Fall

Garrett is peeing in the potty. He is wearing underwear and keeping them dry. Pooping is a whole other story. He has no interest in using the potty for that. Maybe when he turns 3 next month...keeping fingers crossed.  He is very articulate when speaking and loves to reenact everything that is said or happens.

Casey is doing great in school. She enjoys reading and is good at it. She has learned about tally marks, the hour hand on clocks, and just started learning about pennies and nickels in math. She is getting better at using capital and lower case letters correctly. They have learned all about nouns and active verbs and punctuation in literacy.

Last weekend, Stan and Casey flew to Birmingham to visit Gramma Lois, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Dave, Ashlynne, Morganne and Max. They had a great time. After they got back, we found out Casey, Garret and I all had strep throat...fun for all. Casey already went through a week of strep a few weeks after school started.

Congratulations to Blair, Chad, Grayson and Everett...they just added little boy #3 to the family! Can't wait to meet you Oliver!

Happy Belated Birthday to Lily (Sept) and Happy Birthday to Uncle Stuart (October 24)!

Dillon, Connor, Garrett and Casey making Halloween decorations

Casey's cat and pumpkins

up close and personal

We have new swings under our deck.

Happy Halloween!

Videos of Summer

First Grader

Casey started first grade on August 19th. She loves her teacher, Ms. Comeau and her good friend Hayden is in her class. She is supposed to read to us 20 minutes every night and has just started getting a homework folder, which she has a week to complete. Her reading is impressive, when she is interested in it. She can sound out most words and she more often reads the words instead of reading the picture. She is learning about nouns and verbs right now in class. Her math skills are coming out more this year too...addition, counting by 2's and 5's. She has also come out of her shell socially in the past few months. She is still a little cautious with people, but has more confidence. I volunteered in Casey's class the past two weeks and noticed she raises her hand to answer questions, which did not happen last year. She did get strep the second week of school, but it didn't slow her down too much. She started Daisy Scouts last week and was not shy at all at the first meeting, unlike last year (mom is co-leader again this year).

Garrett is our tall, social little 2 year old. He is outgoing until all attention is on him. In the past few weeks he is saying all kinds of words and sentences. His favorite..."Seriously!" He is a ham big time. He loves to be outside skateboarding, riding his bike, playing basketball, playing catch, kicking the ball. He knows how to push his sister's buttons one minute and then play so nicely with her the next minute. He loves to snuggle. At night he gets so excited to run into Casey's room to give her and whichever parent is in there a kiss and a hug goodnight.

First day of school

School started Tuesday...kids had Friday off for the Pro Cycling tour...we decided to go cheer the cyclists on in the rain and dressed in Super hero attire

Casey cruising around the Frisco bike park

A little pony ride at Keystone Stables

He picked out his own helmet

Alli and Collin came to visit on their way to Oregon...on the gondola on our way up to Breckenridge Fun Park at Peak 8. They rode the Alpine Slide.

Casey's girl night with Hayden and Sophie...nails were painted, smores were eaten

Happy to be on a jeep ride...Peru Creek.

Back in Colorado...End of Summer

We made it back to Colorado at the end of July. 3 weeks before school starts.  And so, we made the most of it. We went to the Dillon Farmer's Markets on Fridays, Casey did Gymnastics camp for a week, Garrett raced in his first Strider race at Keystone, we went camping and mountain biking, and went on some jeep rides.

Burgers with Connor, Dillon and Ella

A jeep ride up Keystone Gulch Road to the Outback lift

View of Breckenridge from the top of our jeep ride

Driving down...passing part of Erickson Mine

Getting a few tips from dad before the start of the race

racing...can you see Casey on the left running with him?

Getting ready to ride Monarch Crest

The view of O'Haver Lake, where we were camping

Oklahoma

On our way back to Colorado, we stopped in Bartlesville, OK to visit Auntie Cousin Blair, Uncle Chad, Grayson and Everett.

The Beach

The whole Birmingham crew headed to Indian Beach, Florida for a week of sand and sun.

Made it to the beach with Gramma Lois.

Cheese

Garrett learning how to play in the sand from his big sister

First surf lesson from Dad

Being goofy

Morganne and Casey dug a hole

Cute

Ashlynne, Casey and Morganne enjoying the calm waters

Ready to boogie board

Enjoying an after dinner walk

Hanging with Gramma Lois and cousins Ashlynne, Morganne and Max

Birmingham in July

We spent a week in Birmingham, AL visiting Aunt Lisa, Uncle Dave, Ashlynne, Morganne, Max and Gramma Lois.

Max giving Garrett soccer tips

Casey and Ashlynne collecting flowers

A little swimming at the local Jewish Community Center

Backyard sprinkler fun

Savannah

On our way to Birmingham...we made a quick stop in Savannah, GA.

We walked the River Walk.

Ate dinner at The Pirate House, the oldest building in Savannah...Argh.

Pirate?

The road to Wormsloe...Spanish moss.

Fun at Lake Gaston

We drove to Virginia at the end of June to visit Grandma Gail, Grandpa Tom, Aunt Marcy, Uncle Stuart, Aunt Kel, Lily and Jack at Lake Gaston. We spent 2 weeks at the lake.

Casey on the sea doo with Grandma and Lily...3...2...1...blast off!

Collecting shells at "Lily's Island" with Grandpa.

Garrett cruising in the matrix with Mommy, Jack and Lily.

The slip n' slide was a huge hit this year!

Taking a breather and striking a pose.

Garrett picked up some freckles at the Lake.

Serious pontoon driving

Sea dooing on the slip n' slide...Garrett sporting a new clean cut look.

Garrett is ready to fly...not this year though...a little too squirmy.

Casey is ready to fly again.

and their off...

They flew over the Lake this time.