Royal Oak Apple Orchard

Today we went on the Marks Family 4th annual apple picking adventure!  We've been going to this place for several years and it is always a treat.  The kids love to pick apples, feed goats, ride merry-go-rounds, and best of all, EAT APPLE DONUTS!

Seth was climbing trees and getting some of the best red delicous apples, they are yummy!  We will probably eat most of the apples and then I'll freeze some apple pie filling with the rest!  If anyone has a good apple pie filling recipe, let me know, I'm on the lookout!

New Baby Marks is a BOY!!

Well, I guess this makes it official.  I do believe in miracles!!  We are having a baby boy in January.

I did not think this was a possiblity.  After all, Seth is the only boy in his family of eight siblings, and we were already blessed with Jason our token male child.  So we are thrilled to be balancing out the hormone levels in our home!  In fact, Jason came up with a great plan while we were at the ultrasound.  He decided that he, Seth, and the new baby will sleep in the basement.  I think that is one of the best ideas I've heard in a while.  I'm even willing to allow them back upstairs to the bedrooms after the baby is a year old.  Jason just keeps getting smarter and smarter every day.

We all went to the ultrasound together and the kids were jumping up and down and screaming and had to be promptly removed after the "boy" announcement was made.  However, I think if it were a girl we would have still heard the celebratory screams.  After all, jumping and screaming is just a fun thing to do, especially in a public place!!

Jason's First Day

I just wanted to document this day with a single little picture of our little bud going off to preschool with his backpack and a big fat smile on his face.  However, he was a little more nervous than I anticipated, so this was the best picture we got!  He is really loving preschool now and only had one day of separation anxiety (that would be the first day when I had the camera in hand).  He also wanted me to mention that he has a superman backpack and next year he will have a bat man backpack, just so you know, because that is very important to a four year old.

First Day of School

Well, the day is finally here and we had two little girls and one Mom that were thrilled to go back to school! Mandy is in 4th grade and Ashley is in 2nd. We're looking forward to a great school year!! Jason starts his preschool next week, so we will make sure to post a picture of him on his first day as well.

Summer Fun

Make a Smilebox slideshow

4th of July

This year we had no plans for the 4th, so we decided to head down to Nauvoo, IL. It was great to see all the church Historic Sites again! The kids had fun seeing a few of the productions they put on in the summer. But best of all, are all the wagon rides (at least that is what Jason kept telling us until we actually got on one). Jason loved to be "riding" behind the horses, not stopping and hearing what the tour guide had to say about each point of interest. He even told the guide he did NOT want to sing, "I am a child of God." It caught the guide a little off guard, but he quickly recovered by saying maybe his sisters could help him. Overall, it was a great quick trip! We love Nauvoo!

A Star is Born!

Ashley has always told us that she wanted to dance and sing a be on stage. This summer, she got her chance! We enrolled her in Christian Youth Theater Camp. She did a great job and wasn't shy at all. She even managed to position herself so that she was right in the front. I think we have a star in the making.