OCT everything

It seems that lately I am capturing all the fun and daily life on my phone camera. It is handy and I seem to have it with me most of the time. As part of my "family journaling" I just have to remember to upload the 750 pictures every month! Might as well start with our September through October fun!

I went to help in Brecon's class while they drew a fire escape plan and talked about fire safety. I love these little chances to see my children in their classroom environment, how they interact with their friends and what they talk about. Brecon's teacher talked about what a good boy he is, he does his best work and really is excited about learning. He is kind and a good helper.

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Brecon hard at work and Cael swinging in the tree. Our children ( and the neighbors ) have loved this tree swing that Ben put up when we moved in. There is a slight hill so when we push the kids really hard they are flying high in the direction of the street. They love to twirl and swirl around the tree like cirque-de-siol, and they've only smashed into the tree on their backs a few times. Cael is especially talented with his twirling and spinning, it really is fun to watch him.

Here is the "front" of our house here on post. Technically it is the back because our garage and parking spaces are right behind me. It is a little funny to have everyone who enters walk through the not-always-clean kitchen to get in. The kitchen is the Heart of the Home and mine is always full of dirty dishes!

Ben and Cael were joking around with the water hose in the front and they both ended up so wet! They love to play tricks and laugh when they are winning...

... then Ben gets mad and the fun is over! No more water fights you crazy kids!

Ben all dressed up and home from work. He looks so handsome in his uniform.

My big 4th grade boy! We are still in the thick of piano lessons and he is doing so well. He does a little computer homework every night, practices his songs, does a few chores, and then he disappears with a book. After dinner and messing around, he is found reading until we call to him to turn off the light. Usually he tries to stay up longer and read even after we've gone to bed! At least he is enjoying the books we find for him. Currently he is on the third book in the "Adventurers Wanted" series. Fun, fast and a good time.

Here are a few shots from the "backyard". We are lucky to have some great people we share with, good equipment to play on, and they even let us share playing with all their dogs (4 different dogs to play with) The boys are loving it! Cael is the oldest, Brecon the roughest (we had a few incidences with a little neighbor boy) The swing set is a big hit and we purchased a trampoline to contribute to the backyard fun. Brielle loves getting pushed by her brothers (above) and Brecon loves to pet Babs. She is a good dog!

I love when I pick up my phone and I find 200 pictures of the same face... I am not even joking. These kids have hijacked my camera function too many times. Still I have to keep one or two to remember the moment.

Becky and Ben at IKEA. In the hopes of grabbing the apple strudel dessert I walked away disappointed. Europe IKEA is different that U.S. IKEA I am afraid to say.

One weekend we took the family camping and explored a nearby pond. The sand was very soft and it was a perfect day to walk along it. As we read the signs nearby we were a little confused that the water was "closed for the season". We didn't just in the water or anything, but Cael kept running into the edge. Suddenly we heard a 4-wheel speeding in our direction and a man yell to us "No wading in the water, not even your toes!" Talk about taking your job seriously! Our campsite was noisy so I didn't feel too bad that Brielle was a beast the whole night. She really does need her own container to sleep well during the night, sharing is not recommended.

The evening is the best time to wrestle and play rough. The kids are getting stronger so I can only play for a little while until I am too tired. The boys squeal and love this time with Daddy!

Our friends the Elgan's had a giant carrot in their garden and Cael thought it was pretty awesome to chew on that until he was full. Then  Ben took a turn and worked on that ginormous vegetable for 1/2 an hour. He eventually got the hiccups and finished it  despite the small inconvenience.

The day I left to fly back to Utah Ben took the boys out for some fun. Lunch at Wendy's, Duncan Donuts, and a small party at Chuck-E-Cheese. No wonder the boys love it when I leave :) Connor had too much fun and crashed on the drive home (picture below)

All dressed up and ready for church. This was sent to me from Ben while I was away.

... and this is what happens when you leave a baby with a jar of nutella open nearby, I hadn't even had time to take her church clothes off. You know when you are busy and you can hear the background noise of kids laughing and teasing one another? I thought everyone was playing together- so you can imagine the surprise when we discovered this little hungry lady. At least I know if a survival-type situation she would not be starving, this one knows how to fend for herself.