field trip fun

the kindergarten classes took a field trip to a pumpkin patch in a neighboring town. after about a 30 minute bus ride, we made it to alma, ks. now this trip was packed full of activities. great fun!

first, we entered the hay maze and found our way out to our mid morning snack (graham crackers).



then the kids went for a ride on the train around the farm.



after her turn on the train, grace searched to find the perfect pumpkin... which she did.



after the pumpkins were hunted down and gathered, we took a short hike through the forest and ended up at the petting zoo. some animals were really scary, but grace loved the little pigs.



after the pigs and some hand sanitizer, we shot over to the giant tree house and ran around for a bit... it was very high and looked unstable, so i managed to stay on the ground.





finally we made it over the the pumpkin shooting thing... there were all these little pumpkins that they picked when they were still green and bumpy and the kids were able to shoot them from this sling shot thing strapped between two trees. this was a favorite among the boys.



next came the zip line and the hay jump and finally lunch time! what a great day spent with grace and her little kindergartner friends!

pumpkins pumpkins and more pumpkins

while we were in missouri, we decided to check out the pumpkin patch just outside of town. the kids really had a good time. we took some very scientific measurements of our kids...





there was a teepee made out of hay...



there was a petting zoo complete with a baby calf named gracie. there were pigs (jack's favorite) and chickens and cows. good times and good smells....



there was also an acutal pumpkin patch, however we did not buy or pick a pumpkin. i think that absolute favorite was...



the corn box... that's right, the corn box. i was picking corn out of their clothes and bodies for days.

6 years old in missouri

about a month after grace turned 6, we were able to travel to nana and papa's house and celebrate grace again. she is still 6... we had a great time with our lovely cake and ice cream and of course, all the presents.

the horspool family 2010

knowing that bryan is going to be leaving in november, we asked a family friend to take some photos of our family before he leaves.

k state v. central florida

on 25 september, the k state football team played the university of central florida. it was also their military day. so, we were able to get free tickets, but it meant that bryan had to wear his uniform. we parked super far away and walked to the game and then enjoyed a bbq before it started.



during the first quarter a massive storm approached and the game was suspended. trying to move thousands of people into the few buildings around the stadium proved to be difficult, so we ended up leaving. ah, but memories were made!

apple days

the apple days festival is held at ft. riley every fall and last year we missed it, so this year we decided to see what all the fuss was about. there are activities for kids, a small rodeo, and lots of free fun! we first toured all the big time tanks and such... the kids were able to climb in and have a good time taking some pictures... yeah, not so much. i think raegan's exact words were, 'this is not fun! i don't want to take pictures!'





after we exhausted them with pictures, we headed over to the home depot tent. i guess at the beginning of every month home depot has a day where kids can come in and do little building/craft projects, and they had a booth set up at the festival. grace made a butterfly house and raegan made a school bus pencil holder. i think this was their favorite part... or maybe the bounce house.



all in all... a success! grace left saying, 'that was so much fun! it is a good day!' music to my ears.

already six...

happy birthday to grace! she is now 6! she had a great birthday, complete with 2 days of cake, cupcakes and fun! we love grace so much and are so happy she is part of our little family!

big boy beds and blankets

ok, so, bryan was gone... now he is back (temporarily) and i decided it was time to put jack into his own bed. no more crib!!!

i thought that the best time to get him into his new bed was while bryan was still around (before disappearing for 12-14 months around the world) so he could lay the smack down when jack didn't want to stay in bed.

well, we sold the last toddler bed we had and the kids' room just isn't big enough for another twin bed, so i asked my mom and dad if they could bring this old table that my dad made many moons ago. a few years ago, we cut the legs down on the table and used it as a platform for an inflatable bed for raegan... but i thought it might be good for a crib mattress... what do you know? it works... jack's new bed is on a table... and he loves it!

i thought transitioning him to a big boy bed would be a nightmare... you know... never wanting to stay in bed, playing with toys all day and all night... climbing into bed with grace and raegan.

hallelujah... he stays in bed. from the very first nap he took in his bed, he just stayed there and went to sleep. huh... who knew? he did so well, even when the babysitter put him in bed, he stayed. crazy!

well, yesterday was my first official day with putting him in bed without bryan around... and i will say... he got out of bed and was playing. but i laid the smack down and he only got out once...

and today for his nap he got out again... just once... but i laid the smack down again...

obviously he thinks he can walk all over me... little does he know...

now on to blankets... this kid is so into blankets... and no, not the blanket i made him when he turned one... flannel backed = not good enough... (here is a tiny glimpse of it as caroline holds it up).



so, yeah, it has to be silky or snuggly-cuddly on the back for him to even want it...

what does this mean for me? another quilting project, baby! it is in progress, but all i can say is that he better love it! to death!

what is that on your lip?

so, uncle aaron came for a visit on his way out to utah and brought with him a surprise... that's right... a nice mustache.



he asked if i liked it... truthfully, i told him, no.

he asked grace if she liked it... truthfully, she told him, yes.



jack and raegan... no comment...

what do you think?

introducing... raegan... and pre-kindergarten

raegan started her pre-kindergarten year at first united methodist at the beginning of september. she is quite excited to be going everyday, just like gracie. the first week that grace had school, raegan was home all day and she really missed grace, so when her class finally started, she couldn't wait. her teachers, mrs. bahner and mrs. queen, are so wonderful and she loves them and her new class. she has already made many new friends and likes to talk about playing with them and having them come over to our house to play, too.




starting this week, raegan will attend the lunch bunch every thursday and jack will attend children's day out on thursday's too. they will both be gone from 9 until 1 and will have lunch at school, and play. raegan is very excited and i hope jack will enjoy it too! yay for school!

twirly skirts and ties

so, last sunday was the first sunday i had to endure without bryan (he is currently at training and will be off for sure in november)... it was very difficult... to say the least. i think it started poorly because i had to be at church early (a whole hour early) to set up chairs for ward conference and to practice for the song i was singing in sacrament meeting (not alone, i assure you... there was a group of sisters singing together)... so, jack was very much out of sorts... i think we lasted about 10 minutes in sacrament meeting before i had to take him out... that's right, we didn't even make it to the sacrament. i was a little bit worried since i was singing, but i asked emily (the babysitter... among other things) to sit with the girls if i had to leave and she said she would come out to watch jack while i sang. bless her... so, i tried to head back to our pew as bishop allen was speaking, hoping that jack would permit us to sit before we sang, but no... as we are walking to our row, and jack sees the pew, he starts thrashing... really there is no other word for it. thrashing. so, i grab my music and head back out into the foyer without even sitting down. as bishop allen is concluding, emily comes out to hang with jack while i sing. when done singing, i head back out into the foyer. i think at this point i am just about done... literally... as i try to hold back the tears that are about to surface, i imagine the next year of sacrament meetings and can't hold them back any longer. after shedding a few tears, i realize that i will probably spend the next year of sacrament meetings in the hall (or classroom equipped with the speakers to hear what actually happens in sacrament meeting). as soon as i have realized that this may be what my life will be like... with a few good sundays thrown in... i am fine with it all. there's nothing like lowering your expectations to make life easier...

with the following pictures in my mind, i resolve to have good sacrament meeting experiences... and with increased patience and love, i believe i can. these pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago when i finally let the girls wear their pettiskirts to church. they loved them... these pictures bring so much joy to my heart... these pictures capture a time when i know they are happy and happy to be part of our family... and this is what will get me through the next year.




oh, and for anyone still wondering... yes, jack does still suck his thumb... as documented below.



so maybe you are wondering how today went... fabulous... i think by expecting the worse, there was really no place to go but up. i don't think i can say how grateful i am for such a loving and caring ward. jack was good, and we got through the first few minutes of church without any incidents... and just when he started to get restless, sweet brother thompson reached his hands over the pew and offered to hold jack. of course jack went right away, and sat with brother thompson (peacefully, on his lap) for a good 30 - 45 minutes. there is something about brother thompson that jack loves... he can calm him and sit with him. honestly, i cried during the sacrament as i thought about how grateful i was for him and for all of the support of ward provides for those with husbands away.

after this experience, i know that i will be fine here. i know that there are those willing to help me and i appreciate it so much. i love my ward.

a day of firsts...

grace is now officially in school... like for the long haul... like required every year until she graduates... she is in kindergarten!

and she loves it!

i was a little worried because grace can be shy and a little timid, but man, i had nothing to worry about. she was ready to go!

so, this is her first day... documented... maybe a little nervous, but not enough for it to hinder her desire to go to school!




yay for grace's first bus ride. while i may have had reservations in the past about her riding the bus, i think it is good for her. she has a good bus driver (miss bonnie) and a great assigned seat that she shares with benson... practically her best friend (he is in our ward and a first grader, so he knows the ropes). with both miss bonnie and benson, i feel she will be just fine!




grace's first day was only a 1/2 day, so i told her that we would go to ihop for lunch... she loves to eat there and i don't blame her. as raegan, jack, and i waited for the bus (and man were we waiting for a long time), we played. raegan and jack love to be outside and ride bikes and scooters...





and finally ihop! the kids were so good and ate a delicious breakfast for lunch and we had a great time! i love our little family!



grace was so happy about starting school, that she actually woke up at 6:30 the next morning and asked if she could go to school... i pretty much told her to go back to be and i would wake her up soon. i'm so glad that she is happy and excited and ready to learn!

owl... or towel?

ok, so hilarious... and can i just say? i love jack!

see jack in his towel...



see jack with his owl...



so a few weeks ago after bryan had given jack and the kids a bath, he said, 'jack, go get your towel.'

after a few minutes, jack comes running to bryan with his owl... so adorable. bryan laughed and said, 'no, your towel, not owl.' and then showed him exactly what a towel is. jack loves his owl and as he gets in bed at night he always says, 'owl, owl?' and waits for us to give it to him. jack sure loves that snuggly little owl!