Playing catch-up...again!

I don't know what my problem is with keeping the blog updated. It really isn't that hard. I have a million excuses for it, too. Thought I would share a few of my favorites with you...Excuse #1: We just got a new computer...we converted to an Apple and there is a learning curve with figuring out how it works. Excuse #2: Life has been in full swing...Ry is back in school, preschool has started up, Ry is playing soccer and taking piano lessons, Cory has been put into the Young Men's organization at church, I am volunteering in Riley's classroom, etc...I guess blogging has had to take a back seat! Excuse #3 (which is the biggest and best excuse in our opinion!): We are expecting baby #3 and I just haven't felt like getting on the computer! (Baby Bluth #3 is due on May 4th!)

I have been promising Riley for weeks to get pictures of her soccer team on the blog and I am finally going to get it done. Ry is playing on her fifth soccer team and is a member of the White Polar Bears this season (Riley got to pick the name...pretty ferocious!). She has scored a couple of goals and is getting to be quite the little player. Way to go, Ry!


And here is Riley's cheering section:




We also went to the pumpkin patch last weekend. It didn't take Riley long to find her pumpkin, but Bailey wanted a little one and kept us seraching until we found one about the same size as a grapefruit. She was thrilled!





Those are the highlights of the last month or so...I know I always say this, but I really will try to be better at keeping this updated!

Mother-of-the-Year Award

Last Friday I was in a hurry and trying to get Bailey into the house after we got home from running errands. I slid open the van door so that I could grab the groceries from the car (none too gently...remember I was in a hurry). The next thing I know Bailey is screaming, flat on her back with her legs up in the air. Apparently when I slid the door open the back edge caught her right in the middle of her forehead. I dented the poor kid's head! Bailey was screaming, there was some blood, and within a minute it looked like she was growing a third eye on her head. I felt really bad! It ended up not being as serious as I thought it was going to be, but Bailey will tell everyone who asks about her head that her mom hit her with the car door. Poor kid.

Happy Birthday to You and You!

August is a big birthday month at our house. Cory had his birthday on August 13th, which I think the girls enjoyed more than he did! Riley celebrated her 7th birthday on the 23rd, and we partied all week for her big day. Ry had a party with several of her friends and had a party with her cousins, too. It must have been a successful day because when we were tucking her into bed she said it had been the best day ever.

Cory getting some help blowing out his candles on his birthday.

Riley loving the new shoes she got.

What a cute 7-year old!

Crazy girls at Riley's party.

Ry, her friends, and her cousin!

The time had come...

It finally came - the day I had been dreading for months now. It was time to take away Bailey's pacifier. I had been psyching myself up for weeks and set the date of August 2nd as the day they were going to go in the trash (kind of a random day, I know...but I knew Cory would be working late this week and he is kind of softie when it comes to Bailey-O...to put it nicely, I didn't want him around because I wouldn't have been surprised if he snuck one back to her in her bed).

I just knew this was going to be miserable. I had low expectations and prepared for the fact that Bailey would be screaming and crying for her pacifier at naps and at bedtime for three or four days. I was NOT looking forward to it...we even promised Bailey a brand new toy of her choice if she would throw away her chupies (pacifiers) and not be sad about it. Her ears perked right up that promise was made. ...she decided weeks ago that she wanted a pink computer when she threw away her chupies.

Monday came and we threw the chupies in the trash and went to Target and found her a pink computer that she LOVES. I was scared for her first nap without her chupie, but she only cried for about 20 minutes. That was the last and ONLY time she cried after giving up her pacifiers! Yay! They are gone and she really doesn't even ask for them! Apparently this whole event was much more tramatic for me than it was for her!

Bailey getting ready to dump those chupies in the garbage!

The big reward...this is the best toy ever! It is personalized, so when it turns on it says, "HI BAILEY!" She also gets email from mom, dad, and Riley on her computer. Love it!

First Day of 1st Grade!

After a whopping three weeks off for summer vacation, Ry went back to school today for her first day of 1st grade. It is going to be so weird having her gone all day. I will miss her...and little Bailey won't know what to do with herself! It is only noon on the first day and I have heard Bailey say, "We go get Riley now?" 500 times! I am sure she is having a great day...but only three more hours until we can go and pick her up!

The standard first day of school pictures:

Ry lined up with her class waiting to go into the school:

Oregon

We are hanging up the keys! Over the last three weeks the girls and I have traveled nearly 3300 miles in the car together! Just a week after getting back from New Mexico, we loaded up in the car with my sister and nephew and headed off for our annual trek to Oregon to visit my grandparents. Our first stop was in Hermiston. We visited Grandma Barbara and Grandpa Don, which was fun. They have a pool so the kids were in heaven!

Bailey had no fear of the water. She loved Grandma's pool!

Riley learned the fine art the cannon ball. She got to be pretty good at it!

Bailey would get so tired swimming that she would beg to get into bed - I had a hard time keeping her up later than 7:00 at night! (Yes, I know she still has the choopie...we will be working on that here in the next week or so).

Bailey got her fingernails painted for the first time at Grandma's house. She was pretty proud of her pink "dingernails".

Our next stop was at Grandpa Fred's house. We hit the beach, the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and had fun roasting hotdogs and making s'mores on Grandpa and Grandma's porch.

The 4-Generation Shot

Riley and Bailey watching the workers make cheese at the cheese factory.

The boat in front of the cheese factory - notice Bailey plugging her ears? There was an airplane flying by...

Bailey loved the beach. I couldn't ever get her to look up at the camera for a picture...all she wanted to do was dig.

...except for this picture - my sister was holding a piece of candy above the camera. Whatever works...

Ry before plunging into the really cold water at the beach.

Grandpa, Riley, and Brody getting ready to cook up some s'mores on the front porch.

Papa helping Bailey cook her lunch.

We had a great time visiting everyone. But after 14 straight hours of this:

we were all very happy to be home!

Bluth Reunion

Last week we headed down to New Mexico for the Bluth family reunion. Before heading to the campground where the reunion took place, we went to Cory's parents for a few days. Both of the girls were excited to go to the ranch, and Grandma had the pool and trampoline ready - thanks to countless reminders from the girls, I am sure. Cory got to spend three or four days helping out with work around the ranch...he was in heaven! Though he was busy working he saddled the horse for Ry to ride (Bailey said horses are "too scary") and took Ry out to check a water tank on the motorcycle. We watched Cory and Grandpa work some cows, and the girls got to feed the horses. It was great fun. Here is a video clip of Ry riding the horse:


After spending a few days at the ranch we went to the reunion, which was held at a campground in the mountains. There were tons of kids for the girls to play with and they both had a blast. One of the highlights of the trip for Ry was riding the plasma cars down the hill...see the video clip below. The kids also spent a lot of time at the park and doing different crafts. There was a pinata for the kids, basketball, horseshoes, and frisbee golf for the adults, lots of food, and good company.

Ry eating S'mores

Cory, his mom, his youngest sister, and the girls

Cory's family

Riley and Quinlan riding double on the plasma cars

Riley and her cousins, Clayton and David

Bailey climbing a tree - she was so proud of herself!

Riley's turn taking a smack at the pinata
This is all Bailey wanted to do...she stayed up too late and was so tired!
Bailey's "pretty bag" that she made - we had a tough time getting her to let it go.