Thunder in the Valley

The Waterloo Airport hosted the air show, Thunder in the Valley this past Saturday. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were the main attraction. We decided to go and had a great time. I loved watching the Thunderbirds. They were amazing and reminded me of the honor and respect that I need to have for all of the U.S. Servicemen.
















We took a lot of great movies, but I decided to limit posting to these three.

Tree Boys

Eli figured out how to climb our small tree. Can you find him?

Peek-a-Boo!

Josh needed to get in the action too.


Both boys love to climb trees and always ask Morgan to help them get on our big oak tree. The other day they realized that they can climb our small tree. They made a lot of leaves and branches fall down, but they had a blast!

Who does she look like?

Noelle

Noelle

Noelle

Noelle

Noelle

Eli
Eli
Josh
Josh
Josh
Eli
Melissa
Melissa
Melissa
Morgan
Morgan
Morgan



When I was first getting these pictures together I thought Noelle looked like Eli for sure. Then when I put them on this blog I thought that she looked like Josh too. At least I know that she looks like Noelle.

Rug Making

I decided to try and make a rug for Noelle's room. I bought some fun fleece fabric that I am going to use. I had never made a rug before and wanted to make a practice one first to make sure I knew what I was doing.

Below is my first try. It isn't very big, I gave up on it quickly when I saw that it was turning into a bowl, or basket rather than a rug. I knew I needed to try something different.



My first rug.

Below is my second attempt. I decided to try and do a rectangle. After all, how hard can it be to do straight rows....apparently very difficult for me. I think I lost some stitches and made it tighter as I went. This was not going to work. (Although the fabrics are pretty, right?)

No more messing around. My mom had a pattern that she got from the Aunt Philly Toothbrush Rug website. She sent me the pattern as well as the 'official' tool. (I had been using a large safety pin.)

The result...pure awesomeness.
I really love my final rug. It was hard getting started, but once I got the beginning part done with everything went really well. The pattern wasn't perfectly clear, but clear enough that I could figure out how to make this work for me.

Now I just need to decide how large of a rug I will be making for Noelle's room and get started on it. It is so fun to create something and learn something new.

Changes

Noelle is able to grab and hold on to toys a lot better.

Here she is checking this rattle out.

Eli had his first day of school. He is playing with a shape puzzle on his desk.

Eli, outside of school on the first day.

He was very excited.

Josh is giving some sort of growling face.


After school Eli was holding Noelle and they were both watching a movie.

More of Noelle's Blessing Gown

I wanted to get some professional pictures of Noelle in her blessing dress. These are our favorites.

Morgan's Gone

Morgan is gone. Not for good, just for today. He is down in Nauvoo for a seminary teacher training. Right now the boys are fighting and crying over who gets to sit on the recliner. I've sent them to their bedroom to calm down. We will have to do a lot of playing outside today so they can use all of their energy.

It has been a while since I've done a big writing post, and I just read two of my sister-in-laws blog and thought how wonderful it was that I could read more of what was going on. So I'm doing it too.

I recently finished the book Pollyanna and am now reading Pollyanna Grows Up. I didn't even know that the movies were based on books but I Absolutely Love It. Just reading the book makes me happier and more GLAD. When I hear the boys getting ready to complain about leaving the park I tell them how Glad I am that we could come and play in the first place.

I have also done a lot more writing for my job this month and feel really good about it. I found a system that works for me in writing several articles at once. Right now I am trying to earn money to cover our trip to Utah for Christmas, and hopefully all of our presents as well.

We would really like a new computer, ours is nine years old and getting slower every day. I am still a big Mac person, so I'll have to do a lot of work before we'll be able to buy a new one.

Seminary will be starting soon. That means Morgan will be going to bed by 8:30pm or 9pm and getting up at 4:30am. I don't like to stay up later than him so I'll probably follow the same pattern, but sleep longer in the mornings.

Eli can't wait for Kindergarten to start. He wanted to wear his school clothes when I went and registered him. He also wanted to know when I would let him walk to school by himself. Even though we are only 6 blocks or so I told him it would be a couple of years.

Josh will be a in a mom-run preschool. Two days a week for 2 hours, with the moms taking turns teaching. I am excited for him, he'll have a lot of fun. I will have a lot of fun with 4 hours week with just Noelle and I. It will probably end up being the time I go grocery shopping. :)

Speaking of Noelle, she is still a great baby. I always worry that she is getting enough to eat, but she seems to be growing and happy. And now I've got to go take care of her again. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Saturday Fun

Noelle was safe and sound on the deck.

Eli throwing water balloons at Morgan.

Josh trying to get Morgan.

Water balloon fun.

Wet, happy guys.


Saturday we did a lot of good work. Morgan took a load of junk to the dump and changed the oil in the van.
We all went on a 10-mile bike ride, shorter than last weeks 13 mile ride, but still a lot of fun. The boys were complaining of being more tired this time around, I think because we went in the afternoon instead of the morning.

When we got home from bike riding we filled up some water balloons that Eli got for his birthday. Then Morgan went on the driveway to let the boys throw them at him. I took a couple pictures than I had to join in the fun. We were all very wet by the time we were through.