Happy Birthday Gracie

Gracie celebrated her 7th birthday yesterday. What a blessing and a joy this little girl is to me. I love having someone to make cute things for and paint finger nails with. Gracie is a great big sister and for the most part plays nicely with others and trys to include the little boys in the things she is doing. She is a little feisty but I suppose with three brothers she has to be. Gracie love school and one day will learn to get up and move fast as it is she now loves to lounge in bed for 15 minutes before she can get moving. I love my little Princess Gracie.

We had a toe sock day for Gracie's birthday.

Enjoying a Nice Fall.

The weather has been really nice and we have been trying to get out and enjoy it because we know it will not last. We went to a framers market on Saturday and got some pears and pumpkins. We also got to go on a hay ride and enjoy some bluegrass music. What a nice way to spend a Saturday morning.

We also went to a concert in the park last week. This is something we used to do a lot but don't have as many opportunities to do it here is Cascade. Will is a dancer and he just can't help but move when he hears music playing. He had a ball and stole the show because everyone was watching him dance.

A visit from Grandma and Grandpa

Grandma and Grandpa Eberhard came to visit for the kids birthdays.

Grandpa spent some time teaching Will how to shave.

We made a trip to Riggins and tried to find some blackberries to pick. This is the boys taking a break by the Salmon River. We didn't find any blackberries but we had fun exploring Riggins.

Grandpa brought a bow and arrow and we all had a try at shooting the cardboard box.

Happy 10th Birthday

Jack celebrated his 10th birthday on the 19th. It is so hard to believe that 10 years have passed since he was born. Jack is a great kid. He does very well is school and absorbs information and remember everything that he hears unless it is directions for doing a chore. Jack is a very compassionate and is loving and kind to his little brothers and sisters. He does like to tease though and does plenty of pestering too. Jack likes to talk a lot and is always asking how things work, or why things are the way they are. I am now famous in our house for saying "Google it" because I only know the answer to about 1 in 4 questions that he asks me. I love Jack a lot and can't imagine our family without him.

Some Happenings

This is Samuel on his first day of school. He was needing a little speech therapy and so he goes to school on Wednesday and Thursday mornings for three hours. He really likes it and Will and I enjoy our mornings were it is just the two of us.

Will is learning to help around the house even when his help is not so helpful.

Rodney and I went with his brother and sister and their spouses the McCall for dinner one night. It was nice to have an evening without the kids and we tried out a new restaurant in town. We ate some great BBQ and had a wonderful time.

Will and Samuel are really bonding with so much time alone now that the other kids are in school.

We drove to Sweet, Idaho for a stake dance. It was a cowboy theme which if you know Rodney had him hooked even though it was over an hour drive. Rodney was driving and made Will car sick and he threw up in the car and so he ran around in his diaper.

Just Hanging Around

Rodney had to work out of town for two weeks. He returned Labor Day weekend and rewarded the kids by giving them rides on the boom truck. The kids loved it. I found that I have a fear of heights that seem to be growing with my age.

Another School Year

The kids are ready to start another school year and both are very happy to be going back to school.

Jack will be in 4th grade this year.
Gracie will be in 1st grade and doesn't she look excited.

Will

This blog is to help remind me how much I love this little guy. He hasn't been sleeping very well the last few weeks. He wakes up about 4 times a night. He fusses and fusses. He takes me down stairs to the frig like he wants a drink and then pushes it away when I give it to him. He wants me to turn the tv on. He wants to be as much trouble as possible and not go back to sleep. I haven't been very happy with him lately but when you look at the cute little face in this picture you can't help but just want to give him a hug and kiss. I just keep telling myself this to shall pass.

A Sad Tale

I grew up with a dad who always had a beautiful garden and since the time I finished my first house have always tried to grow a garden - never successfully. I did not inherit my dad's green thumb. Since we have lived in Cascade I have not had a garden spot because we rent and I couldn't dig up the yard anywhere. I decide this year to turn the flower be into a garden. I planted broccoli, romaine lettuce, tomatoes and zucchini. The broccoli got eaten by some critter. The Romaine lettuce grew well but it was lettuce. The tomatoes were on their way to making me very happy and looking pretty good when the weather decided to change and we had a week of 25 degree nights in August. I am so sad. The zucchini and tomatoes are goners and I am seriously thinking about giving up my dream of being a gardener.

Samuel the 2 wheel riders.

Samuel is now an expert bike rider. He taught himself to do it with just a lot of trial and error. That is the way all of the kids so far have learned to ride. I consider myself lucky to not have to run down the road holding the back of a bicycle. I am so proud of you Samuel.