Everybody helps...

...with the apple sauce.

 

We're almost done. 3 more batches to go.

Maggie is still coughing alot and is pretty stuffed up, but her fever is finally gone. Hopefully she'll feel good tomorrow when she wakes up.

Arnie and Maggie have been giving me little presents all week to celebrate "Birthday Week".  Today's present was Reeses' Peanut Butter Cups, but my favorite part was the envelope from the card, Maggie wrote it all by herself. Look how good she's getting at writting mom...

She also pointed out that she made the o look like a heart. Such a smart little girl.

Tomorrow we're headed out camping again, it looks like the weather will be better this time. I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with my family and forgetting that I'm coming home a decade older (yikes!)

fall=APPLES

Maggie's starting to feel better, she spent most of the day on the couch watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She was pretty sleepy and quiet, both of which are very unusual for her. By the time she headed for bed tonight she was starting to act a little more like herself. Hopefully when she gets up tomorrow she'll be good as new.






Today the Applesauce making began. While Maggie was on the couch I started the apple peeling...I peeled and peeled and peeled (actually Arnie peeled the 3rd batch). The first 3 batches are finished, 7 more to go. My Aunt Barbara would be proud.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A rodeo, a picnic, an anniversary and a home run derby...

WHEW....I apoligize in advance for the length of this post...but it's been a busy couple of days. On Friday night Arnie, Maggie and I went to the rodeo in Omaha. Gracie hung out with Grandma and Grandpa.  Maggie liked the rodeo, but what she really loved was getting to stand by the ready area and watch the horses. 

Here's a video of her cattle roping lesson:
http://youtu.be/mgQXGpk_4pk

Dick and Betti loaned us their cowboy boots....I kind of liked wearing them, I might have to get myself a pair.

Getting ready to learn to rope. Unfortunately for Reagan, she got to bring that rope home.



"Here, horsey, horsey."

You'd think she was growing up on a ranch.

She loved the girls we carried the flags between events.

Uncle Deem was her first roping victim.

Saturday we got up early and headed back to Norfolk for Norfolk Iron Family Safety Day....the highlight of the event was Maggie's race.  Well, actually the highlight was painting her car, she came in 4th out of 15 kids in the 3-5 category, but they raced each car 6 times, so after a couple of races, she'd had enough and was off to bounce in the bounce house.



Who gave him the keys???

After Family Day we headed for Yankton for Lauren's Softball team fundraiser. Maggie and Arnie both hit in the home run derby. Maggie did awesome! She was so excited, she actually hit the ball a few times (pretty well) then the girls told her to run to first base and they all cheered for her. She was so proud of herself and Lauren loved it too. Everybody who participated got a tshirt, so Maggie got an adult small, the littlest size they had, she slept in it last night, and thought it made the best nightgown ever.

Batting practice...

Best Pals...

Her first swing...

I would do anything to have a video of this, she had just hit a pretty good grounder, and she was trying to
figure out what to do next....

...then she ran to first base!

Grace and Jill cheering Maggie on!

Notice Maggie's cute belt...we were ready to leave home and her butt crack kept showing, so I took
Reagan's Husker collar and put it around Maggie's waist. It worked great and looked pretty cute too!

Before we left we got to make a quick stop by Lauren's room so Maggie could see where she lives at college.

Yesterday was also our 6th Wedding Anniversary, while we didn't do much to celebrate, we did get to spend the whole day together as a family, so it was perfect. Six years have passed really quickly; so much has changed and we've had such a great time, I can only imagine what's to come.

Unfortunately today Maggie is sick. We made it through church and then headed for brunch and she got sick at the restaurant and has been home with a fever since. Hopefully Grace won't catch the germs and hopefully when she gets up tomorrow morning, Maggie will be back to her bouncy energetic self.

Do you know why...

...the park is SCARY for a 6 month old???

.....now you do! Maggie just wants to help Grace have fun too.  We went to Tahazouka park to play tonight, the best part might have been Maggie trying to say Tahazouka all the way home. I wish I had recorded all her variations.

Yesterday the girls went to the park with Grandma, apparently that was a more relaxing trip for Grace....

Gracie's new facial expression...like an old man who forgot his dentures...

The park is an exhausting place!!

Today when I picked Maggie up at school, one of the teachers, who just adores her, said that today she told Maggie her skirt was really pretty and asked if she could wear it. Maggie said "No silly, your too big, but I'll give you a hug instead." :)

Arnie's went to a dinner tonight at a feed lot in Wisner, while we were having supper Maggie asked me if Daddy was eating with the cows? I told her I didn't think so, then she asked if he was eating the same thing as the cows? I didn't have the heart to tell her he was probably eating the cows....

A few more pictures...

Gracie hangin' at a bar (a sports bar...we only have so many options around here for dinner)

Yesterday Maggie sounded out and then spelled several words for Mom and I. She's doing great. This letter box
has been a great help.

Saturday morning Arnie and Maggie are racing their pinewood derby car at the NIM picnic...it may not be fast but it sure is pretty.

Big Stuff!

Yum, yum, this sweatshirt tastes delicious!

Today, Grace thought I was really funny, until she noticed the camera....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR_-Xqj4wcA

Did you know...

"Green beans are peas all grown up."  -Maggie

Maybe we should have her eyes checked....

Our house was pretty boring yesterday...Maggie went to school, Arnie went to work and I did more loads of laundry then should be created by a family of 4. 

I'm including the pictures below of Peanut and Reagan, just incase there is any question of what they look like because....

on the way to gymnastics last night, Maggie said, "Mom, Reagan and Peanut look alike." I said something like, really, I've never noticed. She responded with a sarcastic, "Their legs look alike, their paws look alike and they both have ears." I guess I'll have to give her that one.  I hope that just because I have ears, it doesn't mean I look like them too!

BBBRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

This weekend we made our first ever family camping trip. It was cold, wet and rainy ALL weekend, but we had a great time. We liked it so much we're already planning on doing it again in a couple of weeks.

We left Thursday later afternoon and headed for Mahoney State Park. Arnie got the camper backed into our campsite on his first attempt and we were set up and grilling hotdogs before dark. It was chilli and wet most of the weekend, but the rain stopped most of the day Friday and both nights in time for campfires. We played games, did projects, went to the park and ate...and ate....and ate. Oh ya, and got pretty muddy! Grace and Reagan both seemed a little confused about what we were doing and why we weren't at home in our warm dry houses but they both settled into it just fine.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend...



Ready for bed...






Brrrrrrr......let's have some hot chocolate!!


Gracie, chill in' by the fire.


"Grandpa, GET ME DOWN!!!!"


Maggie 'helping' aunt Laura and Uncle Mark put up their tent. (pretty sure it was a colder weekend for them then the rest of us.)





Showing Gramma how good she is at her numbers.


Arnie taught Deem how to play Gin....I don't think Vadim has one a hand yet, but I bet it won't be long.








"MMMMMMmmmmmm.....Grandpa, give me more before Mom comes back with that bottle."





Saturday Grandma Westerfield and Aunt Joyce came to visit, it was too cold to have dinner outside, it's a good thing mom and dad had room for all of us. Grandma was glad to see her camper all cleaned up and in use, we sure appreciate her letting us use it.


A few glow bracelets from Papa for the fire. They provided lots of entertainment for Maggie and Uncle Vadim.



It's still raining...



Arnie's very stylish camping outfit...that's right those are workbooks, untied....it looked even funnier in person.



"Mom, I'm wet!! but I still don't want to go home."


When we got home, it was 70 degrees and sunny, which was good because there was lots of stuff we had to get out and dry off. It was a great weekend, I can't wait to do it again!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad