Family Pictures Preview

So, I have lots of Halloween pictures to post, but I haven't loaded them on my computer yet. Instead, you get a taste of what our family pictures will look like this year. I had my amazing friend Cindy take them for me. She was sooooooo patient despite the meltdowns that Maggie was having every 10 minutes. Cindy is so sweet. She won't let me pay her since she's not very experienced (not like I can tell--they look wonderful to me!), but I will babysit for her for HOURS to make up for it.

I'll start with some of my favorites (although I haven't cropped or enhanced them at all yet) and then maybe post a few outtakes. Unfortunately, I deleted some of the most hilarious outtakes (they were wretched!) , but you can still get the idea. We did not get a single good picture of just Jared and Maggie together.

Unfortunately, this very well might be the best family picture we got. I guess it's semi-decent.

I'm trying soooooooo hard to learn to not crinkle my nose in pictures...

OUTTAKES:

Not sure what Jared's scowling at...

Truth

"Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing."

~Phyllis Diller

Primary Program

This month Jared participated in his first Primary Program. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face because he was so dang cute. He stole the show when he read his part into the microphone, and he knew all of the songs! I was so proud of him.

P.S. I try so hard to get him to smile like a normal person...

Like Mother, Like Daughter

My wonderful mom saved about 7 or 8 dresses that I wore from when I was a newborn until I was about three. Maggie has had the privilege to wear many of them to church, and people will comment about how her dress looks vintage. This past Sunday she wore another one. My mom said that Maggie looked like a little Jenny walking around. What do you think?

Maggie is nearly 18 months in these pictures, and I had just turned two (sorry about the quality--it is a picture of a picture.) My mother was so upset at the time that I wouldn't smile. :)

Autumn Fun

Jared's preschool had a fieldtrip to a local farm. We saw newborn (2-day-old!) pigs, went on a hayride, picked a pumpkin, and played on slides and in cornboxes. Jared loved playing with some of his preschool friends.

newborn pigs

older pigs that were available for petting--Jared didn't want to

on the (very slow) hayride

Jared on the slide with his friend Bronte

A bragging moment (hey, you don't have to read my blog if you don't want to): While we were on this field trip, Jared's preschool teacher came up to me to make sure that I was aware of the fact that Jared could read. She said that earlier that week Jared had just spontaneously read a paragraph of something aloud and he and the teacher's assistant just been in shock! He seriously is such a smart kid (I'm not taking much credit--most of it was his own determination.) About 5 or 6 months ago reading just really clicked with Jared. Now I have to check out chapter books on a 1st or 2nd grade reading level (like the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel). He just devours them and can read them without help. It is amazing. Anyway, his preschool teacher said that later in the schoolyear she sends home beginning reader books for the kids to read, and she'll have to make sure that she finds books on his level for him. :) He is such a funny kid.

The first video is Jared on the slide. The second is Jared in the corn box. My friend Summer would kill me if she knew I posted this, but you can hear her telling her son to get his hands out of his pants in the second video and then telling him he was "all clear" after she had removed the corn from his pants. :)

Backyard Fun

Sometimes Jared and Maggie play well together. Sometimes. :) This is a cute picture of them cuddling on the couch one day.


Maggie has loved to swing. She is saying "cheese" to the camera.
I love this boy!!!


This was a craft Jared made at preschool: C is for Clifford.

Done for this year...

Today I canned pears, which wraps up all the canning I'm going to do this year (actually, I might make pear jam if my sister-in-law says it's not too hard to make...) Since the peaches on my peach tree were ripe in mid-August, I feel like I have been doing some sort of canning for two months now. Does anyone actually like canning fruit? I surely don't. I mean, yeah, it's nice to have the lovely jars all lined up when I'm done, but it sure is not fun while I'm doing it. Either my kids are nagging me the whole time, or I resent the fact that I'm using precious nap time or time while Jared's at preschool to can fruit. I'd much rather be doing something else.

Results for this year:
21 quarts peaches
52 pints applesauce
6 pints peach jam
14 quarts pears

Yay for me! Sorry, no pictures for this year. But I think I've posted pictures of my canning efforts in years past. They look the same this year. :)

Shoutout

A couple of months ago some good, good friends of ours (who also happen to be relatives) spent the night with us while vacationing here in our neck of the woods. We LOVE these guys and used to hang out all the time together when we lived in the same state and B.C. (before children). Jared talks about them at least once a week and can't wait to see them again when they come back out at Christmas time.

A few weeks ago Jared attempted to spell out their names. Hello, out there! We miss you...