Daddy-Daughter Campout

Or as one of the dad's phrased it... the "giggle and fairy fest" was this weekend out in Krause Springs.

Andrew got home from a business trip to Tyler just in time to load up the car and head out with Leah.

It was dark when they got there, but they had a great time roasting smores and playing with the other girls.

The next morning was beautiful and they were better able to enjoy the area.

Some of the girls were even brave enough to take a dip in the cold spring waters!

Definitely a success that they'll be looking forward to next year!

Halloween Fun

This was the first year my kids have requested "scary" costumes which I blame on our obsession with Heroica.

Here is this year's lineup:

Leah as a vampire

Lincoln as a werewolf

Peter as the cutest zombie ever seen

And Eli as a fireman (the only non-Heroica costume).

We were able to squeeze in several wearings of the costumes thanks to all the festivities going on.

 We had our school carnival, which we invited some friends to attend with us.

Then there was our ward trunk or treat.  Eli couldn't quite get the hang of saying  "Trick or Treat" so he would call out "Yay! Halloween!" as we approached each car.  It proved to be just as effective, if not more.

We spent the actual Halloween day hanging out among the Truffula Trees at a neighborhood festival.

and enjoying the loot from the trunk-or-treat. 

Ahhh... there's nothing quite like having a lollipop for each hand (and probably a few spares in his pockets)

Since we had already collected plenty of candy, we decided to forgo trick-or-treating that night and instead enjoyed toenail soup with moldy eyeballs and sorted our candy for the Candy Witch.  It's a well known fact that the more candy you leave for the Candy Witch, the cooler the toys you get... so our kids were very generous this year and were rewarded with PlayDoh sets, Polly Pocket dolls, and Legos!

Definitely a good trade!

Eli is THREE!!!

Eli (aka Captain Chaos) turned three last week, but since Dad was in Puerto Rico we waited until he came home for the festivities.  

He was thrilled to be able to open presents just for him and loved the coloring books, puzzles, Mr Potato Heads, and his new baseball cap.

While all of my kids are very active, Eli is by far my most physical.  He has the most amazing balance and can climb things most three year olds won't attempt unless mom is standing nearby.  I've learned to just hold my breath and be ready to run to the rescue (although that rarely is needed). 

He and Peter have a great time playing together (usually) and it is sometimes a challenge to keep them busily engaged in something constructive.  I can always tell when I'm falling down on the job because I find lipstick smeared all over my mirrors and bed or cheese scattered across the carpet or yogurt paintings on the windows.  Sigh.

We love his craziness and his energy even when we are left exhausted at the end of the day.

Thanks for keeping us on our toes Eli!

Happy Birthday!

Proud Papa

My little brother and his wife just welcomed their first child

and my newest nephew.

Hooray for more cousins!!

What a cutie!

Mr. & Mrs. Weidmann

Aren't they gorgeous?

My beautiful baby sister got married this weekend and she was simply lovely!

Her husband wasn't too shabby either!

 We started the weekend off by taking over the neighborhood park for a picnic with friends and family on Friday evening.  We ate pizza...

...and played games and pretty much acted like little kids.

Of which there were quite a few... I think we were finally able to get most of them in this picture (still missing 2 or 3 though).  We had a little bit more luck with the big kids...

The Bardo clan has gotten old-er... now we all have our own clans that create just as much chaos as we did back in the day.  

The picnic was a great relaxed way to celebrate before the big day.

Lisa and Erich were sealed in the Houston Texas Temple on Saturday morning and the ceremony was beautiful.  The words spoken by the sealer were truly inspired and a reminder of how much our Heavenly Father loves each of us and knows us better than we know ourselves.

Lisa was able to wear my mother's wedding dress (with only a few alterations) and it suited her perfectly!

Such a beautiful girl!

We ended the day with a reception at my parent's house.  They created a beautiful backyard oasis that was perfect for the day.  Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures because I was busy making sure the bride and groom got something to eat and chatting with old friends and loved ones.

And my mom made these cute little jars of jam as favors for everyone to take home!

Isn't she amazing?!

We will miss Lisa as she runs off to England with her Swiss husband, but we know he'll take good care of her and we are eternally grateful for Skype :)