Vala's 2012

Yup, this is Vala's (again).  As much as we hate to admit it, going here is becomming a fall tradition.  And, we're getting pretty good at making sure the day runs smoothly.  Tips to making your trip to Vala's a success: 

1.  Go on a Monday.  Do NOT go on a weekend.  You will wait for an hour just to park.  Go on a Monday (when the kiddos don't have school) and you will get 2nd row parking! 

2.  Even if it's raining when you leave your house, it may not be raining when you get to Vala's!  This will further deter the crowds and you'll be able to have your pick of the fun activities! 

3.  Pack an extra set of clothes (that is, if you have a toddler who is potty training and an infant who likes to blow out her diapers.)  Packing that extra set of clothes will ensure a good day no matter how many times you have to take a trip to the bathroom!  (And for us, the answer is 5.  Yes, we took five separate trips to the bathroom!)

So, by abiding by those tips, here is some of the fun that awaits you, should you decide to venture to the next best thing to Disney World (not really, but as far as pumpkin patches go, it's a kid's wonderland).

Any takers??

 

Ready for school!

So proud that he and Daddy made it through his first "haunted" house!

In the nursery-rhyme area--"there was an old woman who lived in a shoe.."

Emily pulling Cinderella and the Prince

Christian on his "hog" of a bike

A favorite place to be--the jumping pillows

Kari and Daddy having some fun on the pillows

Whaaaaaaa....

Down the super slide!

Super slide!

Watching the pumpkin throwing

Juliana when we arrived at Vala's...

And again when we left!  (She did wake up for the middle...she had a huge blow out and was awake for  a bit after that!)

Our picture by Mickey!  (Normally we get a family picture, but Juliana was asleep so we decided not to bother.)

Yay Vala's!

She Sits!

(Almost) Eight-year-old Pictures

Last week my friend, Melanie, (who also took Juliana's pictures) had a much easier subject to photograph--Emily!  Emily will be turning EIGHT on December 1st and, as a part of our faith, getting baptized!  It's a very big deal as we believe she will have reached the age of accountability and will have taken a big step in the process of growing up!

To celebrate this milestone, I wanted to get some pictures taken of our growing girl.  Normally, I would've waited until she was officially eight.  But, December in Nebraska can be unpredictable!  So, we did them now, when the weather is still our friend!  Here are a few of our beautiful big girl!

 For these pictures we had two different dresses.  The first (in the above pictures) is a new one we found that really fits Emily's personality and the occasion.  The second dress (in the last few pictures below) is the dress I wore to my own baptism.  Back in those days there were no digital cameras, only film.  Well, after my baptism, my mom went to get the film developed and discovered that there was no.film.in.the.camera.  She was devestated.  So, there are no pictures of my baptism or of this dress.  It was only natural, then, for my mom and I to want to get a couple of pictures of Emily in my old dress.  She wasn't thrilled (it's an old-fashioned dress with "too much lace," according to Emily), but, she agreed to take a couple of pictures to make us happy.  And we're so glad she did!  The dress looked just beautiful on her and the pictures turned out so pretty.

 

She wanted to make a silly face--true Emily style!

Beautiful pictures of a beautiful young lady!  Can it really be possible that she's turning eight??!



Living the Dream

It was a typical evening in the Lindseth household.  Kids had been bathed, teeth brushed (twice:  once before the evening snacks of toast and muffins and once again afterward).  We were in the midst of what we do every night:  try and get these crazy kids to BED!  Surprisingly, it was a calm sort of chaos that was prevailing.  I know that sounds contradictory, but it really isn't.  As you can see from a few of the pictures I snapped in honor of this very ordinary evening!

 Daddy was being a horsey and Kari, lifting her cowboy-penguin hat in the air shouts, "Giddy-up, Horsey!"

 Emily plays the role of big(gest) sister ever-so-sweetly and patiently by reading her brother the book he'd picked out.

 Baby Juliana was having a little "free time" (sans diaper) and enjoying every minute of it! (Her cute little bottom is not pictured b/c I don't want to embarass her too badly when she reads this post as a teenager!)

 The kids then decided they wanted to be the photographers, so Kari got one of Mommy and Daddy...

 Christian got one of Emily giggling while her hair attacks Daddy...

 And Emily snapped one of all of us.

I then decided that it was as good as time as any for a family shot!  (Funny how our most successful family picture is one of everyone in their jammies!)

This post was prompted by a visit to my dentist yesterday.  While I was getting my teeth cleaned (a process that as I age I'm disliking more and more!), the hygenist asked about my children.  She was shocked to learn that I have FOUR and that I was 32 yrs old!  (Yes, this made my day as she thought I was between 22-25--HA!)  She went on to comment that having kids must keep me young and that between having a wonderful husband and four great children that I must be living the dream!  I thanked her for her kindness and said it was refreshing to hear someone say such positive things about having children.  (Most people say, "Ugh!  Four kids?!  That must be so much work!")  And, they're right too.  It is a lot of work.  However, I love it.  (Most days, at least!)  My children are sweet, smart, CRAZY, and a lot of fun.  Cubby and I have both agreed that life would be pretty boring without them!  And while there are things in our lives that are less-than-ideal, from at least one hygenist's point of view, we are living the dream.

Balancing Act