The Defeat of Jesse James Days

There was a sign in the bank window...

Jesse James couldn't get cash here but you can!

Mariah and Papa join the crowd

watching the reenactment of the James Gang's demise...

Mariah is on Papa's shoulders for a good look...

light blue shirt...

Gabe isn't impressed.

The Thomas cousins all had their portraits done!

This is Nate... Not really into this.

Tom Halverson working on Jamie's portrait.

First Day Excitement

Cheyenne's first day of school...

In a new town, with a new family...

She is amazing and looks at this as an opportunity to make new friends!

Nana is Coming

After I told Mariah that Nana was coming to get her for a sleep-over

I got busy doing something... When I looked up Mariah was gone.

I found her on our front porch,

which is a catch all for boxes to be recycled

and items for a garage sale. It also currently

holds the back seat from or mini-van.

She can't see out the window but she,

and her favorite EIO (known to the rest of us as a VCR tape)

was waiting for Nana.

It took a while to convince her that,

because Nana wouldn't be there for an hour,

she should come inside...

But I managed.

Mariah's First Day of Nursery School

Here she is, all ready to go!

2 mornings a week Mariah gets time to socialize

and Mommy gets time to enjoy silence or clean or unpack...

Miss Penny shows Mariah her locker.

Playing with her new friend.

The children line up in front of the school at the end of the day

and wait while teachers lead them one at a time to their waiting parents.

Parents who drove form a line in the circle drive

and one at a time the teachers load

their child into their car and buckle them in.

They leave and the next car pulls forwad

and their child gets buckled in... It's CRAZY organized!!!

Quiet Time

Cheyenne and Emily

take a few minutes out from their busy lives

for a story and a cuddle.

Party Princess

I forgot our camera so don't have many photos yet...

This is Mariah, the Party Princess.

She is rubbing her face on Becky's train and chanting,

"Silky! Silky!Silky!"

Other than a few odd moments she was PERFECT!

More photos to come...

Cheye's Portrait

Cheyenne

by Tom Halverson

Tom did a portrait of Mariah last year.

We HAD to have him do Cheyenne's too!!!

Isn't she beautiful!?

It's ANOTHER Girl!

Emily Elizabeth

4 months

She is a GREAT TV watching partner.
Bath Time

Emily and Nellie

Emily and Mariah are inseparable!

COUSINS gone Wild!!!

Getting ready for an afternoon of boating!

Abby, Jamie, and Cheyenne

When does the fun start?

Nate watches Jamie, Mariah, Olivia and Abby.

Oops! I tried to crop and it didn't work...

Olivia, Chey, Mariah, and Nate

Cheyenne, Mariah, and Nate wait for a ride.

Our Girls

Cheyenne and Mariah
3 mermaids
Cheyenne meets her first of MANY cousins!!!

Never give a 3 year old scented markers.

Pheasant RELEASE!!!

Mariah and Papa driving to a secret location...
Checking on the livestock.

They handled the trip well.

This is your new HOME, Pheasants!
The blur above her head is a pheasant.

We thought they would hop out and look around before taking flight.

We were WRONG!!!

They flew straight up as soon as the lid was open!

It took 3 seconds.

Every feather Mariah finds now

is a message from her pheasants...

We won't tell her otherwise.