2010 Fall Family Pictures

Here are the pictures we took as a family. No professional was required. We took them with a tri-pod. Feel free to download a copy for yourself. If you want one sent to you via email, just contact me.

Once Upon a Sunday

James' first day in Nursery, and I wanted him to look his best! Well, it worked out, until he was too big for his vest and couldn't really lift up his arms.Clara, on the other hand, looked lovely in her "Princess Dress"!

Dress Up

Oh, what fun it is to have a little girl who has long hair. I had way too much fun curling Clara's hair the night before. I was so excited and couldn't wait to see the ending results.They were so soft and long. As the day went on, Clara's curls got relaxed and even cuter!She wanted to dress up in her ballerina costume.James tried to make a mess, as usual, while I helped Clara get ready."Twirl, Clara, twirl!"Her friend came over and they decided to "twirl together".Oh, what fun it is to be a girl!

Canning: Take 2

We go through life learning by the mistakes we make, right? Well, a couple days after we canned our first batch, I was brave enough (and with the pain gone) to retry my applesauce canning. All the apples finally were canned and we ended up with 8 jars of applesauce. Jonathans on the Left and Gala on the Right.
Note to self: Jonathans are a bit more tart and you really don't have to add anything sweet to it. Also, if you don't take the skins off, they make the applesauce "pink".
Galas are a sweeter apple, so don't add too much sweetness to it or no one will eat it except for Clara and daddy.

Here He Comes to Save the Day!

Can you guess what James will be for Halloween?Hint: He's faster than a speeding bullet-especially when mommy and daddy are chasing him through the store.

The Price of Canning

So, Dale and I decided to try our hand at canning. We went with something simple . . . applesauce. It was lots of fun!Jonathans on the Left and Galas on the Right.You know that apples get hot? And if they get on your skin, they continue to cook? They don't say, "Hey! Wait a minute. Stop cooking while we 'rest' in this person's hand." Nope! They just keep on cooking.My hand is better now, but the 3 jars we canned were the only ones we did that day!

September 4, 2010 "Steffen's Orchard"

Because of the bad frost last year, we were unable to go to the apple orchard. The weather was beautiful this year though, so we grabbed Memee and Grandpa Choo Choo and went.

We decided to bring the wagon this year so that the "widdle guy" wouldn't get tired of walking.Clara was so excited to get started. She thought she'd carry the box filled with apples. That didn't last long.James took a bite of the first picked apple. He loved it! As we filled the boxes, he liked to taste test every apple. Clara was a great help, picking all kinds of apples!The Jonathans and Galas were ready for picking. We were told that there was a mother dove and a baby dove in a nest nearby. Dale jumped to the chance of taking a picture. Just me, scoping out all the apples.In the end we had over 40 lbs of apples. We will make this a yearly tradition, as long as we don't have a bad frost.

Sweet Baby James

Notice anything missing? Besides manners and a clean face, James' side curls are gone. After getting flack from several people (who shall remain nameless . . . Dale), I snipped them off. Aside from the old ladies who made me promise never to cut them, I hesitantly decided it was time.I sealed them in a plastic bag and will be putting them in his baby book.

Mommy's favorite curls!

August 23, 2010 First Day of School

After a successful pre-school year, we decided to continue on the path of Homeschooling for Clara. She loves to learn and is a very smart girl. She has enjoyed being at home and learning. I asked he at the beginning of the year if she wanted to go to an actual school and have a teacher or have me be her teacher. She said she wanted me to be her teacher. I asked her why, and she simply said, "Because you help me to learn what is right." I think she meant "to choose the right". Either way, its rewarding to see her grow and learn everyday!

Getting Ready For Bed

Every night, before we go to bed, we brush our teeth. Now that James is tall enough to reach the water, we can't get him out of it.We also read stories.

James' favorite is Jack and the Beanstalk. It's a flip book with mice and a big cat. He loves it when daddy makes all the funny sounds.Clara's favorite (lately) have been anything with Barbie in it.