Our Little Helpers- Pumpkin Pancakes

On Sunday morning after church, we decided to try a recipe for pumpkin pancakes that I found here. I finally used the leftover can of pumpkin from last Thanksgiving! It was a perfect recipe for our two little helpers. We were smart enough to take off Emery's church clothes beforehand, but Gavin was quite a mess! They had fun and we all LOVED the pancakes!

Very carefully adding ingredients........the measuring spoons went into their mouths several times and two scoops of brown sugar completely missed the bowl, but they still turned out great.

Pete did the cooking........

Digging in........

Another Trip to the Zoo

I've been a little behind on blogging, but I want to backtrack to our trip to the Fort Worth Zoo a couple of weeks ago. We took advantage of our season pass by stopping by the zoo for several hours on the way to Grandma's house. There is a train that runs from the front of the zoo to the very back, near the "Texas Wild" section. The kids LOVE the train. Emery is OBSESSED with the train. We purchased the full day train pass and rode it 3 times before even getting off to check out the animals. Then, rode it again to get back to the zoo entrance at the end of the day. Gavin has trouble sitting still for multiple train rides, but Emery could have ridden it for 2 hours straight!

After the train ride, we checked out lots of Texas animals....... alligators, bears, bobcats, bats, rattlesnakes, and of course a Texas Longhorn! Now that the weather is cooling off, we're hoping to make a lot more trips to the zoo!

Hanging out, enjoying the ride........

The first of many train rides. Gavin isn't too antsy yet........

I think we could have left her here to continue the ride and picked her up on the way home! Every time I see this picture I cringe at the thought of swine flu germs (yes, I am paranoid)!

They have no idea that you can put a quarter in to make the horse gallop. Just happy to sit in the saddle for now!

Checking out the Longhorn!

Are you ready for some football?

Football season in Texas is NOTHING like Indiana. If you go anywhere on the day of a Colts game, it's like a sea of blue......Colts jersey's everywhere. I made the mistake of dressing the kids in their Colts gear during a trip to the Children's Museum last year on a Sunday before the Colts game. EVERY OTHER KID there was also dressed in a Colts jersey......very difficult to pick your kid out of a crowd! That being said, we have definitely become Indianapolis Colts fans, but since we're back in Texas, we figure we'll give the Cowboys a little support too!

Last Sunday was a rainy, dreary day and seemed perfect for watching the Cowboys season kickoff. The kids didn't get into watching the game, but they did have some fun!

Ice Cream at Grandma's House

A little chocolate..........



A little vanilla........

And the hosedown.........

Who knew yard work was so exciting?

When Pete mows the yard, it's quite an event around here. It keeps the kids entertained for hours! They love to see Dad's tractor!

Since Gavin and Emery were actually sitting together, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get both of them in the same picture. We've already started the "make a funny face when I tell you to smile" routine. Great.

Here are my next two attempts.........

This was the best picture I got. I know it's from the back, but I'll take it!

Look Who's Talking

Gavin has ALWAYS done things at his own pace. When Emery started walking, she took a few wobbly steps, fell down and tried it again. When Gavin started to walk (several months later), he literally walked all the way across the room, turned around and came back. I had a feeling that talking would be the same way. Gavin started off by saying "tractor" at about 14 months. We heard "acta, acta, acta" (tractor) over and over for months! He added a few more words over the next 6 months......"uh-oh", "da" (Daddy), "ow" (out), "no", "cccccc" (car), "hi" ,and "Nemo", but even on his 2nd birthday he was still saying just a handful of words. Then, about 3 weeks ago, the flood gates were opened! All of a sudden, he decided to talk. He probably says at least 100 words now and is adding new words daily! His favorites are of course anything with wheels: "car", "red car", "big car", "fast car", "big blue car", "bus", "big tractor", "police", "back" (backhoe), "mix" (cement mixer), "dump" (dump truck), and all of the characters from the Cars movie. He even pointed and said "mailman" when our mail was being delivered! Words are coming out that we didn't even realize that he knew! He's got so much knowledge in him that's finally able to come out. He's a much happier kid now and he talks NON-STOP!