Goodies for our favorite visitor

B loves mail. Everything about mail; getting mail, sending mail, the mailman, and especially the ads from car places that come with keys to win a new car. We have an extra special mailman. B waits for him every day and scurries to the door to greet him. He's always got a smile and treats her like a big girl. He is very patient with her and reminds her to use two hands so as not to drop any mail - even when it's stinkin' cold out there! As we went through which gifts were going to which gathering she asked who was getting a present for the mailman. Hmm, well gosh, WE are getting a present for the mailman I suppose. So we put together some haystacks, peanut butter balls, and sugar cookies. B thought he needed a card - an extra special one with glitter, of course.


They waited and waited with their noses pressed to the front window. Of course he was late (which is pretty much unheard of. He's here at 1:30 on the dot every other day).


He finally made it! I wish I could have gotten a picture of the two of them but the door was sticking and she needed help. She had the picture on top of the goodies and he exclaimed "did you make me a picture!". B was so excited she could hardly get out that it was a Christmas tree with balls AND glitter ANNND she made him treats.


It's refreshing to know that there are still kind, patient, caring people in this big bad world.
Hope your holiday is filled with people just like our wonderful mailman!

Merry Christmas!

Another day on the ranch

Lil E is making a valiant effort to learn to feed herself with a spoon. Apparently cheesy ham and hashbrowns are just way too much work.
Yes, that's paint all over her hand. No, it won't come off. Miss B was painting sun catchers when the E tornado took out 7 tubs of paint/stain stuff in one swift swipe. Thankfully it came off my table (this is why I refuse to get rid of my junky faux wood table) but it is requiring a bit more effort to get off her hands.


When daddy finally came home after 8pm we all got in our jammies, loaded up the Christmas spritz cookies and cocoa, and went looking at Christmas lanes. The girls had a lot more fun than I thought they would; we definitely have to go another night and go to the other side of town. B's favorite exclamation was "ohhh...my...COWS!!" at every house. E thought it was downright hilarious so of course B had to keep announcing it at the top of her lungs.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Yesterday we made our annual birthday cake for Jesus.
Erin wasn't sure about all the noise the mixer made.


The cake mix was pretty darn yummy though. Bryn thought the little chunks that didn't get mixed up were pieces of candy in it :)


Good thing there's big sister to help figure out this spatula licking thing!


We had candies that spelled out "Happy Birthday" but they stuck to the paper. It's official, I will never go into cake decorating. How frustrating it was to write on the cake!
Bryn wasn't quite as picky as mommy; she thought it was great fun!


SO proud of her cake. Notice the foot in the air as she posed hahah


When we were finished she asked if Jesus was coming to have some of the birthday cake we made for Him. Hmmm guess we're going to have to go over how that all worked out again...

Happy Halloween!

Oreo's are bad news

Miss B seemed to think Lil E needed an Oreo. I didn't even know we had any Oreo's. God only knows how old they were. But E sure seemed to enjoy it!

A Princess' Remorse

I was trying to snap a picture with my phone of E looking super cute in her dress up clothes. She wasn't too impressed with my request and whapped me with her cup.
She was remorseful for half a second when I told her that hurts mommy. However, it was over just as quick as it started and she darted in the other direction so I couldn't get a picture.

Yard work day

First Piggies

E is finally getting enough hair to do something with it. How adorable are those piggies?!

A Beauuuuutiful Princess

I always swore I'd never be the mom that bought my kids chintzy Halloween costumes. That lasted all of three years.
Party America sent out their mailer with every costume known to man in it and Miss B scopes out a Cinderella dress. She went and got herself a marker and circled it so she could show her daddy (she must be catching on that he is usually more of a sucker than I am). I'm not entirely sure why she picked a Cinderella dress out of the hundreds of costumes beings shes never even seen the movie, or any Disney princess movie for that matter, but that was IT. I kindly reminded her we have a whole dress up box with things just her size and she could pick one of those things to wear; not so easily swayed. B looked up with the most convincing little green eyes "but mama, not the other princess dress it's too small. I want to be a beauuuuutiful princess". Upon checking the size so I could use it as leverage to sway her, she was right, it wouldn't be big enough to get warm clothes under it for trick or treating. Darn you South Dakota winters starting in October!! So off we went to buy the most beauuutiful princess dress there ever was and she's been wearing it all day.

Pics of both girls - Attempt 1

The first attempt didn't go so hot. E was running in every which direction. B was totally irritated and asking to go home. Gave E licorice to try to bribe her - it didn't work in the least but produced buckets of red drool (I thought it would be good because it'd take her a while to get through. Note: bad idea). B snagged her dress on the stool which started a meltdown. In the end they were both happy as pigs in slop to play in the dirt instead.

Orchard playdate

Our playgroup met at the apple orchard today. I took way more pics than this but they have kiddos in them that I don't have permission to post :(


Charlie the hayride driver.



What a great daddy :o)

Bizzony Day

Also known as lasagna to the rest of the world ;)
I think she liked it...at least for face paint anyways.


WHY must you take photos of me eating?!


They both sit at the window longing to go outside now. (They were still stripped down from the eventful lasagna lunch)


Finally made it outside!


Would you believe she climbed to the top of the rock wall! Turkey!!

Rotary-Norlin Park

We had a quick minute to stop and take a few pictures. We definitely need to go back to this one.
Bryn had her little camera and was playing photographer today so she was sure she just couldn't be in photos if she was taking photos.

Park Playdate

She just loves the teeter-totter


One determined little stinker just sure she can make it up that slide (and she did!)

In the yard

Just hanging out in the backyard today

Apple Orchard

Today we went out to The Country Apple Orchard to pick apples. There was an area with animals to pet, hay bails to jump and climb on, a tractor and trailer to pull us to the orchard, and a little shop with lots of handmade goodies. It was tons of fun until it started to rain when we were out in the orchard and we all got pretty soaked. We will definitely be going back later in the fall to pick pumpkins for Halloween and Thanksgiving!
Now I just have to learn to cook something out of these ten pounds of apples!

Yum! Right off the tree.

We went to the bar today

Who knew I was overlooking such a GREAT location! (even if it did mean hanging out outside a bar with my three year old)