Markers taste so good!

Allison's 1st boo-boo

Allison has started to take after her sister these days. I kept hoping she was going to be my quiet, calm child...but now I don't see that happening. I guess I have to remember that my children are half Nate. I also keep telling myself that these wild, crazy, independent, strong-willed, energetic, etc. children will very likely be successful later in life because of these characteristics that most days drive me crazy!

So Allison's latest hobby is climbing. Bookshelves (which she has fallen off of, yet continues to climb), the kitchen table, desks, couches (the backs and arms of the couch), the glass coffee table, pretty much anything dangerous, she climbs! Lovely :) So when we were at grandma's house this weekend, she was climbing the stairs up to their deck and I didn't think much of it (she has pretty much mastered stairs by now). Next thing I know she is on the cement screaming. Luckily she had only fallen 1 step and there wasn't any bleeding...but it sure looked nice for church yesterday! The first of many more to come, I'm sure!

Nate's 1st test!

Nate took his first exam last week (the rest of everything has been projects) which he was really worried about. It was for his statistics class, and he, along with about half the class, was feeling a little unprepared to take this exam! So he studied and studied and his hard work paid off! Thanks for working so hard for us, Nate! We love you!

Hannah is 3!!! and some other random stuff :)

I can't believe that we've been parents for 3 years already! Time goes by so fast sometimes! Well I don't know about this last week...our first week and a half of having a three year old has been filled with way too much Hannah drama! I think she saved her tantrums for the terrible 3s! Hopefully it is just a stage :)

Here is my Hannah being silly with the cake that she helped to decorate. She had to have the SAME butterfly on her cake that Alli had on hers. Silly girl. And then a sweet one.

Eating the cake on Labor day. We celebrated Hannah's b-day with all the family on Labor Day along with like 4 other birthdays. Crazy! The family Labor Day softball game...and yes, that is corn surrounding the field! We DO live in Iowa! Lots of fun and lots of people, perfect weather!

Some more of our Labor Day weekend festivities. Hannah and her cousin Caleb doing the limbo at the skating rink. Too cute..I love it!

Blowing out the candles a few days later on her real b-day. Sporting her Iowa State Cyclone gear. Unfortunately they didn't "beat Iowa."

Hannah went to her first gymnastics class on Sat...she loved it! She wouldn't let me help...typical Hannah...but she did a great job and made it all the way across by herself!

And we have to get a few of Miss Allison. This is her face lately, usually combined with folded arms and a big pout session. At least she makes me laugh when she pouts!

What a cutie pie!

Welcome to Ames!

So we moved, Nate FINALLY finished working in Carroll while we were living in Ames, and now he started school!

Here are some pics of what we've been up to this past month. I didn't take any pictures of the packing, moving, unpacking process...maybe because I was hoping to forget about it!? Craziness. Maybe we will learn eventually, but when your husband works at a golf course, you shouldn't plan major life events during the summer, like having a baby last summer or moving!!!

Our new home for the next two years! We were in a bit of a panic for a while because we needed a place to live ASAP as we only had 30 days before we closed on our house. Ames being a college town, has lot of places to rent, but ALL leases start and end Aug. 1st. Not good when you need a place to live June 25! We finally found this place and ended up having more space than I thought we would. It smells a little like moth balls (yuck) but it is starting to go away, finally! Other than that it is great!!! Nate all ready for his first day of graduate school!

Our new outside toy...thanks to craigslist and living in a place where people actually put stuff on craiglist! I am so excited that we have a yard for the girls!

One of our last rides on the golf cart...at least for a while!

Nate saying his goodbyes at his going away party at the Country Club And Hannah listening, while drinking her Shirley Temple, or course!

We were in Iowa City for a few days while Nate played in a golf tournament and my mom and grandma flew out to visit us while we were there. We had a great time, maybe next time they will get to see where we are living now!

We also headed to Nauvoo for an afternoon!

Daddy pretending to be a fireman at our block party.

The firetruck that came to the block party...we met some great neighbors!

Hannah's 3rd birthday gift...I love craigslist!!!

Already 1!!!

I can't believe my baby is one! It sure seems like time flew by even faster the second time around!

A few tidbits about Miss Alli...

~She LOVES to smile and laugh...especially at her sister!

~She is soooo snuggly!

~Eating is one of her talents!

~Although she eats anything is sight, and a lot of it, she still think she needs her mommy, a LOT!

~She thinks paper is for shredding...toilet paper is her favorite!

~But she loves books, and doesn't tear them up

~Has become rather opinionated! Which also means she is getting rather loud!!!

~She is getting pretty talkative, although prefers 1 syllable words (mom and dad are the most frequent) Yelling MOM during church seems to be a favorite lately.

~She does a great job using her baby signs (especially MILK)

~She is my laundry helper...take clothes out and put them back

~She is wearing Hannah's clothes that fit her when she turned 2

~She has 8 teeth with two more about to pop through..including 2 molars!

~Started walking just after her birthday and thinks it is great! Her first steps were to get to daddy's cookie!

~Has the cutest curls (finally) starting to grow.

~Is just such a happy baby. We LOVE having her in our home. Happy Birthday baby Alli!

Here are a few pictures of the birthday event...

Before...

During...

and I think she better be done!

And I thought we were busy before...

2+ months! That's some terrible blogging! So this is my excuse....only like EVERTHING in our lives has changed in the last 2 months.

SO announcement: We are moving!!! Nate is going to graduate school. He'll be attending Iowa State University (in Ames) starting this fall and will be getting his MBA.

This has been our plan all along, but actually deciding to quit a good job and move from a great home to a place that you don't know is SCARY!

So in the last two months we: celebrated Easter (wow, that WAS a while ago!), Hannah got a tricycle, Alli got 4 new teeth, redid a bathroom, Nate put in a retaining wall and landscaping in the front and side yard, Nate notified his work that he will be leaving, we put our house up for sale and then cleaned and recleaned for people to come look at it (not an easy task with little ones!)...and SOLD IT 3 days later, was called as RS Pres (feeling totally overwhelmed and underqualified!), took a trip to CO w/o Nate, gone back and forth to Ames way too many times, stressed out about being homeless (day and night!), finally found a place to live in Ames today, and now it is time to pack and move and celebrate a 1st birthday by the 26th of the month! And ALL of this during Nate's crazy busy time of year at work!!! So here is one big long post, but don't count on another one too soon!

And the more exciting part...some pictures!
Easter

My girls!

My chunky monkey and a blur of her sister in the upper corner...

The Hannimal leaping through the air!

All ready to ride

Trying out her tricycle. She LOVES riding this thing!

And our CO trip. The girls and I went w/o Nate. We had to be there over Memorial Day so that we could see Grandma and Grandpa as well as Uncle Greg, Nana, and Papa who were visiting from CA. Memorial Day is BUSY for Nate at work...the whole summer kickoff thing...but he did fly out to drive back home with us!
We went to the zoo. Hannah and Grandma

Alli's favorite animals at the zoo

Allison and Nana

The girls and Papa

LOVING Chuck E. Cheese!

Enjoying our yard...while it lasts!

Peonies from my yard!

Playing with our neighbor Megan. We are going to miss out neighbors so much!!! :(

Daddy loves barettes! What a great daddy we have!

My little snuggly baby!

I LOVE them!

And...the sign in front of our house! What a blessing that it sold so quickly, but we will miss it! It was a GREAT home and full of LOTS of memories. I'm sure that eventually our new place will feel like home, too, but we might have to find a new hobby! For the last two and a half years we did way too many house projects!!!