How Many Cans

So this is a record in quick posts, so everyone can rest at ease. Which makes me think, can you rest at anxiety? I would think that its a given that if you are at rest, you would then be at ease?

Anyway, Luke and Julie came into town this weekend and we had an opportunity to take the entire clan (Micah, Chole, Jude, Noah, Levi) to a local orchard.


Here is the whole crew of us (minus Jude who was sleeping at the time, I think we left him in the Ida Red section of the orchard). Looking at this picture it is hard to fathom that we have gotten to this point in life. This morning in chruch Luke and I were talking about the free and "easy" days of gathering together at thier house on Newburg at 11pm to drink coffee until about 2am or so. Now, dirty diapers, day trips to orchards, discussions regarding our children's apperant bent to frustrated us in ways never thought possible. For crap sake, we both own mini-vans. How far we have come. We will catch up with a third child someday...hey maybe we should visit St. Louis again so we can take Interstate 55. (ha, ha)

Chole, Levi, Micah, Noah the future of America

This is Chole and Levi after being caught kissing under an apple tree.

Here are the two oldest boys. Micah looks as if he is being forced to enjoy his time with Noah while Noah looks thrilled to spend time with someone other than Levi.

Julie and Emilie

Finally, the two that are important...well you can't see them behind Luke and Joe, sorry

A little housekeeping
I added a link to Noah's school along with a link to Luke and Julie's blog (mostly Julie's) and a link to a dear friend of our's blog. Her name is Michele and she truely is one of the most talented persons we have ever met, not too mention pretty cool! Please check out her blog, it is what this blog dreams of looking like.

These Are The Days

So...it sounds as if some updating is needed. How come Emilie never gets yelled at for this!? Anyway since I have not updated since September 8th, lets go through this systematically and with order (I know that was redundant, again, over and over).

So last time we left our super family, we had gone to the beach, started school and painted our kitchen. Since then, we have...

Had a family jam session (Emilie was kinda like the bad drummer in this picture, ya know unreliable and off-beat - ha off-beat that was funny!)

Celebrated a number of birthdays in which...

Levi was frustrated by the concept of being alive for two years without the capability to drive a car yet...

...Noah posed for another picture...

Levi protested being part of a family (really he is enjoying the single most irritating car and truck toy imaginable, thank Gretchen and Marc, you will be getting these back in about a year!) Are my teeth straight? (If you laughed at this, you have been at our house since this evening)

Again, Noah is astonished at how smart Grandpa Kelly is. Seriously, he could show Noah a pile of dirt and tell him it came from an alien tiger who flew in on a boat and Noah would believe him and argue with anyone who disagreed with him. It's pretty fun!

Before, during, and after...KA-POW!!! (what a fitting shirt)

While Levi was off KA-POWing, Noah and Grandpa Kelly pleasured all of us with this great picture. I'm not sure who is happier?

We have also...

Learned how to ride a two wheeler (sans training wheels) And what does this mean?

It means that Daddy had to learn that it is time to join a gym and get into shape

Levi learned how to lick a bowl properly. Yes you Levi, you learned it!

We travled to Africa and took a stroll through the savannah, that was fun, kinda hot though.

While we were there, we had the privlidge to see in person the talented group Tito and Sanchez the amamzing singing giraffes. They were pretty good, but reminded me a bit of Hall and Oats though.

Option #1: After yet another melt down, Emilie lost control and tried to trade him away to this giraffe for a sack of onions.

Option #2: Emilie uses the social behaviors of giraffes to use as a teaching tools for Levi and how to get along with others

In a word, wow!

And yes we painted the living room, and hall, and stairway, and upstairs hall. (Thanks dad, even though he doesn't read this, big props anyways.)

And finally, we stopped by a little place in Rockford Michigan to remember good times that were had by all. Nothings says love like eatin' popcorn in the corner!