Pumpkins, sassy ladies and Don Juan

Ah, the annual trip to the pumpkin patch. Knox is trying really hard to smile. Camille is not trying at all.
The search is on. Knox is quick and decisive. Camille is certain which one she wants and it changes minute to minute. Kap would look all day for the "perfect" pumpkin.
"It's this one Daddy. I'm sure!"
"brothers can't shake hands..."
He's the cute one in the middle :)


The way we roll...
That orange shadow around his mouth I am sorry to say is frito pie.
My mom and her sister or, "Honey" depending on what generation you are, just back from hair cuts and looking great.
"When the girl is away, the baby will play"
Knox had a school performance. He was great! It is the first performance where he didn't seem nervous at all and it was a latin dance none the less. He was right in the middle and apparently has some moves! We got horrible pictures, but a great video for Nanny and Pawpaw- you"re going to want to see this.

Velcro freeze tag

First you need to know that I have to persuade Kap to play Velcro Freeze Tag. He is content to play "ball tag" which is just what it sounds like and a favorite around our house, but I love the velcro vest. About one out of every four times that I suggest the velcro vest and nerf balls Kap will reluctantly concede and we all suite up. Kap is always "it" in this game because the rest of us can't hit the target. He gets a plastic bag from the pantry, a strategy he came up with to carry more balls than he can with his hands, and "it's on!"There is no mercy! This is him aiming at me while I take his picture. I inevitably "block" my target and frustrate Kap, who goes on about how unfair that is and how he's not going to play if we, his family, cover our targets.
I love that he is flexed out here, bag catching air behind him as he chases the 10 yr old. Notice that Camille, who is frozen, thinks it's hysterical.
Camille is frozen and waiting for one of us to remove her ball and unfreeze her. Kap is "guarding" her. This is illegal and I am glad to have this evidence.
Here is the athlete dodging one of our throws.
Old baseball injury be darned!
He's feeling a little cocky at this point. Probably some of us are frozen.
This hardly seems fair...
but that's the way Daddy plays!

Vermin

We have all kinds of vermin crawling around our house these days- really disturbing. (I brought Camille home a cat costume, but it was a "no go." She had already told her class she was going to be a mouse, so we had to build a costume)Right there in the hall... a well fed turtle!
He did not want to leave- acted like he owned the place...
cute though, as turtles go

I don't know what happened here!

Friends

These are our globe trotting friends, John, Melissa and Ellie, that we rarely get to see. Probably they live in our city and just go to extreme lengths to seem to have come some distance so as not to be bothered by us too often:) This was our first chance to meet their daughter Ellie and for them to meet Max. Ellie is a sweetheart, but we knew she would be.
Yes! They really are that good looking.

We were in Austin on the lake, but it was cool and rainy for most of our stay. We showed Ellie how to veg. out.
Ellie and Max (or Mac depending on who you ask)

John and Knox deep in a game of chess- These two have been friends for about six years now.
Max loved John!
I get these sweet little "I love you's" several random times a day. That was a luke warm hot tub, by the way, but the kids didn't seem to mind.
The lake house had this cool homemade slide and, yes, there were more hand signs.
...and peace signs.
We went bowling on Sat. This is Kap and Camille giving Ellie a little tutorial.
my kids trying really, really hard to pose for a picture
When you take a handsome guy like this out, you have to drape the kids all over him to keep the ladies at bay.
stroller time- just hanging out
our little teenager- she's trying hard to sulk here
Daaaady! (yes, those are our belongings stacked up to the window and filling every possible square inch- we need a bigger car)

It was a great trip! It was so good to get to reconnect with you guys. ( Check out John's new website at www.lastingliberty.com) We hope to see you all sooner next time!

We went with my family to the cabin for a mini vacation. It was wonderful and relaxing as evidenced by the picture below.

I ran into the little grocery store (Kap was in the car by the way) and when I came out, I found Camille like this...

Pen marks everywhere- notice the two bracelets. There was a watch drawn on the other side. I must say she is creative! She said it was an accident!


She's so cool- it happens I'm afraid when you have a 10 yr old brother.

Yes, hand signs are in! It doesn't really matter what sign you throw up as long as your hands are communicating. This is Knox, Camille and Noah- all very cool. About once a day Camille asks "mommy what is the sign for loser, I promise I wont ever use it."

Just swinging. No that's not a basketball in the little swing it's Max.

I Love this land!
This is the "crossing" that Kap wanted to take on the 4-wheeler. This is the spot where I threw a fit until he stopped so I could climb out. In this picture I am still saying "Kap- no!" and he as you can see is still thinking "We got this" I talked him into turning around- really I left him no choice, but you tell me- is this passable. Did I mention we had Max, Camille and my mom with us?


No I didn't pose him- I just found him like this :)

I tried very hard to talk Camille out of picking up and bringing home the cow bones this time, but alas she won out. The teachers sort of cower back when she brings them for show and tell. Her favorite is to take a tooth out of the jaw bone and put it back.
If the adults look harried it is because we had just had the stand off at the ravine and then there's Camille with her Femur or whatever.
Grndmommie and Grandaddy (my mom's parents) came for the day.
Grandaddy inspecting the girth of Max's substantial leg and foot.
priceless!


You have no idea how hard it was to get a real picture with no bunny ears or peace signs.I made this concession.
It is pouring here. Chris and angie left in decent enough weather, but got caught in a downpour!
The boys sat in the swing forever just talking at night. This is a sign of things to come I am sure. For the most part they talked about pokemon, but I know before long it will be girls and there annoying parents.