Thankful Thursday

On Wacky Wednesday our Loco family drove to OH to visit the Hilarious Horstmann's to celebrate Thankful Thursday. What are we thankful for?

• the Horstlund family photo (thanks Katie)
• Costco pumpkin pie
• a 3 hour turkey
• football in the snow
• the video game Halo (Isaac's)
• Stove Top stuffing
• looking for "door busters" on-line
• sneaky Jedi's not waking the baby
• handy husbands fixing leaks
• playing pool
• cowboy/soldier/karate kids
• talking to family on the phone
• Again, Costco pumpkin pie

Well, there you have it. So far we have had a wonderful holiday and our family hopes you do too.

This piece was co-written by Khania & Rachael.

Halloween

Here is my Derek Lee and Minnie Mouse. It was so warm that day!! Evelyn had fun going from door to door getting candy but she was very afraid of anyone with a mask.

I Love To See The Temple

Before Grandma & Bumpa left for Utah they spent time with us. One afternoon Grandma, Evelyn and I went to the temple. I was such a pretty day and we had a perfect time walking on the temple grounds. No surprise there! The top photo is of Evy looking at the angle Moroni. So sweet!

My Chess Wizard

Grant has always liked chess and now he's been taking lessons after school. Isaac is helping him learn and it's been a great way for them to bond. Thanks Bubble!

Evy-Do Turns Two

This year Evelyn had a low key birthday but it was so nice. She started the day waking up to a ton of balloons in her room. Then we went to the beach to meet up with Carrie, Alex, Jacob and (most importantly to Evy) Sam. The day was so warm and I had to remember the day I went into the hospital to deliver Evy it had snowed! We then picked up Grant from a play date and headed to McDonald's for our traditional birthday lunch. After naps we met friends for yummy Hartigan's ice cream. Last but not least we had dinner and then cupcakes! Evy knew exactly what to do after we were done singing and it was so precious.

As for my girl....she has grown so much and it makes me so sad to think about her growing up so I won't go into all that she has learned and accomplished but I will say I love this age.

Evelyn I Love you!!

SuperCubs

One morning Grant came down telling me that he was "SuperCubs" a super hero but I never found out what super things he did.

Bubble Kiss

Girls Day Out

In early October I had the pleasure of taking Evelyn to the new and improved American Girl Place in Chicago! Last year for her birthday Isaac got her a Bitty Baby and he got me a gift certificate so I could take her to the store. I finally got my act together and drove down. After driving around and around for a parking garage I calmed down and we had a fun morning. I think Evelyn had no idea that such a wonderful place existed. She pushed strollers around and stared at all the storefront windows set up. We purchased a Bitty Baby diaper bag and car seat carrier. I had fun with my Dolly looking at dollies and I can't wait to go again!!

Dress Up

Little Leia Dr. Lund

Halloween mess

Miss Blue Eyes

Go Utah Grad! Finally October 1st came so we brought up the tubs which mainly had costumes from Halloweens past. Grant and Evelyn had so much fun trying on all of the costumes. Grant put on a pirate costume the really did not fit him but he insisted it did. I also thought he looked so cute and just like Isaac in the cap and gown Isaac wore when he graduated. Evelyn loved the glasses and it was funny to see her in the Leia hat that she wore last year. I love Halloween!!

Farewell To Hickory Hollow

This summer, as you may know, Isaac's mom and dad spent their days at Hickory Hollow Campgrounds. We were able to visit them often but this is our farewell to HHC for this summer. I'm sure we'll be back because it was so much fun. The kids had a great time looking at all the bugs but it was so wet and humid that they ate us alive. Grant had his final rides on the Gator and golf cart. And Granma & Bumpa made us some yummy breakfast on their new grill. The funniest thing was Grandma bought stuff to make smores and after Grant announces he doesn't really want one we all confess that we don't really like them either! Oh well what do ya do?

Anyway, I'm so grateful we had them here all summer! It was a blast!!

Arty Evy

Not to long ago I got out the art easel for Evelyn and she showed off her artistic heritage. She drew "circles!" I think she looks so cute in one of Grant's tee shirts too!

Evy Things

Here are a few things Evy likes to do.

swing

looks at American Girl catalogs

put on necklaces

LOTOJA 2008

Isaac & Coach Mark the finish

Isaac, 5th back & waving

the start

Well, I can't tell why the photos uploaded in the wrong order because they have never done that before so bare with me.

Anyway, here we are at Isaac's first big race, the LOTOJA. This stands for LOgan, ut TO JAckson, wy. It is a 206 mile race that takes place in one day and if you need more technical details go to Isaac's blog. First let me say how incredibly proud I am of Isaac for completing such a long and difficult race. He trained so hard all year to reach this goal and he did it! What more could I need to be proud of him.

All racers needed to have a "support crew." Which is basically a car that drives with their racer and meets them at feed zones and gives support. I left the kids with Grandma & Bumpa so I had lots focus. I also was grateful to have two friends, Coach Mark and his wife Dr. Sheila with me. They were so much fun and I will never forget how much fun we had. We made jokes about everything and but the 11th hour we were loopy.

Yes, I said 11th hour! We drove for 12 hours and met Isaac's brother, Philip and his wife Aldara, in Jackson. Then we headed back to Logan the same night! I was crazy but fun and totally worth it!!

Girl, Where Have You Been?!

Okay! I think I was having a bit of bloggers block. After I got home from Utah, at the beginning of September, I just stopped blogging. We certainly have had some fun the last 2 and a half months so it is my mission to get caught up. Stay Tuned!

The Chudleigh's

I just have to give a shout out to the Chud's! I love you guys and it was so good to see you even if it was for just an hour or so. Peter and Brittney went to school with Isaac and I met them shortly after Isaac and I got married. Brittney and I were pregnant at the same time and she had Hannah exactly 2 months before Grant was born. We have a photo of our bellies at her shower. We had fun connecting and becoming Mommies and then finding ourselves together. Our families would have dinner and watch movies so late that we'd bathe and put Hannah and Grant to bed at each others house. Isaac and Peter always had fun things to talk about but now have cycling in common. We have been so blessed to have this family in our lives. We love you!!

Granparents

Here they are the greatest Grandparents in the world!! Grant was so lucky to have both sets of Grandparents here for his 6th birthday. From left to right are PoP, Bumpa, Grandma, and Bubble. Each time I think of time spent with any of them I think of how incredibly blessed my children are to have such a diverse group of people to be examples and to learn from. PoP always plays with my kids! He is down on the floor, out in the yard, and riding around but he is always playing. PoP likes to ride his bike and sail. He is good at playing Legos with Grant and he drove all the way here days after Evelyn was born to see and help us. Bumpa & Grandma are good examples and teach good gospel principles. Bumpa always has something fun in his pocket for the kids and Grandma always likes to sing songs in cute voices for the kids. They love Disneyland and camping. I love the stories they tell and people they meet. Bubble is always fun. She always spoils the kids and they know it. Bubble is also always trying to help them, and us, be better. Better eaters, better decorated, better colorers, you know all the important things. Bubble likes to sing too but she makes up songs and she bounces around a lot. All these Grandparents have a few things in common though. They all love to travel. While Grandma & Bumpa like the US they have gone all over and will continue to travel until they can't do it any more. PoP loves the Caribbean and dreams of settling there someday. Bubble loves Peurto Rico & Mexico but I think she likes to visit us the most. They also all to cook and eat good food. PoP has perfected outside cooking. He can make anything you want with a grill, big pot and a burner. His fresh cut french fries are to die for too. Bumpa and Grandma always seem to find the best places to eat and Grandma can make a mean roast. Bubble makes the best soups! I swear she could take whatever is in your frig and make it into a yummy soup! She makes all kinds of yummy things but my favorite is her salsa! All the Grandparents love baseball so they are always connecting with Grant in that way. They also are all very bright and articulate. Most of all they have in common, their love of my children and it shows! Thanks for being the best Grandparents in the world!! We love you!!!!

Grant's Special Day

Here are a few photos of Grant's birthday! We did so many thing and I was so busy I barely took photos! That morning PoP came and played baseball with the birthday boy while Bubble, Evy and I went to the grocery store for the cake and stuff. When we got back we had a tiny break but we had to get to McDonald's for lunch, it is our tradition you know. Isaac was able to stay home from work and he joined PoP, Evy, Grant and I to the nicest McD's I've ever been to. Then we got home and had some quiet time. During quiet time Grant and I went to a neighbor's lemonade stand where we colored on their sidewalk and talked with friends. When we got home from that Grandma & Bumpa had just arrived and we started visiting with them. Soon it was time to open gifts. He was so good and patient and so was Evelyn surprisingly. He got some great gifts and played while we made dinner. After dinner we had friends over for cake and ice cream. The cake was made by Sam's Club and enhanced by Khania. I did the Cubs logo it was white, I just can't take a good phot. I had them put "#6" for Grant's age and the "Lee" for Derek Lee, Grant favorite Cubs player. Grant's party was so much fun the kids were all lined up waiting to get on the trampoline and everyone had a good time talking and eating cake. After friends left Grant went inside and opened gifts from friends. He loved everything and at the end of the night he said "Mom this was the best birthday!" and he had the sweetest smile on his face! I can't believe my little boy is six years old! I clearly remember having him in my arm as a newborn and thinking I couldn't possible love him more. I now know I do. We have our good and bad days but really with each day I love him more.

Go Ahead and Jump!

After we got back from Moline, IL, Bubble came to visit because Grant's birthday was approaching. Three days before Grant's birthday a large package came and Grant was so excited. I told him it was for Bubble and he never asked again about this giant package with the word trampoline on it. Two days before Grant's birthday, after the kids are in bed, Bubble and I take the package outside to put it together. Isaac says "Will you need my help?" and I said "Maybe" Well, let me tell you what.. putting the frame together was the easy part! What happened next was entirely my fault and my lesson learned was ALWAYS READ ALL THE DIRECTIONS!! So then we tried to put the springs on which turned out to be a huge pain but only because I what? Didn't read all the directions, right. We tried putting on the springs in the absolute hardest way possible by trying to pull the tramp to the spring. All of us were in so much pain and had bruises. I was not happy to find out there was a much easier way and it was my fault. Anyway, we finished it and the next morning these photos are what happened. We love our trampoline!! Thank you Bubble!

John Deere

Okay back to blogging! After we got home from PA we turned around and left again to go to Moline, IL where they have all kinds of John Deere stuff. I'm not sure when Grant became a John Deere fan but it's been a while and he has quite the collection of toys and so does Evy. This trip is brought to you by Grandma & Bumpa who hosted our day there. we had so much fun! They have a big museum like building with all kinds of old tractors to look at. In this building there is also a roped off area where they restore tractors and paint them. Then we went to a building where they have the newest in John Deere farming equipment and you can climb all over them. We all got a turn sitting in these massive comfy tractors. Evy didn't --remember Chucky Cheese and Hershey Park, there was no way she was getting in those things. Last but not lease they have a good size store with all things John Deere. It was fun to see all the things they make with their name on it but why not, people love it! Just so you know the 4th photo down is a photo of a tree feller and it's my favorite! My favorite truck? A pole trailer, ya know the ones that carry the trees after they've been cut down. Anyway, one of the funniest things from the whole trip was Grant shouting in the back of Bumpa's truck, all the way there and back,

"BUTT CRACK!!" Isaac and I were at first ticked but by the end of our trip it became hilarious for some reason.

p.s. Yes, I dressed my kids in camouflage on purpose.