Bowlin Beige

Parker has been having such a fun time at Ms. Kari's house. We weren't sure we would ever find someone we loved as much as Ms. Robin, and we do still miss her dearly. But Ms. Kari has been a blessing, and we are glad everything worked out so well! Kari's daughter Meredith is just a few months older than Parker, and the two of them play together nicely. Parker has preschool every Tuesday and Thursday, and they go to bible study together every Wednesday. Ms. Kari also takes them out to do other fun things like story time at the library, and play dates around town. Here are some other things that my little guy has been doing recently! Boys seem to be born with an innate sense of fighting. Parker is definitely a boy. He is now obsessed with finding the perfect stick, which he will swing about and pretend to fight with. Mostly he's quite harmless, but occasionally he will stab his sister with it (usually after she has taken something that he wants, so I can't really...

Last weekend was JMU Homecoming so we all packed up our purple gear and headed to Harrisonburg. Eric's connections with the JMU Alumni Board got us into a suite for the game. The timing couldn't have been any better- it was 40 degrees and raining! We were able to watch the game outside but then sit inside and warm up when needed. Plus the kids got to eat as much popcorn as they wanted, and we got to enjoy some adult beverages. A win-win for everyone!   These little Dukes had a good nap on the way there - gotta get rested up for all the cheering!  Yes, they are eating popsickles when it is 40 degrees outside. They are definitely Bowlin kids! Another benefit of the suite? Duke Dog comes to visit! Go Dukes!

Halloween was fun for the whole family this year, as Parker finally understood what was going on, and that it involved a lot of chocolate. This is probably the last year I'll be able to get them in coordinating costumes without argument, so I took advantage of the situation and got them Elsa and Olaf costumes. On Wednesday night our church had a dinner and Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot. We ran into several friends, and lots of other girls dressed as Elsa.  It took Parker a few visits to figure out what to say and how to ask for candy. But he quickly got it right and always yelled a loud 'THANK YOU!' Cutest kids ever! Parker also discovered Twizzlers - a new favorite. Parker's class at preschool had a Halloween party and I got to go. We had fun decorating pumpkin-shaped cookies, and listening to them sing songs that they learned in school.  Ainsley also had a field trip to a pumpkin patch with her class at school. Afterwards ...

Halloween week was a very tiring week for our little bug. We had trunk-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, and she had a fall carnival at school (complete with face-painting, games, and lots of running around). She fell asleep on the way home from school three days this week. Poor tired girl...it's hard to be in kindergarten!

Ainsley and I spend about 25-30 minutes in the car each morning and evening driving to and from school/work. If you know my daughter, you should not be surprised to hear that she spends most of this time talking or singing. Yesterday she told me that Steward School was the best place in the world she could ever dream of. Yes, she loves school that much! And then this morning I had another conversation in the car with my way-too-energized-for-7am-daughter: Ainsley: Mama, did you know that Steward School is the best place you could ever dream of?!? Me: Yes, I know! You said that yesterday! Ainsley: Everyone in the universe should want to come here! Me: So what makes it so special? Ainsley: Mr. Frank [that's my boss, the headmaster] and Mrs. Wallis [that's her teacher]!!! Me: Yeah? What are your other favorite things about school? Ainsley: Recess! And cornbread at lunch! And cooking class!  And seeing Mama at school! And playing with my friends! And I ...

Last weekend we headed down to North Carolina to visit Skip and Reva. What a perfect time of year to see all the fall colors!   Our sleeping beauties. The kids helped collect marbles from the sling shot. A perfect activity for little hands! White Oak Mountain hosts a lot of bike races throughout the year. We watched a group doing an 80-mile race. Lance Armstrong participated in this race in past years, but we learned while watching that he couldn't do it this year. The kids still had a great time watching all the bikes! Surveying the top of the mountain. On Saturday we headed to a local zoo that has a lot of animals that were used in Hollywood movies.  They have an open bus that takes you into the zoo and you can feed the bison, cows, deer, and other large animals.  What a gorgeous day on the mountain! Ainsley riding the tire swing. We had a great visit and a fun weekend!

[Note to my readers: this is a pretty long post. There were just too many great pictures and stories to share! I hope you will be able to tell what an exciting trip this was!] When my dad offered to take Eric and I on an elk hunt, I don't think we knew exactly what we were in for. We expected the early mornings, lots of walking, and seeing some new wildlife. What we didn't expect was the amazing scenery, the almost-vertical hikes, and the hundreds of elk we would see every single day. Here's a recap of our incredible week in Utah, which ended with two handsome bull elk that will adorn the walls of our home! My dad had been on two previous elk hunts, and had been to Deseret Ranch twice before for elk and mule deer. He wanted to take Eric and I on an elk hunt, and he was going to come along as a companion, but not do any hunting himself. We have known about this trip for about a year but the planning really started this summer. Our normal hunting in Pennsylvania results...