Nana Came to Visit!

Last Friday night we picked up Nana at the airport and she spent a week with us! We had so much fun together! Saturday morning we went to the Farmer's Market and got lots of vegetables. Then we headed to the grocery store to stock up on more food! Saturday evening we even got in a little shopping at Old Navy! (Daddy spent the weekend elk hunting...more to come on that!)

Sunday we got the girls dressed in their new fall dresses!

so cute!
such a stinker...

Nana and the girls

Then we headed out to lunch at Olive Garden!

Michael spent Saturday & Sunday elk hunting aka hiking in the mountains...he spotted a moose, but no elk. Then Monday afternoon he was invited to go elk hunting with someone else and this time on horseback....

Michael and "buddy"

They got very close to some large elk, but never saw any he could shoot. (He had a spike elk tag) What a cool experience! So glad they took pictures!

We picked more pumpkins from our garden...and my mom brought me this baked apple pie candle! It's what she always burned at home this time of year, and I've been missing that smell...

We baked the first butternut squash from our garden and made some gluten free muffins

Nana and the girls by the river

The weather was great and we enjoyed the time we were able to spend outside playing too!

The girls being silly, I think they were talking to Mama on speakerphone!

Elizabeth eating her first oreo (well the gluten free version) still good!

yum! Check out that sweet bracelet Nana made...

We did lots of cooking...we made a new spinach artichoke dip (that I loved!!), squash cakes & chicken parm, roast w/potatoes & carrots, beef/vegetable soup & cornbread, more spinach dip, baked apples, and squash muffins. We had a great week, cooking, baking, and playing with Nana! We're so glad you were able to come!!

Kitchen Helpers

Thursday morning the girls helped me bake pumpkin bars! Here they are...we're just getting started and getting everything out...

Then they got busy...cleaning away!
Madilynn did a great job rinsing out the bowls and measuring cups for me! Later she said that was her "second job" - the first is folding washcloths, of course!

And...our final product!

It was supposed to be pumpkin bars, but I didn't have a large pan to bake it in, so instead it came out like a cake and it was great!! With cream cheese icing on top!! Michael was very impressed when I told him it was homemade, he thought I used a spice cake mix with my pumpkin added. It was all homemade and pretty simple! Soooo good!!

Tuesday...

Tuesday afternoon Madilynn received a present in the mail from Daddy Gene & Ladonna! Here she is opening it...

Sparkly boots! She loves them!!
Showing off her boots and Razorback fan!

Tuesday when Daddy got home from work we headed out (in the rain) to a small town about 20 min. south of where we live. Michael's boss lives out there and invited us out for pizza (and Michael fixed his lawnmower). On our way out we saw a rainbow!

When we got there he had just let the chickens out...they were beautiful

The views from the house

Elizabeth found a dog...

We came home with a dozen fresh eggs and some fresh picked raspberries!

Here's Michael's breakfast on Wednesday morning!

4 year stats...

We had Madilynn's 4 year appt. this morning... she weighs 36 lbs. (50th percentile), and is 41.5 in tall (80th percentile). Still really tall for her age!! She did great at the appt. they checked her eyes and her blood pressure (since she's a big girl now). She even waited so patiently and calmly for the nurse to come back in with the shots. Both of the girls got the flu shot today.

Afterwards we went by and picked up Daddy (he had just finished teaching a class) for lunch at Sonic where Madilynn wanted chocolate milk! After eating and drinking her chocolate milk she was all better!

The girls have been playing really well together lately!

This morning they had been playing in Madilynn's closet and next thing I know, Madilynn comes into the living room with her old diaper bag and Elizabeth following right behind her with hats. Madilynn said they were going to the beach and they had their "screen, swimsuits, and sun hats"! I was like wow- she knows what you need for the beach!! Glad to hear sunscreen was the first thing she mentioned.

A little later Madilynn pulled Elizabeth all around the house on the blanket...Elizabeth loved it and was laughing! A couple of times she fell off and she would holler until Madilynn brought the blanket back over for her to get back on - Madilynn is so strong! (By the way Madilynn thought to do this all on her own - I was just watching, and taking pictures!)

Yesterday afternoon the girls were playing dress up and they came into the living room like this...
so silly!

She's walking everywhere!

Pumpkins!

We picked our first 2 pumpkins on Saturday!!

I have really enjoyed watching our pumpkins grow! I've never grown pumpkins before so it was a new and fun experience. Madilynn has enjoyed it as well and likes to help me find them in the garden and let me know if they're turning orange. Elizabeth has even spotted a couple and pointed them out. Two of our smaller pumpkins were ready to pick...
After taking some cute pictures with the girls (of course), I had to bake one on Sunday.
Cut it in half all by myself!

scooped out all the guts - seeds...

Put them in the pan and baked them for about 45 minutes...

So I could make 2 loaves of pumkin bread! We have loved it!!!

It took half of the pumpkin to make 2 loaves. So half of the pumpkin was about equal to one can of pumpkin - I won't be buying any of that this year!! I have lots more recipes to try, and plenty of pumkins to keep me busy! Not to mention the butternut squash that's about ready to pick too!

Madilynn is FOUR!

Today was a BIG day!! Madilynn turned 4 and she was so excited! She began the day going to preschool, of course (she loves school!). When we got home from picking her up she was surprised with pink and purple balloons, flowers and the cupcakes were baked! Her favorite colors are pink and purple so we went with that for the party. I was able to get the icing made and all the cupcakes iced during nap time, it worked out really well!

After nap with her cupcakes!

I kind of decided what I was going to do as I iced them, but I still think they turned out cute...pink and purple of course. And with the age of the kids they really enjoyed getting to pick a letter they wanted.
When Daddy got home we did a video conference with Nana, Papa, & Ashlee on one laptop and Granny on the other laptop so they could see Madilynn and watch her open her gifts!
Madilynn making faces with Nana, Papa & Ashlee

Opening her first gift

It's the unicorn pillow pet she's been asking for for months...

She got TinkerBell movie and Aladdin movie!

Elizabeth trying to help her out a little...

It's a t-ball set. We took it outside and let her try it out for awhile. The grandparents are watching - see the laptops in the background!

She did a really good job and really enjoyed it! We thought it was so cool that the grandparents got to watch her too!

Party time...we invited two families from church to celebrate with us! Everything all set up...

After enjoying some pizza, breadsticks and fruit it was time for cupcakes!

Madilynn with her cupcake...I promise there are four candles on it, one must be hiding!

a little shy while everyone was singing to her

just after she blew out all the candles, see there are four!

Madilynn wanted the kids to decorate their cupcakes with sprinkles, so I had three different kinds set out for them and they enjoyed piling them on!!

her first bite...so good!

Elizabeth enjoying hers too!

the little table...

Opening her gifts from her friends

so cute

Shortly after opening presents we all headed out to the fun park so the kids could play the softplay (climbing through tunnels with slides).
The kids disappeared in the tunnels, so I couldn't really get pictures. Elizabeth wanted to keep up so bad. She got just inside the entrance and played a little. She also walked around everywhere! Here's the one and only picture I took at the fun park...

Well, I think Madilynn had a great day and a great time with her friends! Can't believe she's really four, she's already counting down till she's 5 and can go to the "different school" (Kindergarten).