Ok, so this video is short and grainy, but it's all I have for now!
Although this summer in Kirksville was HOT HOT HOT, and HUMID...we thoroughly enjoyed every day of it. Visiting the wading pool or the aquatic center was an every day event, and the girls loved being in the sun. We went swimming so much, poor Caitlin ended up with Swimmers Ear for a week or so.
Welcome Fall Colors!!!
It's so hard to say goodbye to a wonderful and fun-filled summer, but we love welcoming fall! I had to cheat and put this fall picture on here. It is actually a picture taken a week or so ago in Logan canyon. (I found it on the KSL website.)
Fall is a time when I miss my real home, Utah, so much. I have always loved the fall colors, and how the plants and trees on the mountains turn so many beautiful vibrant colors. It looks like the mountains are a fall painters' palette. I love the fall evenings in Utah where you can go outside and literally not even feel the weather at all. You don't feel cold, warm, or hot. You just feel so perfect. I love taking walks in the fall and just feeling free and happy.
So I guess this is our goodbye to summer...and our welcome to the wonderful fall weather!
Just wanted to wish my wonderful Dad a very Happy Birthday! Let's see...I think he's 29 this year...or SO! We have so much fun with him, and the girls love it when he comes to visit, or visiting him in Utah. Wish we could be there...Happy Birthday! Hope it's the greatest....
Caitlin has started taking tumbling at the YMCA. She loves it, and she does such a great job. It's nice that she can do sports and such there, because they don't have rec sports here. She's also started soccer, and as soon as I have some of those pics, I'll post them. I'm hoping to get a video of the mass chaos of 6 4-year olds chasing a ball and not knowing what's going on. It's pretty funny!
Caitlin has some favorite things that I thought we'd share: She loves writing. She's learning to sound out words, and she does that the whole time during breakfast. She does a good job at trying to sound out words on the cereal boxes. Caitlin also loves playing with her dolls. She pretends to feed them, put them down for naps, and she makes sure that we are quiet when her babies are sleeping. And of course, Caitlin loves her sister Abby. They love playing together, and we love having these 2 beautiful girls in our family!
I couldn't resist adding this picture of Abby. This is her favorite thing in the world, her 'princess costume' from some friends of ours. She wears it daily over her clothes, and it is a battle just to get it off her for naps. She loves wearing my sunglasses, and she's always asking me to help her do the "rockin' on" hand, and then she'll prance around saying "Rockin' on" over and over with her hand like that. She's such a hoot!
We spent the rest of the time going back and forth between my family and Nate's families houses. We also spent a few fun filled days in Grass Valley, California with my mom's side of the family. They are so fun, and the girls loved all the attention. Here's are some pics of the California fun:This little pool is a pool/pond that was handmade (with a lot of physical sacrifice too!) by my uncle Bob in his backyard. He lives at almost the top of a mountain in Grass Valley, and they can see my aunt's new house across the valley on the top of another side of a mountain. It is such a gorgeous area out there. We had fun at an anniversary party for my Grandpa and Grandma Murphy (the greatest ever!), hiking, playing ping-pong, sand-volleyball, walking around Nevada City, and of course Nate's favorite part...flying with Gloria. My uncle and aunt Gloria and Gary are building such a neat beautiful house right now. They are living on their property in a cool little 5th wheel...with a screened-in porch and chili string lights to boot, oh...and a hand-made cool looking outhouse to boot! - (With a side-view mountain-view window!) Is there anything that those Apples do that isn't cool? ;o) The girls had so much fun playing with their Grandma Debbie, all their aunts: Pauline, Gloria, Denise...and of course Amanda and Laura too! It was a great trip, and thanks to the Murphy side for your hospitality and fun! We hope to make it out there again soon.
We spent the 4th of July with my mom. She spoiled the girls with a wading pool, and we kicked back and let them play in that and on the slip'n'slide. Then we drove up and watch the Lagoon fireworks. Abby decided she doesn't like fireworks, so of course Grandma Debbie offered to stay in the van with her. The girls love their Grandma Debbie. I also had fun going to the Park City outlets (more than once!) with my mom. We know how to shop!
We had a lot of fun with the Nielson side too. The guys enjoyed golfing a couple times, and I enjoyed whooping Mom Nielson in crochet. (Wait..did I ever cheat? I don't remember.) We always have fun out there playing games all night, eating cinnamon bears, and letting the kids play with their cousins. There just isn't anything that can replace living close to family. The girls love their cousins so much, and we have so much fun hanging out. We had family games and fun at the church park all day one day. Baseball, pillowcase races, 3-legged races, finding treasures in the sawdust for the kids, wading pools, water balloon fights, volleyball, you name it! And good food of course. We also got to see our new nephew Parker for the 1st time. He's such a little sweetheart! With chubby cheeks to boot. We had so much fun catching up with everyone, and we miss you all already! 
We went boating with our friends Skylar and Lindsay at Jordanelle for an evening. It was eventful to say the least! It turned to be pretty nasty weather once we got out on the water, and the wind was merciless. Thanks to Skylar's pro-boat-maneuvering skills...so we'd be sunk. It was scary, and we said probably a thousand combined prayers until we finally made it safely back to the dock. I don't think poor Abby will ever set foot on a boat again!
Our Utah summer was so fun, and we thank everyone for the hospitality, and the love and fun that we had. Yes, we love Missouri, but Utah will always be home.
Nate is officially a second year! His first year went very well, and we're hoping his 2nd will go the same. We will find out in October where we are going for the next 2 years for his clinical rotations. He is very involved in several things, and keeps very busy. Yet he still finds time to be an amazing husband, and great daddy to his girls. We are lucky to have such a great man as the head of our household!
Caitlin just started preschool again, and she loves her new teacher, Miss Carrie. She is so smart, and loves learning and writing. Abby is totally potty trained (we started her when we got back from Utah....straight to normal big-girl panties..and she didn't even have any accidents!)...and she is getting so big. She shadows everything Caitlin does, and they have fun playing girlie things together.
I have started watching an 11-week old baby 2 days a week for a little extra money on the side. The girls LOVE it when he is here, and they are great helpers. All-in-all we are all doing great, and healthy. I promise to post more often so that I don't have to do a 5-mile long catch-up post like this! We love and miss all of our family and friends that are away!
