Fall walks

 

We live in the most beautiful part of the world this time of year.

Me and the pup, occasionally the kids, have been going for walks in the woods almost daily enjoying it's beauty!!!

I LOVE my new walking buddy!

At the beginning of September Ben had a BIG day!  It was his first day of preschool.  A day he has been waiting a loooong time for!

A day that I was hoping would take a lot longer to get here.

He was so ready though so it was time.

He looked so big and grown up walking into school with his backpack on.  I had some tears and my stomach was doing flips.  I felt like I left part of my heart at the school that morning.

I was so happy when I went and picked that part of my heart up!  He had a great day and his smile was from ear to ear. 

It sure is hard to believe the time has come for my baby monkey to go to school but I am so glad he loves it.  It's gonna be a great year!

I am a slacker

a blog slacker at least

not a life slacker mostly so that's what really counts

 

So....

I finally introduce

Brady

our adorable and sweet golden doodle puppy

He came home with us the end of August at 11 weeks old

although we had already met him and fallen in love a few weeks before that



He is adorable and sweet

loving and playful

even a little naughty

yep, a puppy to the core

The kids are so in love

and Brady is too

Welcome to our family little guy

we look forward to many years with you

playing, snuggling and loving you

Maggie on the monkey bars

I knew she could

she had her doubts

she was so nervous to try

she did try though

and she did it!

Sunset

There is no other way to end the day then a walk on the beach at sunset.

Oh, the beauty, it's indescribable.

I can't even capture it's true beauty with the camera and a picture is worth a thousand words.

Our time at the beach every summer with Nana and Pa is priceless.

They are memories we will cherish all of our days.

I wish Ben was with us when I took these pictures but he was so tired from a wonderful day at the beach and wanted to hang out with Pa at the house.

Does life even get better then this?

I don't think so!

At times like this I feel like I could actually reach out and touch God's hand, that's how close I feel time Him!

He gave this to us!

 

There isn't a doubt that He loves us!

I look forward to many more of these walks on the beach with the ones I love!

The colors, can you even believe the colors??

People will try but it can't be ever truly captured.

God Bless the USA! 

This says it all!

This is one of my most favorite spots to sit and take in the view.

Hammock

I love the hammock I bought on an online yard sale! 
I had gone to a few stores and looked at them but just couldn't get myself to pay the prices they wanted for something that I knew wouldn't get a ton of use.  I have four kids here, so I knew this fact from the beginning! 
So when I saw it online I was thrilled!
The kids really like it too, although it seems as though they only really want to use it when I am laying in it.  But that's ok, I love a cuddle and a giggle!

 

Oh the view from it is priceless!  I can lay and watch them play all day.  Not that they actually allow that since they still need this, that, and the other thing pretty much constantly, haha.

My girls!  Love them!  Side note, do you see the thing in the top right hand corner?  Yeah, that's Connor's bug vacuum and he was annoying the daylights out of them with it.

Oh, my hammock, I love my hammock!

But I love the view from it even more!

Birthday boy...

A few weeks ago Connor turned 9!  I know, it can't be true!  Yet it is!

We had no idea what to get him were bouncing around a few ideas for a birthday gift.  The couple things he really wanted just weren't going to work out.

One was a lizard.  He researched and researched different ones but didn't find one that met his, and our, criteria.  He wanted one he could hold and wasn't nocturnal. I wanted one that didn't grow too big and need a huge cage.  I also was not happy about feeding it bugs but sure didn't want anything that ate anything bigger then bugs!  So after hours and hours of researching on line, going to the pet stores, talking to different people we decided a lizard wasn't the right choice for us right now.

He also wanted his own iTouch but for various reasons we felt like he shouldn't have his own and can continue to play with ours instead.

So on the afternoon of his birthday, after Ben and I went and had lunch with him at school, I went shopping.  Chris and I were texting ideas back and forth and I was going crazy completely confident that we would figure out a great surprise! 
Well Chris came up with one!  And Connor LOVES it!  It is an electric scooter and can go up to ten miles an hour! 

And since Connor doesn't like cake and requested I make a "giant chocolate chip cookie" that is what we had for desert to celebrate Connor turning 9!!!

Happy Birthday to my little man!

My family... Theresa's graduation

These were taken at Theresa's graduation party.

It was just last weekend but I can't help but laugh and get teary eyed at all the great memories that were made that day.

Here's my Dad!

My niece Sarah, her day is next year when she graduates from high school!

I couldn't help but think my mom just looked so beautiful sitting here so happy to be surrounded by her kids and grandkids.

My mom and sister Stephanie

Theresa being goofy!

My niece Emily

Just hanging out and loving on JB!

Julia, what is that face???

Maggie, looking so cute with that big flower in her hair!

 

Dad of the monkeys!  Guy I love!

My brother, Charles and his little girl Emily!

My sister Stephanie along with her kids Dylan, Kyle and Sarah

Chris and I with our group of monkeys!

My sister Jen, her husband Heath along with their kids, Heather, Julia, Theresa, Nicole and their grandson Jeffrey

My brother Charles, his wife Heather and their little girl Emily.

They have a little boy too but he wasn't there that day.

Ben and Julia, goofy cousins!

 

Oh, they can be normal sometimes!

My sister Jen and her grandson JB!

Dylan and Katelyn playing a little baseball.

My nephew Kyle

Sarah, Katelyn and Me!

Me and the girl of the day Theresa!!!

My awesome brother-in-law Heath enjoying the day his little girl graduated high school!

My aunt Jeanne, my mom and dad

My niece Nicole and her absolutely beautiful and amazing baby boy!

The whole lot of us!!!!

My sweet niece Emily!

No better day to end a great day!

Even Julia made sure she got an ice cream!

I LOVE MY FAMILY

AND I LOVED THIS DAY!