Scavenger Hunt Sunday 10/20/13

Well here we are late again, but at least it's here!  And it's my fourth week.  I did it!  I'll do my best to keep it up, but it just takes time to get it all on here and pictures organized.  In the long run, though, I know I will be grateful for a little documentation of our life. 

Lachlan and I went to yet another apple orchard this week with his preschool.  It's amazing how each one has been different.  We also had a nice vacation this week up north.  Love the family time!

Here are my items for the Sunday Scavenger Hunt (or in my case Monday).

Watching

Luke and I went to a Vikings game last week with a friend and his dad.  We had the chance to be on the field sidelines to watch the teams warmed up before the game.  It was so nice to hang out all day.  The game on the other hand...well they did score their one and only TD in the last minute.  So there's that at least... (and it's kind of a stretch because we aren't watching in this picture) 

 

Here's one of us actually watching.  Doesn't it look like an enthralling game?

Leafy

While we were up north we went to a Fire Tower.  It was a beautiful fall day with the fall, crisp air blowing around us and the sun shining through the leaves.  Love it!  We all started the climb up the dozen or so flights of stairs (I even had Callum on my back!), when my dear Luke got too shaky after the 1st flight and had to chicken out head back down to solid ground.  So I took Lachlan all the way up.  No fear from that little dude.  We made it to the top, looked around, pretended we were pirates, then headed back down, only to find out Torin was sad because he ended up wanted to go up as well.  Luke tried once again, and couldn't do it.  Mama to the rescue! I climbed up the 12 flights with Torin.  And again, no fear!  I guess they didn't get the 'fear of heights' gene.  Torin didn't want to play pirates, though.

 

 

  First World Problem

Wow.  After thinking about this one last week, I realized how oh so many

'first world problems' I encounter.  It helps me put things into perspective & encourages me

to be grateful for all the Lord has blessed me with. 

While up north, we couldn't get the TV to work, so we had to watch a movie on our computer.  *Gasp*  Such a small screen!  And the boys don't really care, but they don't look too excited in the picture.  I think they're just in the movie-watching zone.

 

 

Still

We lived in the pool on vacation.  The boys loved loved loved the water.  They had a kiddie pool (cat pool, as Lachlan calls it). So that's where we hung out.  It was perfect for the Babe.  When he was in the floaty, he would become so chill and pensive and still.  When he sat in the pool on his own he was splashin and standing up and down and playing catch with a ball.  Too cute!

 

 

A Good Day

Molly et fam came to swim and play one day.  The boys love their cousins!  The fire tower was the same day. 

Beautiful weather.  Great company.  And a decent picture of the Grandkids. 

A Good day.

 

 

 

Other picked pics of the week:

 

First time on a school bus and first field trip for Pre-school!

with the farmer guy from the orchard

Such a serene walk through the woods to get to the fire tower



 

 

 Well the majority of these pictures are from the vay-cay.  Perhaps I'll change my subjects but stick to the Sunday Scavenger Hunt. 

Now the question is--will this continue?  You know as well as I do...

 

 

Love ya, mean it!

Be here now.





Scavenger Hunt Sunday 10/13/13

Well, it's not exactly Sunday, but I am still calling it the same name.  October's calendar has been way more full than September.  I'm behind on laundry, and Bible study, and cleaning, and blogging, and showering--oh wait, I caught up on that this morning.  Whew!  And look what I'm prioritizing!  I had a goal, and I intend to keep it, though tardy it may be. 

This past week we spent some time outdoors in the glorious fall weather, went to a new apple orchard by Auntie Emi's house with Auntie Emi!, and explored an art park for the first time.  And we will definitely will go there again. It's so lovely and it's so perfect to just run around and explore.  There was this pile of gravel and sand randomly off to the side of this path, and L & T played there for a half hour flying off to space and landing again.  So awesome. 

I'm still trying to shoot off of Auto.  Baby steps...


Here are the items of the week from Scavenger Hunt Sunday:

M is for....

Mama!

 Since Emily was with us at the apple orchard, I was able to be in a picture with the 3 boys.  So, obviously, she was the one that took the shot.  Thanks, Emi!  It was so special to check that place out with you.  We had a lot of fun and the boys love their pumpkin cups!  (Mama said 'no' and Auntie surprised them.)  The perks of being an Auntie: spoiling her nephews.  The perks of being a Mama: lovin on these 3 cuties.

 

I forgot I took a selfie with the big camera at the art park.  So here's another M is for Mama.  Love our boys!

 

 

 

 

2. What you saw today

The boys are super into StarWars & StarWars Angry Birds right now.  (Their Daddy is so proud)  Torin had made a sculpture of his food.  What did I see?  Darth Vader from Angry Birds. 

Do you see it?

 

The boys saw a spider.  And then Lachlan smushed it with his pole.  They were totally enthralled. 

 

 

 

3. Corner

(Or another name: S is for Silly)

Turning a corner on the riding lawn mower while having fun with the boys.  Multi-tasking!

 

 

 

 

4. Pink

There's not too much pink around our house, but for some reason we have these pink princess sunnies.  Torin wanted to wear them when we went to the art park.   

  

 

 

 

5. Hands 

You could feed the goats at the apple orchard.  They were all a bit timid, but L & T both gave it a shot.  And the Mama goat was grateful.

 

 

 

 

Other picked pics of the week:

I had to give proof that Lachlan actually fed the goat.  This is kind of a big deal for my boys!

The Baby and The Auntie

 

 

Well, lots of pictures this week!  We are so blessed.  And so grateful.

 

 

 

Love ya, mean it!

Be here now.







Scavenger Hunt Sunday 10/6/13

Well, here we are, week two! Scavenger Hunt Sunday.
I still have a lot to learn with this whole camera thing...

 

1. Something Colorful

I wanted to put 2 here.  One of our life this week, and one of me trying to take a nice picture of something colorful.  We decorated pumpkins this week with a sticker set we bought at the dollar store (win!) They had a lot of fun with it, and were able to put together great pumpkin faces.  The 2nd is of a pony-tail plant that was given to my mom when I was born.  I received it when we moved into our first house.  It's a very special plant to me...and it is a miracle it is still alive. 

 

 

 

2. Light

Auntie Emi had her birthday this week.  She shares a feast day with the Pope.  Isn't that special?  It also was her first birthday as a married woman.  There was already a table full of delicious desserts, so there wasn't any cake.  We improvised.

 

 

 

3. You

This one I struggled with a bit.  I had a couple of other shots that didn't turn out very well, so we are going with this one.  Callum loves pointing to things and touching things with his index finger.  He can be quite dainty with it.  Perhaps he is saying 'hey you!  Knobby thing.  I want to point to you'.  And you just gotta love the drool!

 

 

 

4. In Motion

This week was big in the motion category.  Callum walked behind a walker toy for the first time AND scaled the steps.  He was following his brother, realized he could do one step, and then just kept going.  He got to the top and didn't look back or anything.  He just kept crawling away as if he'd been crawling up the steps this whole life.  Baby's on the loose!

 

 

 

 

5.Afternoon

Oh it is such a good afternoon when everyone sleeps.  I was excited about this picture because I shot it off automatic (yay!) and I didn't wake up the pre-schooler!  Aren't they so sweet when they are sleeping?

 

 

This week we also pulled out our dress-up clothes, colored plastic pumpkins in addition to stickering, and enjoyed an evening of fun and fellowship at our our church's Autumnfest.  I love fall!

Other picked pics of the week:

Giving me a mean shark face.  This was at our church's AutumnFest.  Free (really amazing) facepainting!
Torin didn't want anything to do with it...until the ride home.  Oh, darling 3-yr old.

 

The juggler they had there had all sorts of fun 'juggling' toys that even Callum enjoyed!

 

Torin and his colored and stickered light-up pumpkin.  And his jersey that he wants to wear:
bed time, awak time, all the time. (a gift from his Godfather)

 

 

Love ya, mean it!

Be here now.



Scavenger Hunt Sunday 9/29/13

For the next four Sundays (hopefully-that is my goal.  Perhaps it will be even more!  Well, I can dream...) I will be partaking in what is called Scavenger Hunt Sunday.

There are 5 items that are listed, and you post a picture you took the past week of your interpretation of each of those items.  I am (again, hopefully) going to try this out for a couple of reasons
1-to actually use our camera
2-to actually document our life using our camera and this blog

Since I am getting back in the habit of using our camera, not all of these pictures are taken with it...oops.  But taken with my phone.  I wanted to at least have something for this first week.  Hope that's not too much of a taboo thing to do...
Disclaimer:  These will not be professional-esque at all and will be mainly about our kiddos, I'm guessing. 

So, here are my items:

Rules of Thirds

1st, 2nd, and 3rd.  Just not in that order.  Rules are, eat your apple! Apple Orchards are such wonderful places for photos.

 

 

Made Me Smile

Our sweet and energetic nephew and Godson turned 2 this week!  We went to St Cloud to celebrate.  Torin and Andrew are admiring the new pair of superman underoos that Andrew received.  Oh boys and their underwear!

'Dis is so Kooool!' ~Torin 

 

 

Lines

Honestly, I forgot about this one.  I was thinking there were only four... (remember I'm new at this).  So here is my best interpretation of 'lines' from a picture I took this week.  It may or may not be taken from my phone...oops.  This is at the playplace in the mall. 

Callum totally digs it now that he's on the move. 

 

 

Alone

I was able to stop by a friend's garage sale and found what I have been looking for: a baby swing!  Yay!  Now Callum can sit there all by himself

and swing the day away. 

 

 

Together

We have apple trees!  We are still learning all about our house and our trees and our yard, since we just moved 3 months ago.  And though the majority of the apples on our tree are infested with worms, we were able to gather together some tasty ones.   And if Torin could only eat apples for the rest of his life, he would still be completely satisfied. 

I had to hold that boy off so I could take a picture!

 

 

I enjoyed this new task.  Fun to have a bit more of a focus when taking pictures. 

Here's to following through!

 

 

Love ya, mean it!

Be here now.





Last 'New Day'

As much as I can, I tell my children in their first year of life 'Welcome to your new day!'.  They haven't seen May 20th or January 3rd or November 29th before, and I try to welcome them to it.  (Lachlan and Torin have both 'seen' February 29th already!)

So, tomorrow our Callum Joseph turns ONE!  No more new days.  As natural and exciting as it is, it's still a bit hard to realize it's here--the BIG 0-1.  You have no control.  It just happens and you have to accept it.  Your little babies grow up.  There are huge milestones that make it a bit easier to accept their growing up, like new teeth (Callum's first came at 4or5 months, and had 8 by 9 months), starting on solid foods (well...third child you realize it's so much easier if they just nurse as long as possible, so he started solids around 6 months), and crawling...dun dun DUNNNNN!! Callum was such a wonderful boy and decided he was ready at 10 1/2 months.  Thank you, Callum!

Once he started crawling, he might as well have been one--though it wasn't too far away.  He formed this new kind of independance and now is just a bit more fussy and unsatisfied that before.  But really, we can't complain. 

Callum, you have been an amazing baby.  So chill.  So friendly.  Such amazing eyes.  Such soft, chubby, rolley skin (that's whiter than a ghost-sorry!)  And what JOY you bring to everyone.  Please don't lose that!  You have had your fair share of diaper blow-outs and sleepless nights, but of course we gladly take the bad with the good.  We look forward to watching you grow, hearing you talk, teaching you the way of the Lord, and getting to know you and love you more and more and more and more!  We love you heaps and heaps!
We are so grateful that God gave us YOU.

A look back at Callum's first year:

There's nothin like a fresh new Baby 6 hours old.



Wrapped up and regal in his amazing cushy blanket



One month and tuckered out

 

Two months

1st Halloween & too much candy

 

Baptism Day

 

 

1st airplane ride (yaaay sleeping Baby!)

Ride down the mountain tramway on 3 month birthday

Intrigued by this man in red

4 months/Baby's 1st Christmas

Sweet Little Babt feet

And apparently tastey too-he loves playing with his feet!  Even now, when he's 1!

My zaza keli lehi be!  (spelled something like that--it's Malagasy)

 

 

 

I know this is not finished yet, but this has taken me waaay too long to get just this far.  Ugh.  So behind the times.  So, check back in a month...or 6, and who knows, perhaps there will even be a whole new post! 

 

Love ya, mean it!

Be here now.