Family Pictures

My little sister is a photography.  An amazing photographer.  Who lives far, far away.  However, Carlye and I love to look at her website and the beautiful pictures she takes.  Carlye saw a pose similar to this one on her Aunt Heather's photography website while she was looking at the senior picture sessions.  She loved it soooooo much that she begged Aunt Jodi to take some of us, too.  

It's nigh unto impossible to take serious pictures with my husband........

Here we go, there's one (finally!).

And then real Carl reappears......

Thank you, Aunt Jodi, for the bee-yoo-ti-ful pictures!

Today I am thankful for washing machines, warm blankets and fall leaves.

Cousins

We took our yearly cousin pics a few weeks ago, and Jodi just sent me some teasers.  Aren't they SO cute!

Today I am thankful for Hallmark, families and cold weather.

Radar

Nathanael's dog, Radar, has really become a part of the family.  It's hard having a puppy, and, to be honest, we are learning as we go.  Yorkies and Brittany's are so very different.  I take Radar running with me, but we are still working on not running after leaves, running away from the people we are running towards, and sitting down and refusing to move.  I like running with him, though, and hopefully eventually he'll get the gist of the whole thing.  He sits and stays, and has stopped jumping (for the most part - he still has weak moments), but we just CAN'T seem to get him potty trained.  I've read books and watched videos, and I'm reviewing them again because I just can't figure out where we are going wrong.  He can hold it while he's in his crate for hours, but if we bring him in the house he pees every 20 minutes.  ~ sigh ~ I guess we will eventually get it down.  The other problem is the fact that he eats absolutely everything!  Carlye's papers, socks, clothes, erasers, leaves, dryer sheets - everything!  He has more chew toys and cow hooves than any dog I know, and we can always distract him with them, but we can't seem to stop him from chewing on the other stuff.  I'm hoping he'll grow out of all that, too.  I keep reminding Carl (and myself) that he's only 5 months old.

Carlye took this picture of Radar doing yoga with me.  He is ALL over me, no matter what position I'm in, and if my hair is hanging down he tries to bite it.  Radar thinks it's great....Carlye thinks it's hilarious and refuses to stop him....Me?  Not so much.

Today I am thankful for a beautiful ranch, children who would rather be outside than inside and the Spurs.

Noah's Parent Teacher Conference

Noah lying on the grass between Boston and Colton.

A couple of weeks ago we had Noah's parent teacher conference.  Beforehand I asked Noah what he thought his teacher would have to say about him.  "Hmmm," Noah said, "I think that she will tell you that I'm delightful." 

When we arrived in the classroom Mrs. Greenwalt did, indeed, tell us that Noah was delightful - and also very diplomatic.  The other day he was standing at the end of the line in school, and Mrs. Greenwalt noticed that he had a funny look on his face.  The little boy standing in line in front of Noah had been absent for over a week, and she had given him a packet of work to finish so that he could catch up.  The class walked into the library, and as Noah walked past Mrs. Greenwalt he said, "You may want to look in your trashcan when you get back to class, there's something very interesting in there."  She did, indeed, check the trashcan - and found that entire packet of school work lying in the bottom.  I truly believe that Noah has learned this delightful skill of diplomacy by living as the third born in a home where tattling could quite possibly end in rather intense pain.  Apparently Carlye and Nathanael have done a great job teaching him life skills.

Overall Noah's doing great in school.  All of the kids like him, he's kind to everyone and he almost always has a smile on his face.  

Today I am thankful for friends who are photographers, fall weather and running water.

Nathanael's Concert

Here's a video from Nathanael's Concert.  They are playing Russian Music Box.  Remember, these are only 5th, 6th and 7th graders, and for most of them it's their first year in orchestra.  I think they did a great job, though.  Lili is playing as well, but since she sits on the opposite side I wasn't able to get her in the video.  Enjoy!

Today I am thankful for Parenting Books, Field Day and good teachers.

This part Monday Carlye and Nathanael had an orchestra concert.  They did really well, here's some pictures for today and tomorrow I'll post a couple of videos.

This is Carlye's group - the Concertante Orchestra.  She is the violist in the white shirt (she didn't make it to String Camp so she doesn't have an HCYO shirt).

This is Nathanael's Allegretto Orchestra.  They did chair tests, and Nathanael has 2nd chair cello (and he's the youngest!).

Noah's Birthday

Noah celebrated his 9th birthday last month.  How sad is it that my 'baby' is 9?  He had a Nerf gun party with just our "family" and really had a good time.   We are so blessed, but we missed the family that wasn't able to be with us......

Noah used all of his birthday money, and then Daddy, Carlye and Nathanael and I pitched in the rest of the money to buy him a trampoline.  I know that these pictures aren't the best, but it was getting dark by the time that we finished putting the entire thing together.  Victoria had come over to play, so the 4 of them jumped until they couldn't jump anymore.

Today I am thankful for a big yard, beautiful weather and computers.  What are you thankful for?