November 2014

Jovee loves to put all of Ethan's bracelets on wear them for a while.  

So I pulled out my camera while she was doing that.

She also uses the broken chair like a jungle gym a lot.

 She is a goofball.

 Ross reading bedtime stories.  Ethan got a new light for reading. 

And his new light led to telling stories and getting out the shadow puppets.

I have wanted to check out the glass maze at the Nelson Atkin's Museum for a while, and I really wanted to take advantage of the last nice beautiful day.  That maze is seriously intense.  We let the kids go in first (mistake, I clearly didn't read the sign saying to accompany children), and it wasn't long before we had two crying children.  I think they both ran into the glass at least 3 times.  It was really funny, and a little bit sad, but mostly funny.

October: Part 3

The week of Halloween Ross' sister Becky and her family came to stay, and so did Ross' parents.  Our nephew in Olathe was getting baptized, so everyone came to spend Halloween and the baptism together.  Earlier in the week I took pictures of Becky and her family, and I made my family come and take family pictures as well.  We ended up with about 10 of our family, and none of them were that great, but we chose the best and sent it out as our Christmas Card.  So stay tuned... maybe you'll get one. :)

 Rachelle and Kris and their family were Wizard of Oz themed, and everyone else was someone random.  It was a big group of kids showing up on doorsteps asking for candy!

 All the grandkids, except Jovee I think...

 It was a pretty chilly night, but Jovee would not let go of her two buckets of candy!  She had a death grip on both of them.

Army guy and Vanellope Von Schweetz.

The three baby cousins hanging out together.  They are all within a couple of months.

October 2014 - part two

We went apple picking at Cider Hill Family Orchard this year.  It was our first year there.  We really enjoyed it.  I did love Alldredge Farms because they have chickens and goats and other animals to feed, plus it's quaint and small.  But the orchard itself at Alldredge's isn't nearly as good as this one, and the apples were more expensive there, if I'm remembering right.  The weather was gorgeous, cool, and crisp on this day.  And the apples were delicious.

Leah had run into a brick wall a week earlier (literally) so she was looking rather beat up. 

A week before Halloween my parents and my brother and his family came to visit.  We went to Weston Red Barn Farm.  It was actually really warm,  and we were rather sweaty while looking at pumpkins.  It is not my favorite pumpkin patch, but I really loved the farm itself, and the rolling hills and colors of Weston, MO were beautiful.

 Sam and his little boy Henry.

That same day we had our ward Trunk or Treat.  The kids were sweating in their costumes.  Jovee was not very happy to be in her costume, until we gave her a sucker.  This is our third child to wear the turtle costume!  Now we can retire it.

 We had fun carving our pumpkins with our friends the Becks and the Brases (minus Kate).  Leah was completely confident that she could use a knife and carve her own pumpkin.  And she did.  She also did her own hair that day.  She's just all grown up. :)

Leah's pumpkin is the top right.  Ethan decided he wanted he wanted me to do the carving, and his is the bottom right.

 This is the time of year when every chance we get we are raking leaves!  (Mostly Ross)  His piles get pretty enormous, and he's really proud of that. :)

 Our kids at the annual High School Trick-Or-Treat event.

October 2014

So these were technically in September, but we're going to stick them here anyway.  Ross has been pushing for his parents to put a fire pit in their backyard, and they did it!  We have already put it to good use.  Who doesn't love a s'more?

My father-in-law probably won't appreciate this being posted.  But I think it's great. :)

Picking up Ethan from school- Leah often 

brings baby 'Amickiah' along for the ride.  

Looks like a comfy piggy-back ride. :)

 Jovee loves babies.

 Leah and Jovee were just hanging out in the sleeping bag for 

about 20 minutes.  It was impressive.

 This was our view trying to watch conference.  

Maybe someday I will get something out of conference again. 

 These two..  the cutest.

 Leah wanted to tell me a scary story in the bathroom with a glow stick. 

 She is a pretty animated story teller.

 Jovee really loves her Daddy.  

 We watched one of Ross' cousin's daughter while they went to the temple.  She was super chill and easy going, and would let our kids play with her as much as they wanted.  They kind of wanted to trade babies after that.