A small miracle

A friend snapped this picture of our family at our favorite place to pick out pumpkins.

Izzy only has one eye showing, and my hair is ahem..kind of bouffy, but it is a picture! 

It was FREEZING in the picture.  And we didn't bring enough warm layers.  You would think after living in Minnesota for four years we would have learned..... 

My friend Kathryn who took this picture, and I met here at a park when I was pregnant with Brynn and she had just had her second daughter.  Now between us there are seven kids!  We have managed to keep this tradition running for four years and it's one of my favorites.  After the patch we went to panera to get some hot chocolate.  You should have seen it: Zoe was under the table with Kai who is her age, and then the other four girls were going and getting water, straws, napkins, and running amok while the adults just visited and chatted and acted like we didn't know whose crazy kids they were! 

Sometimes you just have to do that. :) 

Izzy in pink

Oh Izzy Buns, we adore you.
We love your laugh, your crazy hair, your dimple and how your eyes light up when you see us.
And for the record-her hair has no product in it whatsoever.  It just does that every single day.

At the patch

And for a second year in a row, their dreams came true!
We visited our favorite pumpkin patch and rode horses, played in hay and rode in the little cow carts.
And finished the day by getting some delicious apple donuts of course.  

And it's off to First grade!

 Ready to catch the bus.

 With Dad.  Brynn is showing her new backpack for preschool.  Of course it's hot pink. :)

 The four little amigos.  These four are the best of friends.  They play every chance they can, and give a big group hug when they have to part ways.  They live right next door. And we love it.

 I love this shot of Brynn looking at Maya.  Maya + Anabella catch the bus in Jerry and Rose's yard.  It's right across the street.

 Getting on the bus.

Reflections.

Zoe is 2!

 The Birthday Girl!

 Oh, delicious canned frosting!

 Izzy in deep contemplation....

 New book to read with Dad

 Maya, Izzy and Dad

 Most favorite present.

It's always better to open presents just in a diaper.

Zoe's 2nd birthday fell on Labor Day this year. We partied at the lake and then came home for a nice nap.  We made a horse cake, ate way too much frosting and blew out the candles.  It was so funny to hear Maya and Brynn cheer Zoe on as she opened gifts and blew out her candles. 

Some things I love about Zoesy Cat Caboodle:

*When she wakes she shouts "I'm awake Mama!"
*She is the first one to the dinner table, most of the time before dinner is even ready.  She hops up in her chair and sits patiently!
*She loves her blankets.  One of them she stole from Maya, and she is not going to give it up.
*She loves her sisters, following them all around the house, and chasing them. They shout "here comes the big baby!"
*She loves black beans and would eat them at each meal.
*She makes the days happy at our house. 

Love you Zoe!

Izzy's Blessing

 Izzy was blessed while we were in Wellsville, on August 12th 2012.  She also had a sweet little cousin born that day.  Ali Jane Rawlinson was born to KaDee and Phil.  What a happy day!

 This was our best attempt at a family picture.  I am happily surprised by it.  Zoe was crying and Maya and Brynn were running all around.  Booyah for a family picture!  Except what is wrong with my hair?  Hmmmm...who knows.

 Izzy Buns and the Mother and Father.

 Emeline, as I call her (who is amazing with all my little ladies) and Izzy-love this picture.

 Grandma Rawlinson made her lovely dress and Mandy made her headband-I adore them both. And the people who made them. 

 Those cheeks.......oh those cheeks! She is just so kissable.

 Grandma Dean and Izzy.

 Izzy with Grandpa and Grandma Rawlinson. She was getting sick of posing for pictures.

 I love this picture.  Izzy had started to cry and both Grandpa and Grandma are trying to help her.

 Annie + Elisabeth/ Me + Izzy.  These two are just six weeks apart.

 This is a classic Rawlinson picture.  This is my Dad, my aunt Debbie and Grandma Dean. 

Daddy snuggling his littlest lady.

It was a beautiful day. 

Izzy was given a lovely blessing by Evan, and it reminded me how blessed we are to have a blessings.
 I felt God's love all day.

Wellsy

 Nothing like Utah grasshoppers in August

 Yes, she is devouring a Big Hunk candy bar.  I'm pretty sure I had about 10 of those while in Utah. And I still want more. Sigh.

 Zinnia

 BARBIE MANIA! And this barbie is "stylin'" as my Dad would say.

 A little duet.  Although I'm sure the duet sounded lovely to the ears!

 Chess

 THE BEST SUB SANDWICH EVER MADE!  It's called the hero in case any of you need to go get one right now.

 Lincoln logs and old fisher price farm animals and people.  Basically kept my girls entertained for weeks.

 Izzy laying under the apple tree.  I had to run inside for something and Brynn put her caboodle (which she carried around with her for three weeks straight-no lie) on Izzy to make her happy. :) 

 We call her Izzy Buns.  Buns with a capital because that means business. 

 Zoe and Mom playing peek a boo.

 Trying to "feel" the sprinkler from far away.

 Checking the ground out.

 Kyle showing us how it's done!

 Examining some bug.

Zoe + Cam.  She called him "Tam" the whole time.  And I call Cam the "Baby Whisperer"  because seriously, this kid is in fact a Baby Whisperer.  All of my girls love him.  Especially Izzy. 

Lizzie + Maya saying goodbye-these two had so much fun this summer.

Wellsville-one of my favorite places. 
After Canada we spent a few weeks here, and it was heaven.
I love listening to the ditch run and rainbird sprinklers.  Those remind me of summer.
The garden was on, with corn (minus a few ears from pesky racoons!) and tomatoes. 
Mom's zinnias were in full bloom. 
The girls had a nightly tradition of riding Moon the horse with Grandpa. And other times they rode the motorcycle or the four-wheeler.  The girls went out to Tom's service for some delicious candy and pop, and my Dad would bring me back several big hunk candy bars-which is only the best candy bar ever made. 
Speaking of food, I always stop by Logan's Heroes.  If you live in Cache Valley and have not gone in this shop-GO!  Best sub sandwiches ever made.  Seriously.  Hameed the owner is the coolest, and once you try Logan's Heroes you will never again to go some place like Subway.
The girls had lots of cousin time, which they missed like crazy coming back to Minne.