Trick or Treating

On Sunday we took the kids trick or treating for the first time. Last year we took them to a few relatives' houses, but this year we actually went door to door. Joe seemed to be fine with it, and Emily loved it. As we were leaving each door she'd say, "More trick or treating?" and we'd say yes, so she'd say, "Yaaaay!" It was fun. We stayed close to home and were only out about 15 minutes, but the kids could have gone longer. We still came home with plenty of candy. Next year I'm sure we'll go out longer.

Joseph as Yoda and Emily as Princess Leia! They were distracted by some kids trick or treating across the street. When we came outside Emily yelled to them, "Kids, I'm coming! I have my bucket!" and held it up.

Emily all dressed up.

Joseph complete with his bucket and walking stick (Emily's baton

covered in fabric).

Emily likes her "ears." She puts on her costume almost every day. She likes to put it on to eat her candy. And sometimes she asks to go trick or treating again.

Joe with his spoils. And no, we didn't eat all his candy (just some of it!).

Pumpkins!

This year we were lucky to be able to get pumpkins from a friend and from Grandma and Grandpa Unnasch. So we have some to eat and some to carve! The friend's dad grew some pumpkins out on his farm, so our moms group went out there and he gave us all a wagon ride and then we picked pumpkins. Joe liked looking at the tractor. Emily just liked running around.

When we carved the pumpkin, we asked Emily what kind of a face it should have. She said, "Emily face!" So we asked her if that meant a happy face, and she said yes. So it's a smiling pumpkin. Once again she was happy to just dig into the guts of the pumpkin and pull out the seeds. She also liked just mushing the guts in her hands. She also picked the shapes for the eyes and nose. Joe sat in his highchair and snacked as he watched. He also played with some of the pumpkin guts.

Emily put her hat on crooked. This was a wagon full of pumpkins that were already picked.

Joe and Emily at the pumpkin patch.

Joe walking around in the farmyard in his overalls.

Brian and Emily working on scooping out the pumpkin.

There were lots of seeds to get out!

The finished product!

Emily liked to take off the top and say "Peek a Boo!"

Prayers

Saying prayers at night with Emily has become quite interesting as you never know what's coming. We say our prayer, and then she says "Bless Mommy, Daddy, Emily, and Joseph." Lately it's "Bless Mommy - there you are! Daddy, Emily - here I am! and Joe.

Brian's mom works at the credit union in town that we go to. When we stop in Oma lets Emily sit in her chair and color a piece of blank paper with some washable markers, and then lets her have a sucker (or two) when we go. We stopped in on Wednesday, and again today.

The last three days this has now been at the end of her prayers. "Oma. And two suckers and colors and paper. And suckers, suckers and paper and crayons. Amen."

Chuck E. Cheese's

The week between Joe's birthday party and his actual birthday, Kevin, Amanda, and Alexis came to visit. Emily had been asking to go to Chuck E. Cheese's for a while, so we thought it would be a fun place to go for lunch. Brian and Kevin noticed there have been a lot of changes in the last 10 years, but it was a fun place. The pizza was good, too.

They brought birthday presents for the kids. Joe just liked to chew on the ribbon.

All of us enjoying out pizza before we went and played games.

Emily was ready to "shoot 'em up!"

"Aunt Manda and Baby Lexis" as Emily calls them. The next day she wanted to go back to Chuck E. Cheese to see them again. Sometimes she calls them and Uncle Kevin on her pretend phone. Then the baby cries and we have to go.

Brian playing with Joe, and Emily pretending to play, too.

Emily and Uncle Kevin playing alien skeeball.

Joe and me. He liked to chew on the token cup.

Uncle Kevin and Alexis.

Emily in her awesome new glasses that Aunt Amanda got her with their tickets!

Joseph's First Birthday

This year we had Joseph's birthday part about a week before his birthday. It wasn't a big party, but it filled up our little townhouse. We all had fun, and Joe had cake! The party had a farm theme, inspired by a pair of striped bib overalls that he got when he was born.

The barn cake I made with the farm plates and napkins.

The kids in their overalls while Joe opens presents.

A picture of all four of us.

Joe at the end of his cake "eating." He mostly just played with the frosting, but finally got a chunk of cake at the end.

Joe having a cupcake on his actual birthday, about a week after the party.

Joe opening up presents from us on his birthday. (Yes, we reused the gift bags!)

Dishes! They say "Jesus Loves Me." He also got some new shoes.

Emily's Birthday

August 10th was Emily's 3rd birthday. The Sunday before we had cake, ice cream, and presents at Brian's parents'. She came home with quite a few new toys, and half of a cake. We finished the cake on her birthday and then gave her the rest of her presents.

Emily with the cake Aunt Nancy got for her.

Emily and Brian blowing out her candles.

She's ready to open presents!

One of them was a new Winnie the Pooh book!

On her birthday we let her open her presents right away in the morning. She was pretty excited about getting bubble bath.

We told her to hold her gifts up, so she held them way up!

Vacation

This year we took a little vacation to the eastern side of Wisconsin. It was a short trip, but it was nice to get away. We headed to Waukesha on July 4th and took the kids to their first fireworks. The next day we went to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum in Milwaukee. The day after that we met Kevin, Amanda, and Alexis for lunch before heading up to Friesland for a night. We all had a good time and of course wished our vacation was longer.

Emily and me before the fireworks started. The flash is bright when it's dark outside!

Emily sitting on Uncle Tim's lap, while Aunt Jess and Jonathan take pictures.

Jonathan and Emily at a mixing board at the children's museum.

Emily dancing out a tune.

Emily and I were conducting the Star Wars theme. The faster you conducted, the faster they played.

Emily and I following the directions and becoming flowers in the dance studio.

Joseph and Emily picking apples (plastic ones attached to a picture with velcro).

Finally Joseph got out of the stoller. Now he's in a rocking boat.

And he got to go down a slide. This area was especially for kids under 3 to play.

Great-Granny with Joseph. Those two got along very well.

June Highlights

Here are a few stories and pictures to sum up the month of June.

This is Emily chatting away on her play cell phone one morning. She usually has conversations with people who are in the room, but she has to talk to them using the phone. She also uses it quite a bit in the car.

These are the guys outside grilling on Father's Day. Joe's shirt says "Daddy's BBQ Budddy."

These are the Bartelt Cousins! Alexis, Emily, and Joseph. This was taken Father's Day weekend, too.

And here are the moms and babies.
Amanda and Alexis

Josie and Joseph

Becky and Hayden Oyen
Hayden is only about a month older than Joseph.

Emily found a big hat to play dress up with.

Our highchair that we got when Emily was born was recalled. And it was cracked so we couldn't use the repair kit, either. So we had to send it in, and then Graco sent us a new one. In the mean time, we borrowed a highchair from Brian's parents. So here is a picture of Joe in the new highchair and Emily in the borrowed one. She wanted to sit up high like Joe.