Hazels blessing

I am still waiting on some photos Mom Hirschi has from the actual blessing, but i finally got around to taking some photos of Hazel in her blessing dress... a month and a half later. She was a little grumpy at the time, and the only smiling picture i got of her was blurry, but here are the best of my very amateur shots. And pay no attention to the magically flip flopping headband. I slid it to the other side depending on what angle I was taking the photos from, because I felt like it was getting in the way of her face. :) Enjoy!

Halloween 2015

There is a great story to go along with colette's costume. If you ask her now she'll say she was Snow White. But the backstory is so much better. When I asked the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween, Colette said she wanted to be an orphan. yes, a parentless child. So I tried to narrow it down for her, and though she has never even seen the snow white movie, she settled on "Snow White, but not Snow White in her pretty dress, Snow White in her orphan dress" So we set out to make her an orphan dress. In the end she looked more like Heidi or Gretel, but if you ask her, she was SNOW WHITE. :)

And I got decent pictures of her because she got ready for trick or treating at 9am. :) Curled hair and all.

Jeremiah was a knight. It took him a week to get his armor made our of cardboard. There is a small slit in his helmet, which he decided was difficult to see through, but would be more effective in battle. :) 

Leah wanted to be a cat again, which she was two years ago I think. Easiest costume for me to make EVER. We bought black headbands and made temporary cat ears so that we could use the headbands later. Waste not, want not.

And Anna was a Kitty Cat. So sassy. And adorable. I was a cat too, but I didn't end up going trick or treating with the kids. I stayed home and took care of Hazel, who, if you were wondering, did not dress up for halloween. I just don't have the energy to put into that.

THE GREAT CANDY EXCHANGE. Wall Street's got nothing on this. ;) 

Anna of course shared with Daddy. She shared with everyone. It was adorable.

In the end we read a great story about the Sugar Sprite who is a fast flying fairy who needs sugar to survive the winter. The kids each kept a small zip lock baggie of their favorite candy and the rest was given as a gift to the Sugar Sprite, with a little note. We left it on our porch for her, and in the morning, we found that she had written us a little note and left us a little surprise, some water colors! It was fun, and a great way to limit the amount of sugar overload that happens. 

BabyCation

 After Hazel was born, and all of our helpers went home, Greg took a week off of work and this was officially entitled "Baby-Cation" He took the older kids to Mount Rushmore, and Bear Country, and went swimming at the hotel. (IT HAD A WATER SLIDE!)

He is awesome, if I haven't mentioned that before!

The Baby Beard

 When Hazel was born Greg decided to commemorate her birth with NOT shaving. Yes, celebration happens in a multitude of ways around here. 

Then a few weeks later he went on a business trip and he decided to shave his baby beard and wear it a different way every single day of the trip. He sent home pictures for my viewing pleasure... oh dear. 

All I can say was that I am glad I was not there to witness this. Or have to be seen in public with him. ;)

Grandparents

 My children have wonderful grandparents. Both my mom, and my dad have made visits to us in the last few months. I didn't take very many pictures, but the I did capture my girls building an elaborate block zoo with my mom.

 And Anna dancing with my dad. She just couldn't get enough of him spinning her, and prancing her across the room. And of course tossing her on to the couch. :)

And Miss Hazel of course. :) 

Love you Mom and Dad!

Leah's Family

In school Leah's class was drawing their families. This was Leah's narration of her picture, care of her lovely teacher.

Leah “My uncle Shaun, my other uncle Brian, my aunt Jenay, my aunt Angela, my dad, me, my sister, my brother, my mom, my grandma, my grandpa, my baby sister, my toddler sister, my grandma’s cat with a tail, my grandma’s cat without a tail.”

HA! First, I think it's fantastic that she included some of her extended family. But I think this is funny most of all because she included the CATS! And of course, the one without the tail. Those details are evidently very important. :)

Hazel 6 weeks

Hazel was in an uncharacteristically amiable mood this afternoon so i decided to snap some photos. Enjoy!