Scissoring

he opens and closes his mouth when the scissors open and close!

also, I love that the problem solving at the end resulted  in just ripping the paper...

*I know these are pointy scissors, we couldn't find the kid-friendly ones, but he wanted to cut...*

tomatoes... tomatoes... tomatoes

after Bill picked 40 pounds of tomatoes in one day...

we knew we needed to find some good uses for them.

loads of spaghetti sauce,

pizza sauce,

and some salsa

maybe more salsa in our future.

God has blessed us this year with a very abundant garden! :)

Chatty Connor

oh you know... just an afternoon chat with the cousins.

And I let him hold the phone!  This is big stuff!

This one with April talking cracks me up ...

She says something about "and we don't get a cookie" and I just laugh every time!

First day Pictures

This is Connor's second year going to school - and he loves it! :)

back to school

sunny days...

working on writing his name. :)

We went back to school last week - sweet summer time is gone and we're back into our school routine...

I'll post the first day picture soon. :)

look alikes

Bill's Montana trip

First day of the hike - after driving round the clock to Montana

views while hiking

"camp" for the night

hiking, hiking, hiking

wildlife wasn't too skiddish

baby bear print

Made it to the "Chinese wall" in the Bob Marshall wilderness

last day of the hike

swung by Glacier National Park

also stopped at Mt. Rushmore!

Bill enjoyed his time away!

We were happy to have him back! 
Connor was confused by the beard that had grown for two weeks!

Kitchen and Dinning Room ~ before and after pictures!

before... light green kitchen, maroon and tan dinning room...

kitchen before

after - navy blue and cream dinning room

after

kitchen after

after

During my "staycation" I painted our kitchen and our dinning room.  It turned our pretty well after a few calls to the very helpful "painting hot-line".  

Glad I had the space to myself to do it instead of trying to paint while keeping Connor busy! :)

Also while I was here by myself: no cooking, only two loads of laundry to do after a week and a half, and no little-boy-alarm-clock. :)
It. was. wonderful.

:)

Get Ready... Get Set... Go!

On Sunday the 7th we headed out to Pittsburgh to drop Bill off for his his hiking trip, to drop Connor off at Grandma and Pop-pop's, and for me to return home for a "stay-cation" :)

storm clouds on the way out...

Connor was ready for his "special trip" "all by himself"!!!!

The van for Bill's trip with Tumpline

some gear - Bill's bag is the blue and grey one

on my way back home - in a tunnel... notice the cars coming the opposite way...
yes, I was driving about 35 miles an hour at this point, so I felt safe enough to try to snap a picture
without losing control... and it turned out not the best, but oh well.

cutting! and circles!

Forgot to post this one!

Connor's first year of "school" was great!

We loved his daycare and the workers there.  He already misses his friends!

June 2013

August 2012

Happy Birthday!

Connor thinks his dad is the coolest!  The tricycle pedals got some help from Bill to make pedaling easier - Connor will be able to race you in no time Bill - you better watch out! :)

Happy Birthday Bill!  Thirty doesn't seem so old now does it?? ;)

Happy Father's Day!

We love you Bill! :)

(almost) Done!

raise the roof!  (Connor's uncles giving him a boost to touch the ceiling!)

The end of the school year is finally here - last day with students today, then two days to finish up classroom work, and we welcome a few weeks without lesson plans, grading, planning, answering questions, packing lunches, schedules, and the general craziness that is our life while teaching school.

:)

Hip hip Hooray!

more catch up! :)

cousins - on day three of a wild and crazy weekend :)

waiting for a parade is serious business

A brand-new friend!
Rowan Jacob was born three weeks ago - our friends Mark and Bridget welcomed a boy to the family!