Madeline, Calvin and Hobbes.

Ever since we picked Hobbes' name out, I have thought it would be cute to have him dress up as Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes (not where we originated the name from, but still...) and then when Madeline was born (and yes, her name is from the story) I thought it would be even cuter if we dressed them up as the cartoons the same year. So this year, we finally did it-I ended up ordering Madeline's outfit from ebay, but made Hobbes. Walmart was unfortunately out of yellow hairspray, so we tried finger paint (which sort of worked) but other than that, they looked really cute! Calvin and his tiger, Hobbes, that was given to him as a baby.

' the smallest one was Madeline.'

SO cute.

and even in character!

Punkin' Patch!

happy kids.

for Great-Grandma Garfield.

My Grandmother is a fabulous seamstress (a trait that unfortunately, did not pass down) and she made all her grandkids Pooh stuffed animals when we were babies. She kept this tradition going with Hobbes, her 1st great-grandchild, when he was a baby. I took these pictures yesterday, just to show her how much we all love them-and more importantly, her! We miss you, Grandma!

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The hubby and I.

Pretty Girl.

These photos were taken by Jennifer Lizenby (jenniferlizenbyohoto.com), at a friend's tea party. I thought they were darling!
and below, my dancing girl. ALWAYS loves to dance!

Love this little girl.

Creative boy.

Bray showed Hobbes how to make animals out of legos-and he has been making whole farms of animals!!
My skilled little engineer.
He also combines his Thomas Trains with Lincoln Logs, and created a hold-up situation.

Evening walk.

Hobbes, pretending to fall down the hill, and Madeline rescuing him.
gorgeous sunset.
2 men in my life.

Who couldn't love these faces?? They are so sweet-and sweet to each other, too!

mommy ballerina.

family outing-finally!

I realize it has been some time since I gave an update, and I do have good reasons for being behind! Life has been the usual whirlwind, and we are minus a computer right now, so it is hard to keep up with all the online things! Monroe has been treating us well (besides the ridiculously hot temperatures) and we are adjusting to life here. We love our apartment, and the kids adore being near cousins and Gege & Bop. It is so great to have family nearby, and they have helped us out a lot!
Bray is working a part-time job at Grainger, and has been doing great! Although totally different from what he's done in the past, he has learned some helpful things, such as unplugging the TV, lamps, etc, can save big-time on the electricity bill! who knew? He is also teaching voice to several people, and is working on some new audition rep. for upcoming competitions.
I have been able to get involved in the music world again as well, and got a job with an episcopal school right around the corner from us, teaching music to Pre-K3-5th graders, and a middle school choir. I am also accompanying for the university here, and am loving it! Although challenging, it is great to be able to work in the field I got my degree in! Bray has been a huge help, and I love that we have a piano at our home where we can work on things together!
The kiddos are growing fast, and I am homeschooling them this year, and hope to put them in a private school next year. Madeline is a puzzle whiz, while Hobbes has recently taken to making spaceships, airplanes and cars out of legos. They are our constant enjoyment and entertainment, and life would definitely be dull without them!
Due to the busyness of the summer, we were unable to go on as many family 'adventures' as we usually do, so we finally got an ice cream night in and I caught a few pics. Hope you enjoy, and we miss you all!!

Ducks.

Grandma time.

Ducks at Hordemann's pond is a must when visiting Moscow.
Madeline has a goofy face on here, but my mom looks gorgeous. Madeline still regularly asks to go visit Ama's house!!

the little ladies.

Drink Tea & Eat Cake

My oldest sister, Carolyn got married in Moscow, ID this weekend! Madeline and I were able to fly up for the wedding, and it was a beautiful, wonderful time! Here are just a few pics I stole from Kathryn.

Mark & Carolyn, headed off in the limo.
My shy flower girl.

last shots.

Bray and Steve, braving the HUGE waves.
Wendy and Madeline, taking a walk.
The 4 crazy people.
diggers.
flying kites before the storm.