Pumpkin Patch Heaven

Maggie and Lexie hitting up Maris Farms

One of the benefits of living in the country is that you are never more then 10 miles away from at least 3 good farms that all offer a pumpkin patch. October ended up being a gorgeous month, the kiddos and I soaked it up and spent time exploring all the country has to offer.

These pictures are taken of a sporadic trip we took with Maggie after swimming lessons one Wednesday morning. It was just a gorgeous day and I couldn't let it pass by. It was so nice, the farm wasn't busy at all and the kids really got to get some energy out. But chasing 3 kids under 3 was a total workout for me. We all napped well afterwards.

Lexie taking off on the cow train

11 month old Liam is taking off...

Liam taking off on the tractor

They are everywhere

In the corn pit

Liam looking tired. Mission completed!

Fall happenings

Early morning view of the mountain.

Fall has been beautiful in out here in the country. September and October have kept us busy as can be. Here are some highlights of our fall thus far:

Lexie started swimming lessons at the beginning of September. We have had our highs and lows with it but overall I would say she is doing well. Doesn't particularly like to get her head wet. She enjoys the interaction with other children and I enjoy longer nap times. Liam and I cheer her on 2 days a week early in the morning, it's been a fun way to add more structure into our daily lives.

I ran my 2nd half marathon at the end of September in Tacoma. It was a rainy day and then I forgot to eat breakfast. I still managed to beat my old 2006 time by 3 minutes, my time was 2:18, nothing to brag about but for my own record anyways :)
Sweet Maggie, catching some Z's at naptime.

We started watching our niece Maggie 2 days a week. She is a character! She is doing swimming lessons with Lexie as well. They keep everyone laughing, the teacher thinks they are a hoot together. It is fun for us all to have more time with her around. And she is a great napper!
Travis went hunting with the Brock boys in the middle of October and got a nice deer. I didn't ask for many details but happy that he's happy. He got to spend his 31st birthday doing his favorite thing!
We started doing a home school co-op with some friends from church, just getting the 3 year olds started with numbers, letters, shapes, and bible stories. Lexie is doing very well. We have 8 3 year olds at our house (and 4 younger siblings) every other week for "school." It has been fun helping to prepare the lessons and I just hope the kids are soaking in some of it. Not really thinking about homeschooling more then preschool but it is fun and cost effective for right now.

Liam started walking in September and I truly feel like this made his heart content (at last!) He has been all smiles ever since he took those first steps. He has enjoyed our fall trips to the park.

A perfect trip to the East Side

Lounging in the 80 degree sunshine on her birthday!

The week after Lexie's birthday party, Travis had a Safety conference in Spokane booked. The kids and I thought it would be a great idea to tag along. Disclosure here, I apparently have no pictures of Liam on this trip. I blame this on his new walking skill and not being able to sit still for one second. Nonetheless, I have some major mommy guilt about it and will make up for it in my next blog.

Travis told me that he had booked a room right in Riverside Park. Too bad I didn't look that up before hand, definitely would of brought the double stroller. The park was gorgeous and the kids and I were entertained for the whole day. There is walking trails, beautiful views, a carousal, park with a HUGE wagon for the kids, and a mall right across from the action. Our hotel featured both indoor and outdoor pools (with a slide.)

The slide on the famous wagon

At the gorgeous Riverside Park

With Keith Oord (our little ring bearer) who will be a big brother in April

The weather was 80 degrees on Lexie's actual birthday, that was September 29th. We spent her birthday laying by the pool, going down the water slide, and having a picnic in the park. When Travis was done with his conference we met up with our dear friends, The Oords, who live in Spokane. We dined at Red Robin and then played in the warm fall air until 9pm in the park. Liam started walking really well around this time and wore himself out during the day..worked out well for me at night.

One last ride before the drive back home...

The kids did well in the safety truck on the way home. Although, apparently not well enough for Travis to continue thinking we should drive all the way to Disneyland with them someday :) We stopped at our Alma Mater, CWU, for a trip down memory lane. Let the kids play at a park in Eburg and grabbed a Starbucks. It was funny that I graduated over 6 years ago and most everyone I went to school with has moved on, but when I pass through the town, it feels like I could still find my friends in the same places they once lived (dorms, apartments, houses, and places that we worked.) I wonder if it will always feel that way when we pass through? Fond memories for both of us of our time there.

Jump for Joy! Lexie Faith is 3!

All my good intentions of blogging more of our summer fun looks like it is going to fail. In an effort to not get more behind I will jump back in to the blogging world with a snapshot of our favorite little girl's birthday bash!


First of all, we were blessed by having an absolutely GORGEOUS day out here in the country. I woke up early that morning to get things ready for the party and I could not stop looking at the mountain and sunrise. Well my view got blocked when this thing got delivered for the party....

The big purple dollhouse bouncy has arrived! And the birthday girl wasted no time enjoying it before her guests showed up.

Some of the cutest tots that came to celebrate

Look who got behind the wheel while everyone was distracted with the birthday girl

Getting to open all her presents.

Jumping kiddos

Dora never looked so good! She was so ready for it to be her turn to blow out the candles.

It was a sweet party for a sweet girl. Thank you to all of our dear friends and the Brock family who came out for her celebration. As many of you know, she has been talking about her birthday party for a good 10 months! Something about being the special girl of the day I guess :)

9 months old

This little guy knows the meaning of the word BUSY. Let me tell you, I feel like I don't sit down for days on end sometimes. He started crawling around 7 months and pulling up at 8. Now, he cruises and takes a few steps in between furniture. He wants to play with everything his sister has. He would rather play with the 2-3 year olds at the playdates then the babies.

Still not a great sleeper at night, but much better since we moved and he got his own room. I can't say I miss my old baby roommate : ) He makes up for it during the day and is very consistent with taking 2 naps.

Like his sister, he is a whinny teether and already has 6.

For how big he is, it really doesn't seem like he eats that much. Pretty much already got bored with baby food. He loves cereal bars, crackers, bananas, fresh fruit, cheese, meat, breads, and yogurt. Still nursing well.

He is such a funny baby. I love watching how he figures things out and studies things. He loves anything with wheels and will spin them around and around. He is definitely a mommy's boy and has lots of separation anxiety lately. Not my favorite phase so requiring lots of patience.

Here are the 9 month stats:

23lbs 9oz (80th%)

30 inches (90%)s

We love him dearly! Each day is full of fun and smiles with Liam in our lives!

July is offically backyard fun month!

This was a typical day in The Brock's backyard in the month of July.

This guy loves to crawl all over the yard- he really seems to be approving of the new place.

Who needs wild waves?

Perfect bribe to be good on the morning run.

Tending the field with Daddy

Well it was for us anyways. We were blessed to move from our small sized home to a larger house with a much larger backyard. We spent most of July soaking up all kinds of fun at the new place. All this fun resulted in nice tans, big smiles, long afternoon naps, and a big water bill. Well worth every penny for the awesome memories we made.

Our little firecracker

Our little hunk looked so patriotic on his first 4th...had to take this pic fast because he was on the move! We ended up moving the weekend of the 4th so we spent it casually unpacking and then BBQing with friends from church. The kids played so hard that they slept through all the firecrackers at night.