Allie Brown, Artist

Allie had artwork chosen to be displayed at Gallery One for the month of November. They made life size cutouts of themselves and painted them. The gallery chooses 12 pieces from the four local elementary schools.

Way to go Cat! We are so proud of you!!

Happy Halloween!!

Allie was a witch this year. We went on our annual motorhome trek and had a great time as usual. Here is the little witch and an assortment of other scary creatures :)!

Chris got home Friday night in time to go trick-or-treating after his week in Florida. Thanks Tammy! When we go to Disneyland there is a place in Pooh Corner that you can buy rice krispie treats shaped like Mickey. I love those rice krispy treats. This is what he brought me home from Walt Disney World:

The treats I usually get are not this large!! I ate the ears for breakfast this morning and they were fantastic!!

Saturday Soccer

Today was Allie's first soccer game. She is on a great team with fabulous kids and great parents. Chris and I are coaching the team which is really very fun. I have never played soccer, but Chris did as a kid so he has a clue what is going on and I am picking it up pretty quickly. I never had any idea how much fun soccer is. Today was opening day so we played in a jamboree format. The girls played three 15 minute games. It was so much fun. I loved it. From here on out we play one 40 minute game on Saturdays. Her are a few pics of our little soccer player (she even scored a goal on her first time out):

First Grader!!

Today was the first day of first grade. Allie looked absolutely adorable and was so excited to be going back to school. Her favorite part was (of course) playing with all of her friends. She also really liked the book that Mrs. Laurent read to them. Here are a few pictures from today and one from last year to see how much she has grown. This year:

Last Year:
And a couple more from this year cuz she's just so darn cute!!

Home from Vacation

We spent last week on the road with Chris. He worked a couple of days and we spent a few days at Yellowstone. Allie did not love the geysers, hot springs, or the mud pots. She did love the animals and getting out and walking in water. We also stopped at Jackson Hole and did the Alpine Slide. We all loved it. It was much longer than the presidential slide we did last year at Mt. Rushmore, and you went really fast. We had a great time as usual, but missed traveling in the motorhome. I think we have decided that it is a way better way to travel. We felt a little restricted by having to be back to our hotel by a certain time each night or the restaurant would be closed. Eating inside the park is a little tricky and the cabin we stayed in was two miles outside of the park on the Teton side so there were no other restaurants. Next year we will definately be going somewhere in the motorhome.

Scuba

I have decided to take up scuba diving with Chris, Jody and Gavin. All my gear came in the mail last week, so of course Chris insisted that I try it out in the pool. Turns out I'm not the only one who is interested. Sorry Cat, you have to be a little older!!
You can't see her, but Allie is underwater and Chris is following her around with the tank. It was pretty comical. Allie thought it was totally the best thing ever. She loves the water.

Weekend in the water

We spent the weekend at Lake Tapps. Allie was rarely out of the lake or the hot tub. We had a great time.

Hope that everyone else had a great weekend too!

Lazy Days of Summer

The lazy days of summer have not been so lazy around here. Allie has been very busy!! Here are a few pictures of how she has been spending her days.

She has played basketball, made stepping stones, spent an afternoon on the slip and slide with Uncle Casey, and spent hours going back and forth between the swimming pool and the trampoline.

FORE!!!!

Allie, Grandma and Casey hit the golf course today. Allie hit the ball well and refused to leave before they finished the whole course.

Of course then it got really hot out and Allie needed to take a small break in the sprinklers on the course.

IT'S SUMMER VACATION

Today was Allie's last day of school. Our little girl is officially a first grader. She is super excited for summer vacation and for next year. Today I took a picture of her in the same spot as the first day of school to see how much she has grown.

It was also much nicer in September then it is in June. Have a great summer!

Golf Season is here!

Look at that great form. Allie has been getting her clubs out the last couple of weekends (in between the rain and the gusting wind). She is ready to hit an actual course. Hopefully, the weather will begin to cooperate and she can practice more.

It Finally Happened!!

Today was the first nice day we have had. It was in the 80's and none of the "w" word. Of course such nice weather meant we had to have our first trip through the sprinkler of the season.

This weather is supposed to last through the weekend. Everyone keep your fingers crossed!!

With her nose in a book...

...is how you will most likely find her. Allie spends a lot of her free time reading. She loves chapter books. We have started letting her read for 1/2 an hour every night before bed. A couple of Friday's ago she brough home her book from the library and sat down and read it in one night. It was book one of the Magic Treehouse series. Since then she has read book 2 and book 5. Tomorrow is library and she plans on getting another one. Right now she is reading book 3 of the Boxcar Children. She just can't get enough! I wonder where she could have gotten that trait from?! :)

Chris better get a second job! He can't afford both of us to have a book-a-day habit!

T-Ball Season has begun!

It was finally warm enough for me to take a few pictures tonight. We have had three days of nice weather, but tomorrow is supposed to be cold again. Allie likes to play ball as long as she gets to play a position that touches the ball alot. She likes to play first base and pitcher. Tonight she had to play outfield and did not love it. Oh well, she has to take the bad with the good. She does really well and has fun. That is what is important.

Yet another hole in her head!

The first loose tooth was very exciting. It got a lot of wiggling. The second loose tooth not so much. It had been loose for at least a month. On Sunday night she bit into her dinner wrong and that was it, she was determined that this tooth must go! It appears that a loose tooth is no big deal until it slows down her food intake :). On Monday at school she managed to get it out. Of course the Tooth Fairy came and left a whole $5.00. Allie is pretty excited, she can't get to the bookstore fast enough. I have no idea how she will choose which book she wants to get though. She is reading four different series right now, The Boxcar Children, Junie B. Jones, Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, and her new favorite, The Magic Treehouse series.

Monday night was also our first TBall game. I took my camera, but it was too cold to take my hands out of my pockets long enough to use it. Hopefully, Wednesday's game will be warmer. Wishful thinking.

Cup Stacking

Cup stacking is all the rage in elementary school. When Allie first came home all excited about this Chris & I tried to get her to show us using keg cups. She was quick to point out that there were actual cups and plastic ones would not work. Allie conned Grandpa and Grandma into getting her the official cups of the World Stacking Association. Yes there is an actual association, who would of thunk it!! I must admit this is actually really fun. The three of us have had lots of fun stacking cups. Thanks Grandpa & Grandma!!

Let's give this a try...

I thought that I would give this whole blogging thing a whirl. Chances are good that I won't be very quick on the updates, but I'll try. Here are a few pictures from Easter at Jack & Nancy's.