Happy October!!!

As of right now, Sam is going to be a Ninja and Nic is going to be a pirate for Halloween, that is if the costumes make it until Ocotber 31st :)

We spent some time this weekend at a pumpkin patch - it's an October tradition of ours and is always so much fun. Sam and Nic had a great time bumping along on the hayride to pick out their favorite pumpkins, pick some cotton, and play hide-n-seek in the field. Mom and Dad had fun also!

Sam is playing on a Little League Baseball team and... for the most part... loves it. He's got a great swing and a strong throw and is learning to field the ball. He has a good coach and a fun team. We're looking forward to a good season. Sam calls baseball "my new sport."

Our beautiful little Nicolas! It's been great having more one-on-one time with Nic. We've had so much fun together. The picture below is of Nic and his good friend Nathan, enjoying some great weather!

We spent a morning a the pond with playgroup and the kids had a great time playing in the water! They did start out fully clothed, but when the muddy water became just too enticing we decided to lose the clothes and let kids be kids! Who needs bathing suits and towels anyway???

This is Nic and his friend Solei showing their muddy toes.

They caught tiny baby fish with their nets (along with mud, rocks, sticks, and goo!)

Sam's first day of Kindergarten!!! We were all a little nervous :)

Sam's been waiting for years to "walk to the school bus with Stephen." He finally got to do it! After Sam got on the bus, I had to go cry a bit on my neighbor's shoulder. I can't believe he is 5. He's almost 6 and I still can't believe he's five!!! I felt like part of my heart was walking away, beyond my reach, too far away for my comforting hand to strecth. Who will take care of him? Who will help him when he's sad, walk him through the emotions when he's frustrated, hold his hand when he can't get it just right, listen when he's excited, cheer when he's triumphant, clap when he takes a bow? I suppose it's time to trust the angels and believe in God's loving, watchful care. It's such a great thing for him, for our family, it's the right time, etc. etc. but it's the end and the beginning of an era. And I will miss him.

This is a picture of Sam after he got off the bus on his first day of school! All went well :) He had a great day. He loves his teachers Ms. Anderton and Ms. Bernard pictured below, he loves his neighborhood friend James in his class, and he loves his class pet bunny Dudley.

Cowboys and Indians was another fun week. We made a little teepee, wore our cowboy hats and cowboy boos everywhere, took a trip to a dairy farm (cows...), and read lots of cowboy stories. We didn't eat dinner, only grub, and the kitchen was the chuck wagon. Sam's name was Blaze, Nic's name was Scamper, Mom's name was curly, and Dad's name was chief wannapot. The boys even packed up for a night on the range under the stars, though that hasn't happened yet. Hopefully before the summer ends.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

We had a fun pirate week hunting for treasure, sailing the ocean blue in our "pirate ship" (the one WITHOUT the plank as per Sam's request), eating with knives and spears, and making a treasure map. Ahhh, summer fun.

We are testing out the video feature! Hope you enjoy this cute one of Nic from May.
:)

ARRRRRRRGH! It's a pirate party! No sliverware allowed, all answers are ay ay captain, or nae, ye scalleywags! Eye patches recommended, hats required, jewelry will be stolen!

We had a great time in Florida a few weeks ago. We played at the beach, took a ride on a real pirate ship, Dad and Sam got to go deep sea fishing, and we had an emergency trip to the ER where Nic got 5 stitches in his head. 2 little monkeys were jumping on the bed, one fell off and cut his head. Daddy called the Doctor and the Doctor said ... the ambulence, firetruck and police are on their way! Hang tight! The paramedics bandaged up Nic and his dog-dog, and we drove him to the hospital for his stitches. He was such a brave trooper! His stitches are out now and he's doing great! Still jumping and bouncing and spinning around. I'll post pictures as soon as blogspot let's me!
:)

Say Cheese!

It's been a fun few months of 2008. Nic loves to help in the kitchen. Here he is finishing his breakfast and then helping make Lemonade. He's such a big helper! Sam is showing off his new Valentine's Spider Man gift, the new cowboy guns he worked extra jobs for a week to earn the money for, and his home made robot costume (a fun afternoon together making this!) Our boys are really growing up and having fun together. It's a great stage of family-ness!!!