Sojourner Truth , Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rachel Carson, Harriet Tubman, Pocahontas

* Update *
We now have 6 healthy baby chicks. And they are ADORABLE! Elias loves to feed and water them. It has been a lot of fun. Now we are hatching Canada Geese eggs. A Canada Goose mother was killed yesterday and the nest of eggs was brought to my house. They are now incubating.


Our first two chicks! Hatched May 7th 2009~


Elias wants to crack all the eggs open and "get em out".
There are still several cracking their way out!
More pics to come.

Baby Chicks ...?

We (momma and elias) are incubating chicken eggs.
They are due to hatch May 6th.... aka Wednesday! We have been waiting patiently for almost 3 weeks (chicken gestation time). Turning the eggs several time daily, monitoring the tempeture and humidity. Hopefully our efforts will bring us some good hens (but mostly a great learning experience).




So, soon we will have 7...


So I need help! Naming my fine ladies.
Our grown hens are named:
Sacajawea
Rosa Parks
Amelia Earhart
Oprah

And we can't forget those who have died. RIP Ladies:
Mother Theresa
Hilary
Susan B. Anthony (My favorite hen)
Joan of Arc
Anne Frank
Elenore Roosevelt


So, I am taking nominations for names. Please post suggestions or email them to me.

My first hatch will be Sojourner Truth

The down side of hatching our own eggs is that we may get some roosters. Not sure what I am going to do with them. I only keep girls. Any one want roosters?

Earth Day Events~

Eric lead a group of cyclists in a community effort bike ride for Earth Day~
"I hope this event will promote cycling as a viable alternative for getting around our community" Castle Check out our local paper

The Reverend Samuel "Billy" Kyles

We had the honor this week of spending time with Reverend Kyles a close friend to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. He gave a powerful presentation at the University. I think we were all moved to tears.



Tuesday we had the pleasure of having Rev. Kyles in our home. He played cards with Elias and discussed the last moments of Dr. Kings life with us. We hope to meet up with him in Memphis sometime soon. What a powerful experience.



Also, We celebrated Elias's 3rd birthday recently. He loved having all of his friends at the swimming pool to play with him especially Grandpa Lamb.




Goldie and Elias are best buds. Goldie lives on the next block so we get to play a lot.


Nana bug also came out to celebrate Elias's birthday! Fun times!

Mommy's Best Helper

Elias is such a good boy when I have client. I usually work for an hour a day. I put a movie on for him and he engages and watches it. It is his only TV time so he usually is pretty interested.

Well... Kipper the Dog movie ended 15 minutes early! So he made breakfast!
A whole dozen eggs for the two of us!




He is quite proficient at getting the yolk and egg white in the pan, shells on the counter top and very proud of himself, as you can see.



My baby boy turned 3 this week. Boo hoo! He will always be my baby though. He gives the best hugs and kisses. Eric and I are totally enjoying this fun new stage of development and discovery. He makes us smile everyday!


Eric (far left) really enjoys teaching and being actively involved at University.

Eric and Elias both love being outside. And good news! Sacajewia, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, and Oprah all made it through the Minnesota winter!

X-Country Adventures with Papa~

Eric and Elias both LOVE the snow and playing in it! Honey our dog always goes along for the adventure too. They had fun cross country skiing around the park and our neighborhood.



This is Elias getting stuffed in the backpack! He loves riding on Papas back.



And they are off! Notice Honey the black spec in the photo running ahead of them...she is ever the runner! This is the view from our front door~

Mexico

We had a great 2 weeks in Mexico(at Christmas)! Especially Elias. He LOVED the sand and water. And we loved watching him play. He and cousin Lincoln had so much fun together~

Elias Loves any kind of moving machinery. So ATV's are a natural fit.


Lincoln and Elias
Team work dude.

Eric and I caught a few waves~


We love visiting the children's home as always~

Crookston Daily Times

http://www.crookstontimes.com/homepage/x497798962

Hey Eric, Elias and Heidi made the front page of our local paper today.
Check us out!

Woof Woof

Our Dog's name is HONEY-

But Elias has always called her Woof Woof.

So naturally honey is also called "Woof Woof". Elias likes "Woof Woof" on everything he eats...his bread, his cereal, even his pancakes.

I have been a baking factory this week. I have enjoyed trying new recipes. This is my Cranberry loaf. Eric likes to use it for Sandwiches with left over turkey.

"Bebe Desus"

Elias LOVES his nativity. We set it up in early November just so he could play with it for a little extra time.
Well, this week I got out all of the other Nativity scenes. Naturally, they are now the preferred toy. He mixes and matches. Yesterday I found about 10 lambs all lined up on the shelf~ all very different looking lambs from different nativity sets. but lambs none the less.
Today was the nativity highlight though. Elias decided to make "bebe desus" cereal. I came into the living room to find. My new table runner covered in baby Jesus's and milk.

Life is an adventure! And so exciting through the eyes of a 2 year old. Every Christmas decoration is an exciting new toy. Good times.

Elias and the Deer

Here is a censored picture of the deer that I "harvested" last week. It was a medium sized 8 point (4x4) white tail. I was able to field dress him by myself after watching many YouTube videos about the process. I was a little nervous that I was going to be too grossed out, because I felt that way when watching the videos. But when it came down to the business, it went pretty smooth. We have grilled up some steaks and made some roasts and we've come to the conclusion that venison is the new black- we love it. I'm hooked, I'm going next year. A word about the grouse - it was excellent, it went very nice with my alfredo sauce.

I've also included a picture of Elias at the fire station wearing his batman cape that Grandma Castle made for him. He loves wearing it.

France and Switzerland

Paris, France
I loved spending time with my dear friends from childhood~


View of Eiffel from the top of Notre Dame~ The most photographed gargoyle in the world

Lussane, Switzerland
Heidi Shop~


Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire~ They tasted really good!

Berne, Switzerland



A fun little shop just outside Paris~
CASTLE MARKET


Here is a link to my dear friend Whitney's blog. She has posted many of our pictures from France.
http://www.thepantons.blogspot.com/

While Heidi's away....

I have been busy at work and play. The paving project is something that I have been working on for a while. Last spring a student and I came up with a design and wrote a grant to get funding to build it. This fall I have been teaching a landscaping course and the students and I have been installing the design created last spring. After great work from the students and a few visits to the chiropractor it is finally coming together. So the weekend after most of the work was done I went grouse hunting and shot my first ruffed grouse. I haven't ate it yet but I'll let you know how it goes.

Lambert

This is what Elias is going to be wearing this Halloween.

Enjoy this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRtKAQJUc3g

Lambert the Sheepish Lion~

This is Elias's favorite book ever. We read it multiple times daily.
His favorite part is when the Mama sheep all start licking their babies to clean them~ at which point Elias turns around and proceeds to lick my cheek. I explain that people don't kiss/bathe with licks, we use lips to kiss and soap and water to bath. Doesn't help.

Second favorite part of the book ...the head butting. Yes, you guessed it. Elias loves to head butt now. All the other Lambs are doing it Mom...
Elias likes to head butt the other Lambs in the book and of course Mama and Papa are perfect targets...they are sitting ducks reading a book just waiting to be butted. Elias could really use a sib to play with...(which FYI we just signed on with LDS Family Services for adoption again. It is quite the long process and we are at the very beginning so no time soon)... And we are still hoping to get Juan up here to Minnesota.

Anyway~
Naturally Elias is going to be Lambert for Halloween. I will be gone on the 31st ~ so we will have a Mommy Halloween this week...

Happy Birthday Babe!

I am so glad you were born- because we belong together! I pulled these carrots from the garden Saturday and they reminded me of us!

For your Birthday I have made an alphabetized list of things that I love about you! Anyone else who reads on may puke...just a warning.


Artistic: You are a true designer. Your creative mind comes up with beautiful designs that please clients and provide for your family. Your paintings and drawings are works of art. I love the sketch of my playhouse you gave me for Christmas years ago. I cherish the work you make for me. You have gifted hands.

Buzzband: You are my Buzz and my very best friend. I would be lost with out you.

Creative: You are truly and artist! You have a beautiful creative mind. You’re the Cat’s pajamas.

Dream boy: You are my Alaskan dream come true! I love the exciting places and things we do together. You make life a dream. I say I want chickens, you build me a coop, I say I want to live in China, we move to China. I say I want to learn Spanish- we move to Miami Beach and attend the Spanish ward. And SO MUCH MORE! You fulfill me.

Enginuitive: You can figure out how to do, make, or build anything. It truly amazes me. This is one of my favorite things about you. The chicken coop you built, the artsy design fence you built for our yard, and so, so much more. You make things happen.

Funny: You still make me laugh everyday. You always do silly things to make me laugh and I LOVE it- even when I pretend like you bug me (I can’t believe I am putting this in writing) you crack me up.

Green: You are aware of environmental issues and you plan and design accordingly. You are so smart this way. I know you will save all the Bio-swales. : )

Hunk: Lets face it- you’re a babe! The new hair cut is very becoming.

Intelligent: You are so smart. You have natural ability to figure things out. I truly think you could test on the genius level. Next thing I know you will join MENSA. My brilliant husband.

Knowledgeable: You are my walking dictionary. If I need to know a word in Spanish, English, or Portuguese I just ask. You astound me with your knowledge.

Logical: You are discerning and you really think things through.

Mature: You are calm and even keel.

Neat and Tidy: Umm…wait. Did I just say that? Umm. Lets face it just look at your side of the bed. I’ll just skip to the next one. Love you babe.

Original: You are the plaid pants wearing fool of BYU…and the sporter of ugly ties. The old man hat wearing guy. You are uniquely You! I LOVE that you are who you are and don’t care what the rest of the world thinks. Remember when I nick-named you Norm…for Normal, well I was being sarcastic. ; 0

Patient: Patient with kids and me. After all you have put up with me going on 8 years now...

Real: There is nothing fake about you. I love that. I can read your mood and know what to expect. You are a truly genuine person.

Strong example: You provide such a good example for our foster sons and for your scouts and Elias.

Straight: As much as I love Carolyn Pearsons’s autobiography…I am so glad you are straight.

Tool Man: Whether is Photoshop or your workshop. You know how to gitter done. You know the tools and you always teach me so much.

Wise: You asked me to marry you. Happy Birthday my Love~

Good Night, I love you!

You might think he blinked in this picture- no, he is just really cheesy when he smiles for the camera.
Tonight after stories Elias made sure he got all his hugs and kisses. Then he made sure that mom and dad hugged and kissed too. He pushed our faces together and said "I love you". We love you too Elias!

It has been a long time since I last blogged...Times flies by so quickly. We have been busy. Eric has been very busy teaching. He loves his job though. I just wish we could spend more time with him. I am hoping things slow down after the first year of teaching. Eric is also sponsoring 2 clubs on campus. The Horticulture Club, and the Turf Club. So we have been hosting back to school BBQ's at our house the past few days. Elias loves all the people around.

I have been making Salsa, Tomato Sauce, and bread.
I have also started Teaching Yoga- and I LOVE it. I like it much more than teaching aerobics. It is just a better fit for me. Plus, I lacked the rhythm or memory or something in teaching Aerobics. I love Yoga- and teaching it gets me out of bed at 5:45am.

I also directed a 5K race last weekend. It was a great experience. I found some great sponsors- Thank you RoadID and we raised a good amount of money for the Alzheimer's Association. I am now planning a bigger race for Earth Day next spring- a 5k, 10k, and possible 1/2 Marathon. I like this directing races and feeling like I am donating to a good cause. The Earth Day race will raise funds for our Mother of course... Mother Earth.

I am running the North Country 1/2 Marathon this Saturday. Elias and ERic are coming a long to fish and Canoe. I will try to be better about taking pictures and posting. Sorry mom.

Visit from Grandma and Gramps!

It was so wonderful to have visitors in the Northland! Eric and his Dad went on a canoe fishing adventure for 4 days-

Lest you think Eric smashed his finger on a rock...



He was actually bit by a snapping turtle...he claims it was "gigantic"- see for yourself. : ) Pretty big, but does resemble a rock of sorts.



Elias, Grandma and I stayed home and played...we sewed, shopped, canned fruit, and went on bike rides! It was a great

And when the big boys got home we ate lots of Phish!

Garden Bounty-

I love vegetables. I love watching them grow. I love gardens. I love eating from them.



Meet our new fish...or "dish" as Elias calls him.
He has white translucent skin that sparkles in the sun, dark black eyes. He lives in our kitchen window and hides under the cover of the foliage in his bowl. I cut my finger while slicing veggies yesterday and a drop of blood got in his bowl- he went crazy swimming for it. So Naturally, his name is Edward. Did I mention that he is the most hansom fish I have ever seen?



Elias loves to catch the chickens and give them hugs. He puts them in the coop for me. He is a boy after his mothers heart. I love him so much.

Minneapolis

GO Twins!


Elias and I tagged along with Eric to buisness meetings in the "Twin" Cities for the week...We rode the light rail...Elias is obsessed with Trains. He was a little scared in this pic- the train was pretty loud.


We went to the Mall of America...a little overwhelming to us both. Elias loved Lego world and the Nicolodean theme park.


...I preferred Ikea

These are a Few of My Favoite Things

The County Fair

I LOVE going to the fair. I am totally a farm girl at heart. I love the ducks, horses, chickens, and most of all the Cows. I have always wanted to milk a cow. Every year we go to the Fair and I say "this is my year". I have had luck with milking goats. But this year I got a real treat, that's right. A big Heifer- totally engorged. It was so awesome. I totally milked her. I smiled for the rest of the day.



I am really enjoying Minnesota. We have a local organic garden that I am in love with and I get all my produce there. I also am able to buy farm fresh milk from a near by farm. I let the cream settle to the top of the jar and make my own butter. It is sooo good. Mmm mmm. With my fresh chicken eggs I am really in heaven.



Who Knew little kid rides were this much fun? It was so fun to see Elias get excited about the rides.

We camped out Friday night after going to the Fair- then Saturday we went to a Strawberry farm and picked and ate. We came home with almost 50lbs of Strawberries. Did I say 50? Yes. 50 Lbs. I have already made LOTs of Jam. And today at Chruch somebody brought Rhubarb to give away. So, more Strawberry, Rhubarb Pie.

Boundary Waters and Walnut Grove, MN

Juan and Eric went on a canoe trip to the Boundary waters of Minnesota. They had a great time. We drove Juan back to Kansas this week. It was sad, but it was a good, good bye. We know the family he is living with and they are great. We have been blessed to have Juan in our home for this last year.


To see more pictures from this trip click here

Also, I have been reading the Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I am a bit obsessed. I have loved this series for years, but reading it again with Juan has really been fun. We visited two of her homesteads on our way to Kansas this week. DeSmet, SD and Walnut Grove, MN. I LOVED taking it all in. Elias loved the animals. He rode a horse and thought he was pretty cool.



So, my next chicken is going to be named Laura. : )

Click here for more pictures of the Ingalls Homestead

Juan's Baptism

Juan is a delightful and kind boy. We are lucky to have him in our home and in our lives. His Baptism was a sweet occasion.

We are settling in up North in Crookston, Minnesota. The summer weather is beautiful nice and cool compared to hot, hot, humid Kansas (although I still love Kansas). North Minnesota has summer weather quite similar to Alaska. I have been reflecting on Alaska lately. Alaska is still my dreamland and feeling like I am there again has been exciting to me.

Poo poo on the Potty!!

It is a day to celebrate! Elias asked to go potty and he really did go...on the toilet!!
Happy Day! Who knew poopies could be so great?

Happy Birthday Juan!

Juan turns 11 today!
Baloon Toss! Con Agua : )



Pinata!!!



Juan had his last Orchestra Concert today...He did fantastic!


We made cupcakes for Juan's class last night...After all, it is Mustache May!

Elias attended a pre-school for 3 days this week held at Eisenhower Middle School (where I taught for the last 4 years). He had a ball. The middle school child development class put it on and the girls totally doted on Elias...he loved all the attention.

Okay, Grandpa Lamb take a good look at this little wooden kitchen set....cause we want it! Preferable made out of recycled wood. Love you Pops! Elias LOVED it!

Mother's Day and more...

Juan wrote me a poem for Mothers Day...

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
You are more better than the Roses

I love it! I smile every time I think about it.


Juan knew I wanted an egg box- for our endless eggs... I had been shopping for one and he suprised me by building this one.
He painted it the same color as his "Pine Wood Derby" Car. I helped him sand it and stain it for the distressed look I wanted. He is a Sweet heart. I will cherish it forever.




Eric and his good friend Earl (aka Earl the Girl) rode a Metric century Saturday for CASA- Court Appointed Special Advocate. A Great program that helps many of the kids we have in foster care. It was a fun and easy. I just sat back at the park and ate sun chips and the next thing I knew Eric was back...








Is this the most dicusting thing you have ever seen? Poor Elias had to sit there for 10 minutes (or what seemed like 10 minutes) while Eric fastened his bike to the roof. Just thought you all needed to endure that for a moment.



Elias insists that Juan drive...

Juan's 4th Discussion

We are all enjoying having the missionaries around more often. They are great, and they love Juan. We all love Juan. He is truly the perfect kid. We are so lucky to have him in our home and we look forward to lifelong friendship with our sweet boy Juan.

Dodge City, Kansas aka Cowtown

We had a fun road trip to Dodge City Kansas. We took Honey and my good friend Dee along with us.

We attended a banquet and met the current Marshal of Dodge City. He is a total Cowboy. He even pulled out his guitar and sang "Home on the Range" for Juan (Kansas's State Song).







Juan's Self Portrait



We visited some historical sites in Dodge. We Loved learning about the real Wyatt Earp and his friends.




And the very best part of the trip was...
SUSANNA!!



It was so wonderful to see her again. She lived with us from October 2007- Feb 2008. I still miss her so much. She is a sweet, beautiful girl!

Bad News Bears

Our house totally unsold on Monday. The family that was going to buy canceled the contract. Boo hoo. I guess the father is going to be deployed in May so they are going to stay where they are for now.
The good news is...Eric is coming Home!!! His first semester teaching is done so he will be back in KS with us very soon. We are just crossing our fingers that the house sells - or that we can find really good renters.
: )

Honey, Honey

Meet our new dog Honey-
She is 9 months old and already well trained. She is so good with Elias.



Oddly enough she is also very good with the Chickens. We adopted her from the Humane Society- she is part Blue Healer and part Rottweiler- both strong herding dogs. She herds the chickens to the coop constantly. She is gentle with them- and guides them back to the coop- sometimes it is a little annoying as I want the chickens to get bugs in the yard.

Our Last Weeks in Kansas

We will miss Kansas so much. It is definitely with a little pain and emotion that we leave our friends, neighborhood, and home behind. The hardest part by far is not being able to take Juan with us to Minnesota. He is a part of our family. We love him so much. He will go to another family here in Manhattan, KS until he can be reunited with his family in Mexico. Juan is an absolutely delightful boy. He makes me laugh everyday. He is getting so good with the Violin.

Juan's Mom is great. She sends him the sweetest cards and letters.
She is so pleased with his schooling and ability to speak English. We love Veronica very much. Juan looks forward to going to live with her again. We hope it will be soon.
Juan plans to come back to the US to attend College. He said he wants to go "where Eric teaches". We will continue to know and love Juan. We even hope to see him and his family in Mexico. We Love you so much Juan!!




My dear friend and mentor Dr. Dee McKee is another one who will be greatly missed. Although I will still be working on her campaign from Minnesota, we won't be able to have our noon tea on Saturdays. I am sure I will still be calling her regularly with questions about life... : )
I love the twinkle in Elias's eye when he watches Juan.

Homeless!!!

Being homeless (or almost homeless) is Great!! Or perhaps it is just a relief...Selling a home is stressful.



We accepted an offer on our house. We hope all goes through.

We plan to close May 23 the last day of Juan's school.

We love our home in Kansas. We will take many memories from this chapter in our lives. Starting a new chapter in Minnesota is a little scary.

Elias Turns 2 in Atlanta!

We had a great trip to Atlanta last week! We got to meet up with Eric (who was at a conference) And hang out with some great people who also happen to be our great friends: Vaughn and Mags

The Warm weather and pretty flowers were a refreshing change.



The Flying Biscuit is my Atlanta Favorite- It is a local eatery, with lots of fresh foods. The Indigo Girls are part owners and it is in a fun little part of town. Eric, Elias and I all gave it thumbs up.

Spring Hats!

Juan's Mom Veronica made the boys some very cute hats!


Veronica is such a sweet person! She loves Juan so much and takes great interest in what is going on in his life. We love her very much.

Callin' Dad

Elias Loves to use the phone. Yesterday he called Eric all by himself and jabbered a long message on Eric's Voice mail. Eric loved it.

Grocery Store Drama....

Elias refused to eat breakfast this morning... Sometimes all a parent can do is offer the food.
So off we go to the grocery store...happy as a clam.

Until we get to the cereal isle that is... He calmly got out of his stroller, selected some cheerios (we already had at home FYI) and attempted to open the box. I told him no and the tears, crying, and screaming began.

I shop at a little Ma and Pop type store- the employees know me and Elias well. The manager, Yung, felt so bad that she went and bought him cereal and milk.
So today Elias learned...When I scream and cry and make a scene in public- I get exactly what I want. Lovely. (Very kind effort on Yung's part tho)






We made cookies last night. The boys insisted on wearing aprons like me.

Minnesota Here We Come!

Eric accepted an assistant professor position at the University of Minnesota- and started in January.
I am still in Kansas selling the house and getting the foster care situation in order. And hope to join him soon.
Eric came home to visit last weekend and do some work outside. The boys Loved having him back. Elias is totally a Daddy's boy.


Juan LOVES cub scouts! He is so proud of his uniform.

Christmas 2007

Juanito- Such a delightful boy!!!


First time in serious snow







Christmas Eve

Elias with his new truck and baby doll Christmas Morning


Ummm.... Uncle Jake, who was also excited about his new toys.

Top 10 in 2007

10 Ten hour road trip thru Yellowstone Park with my cousin’s from Spain- Now I REALLY want to move to Spain

9 Nine boy scouts in Eric’s Troop- He really enjoys being the Scout Master

8 Eight hens-a-laying! Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Anne Frank, Hilary and Oprah live in our back yard and lay wonderful fresh eggs for us daily - I LOVE my pet chickens!

7 Seven warm days in the Dominican Republic with Eric’s Family- It was a great vacation and we got to see where Jake served his mission

6 Six foster children lived in our home this year: Maria, Michael, Christina, Juan, Susanna and Shareena - We love getting to know these kids and their families

5 Five hundred new tricks performed by Elias- We Love watching him grow and discover. He is a biker and a reader- a total “I can do it myself man”

4 Four years in Kansas! A wonderful place to live

3 Three ½ Marathons Plus one DAM Marathon (the Teton Dam Marathon that is) 26.2 miles Ran by Heidi

2 Too Many Great Friends and Family members to count! We are blessed with wonderful people in our lives! Like you!
And the #1 highlight!!

1 One Little boy adopted and sealed to his family forever – Elias Jay Lamb Castle
Peace on Earth!

Ice Storm and Major Power Outage!

We have been with out lights and heat for 4 days! Yikes! The Midwest is colder than I thought!

We stayed at home built a hot fire in the fireplace and waited the storm out- We were so happy when we got power back last night we lit off fireworks!


Welcome Shareena!
Shareena moved in with us in late November- She is a sweet and VERY helpful girl! We love having her in our home.




It is a new look Eric is working on- he hasn't perfected it yet, he is thinking about calling it Blue Ice.




He is such a copy cat- it is unreal! He does everything he sees.

Elf Family!

Check out this Family of Elves! http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1128082078

Like Father Like Son-

This is Elias on his changing table getting a clean diaper. He likes to flag all of the books he owns. Eric takes a book into the bathroom to read every night. Gross I know. Thus the -Like Father like son.

Thankful For...

A heart full of gratitude is a happy heart. We like to count our blessings...especially at Thanksgiving.


Our home that shelters us and keeps us warm.




Eric's Fudgey Pecan Pie~ Delish!



A Daddy who likes to Cuddle with Grover



The funnest Nativity Ever! From Grandma Wendy : )


And most of all we are Thankful for Baby Jesus~ The reason for this Grand Season!

My Little Carhartt Man

Every time he goes outside the bike (like a magnet) pulls him in-




I was holding our cat Noah the other day and Elias wanted in on the action. He loves the cats so much.
When ever Eric and I hug he does the same thing- he wants to hug us. So now we do the Baby sandwich hug with Elias in the middle.

Quiero Cake!

Welcome to our Spanglish Family!
Elias is begging for a bite of Juan's Cake...look at his eyes totally focused on the cake.



Every bite Juan takes Elias thinks is coming to him.

But it just keeps passing him by...



Again...


And Again...




Thank goodness for Pa! (All mom does is stand around and take pictures).

Twin Ghosts

Boo #1 Boo #2
Matthew and Connor and their family came to our ward Halloween party. I love those little ghosts. It is so fun to see them.
It is also funny because Elias totally gets jealous. Apparently I make a big fuss over them. Elias will push them out of the way and hold me in his arms.

Meet Oprah

Meet our new Hen Oprah- Isn't she beautiful! Her feathers have a blue iridescent color but on her breast the feathers have orange undertones.



This is Rosa Parks- The dark red hen in front. We call her Rosie. She is the one who killed Ann Frank earlier this year.



Susan B. Anthony- Suzie is my favorite hen. She follows me around the yard when ever I let her out. She loves to be held. And she is a regular layer. : )


Amelia Earhart (below)was so appropriately named. She is a flyer and an explorer. We often find her in the neighbors yard. And once found her 2 blocks away scratching and pecking.

Hilary- (below) I love the splash of color she adds to the flock.


Sacajawea is molting right now- I will post pics of her and Elanor later.

Elias's First Bike

We found this little bike at a garage sale about a month ago- It is his favorite thing. It is hard to get him off of it.

Big Boy Brusher

I was so proud watching Elias brush his teeth all by himself today. I had a big proud mama smile- Then he walked over to my make-up drawer and spit in it : 0

Eric's Famous Vegetarian Chili

This is ERic's 3rd batch this Fall- I love it! It warms the belly on these cool Fall dayz. Delish!

Welcome Susana

Susana is from Guatemala. She moved in to our house yesterday. She is a sweet and quiet 15 year old. She has only been in the US since June- and just came into foster care yesterday. We are glad to have her in our home.

Pumpkin Carving

Eric's is the circle eyes and mouth.
Susana's is the Green pumpkin.
And Juan's is the one in front.

The Pumpkin Ranch

No School Friday! We played at the Farmers market, went on a hay ride, and picked pumpkins. : )
We got 2 new Chickens Too! I need help naming them. I will post pictures asap.

Bed Time Fun with Dad

I took the night off and Eric played with Elias, who has been extra cranky and tired lately while fighting a cold. Why is Dad so much more fun than Mom? Hmmm.

Elias's first trip to the Ocean

Juan Flying our Plane

San Francisco

We had some fun adventures in San Francisco. Juan is now fascinated with airplanes. Any paper scrap he can find is folded into a paper airplane.

Sunday Fun

Elias's favorite game is playing chase. His laugh is contagious.

Climber-

Elias's new favorite place in the house is standing on top of the dining room table. It is not the most sturdy table- it is a drop leaf- but is is so dang hard to keep my eyes on him 24/7.

Juan and Elias watching TV
They love each other so much.

Uncle Brandon's Hat.

Elias is helping me knit Uncle Brandon a hat.
He is proficient at pulling out my stitches.

Breakfast and a Movie

Wow-having them both strapped down is so nice.
So, has anyone watched the Baby Einstein special feature-"Message from Julie Clark"
Well- she gives guidelines for using the videos, and recommends sitting next to the TV and explaining each screen to the child.
Are you kidding me?
This is (nearly) the only time in the day to get stuff done.
So today they watched Spanish Stories- on repeat- 3 times.
And I got to clean the kitchen and blog.
: )

How many sticks can we fit?

The chickens entertained the mischief makers for hours, but, he Coop is now filled with small sticks.

We are going to be friends...

But first someone needs to learn to share.
I took Elias to a playgroup at the church on Tuesday morning. He had so much fun- and played so nicely. Prideful Mom came home thinking "My boy is so well behaved he really knows how to share."
Well, Wednesday morning Anastasia came to visit (5 days).
My sweet sharing boy is totally different on his own turf- and Wow, can he make noise when things don't go his way.
Anastasia is only 10 months older- but at least twice the size of Elias. You can see his reaction when she sat on his fire truck, if only you could hear it.

After a few territorial disputes things seemed to mellow and they had a great time chasing the chickens in the back yard.

Juan waits for the school bus on the front porch. Elias (still in his diaper ug- one of those mornings) cries if he doesn't get to go outside with Juan.

Home Sweet Home

Elias and I made it back to Kansas after a long day of travel yesterday. Traveling with a 17 month old is definitely an experience to be had.
Our flight was delayed in SLC so we had some extra time to play at the airport. I wanted Elias to get some running around time before he had to be contained on the flight. So, despite my sore (very sore) legs we played chase. He was making a straight B-line down the main hallway- bypassing all the stores and gates. So it caught me quite off guard when he darted into the Mens room. Oops. He was fully in the bathroom by the time I caught him. Its Labor Day weekend- the airport is packed and I am running around urinals trying to catch the pipsqueek.
He keeps life interesting.
We Idahoans (mainly me and Larry C.) pride ourselves in appropriate airport restroom behavior. I hope I don't get arrested.

Bath Time, after a long hard day of getting dirty!

I thought I got most of the sand off of him at the picnic- but the bottom of the tub was covered-

Labor Day 2007

Yes- this is Elias covering himself in sand, honestly, I was just glad he was staying in one place- I was so tired of chasing him.
We had a fun morning at Sunset Zoo and spent the afternoon at a ward picnic.

01 September 2007 ` Idaho State Fair

September 1st was one long day- beginning with the race and ending with an evening at the Idaho State Fair. Elias made such a fuss over the animals at the fair. He screamed and hollered with excitement telling everyone around how great the goats were.

The Finish Line with her Bro's

I ran the Pocatello 1/2 Marathon. It was so fun to run in my hometown with my fam there- King (the black lab in the photo) is the best running partner a girl could ask for (next to Katherine who doubles as my therapist). King lets me know when it is time to go in the morning by comming to my bedside and liking my feet...gross I know, but he gets me out the door in the am.

Clap for Mommy!

Race Prep

4 Wheelin' it with Grandpa

Triking with Mommy

Chasing Grandpa's Chickens

So, who knew I could kill a chicken with my bare hands? Hmm...
My Dad's rooster went after Elias in the back yard...and I paralyzed him. oops.
Yes, I am still vegetarian...but I may take a bite of that %$#&* Rooster.

Watching the Ducks bathe

My New (Modified) Trike

New Goggles!

Elias loved wearing the goggles- when we took them off he put them back on.

Tantrums