Indiana Adventure

Oh, my... this has taken a good long while to get these here!  We had such a great time visiting family and farming this past October.  The kids are so much more fun to take along the older they get.  They're expert air travelers by now... on the way to Indiana at least.  They're less shy and need fewer naps, which definitely make our time more enjoyable.

The combine!  The highlight of Owen's trip.

Unfortunately for Chloie, Owen loved the combine so much she got to sit on the sidelines and look pretty (or pretty annoyed) in her new boots most of the time.

 This is not a good picture, but I laugh when I look at it because Owen made Grandpa stop the combine so he could get out and tell me that I was too close to the combine taking pictures.  "Get back, Mom!  This combine is working hard.  You're in the way of the snouts...bla bla bla."  And only a Grandpa would stop progress to let his four year old grandson boss his mom around...

And then there was the fun at Grandma Peggy's house.  Even though they weren't in fields they managed to get completely covered in dirt.

And a fun day with the Bedels!

And of course there was fun to be had at Grandma and Grandpa Meyer's!  

Not a day goes by that Owen doesn't farm in Arizona, and Chloie is usually right there with him.  I think they both love their Indiana roots as much as Matt and I do.  

Mud Bog

Rain is a rare thing.  So when it rains, the kids think it's the best gift ever.  This particular day I was busy trying to make Owen's birthday cake.  I noticed they were getting a little wetter and then a little muddy and then they were jumping in it and falling in it and laughing hysterically.  They got so muddy and wet they removed their heavy pants... which were still their pajamas, oh my.

A just some other random silliness from the past couple of weeks.

Happy 4th Birthday, Owen!

Four years ago I was trying to figure out how to change diapers and nurse a baby and how to fill my time because my baby slept so much.  Today I'm still trying to figure out how to convince my big baby to take time to go to the bathroom and eat his dinner, however, I have no trouble filling my time anymore with this wonderful little blessing in my life.

As one would assume, the countdown to a four year-old's birthday was much anticipated.  "About a month until I'm four."  "A couple more weeks." "One week."  "Two days!"  Although in our house I really can't say who was most excited.  Owen or Chloie... or was it Mom and Dad?

He got to celebrate on his birthday with all of his dear friends.  He bounced with his buddies all afternoon, taking a short break for dinner and birthday cake.  Oh, and opening presents!

He couldn't wait to blow out those candles and try out that swather and bailer!

You can't forget the cute sister.  She was so excited for Owen's birthday.  She already knows that when she turns 3 she'd like princess plates and a pink cake.  We're planning ahead!

A little too much cake and excitement and bouncing, I think.  Even a little bugged out, we love you so much, Owen Matthew!!

Preschool!

Oh, the day I've worried about all summer... sending Owen back to preschool.  My worry was worthless, as usual God would point out.  Owen was all brave this morning, and I was my typical emotional self.  Well, he was all brave except for the one time he said, "I really don't want to go to preschool because I love you so much, and I would miss you."  Oh... how he knows the way to my heart! 

Chloie had to get her backpack on to walk Owen to school because she thought for sure she was staying at Mrs. Jodi's too.  My favorite part was how she put it on then looked around the side, "Where's my map?" she asked.  Oh, too much Dora around here I suppose!

A little bit serious before heading over to preschool.

Then a little bit silly before heading over to preschool.

When we picked up Owen, Chloie pushed through the other kids to get to her bubby and give him a giant hug.  Owen kind of returned the hug.  I don't think she was missed as much as he was.

And this silliness is just from yesterday, but I love their expressions in these two pictures.

Little Stories to Remember

Chloie is such a chatter box lately.  She talks my ear off, and when I get tired of listening she'll move onto books and read them out loud over and over again.  I've been terrible about recording some of the things she says, but found a moment to write down a little bit yesterday.

As I'm putting away dishes, Chloie brings me a bowl from her kitchen and says, "Here, Mommy, I made you soup."

"Oh, thank you."  I reach for it, but she pulls back.

"No, it's really hot.  You have to wait.  I'll cool it off."  She blows it for a bit.

"Here, Mommy.  It's cooled down."

"Ok."  I take the bowl while standing, but she grabs it back again.

"No, you have to sit back.  You will make a mess.  Sit at the little table."

So..... I abandon my own kitchen duties (for the fifth time this morning) and go sit at her little table.

Again, I reach for the the bowl, but she stops me pulling back with a look of disgust as if she's told me a hundred times, "No...... scoot in.  You will spill."

So here I sit sipping my cooled soup with my feet neatly jammed beneath a tiny table scrawling down our conversation with crayons and scraps of paper.  I just want to remember exactly the way my sweet Chloie says things in her own little way.

And if she's run out of stuff to say for the moment, she'll start saying, "Don't be such a four-wheeler, duuuuuud, Mom."  Or "Let's get some barbecue."  Both said with this southern twang that comes from..... I don't know where??  The first being a quote from one of Owen's favorite Trucktown books.  The second something Owen and Matt always say after church as we pass by a questionable looking barbecue eatery.

And for Owen.....  Unfortunately for me, this was the only story worth writing down this morning...

We were in the car earlier when Owen asks me, "Mom, did you toot?"

"Uh...  yeah, sorry buddy."

"That's ok."

Thirty seconds later.... his window rolls down.  With the following explanation:

"I did that, Mom, so you don't have to smell that anymore."

"Ok, thanks, Owen......"

Cicada Hunting

The beautifully annoying song of the cicada has been filling our ears in the past couple of weeks.  The kids love/hate to find the discarded shells.  They get so excited to find one only to freak out the bug will get them.

Today on their morning bike ride around the house, which is usually about a ten minute event before they tire of their bikes and the sweat blurring their visions... even though it is before eight o'clock in the morning (as you can tell from the jammies in these photos).  Anyway, I have digressed.... On this short adventure today we decided to see how many cicada shells we could find.  

Chloie was surprisingly the best at spotting them but feared touching them.  

Owen was the champion collector.  

They simply cannot wait until their dad comes home tonight to see their special collection of cicada shells.

May Happenings

Owen had been asking for weeks about hiking in the mountains.  So finally... before it hit 100 degrees... we got our little family out to the San Tan Mountains early one Saturday morning.  Chloie hiked a good 30 seconds and was finished.  Owen made it about 30 minutes.  Still, we had fun checking out the different cactus plants and looking for rattlesnakes.

After a very rough start to our swimming season with lessons, the kids have become amazing little swimmers.  Chloie begs every day to, "Swim in Mama's pool." I am amazed at how strong and confident they both are in the water.  Chloie can swim almost the full length of the pool already, and Owen never tires of running and jumping.

We made it to Indiana for planting season this year!  Daddy and the kids had the best time planting beans.  Owen was so excited... mostly about the guide the markers.  He could have ridden all day if we'd have let him.  He hasn't stopped farming much since we've been back.  Things are always busy on Owen's farm.  His imagination and memory bring me much joy.  

We celebrated Al and Jessica's wedding and had so much fun with all of our cousins and aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpas... but unfortunately I have no pictures to show much of that.  I just don't like keeping my camera with me because I feel like it takes away from the joy of the experience so often... but I did manage to pull out the camera one evening and get some sweet pictures with Grandma and Grandpa Davis.