Little hikers

Unlike most of the rest of the country, we Southern Californians are confined to the indoors during our hot, dry summers. But what we sacrifice in July, August and September, we more than make up for October through June. This weekend we've enjoyed gorgeous weather - even venturing out on a little hike together on Friday. Danny and I had to carry the family's shortest little legs through most of the elevation gain, but Alyssa and Parker did great. Parker was immediately ready to do the loop all over again. And check out that green grass! Not exactly the Pacific Northwest of my youth, but then again, the sky is blue.

I still don't think 3 is enough

I may not ever push Danny for eight, but we sure had fun today with my niece, nephew and 3 of the 4 children of our dear friends here on furlough from Malawi. The prospect of 8 on 1 was a little daunting at first, but by God's great grace, our day was surprisingly calm and relatively conflict-free. It helps that my niece and nephew were champion nappers, Reagan took her own turn in bed, and Bob and Larry came to call when things started to get a little rowdy.

I never would have guessed how popular the cozy coupes would be! The seven bigger kids spent the better part of two hours climbing in and around the things. Did you know that 2 plastic cars designed for toddlers can accommodate a two-year-old, 2 three-year-olds, a 4 year-old, 5 year-old, 6 year-old, and nearly 7-year old, all at the same time?! They enjoyed a very nutritious lunch of bluebox mac and cheese, and I'm proud to say that my sink has never been cleaner. Scrubbing was the one chore I could accomplish while referring out my window.

But the best news of all is that, thanks to Ami, I am now a millionaire. She generously paid me with a genuine $10,000,000 note! Bad news is that my $10 million, plus the box of See's her parents brought me, might be enough to trade for a box of chocolates and a penny or two.

Don't get too worried honey - I think four would be perfect!

No photos!

Scrolling back through my recent blog posts, I realized that this blog has become incredibly photo-heavy, and rather sad photos at that since my good camera is still on vacation (we miss you mom and dad!). Save for one wordy post, there's been nothing to see here but cute kids. The cutest really, but since most of you have your own cutest kids running around, that probably gets a little old. Sadly, I can't say that I'm necessarily going to be remedying that any time soon. I just couldn't bring myself to participate in NaBloPoMo again this November. Though I really enjoyed 30 days of Thanks last year, it was some pressure let me tell ya! It was so good for me to reflect on all the blessings in my life, but I think this year we're going to make it a family affair with a Thanksgiving tree (nevermind that I'm already 8 days late). I can only imagine how many leaves Reagan will end up with - her prayers lately consist of a seemingly never-ending list of all the people and things in her life. If it's in the room, been interacted with, or talked about in the last day, you can be sure Reagan will thank God for it. She's just simply adorable and I love hearing her tiny little voice address her Creator, but for the sake of time we sometimes have to supply the "amen" for her!

So for this year I'll enjoy all of my favorite blogs that are participating, and just share our little craft when we're done. You're holding your breath I know. Especially those of you that have seen my creativity in action. Anyway... Happy especially-thankful-month all!

Dancing, riding, and crashing

Despite my best efforts at a "themed" costume ensemble this year, we ended up with two ballerinas and a cowboy on his ride. They looked pretty adorable IMHO and had a blast collecting what actually ended up being a reasonable amount of candy at a non-ghoulish harvest festival. Parker, however, apparently regretted missing the opportunity to get his face painted. Last night he remedied that with his own shades of black, blue and purple thanks to a close-up with a wooden chair. This one's for you Mom!

Ranchin'

My favorite THREE year-old!

Pick... him!

Alyssa tends to take after me, in more than just looks. So when it comes to making a fool of oneself, she isn't usually the first to volunteer. Parker, however, is his daddy. If there's an opportunity to get on stage, he's there! Prior to a family trip to Mickey's place today, Parker decided that he really wanted to be chosen to participate in the Jedi Training Academy. Previous such attempts have been most disappointing, so smart boy that he is, he enlisted the help of the sibling with legible handwriting to create a sign. Apparently the Jedi master liked Alyssa's plea to "Please pick my brother" because Parker was the first child selected. Needless to say he was thrilled, and Alyssa was more than happy to cheer from the sidelines.

We enjoyed our usual slew of rides, beautiful weather, and time with Daddy. And though we're really not so into Halloween, we were dutifully impressed by the annual selection of Disney-themed pumpkins. No hope of such artistically-carved gourds showing up on our doorstep!