yum!

One sure sign of fall! Mmmmm! Yep, after school today we made these. I was a little nervous. Had never made homemade caramel, and don't have a candy thermometer to tell me exactly when it was ready, but all is well. They turned out great!

go cubbies

12 weeks

Little Emily was 12 weeks old yesterday, so I thought I'd update those not near us on her progress. Time is certainly flying by, as it usually does with a newborn I suppose. Could it be that it's just a blur due to sleep deprivation and the utter chaos that life with four kids brings? Probably! Regardless, she is growing so fast! The fun part is coming, I know it is! She is starting to respond to us with smiles (finally!), and for this mom whom is made crazy anxious by the unstability and unpredictability that newborns bring, the change is welcome!!

She is still super needy, don't get me wrong, but I'm starting to think that part isn't going to wear off, and may just be her personality....which makes both Jason and I fearful of her teen years. At any rate, we all love her madly, deeply, and can't imagine this family without her.

Emily, Em, M&Ms, sissy, little sis....

iowa vs. iowa state

colorado

We had such a wonderful time in Colorado. Actually, none of us wanted to come home. We'd have preferred to just stay, permanently! On Tuesday, I caught myself 3 different times looking west for the gorgeous mountains, only to realize, 'oh yeah, I'm back in Iowa.' bummer! I'm reading a book right now called The Shack, and came across a passage that fit perfectly... it reads "of all the places he sensed the presence of God, out here surrounded by nature and under the stars was one of the most tangible." We were surrounded by nature and God's incredible creations all weekend, not to mention we were also surrounded by great friends, Bill and Sara, who graciously toted us around town to be 'tourists.' We had a wonderful time with them, and the kids were delighted to get time with Cole and Carter as well. After we said our goodbye and left, 3 of the 6 of us ended up crying about missing them. (I better clarify for my husband's pride that he was NOT one of those in tears!)

THANK you Bill and Sara, for a wonderful weekend, and for a super fun friendship. We love and miss you ALL!