Summer Fun

 Landon, Laney, Claire and Lucy at the pool.  Aren't they just so cute?

 Landon, Lucy, Claire and Laney enjoying their lunch together...a little too much!

Claire feeding Charlotte lunch.  This was a first time for Claire, and she really enjoyed being able to help out.

So this post is a little out of order, but I'm just finally getting some pictures put on the computer from our trip to KS and the aquarium in Tulsa.  The kids and I spent a week in July in KS.  The first part we stayed with Lindsey, Lucy and Laney.  The kids played, swam and played some more!  Plus, we also got to watch Lucy and Laney in action at gymnastics.  They all get along so well and it's a joy to watch them grow together.  The second part we stayed at Gram and Poppy's.  We swam, went to the farm to ride the mini ranger and Barney, and played with Fred, Charlotte, Thurston and, of course, Uncle Frank.  One hot weekend our family decided to take the short trip over to Tulsa to walk through the aquarium.  It was really neat and the kids enjoyed the sharks and other crazy underwater creatures.  We also did a little shopping.

Just a Few Pictures

 We enjoyed cheering on the Wingnuts this spring.  The cousins had lots of fun "watching" the game!  Landon and Lucy and Laney Hooper

 Claire earned the name "The Animal Whisperer" while in Colorado.  Animals just seem to understand her...or vice versa!

While in Colorado, Landon climbed pretty much every pile of rocks we came across.

 Claire prepped and ready for recital 2012.  A great ending to a fun year of new dance friends.

The cousins posing for family pictures.  Can't believe they are all looking at the camera at the same time!  Claire and Landon, and Thurston and Charlotte Silhan.

A New Start...Again!

This is our new home in Arkansas.  We technically live in the city of Centerton now, which is just outside of Bentonville, but the children will attend Bentonville Public Schools and still do all their activities in Bentonville.  The move was not the smoothest, but now that we are settled in those issues are being put to rest.  The last few weeks have been filled with getting reacquainted with our friends here in NWA.  The kids have also been enrolled in school, dance, flag football and piano lessons.  School starts in less than 2 weeks, and although it is a different school than before, the kids are excited to get in and get going!

Our summer started with a trip to Colorado with Gram and Poppy.  It was a wonderful week filled with hiking, sight seeing and playing.  We came back to Arkansas after, which was a fun transition for the kids.  Nana and Papa had come to help Geoff with the unloading while we were in Colorado, so the kids bedrooms were all ready for them when we arrived!

Claire auditioned for the competitive dance team she participated in before and made it.  Landon is anxiously awaiting football practice, which should start next week.  And Mommy is enjoying these last few days of summer before the taxi service must start up again!

Family Pictures

Our good friend took some pics of our family...we were way overdue!

Pics tell the story...part 2

Landon as Captain Gree the StormTrooper and Claire as Alice...for Halloween.

Claire in the mini Ranger.

Landon going WAY TOO FAST in the mini Ranger!

Claire's tap group "Bop til ya Drop"

Claire and Landon at the T-Rex Cafe in KC. We ate here the night before Claire's dance competition. This place had neat dinosaur animatronics!

Landon with his baseball player pumpkin. He won 2nd place in the decorating contest at school!

Pictures Can Tell A Story

Landon at the pumpkin patch

Claire at the pumpkin patch. We went with Gram, Poppy and Thurston on an inservice day (no school). The kids all had fun doing a zip line, sliding, watching some punkin chunkin, and being outside!

We spent our other inservice day at the zoo with the cousins!

Well...I tried...

Ok, so my last, very ambitious blog didn't help me any. Oh, I thought about it, but just never found the time to prioritize it. So here are a few headlines with pics to follow:

* Landon finished with his first season of flag football. He is hooked and needless to say, our family will be watching him play this sport for a long while.

* Claire had her first dance competition with her new studio. It went remarkably well, and both of her dances did excellent; receiving golds and the extraordinary smile award. The studio also won the backstage sportsmanship award. I think this says a lot about those girls and their teachers.

* Landon started basketball, and has since quit. I'm not one of those parents who takes quitting lightly, and therefore put him (and me) through quite a bit of torture before finally making this decision. He said he'll try again next year, after some practice at home.

* We trick or treated with the cousins, Lucy and Laney, this year. The kids had a blast together, but tired out quick. This was fine for the adults!

* Our family spent a day at my parents house riding the new "mini ranger". We also enjoyed a visit from Doris, Helen, Crazy Tommy and Phyllis (Geoff's relatives from VA).

So with this posted I will move on to pics...and will have more stories to tell as those go up!