Joshua's dance during family kickball.

Family kickball game. Caleb said this was the best Family Home Evening ever. We all had a good time - and got good exercise. We had a picnic on the front porch before the game. That was Joshua's favorite part.
Daddy's out of breath after running bases.
Caleb's ready to kick.

Hanging out at Diane's at the end of our Palmyra day. Emma and Caleb carted Lydia in the wagon while Josh slept in the car.

Stroll through the Sacred Grove in Palmyra

Caleb and I talked about taking only pictures, leaving only footprints. So we captured a nut and flowers on camera.

Benjamin's Temple Day. Diane on the left, Joseph holding Ben on the right.
Josh fell while we were in the temple. Dan Rains, our babysitter, found the 72 hour kit in our car and cleaned and bandaged the wounded.

This is a very special day! The day that Benjamin was sealed for Time and Eternity to his adoptive parents, Diane and Joseph. I was very emotional the whole time! What an amazing thing to think about! A child that was not born to you physically is sealed to you by the power of the Holy Priesthood "as if he were born in the covenant." Heavenly Father has a plan for ALL of his children. Families are part of that plan, and he has made them ETERNAL! I am grateful for my family. We are filled with imperfections, but we have eternity to figure them all out and find happiness together along the way.

Grandma loves putting Lydia to sleep while she babysits.
Our apple picking day in Leonardsville. There was some hail damage to the apples. We will make applesauce from the pocked apples.
Caleb likes to capture his train creations on camera so he can recreate them later.
Feet on the table? I had to move her from the high chair to the booster at the table. She was able to climb out of the buckle in the high chair. That made me nervous so I switched her to a more secure harness.

Our pretty princess. This is her first time in church shoes. She hated it! But she looked so cute!
Daddy put her in the bucket after the boys went to bed.
The boys helping Daddy check things out under the Camry.

This is Grandma Grandma (Scott's Grandma) on her 97th Birthday. September 12, 2008. She has been living in a nursing home in New Berlin since January. Grandma, Lydia, Josh and I went to see her to wish her a happy birthday. Josh was disappointed that there was no cake.

Joshua's first day of Sherburne Cooperative Nursery School.
When I picked him up I asked what his favorite thing was. He said there were no favorites, he liked everything!

Lydia helping with canning.
A morning snuggle.
Josh wants to feed her a bottle, still. The novelty wears off in just a few moments, though.

Daddy regularly comes home for lunch. Lydia is always glad to see him. Here Joshua is enjoying making his own sandwich. He doesn't want PB, just jelly. This is homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam.

The three baby cousins, Lydia Larchar, Arianna Larchar and Benjamin Ward.
Please take note of the ear pulling. Lydia's face seems to say, I can't help it, it's in my genes.

This is Benjamin's blessing day. Diane is holding Ben on the left. Then there's Scott's mom, Louise, our friend, Kathy Coye, and Scott's dad, Bill. Oh, and Ca-the-leb (pronounced Kay the Lub).
It was a lovely, but chilly day.
Josh is being like Kenneth, who was being silly tying the blanket on his head to keep warm. During the blessing Kenneth received a bloody nose from the squirmy Benjamin. Diane thought he was overcome with emotion when he quickly left the sacrament meeting with his hanky to his face after the blessing. Heidi is holding Arianna in the background of this picture, kenneth next to her.
Daddy was on call this day. He drove to Syracuse in his Suburban van - and he did get a call. He left after sacrament meeting and arrived at Diane's at the end of dinner. That's the way it goes, I guess.

Corn season! We can eat a whole meal of fresh corn on the cob that Daddy buys at a farm stand on his way home from work. Grandma on the farm had a great corn patch also. We helped her freeze some of her corn. Lydia enjoys the cob after we take the good stuff. She sits at the table in a booster now. It's nice to have a table that we can all fit around.

This is Josh helping with one of my many projects. The missionaries and our neighbor Duane came over to help move some shelves in the basement. I am clearing out the space just below the living room to create a "family room." A place to let the boys run wild! Put the videos down there, keep the sandbox and cars, maybe a bike, skates... Just as long as it's not my living room! I am working on the food storage area during this process. It's exciting to see the progress.

While Caleb was at school we took the hour trip to Bainbridge to The Frog Pond Market to buy peaches for canning. I don't have a picture of the major canning project, but here is a shot of the sneaky Josh who climbed into the back of the van with the other goodies we bought that day. He's so funny!

Caleb's first day of school! The kids sit in the hall until 8am when the teachers open the doors. Josh and Lydia and I accompanied him the first day. It was nice to see all the new faces in his class. Caleb's 2nd grade teacher's name is Mrs. Marrone! Isn't that funny? That's my maiden name. Her husband's family came thru Ellis Island as well. We will have to do some research and compare our lines!

Lydia enjoying the breakfast conversation.
Grandma and Josh on the way back from the barn Monday night.
Caleb extinguished the campfire Monday morning, then played in the ashes that night.

We spent Labor Day Weekend on the farm. Daddy and the kids pose before a ride.
We had a Monday morning bonfire with s'mores. It's too hard to do them at night before bedtime, and this was just as satisfying for the boys.
This is cousin Emma pushing Lydia. Both girls enjoyed the game, whether pushing or riding.

Lydia has discovered moving things from place to place. This is cute how it shows her excitement in standing at the couch, making a pile, and putting things back on the floor. After the boys go to bed we have some fun one on one with Lyd.