Life is too short to be SHoRT!

Ava has earned a few nick names around our house because of her lack of stature; munchkin, midget ( I know that one is not very P.C., but oh well), shrimpo, well you get the idea. She has used her evolutionary skills of adaptation and figured out how to make her life easier. She has taken to toting her trusty stool around with her so she can get into and on top of what ever she deems necessary. She is still to short to get onto the couch with out assistance! Here are a few examples.... Please excuse the grainy pictures, my camera does not seem to like me lately!

Family Pictures!

Last week we had our family pictures taken. I have not had decent pictures taken in a long time, so I was very excited and I was not disappointed. Here are a few pics of some of the cutest kids around, (and the parents don't look half bad either!) Enjoy!!

Going Private, Last Chance!

I will be going private with my blog next week. If you have not left a comment and you would like to continue to read, please leave your email. I know that your lives will not be complete and fulfilled unless you can know what is happening in our family life.

Happy Birthday!

We had a great weekend of birthdays around here! I turned 31 on Saturday and Austin turned 10 on Monday. I wasn't feeling old until I realized that my oldest was 10! That is a little hard to swallow. I know people say it all the time, but I can not believe how fast he has grown. He is such a great kid and a major influence for good in our family. Austin is a very responsible and caring boy. I always comment on how glad I am that he came first in our family. Austin loves donuts, so he opted for a donut cake and he chose crepes with cream for dinner! You can tell who has the sweet tooth in our family!

<;div>We celebrated by going down to Primm to ride the roller coaster and log ride, have lunch and go to the outlet mall. Austin was talking about riding the roller coaster for weeks; until we got there. He said, "I didn't remember it being that big!" Needless to say I rode with Easton, and Austin decided that he would ride next time. We had a great family day playing arcade, riding rides, and shopping. I love that Austin would rather still spend time with us and not need to have a friend party. I know that this will not be the case forever! Just a few things I love about Austin:
*He is very serious about his school and I don't have to worry much about him in that repsect.
*When he is genuinly happy, he has the best smile!
*He is always willing to share and play with Easton. They don't fight all that much. Hopefully that won't change!
*He loves to spend time with our family, especially his dad!
*He has a very sweet and caring personality. He is getting better with the concept that the world does not revolve around him.
*He does not ask for much and understands when we have to say no.
*He reminds me a lot of myself, good and bad!

Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween. Matt is not a huge fan of the day, but having four kids it is nearly impossible to not participate! We started the day by going to The District and having an outdoor lunch with some friends. It was great to be able to eat outside at the end of October!

The kids came home with more candy than I thought possible. Matt has taken some to the school clinic to ensure that he continues to have patients! The kids were so cute. Austin did not want to dress up this year, I told him that was fine but he could not go trick or treating either. He thought about that and then decided to throw on his black robe from last year. It was a little strange to go out on Halloween without having to wear a coat or jacket. I was still wearing flip flops. I just don't think that is right!

Sami and her future husband Jack!

Our neighbor went all out with his decor for the holiday. Austin would not even go up to the door!

Going Private!

I am going to make my blog private on November 15, 2008. If you would like to continue to view our family blog, please leave a comment with your email or email me at schofielddanielle@yahoo.com and I will send you an invitation. Thanks!

Eeezzzz!

Now that Sami thinks that she is old enough to have a schedule, Ava and I have a few hours a day that we are alone. Between pre-school, ballet, and play group Samantha is scheduled out every morning but Wednesday for a few hours. She wakes up every day and asks what day it is and she actullly asks what is on the "schedule" for the day.

I love the time that Ava and I are able to spend together. She is such a happy baby and she makes all of us laugh. She does not want to talk much, but she seems to be able to communicate with us in her own way. Her best trick, and one that the boys think is hilarious, is when she really wants something. She clenches up her fists and holds them close to her face and squeezes really hard. While doing this she tries to say please which comes out as "Eeezzzzz." We all laugh and of course give her what she wants. Her vocabulary consists of about 10 words, but she always seems to get what she wants. I guess that is one of the perks of being the baby!