Happy 3rd Birthday Adalli!

 We had some special friends over for New Years Eve and to help us celebrate Adalli's Birthday. Thank you all for coming and for being such a special part of our life!

 She sang happy birthday with all of us. It took her a couple tries to blow out the candles because she kept blowing up so her bangs would fly up instead of blowing out at the candles. Silly girl!

 Getting help with her noisy Old McDonald Farm puzzle. Thanks guys! :)

This is her 2 year old picture. It is amazing how quickly she has lost her baby chubs and is now becoming such a big girl. 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Christmas 2012

 Decorating the bedroom tree.

 Barnstormers and Cattleman came together and had a float for the Christmas parade this year. We had a blast riding and walking alongside. It was a crazy 44 degrees outside so we couldn't pass it up!

 Gideon played Jingle bells on his saxophone at school Christmas chapel.

 One of my many attempts at a picture in front of the tree. Getting 5 to look is a chore sometimes!

 Adalli was in her first Christmas program and she was very excited!

 Gideon, John and Rachel did a great job at their program too!

 Uncle Micah was home for a little over a week! Yay!!

 Present time.

 A little help with a puzzle. Just an FYI, if you buy a puzzle at Big Lots there is a chance that the puzzle inside will not match the picture on the box! At least they were both Princesses :)

 Favorite book. We love Usborne books at our house!

 Special cousins!!

Natalie did a great job at opening gifts this year. Crazy how quick they learn there is something fun inside! We hope all of you had a very Blessed Christmas!

Natalie turned 1 on October 18th. We had a joined birthday with a wonderful family friend and also Uncle Mark. 

 Crazy what a year can do!

 I had so much fun making centerpieces, decorating, cakes and making food. Thank you Aunt Mo for all your help I could not have done it without you!! And for Grandma and Grandpa Boender for letting us use the cabin!

Getting some big sister help opening a gift.

 BJ traded tractors this fall because of an offer from the John Deere dealer he could not pass up. So we had a photo shoot of his 2 favorite tractors ever :)

Baby Selah

 Baby Selah was born Sept. 30. She is so precious and has such pretty dark hair.

 A quick attempt at a cousin pic. We will have to try again!

 The kids wanted to carve their new pumpkins so they were sent outside to finish that chore. They did a great jog even tho it was pretty chilly outside.

One blessed aunt!

Bloomsbury Farm

 On the first weekend of October the kids usually don't have school so we try to hit a pumpkin farm. This time we decided to make a weekend of it and visit aunt Mo and then head up to see new baby Selah (pics to come). This farm is near Cedar Rapids. It was a very cool and blustery day so we only stayed for a little while. 

 Natalie liked the goats and donkeys. They even had a pot bellied pig. I think they are so funny looking!

 I was excited to see a sign with five holes in it. We got almost everyone to look. 

 They usually have hay rides to go to a pumpkin patch on the weekend but we were there on Thursday so we just  got them from the long rows right outside.

We had a good time and enjoyed seeing a new farm. In John's words this one "was a little to halloweeny" but it was still fun.

September Fun

 Natalie has learned to climb onto the dishwasher. She also enjoys unloading it all over the kitchen floor. Adalli picked out all her little hair ties and wanted them all in her hair so we got it done. She had ten pig tails in all. She thought she was hot stuff!

 Here are some pictures from Autumn Acres. Our special friends gave us a season pass so we headed out to enjoy the beautiful fall weather! It is always a fun time and we are so thankful for the hard work that everyone puts in to make it so much fun! 

 BJ and I were able to get away for a quick weekend trip to the U.P. of Michigan. We went all the way thru Wisconsin to get there and it was so beautiful! Lots of the trees were changing and it was a really nice time for just him and I to be together. Thank you family for making it work for us to go!

 We were told we needed to take the road from Menominee to Escanaba because it was right up against Lake Michigan. I am so glad we did! It was really beautiful. We also stopped to check out this light house. It was already closed for the season but it was nice to get out and walk around.