FIRST CONCERT

Aubrey took part in her first concert since starting the Cello.  It was actually quite painless. 

 

She is really started to play like she knows what she's doing!  It's so fun to see her progress!

Aubrey and her friend Makayla got to sit next to each other.  They thought that was pretty cool!

 

There are four elementary schools that place together.  They each practice at their own grade school then play together for the first time here at the demenstration concert. 



OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

 

Walking in the Bettendorf Halloween parade with Medic. 

 



 

Daddy brings home a friend from work to spend Halloween with us......his name is Hugo.

 

I love this picture of Hugo......looks like he's smiling.

She required not an ounce of help this year carving her pumpkin......

 

Temple's come over every year and trick or treat with Aubrey.  This year Aubrey was Waldo, from the book series "Where's Waldo". and Maddie was a barbie in a box. 

 

 

October was a fun month this year.  Now that November is half over we will be looking forward to December, one of our busiest months of the year for us.  With Aubrey's birthday as well as Christmas it is sure to fly by quickly.

DALLAS TRIP

Aubrey had a couple days off last week for fall break at school.  We thought it would be the perfect time to take a short trip.  We flew to Dallas to see Uncle Lee and aunt Donna.  It was a short trip but we got to see and do lots of fun activities.

 

 

First stop.....Dallas Cowboy Stadium

 

 

Aubrey tries on Tony Romo's jersey in the Dallas Cowboy's locker room.

 



 

Right down on the field.......

 

 

In Jerry Jone's private game day suite.....

 

Grapevine, TX for the Butterfly Flutterby.......They released hundreds of butterflies that day.

Then it was off to Fort Worth Stockyards

 

Learning some American history at Dealy Plaza.....where JFK was shot.

 

Our final activitiy....the Fort Worth Zoo!  Not a huge zoo but a very nice one.  We all had a great time there.

OLD AND NEW

Back in May Chuck bought a new BMW.  He found one with all of the right everything that he was hoping to find in a used car.  The price was even right.

This new car ended up being the exact same color as his old BMW. 

This weekend he and Aubrey took the two cars for a spin......(grandpa gipson drove the other as Aubs is still a few years away from getting her learners permit as well as she can't quite reach the pedals).  They were looking for a spot for a few photos.

Aubs tends to like the old car better.  She can actually sit in the front seat because the it doesnt have airbags.

DADDY / DAUGHTER DATE

 

At the last minute, Chuck got alhold of some tickets for the Iowa/UNI game.  I would have liked to go being that I'm a UNI alumni but as luck would have it I already had things going on so he decided it was a good time to take Aubs to her first Hawkeye game.

 

 

 

She was very excited to go.  I think she was a bit torn as to who she should cheer for!

 

Although she is decked out in all of her Hawkeye black and gold she is still showing a touch of her support for her mother's team.  The panther purple and gold is there in the way of a t-shirt under her jersey.



They parked the car and took the Hawkeye express to Kinnick Stadium.

 



 

She took part in her first tailgate party exprience....

 

If you ask her what her favorite part of the day was she would tell you it was the junk food that the tailgate party...........

 

I'm thinking i'll have to fight her for that seat in the stadium the next time tickets are available !

FIRST FINISH OF THE YEAR

 

Much like blogging I didn't have much desire this past year to do much sewing or quilting.  So, in May of this year our friends daughter graduated from high school and I decided that I needed to make her a quilt.  Needless to say it didn't get done in time for the graduation party. That whole motivation problem thing that I had going on. 

 

 

In August she moved into her dorm at college...........

 

so, I gave myself a big fat pep talk and got it finished up just in time to take to collage with her.

Well, where to begin...........

 

I've been thinking of returning to blogland for some time now.  It has been, afterall, almost a year since November that I last posted.

 

Let me tell you why I've decided to do this again.  This coming weekend I'll be heading out to the cabin to do some scrapbooking with my friend.  Last week I started to load some of my pictures to print and for the life of me I couldn't remember everything that happened over the last couple of years.  Yes, I'm almost two years behind.  Then it hit me....read your blog....it's all right there!  All but the last year anyway.  That is when it confirmed to me that I needed to start this back up again.  Because I have my blog I have a record of events that have happened in our everyday life. 

 

I started this blog to share what was happening in our lives.  Most posts were more then likely boring or dull to my small handfull of readers but I think I was really only posting to one person in particular and that would be my daughter Aubrey.  She wasn't even reading yet when I started this journey but I always knew that one day she would be able to look back and remember the many events that have happened in our lives.

 

So, with that I'll start again.  I've been thinking about this since June but it took this weekend for me to realize that this blog is important, if only just to me and Aubrey.  I'm going to post the stories of our everyday life and the pictures that go along with it.   I'll be posting what comes from my heart. 

So with that here is a couple photos from Aubrey's first day of school.  Can you believe she is in fourth grade now?  Yikes! 

She is loving school I believe.  Math was her favorite subject last year and this year isn't any different.  Reading on the other hand she would rather do without.  She is a good reader, just doesn't enjoy curling up on the end of the sofa with a book and reading like I do. 
 

 

She has made some good friends over the years at this school.  Sophie, Korina and Makayla just to name a few.



WIP

here is a sneak peek at one of my "works in process" 

this is from one of the online quilting bees i'm in.  i have nine blocks in this quilt and am moving along quite nicely on this one.  hopefully i'll have the top done by the end of the week and i can start quilting it soon.  so far i like how it's turning out.

FINALLY A BIT OF HALLOWEEN !

just a couple shots of halloween this year.  each year the preperations are less and less involved.

this year we didn't concern ourselves with the costume until only about two weeks out.  grandma hilbrant helped put it all together.

the pumpkins this year were carved with about ten minutes to spare.......

the candy was purchased about three hours before the big event.  i again bought enough candy for about 300 kids.............yep.....i said 300.  about an hour in i was digging through our kitchen cupboards looking more more.  we ended up turning off the porch lights over an hour early because we ran out of candy.  our neighbor was keeping track of the kids.......seems we had this year was 450. 

while we were out tricking and treating the kids mentioned that it wasn't as fun as normal.....i think all three would have been perfectly happy to stay at the house in costumes and hand out the candy themselves.

GIRL SCOUTS

Girl scouts has started up again the girls enjoyed their first field trip to the Figge Museum.  There are many other field trips planned so it should be a fun filled year.

TAGGED AND RELEASED

we tagged our monarchs this year.  i was suprised how easy it was to get this done.  i kept invisioning breaking a wing and harming the butterfly but so far i haven't had any problems other then a few of them taking a quick flight around my family room.

we have so far had a total of 31 catapillers that we have raised.  we have only lost 3 or 4 to an early death.  at the moment we have five cryslis that should be opening at any moment to release the beauty from within.



after spending a few minutes on my finger just chillin this little guy took off to rest in the tree before spreading his wing for a journey south. 

we hope that at some point we will be able to hear back from the "monarch watch" as to whether any of our tagged butterflies were found and recorded.  with so many out there it seems somewhat unlikely but i'd be happy to hear of the progress of just one!

ROUND ROBIN QUILTING

i'm caught up with my quilting bee's for a change.  this is one i've made for alex.....it only has a couple more stops to make before it arrives back home to her.

FIRST on THIRD

so now i share the first day of school pictures.

aubs started third grade yesterday.  she was really looking forward to starting school and her new teacher. 

here are a couple pictures of the big event.

with her friend lili 

aubrey and her third grade teacher mrs. nau

rock'n the first day of third day with a big smile and a new do.