Pumpkins!

Trip to Timberline

No snow yet...but they were ready!

Kindergarten

Go girl go!

close ups

(little mr. got into the pens...)

And a few more updates

Well, it's October...so I guess I should post something!

In addition to managing two crazy two-year-olds (enough said there) Lena started kindergarten and is LOVING it! Praise the Lord. I was pretty worried about it, but all is well with our big girl. We've also had a few visits to the beach, and been spoiled with amazing weather at the coast for this time of year.

Beach trip!





Lena and Chris enjoying an after-first-day-of-kindergarten treat at DQ...of course.



Eli in his new shirt and tie that Chris brought back from NYC. Stella chillin' in the tube.



Our little hippie!

catching up...a bit

i've been a bit delinquent about posting lately. let's chalk it up to enjoying the last days of summer. here are some photos of the tinker kids living it up.

lena was the flower girl at my cousins's wedding, and she looked perfectly lovely!




have cracker, will run.



i love the dimple and fuzzy-baby-bird hair.



trouble on the bridge!

tinkers to the second power

Happy birthday Stella!






Happy birthday Elijah!
(As I recall, he had a similar reaction to flames last year.)






"Dirt" cake for Eli and "beach" cake for Stel.



chasing bubbles.



stella loves her new koala bear.

Channeling her inner Elvis (Costello)

Looks pretty good in dad's glasses!

Blowing stuff up...

Hope everyone had a happy and safe fourth of July. We did, except for a minor smoke bomb burn (Lena was a bit overly curious).

There was also some crying from Eli and Stella at the general loudness of the event, but they got over it and enjoyed their sparklers.





Planning their next move...




After the at-home-blowing-stuff-up party, Lena and Chris trekked into downtown for the real deal.

OK-lahoma

This year, Chris and I took Lena to Oklahoma for the Osage dances and left the twins with my mom...(thanks mom!!!). It's so much easier to travel with just a five year old.

Here's the group getting ready to dance.





Lena and her great grandad - who celebrated his 90th birthday while we were there!



The Tinker boys.



Lena getting some instructions from her very handsome cousin!



Putting on her shawl for the dances.



Flying with tio Nick.



Morning. You think someone's been staying up late???



Oklahoma prairie.

Oklahoma teaser

(Well...could YOU resist pretending to eat a dead tarantula you found in the road???)

More photos to come...I'll try to spare you any more arachnids, though.

Lena's artwork

Here is one of Lena's recent creations. The one on the left is a girl with pig-tails, smiling and showing her teeth (not a bespectacled, grimacing bunny, although that would be cute, too!) I just love the way she draws.

I think we've got a monkey in the house.

Yes, yes we do. And he's sporting his most handsome hairdo...the one-sided-banana-faux-hawk.