A new chapter

I know the blogging thing has gone down the tubes this summer-but I guess we have just been too busy for things like that and traveling like mad. We had to get as many flights in as our little Caleb turns two in just one month! (He isn't so little anymore) I can hardly believe it-just as well, I can hardly believe that Halle starts school in the morning bright and early. She needs to be there just before 8am and they will have a chapel kickoff service at 8:30 where the parents and families may attend. I would not miss it for the world. she is excited but seems apprehensive over things like what I should pack for her snack or lunch, who will lift her onto the swing at recess, and if she will need protein in some form at snack time, if she will know all of the songs, if she can find her coat hook, etc. Bless her heart-I know she will do great and love it. Her teacher seems to be just what I think Halle needs this year, and she will be attending a small private Christian school with just 19 kids in her Kindergarten class. Love it that they have music, art, PE, and yes Bible class with a weekly chapel on Fridays with worship and special activities. I will have to post some pictures from her first day tomorrow. We put her name on her folders today with some old sticker letters for fun and I am just about to make a tag for her backpack from some leftover scrapbook supplies, and then pack her snack. She decided on Graham crackers after much deliberation and then worried that it did not include any protein, so she thought maybe I should call her teacher and ask if a Turkey or Ham sandwich would be OK since we learned that there will be no peanut butter sandwiches for her in her cute little lunch bag. (all the peanut allergies are to thank for that) Halle loves peanut butter and even enjoys making her own sandwich from time to time. It takes 10 minutes as she has to spread the PB perfectly even before she is satisfied.

In other news, my sister has been in town with my niece and nephew and we have been trying to spend some quality time together since it is a rare occasion to be this near during the year. We saw two movies over the past several days, and have visited friends, shopped, ate lots of delicious food-there are no Chick-fil-A's in Illinois where she is living or PF Changs for that matter. Yum! I guess a good exscuse for us to go there... I will probably need to diet after her visit is over. LOL! We even got together to scrapbook and chat last night at my mom's house with my cousin, Aunt, Mom, and sister. It was wonderful-I even nearly completed a layout-I will just need to add some journaling. I can share it when I finish since it is a huge accomplishment for me to actually be able to complete some scrapbooking. Today, Halle and I drug out the empty baby book that is intended for her and she is chomping at the bit for me to start on it as soon as I am able. I am committing to start on that next....

Here is a picture from Brent's reunion last weekend-it turned out to be a good time.



Last week we spent 4 days up at our mountain cabin and ran into one of these-He only lived a few minutes past taking this picture. He is a 8 or 9 year old rattlesnake! Yikes!


The 4 of us enjoyed hiking, bowling, a trip to the Royal Gorge with petting zoo and burro rides and carousel(which Halle rode 6 times at the least), and some four- wheeling mixed in with rattlesnake discovery and death.