Meagan's trip

Because of below I am posting Meagan's trip in my blog until we figure out her blog. So this is from my dad...

I can't post to Meagan's blog because everything is in Vietnamese when I access blogspot from here. So I don't know what I'm doing. I'll send you a picture or two. Maybe if you gave me some instructions on posting to blogspot, I could figure out from here even if it's all in Vietnamese. I just need to know what you put where on the different entry forms.

Yesterday we did some touring of downtown Saigon and yesterday afternoon we went out to the outskirts to visit an elementary school. That was fun cause the kids were so cute. We got to go in some classrooms and interact with the kids there. They were really friendly, enthusiastic and smiley.

Today we had free time so we went to an amusement park (kinda wierd) and then came back, went to a silk shop and ordered a couple of custom made ao dai's for Meagan.

Mom will write some more later. Here's some pictures. You can post this stuff to the blog if you want.

Dad

I have not had family pictures taken since I was 8...until now!

While I was in Michigan, and since my whole family was there, my mom thought it would be a good idea to get family pictures. As I thought about it I realized that I had not done a family picture with my mom and dad and siblings since I was 8. I think we were waiting for Meagan to join the family...we didn't want to leave her out! So here we all are...in all our glory. Thanks Laurel for the beautiful pictures...you do wonders! And I promise to work a little more on the blog...I'll post Kylie's birthday pictures someday soon!

Fun at Mickey D's

After a few visits with failed attempts to get together...mainly my fault, I finally found Julie Lowe Barb! Julie and I were born in the same hospital in Provo, UT only 3 days apart...so we figured we were in the nursery together! It was really fun to see her and her two sets of twins. She really is my hero! Although she claims she isn't, she is a much better mom than me and truly inspires me! While we were eating Kristin Quinn Ellis walked to play with her two kids...so we had a double treat! It was fun to catch up on things...now only if we get back to Michigan!

Josh with Logan and Tanner

Kylie and Mallory

Kristin with her daughter, Aviva, Me with Kylie, and Julie with Mallory.

Our 2nd week in Michigan

This past weekend we spent time with our long lost friends Julie and Aaron and their family and Alicia and Steve happened to be there. We had never met their little girl...who is a real cutie by the way! The boys loved playing together and they always go right to playing as if we never left Michigan. I wish I could find friends like them in Kansas or better yet...I wish they would move near us! Sunday afternoon we went to Grandma's and Grandpa's house. Hope you enjoy these pictures Aaron, we really wish you could be with us!

Best buds!

Alicia and Ashley

Grandpa showing his true colors!

Kylie pushed this baby around all day long!

Josh in action

Finally one of him not being silly!

Sadie gets to come home at Christmas! We can't wait!

I forgot...

I was going through the pictures on my camera and I forgot these. They were taken the weekend before we left for Michigan. Notice the boys are in short! Here are Josh's best friends who live near us. By the way they play guns in the backyard all day...I think it's a boy thing.

Josh and Cordell

Gage was too busy to eat at home

All the boys in action

Our first few days in Michigan!

After a long 45 day countdown we finally made it to Michigan! The airplane trip was a lot better this time since Kylie had her tubes put in. We love being with family but we are also really missing daddy! So most of these pictures are for him.

Kylie loves being at grandma's house

Meagan with the camera glued to her face

Josh working hard at coloring

Silly Kylie

Halloween 2008

This morning I was woken up at 6:30 am by Josh who said, "I know what day it is!". It was like that ALL day. I tried to focus the excitement into cleaning his room but that took 2 hours...and it wasn't that messy! At least he stayed there on and off. We carved pumpkins just in time and Aaron came home as I was getting the costumes together to put on...way to go dad! The kids loved getting candy, what kid doesn't. Josh was really into it and ran to almost every door while Kylie figured the whole thing out after 2 houses. She was really cute saying "tant you" and "bye bye".

Dumping the bag...this much candy is too heavy for Josh to carry ;)

Carving pumpins

We were a little late carving pumpkins this year but did it just in time for trick or treating. We were literally carving the pumpkins an hour before we left. The kids had fun but the adults did most of the work...of course. We missed Aaron carving with us this year...he was driving his long drive from Emporia but did make it for trick or treating...Yeah!

When does Ky not stick out her tongue?

This turned into a Batman pumpkin...of course!

Our neighbors Sarah and Gage...

Pre-k Halloween Party

On Tuesday October 27th Josh had his school halloween party. He of course was dressed as his favorite super hero of all time....BATMAN! Thanks Mimi for the costume. He wanted to be the black batman. He of course had throw in purple somewhere since it's his favorite color and his hair worked out the best.

Yummy Krispy Kreme...

His best friend Ben, whose dad is the real sheriff of Shawnee by the way...

The very overexcited class...

Randomness

Here are a few random pictures I took at the end of last week. Do you always need a reason???

Kylie and her look alike dolly. She is really getting into dolls and I love it!

Josh with his new passion of guns? Always being silly.

For those of you who don't know Kylie has asthma...here I am giving her a breathing treatment and when we ordered a new nebulizer they gave us this funny fish mask. It makes me laugh everytime I have to use it.

KC Pumpkin Patch

Here is most recent outing with Daddy. Since Aaron is working 7 days a week again, we took his last weekend for the next month or so and played at the pumpkin patch! The kids had a lot of fun picking out pumpkins and riding on the tractor! We missed Grandma and Grandpa being with us this year. We also are still trying to get used to going to orchards and pumpkin patches in shorts and t-shirts...too wierd!


Josh loved racing the bike with other kids!

Dancing with pumpkins...

Laughing at Daddy...not hard to do...just kidding Aaron!

Pumpkin boy

Me and the kids...

Kylie's adventure

So I don't have any pictures of the event I'm about to describe but I thought it was good enough to receive a mention here on our blog. Last Thursday I needed to run to Target to pick up something and I was trying to get the kids in the car...however every time I tried to pick up Kylie she would run the other way and I am not a chaser. So I went to put Josh in the car figuring that she would follow us outside. When I finished putting the seatbelt on Josh I looked up at the house and the door from the garage to the kitchen was shut. I walked up to the door and tried to open it...and it was locked. I never received a key for this door and the rest of the doors were either chained or blocked by wood so there was no way in. I got into Aaron's toolbox and tried to take a really big wrench and break the door knob but I was just making dents and the door knob was starting to look deformed. I was afraid I was doing more damage than good. So I went to my neighbors (after my mother reminded me they have a key...the things you forget when you are freaking out) and they were not home...they are always home but not then. So I called 911 and a policeman was then on his way. I went to the backyard after getting Josh out of the car and started watching Kylie through the glass door. She was going to town...but I'll tell the whole of what she did after I finish. The policeman came to the backyard and asked how he could help. I was trying not to freak out but I'm sure he heard the panic in my voice. To make a long story a little bit shorter he eventually took Aaron's hammer and knocked the door knob off...to those of you who this may happen to hammer straight down and it tears out the lock! Kylie looked a little freaked but she was safe! The police of Lenexa, KS saved Kylie's life...THANK YOU! Meanwhile while Kylie realized I couldn't get to her in her 10 minutes of freedom she first went to the fridge and emptied all the apples and grapefruit...then found the mustard and went to our new kitchen table and starting emptying the bottle and finger painting the table... then found the oreos and emptied the package on the floor, along with eating some...then went and found the cereal and started eating some of that and emptying some on the floor and finally went to the drawer with all her sippy cups and started throwing them all over! So my house looked great by the time the officer opened the door. I'm just greatful she was safe and no charges were filed...Just kidding but not about the safe part! Hope this story made you smile!

Faux Hawk

This weekend Aaron took Josh to go get his haircut...I told him that it would be cool for him to get a faux hawk although I didn't think Aaron would really do it. So I was thinking that Aaron would bring back my little Josh with his hair all tidied up...well this is what came in the door. Josh was sooo excited and thought he was soooo handsome. (In fact while at Wal-Mart he told me that some girl was staring at him because his hair was so handsome.) He was only disappointed that the top of the faux hawk is not purple. So maybe for halloween batman can have a purple faux hawk under his mask!



Aaron says this picture looks like a mugshot.

A better view of the handsome hair

Kylie wanted her picture taken too!