More pictures

I thought we had taken more and I was right!  Here are some from Mark's phone of the past few weeks.  There are still a few more, but I have a quick minute to download these.

Mark helping Shipton get his shoes and coat on at the park.  Can you spy the other 3 kids in the background?

Sennika learning to make pie with Mom.

Sennika learning to blanch peaches.

Mark snuck this one of me pushing Shipton in the swing out back.

Leland and Gavin playing Legos.

Mom with Shipton

After all the practice as a bat on Grandma and Grandpa's hammock in Idaho, Gavin decided to hang upside down in the tire in the sand pile.

Playing hide and go seek with Dad and he found Shipton

More Gavin

Shipton swining

Leland climbing our playlet

Not very mature, I know, but at the moment Mark took this picture Shipton had said, "I look like you, Mom," while picking his nose.  I decided to help him look like me. haha

He really does look a bit like me.  Just like complete strangers stop me to tell me Sennika is my mini me, complete strangers comment on how much Shipton looks like his Daddy.  I will take what I can get though.  Although he may not look much like me, I can look like him. :)

They had a big week at the office.  They had employees from other locations fly in for the week for meetings and FUN.  They rode ATV's up to Willard Peak.  Mark got motion sick from the combination of the ATV and the helmet, but otherwise enjoyed the time.

He said the view from the top was spectacular and supposedly on a clear day you can see 4 states.  It wasn't a clear day, but he still was impressed.

Group selfie.

Mom playing the piano with Shipton watching.  Kind of funny to even have my music shirt on for this one. :)

Pictures from the past few weeks...

Shipton AKA pie face.  

Gavin having pie too

More Shipton.  He posed himself and cocked his head to the side all by himself.  AWW!  He is at such a fun stage right now.  He is pretty independent and learning to play well with the other kids and engage in imaginative play with them.  He is talking so well too.  BUT there are still moments he needs his Mama and I am trying to soak these fleeting times up because already he isn't a baby any more.  This toddler is even showing hints of preschooler, so I try to remember to munch his chubby cheeks while they last!

"Smiling" with a zucchini he picked from the garden.

Le with beans and corn he planted for a science project.

The boys playing Legos together.  This is their favorite pass time most days.

Dad and Shipton

The kids found a grasshopper in the raspberries.  They had so much fun observing it before setting it free.

Shipton doesn't take a formal nap any more, but one or two days a week he will hold still long enough to zonk out.  He was thinking about it while helping me make lunch.

It seems like Shipton has the most pictures and movies this week.  I left the beginnings of a cake unattended in the mixer while I went upstairs for a few minutes.  Shipton helped himself and "painted the mixer" with the batter.  

Gavin and Leland playing chutes and ladders.

Leland and Shipton coloring Autumn pictures.

Sennika and Gavin.  These two!  This is about what I get when I request a smile for pictures these days. :)  They are such goof balls!

Gavin reading to Shipton.  Gavin has been branching out from just the Lego Ninjao chapter books he devoured.  This week he read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (a simplified version) and one from the Magic Treehouse series.  I am happy to see his reading take off and for him to choose to spend his free time in a book.

Sennika reading to herself.  She has been whizzing through Boxcar Children books and American Girls lately.  I have been skeptical that she will get through the huge stack we check out, but she has been.

I think I have mentioned here before, but with such late church, we have been much more relaxed about how we spend our Sabbath time.  We try to get in some family time between Dad's meeting, getting everyone ready, and before church starts. Our favorite way to do that is by playing board games together.  Here is Dad and the kids as we played dictionary.  It really is a fun age for our family.  Sennika and Gavin can play independently and Leland can play some games on his own or with very little help or prompting.  Shipton is happy to color on a piece of paper or roll the dice.

Sennika actually smiled for me!

Gavin planned a family Lego night as part of our Family Home Evening last night.  He worked so hard on it and even had "prizes" for the winners (old small toys he didn't want anymore). :)

More Lego night with a few faces looking my way.

Gavin working hard on a Lego Ninja hideout creation.

Shipton (and part of Leland) building away.

Here is Shipton talking about "lazberries" (raspberries) and the other things he likes to pick from our yard and garden.

Shipton describing the helicopter he built out of Legos.

Leland singing while doing his phonics.  It was kind of annoying and definitely random, but I thought it was pretty cute too. :)

Gavin reading to Shipton

Bye bye summer, welcome Autumn!

In the mornings it is cold enough outside for coats and even mitten if the kids will allow it.  Here is Shipton headed out to check on the garden and raspberries.

This cracked me up.  Le insisted on a t-shirt, but put on his boots and mittens.  It has been tricky to dress kids with cold mornings, but hot afternoons.  He didn't want to change twice and knew he would be warm enough like this (Le).

I have no idea why, but Shipton stepped up to the sink, put the dishrag on his head, then played with the faucet head for a good 20 min.  

Gavin reading

Shipton stacking biscuits.

Gavin

We have been consistently holding piano lessons this year and this girl practices hard!  It has been fun to wait to start her until she is older.  I cannot believe how much easier it is than the 5-year-olds I would try to work with as beginners.

Leland picked corn from the garden.

I never cease to be amazed of the things the kids come up with.  In just the past 2 weeks off the top of my head they put on a rodeo (part pictured above with Leland riding in his "chariot" with Sennika as his horse), turned our house into a hotel including room numbers and keys, cow boys in the wild west.  This is just our everyday lives and I. LOVE. IT!!!

And now Gavin riding the chariot too.

Shipton was talking to the mixer.

A rare moment of all 4.  Enjoying lunch at the counter together.

Here they are dressed up as cowboys (and Senn a cowgirl).  As Mark and I planned out our full Saturday last week, we didn't have the wild west on our list.  After breakfast, all 3 big kids came running upstairs dressed in cowboy attire and asked us if we wanted to play.  Mark and I met eye and both smiled about the same time and headed off to find the right attire.

Shipton playing

Leland announced "Let's take a family picture."  This is the picture he took with Mom's steadying hands.

Playing rough with Dad

Gavin

Selfies mastered

The kids have been playing star fall lately and getting the biggest hoot out of it.

Shipton helping Dad to rake pine needles.

Gavin playing on the play set

With Senn

and Le

Shipton with the fall colors in the mountains near our home

Gavin

Sennika

Leland (He was the happiest kid to get his picture taken.)  I love how he just stepped right up and stood tall.

Dad and kiddos

Mom and kids

Family picture on the timer

Another Mom with kids

One more family

More Le on his chariot

I think we are getting better at selfies.

This was another funny, almost unreal activity.  Leland decided to "go fishing."  He took some floss and a carrot and went fishing for Shipton.  Shipton played along pretty well.  Then Leland's face lit up and he said, "Mom, get me an apple."  We all know how much Sennika loves apples.  After he had tied an apple to the floss, he called Sennika up from downstairs and giggling, he held out the floss.  She cracked up and they spent about an hour switching places back and forth between "the fish" and "the fisherman."  It's moments like this that remind me what a fun job I truly have.

See?  Selifie fun. :)

BUT, Gavin and I are still mastering it together.  HE IS SUCH A FUNNY KID!!!

Gavin and Leland reading together

Gavin got a kick out of his enlarged nostrils and teeth.

We have started to have a few rain storms in the past few weeks.  Senn and Shipton looking for lightning with Dad.

Then Senn thought it was funny too. :)

Shipton playing with his trains.

Shipton singing.  He consistently sits down to play and sings, "Too many airplanes."  I am not sure  where that came from.

I LOVE this one!  His sweet and handsome smile!