The last of the fall photos...

 
 
 
  

Pics from Wild Cat Den

 
 
 
  

The Devil's Punchbowl (The name of the hike)

What a perfect day in Iowa!! Days like these make me think there cannot be a better place on earth to live! We decided it would be a good idea to take a hike with the Landers. For those of you who did not read my post a few months ago about our last hike with the Landers, just know that we are not a good combo when it comes to hiking. Somehow at some point we lost all control today and we found Dawson hanging from a branch over a little creek and Brigg and Gabe trying to "Save his life!" Dawson made some comment like, "Did I come here to die?" After we made it through the first near castastrophe, we had yet another. Daws, Gabe and Brigg ventured off the main path again while Jody was trying to find a signal for her cell and within minutes they had scaled the side of what Iowans would call a mountain and were totally stuck. Jody took off to try and save the day. She is screaming from halfway up, "SERIOUSLY Cassie, this is SCARY!" They could not get down and had to continue up and then backtrack a bit to make it to about a million stairs that came back down to us. After more laughter and some tears (from laughing), we made a new rule...You MAY NOT veer off the path or you will be assigned a mother's hand to hold. Believe it or not, it worked! we even bribed them into getting a group photo. Overall, a great way to spend a beautiful fall day. Thankful for so many things today!!

Dawson hanging on for dear life... Jody just laughing from the nerves...
Those specks of color are children...AND Jody...
We tried...
 

Pics from the weekend

It was a great weekend. The kids played and played. Always such great memories made during our time together!! I don't know how we fit all these people in our house....


 

College Game Day...

We spent Saturday tailgating in Iowa City and cheering the Hawkeyes on to a victory!! It was a perfect day for baggo and a football game!! Great fun...


 

My Birthday Girl!!

Hard to believe that it has been 3 years since my baby made her grand entrance! I remember throughout the whole pregnancy I was sure she was a boy. So when the doctor said, "It's a girl!", I was in shock. I remember turing to Paul and saying with tears in my eyes, "I WANTED a girl. I didn't know I did, but I wanted a girl." It was a whirlwind first year filled with trips to the University Hospital and then to Detroit to try and repair her "broken" eye. The most amazing thing happened during the first year of Lani's life though. I finally realized that I really was not in control of it all. I realized I was completely broken. I realized that no matter what I did to make me feel like I was in control, it really wasn't about me at all. Somewhere along the journey, Nalani's eye had become my greatest blessing. Pretty amazing little girl!
Once this realization was made, it wasn't about her eye at all. It was about her smile and her personality and her ENERGY. That dimple, those sparkling eyes, her million questions, all wrapped up into the cutest little girl I have ever given birth to!!
Lani is so different from her brother and has been since day one. I remember our first trip up to the University, just 36 hours after her birth. I had dressed her in the cutest little outfit and put a hat on her head. She was in her carseat just grunting and groaning and I finally looked back and somehow she had pulled that hat off her head and it was resting on her chest and she was finally content. Never a doubt that this little girl was determined!! She decided at 10 weeks she no longer wanted a pacifier. Quit taking it cold turkey. Never a doubt this little girl was driven! When Lani wraps her little arms around your neck and says "I love you, you're the BEST!" She means it from the bottom of her heart. She is sincere, sweet, happy and very secure. I look at her and wonder what she will be like as an adult. I am certain she will not let any "defect" get in her way! So my prayer for Lani this day is that she will continue to make those around her smile. That she uses her drive, her motivation, and her determination for only good. That it doesn't take a defect to make her realize that she is broken. That was are ALL broken and only God's grace and love makes us complete. I pray that I can raise this little girl to be a Godly woman who is nurturing and loves Jesus. That is a very big prayer for one little girl! Happy 3rd birthday little lou bug. We thank GOD for you every single day. We look at you with love in our hearts and are so very grateful that we have been chosen to be your parents! We love you!!

A Dozen Dinners--Buller Style!

60+ pounds of meat (seriously)
$300 worth of groceries
3 women
4 children
1 initially clean kitchen
2 bags of trash
1 bag of recycling (despite the fact Jody and Pam would have preferred 3 bags of TRASH)
1 broken faucet
1 scalded boob
1 batch of OVERFLOWING lasagne
1 overflowing mixer of dough
2 trips to 2 different preschools
3 arguments
a few tears
4 hours
36 Buller meals
Lots of laughs
6 more weeks until we'll have to do it all again...

Finally, a fall day!

Jorden came over this afternoon to play with the kids. They were even able to ride bikes for a while....
Harley was pretty bored with the whole scenerio...
Here is a pic of Lani after one of her several scooter crashes...
I hear tomorrow is supposed to be nice, too. I'm hoping we get in a few more nice days before winter hits for good! 

Leah for the weekend!

I got to spend the weekend with Leah! :) I was so happy. It had been too long...it always is. I'm sure you all have a friend like that. One that never questions your motives or your decision because she doesn't have to ask any questions...she knows you from the inside out. We have experienced so much together. She just "gets" me. Although our lives are SO TOTALLY different in this season of life, it doesn't even matter. She is family. I cannot imagine this life without her in it! I'm am feeling like my Leah tank is on full tonight. I'm looking forward to the next time we are together! Thanks for being my friend Leah! 

12th Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

After our pre-carving pumpkin guts fight, we finally got down to business. MY pumpkin is the green one. And I do believe it is the winner. (Although Jody said this morning she thought the one with the stars for eyes won...that was Leah's). It was fun and this was Leah's first experience with our contest. I'm sure it will be her last! :) This truly is the best time of year around this house! 

The Pumpkin Fight

Our pumpkin carving contest got a little out of control this year...