Pumpkin Patch and Happy Birthday!

 We went to the pumpkin patch and picked out a pumpkin.

I also played around with the camera.  Addie has really plumped up, she has as many rolls as a bakery.

Looks like Cody has a roll or two as well.

Cody's birthday was on the 14th....I woke up late that morning and he had already done the dishes (he always does the dishes but I thought maybe on his birthday he should get the day off).  He is a wonderful father and husband and he has worked really hard at his PhD as well as his church calling, so I wanted to do something really special just for him.  I took all the kids with me to REI to look at mountain bikes.  His bike was stolen a few months ago so he has been riding a borrowed bike.  I decided I could be practical and splurge a little at the same time.  After about an hour of looking at bikes and talking to a sales guy who was not willing to help me install a new bike rack and bike, I gave up and walked toward the exit.  Then I saw a bunch of bikes hanging from the ceiling so I walked over there and looked up and saw the bike I wanted (I might have even heard a chorus of angels).  I walked back over to the bike shop and told a different guy I found the bike I wanted.  He got it down for me and I bought it and a bike rack.  He wheeled the bike out to the car for me and leaned it against the side of the building right in front of our car and walked away .  Good thing I got a parking spot right up front.  I proceeded to read the instructions and attempt to assemble the rack while the kids played on the sidewalk, in the car and spun the pedals of the new bike.  Addie was getting upset so I sat down on the sidewalk and fed her and read the instructions.  After I read through them a few times I put her back in the carseat and assembled the rack and installed it on the car.  Then I got everyone in the car and put the bike on top.  I was so proud of myself and so excited to see Cody's face when he came home!!!  When we got home we made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and ordered pizza from our favorite pizza place.  When Cody got home I couldn't stop smiling and was shaking with excitement.  I hid the bike in the room and told him to go check on the baby.  I followed him because I wanted to see his face.  At this point I was sputtering with giggles and I couldn't stop smiling.  He went in and saw it and exclaimed, "What is this?!"  It was awesome.

It was a great day to celebrate our favorite person!  We love him so much!

August

We really enjoyed our summer with our new baby.  She tended to be fussy in the late afternoon/evening so after feeding her we would just put her in the stroller and head out for a walk.  The older 2 loved riding bikes and going down the many hills in our neighborhood.  Our walk usually included a stop at the garden to weed, water and harvest.  (we had a great crop of tomatoes and butternut squash that was mostly devoured by rodents.  We managed to save a few and loved eating them in a bacon hash.)  Then we would walk and ride around the neighborhood.

Silly Liza!!

 Sometimes we would play hide-and-go-seek.

 Coulson cracks me up so much.

 We had a really great summer.

We took off the side of Coulson's crib but he kept falling out of bed so he started sleeping on the top bunk.  We originally wanted Eliza to sleep on top but she wouldn't.  Like I said before, Coulson is his own little man and has his own idea of how his life is going to play out.  Some things aren't worth a fight and sometimes I am too tired to reason or negotiate with him so we live and let live.  He suffers the natural consequences of his actions and seems to learn much better than when I try to tell him with words.  One night we found them snuggled up together.  So cute.

July

In July we braved the crowds for free museum day and visited the Train Museum.  There are tons of model trains set up and running with scale models of actual cities.  It is pretty awesome.  The kids loved it.  Afterwards we ate some lunch on the patio by the shops in Balboa Park.

Then we rode the train.

Here is Adelaide in her 4th of July outfit:

We didn't do much but enjoyed our time together.

Our sweet baby Adelaide started to be more alert and awake during the day.  She liked to stay up late with us and then sleep all day.

One Saturday in July we went to the Old Poway Train Park and rode the train.  Adelaide slept from about 11-4 in the carseat.

Coulson loved train!

I included the next several pictures because they tell you what kind of kid Coulson is....

And how different he is from Eliza.  Eliza has always wanted help with most things and loves to be helped and cuddled and taken care of.  Coulson does things by himself, never asks for help and is his own little man.

I thought this next series of pictures was very telling of our family dynamics...