Cousins

I just love this picture! Kaylynn and her cousin,
Gabe pulling the wagon, and Jaden laughing hysterically!

Breakfast Creations!

One of our favorite breakfast dishes is pancakes, and one of our favorite things to do before we eat them is GET CREATIVE!

Jeremie's Bear.

What is your interpretation?

Kaylynn's self portrait.

And....Kalli's Abstract Art!

Kalli Turned 2!

Kalli enjoyed her second birthday. She is well-versed in the birthday traditions. Right after we said Happy Birthday to her in the morning, she replied, "Kalli eat cake now." How can we resist? We had a nice little family party for her here at the house where she enjoyed playing with Cousin Enan. Her most treasured gifts were the bike seat given by auntie Louise and Uncle Brian and her sleeping bag from Grandma Kay and Papa Les. She played in her sleeping bag FOREVER!!! And was quite possessive of it. We especially like the bike seat because now we can all go biking together!

Kalli enjoying the bike seat. That is big sister's helmet....
we have since bought her one of her own.

One of her many party faces!

Blowing out candles.

Woops, the pictures are backwards...oh well.

What she chose to wear to her party. She picked this dress out and asked for a "pony" in her hair. The dress is about 2 sizes too big, but I wasn't going to argue.

Jolene comes to visit!

My wonderful friend, Jolene came to visit us for her 30th birthday! She left behind her husband 4 beautiful children for an entire week. We made sure she saw as much of the east coast as we could manage. We took her to the ocean, to the lake, to see all the lighthouses, to many old forts, ballet recital, t-ball games, and of course a trip to Boston. We spent some time over at Kay and Les' house riding the golf cart (which she refused to drive). We attempted to race Les, but he beat us every time....he was driving the snowmobile. Yes, we tend to drive the snowmobile more in the summer than we do in the winter. We miss you already, Jolene. Next time, you need to bring the whole family!

T-Ball

Jeremie had his first year of T-ball. He ha a lot of fun, and we had a lot of laughs. Daddy was the assistant coach which helped Jeremie. He is not too fond of doing stuff without mom or dad yet. It is quite humorous to watch 4 and 5 year olds play t-ball. They hit the ball, then run to third base instead of first, then try to chase down the ball they just hit, then run to the pitcher's position. Most "games" left us with belly aches from our laughter! He had so much fun, and at the end of the season all the kids get a trophy and a popsicle!

The Pide Piper

Kaylynn enjoyed another year of ballet and still has dreams of one day being a prima ballerina. This year she performed The Pide Piper of Hamlin for her recital. She was a little village girl and oh so cute! She had so much fun, and really played the part. There is a part of the song when the rats come out and Kaylynn jumped into the arms of one of the teenage girls. It was so cute! Here she is afterward with her lovely boquet of flowers from Grandma Kay and Papa Les.

Back Woods!

Alan had the opportunity to go to Idaho this past spring to hunt ground squirrels with my grandpa and my dad. He spent the week shooting, hunting, riding 4-wheelers, visiting, and eating good food. He had a great time. We wish we could all go. Hopefully sometime soon we will make it out west for a visit. We miss you guys!!!!

Alan and Grandpa John

Alan shooting trap with the "guys."

Alan and my dad.

Alan and Grandpa.

THE BIG APPLE!!!!

April vacation we took a wonderful, but too short trip to New York. The kids had been asking to see the statue of liberty for a while so since NY is only about 6 hours away (and because priceline gave us a great deal on a hotel), we decided to go! The trip was...well....not without its adventures. On our first trip on the Long Island Rail Road, the stroller fell off the top luggage rack and hit Kaylynn and Alan on their heads. Alan got a small cut by his eye, but Kaylynn's was a bit larger.....and of course head wounds bleed like crazy. So, she was screaming and crying so the car conductor arranged for "medical assistance" at the next stop. Little did we know that "medical assistance" meant policemen...paramedics...the manager for the train station...and lots of paperwork! Jeremie was very impressed by the policemen's guns, and Kaylynn just wanted to go to Central Park. Well, the paramedic checked her, gave her a bandaid and sent us on our way, but not before the police gave each kid an "official" NYPD shoulder patch. I didn't take any pictures of this incident because I was too distracted with Kaylynn, and I didn't want the police to think I was a nutty mom. So, we were off again to catch the subway (which the policemen escorted us to...it helps to get a minor injurey in NY). We made it to our stop. Kaylynn and Jeremie and I got off and just as Alan stood up, Kalli hit her head on the hand railing. So, Alan starts comforting Kalli, I turn aroudn just as the subway doors close and off go daddy and Kalli (with my ID, all the money, the cell phone, yup pretty much everything). Through this, I found New Yorkers to be EXTREMELY friendly and helpful...after using a couple different people's cell phones, I finally got a hold of Alan and we re-connected. After all this adventure, we had a normal trip, with the exception of the SWAT team being on the peer after we returned from Liberty and Ellis Islands. We will definitely go back (Lord willing), and I highly recommend that all of you take a trip to New York if you ever get the chance.

A NEW YORK PRETZEL

RIGHT OUTSIDE CENTRAL PARK

CLIMBING ROCKS IN CENTRAL PARK

CENTRAL PARK HAD THE MOST AMAZING FLOWERS!

FAO SHWARTZ...YES THAT IS THE PIANO FROM BIG!

LEGO DARTH VADER, THEY ALSO HAD CHEWBACA,
BATMAN, AND HARRY POTTER ALL BUILT OUT OF LEGOS.

ON THE FERRY TO SEE THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
(OR WIBBERBEE IN JEREMIE'S WORDS).

NOTICE KAYLYNN'S BANDAID

LADY LIBERTY

JEREMIE TRYING TO PLAY "FETCH" WITH THE SEAGULS.

REPLICA OF THE FOOT (ACTUAL SIZE).

REPLICA OF THE FACE (ACTUAL SIZE).

JEREMIE ATTEMPTING TO "PUSH" THE WALL OUT OF
HIS WAY SO HE COULD SEE THE VIEW.

AND, FINALLY, A REST STOP PICTURE.

Jeremie's 4th Birthday

Jeremie had his 4th birthday Hooray! He had a "football" birthday where he requested that we all play a "real" football game. This was quite entertaining with a bunch of 4, 5, and 6 year olds. Oh yeah....and the 28, 29, and 30 year olds. We had a great time playing at the park, swimming in the lake and eating football cake, which I made myself. I was very proud of myself, and Jeremie was ecstatic about it!

Jeremie playing with his new Playmobil Castle.


All the kids had a blast running in the lake, and somehow...Jeremie ALWAYS finds a way to get completely soaked, regardless of what he is wearing!


Pinata Fun! Those T-ball lessons paid off. He really whacked that thing!


Picture of the cake; I made the whole thing from scratch!

Kaylynn is 6!!!

Kaylynn had a wonderful 6th birthday. She wanted a costume party here at home so that's what we did. Kaylynn started the afternoon as supergirl then switched to a bride. Jeremie was a knight, Kalli was a "swan princess," I was the new and improved Shera Princess of Power, and Alan was a stormtrooper which the older kids loved and the younger kids were frightened.
We all had a good time!


Kaylynn blowing out the candles on her cake....she almost knocked the cake over with those mighty blows.
We made a castle cake again this year. The kids LOVED decorating it. We made the whole thing from scratch...part of our "no added chemicals" nutrition. So, the strawberry frosting had real strawberries and so did the strawberry cake. YUM.

Grandma Kay as the press (photographer). She is the one credited for all these wonderful pictures, and Kalli with her baby.

We also did some three legged races....which originally I intended to do outside, but it was pouring so we did them anyway....inside. It was fun but a little cramped trying to squeeze through doorways.Kaylynn and Shannon.
Jeremie and Isaiah

Yes, even the grown ups got in on the three legged races. Actually it all started because we enjoy three legged racing with the kids so Kaylynn asked if she could do it at her party. I love it!
Pictures of the gang...well, most of those dressed up. Gramma Kay and Papa Les were dressed up to as a member of the press and a mechanic. Yes, the girls all have oranges in their mouths. And we were surprised that all the kids cooperated for the pictures.

Kaylynn (as supergirl) with Jeremie (as a knight) and Shannon (as a princess).

More Maine Bugs

I posted my black fly encounter so I thought it fitting to also post about my tick encounter. We have seen many ticks here in Maine but we have never actually had one...well....attached. We visited some friends on the coast this weekend and went tromping around in their woods (not really thinking that the ticks would still be out so late in October). I woke up this morning and bumped my leg on a toy (very typical) and it hurt more than it should. Of course, I had to look, thinking it a little odd that I would bruise that easily. Sure enough, there was a nasty tick enjoying a snack. Alan had to pull it out with Tweezers...they do not give up easily. And now, I have a very sore leg complete with frequent burning sensations (although it is getting better). We had to keep the tick and freeze it just in case...to check it for lyme disease. Anyhow, I will not post a picture (you don't need the image). Just another reason to move to maine!!!

Summer Re-cap

I cannot believe that summer has come and gone, and we are in mid October. I have been a little delinquent in posting new pictures and updating the blog. I hope this post makes up for it! (Although the pictures will not be in chronological order, you will still get some idea of what we have been up to).

We enjoyed visiting grandma Ruie and Harold. The kids exhausted Gizmo (grandma's little dog) running her back and forth outside!



We spent the summer traveling here and there. We made it out to the West Coast for 3 weeks this summer. We spent time in Washington visiting family and friends, taking an exciting sailing trip(complete with rain showers and sunshine) with my parents up to Hope Island. Beautiful day trip. We got to see an old wind mill, play with jelly fish, and tons of little crabs (thanks mom and dad).














































Here we are at Mason Lake (thanks Marsha and Ron for a wonderful weekend). We spent the weekend with Alan's aunt, uncle, and cousins. We even had a day just us to kick back....so I took a picture. :)


Jumping off the dock into the relatively cold water.....even though their lips were blue, they would not admit they were cold.



Brother and sister snuggles. Okay, now we're cold!
Beach chairs are cool!
So are carseats and water jugs.

We also celebrated Alan's 28th birthday out at the lake. It was a surprise; he loved seeing all his buddies and their kids. It's amazing how quickly we multiply. Check out the boat.
FUN ON THE JET SKI!

Kaylynn enjoyed having a sleepover with Apryl and Emylia.

We had a great time with Aunt Angie in Portland. We took the public transit system (the kids loved going "underground") to the Portland zoo where we enjoyed a day of looking at some cool animals and an amazing dinosaur exhibit.

Wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.


Kaylynn's reaction to the T-Rex at the zoo. He was really loud.

And Jeremie's reaction to the T-rex.
Have you ever been this close to a dinosaur?
Kalli...sleeping anywhere she can.



We then traveled to Idaho to visit my grandparents and aunt and uncle. We enjoyed trap shooting, 4-wheeling, thrift shopping, exploring uncle Mike's property, talking to the cows, climbing hay bales, swimming, and more tea parties. Thanks Grandma, Grandpa, Mike and Roxy for a wonderful time! We look forward to doing it again!

Kaylynn enjoyed organizing tea parties all vacation long. She is very thoughtful and creative.


Everyone took a turn on the 4-wheeler.







Then to the family reunion in Astoria, Oregon where we saw a cool sunken ship, a WWII re-enactment at Fort Stevens, had the first annual Clay-Colby children's Olympic games (all the kids have t-shirts and trophies), jumped late into the evening on the big bouncy thing (yes, even the adults), and spent our nights eating S'mores and catching up. The girls even busted out with Achy Breaky Heart during karoke night. (I bet you're sad you missed that Candise....don't worry there's always next year!!!) I think we ate too much and got too little sleep. It was wonderful; can't wait for next year!


Kaylynn got in on the karoke at the family reunion to.
Can we say, next "American Idol?"

Our trip home was an adventure. We spent two nights in Kentucky because they could not get us a flight home. We wound up the second night in a beautiful hotel, swimming all evening then enjoying a nice dinner (on the airline) and then home!

After our West Coast adventures we took some time off to just hang out at home. Kaylynn learned to ride her bike with no training wheels, Jeremie learned to hold his breath under water, and Kalli became infatuated with any and every type of bug...exclaiming "WoW!" whenever she saw one.

Then off for a camping weekend up north in Maine. This was quite an experience...no sign of any civilization for miles. I saw a moose walking along the road. We drove through a small town Jackman where all the parking lots were full of....not cars and trucks...but 4-wheelers! And apparently in the winter, they drive their snowmobiles. We camped at this wonderful place right on the lake...which Kalli made herself quite comfortable in the first morning (as you can see in the pictures). We had full access of the canoes and paddles boats the whole time we were there. We spent the days in the water or looking for cool bugs or watching another kid fish. We spent the evening catching the biggest bullfrogs I have ever seen. The sky was crystal clear, and the star shone so bright...the last time I remembered seeing stars that bright was when I was in Mexico in high school. The place was family run and very quiet, exactly what we needed. They even provided free firewood which was a blessing because we forgot ours at home!


More smoke than fire, but the marshmallows were still good.We simply cannot keep Kalli out of the water!


Fall has been as busy as summer. I am homeschooling full force this year which has been a blast! We have enjoyed learning all about caterpillars. We have caught and observed three monarchs...yes, the full progression from caterpillar to butterfly. VERY COOL! If you have never seen, please make the effort to next year. You will be blown away. We found tiger moth caterpillars, a bed straw hawk moth caterpillar, and a few others that I have yet to identify.

Kaylynn is reading chapter books and writing little stories every day. She is extremely creative! She LOVES tea parties so we are learning a lot about afternoon tea times and the history of "tea parties." She is enjoying another year of ballet and keeps talking about being the prima ballerina. Kaylynn is a very good example to her younger siblings and really enjoys being the big sister. She tells Jeremie stories anytime we take a car ride. The names of her characters are always very interesting. The latest name she gave for Jeremie was Jericho.

Jeremie is learning to write his letters and numbers and loves singing songs about anything he can think of. He is a fast little guy. He literally RUNS everywhere and is so fast that I have a hard time catching him sometimes. He is very interested in football and baseball so we are teaching him what we know. He tried gymnastics for a month but didn't like it so we took him out. His favorite thing to do, though, is play legos. He would literally play legos all day long if I let him. He builds ships, planes, wagons, anything he can think of.

Kalli is such a cutie. Everywhere we go, people comment on her smile. She LOVES animals. All summer we worked on a farm, and she was ectastic with all the animals. She carried the cats around, chased the dogs and chickens and tried to climb in with the goats! She loves to dance and will bring the keyboard to the older two to have them turn it on. Kalli is talking a bit but seems to not care too much about it. She care more about hiding things around the house. The latest was earlier this week....I heard the phone ring but couldn't find it....it was in the garbage. She was very proud of herself. Two days ago I couldn't find the soap for the bathroom so I asked Kalli. She went to the cupboard in the living room and pulled it out for me. She makes us laugh every day!
We have enjoyed apple picking, going to fairs, and playing in the cool fall weather.
We are getting ready for winter. Our wood stove is in and most of our wood is cut and split. We are just waiting for the snow. Hopefully this 70 degree weather will hang on a bit longer!