Columbus Day

What a great day we had with PD being home on a Monday. He has been working late a lot and we have both been under a lot of stress lately with various pressures in our lives.  But today we set it all aside to sleep in a bit, make a big breakfast, go for a hike and then while PD made dinner on the grill for us, I did a little Columbus Day craft with the girls.  It was cold but sunny and annoying pressures aside, we are truly blessed. Before the adults even woke up, PK2 made this out of Playmobiles and construction paper.

After breakfast I would have loved to take the opportunity to send the girls out with PD while I did some shopping or deep cleaning, but I fought that temptation and joined them for a lovely hike.

Two deer ran right across our path, but I do not have a picture of that because it happened so fast.  We saw a lot of birds.  We saw a whole tree full of bluebirds.  PK1 says this is a mockingbird, can anyone verify that?

And here is our craft:

Before you get too impressed, remember when PD and I built this cardboard Santa Maria?  That was 2010...an election year!  How did we manage that?

Skyping with Richie

So far, this is the closest I have gotten to moonching on my precious new nephew.  Just a couple more weeks and I will meet him for real!

In September....

We took out these trees in front of our house:

























I was in charge of a GEMS field trip to a glass blowing studio:

We met Paul Ryan:

The girls played Tundra Buggy:

The ice maker broke during the night, flooded the kitchen and ruined the kitchen floor:

and it was "beach night" at Awana.

We Got to Meet Paul Ryan

and Mrs. Ryan.  Wow...she is beautiful.

 

Tundra Buggy

The girls have been playing outside a lot lately.  I asked them what they were playing for so many hours and they answered, "Tundra Buggy."  I realized later that it is just basically that they take turns with LNG pulling each other up and down the sidewalk in the wagon.

 

Born to be Wild

Gram and Papa bought a membership to The Wilds this summer and treated us to the most amazing safari adventure! It was the perfect day for it.  Really chilly for August, but just what you would want for a two hour open car safari.

Ready to spot the wild animals!

Dromedary camel and baby dromedary!

I don't remember what these were...African cows?

Black Rhino!

Awesome family picture someone took of us at one of the lookout points:

Gram and Papa with a giraffe in the background:

We were so close to several giraffes.

PK1 is kind of into swans right now.  She says, "take my picture with the swan mommy"

Thank you Gram and Papa!  That was Wild!

Up, Up and Away

We took the girls to a hot air balloon festival. It was really beautiful.

Friday Funnies

We Celebrate PD's Birthday

We took PD out for dinner to a fancy restaurant for his birthday.  We ate outside with a view of downtown and of these fountains.

I gave him this commemorative decanter of one of the former governors of our state.  We kind of have an inside joke about this governor, but no one else would get it of course.  I took pictures of everyone's food because it was so pretty.

I ordered this bacon wrapped shrimp.

PK1 is my girl who likes all different foods just like me.  She ordered popcorn shrimp and it came in a cute Chinese takeout box!

PK2 ordered cheese pizza.  I am only including her picture because she is cute and maybe it will help me remember that she went through a picky eating phase.  I hope it is just a phase.  For the record she doesn't like lettuce, eggs, or any kind of fish or seafood.

Giant steak for the birthday boy.

And desserts! Can you see PD's cake in the background?  My dessert was banana pudding in a jar.

Then the girls changed and ran in the fountain.

And we watched.  I only included this picture to prove I was there.