One of my favorite things

One of the best things about the garden is tilling the ground. I love the rototiller. I spent all day outside working in the yard. I couldn't wait for this part. Dad was watching me and I knew he was jealous. As I was walking by him to do another part of our garden I said,"Don't you wish you could do this?" He said he didn't have the right shoes. It was killing him I tell you.
"Ok let me have a turn." That was all he said. He went over and over this little spot a few times. I think he loved it!
Like father, like daughter! I love you dad!!

CDG 8th birthday

I guess with his birthday being on the first day of school and then his baptism a few days later I forgot to post these. He had a great day!

flashback-Thanksgiving 2006

I think just about every time grandma and grandpa came this is one thing that grandma ALWAYS does. Paint the girls nails pink.
So sweet!
ARG had no trouble adjusting to these two "new" people.

She loves to snuggle with her purple blanket as she calls it. Grandma made

it for her.

I love this picture for so many reasons. They are watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The two older ones stayed for most of it. ARG stayed until the very end.
This is how I found them after Santa Clause came at the end of the parade.
This is our traditional dinner at Cracker Barrell. Delicious!!
After dinner we just relax. With no mess to clean up we just get to enjoy each others company.
I love the look on grandpa face here. EJG and grandma are giving ARG a hard time for sucking her thumb. When grandma asks for a taste, she always takes it out and holds it out for her.

We ended the weekend at the George Eastman House. It is a beautiful house and our first time there after 7 years here.

That went fast!

I can't believe that it is almost over. We were so excited to get to see grandma and grandpa for a whole year and spend time with them. I knew they would be serving a mission, but I also knew we would get to see them some time. Most of all I just wanted the kids to get to know them and build relationships with them.
I wanted to have good memories that my kids would never forget. The girls LOVE grandma. Who wouldn't. When ARG wants to be held grandma will always hold her. Grandma paints nails, sews, combs hair, and the list could go on and on.
We have had many good dinners at this table this past year.
Grandpa is loved by all. They love to climb on him, look at books with him, ask him questions.
In just a few short weeks we will have to take another picture on this couch but we will be saying good-bye and not hello. I wonder if the faces will be full of tears and not smiles. I think both. Thank goodness good-byes are not forever. I am going to try and post some of the fun things we have done with them this past year. We have LOVED every minute of it!

Another First Day of School

This is from AMG's first day of preschool.

I took this picture and she wanted to see it,then I took another one, and then the one below. When she saw this one she said....
"There that's more like it." Oh she is too funny.

A Special Day

CDG was baptized today and it was great. It was such a nice program. Grandpa baptized him and his dad confirmed him. Grandma gave a talk and his older brother gave another talk. Here are just a few pictures of the day. It was wonderful!

OH Happy Day!!

Isn't this a great face for the first day of school, which happens to be on your birthday.

I have to admit I was a little sad she was going to be gone all day.

I love that the bus picks them up at our house! Their classrooms are right across the hall from each other. How lucky is that.

Oh my I think he is so cute.

Really he is going to be a heart breaker!

This is exactly how I feel!

Check out my Slide Show!

Lake House

Saturday, September 1st we went with our good friends down to Canandaigua Lake for a day of boating, eating, and fun. Our friends have a lake house there and have invited us the past few years. The kids LOVE LOVE going. When we got there we went out on the boat for a ride and the kids went on the tubes. TCG was a little worried about getting sea sick and was funny to watch. By the end of the day he was fine and was out on the boat during all but one trip. The little girls got on the tubes as we were coming in, but AMG didn't like going "fast" which we weren't at all. In fact look at one of the pictures and the boys look bored because we were going to slow for them. Every time ARG was on the boat she would say "go faster" it was very cute. She loved it. We had lunch and then the kids went out on the banana. When they were done the adults went out and left the older kids to babysit the younger ones. I am very proud to say that I FINALLY got up on skis. (I will attach pictures later for proof) I was so excited that I had finally gotten up that I fell. I did get up a few more times, but not for long. The kids then went out with the skis and knee board. I stayed to help get dinner ready. TCG did say he got up on the knee board and was happy about that. We had dinner and then relaxed for a while. That night was the "ring of fire" all the houses on the lake put flares around their property and lit them at 9:00pm so there was a red ring around the lake. It was so cool to watch them all light up. We went out on the boat to see it all better and to also see the fireworks. We didn't get home until about 10:30. It was a great day.