Happy Halloween!

Olivia wouldn't look at the camera but here are our animal pumpkins.

So hard to get a god picture of both of them at the same time. Notice the pants, Olivia was very good today and put on her pants pretty nicely for me.

Hey cute Claire!

What's that shirt say? "Sweet as a Princess" Mostly true :)

G0od morning. Claire was really smiley but Olivia was being stubborn.

Happy Halloween everyone! Olivia is very excited to get dressed up again tonight in her fairy costume. We will probably take her trick or treating a little bit.

Harvest Parties

On Wednesday we went to a Harvest Party at a different church than our own. It was fun because Olivia knew a lot of the kids. She spent most of her time making a lion cupcake. Then she got a flower baloon and played a few games. She was cute before we left though she said "I don't know if I can be a fairy, I don't know how to fly." Afterwards she told me she needed some pixie dust so she could fly.

Claire in her Eyore outfit.Olivia wouldn't hold still so we could take a picture before we left. Claire as a lady bug.

Olivia the garden fairy, Claire the lady bug, and me the tattered mom.

On Thursday night we had a harvest party at our church. This was really fun since we had lots of our friends there and everyone looked so cute in their costumes. They had cookie decorating, a chair maze, basketball, bowling, a cupcake walk, limbo, and doughnut eating contest. The kids really had a lot of fun.
Olivia and princess Jada ran through the chair maze a ton of times.

Olivia's good friend Hannah as Laura Ingles.
Olivia's other good freind Marissa as a cheerleader.

The cutest outfit there. Little Vann as a pirate.
Claire bug.

Olivia and Claire when we got home.

Getting ready to do the doughnut eating contest. They had to eat the doughnut without using their hands. It was really funny. Olivia was really going at her doughnut and not getting any bites. Here is a little clip.

Another Busy Weekend

We had another busy weekend with a LLL conference for me and lots of studying for Hans with the PE. We were able to stay in a hotel Sat. night which was fun. They had a pool which Olivia loved and Claire seems to like the water almost as much as her sister. I had a great time at the conference although Claire made it difficult at times to get to listen to all the speakers that I wanted to. But overall I learned a lot. Olivia spent Saturday with Hans and Auntie Anna and had a great time reading and going to play with Anna while I was at the conference.

Playing in the hotel room.

This week has been busy as always with all of our normal chores.
Here is Claire checking out the washing machine. She is my little explorer right now and for some reason loves the laundry room. She is keeping me on my toes with keeping things out of her mouth.

Olivia loves to sing so most of the day she was walking around singing different made up songs into her microphone. Here is a little clip of one her songs.

Corn Maze

Grandma Janice, Papa Bruce, and Olivia.

Olivia looking super cute in pants :)

The girls, I had a tough time getting them both to look at the camera. Olivia didn't have a nap so she never listens as well when she is tired. She thought it was funny to look the other direction.

Claire loved the pumpkins. Touching them and tasting them at times.

Finally got Olivia to smile with the pumpkins.

The girls were on a rock, that Olivia wanted to climb up on. Such a good picture.

At the end we picked out a couple pumpkins to take home and they got to ride in the wagon. They both loved it.


On Tuesday we went to a corn maze off of Clear Creek. It was a cute little maze with lots of painted pumpkins inside and letters to find and solve a little puzzle. Olivia had fun running through the maze and telling us which direction to go and finding all the letters and pumpkins. She kept saying "I think we're lost." I of course again had problems getting her to wear pants but once she got them on she was fine with them. She always looks so cute in pants outfits. Claire had fun playing amongst the pumpkins and I had fun shooting a bunch of pictures. We also got to see a few animals, although Olivia really wanted to see pigs and cows which there weren't any of those. So when we got home she said that we need to go to Papa's house so we can see pigs and cows.

Olivia loved having all the company and lots of people to read her stories. I think she read stories at least once with just about everyone.

Uncle Josh and Livy hanging out.

Claire's Dedication

The whole family (minus Pap Eric and Claire) We were able to snap a quick photo before the Chadwicks and Grandma Mary had to head out for the ferry. Unfortunately Claire was sleeping and Papa Eric was unable to make it over.

My arms were getting quite tired as both girls wanted me to hold them.

The Lighthouse Rock kids singing "Yours".

Olivia holding her good friend Jada's hand.


On Sunday, Oct. 12th we dedicated Claire to the Lord. It was a really nice little ceremony done by our Pastor. It was really nice to have our family in town to witness her dedication and to hold us up as we raise our girls to love the Lord. Hans and I most importantly were reminded of the great gift we have in our girls and the awesome responsibility we have to raise them up to love and honor our Lord Jesus Christ. Along with the dedication the children't church group sang the song "Yours" during the offering and it was just too cute. Olivia walked up there with her best friend Jada holding hands. And Olivia surprised me by even singing. We had practiced the song at home a few times and she actually knew a lot of the words. She loves to sing and dance so I love getting the chance to watch her perform. It was a great day and we enjoyed the service and our time with our family.

Cousins

This weekend we had a full house with company in town for Claire's dedication. Here are some pictures of Olivia with 2 week old Riley.

Olivia and Riley

Kisses

Olivia, Riley and Anna

Daddy's and their babies-Hans and Claire, Kevin and Riley (Riley makes Claire look so big :)

"I want in." says Claire

They say the funniest things...

Claire the attacker gets around pretty good these days and often pulls out Olivia's hair or gets her face. I must say one of the best parts of having a three year old is the funny things they say. So I like to record some of the things that she says.



The other day as Olivia was riding home with her Grandma and Grandpa from church they asked if her daddy likes to play golf as they passed the golf course. Olivia said very matter of factly, "No my daddy is a football player and he has a hurt knee."



The day we went to the pumpkin patch I was telling Olivia that she was going to have to wear pants because it would be really cold outside. A little bit later she told me, "Mom I don't think we should go to the pumpkins because there might be bears there. They live in the woods you know, and they could eat us." I said, "No honey the pumpkin patch is in town there are no bears there. A little while later we were upstairs in her room and I was picking out a pants outfit for her to wear and she said, "I feel kind of sick mom, I better stay home and sleep." I started laughing and said, "you just want to stay home so that you don't have to wear pants don't you?" And she said, "yeah I just feel a little sick." She just makes me laugh with her excuses already.



My last funny story that I can think of right now is a few weeks back, when I was up showering Hans spilled some coffee on my picture calendar that I make every year. When I found it with the edges all wrinkled up I said to Hans kind of angrily, "What happened to my calendar?" He told me and then Olivia walked over to him and said, "Hans, you ruined mommy's calendar and now she is frustrated with you." It was just so funny and I had to refrain from laughing though and let her know that it was ok daddy had down it on accident.

Pumpkin Patch

So we went to the pumpkin patch this morning with some friends to pick out a pumpkin. I made sure to grab my camera and of course after the first picture I took the batteries died. ARG!! So this is the only picture I got at the patch. Of course it was another battle this morning to get Olivia to wear pants but I made her let me get a couple pictures at home before she changed out of her super cute outfit. I wish I had as cute of clothes as she does and she won't even wear them. A frustrating morning through and through. Oh well we are planning on going to the corn maze when my parents come this weekend and possibly we will go back to the pumpkin patch as well so that will be fun. We are also planning on decorating our pumpkins so I will have to post pictures of those later.

First Tooth

On Sunday and Monday we had a visit from Grandma Mary. Olivia had a lot of fun reading books with Grandma, napping, and playing memory. She was sad when Grandma had to leave again, but it was really nice to have her here.

Claire has just barely mastered crawling and is now on to pulling up on everything. This is creating lots of crying in our household as she is always falling now and bonking her head. Added to Olivia who seems to be very accident prone and clumsy who is also always bonking her head, getting scratches and cuts and hurting herself.

Claire has been sticking her tongue out a lot lately which is so cute. I think it is because she is teething and yes last night I felt the first edge of her bottom right tooth. So it must be the reason.

Pretty Olivia watching Dancing with the Stars. Our favorite show.

I got so busy with all my other posts that I forgot to post the picture from Hans' golden birthday. Hans turned 29 on the Sept. 29th. We had a great steak dinner and yummy carrot cake for dessert. I almost forgot that I needed to make Hans a cake, but when I was talking to Olivia about daddy's birthday she said, "and we need to make daddy a cake and put candles on that he can blow out!" That is her favorite part from birthday parties. As you can see in the picture Hans has pink candles as that is all that I had in the house.