Pumpkin Patch 2012

A perfect Autumn day was presented to us for our annual trip to Vala's Pumpkin Patch.  It was a beautiful 80 degrees and sunny, and we had some free tickets courtesy of my good friend.  Usually it is in celebration of our nephew's birthday that we head to Vala's, but this year it was to celebrate my friend's daughter's birthday.  That means there were seven little girls running around together.  Surprisingly, very little drama ensued!!

My girls were not too keen on being photographed, but I managed to snag a few pictures.  Like this one of Evelyn playing dead:

And these of the girls riding in the pedal cars:

And these of the girls jumping on the pillows:

Beyond these very few photos, I didn't take anymore.  Despite lack of photographic proof, the girls had a great time!  They always head fearlessly into the "haunted" house (no photo).  They love to roast hot dogs over the camp fire (no photo).  And they love helping the birthday kid open presents (no photo).

Thanks to my friend Amanda for inviting us to the party and for the tickets.  We enjoyed the beautiful day and the apple cider.  We definitely needed the smiles.

The boys stayed home alone together all day, and when we got home they were both still alive.  Yes!

Marching Man

Dade has really enjoyed his first year of marching band.  He has been playing at football games and in band competitions since September.  His high school has a comparitively small band considering the 1900 students that attend the school; there are only about 75 members in the band.  However, what they lack in loudness they make up for with style.  Here are a few photos from the most recent band competition here in Lincoln:

The North Star marching band received a Superior rating (which is pretty awesome I'm told). We are so proud of you, Dade! Keep on marching!

Never Pay for Pizza Again

I've discovered the world's best pizza recipe.  Seriously.  I've been practicing pizza dough for awhile now because it is an easy yeast dough for someone new to baking with yeast (like me).  My Kitchenaid mixer with dough hook attachment has been a godsend, but it really isn't necessary for pizza dough.   This is the pizza dough I made last night, and it was amazing!  I made pizza sauce with some tomatoes from our garden mixed with a can of tomato sauce.  I'd give you the recipe, but it only exists in my head.  Check out this beauty:

I think I added a little bit of extra sugar to the crust recipe because I'm partial to Papa John's restaurant's sweet-ish crust.  Make sure to put lots of olive oil and corn meal on your pizza pan before you add the crust.  I don't think I will ever crave Papa John's again.  Sorry, Papa. 

More Birthday Fun!

As promised, I have a few more photos from Soren's birthday to share.  My long-time friend owns a photography studio, and she always so graciously allows me to enjoy my kids' birthday parties while she takes tons of photos.

So, here are a few more snapshots from the party:

There are so many good photos that there is no way I can post them all!! It's people like the ones in these photos that are helping us keep our boat afloat right now.  We couldn't be happier to have them in our lives!

The Upside of Being Down

Things are pretty down around here.  With our breadwinner presently unemployed, morale is low and tension is high.  I pretty much feel like crying all the time.  

However, when Colby was working long hours at a very high-stress job he would come home pissed as hell and crabby.  He took all the stress from work out on the kids.  He was a meanie.

Being an unemployed person with four kids and a wife should be extremely stressful, and, believe me, it is.  But there has been a change in him.  He's happy.  He's loving.  He's excited to make sack lunches, drive kids to school, help with homework.  He isn't the crabby asshole he used to be.  He comes to yoga with me.  He cleans the litter box.  He doesn't spew swears when he's mad at the kids.  Hell, he doesn't even get mad at the kids.  It's like in the midst of our hell, he's discovered that he had a family at home who needed more from him than a paycheck.  Although, a paycheck would be nice... 

So, my friends, I have found the silver lining to our cloud...

The Baby Turns 5

Although her birthday isn't technically until tomorrow, Soren had her birthday party today.  The little, tiny baby with dark brown hair who nearly made her arrival in our minivan is now a feisty, blond kindergartner.  My little Boobie (she hates it when I call her that) is wit, charm, and sass all at once.  So much spunk and smarts wrapped up into a pretty little package.  So unlike her sister (and her mama), she holds a unique spot as the tomboy of the family.  She's managed to melt her daddy's heart unlike anyone I've ever seen.

For her 5th birthday party she chose a costume party like last year.  I was a bit worried about the weather forecast, but the day was as beautiful as can be!  My friend/photographer took lots and lots of photos, and I hope to be able to share them with you once I have them.  Til then, I'd like to share a few snapshots from the day.  Soren picked out a Captain America costume again this year:

She's such a sweet little soldier.  One of the first of many guests to arrive was her long-time bestie, and they posed for a cute snapshot:

Colby's parents drove up, and my mother-in-law made lots of cute treats for the party.  A big THANK YOU to Grandma and Grandpa!  Aaargh!

Soren posed for a photo with mom and dad:

There were lots of kids at the party, and they had lots of fun running around the yard and playing some games.  We even did a little trick-or-treating around the yard.  The kids filled their treat bags with goodies and got a little rehearsing in for Halloween.

I think I caught the best present-opening face ever:

We even took a few family photos, but Evelyn was not cooperative at all.  At.all.  She is so stubborn that not even copious amounts of cupcakes, candy, and costumes can sway her resolve.

We are so proud of how our shy little 4-year-old is blossoming into a gregarious 5-year-old who sets a good example for her friends at school and makes her mommy and daddy laugh every single day.  Happy Birthday to our baby!