Weekend Visitors

Ryan's parents and sister came into town October 18th-21st.   They flew into Omaha on Friday and didn't make it to Sioux City until after 8.  We had dinner then they went to their hotel to rest for the night.  The next morning they slept in and made it over for breakfast around 11.  After lunch Lanie played hide-and-go-seek with the kids.  The boys had a blast!  The rest of us just sat around and talked which was really nice.  It was Stake Conference and Ryan needed to attend a meeting.  While Ryan was at his meeting, Clay went back to the hotel to rest his back, while Karen, Lanie, the kids and I headed to the Sioux City Art Center.  Karen and I took the kids to the children's section while Lanie went and looked at the art.

Around 4 we headed to the hotel for swimming...

Emily and Suzie Q

Grandpa, Christopher, and Nathanial

Grandpa, Nathanial, and Susie Q playing water games

Grandma watching Emily climb on Ryan

Emily would climb on Ryan...

Ryan would drop Emily in the water...

Emily would smile and say, "do again?"

Grandpa, Christopher, Suzie Q, and Nathanial playing Marco-Polo

Ryan, Suzie Q, Nathanial, Grandpa, Christopher, and Emily swimming

 Now to the reason why we had visitors this particular weekend...Ryan was called to serve as the 2nd counselor in the bishopric and Clay came to ordain him a High Priest.  We are so grateful that they were able to come.

Monday morning Ryan's parents and Lanie went and toured the dental practice and had some x-rays taken.

We had a wonderful visit with our family over the weekend!  Thanks again for coming!

Life Happenings

Homecoming Parade October 1st : the local elementary schools get to be part of the Homecoming parade...

All the kids received a popsicle at the end of the parade

 Emily is our thumb sucker and we have been trying various things to get her to stop.  This time we wrapped her elbow with an ace bandage and wrapped her thumbs with band aides and tape.

10/03/2013

Emily is a little gymnast swinging on the boys bed.

 When Ryan came home from work on October 7th and found a dead hawk in front of our house.  Christopher was so excited and wanted to touch it; Nathanial was scared of it and wouldn't get close...

 One of Nathanial's favorite things to do this summer was to mow the lawn.  Ryan decided that he was big enough to use the mower, good thing it is a self propelling mower.

Last mow of the season...

October 11, 2013

September Wrap-Up

Emily was helping me make orange dreamsicle cupcakes and thought the batter was pretty good!

Nathanial has now lost 8 teeth.  He came home from school on September 20th to tell me that he lost a tooth at school.  For his afternoon snack they had apples and when he bit into the apple his tooth came out.  The next day he decided that the other tooth that was loose should come out so he tied floss to it and pulled it out.

Missing his upper laterals

We need to become good friends with and orthodontist

On Saturday, September 21st, our ward held a 5K fun run/walk.  I was not planning on running but walking with Christopher and Emily in the stroller while Ryan and Nathanial ran.  Christopher decided that he wanted to run at the beginning.  He ran off and on for about half of the course.  I can now say that I completed a 5K when I was 32 weeks pregnant!

Ryan, Christopher, and Nathanial with their awards. Ryan: most supportive running partner ; Christopher: youngest to finish 1/2 the race; Nathanial: youngest to complete the entire course; Emily: the youngest to complete the race in the stroller.

Emily and Kara with their awards.  Kara: largest family to participate (they counted Benjamin).

Labor Day Weekend

For Labor Day, September 2, 2013 we were invited to attend breakfast on the water with the Wheelocks. They have a boat and 2 jet skis. We went out on the Missouri River and found a great little inlet to dock at and then set up a portable stove where omelets were cooked and the kids played in the sand and caught minnows and small fish.  Ryan also took each of our kids out on the jet ski for a few rides...

Ryan and Emily

Emily

Emily and Ryan

Christopher fishing with Dr. Wheelock

Emily and Ryan

Emily watching the fish that Ava caught

Christopher holding a fish that they caught

Emily holding the "big" fish

Emily and Leo playing with the fish in the sand

Nathanial and Ryan

Nathanial and Ryan

Christopher and Ryan

Christopher and Ryan

Christopher and Ryan

We had a really great time out on the river.  We are talking about when we will get our own boat and go out ...someday...

The Rest of August

I have been trying to do various projects/crafts with Emily since she is home without anyone to play with and her favorite activity is water colors.  On the 28th she decided that not only did her paper need some color but also herself and her teddy bear...

Emily and her teddy bear

She painted her own fingernails.

Her finished painting

It has been a hot summer here in Iowa.  The boys had several "heat" days where they get out of school because it is too hot in the school for them.  This year they had a total of 8 heat days.  One of the days that they were out (August 29th) we were invited over to the Wheelock's house to go swimming in their pool...

Emily Swimming

These are large foam circles that you try and stand on, it is a lot harder than it looks, just ask Ryan

Ava and Nathanial, they are good little friends

Christopher is jumping off the diving board while Nathanial watches

On the 30th of August Emily and Christopher brought back the garbage containers...

This is a bridge over the Missouri River that connects Iowa to Nebraska.