Getting ready for Halloween

Every year the third graders do a chalk walk in downtown Lynden.  Hunter got super creative by mixing colors and shading with his finger.  He did a really good job.

Kindergarten field trip to Stoney Ridge Farms.  We were so lucky and the rain held off until we were loading the buses to go back to the school.  I had a really good time with Hallie and her friends.  My group was lucky because I love those donuts, so we shared a couple of bags.

Carving pumpkins with dad.  Somehow I have turned our pumpkin carving into Wynden's thing I don't know how I did it, but I tell him it is tradition for him to do this and it has been like this for about 10 years now.  I think for so long I was either pregnant or nursing that I couldn't or didn't feel like helping, so now it is dad's tradition. I just stand around taking pictures or do whatever.  I love it.

Church Harvest Festival.  The kids dressed up, fished for treats, bowled with a pumpkin, did a cupcake walk, and tried to eat a donut tied to a string with no hands.  Diesel was hilarious with the donut.  He couldn't do it.  It kept just smacking him in the face.  He had white powder everywhere.

I think the events leading up to Halloween are a lot more fun than the actual night of freezing your bottom off getting candy....don't get me wrong I do love the candy.

My Best Poser...

 

 

Hallie is by far my most photogenic and she picks her poses, but it has to be on her terms.  If she's not into it, it's not pretty and it's usually when we are trying to get a group or family picture.

Fun on Marshmallows

This summer we went to the farm where my sister's cows are at and took a tour.  The kids had a blast on the "marshmallows".  They played for at least a half hour while I tried not to step in manure.

Wrong Number!

It started a few years ago.  I would come home and look at the caller I.d. to see who had called while we were gone.  I lot of times it said John Tolsma.  I didn't really recognize the name, but Wynden knows a lot of people through real estate that I don't so I would just ignore it because he never left a message.  Then the calls started coming early in the morning.  Like for instance 4:45 am.  He would hang up after he realized that I wasn't the person he was calling.  One time though he was like "Kaylene you guys up" (funny thing is is I know this Kaylene and they have young kids too, I was like what no they are probably not up at this hour)  And then of course he hung up before I could tell him that...which I tried to call him back to tell him he needed to remember to change the 354 to 318! Because I was tired of him waking me up, but when I  did call him back I must have pushed the wrong button and I called another person and woke them up.  Well finally he must have gotten smarter and we haven't received any calls from him for like a year....until yesterday he called at 6:30.  Lucky for him I was already awake when he was like who am I talking to I was like Jayme Holman and it's been a long time John...he hung up. 

Do You Ever...

Do you ever just stare at your kids and wonder how they got so big, where the time went, and hope you are doing a good job with them.  I do this a lot.  Right now I am doing this with Diesel and Lexi.  Diesel, I love him to pieces he is such a funny kid, but yet I look at him and cannot believe he is no longer a baby, yes he will always be my "baby", but he is growing up too fast.  He still gives me loves and he will lay by me in the mornings when he wakes me up at 6:00 and just rub my arm or my face so gently.  I'll look at him and he will tilt his head to the side and give me this goofy grin that I love.  I wonder how long he will do this...how long until life is crazy busy for him and I will hardly see him and wonder where the time went.  With Lexi I just cannot believe how much older she got within the last year.  She's in fifth grade now and I remember 5th grade so clearly I had my first boyfriend in the fifth grade (we even held hands at the skating rink during the couples only skate).  I cared how I looked and would actually try to make my crazy hair look good.  I see this starting in her she has always been a fashion diva, but now her hair is important to her too.  Thank goodness she is not boy crazy yet and will not be until she's at least 20.  She is actually one of my heroes.  I love how when she puts her mind to something it happens.  She tries endlessly to please me in all she does I love that about her too of course.  She is so helpful and obeys quickly.  She is quick to recognize when she is wrong or out of line and apologizes.  She is fun and has such a crazy laugh.  I stare at her every once in a while and she is always like what?  I should tell her what I am thinking is how amazing I think she is.

What We've Been Up to...Some of the time anyway

Soccer and football are a huge part of our weekly schedule since August when Hunter started football.  Practice for football are twice a week and a game on Saturday and soccer practice is once a week with a game on Saturday too.  We are almost done though, which will be a nice break...until basketball starts anyway :)

Do You Know Which One Is Me?

Free Eyebrow Waxing

Wynden took the kids to the Dollar Tree while I went to a baby shower.  Karlee was not looking where she was going and she ran into a post in the store.  For some reason the post was sticky and ripped off some of her eyebrow.  Pretty crazy.