Apple Orchard 2014

 We braved the fierce cold October temperatures and ventured out to Tuttle Orchards with Grandma and Grandpa Gafford this morning for our annual visit. 

First stop: apple donuts... yum!

We have to measure how much we've grown this year!

Poor Ethan in his too-big puffy winter coat.  He reminded me of Ralphie on "A Christmas Story".

 And he's had about enough of this!  Addison looks a little guilty in the background but I promise she's innocent. :-)

Addison had a little bit of a wardrobe issue... her leggings were hay-magnets.  She "might" have taken her pants off as soon as we got in the van and rode home in her panties...

Ethan looks SO chubby with that coat on!

Helping Daddy pick an apple.

"I'm going to just sit here and hold this apple.  Because I can't get up...even if I tried."

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for taking us to the orchard!  We had a lot of fun!

The First Day of Pre-K

 Today was the beginning of an era.  We sent our first-born off to school for the very first time.  To say she was ready for it is more than an understatement.  She's really more ready for first grade if we're honest.  (NOT saying this because we think we're raising a child genius, please don't read that wrong.  More because she wants to sit at a desk, ride a school bus, and have homework like in the "big leagues".)  Mom and Dad were ready for this step as well.  Addison is a very social girl and every day is a challenge to keep her engaged in age appropriate play instead of playing with baby toys just so she has a playmate.  This will be so good for her and I'm excited to hear all about her new adventure.  I'm also excited to have some one-on-one time with my boy.

 Giving Ethan a kiss as she waited for the ok to head down the hall to her classroom.

 Ethan trying to figure out how to open sissy's lunchbox and help himself to a snack.  Food is always on this boy's mind.

 She found her cubbie!  Now hanging up her things...

 She turned right around from hanging up her backpack and got right on the floor and started playing with toys.  If we hadn't pulled her away to give hugs and say goodbye it would have easily been 11:00 before she'd even realized we'd left.  No tear-filled goodbye for the Gaffords this morning.  Just excitement for our girl on her fun new adventure!

Speaking of adventure, if you haven't been reading David's blog posts about his "adventure" in career change as well as a few family updates, you can catch up over here!

Addison's first story

(This post specifically goes out to the grandparents and Addison's birth family. Anyone is welcome to read it of course, but it will probably be appreciated the most by them. :)

Yesterday I handed Addison some stickers and a piece of paper and told her to make a picture with them and then tell me a story to go with it. Here's what she came up with...



"Once upon a time there was a fish, two tigers, and a zebra. And they lived in the jungle. And then at the jungle there was lots and lots of bugs staring at them. Then there were baby duckies with their momma. And the baby ducklings were so fast! And next came little starfishes. The end."

Compelling, I know! :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Year of Ethan

I thought it would be fun to take a sample from every month's nursery photo shoot and watch how quickly Ethan grew and developed over the past year.  What a handsome boy! :)

3 Weeks

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

 10 Months

 11 Months

12 Months

June Wrap-Up

 We seem to have packed in a whole summer's worth of activities into one month.  Because my folder of pictures on my computer for the month of June adds up to 720 items (and that's AFTER sorting through them and picking out the keepers).  Our calendar for the rest of the summer is darn near blank and that doesn't sound too bad to me!  Here are some highlights from the last week or so.

Addison has finally decided that she loves the Slip-N-Slide.  She was adamant that she would not participate when I got it out, but when I left the water spraying a mere inch, which eventually created puddles to splash in, she decided it wasn't so bad.  And it was her that kept returning to the faucet to increase the pressure.  At one point I had to tell her to actually turn it down because it was shooting Ethan in the face.  This picture doesn't really look like he was enjoying it, but he mostly did. :)

 The floppy hat club...

 Ethan officially turned one this week.  I'm glad I did it, but I'm also relieved that I no longer need to do these monthly photo shoots in his bedroom.  It has grown increasingly more difficult to keep blocks spelling his age and to keep him put so I can actually take a clear picture.

I can not turn my eyes from this guy for one second.  Not one.  He is into EVERYTHING!  And he climbs on anything possible.  Fortunately the ottoman was up against his crib when he did this (and unable to rock). 

 He DID get several riding toys for his birthday.  Contrary to what he thinks, this is not one of them.  But he climbs on top and plays rodeo nearly every single time he plays with this.

Addison finally got to meet baby Jackson yesterday!  This was one happy girl to get to hold a tiny baby again. We're looking forward to spending a couple of days a week watching this little guy when his momma goes back to work.

Jackson invited several of his best kid-friends over to watch the Fishers Freedom Festival parade go right by his house yesterday.

 Some parts of the parade were really loud!

Bubby was not a fan of the noise.

 But he WAS a huge fan of all the pretty girls dancing by advertising a local salon.  He was a REALLY big fan of them.

Happy Independence Day!