Shrinky Dinks

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The girls and I did a shrinky dink project after nap time the other day... I was surprised to find they even still made them! Francie colored away about 15 of them and Maisie assisted watching and giving advice (I think she colored 1 or 2). Then 3 minutes in the oven and BAM- tiny plastic choking hazards you don't know what to do with!! Francie glued a few on barrettes - beautiful :)

before

during

after!

Jen and Zach's Baby Shower

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We had a really fun Baby Shower for one of my best friends Jen and her husband Zach on Saturday at my parents house! Jen and Zach flew home for the weekend and their families were both here (Zach's from Texas) and local friends came to celebrate too. It was a fun night - a New Orleans wedding reunion! The ring test and my guess says they are having a girl but we'll have to wait until January to find out!

The cute couple

Jannie's decorations all ready for Halloween

John and Earl at the BBQ making Bloody Mary Skirt Steak from Corralitas Market- YUM

Daddy and the Beezer bonding over beer

Francie and her buddy Eliot- These two were fast friends a year ago at Jen and Zach's wedding shower and jumped right back into their little friendship- so cute!

Big helpers opening presents

Cole took his job very seriously - holding each gift up for everyone to inspect

Oh my Stars- nightowls living it up

Texas fan in the making- boy or girl :)

Jen and Zach are so sweet to my kids and all the kids they know- they are going to be great parents!

JJ found her buddy Kayla who held her for hours in New Orleans at J&Z's wedding!

Great to see all their friends and family

The bikers still going strong

Jannie's cute favors for the kids

Can;t wait to meet your baby Jen and Zach!!!

MOOSE!

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Hank the Moose has arrived safely to our house (at least all the parts of him we are keeping!) Heff flew home with the antlers, shipped the meat on ice and the "cape" or his head/skin just came tanned and packed with salt (but still pretty stinky!) Heff and I are working on getting all of his Alaska trip pictures and video edited- it was a pretty cool trip I am excited to blog about- especially since he is home safe and sound with a big ole 1800 pound Moose to hang in our living room (you think I kid)

Maisie loves to hold JJ's head "smile for the picktcha JJ!!"

Silly Little J always making funny faces

Dad, his girlies and his Moose

Francie posing in the antlers- looking good!

Four Year Old Francie

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I can't believe I have a four year old! Francie is really at a great age to watch her learning new things every day and becoming a big kid. She is harder and harder to reason with- probably because she can plead a pretty good case! She has times when she breaks down crying and reminds us she is still a little girl- but most of the time we hear "well Dad, actually I would PREFER if I was allowed to stay up past my bedtime because... insert excuse 1, 2 and 3." and still my favorite part about her personality is she just does things without help (albeit without asking too :) and then I can't even get mad at her when she looks at me and says "where there is a will there is a way mom." That's my girl France!

She lays her clothes out every night- even if it is usually an outfit like this that includes a tutu, a 24-month Ariel shirt, party shoes and a headband. And I love the tights AND socks with her Princess nightgown when we are still having 80 degree Indian Summer weather. Get ready for 14 more years fighting your dad to turn the heat up France!

She loves going to school and sometimes gets to carpool- here she is waiting with her booster seat for her "bus" (she wishes and wishes a yellow school bus will come around the corner!) and this was the only day on record she didn't pick a party dress to wear to school

Francie and Maisie aren't very often seen without each other- except the six hours a week Francie is at preschool. She is a good big sister to Maisie when she needs to "teach her things" but enjoys having a buddy right there with her to play most of the time.

They certainly have their moments of sisterly rivalry but overall they are pretty good to each other!

She even made this card for Maisie yesterday that said "Love sister Maisie. From Francie. Mermaid." Not sure exactly how to decipher but I picked up she loves her sister enough to write the word mermaid on her card. true love.

Her love for all things Mermaid has not diminished- If I let her she would wear one of 2 Ariel princess dress-up costumes every day and night. She sings songs about Rapunzel and the tower and Ariel and the Sea, King Triton, The step-mother, Aurora, Flounder and Prince Eric - usually all wrapped into one mesh of a fairytale. She is pretty good at making up songs that actually follow a tune and they are always entertaining!

She also still oddly loves "moles" and chewing on her dress/shirt when she is tired or nervous- hopefully both of these go away before she goes to college ;)

Francie is a Magnatile master- she builds all kinds of cool structures at home and at Bumble. She loves putting things together(and saying things like "I am ALL OVER THIS cookie" or "I am really into these pens right now"

She is also "really into" wood-working lately. Dad suggested a few projects and gave her a work area and a hammer and there is no turning back! She makes creations almost every day with nails and clamps and stings and wood. Most get decorated with marker too. We have a sign that says "Francie's" hanging on our gate if you come over (with a cat face in the A and everything :) and a new stop sign she made tonight that has a spinning "STOP" on a nail.

Princess dresses and fairy wings... ALL THE TIME.

Yup, Ariel and her sisters- the most important things in the life of this four year old right now!

We love you wise, silly, beautiful, tough, smart, loving MaryFrances!

Pumpkin Patch

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Monday we packed up for the Pumpkin Patch at Webb Ranch! Emmy and I hauled the girls up the hill and we found a few good pumpkins- bonus was the 20 year old kid who only charged us $20 for 5 pumpkins at the notoriously expensive patch! Our first of a few visits to get pumpkins I'm sure :)

Francie insists on carrying Janie everywhere

Np pumpkin patch is complete without a bounce house

Someone's first Halloween! Bad mom- where is her onesie proclaiming this? ;)

Emmy and her girlies

Purple and pink at the Pumpkin Patch

Family Photobooth

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Here are a few shots from the photobooth we set up for the big party- it worked great! It was a party thrown/catered by Bumble but we were all invited too... so we photoboothed it up with everyone else :) The poofs are still standing somehow- leftover decorations from Francie's 2nd birthday

(a year ago!)

Ariel (came dressed in matching outfits with her sisters but stowed away two Ariel dresses and shoes in her backpack!)

Time to take the shutter button away

CRAZY Heffs! At least Brian and I are trying- the girls look like "geez how did we get stuck with these two embarrassments?"