We are a happy family!: September Extras

It was our fifth year growing a garden, slowly but surely we are learning. It is so fun to see what comes from our garden. Brandon picked this carrot, it was the biggest one of the season, and he was so pleased to eat it like he was a bunny. :) We were also successful in growing corn, green beans, and butternut squash. Yum! Next year we wont forget the zucchini and we will try something new. Any suggestions?

With cooler temperatures and with Brandon being so expert in riding his 16 inch two wheel bike we started going on lots of walks. Their is a great paved trail half a mile from our house that takes you up the mountains a ways and right past the canal. It is hard work for Brandon and Jason to ride all the way up (about 1-2 miles up hill), but the rewards are worth it. The first time Brandon went down the hill on his bike he was squealing with delight. As the boys ride their bikes down the hill Sharese and I run and push the strollers down the hill as quickly as we can. It is a good work out, even with several stops along the way, but most of all it is just a whole lot of fun for everyone to be with friends.

The highlight for the boys on these walks is finding the canals and hunting down rocks to throw in them. I love this picture of the boys working so hard to throw in this huge rock - the bigger the better, right. :)

Pete and Annabelle have been pretty good sports on these walks considering they have probably never gone on a long walk like this, and then we make them run for part of it. Well we had been going on several walks and Annabelle came home from one particular walk limping. The next day I forgot her injuries and we set off for another long walk. Well no more than 5 minutes into the walk she started limping again, so I stuck her right on top of the umbrella stroller. Pete, ever protective of Annabelle was concerned at first but eventually accepted her being up there. Grant was less than enthusiastic, given his lack of love for dogs, but he also managed. I am sure that we looked like quiet the spectacle. :)

On one of our walks we stopped by Jason and Tylers grandmas house. She has this fantastic rocking airplane to play on. Grant LOVED it!

On another walk, we had a less than pleasant experience. We went up, up, up the hill, a few miles or so. Stopped at the cannel to throw rocks and then set off back home. Jason and Brandon ride their bikes so quickly down the hill that we tell them where they need to stop and wait for us. Well they are usually pretty good at stopping, but this particular time Brandon was so excited to be cruising down the hill he chose not to stop. Sharese and I were racing after them trying in vain to keep up and screaming after them to stop. Well I am sad to say that I could not keep running after them and push the stroller, but Sharese, 6 months pregnant, could. I HATE how out of shape I have become! Well Brandon went very nearly all the way home, down the center of the street and most of the time out of sight. Needless to say I was TICKED!! FUMING was more like it, and Brandon knew it when he saw me. After we dropped of Sharese and the boys we headed home. Brandon again got a ways ahead of me, stopped at the corner like he was supposed to and then got off his bike. It took me a bit to get close enough to see what he was doing. He knelt down on the corner and said a prayer of apology. I was very pleased that he knew to say a prayer, at least he is learning something. Brandon was not allowed to play with friends for the remainder of the day, he was not allowed to ride his bike for two days, and he had to pick up a weeks worth of dog poop in the back yard before he was allowed to watch one tv show. He has not made that mistake again, thank goodness!