Homecoming

You can’t live in a small town and not be involved in homecoming in some way.  David’s office had a float, the girls and I watched the parade, we ate at the annual fireman’s pancake feed, and we all went to the football game.  This is the first year the girls and I have gone to the game, and it was pretty good.  Our team is undefeated so far this year, which is a lot better than they have been in the past.

The girls in their matching Coyote shirts while we waited for the parade to start.  We all purchased Coyote gear this year.

This is the float that David’s office built and pulled through the parade.

A Warm Day and Hard Work

Yesterday was like summer here.  The weather was hot, there wasn’t a breeze, and the air was dry (which was not typical for this summer).  It was a nice day to work outside too.  One of our friends that David helps work cattle was giving fall shots so the girls and I went out to watch for the afternoon.

Bentley and David on Rock before they went out to round up the cattle.

Bria rode with David on Twilight to round up the cattle.

Bria and Bentley learning how to work the gates on the chute.

Bria and Bentley standing on the side of the tub.  They could see the cows and calves from here.  Bentley had to climb up the side to see, but Bria is finally tall enough to see over the side.

We had a great time out there (we especially enjoy the food).  The girls are definitely less afraid of the cows than I am, but I am getting less nervous every time we go out.

1 More Project and an Unrelated Story

   

A week ago Saturday, David worked on replacing the window in our upstairs bathroom.  Last winter, the window that was in there had cracked and ice built up on the inside of the window would then drip down the wall.  This summer, we made it our goal to replace three windows in our house and this one was number two.  The third one will be in the other bathroom, which still has the window that was original to the house.  David is becoming a pro at installing windows.  The first two have the added complication of being used windows, so we had to make bigger holes in the house to make them fit.  David did a great job of making them fit the style of our house.

The unrelated story... 

On Thursday night after bible study, we drove to RC to stay over night in order to do some swimming and shopping the next day.  The girls were tired and cranky in the back seat, but there were times that they each said something cute. 

Bentley was going around the vehicle saying “Heh-wo” (hello) to all of us, “Heh-wo Mommy, Heh-wo Daddy, Heh-wo Bia (Bria),” pause to think who else might need a greeting—oh, yeah—“Heh-wo ME!”.  That gave us all a good laugh.

In trying to encourage both the girls to go to sleep, I pretended that I was going to sleep, then Bentley, then Bria, and then David (who was driving).  The conversation that followed:

Bria: “Daddy, you can’t sleep, you’re driving.”
David: “I thought you were asleep Bria.”
Bria: “I was talking in my sleep.”
(Whispered while she was still pretending to be asleep.)

We all had another good laugh over that.

Even in difficult times there are things that can bring a smile to our face.

Birthday Parties

We had two girls in our house who had birthdays in the last week and a half; of course, we had to have a party.  Yesterday was the big day.  Both sets of grandparents came bearing lots of gifts.  Uncle N even made it too.  The girls had lots of fun opening their gifts and even did a good job taking turns (because they had their own new toys to play with).  It didn’t take long after the gift opening was finished for the fighting over toys to begin.  We distracted them each with their own cake and some ice cream.  Some time outside was necessary, especially with the new scooter and trike.  The special request birthday meal brought us to a less busy evening (at least for the adults). 

I know that Bria running through the picture is a bit blurry, but the mess on the floor gives an indication of how many gifts the girls had to open. 

Bria’s requested cake: a zebra with grass and clouds.  This was quite the experiment for me.  I have never made such a detailed cake.

Bentley’s cake was a lot easier.  She really loves puppies and rainbows so I opted for the rainbow.

Bria had to try out Bentley’s trike, but Bentley wanted to ride too.  Bentley can’t quite reach the pedals, so this was a good compromise; however, it was a bit dangerous.  They both also had to try the scooter.  Bria knows how to ride it just fine, but Bentley just stood on it with both feet and had someone pull her around.  Thankfully (for me) there were plenty of helpers to make sure the girls were safe.

A Five Year Old

I absolutely can not believe that Bria is five years old.  It feels like she should still only be three.  Five is a significant age (at least in my mind), but I am very glad that it doesn’t also mean school.  As much as I used to think that it wouldn’t be a big deal for Bria to head to school for the first time, I am now realizing that it is already making me a bit emotional.  Anyway, that is still a year away. 

Here are a few pictures of our precious girl.

She is so pretty.

You may have to click on this picture to make it bigger to get the full effect; Bria was tired of cooperating because it was a bit chilly yesterday before church when we were taking these pictures.  Her response was typical for her, but the expression is priceless.

Happy Birthday Bria!

See Who's Two

Yesterday was Bentley’s birthday!  She is now two years old.  How the time has gone.  We didn’t do much in the way of celebration yet.  The girls will have a joint party with the grandparents in another week, so we just gave Bentley one small gift on her birthday.  Bria also made something for her to open (so sweet).  We also had a few cupcakes to share at bible study last night in honor of her birthday.

The presents from Bria, who worked the last couple of days to make them.

The Mrs. Potato Head from Mom and Dad.

Bentley showing us that she is two.  We have been working on holding up just two fingers.  She still needs some help to make it work.

What a beautiful little girl.

Her expressions are always great.

This little girl is very precious to us.

Labor Day Fun

This last weekend we had a lot of fun with David’s sister and her family. They came out to visit us, and we were able to see our newest nephew for the first time. He’s a cutie, and resembles both of his brothers. With five kids there was no lack of activity. The kids spent a lot of time outside riding the John Deere tractors (thanks grandpa and grandma), playing in the playhouse, and pushing the toy lawn mower around the yard.

Bria and Cousin C playing something from their imaginations. They had several disagreements throughout the weekend about how to play; each one had their own ideas about what they should do.

Sitting on the propane tank before sliding down.

Bentley wanted to do everything. She tried keeping up with the older kids, but she also wanted to sit and look at the baby. It was hard for her to do all that she wanted.

Bentley and Cousin L playing the piano.

Our biggest activities over the weekend were replacing a window and touring one of the local tourists attractions, 1880 Town.

David and J working on the window after they cut a whole in the wall. (It is nice to have some knowledgeable construction support before you cut a huge hole in your wall.) The previous window was a small octagon over the stairs for the dining/kitchen area. This new window lets in more light and allows us to see out the front of our house from the kitchen. I love it already, even though there is still a bit of work to be done around the inside of the window.

Our trip to the 1880 town was fun, though it was extremely windy and a bit chilly. The kids had a great time looking in all the buildings and climbing in every wagon. They even had a short comedy and music show that we attended. In the time that we have lived here, we had never been to the 1880 town, and it is something we would do again.

There is more that I could write about and more pictures that I could post, but hopefully this gives a good idea of our fun without being too much.