Brady is 4!

My poor blog is lacking...sorry for the lack of posts, lack of pictures, lack of effort.

But...today is Brady's 4th birthday! We surprised him by covering the living room floor in balloons for him to find this morning. He picked out his special birthday shirt and is excited to provide snacks for preschool today.

We'll have dinner, cupcakes, and presents tonight!

Lots of Changes

There have been a lot of changes lately in our household and I'm not always good with change but we are adjusting and doing pretty well. Brady and Hannah are each going to a new "school." Brady is in a full day preschool and Hannah is in a daycare. Brady loves it, he is busy all day, dirty, tired, and hungry every night when I pick him up. He is making friends, learning, singing. Hannah is not so thrilled, she doesn't like being separated from Brady but she is getting used to it. Her teacher tells me that she is a big "helper" bossing the other kids around. She checks the door each time it opens, looking to see which parent is there to pick up a kid. She knows which parents belong to each kid. 

First day of school pictures:

 

We also got a kitten, that has been fun. She is extremely cute and draws all the neighborhood kids to our yard to play. Brady and Hannah love when the big kids come to our house. Brady plays football with the boy next door and Hannah gets all the girls to carry her around.

Sunday was Hannah's second birthday. We had a great weekend and Aunt Lou Lou came to visit for Hannah's birthday. It was great! Hannah has been taking her birthday gifts to bed with her at night. I have to wait until she is asleep, then untangle her backpack and purse from her body, removed the doll house toys from the blankets, and pry her new chapstick out of her hands. :)

Thank goodness for technology, we had two iPads stationed in the living room so we could Facetime Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Betsy. :)

Summer is coming to an end and I am looking forward to the fall. Our garden is just about finished, Ev brings in a few carrots and tomatoes each night. We have two pumpkins growing in the front yard, still green but they have plenty of time before Halloween. We miss having family around. Betsy is in Cut Bank and Lou is in Helena, no Aunties to hang out with.

Fair!

Saturday was Everett and my wedding anniversary, what better way to celebrate the day then by spending it at the fair with the kids! We had a great time. Lucky for us, all of the little kid rides are two seaters so Hannah was able to ride with Brady. They loved it!

We had fun visiting the animals, watching the dock dogs, playing in the Kid Zone, and eating ice cream but this mama was too busy to take any more pictures. :)

Swimming!

Last weekend we ventured crossed the Divide and separated by gender. Boys stayed at the ranch and girls headed to Bozeman to spend time with family. Brady was in heaven at the ranch. Uncle Pat indulged him in a free for all on the backhoe, Grandma Dorothy took him swimming in the river, he was able to ring the bell after Mass, he had a great time!

Hannah, my mom, and I stayed in Bozeman and fell in love with a kitten...she has now joined our family! Her name is Millie and she is adorable.



Looking forward to taking a small vacation in about a week. I haven't had more than a couple days off in a long time so I am having a debate in my head of how long to take off but can't wait to spend some time with the kids in Sandpoint. Happy Friday!



The first week of July!

We have been busy! It has been a great month so far, the weather has been awesome and we are having fun! Running, traveling, gardening, swimming, playing, you name it, we are doing it!

Here are a few pictures from the last week:

Here is Hannah on the 4th of July! I love her outfit, Ev...not so much.

The neighbors were shooting off firecrackers. Ev was explaining what they were to the kids. I love this picture.

Here are all the kids, Whitney took them on an "adventure" to the splash deck at a local park.

Miss Hannah knows how to relax. :)

On Sunday morning, very early, Whitney and I waited in line to catch the bus to the start of the Missoula 1/2 Marathon!

It was amazing! I loved it and cannot stop raving about it! I had fun, felt good, and cannot wait to do it again next year!

We both suffered injuries and set backs in the past months but we finished!

Two half marathons completed, one to go!

After the run, I spent the afternoon in my lawn chair watching the kids beat the heat in the pool.

There is nothing better then a gin and tonic on a hot afternoon!

Anyone want to join me July 14, 2013 for an incredible run?

The End of June...

Brady is spending the week at Grandpa and Grandma's while Ev is working out of town so Hannah and I are on our own! Brady is loving life, busy as can be...

using the tire swing that Betsy and I used to swing on...

eating yummy food! 

Mean while, Hannah is relishing her time as an only child. Lots of attention and treats! On Sunday she and I went to the Missoula MADE Fair with Betsy and stopped after for ice cream.

 Brady finally got to go fishing! They didn't catch anything yet...

 Missoula finally had a "summer" day. Hannah loved running around the water feature at the park with other kids.

 Then she spent the evening with my iPad...she is well skilled at the apps and does not want help from me.

Lots of sunshine equals hours spent outside and good sleep at night!

Tonight it's nail painting and wine...ha ha ha, more like laundry, weeding, and cleaning but it is definitely much easier with one kid. I am missing Brady like crazy but enjoying the one on one time with my girl!



Amazing pictures!

We decided to surprises our moms this year with family pictures. The lovely Heidi Heaphy took the following amazing pictures of us. It was fun and I love them!  Thank you Heidi!

My favorite picture of the kids:

 

 Love this one and love the Maddie is peeking around behind Ev!