Birthdays

Natalie and I each had our birthdays last week. She's one now, and I'm a little older...but who's counting? Here are some pictures (mostly from Natalie's birthday, since that's the fun one anyway).

Carson and Natalie

Opening Presents

Eating Cake

My kids don't make messes on their birthdays! It makes for boring pictures.

Natalie's cake (I didn't have one-dieting) was a doll cake-or a princess cake according to Carson. She loves the barbie, and it was hard to keep her from taking it out of the cake before we sang.

Baby stroller from Grandma L, and boy does she LOVE to push it around!

Playing with presents

Carson got her a pony, which she loves.

Natalie in her new birthday shirt-she has a dress too, that she wore today, but I forgot to get a picture of it.

Natalie's cake

Grandma and Grandpa's Visit

Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit over the weekend, bringing all kinds of good stuff. Among that was Natalie's birthday gift: her first doll, and boy does she love it! Carson got a yellow Ferrari, and he was pretty excited about that as well. And, they brought a toy chest that Mike had as a kid, and our two little ones love that! I still need to put it away, but for the moment it is in my living room, and the kids think it's the best place to play!

Halloween Fun

Here we are carving pumpkins! Carson had a good time helping this year.

Natalie is wearing the mullet wig that Mike wore on Halloween. It made her look like a little doll. Carson put on my long black wig, and he thought that was funny too.

This is just an awesome costume we saw. The bag under the toilet lid is where he kept all his candy.

My Early Birthday Gift

So Mike got me a new computer for my birthday, and since it is kind of hard to have a computer delivered to the house without me finding out, I got to open it a week early! I am so excited about this, and we've all been having fun with it. I am hoping it gives me more incentive to update regularly on my blog, as well as getting my scrapbooking done. So we'll see. Anyway, it is much, much easier for me to get my digital pictures on the computer now, so I can put a few new ones on today without it taking me forever!
These next few pictures are of the kids playing outside on the last warm day we had this year, and it wasn't that long ago! I mean, no jackets needed on Oct 30th? Weird.

This arrangement worked out for both kids. Natalie loved to have Carson push her, and since he got to push, he was miraculously willing to share with her.

This is what Carson does when he stamps without adult supervision.

Grandma L came to visit, and the kids were "helping" her pack to go home. Natalie kept pulling all of her socks back out.

Painting the Kids' Rooms

Carson's room: Lightning McQueen red, Sally blue, and a cool Mater and McQueen border.

Natalie's room: Light purple, dark purple and daisy border.These were fun projects, but so much work!

Daddy's Big Helper

Carson loves to help Daddy. Here you see him "helping" Dad bring my choir benches upstairs for my children's chorale. It was so cute.

I put this bench in front of the TV to keep Natalie from touching it. As you can see, it only served to help her reach it!

Canning Done!

That was a lot of work, but so much fun! Perhaps next year we can do some vegetables too.

Choir Successes!

Well, I can finally report with confidence that the choir is well underway. I have 14 singers, and they are learning the music faster than I had anticipated (which is good since I picked more than I meant to). We rehearse weekly, and there will be a concert in December. For now life has slowed down for me a little. I am no longer stressed about getting more children signed up for choir, or where we'll hold rehearsal. Now I am more concerned with lesson plans. That's a piece of cake after everything else. Of course, the next round of stresses is just around the corner, with scheduling the concert, school tour, and ordering t-shirts. But who am I kidding? I love it! It is wonderful to stand in front of those kids and see them really enjoying themselves. Not to mention it allows me to use my talents, and be something more than just another mother every once in a while. I have been blessed with this opportunity, and I hope that it continues to go well the rest of this year. Thanks to everyone for all of their support and help in various ways. A special thank you to Mike. What a guy! He's been so helpful and supportive through all of this, which is wonderful as his approval means the most to me. And of course, a huge thanks to the other Michelle. Now more than ever I appreciate all you did to get this choir going. Wish me luck! It's going to be a great semester, I can tell!

Day to Day Pictures

Mike and the kids on the rocking horse he made in high school

Carson and Nattie ready for church
















Natalie so cute in her little dress and ponytails

Carson in his new Sunday shoes

Natalie loves spaghetti-her face had an orange glow all night

More Boating Pictures

Here's Mike slalom skiing. He got up his first try, even though he's only done it once since high school. It was fun to watch him, and he made everything look so easy!
Mike showing off. He kept letting go with one hand and leaning over to touch the water with his free hand.

Our little family in Grandpa and Grandma's boat (The kids didn't like wearing life jackets.)

Mike and the kids by the shore. It's the only time Carson would get into the tube.

Dan on the tube. Mike was driving, so it was a wild ride for Dan.

I tried to kneeboard, but I never got on. We think maybe we were going too fast.

Mike on the kneeboard-he made it look so easy!

Mike spinning around on the kneeboard

Catching my first fish ever-though I can't honestly take credit for this fish either.

Carson and his fish

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for sharing their boat. We had a blast!