Harvesting in Arco

We spent the night up in Arco in the camper after Claire's party and cousin fun. It is nice to be so close to our Dad when he is working, then we get to help! We had lots of people staying that night, Mike and Shannon, Jared, Cody, Mark and Paige, and us. When Jared got there we asked him why Jenna didn't come, he said if I would have known it was a family reunion she would have come! It is so fun that we all live (well not ALL) but that some of us live close enough to just have family reunions here and there! We had fun working on the line picking clods, the kids LOVE it. Hopefully they will still like to do it when they are bigger! Yeah right!

Claire's Birthday Party

Claire finally got a birthday party! We packed up the cake and presents and went to Arco to meet our daddy so he could be there and we had a fun time! (Ryan still missed it, but did get a piece of Dora cake at least!) I wasn't going to do a yucky old home decorated cake again, but I felt bad not doing something, besides who am I trying to impress, CLAIRE, she could tell it was Dora so that is all that mattered! We had a barbeque at the Arco house and then opened presents with cousins and Aunt Sara and Aunt Paige. I think she was thrilled with it all, she is still singing happy birthday dear Claire..... What a fun girl!

Claire's BIG day

Claire had a full fun day yesterday. She got to go to story time in the morning, which the kids really love. She loved the kids singing happy birthday to her! She and Justin are working on their letter B worksheet.

Here she is getting her two year old measurement (and eating a cracker) she is 33inches tall, exactly the same as Justin was at two.

Then she helped me with the pizza dough, she LOVES the bread maker, all of the kids do.

Claire also got to play with cousins. She and Tayson spent a lot of time in the sand box (the neighbors gave us a couple of buckets of sand). (don't mind my redneck back deck, cat food, broken screen door etc,!)Claire kept saying going swimming and she even layed down in it, (I had to sweep the floor 5 times last night, not sure I am ready for a REAL sandbox!) Then it was off to riding bikes, she rode the barbie bike down the 4 steps out on the sidewalk. (She has some pretty funny expressions lately too!!)

She did NOT like that, luckily she stayed up right, I don't know how she didn't crash! (I think we are pretty fortunate to still have our 2 year old, she is always trying to hurt herself!) She got into the cupcakes before dinner, little stink!Then we finished out the day with Pink Dora frosting cupcakes and a candle. She did not like the candle she kept saying "hot." I told the kids if they blew out the candle they would get a spank, Ashley accidentally blew it out, everyone looked at Ash and there was silence, then Claire said, "I blow it" So we all clapped and said yeah Claire. Saved Ash from getting in trouble! It was pretty cute!

We didnt open presents or have her Dora cake or presents yet, when it is harvest time everything else gets put on hold, including two year old birthday parties! Fortunately she doesnt know, or care! WE love this baby girl!

On the road

We have been on the road this past week. I am working on a really fun project of furnishing the "Arco house." (When we bought the farm it had a yucky old rundown "trailer house" on it, we are going to use it during harvest and spring planting to stay in while the guys are working up there) Anyway, it has started the re-model process and has bedrooms and bathrooms ready to be moved into, the rest of the house is in shambles, but it is bein put back together as we speak, and the new kitchen will be so worth it! SO, I have been looking for deals and driving here and there, including a fun trip to Boise with my OBFF ((old BFF) long story, she is still my BFF, we just haven't had our paths cross much this summer) We went up to Nampa to find this: This is the bed in the master bedroom actually, I found the whole set on craigslist (which I LOVE btw) for a steal of a deal! It has been so fun buying bedding, curtains, towels, rugs, furnishings, on and on, I am SO in my element!! It has been a dream job! Anyway we have a start, now I have two more bedrooms 1 more bathroom, two family rooms, laundry room, and a kitchen to go! This is Me with the first load going to Arco, (I had help loading and unloading) and the pickup looks the same right now full of furnishings for bedroom #2.

Claire squished in with all of the fun stuff! Justin had to ride up front!

We are going to spend the weekend up there and I hope to get the other bedroom put together and the 2nd bathroom walls textured, and hopefully painted. We will see how well I do. More to come!

CLAIRE

This day two years ago our baby girl was born! What a special day! She is such a good baby, she is a blessing from Heaven! I love this little girl! She is just what I needed! Claire is very quick to obey, I know crazy for a two year old! She is always happy. She is saying the cutest things right now. I tell everyone that she is my doll baby because she really is, (I have even been asked (twice) if she was a real baby, people think she is a doll!) I feel like I am playing house with her, she is such an angel! We are so fortunate to have her in our home, we LOVE our Claire Bear! Some of Claire's favorite things, Dora, Dora, Dora!!! She also loves babies, story books, blankies and nuggles.

She wants to do whatever the big kids are doing, including getting her brains bounced out on the trampoline, she just keeps at it! Claire loves going to nursery, and rarely if ever cries. She is still sleeping in her crib and Ryan makes fun of me because I still change her diaper on the changing table. (she is my baby still, not a big girl yet!) She is the first of the girls to not be potty trained by her second birthday, but it is more because of a busy mom than a willing girl! Claire loves rides on the motorcycle with daddy, really anything with daddy, she is a daddys girl! We all love our Claire bear, she is a special baby......Big Girl! As you can tell none of us are ready for her to grow up! Happy birthday baby Bear!

Picture Day

The girls had picture day today at school, we don't normally do school pictures but our really good photographer moved away SO we purchased school pictures. The girls were excited, Ashley said " you are going to get some of these?" She was excited! We were so busy getting ready for the morning that I forgot to send the envelopes with money, therefore I had to make a trip to the school this morning. I like that the girls were excited to see me, even though they barely had gotten off the bus, I know one day they probably wont like me coming to school, so I am relishing it now! They looked cute, and we had plenty of time this morning Ryan had the whole house up at 6:00 am, cause if he is going to be up, so is everyone else! It was Ok though, we needed LOTS of time to do hair, I have funny girls!

Ashley's First Piano Recital

Ashley had her first piano recital on Monday night. She did a good job on different piece then what she had been planning to do......life doesn't always go as planned! She did pretty good anyway. It was fun to see her excitement, all the kids excitement for her. Emma prayed for her to do good in every prayer for the last couple of days! It was a fun evening.

Ashley and our fabulous piano teacher looking on!

I managed to mumble and fumble my shaking fingers through my piece. I had no idea my hands would shake that much! I wasn't even nervous (well until I started playing) I have a long way to go still!

I was surprised to see pictures of myself, Sara must have taken them???

More Cousins

I have failed to post another Telford baby arrival, Mark and Paige had their baby girl on August 17th. I have not even been to meet her yet, what kind of an Aunt am I??? She is going to be outgrown of all the 'little' outfits I got for her, girls are SO much fun! Here she is the little princess baby Sicily: Don't you just LOVE the hair bow! Good job Paige she is a doll! I cant wait to meet her!

I married my father!!

The dishwasher broke down (again) and instead of replacing it Ryan has just fixed it up so nicely for me, It looks like Dad was here for a visit! Yes, that is a light switch on the front of it! If you open the door when it is on the dishwasher just keeps running! The kids just LOVE switching it off and on ALL THE TIME! I am pretty sure Dad would have done the EXACT same repair job, must be a farmer thing??? I shouldn't be complaining, at least it still works! It was a miserable couple of days washing by hand until he had time to fix it! Yeah for a handy husband!

Harvest Baby

A new Telford cousin has arrived, just in time for harvest! He was born 9/9/09, pretty cool birthday I think! To top it off he weighed exactly 9 pounds too! funny! He is Aaron and Desaree's 5th baby way to go Des! He is so perfect! Glad he made it safe and sound!
Cedric Robert and PROUD big sister Megan!