Chloe's third birthday

Chloe makes a wish!

Chloe picked the menu and the company for her birthday dinner, Homemade cheese gyoza's, dinner rolls, sliced tomatoes, chicken soup with fresh noodles and vanilla cupcakes with pink frosting. The Archer clan were our guests this year as per tradition. We were happy to have Grandpa Bill (Glen's dad) for the first time. Grandma Ruth was very sadly missed:(

Fall photos

Eating some snacks with Geneva and Carter prior to trick or treating.

Chloe tries her hand at face painting.

Lavender and Chloe take a snooze.

Carving our still green pumpkins.

Halloween night at Dolores's house. Olivia was a self-invented "Water girl", Naomi and Mommy were butterflies and Chloe, a pegacorn. The pegacorn costume was Olivia's birthday gift from Grammy when Chloe was born. My, how time flies.

Chloe's first day of Preschool

In the Hohnholt family's fifth year at MTU Preschool, Chloe starts her first (long awaited for her) day. She attends Tuesday and Thursday from 9-11:30

The puff ball center

Where shall I begin?

First day of Kindergarten and Second Grade

Puff pancakes and bacon to get the motors running on this early, early start. Up at 7, on the bus at 7:43.

Waiting for Mr. Dan, the bus driver extraordinaire.

Show us your toothless smile, Olivia.

Nanna bought the girls new school backpacks.

Bus #2 in the morning, Naomi comes home at 11:32 and Olivia home on Bus #4 at 3:17.

Camping trip

Olivia spent the whole camping trip rollerblading around the campground.

In early September, the girls and I went camping with friends, Jenny and Michelle and their kids, Angus, Cecilia, and Ayla. Ft. Wilkins State Park is in Copper Harbor, MI and is a beautiful place. We poked the fire, picked thimbleberries, blueberries and raspberries and the moms enjoyed a few beverages after the kids were (finally!) down for the night.

Smoke follows beauty

Lake Fanny Hooe.

Summer pictures

A frolic at the beach, Lake Superior feels very much like an unsalty ocean.

Naomi and some of her friends last spring.

Chloe is not always able to resist her naps.

Atop Brockway Mountain with Grammy.

Olivia having some soccer fun.

Anniversary trip

While Grammy was here in August, Chris and I took an overnight trip to Coppper Harbor to celebrate our tenth anniversary. On the way north, we stopped at Bete Gris beach for a swim.

Naomi took a picture of lavender for Aunt Lisa.

Our blue hydrangeas are happy this year as well.

We had to drive up to Brockway Mountain (the highest peak between the Rockies and the Alleganies) in order to call home on our cell phones.

On our trip we kayaked, hiked, picked wild thimbleberries, raspberries and blueberries and dined at the Harbor Haus. We didn't talk about the kids at all! It was our first time alone overnight since 2001! Thank you Grammy for keeping our girls safe and happy.

Grammy comes to town!

Grammy came last week to visit and we ran her ragged! She stayed with the girls so Chris and I could have our 10 year anniversary trip (6 mon. early), helped celebrate at my graduation party, and played with, read to and enjoyed the girls. Also, she bought me a new garbage can. :)

Naomi gets a bang trim from Grammy

Olivia relaxes under Grammy's gentle hand

The girls were excited to think that the birds from our backyard would utilize our hair for nest building. We recently found a nest made out of all manner of trash, twine, grasses and feathers.

Grammy holds a fresh- from -bath Olivia, while Olivia reads her a science book on "Matter".

Aunt Tanya and Dane's visit

Tanya and Dane visited us last week. We had so much fun with a boy in the house. We love you, Houstons!

Tanya and Court pose

Dane and Chloe visit on unauthorized stairs

Inside the fort

Up from a nap

Olivia's field day

During the last week of school, Olivia's gym teacher set up a field day. Her she is in the middle, starting a sponge race.

Running like a horse with her hair streaming out behind her. Notice the trees just had a mist of green, the leaves don't come out till the fourth week in May here. In three short months they will fall off again...

Another action shot

Tug of war, fortunatly you don't have to witness their crushing defeat as this video is only 2 seconds long

Random pics to completely catch up on blogging

Our house

My favorite irises, I bought the rhizomes at a gargae sale and didn't know the color until they grew and bloomed a year later

Our dogwood tree is blooming

Our raised bed, it is finally warm enough to leave off the plastic protection at night

Olivia plays in her mud hole

Lisa flowers

Poppies and Oregano

Our side garden, the grapevine is covered in adorable baby grapes

Our most fragrant rosebush

Naomi highlights our raised bed with radishes, cucs, carrots, beans, tomatoes, basil, parsley, stevia, and peppers

Our herb garden with catmint, lavender (blooming starting today), apple mint, peppermint, spearmint, garlic, lime thyme, english thyme, garlic chives, lemon balm(blooming soon), borage, bee balm and chives.