Field Trip!

With fall break and all...we decided it was time for a field trip!

Eva was excited!

 We took the girls to the nature center in the canyon near our home.  This outing involved about a 15min. trail walk from the parking lot to the center.  Once inside it was warm and full of fun things for the girls to see and do!

First they checked out the turtle, snakes, and spiders...

 Madilynn was about as tall  as the mule deer...

 Looking closer at those butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other bugs with the magnifying glass!

 This was a fun game for the girls.  They put their hand in the hole and felt of an object in the box and then tried to guess what it was.  The first one was a turtle shell...Madilynn got them right, yea!

 Then she went over to the wildlife viewing area.  She found birds and chipmunks just out the window and even got to use binoculars to check them out!

 Elizabeth looking at the fossil rocks

 Daddy & Madilynn tried this game, and I think Daddy finished it.  It was matching up each animal with its poop...

 We got Eva out of the stroller to enjoy herself too!  Looks like she's taller than a coyote...

 See how far she can reach...

 animal puppet area

 they enjoyed this spider

 Madilynn looked through the different rocks and fossils

 Elizabeth went  around the whole place hooting like the owl (good thing we were the only ones there!)

 Daddy & Eva

 Madilynn looked at a few books in the library area

 Then Elizabeth & Eva made their way to the wildlife viewing area and enjoyed it too!

 As we drove back into town the view across the canyon to the Wellsville's was beautiful!

Such a fun field trip.  Madilynn said it was so fun and we had to go back!

Ice Skating!

So...last Monday evening I'm cooking supper while Elizabeth and Eva were playing in the kitchen.  I turned around and saw this....

 Eva can now climb into the chairs and onto the tables....great.

Wednesday afternoon we did a couple science experiments involving color...

 Madilynn completed her reading list again earlier in the week and picked "go ice skating" out of the prize bucket.  She was so excited!! 

On Friday night that's just what we did!

Elizabeth just got her skates on...

 Ready to go...

 We ended up getting a walker for each of the girls...

Madilynn was all smiles, everytime she went by...

 Elizabeth taking a break...she was saying, "this is so fun!"

 Eva got a lap with Daddy carrying her...

 then we realized we could use the stroller, so I went and got it out of the car...

 I think next time I will skate too, and push Eva in the stroller.  That should work out well!

Daddy & Elizabeth

 This morning we caught about 4 deer in our backyard eating our roses!  I took this picture just as Michael stepped out the back door to scare them away...

An Afternoon Hike...

Saturday afternoon we decided to take a little hike to see all the pretty fall colors!

Eva checking out her leaf, "ooo"

It was a beautiful time of day...the view in the canyon

The girls were having so much fun singing, jumping, and twirling down the path!

Elizabeth did well walking most of the way.  I carried her a couple of times and then at the end Daddy carried her a little ways.

Mommy with the big girls!

Daddy with the girls!

Daddy carrying a load...

We made it back to the bridge...almost done

When we got home after supper Elizabeth decided to color some and ended up drawing her first pictures of herself and our family...

such a great job!!

Here's a couple of videos Michael took while we were walking so you can see and hear what the girls were doing...

Since he didn't mean to cut her off, got another one of her twirl!

I thought this was funny...here's Eva while we were getting set up to go.  She never cried and did really well!