The Most Wonerful Time of the Year

Although we will be headed to Gamma and Pop Pops for the holidays, we decided the "more the merrier" was an okay attitude to have in terms of Christmas preparations. From Gingerbread men to tree trimming, Camdyn and Lilly will have a double dose of holiday fun this year...and by their huge smiles, I am thinking they couldn't be happier!

Sleeping Beauty

Something tells me Disney won't be calling anytime soon.

Lego Maniac

While no actually sleeping occurs during "nap time," the quiet moments Camdyn spends in her room each afternoon have become quiet productive. In addition to reading, drawing and nurturing her dozens of stuffed animals, Camdyn has added building some pretty incredible Lego structures to her list of nap time tasks.....

Farewell to Fall!

If the nightly temperatures in the teens hadn't been enough of a warning that winter was around the corner, the 4-5 inches of snow that fell yesterday morning opened our eyes to reality.....it's time to buckle down for 7 long months of winter! Although the white stuff was greeted with loud boos from Dad and Mom, the girls couldn't have been more excited to dust off the sled and hit the slopes!

"Two Bee" or Not To Be..........Happy Halloween!

Carving Time

While we have made a yearly homage to the pumpkin patch, we had happily skipped the carving portion of the pumpkin tradition, thinking we would wait until the girls could participate in the fun. After hearing all about Jack-O-Lanterns from her friends and insane number of Halloween stories we've been reading, there was no getting around the carving this year. While we may have been initially dreading the combination of toddler, preschooler, knives and major mess, we were pleasantly surprised with a fabulously fun family evening and the girls couldn't have been more thrilled with the final product!

Going, Going......Gone

Fighting Mommy or Daddy with every brush, wash and style, not to mention strangely chewing on locks, all resulted in a major snipping of Camdyn's hair! Considering one of her bestest friends, and many fairies, sport the same style, it has been happily welcomed by all!

A trip to the Patch

While most people don't associate the pumpkin patch with a road trip, most people don't live in Wallowa County. So, while it may see a bit extreme to drive 100+ miles to reach the nearest squash bearing field, this family was not about to skip this cherished annual tradition...and the girls made it all worth the trip, loving every second of traipsing through the mud looking for the perfect pumpkin, and carefully selected a handful worthy of the car ride back to Wallowa County.

Just Good, Clean Fun!

Getting Ready for Winter

While Wallowa County residents may not officially hibernate, when it snows from October to May, just about as much preparation for the winter months seems to be required. Somehow, while Mommy cleaned the house, Dad tricked both girls into helping with the efforts.........

Beach Bound

Unlike most families who vacation during the summer, we have decided that October is a much better fit with our fire-centered schedule. So last weekend we packed up the truck, dropped the pets up at "camp," and headed down to the Oregon Coast for the second annual Weer/Johnson Family Weekend! Not only did we have a chance to spend some time with amazing friends and eat incredible seafood, we also got to see both kiddos really enjoy the beach for the first time! Thanks again to Joel, Beth, Addison and Austin for an amazing time.....we are already counting down the days until October 2012!

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun!

While we have done a great job relegating the pacifier primarily to the crib and car seat, we still seem to be losing the battle. In the past month, Miss Lilly has grown fond of nodding off with not a single pacifier in her mouth, but rather double the number. While frustrating, and perhaps detrimental to our weaning regimen, it is just too darn cute to pass up the blogging opportunity!

Every Last Drop

While Daddy has been busy fighting fires, we have been frantically soaking up EVERY last drop of summer. From hiking to huckleberries, to camping with the cousins and building "swimming pools" at the lake, we are trying to store enough memories to make it through the 8 long months of winter that is right around the corner!

As Fall approaches, I always have this crazy domestic urge to fill the deep freeze with all the zucchini, rhubarb, breads, homemade soups and any other item I may dream up. I have found that the girls are both anxious to be a part of winter preparations, so I decided to load up the car and head to the local U-pick farm to add raspberries to our ever-growing frozen feast. The girls had a blast, and Camdyn yet again impressed me with her due diligence and work ethic, picking two full containers before tasting a single berry. As for Miss Lilly (aka the Berry Bandit), we found out the hard way that you really can be charged for all you eat!

Why Stop Now?!?!?!

Two adults, two kids and a yellow lab in 1000 square feet....why not throw in a kitten!?!?!? The Weers officially welcomed "Kitta" Cat to the clan last week! Perhaps the only family that leaves the County Fair with a cat, we made two little girls and the Wallowa County Humane Society a very thankful group of people.

It's Moments Like This........

that make it all worthwhile.

The County Fair

There is just something nostalgic about a small town county fair. From watching proud kids parade around their animals, to scouting out the biggest and weirdest produce in the county, there just seems to be a little something for everyone. While I am always surprised more people with little ones don't take advantage of the free festivities, the girls and I were thankful for a crowd-free, leisurely morning with our cousins. Lilly was smitten with just about every barnyard creature you can imagine, Camdyn was thrilled to join in on some old fashioned relays with the older kids, and Mom is already planning on entering some blue ribbon produce next year!