Pre Spooking.

 We are off to Sri Lanka for a week of relaxing and exploring. We will be gone over Halloween, so we decided that a little 'pre spooking' was in order for the kiddos. So last night we dressed up and joined the Community Boo Bash on the baseball fields. We dressed up.

Carter as Iron Man, Lexie as a little witch (it was too hot for her long sleeve shirt and this was the end of the night), and Owen as Captain America.

 I don't think the boys really understand how awesome their dad is. This is another reason why. Captain Mike Sparrow for the night.

 Lexie and Mommy after the festivities.

 Our family along with the Bournes, and Nelsons ran one of the carnival games. Mike and I put together the bowling pins for Pumpkin Bowling. Roll the pumpkin to knock down the ghosts. It was pretty cute.

The day before was Owens Halloween party at preschool. Here's another one of Captain Owen showing off his muscles. 

Carter had a chance to wear his costume to school too on Wednesday morning and there was a parade too. Unfortunately we missed it, due to a mild concussion for poor little Owen, who spent the morning with dad in the ER getting a CT scan. His noggin is ok, and he's back to his old self which is a big relief.

We're outta here for a new adventure. Updates and photos when we get back.

Happy Halloween and Eid Mubarak.

(The holiday in the Middle East right now- and the reason we get a weeks vacation.)

Wish us luck!

Hugs, A

The Bus.

 The buses here are not what you are used to back in the States. There are no cheese wagons picking up kiddos. Instead they roll in style. In one of these Mercedes Charter buses. Yeah, serious upgrade from the bus I remember as a kid. Like clock work it arrives every morning at 7:18 a.m. drops him off for lunch and takes him back and forth once again. You can hear it coming down the street and it stops right outside the house. We are so very fortunate in that regard.

Carter waving goodbye.

 We wait outside for him when we can and since the weather is becoming increasingly cooler (like only in the 90's now- sometimes 80s) it's actually pretty nice sitting on the porch.  I'm also pretty sure Carter likes it when we sit there and wave goodbye so he can show off his baby to the other kids on the bus. 

 Check out the scary pumpkin the background. We're ready for Halloween over here.

 Lexie is a little steam roller. She rolls where she wants to go, it's actually pretty cute and funny to watch. I'm back teaching and on this night I left my bag out. She rolled right over and found the jump ropes. That's one happy little tangled baby.

Earlier this week I dropped Owen off at preschool a little late. I was able to catch a quick photo of him playing outside with the bubbles. He's in the middle wearing navy blue. He sure loves school!

Hugs, A

morning jog.

 A perfect morning looked something like this today.

Just her, me, The Bob, and a perfect hour spent outside taking it all in and burning some calories too.

 

 Yes, that is a stroller fan you see.

And just in case you were thinking about bringing your pipe along for your walk or jog tomorrow, it is strictly forbidden on the golf course trail.

Hugs, A

fall ramblings.

I'm currently sipping warm apple cider and eating Mike's awesome caramel corn. It tastes like fall in our little home in the sandbox tonight.

The kids are snuggled down fast asleep, Mike is away for a church meeting and I'm catching up on the blog and going through my class plans for tomorrow. Yes, I said 'plans' plural. Tomorrow I start teaching two classes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon while I am covering for a friend out on maternity leave.

The only other hiccup I will have tomorrow is nursing my broken little toe, that I managed to whop right before Owens birthday party on Wednesday and has since been swollen and every shade of nasty bruise possible. Moments like those, I realize Carter is totally my child and he manages to get his gracefulness from me.

Here are a few more photos from yesterday after church of my oh so loved family. We watched a session of General Conference for church and Owen only managed to play one musical instrument in the middle to cause a quick little disruption. Lexie managed much more than that as she fought taking a nap and then managed to reach over my shoulder and turn on all of the lights too. At least Carter didn't cause a scene, so we had one success during the longest two hours of our Sabbath day.

Carter, 5 yrs and Owen, 4yrs.

Other news. We celebrated our Saudi-Versary on Oct. 4. We have survived and thrived for the past two years here in the Sandbox. Still feels like yesterday we were packing up our house in Houston and saying goodbye to our dear friends. Now, two years later, our boys are bigger we have a baby girl and we've finally planned our first travel trip. In two weeks we are bound for a week in Sri Lanka. After two years we are going to see a little more of the world over here. Perhaps it only took us two years to get up the courage to take our kids with us. It's going to be awesome.

I hope you are enjoying the changing seasons. I longingly watch the FB status updates about pumpkin patches, I watch the instagram photos of changing fall leaves and I miss the seasons. I miss the crisp fall air and all that comes with it. So keep them coming so I can sit here -in still hot sandbox - inside my AC home sipping apple cider and living vicariously through you.

Hugs, A

He's FOUR!

Owen is FouR!

 Happy Birthday you Handsome little man!

 We had cake.

He blew out candles.

He opened presents. (Look at Lexie in the background I think she likes the water guns too.)

 He dressed up in his new Pirate gear from grandma.

 And at 11 p.m. he's still running strong when he should be fast asleep. You have always been our little night owl. 

Owen you are a funny kid. The things you say make us all laugh.

You love sports and lately all you want to wear are sports jerseys and gym shorts. Right now you have size 10 feet and wear size 4 sometimes 5.

You love to eat chili, tacos, chips guacamole and salsa, salad, sweets of course and drink iced lemonade and milk.

You love everything pirate! You love playing with your friends (especially the ladies), going to preschool, jumping on the trampoline, watching movies, playing iron man with your big brother, making your sister laugh and snuggling in the morning.

So glad you are ours. We're a lucky family!

Hugs, A

Sittin Pretty.

Lexie Sitting Pretty and for a very long time just playing.

Oh how I LOVE this stage.

Hugs, A

Coach Dille.

 The boys are playing soccer. Lucky for them dad is the coach.

Coach Dille has 17 five year old boys. Yeah, it's a whole lot of craziness. Good thing he's use to crazy around here. Except on the soccer field he gets a whistle.

 Lexie and I came for the last 30 minutes of practice. All strapped in the Baby Ergo. Cute baby.

Hugs, A

Argh... You're invited.

Owen turns 4 in just three days. Can you believe it?

We went out last night to hand deliver his Pirate Birthday Party invitations.

So little Jack Sparrow got all dressed up and off Owen and I went. Invitations in hand and a mini script, "Argh.... You're invited to my Pirate Party!"

He LOVED it!!!

Pirate Birthday Party tomorrow.

Arghh... you excited?

Hugs, A

7 months.

This little lady is turning into a blonde and blue eyed love bug.

 

A bit behind on posting these monthly photos. This was our least successful photo shoot. Lexie now insists on ripping the sticker off and fought me most of the five minutes I tried to take photos. She's a spirited little one and doesn't give up. Great qualities for when she's a grown woman, a bit of challenge for her mamma when she's still a baby.

Hugs, A

Sleepy Baby.

There's nothing cuter than a sleeping baby Lexie.

Those smoochy little baby lips.

Cuteness.

Hugs, A

Beach Dilles.

 In honor of Saudi National Day the company gave us a four day weekend this past month. We stuck close to home and decided to knock some things off our to-do list and then take the kiddos to the beach with some friends. We also have a good time at the beach. Even Lexie was a great sport for the morning even in the sandbox heat.

Strutting her stuff in her new sunglasses and beach hat. I just love that cute, chunky little lady! And the handsome guy holding her.

Our boys, who decided with about ten other kiddos, that it would be more fun to dig a giant hole in the sand under the pavillion in the shade rather than by the water.

I never thought we would move here and become frequent beach goers. But just twenty minutes out the back gate, its hard to resists mornings like this.

Hugs, A

three weeks, really?

I've been writing blog posts in my head for weeks. Planning to sit down at the computer and upload photos and write and write and write. After all, we have three kids and live in the sandbox. There must be a surplus of things to tell and to show. Well you can see how successful I've been with that. Yeah, not so much.

 

Here is the honest moment. Just you, me and the rest of the Internet. I feel like a mother sprinting as fast as I can, honestly, but instead of getting ahead.. I seriously should be miles down the road... I am in the same spot. Not ahead, and working my tail off not to get too far behind. At times I feel a bit defeated. At times I feel like superwoman. Most of the time I feel like a mama with not enough sleep, not enough hands and not enough hours in the day to do it all. Whew, now that I got that off my chest... on with the updates.

 

Owen finally started preschool this year! Whoopee! He is one happy little guy and he has his favorite person on camp as his teacher, Mrs. Yvette.

Owen is also in love with ALL sports since our little friend Henry arrived. Both boys have started playing Tee Ball and Soccer this week. Owen was beyond thrilled tonight to put on his new soccer cleats!His outfit of choice these days is also soccer shorts and jerseys. I believe he will be our athlete!

 Lexie is still a rolling machine. From one side of the room to the other. She sits, but still flops over after some time. She loves cheerios, applesauce, pears, cereal, squash and carrots. She is officially out of our room and in her own space and sleeping like a champ in there. It was a very bitter sweet feeling packing and putting away the port a crib that has been nestled by my bedside for seven months. But it was time for all three of us, Mike, mama and baby. It is nice to have an adult, relaxing space again. Here is our cutie.

Carter's had a bit of a rough week. First three stitches in the back of his head after falling off the bottom bunk into the ladder and cutting his head open. Then two days later he takes a pretty good spill during recess into the cement and wall. He's got a big old goose egg on his forehead and roughed up shoulder. So he's home again icing his head and watching cartoons.

 

Here he is all wrapped up after our visit to the ER for his head. The tech told him he needed to wrap his head so everyone would know that he is a victim and take extra special care of him when he left. He also told him "Chicks dig scars!" Awesome.

 Another cute one, just because. We're all so happy when Carter gets home from school each day!

Whew. That's all the time I can muster today. Off to feed the baby, change the sheets, finish the laundry, pick up the dining room table that has become a landing zone for EVERYTHING this past week, and order dinner in, yes I am calling for take out, because it has been one of those kind of weeks.

Hugs, A