One more year of Little Kickers

Allison is just shy of being old enough to play full season soccer so she opted to play Little Kickers one more year. With kindergarten, by Friday she's pretty tired and not always eager to go, but she's sticking with it at least for now. She's not the most aggressive soccer player, but she's having fun and learning some skills.

Children's Museum of Stockton

This summer I set up Friday Field Trips for our Rancho Murieta Kids. It was a very low key play group and the field trips were totally optional but we had a great time and it was nice to have something to do each Friday. Most Fridays, Shane, Logan, and Whitney came with us. Early in the summer, we were scheduled to go to the museum but we had something else come up but I wanted to make sure we got there so just before summer was over we headed to Stockton with the Martins and with Heather and Grace. The girls had a blast and it was such a wonderful place that I know we'll be back again.



This one is for you Aunt Patty

The future doctors looking at some xrays

Alli on the tractor just like at Papa's house

I was the shoe store employee fitting the girls for their perfect pair of shoes


Face Painting


Grace and Alli at the post office

The grocery store was a hit with all of the kiddos

Alli really like the magnet exhibit

We'll be again soon

RiverCats! Mommy and Me Day

Both girls love to watch baseball with Ryan. While we only watch the Giants on TV, our local triple A team, the RiverCats, farms to the Oakland Athletics. We try and go to a couple of games a year because it's so close and the stadium is beautiful, but it has been a couple of years since we've caught a game. I wasn't sure if I was brave enough to take the girls to Mommy and Me Day just because I hate to have them go off in separate directions, but I promised they wouldn't miss out so we did it. The girls had a great time for the most part. Kate was not a fan of Dinger and let everyone in the stadium know it. The piercing, panic scream could be heard for miles and for a long time she didn't want to go onto the field. Once I convinced her I would "save" her from him, she did go onto the field and participate in the activities, but she kept an eye on him the whole time.
It's August so the girls were dressed in capris and tshirts...normally we would've had to worry about the heat. Today we show up and it's COLD. The wind was blowing the girls were all uncomfortably cold so we bought sweatshirts on the way in. It really was THAT cold. We walked down the stairs and the sweatshirts came off..oops. Our free day didn't turn out free after all. I'm calling it a souvenier, but Ryan still isn't happy about it.

I couldn't capture the feet positioning because my family would disown me. Allison still throws with her right foot forward. Really, I'm trying!

Nothing like pushing a ball that's bigger than you are around the field

Kate loved the jump rope

The girls posing with their friends Madeline and Lillian

She's rounding third

Inside the jump house

Getting bigger

Sarah is getting big quickly. She's already starting to hold on to things and bring them to her mouth. These were just a couple of cute shots I took of Baby Sarah or Sairs


She's way too young for her excersaucer but the girls couldn't wait to see her in it

Room Change

We needed to get Sarah some quiet time so we had to make the big room change. We moved Allison into Kate's room because Kate's room was a little bit bigger. The big girls were very excited to share a room. Sarah's room took more time than I thought it would but in the end the room change was a success.
The Big Girls' Room


The disaster that will become Sarah's room...and to think...this is Day 2

Night one of sharing a room...it has gone surprisingly well

It took a couple of days, but Sarah's room is all set too

Ryan's Summer Project

Last summer Ryan took to redoing the deck. He stripped the awful red paint and sanded most of the deck which was no small task. Under the deck we had found some dryrot and he knew he had to fix it but wasn't sure how so he put it off...and off. This summer it didn't look like the summer job with Chad was going to pan out so Ryan and his dad decided they would take on fixing a few boards and getting the deck back in shape. Many of you know that I often refer to Ryan's projects as "black hole" projects. They start out small and the further he goes into the project the bigger and bigger it becomes. True of the deck.
They started to get under the deck and found more and more dryrot. Early in day 1 Ryan comes in the house to get me and I knew I was in for it. They was more dryrot than they thought and he was contemplating taking the whole thing out. I've never liked our front deck but just the idea of the tear down and replacement of the staircase made me learly. Not that we have visitors all that often, but I didn't like the idea of people not being able to come to our front door...EVER. It made sense to take it down, and Ryan and Jim promised me that I would have a working staircase by summers end. That same day Chad called and said that he did need Ryan afterall and he would start the following day, of course. So Ryan's summer project turned into a Sunday project because he was working not just 5 days a week, but 6 for Chad. It was a long summer and even longer Sundays. Ryan has gone back to school, I do have a working staircase, but the deck isn't done so the Sundays continue at least for now. Cross your fingers for me, please.


Stairs but no railing

Looking better

Bass Lake 2010

It's been a roller coaster year for the Bass Lakers. We lost Aunt Carol in June and it was really hard to look forward to the trip knowing we were missing such a key member. She battled liver disease and cancer for a long time and although we knew she was sick, it was still hard.
First, we thought the trip was going to be a bust because no one was going but in the end, most of the group was there and we had a great time. Jen Pettus had to stay home and study for a big test in becoming a lactation consultant and Shelley had to work. The Buenos also had to stay back because Ashlyn had hip surgery just a few weeks before, but hopefully next year the whole group will be there.
The girls loved the boat and going on boat rides. They swam every opportunity they could and had a great time. Ryan swam with the girls while most of the time I stayed back with Sarah at the house. She made a few trips to the water and seemed to like the swaying of the dock. Next year will be much more fun for her, but the big girls had a blast this year and are already looking forward to next year.
The first of many boat rides

My bathing beauties

All of the kids

Sarah and I on the dock

Big Mable

the boys also participated in the Domestic Beer Challenge

Barry and Marilou

Todd and Kachina

Part of the Pettus crew
Justin and Skyler

Happy 3 month birthday, Sarah

3 months old today. You are getting stronger everyday and babbling your little heart away. You aren't a fan of tummy time but you can still hold your head up for a long period of time. You like to sit in the Bjorn and face out to see the world. You love your activity mat and your bath and your big sister Alli. Most of all, we love you Baby Sarah!