our garden.

Adler carrying her baby doll in her very own sling.



An Owen drawing.....this is a hot air balloon, with our 4 family members, 2 dogs and fish (floating on the side and above the balloon) 



Brenda on one of our bike rides, training for our triathlon.  Here we are looking over Carson Valley (near Genoa)

Owen was excited to get a ride in this Monster Truck!

Owen helped me complete my quarter collection by digging in his piggy bank for the missing states!

We threw a baby shower for my friend Gladys at work a few weeks ago.  Just yesterday she gave birth to her new daughter, Ysabelle Marie.  So excited for her and her family.

On another bike ride in Carson Valley

Owen & Ryder at the Candy Dance in Genoa

Candy Dance, Genoa

Owen & Adler sharing a yummy glass of fresh squeezed lemonade.

Rubicon Trail Hike

When my mom was here we all hiked a portion of the Rubicon Trail on the California side of Lake Tahoe. It's a gorgeous hike with stunning views of the lake......it just never gets old!

We started off with a picnic lunch on the beach.

Playing with Grandma

FYI: Carrying an extra 27 pounds on a hike makes for a good workout.

My mom loves to hike but doesn't get a chance to do it very often.  So I'm pretty sure she enjoys hiking whenever she comes to visit us!

Who are they looking at???

"Hello there!"

Mom & Me

I just have to brag about how well Owen did on this hike! There was very little whining and we hiked for a LONG way.....especially for a 4.5 year old! What a great little hiker he's turned out to be!

Little Chefs

For Adler's birthday, Micah's parents bought her a play kitchen and my mom made her an apron and matching chef hat. She and Owen both love play cooking and have already been enjoying their new toy.

Adler & Grandma!



Owen already had a cute apron he received at a birthday party.  So my mom made him a chef hat with matching robots on it!

I'm pretty sure this is the cutest apron and hat I've ever seen!  I think my mom should go into business.

Miss A......such a little sweetheart.

Adler's 2nd Birthday

For Adler's birthday party we kept it simple, had some friends over for a lunchtime BBQ, and entertained the older kids with a toy-filled pinata. Miss A was little overwhelmed by all the company at first, but warmed up fast. My mom also flew to Nevada for a long weekend to help out and help us celebrate!

My mom made her this cute "2" shirt for her birthday.  We also went shopping for some adorable fall clothes!



The older kids lined up for the pinata!  Adler refused to play, but all the other kids had a blast.



Adler had a blast opening all her gifts this year.  She would gasp and run to one of us to show us what she received.  She especially loved the play jewelry and pop-up castle.



She wasn't quite sure what to think about everyone singing to her.




Mmmmmm......yummy.  This kid definitely has a sweet tooth.



She adores her front yard swing, especially when daddy swings her HIGH!

Thanks for coming to help celebrate, Mom!



She was wiped out after the party and ready for a nap.




Watching a Sesame Street mini-episode on the iPad with Owen and Grandma.

Adler went to the doctor this week for her 2 year check up. She is 33.75 inches tall and 26 pounds, 3 ounces (about 45th percentile in both). Dr. Wessels estimates she will be about 5 foot, 7 inches as an adult. I asked her about Owen because I don't remember Owen getting an estimated adult height.....his is 6 feet, 3 inches tall!

Patio Project

At the beginning of the summer Micah and I came up with a plan to brighten up our back patio. We painted our wooden table bright yellow months ago. But then I decided to find some vintage metal patio chairs and it took us a while to find some that weren't too expensive. It's only taken us 3 months to complete our little project, but at least we finished it before Adler's birthday party!

This is how the chairs looked before we refinished them.  The light green chairs came from a garage sale, the white chairs from Craig's List, and the dark green chairs I've had since college.

And here's what the chairs look like now, after being sanded and re-painted.

My love for these chairs began years years ago when I was a child.  I have fond memories of sitting in similar chairs at my grandparent's house at the Ranch.

It's a shame we won't be able to enjoy our new patio for longer.  Fall seems to be arriving quickly, so I'll hope for a long autumn!