Our Children

I found this wonderful free program called Picasa 3 that I downloaded yesterday. This is probably a program that most of you are aware of but I was really excited to come across it. I have been enjoying making collages and organizing our pictures. It is so much fun to see pictures of Lindsay and Caleb through out the years and it brings back so many memories. Some of these pictures seem like yesterday -time goes by so quickly! We love you two so much!

Lindsay, You Are My Sunshine!

Caleb, My Honey Bunny!

A Visit With Uncle Neal

My brother Neal was here on a business trip so he was able to spend the evening with the kids and I. We had tacos for dinner, played some Wii, and watched the Steelers - too bad that Scott is on a business trip as well because he would have enjoyed watching the game with Neal! Anyway, we are glad that you were able to come - we enjoyed your visit!

Uncle Neal With Lindsay & Caleb

Playing Wii

Spending Some Quality Time With Zeke

and then . . .

I had to check my linen closet as soon as you left. I figured you were up to something!

I don't know why you always have to mess up my nice, neat stacks!!!!

-Natalie, Lindsay & Caleb

Beautiful Perennial

I have this beautiful, enormous perennial in my backyard that has so many daisy like blooms. I am going to definitely move it to a different location when it is done blooming so next year it won't be taking over. As you can see it is about 8 feet wide and as tall as the fence. I am not sure what is is called though. I am thinking it is in the mum family since it is now blooming. What do you think mom? Call me!

Guess What Today Is?!

I just realized something. Time is going by so quickly. School has started, fall is arriving, Halloween will be here next month with Thanksgiving following the month after. And then in December, CHRISTMAS!! I was shopping today and saw Christmas merchandise being placed on the shelf. Now I know why. BECAUSE...

-Natalie

Picking Blackberries

My Helpers, Lindsay And Caleb

Lindsay Is About To Eat One For The First Time

Caleb Enjoys Eating Blackberries

Finally Tried One And Decided It Was Not Bad

On Saturday, the kids and I decided to pick some blackberries in the woods behind our neighborhood. It is fun to go back there since there are trials that lead you around the neighborhood, by a river, and you feel like you have escaped to the mountains for awhile. We found many blackberries and picked a container full. When we got home we then decided to make a batch of freezer jam. We had a lot of fun. This morning we then enjoyed the jam on our waffles (except for Lindsay who is our picky eater!)

-Natalie

Relief Society Retreat

Jackie, Natalie, Julene, Sarah, Heidi, Megan and Kris

At Beverly Beach

This weekend I had the opportunity to go on our Relief Society Retreat to Beverly Beach. I must admit however, I did not want to go. If it was not for Kris being in charge of the retreat and her saying "You don't have a choice - you are going since you are my friend", I would have stayed home instead. But I must say that I am happy that I went. We had fun taking a walk on the beach, talking and laughing!! We stayed in a yurt which was really nice especially since there was electricity and a heater. Thanks to Kris, Sarah, Julene & Jackie, I had a great time!

To read a funny post on Kris's blog, click here!

-Natalie

The First Day Of School

Well the time has finally come - the first day of school. Lindsay is in 5th grade this year and Caleb is in 3rd grade. Lindsay is excited and Caleb is not. It was hard for them both to find out that many of their friends are not in their class but there is always recess to have fun with them. Here are some pictures!

-Natalie

A Trip To The Oregon Coast Aquarium

We went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and to the Beach on Labor Day. The kids had fun at the aquarium seeing all the underwater creatures. After the aquarium we went and toured a light house and then headed for the beach for some fun in the sun and digging in the sand. It was a fun family day before the first day of school!

-Natalie

Our Trip To Ohio, and ...

Warning: This post is going to be really, really long - a lot happened on our trip since we were gone for 3 weeks so in order to make sure I have documented everything, this is going to be a looooooooooooooooong post!!

The kids and I had the opportunity to go to visit Granny & PapPap, my Mom & Dad, in Ohio for 3 weeks. Unfortunately, Scott was not able to go. He stayed home and worked while we were out having fun and spending all his hard earned money. We left August 6th and the only flight that we could get that was a good deal was a red-eye flight. We left Portland at 12:50 am. If that was not bad enough, we had a 3 hour layover in Minnesota in the early morning. I was so worried about the kids and how they were going to handle it but they really pulled through and did a wonderful job of being helpers with a good attitude!! So to keep them entertained during our layover we rode many moving sidewalks and rode the tram many times especially since we were the only ones on it -

Then we found an arcade and they played lots of games -

Then, after our second flight, we finally arrived in Ohio - very exhausted but excited to be there and to see Granny & PapPap!

So here are some of the activities that we did while we were in Ohio. I cannot go to Ohio without taking a trip to North Canton where I grew up. We decided to make a day trip there so we could go shopping and see our "old" house. We tried to talk Dad out of going since we knew he would be bored with all the stores we wanted to go to but he still insisted on going (I'm sure he regreted that decision later especially after our first stop to the Flower Factory which only took a couple hours.) After a morning at the Flower Factory we stopped at Dogwood park for lunch -

And then drove by our "old" house-

That was a fun day (except for Dad and the kids who were bored after an afternoon of more shopping!)

Another thing we did while we were in Ohio was to visit Gramma (the kids call her Ma.) It has been awhile since we have seen her. She was sure excited to see the kids. We had a good visit with her and here are some pictures from both our visits -

Gramma saved 4 Saltine Crackers from one of her meals for the kids to feed the fish, ducks and turtles. I told them to break off small pieces to make the fun last longer.

You can barely see them but there were a lot of fish!

Dad and Gramma - I know, not the best picture but I think it is cute (funny) how they both have the same facial expression.

And then the last Ohio activity that I took pictures of is when we went to the park -

PapPap and Caleb - So Handsome!

There were many other activities that we did in Ohio but that is most of the pictures that I took. We went to Kirtland to visit the Church sites (I forgot my camera that day - so mad!) The kids had fun fishing, golfing and feeding the ducks with PapPap and Mom & I shopped a lot for school clothes and much more. Even though our trip was 3 weeks long, we also went on some another trips during our trip - does that make sense?? We went to Tennessee to see Neal & Sarah and to Alabama to see Wade, Heather, Collin, Trevor & Ryland. We also took the kids to Niagara Falls, but since this post is really long and there is so much more to come, I am going to create separate posts for the trips to my brothers and to Niagara Falls.

-Natalie, Lindsay & Caleb

To Be Continued ...

...Tennessee, Alabama and ...

While we were in Ohio, Mom & I, along with the kids planned a visit to Neal & Sarah in Tennessee, and Wade, Heather, Collin, Trevor & Ryland in Alabama. It was nice since we have never been to their houses before and it has been awhile since we have seen them. Since Dad was getting ready to go back to work, he did not come with us. The traveling was not bad. Again, I was worried about the kids and the long trip but we did not hear too many "How much longer until we get there" questions or have to stop many times for bathroom breaks. It took 9 hours to get to Neal and Sarah's and then only an hour and a half more to get to Wade and Heather's. Here are some pictures of our trip there -

After we arrived, we went out to Mellow Mushroom for dinner (DELICIOUS! - Wish there was one in Oregon) and went to paint pottery. That was really fun - Lindsay painted a cat container with a lid, Caleb painted a monkey bank and I painted a "You Are Special" plate. The kids had so much fun and they keep asking to go again. I did not take a picture while painting but when we were leaving the pottery place, there was a big chair that we took a few pictures on-

While at Neal and Sarah's, the kids had fun playing with their dog Capo, Lindsay went to Activity Days with Aunt Sarah and they both went swimming at their neighborhood pool. School already started there so they had the pool to themselves -

We also went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner one night - YUM!

We had a lot of fun in Tennessee. After spending a few days there, we were off again to Alabama to see Wade, Heather, Collin, Trevor and Ryland for a couple days. Neal, Sarah and Capo came for one of the days too.

The kids were so excited to see everyone and to go swimming in their pool. They were also excited to play some Wii games with Collin & Trevor -

Trevor, Lindsay, Caleb & Collin

And Lots Of Swimming -

Swimming With Ryland - He Is So Cute!

Lindsay Loved Playing With Ryland

The Boys Had So Much Fun!

Capo had a fun time swimming too.

There are also some funny videos on Neal and Sarah's site if you want to see Capo jumping off the diving board. It was really funny.

Before we left, we took some pictures of everyone -

Funny Pose

We had a lot of fun with everyone - (The kids cried when we left). We would like to thank everyone for a wonderful time and hopefully we will see everyone again soon.

-Natalie, Lindsay & Caleb

To Be Continued...