Building a Sukkah with friends and family.

Sabra and Shaul invited us over to help them build their Sukkah this year.  We had a great time bonding with the Katsav's, Aime, and the Miller Family along with their 3 amazing teenage daughters. 

Sabra and Shaul inspired us so we built our own makeshift Sukkah in our back yard with the help of PawPaw. 

Landon built one our of Lego's, and yes that is a banana hanging from the roof. 

Kelly also built one out of the bristle blocks. 

It has been so great to remember how the Israelites lived for 40 years in the wilderness.  We are so thankful that the Lord chooses to dwell among us today through his Holy Spirit, and are reminded that he also dwelt among the Israelites back then in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.  What a blessing and privilege to be in the presence of the Lord. 

Is it futbol or football?

OK Please don't go into hysterics. No, we have not turned in our boots for cleats, but yes, it is true, we are letting Landon play football.  Now, before you stop breathing let me explain.  It is flag football, and yes, he did tear up when we told him that he was going to get to play on the same team with one of his best buds in the whole world, Mason.  This is probably the only time they will ever get to play on the same team since they play different sports and are in different grades.  Who's Mason? Well, he's the best flag puller on the team.  He had more tackles than any other kid on the team in the game last Saturday.  He's the one a head taller than the other kids, and a grade younger than them too. 

Well, Landon had missed the first 2 practices so the coach only gave him the ball 2 times the entire game.  The first was an incomplete pass.  The last play of the game the coach asks Landon if he could run fast?  Landon said yes, so the coach had Landon get the handoff for the final play of the game.  He ran to the right, did a little juke, and beat the last man, "HE COULD GO ALL THE WAY!"  TOUCHDOWN!!! He scored the 2nd TD of the game.  Way to go Lando!

Landon and Mason after the game.  They only had 5 players because the rest of the team had the swine flu.  Yikes.  They played a man down for half of the game.  Way to go you 2.  You did great.  They had a blast.

Generations

My grandmother is 96 years old. She still lives by herself in a senior apartment and can read without glasses. She can also touch her toes, and will show you if prompted to do so. She has 4 great grandchildren and one more on the way. I was blessed to know 4 out of my 8 great grandparents. My kids love their great grandma. Well, this summer my mom found an old blouse of my grandma's that she couldn't wear anymore and thought it would make a cute outfit for the girls. We took parts of her blouse and made 3 matching blouses for the girls out of the material. We even re-cycled the buttons. Then my mom was hemming my grandmother's sheets and she had some extra material. She took the extra material and together, she and I made matching pants to go with the girls matching outfits. In a way, these outfits are generational, made out of their great-grandmothers blouse and sheets, by their Nina (grandmother) and their mother, and worn by the 3 Blake girls. Pretty special. In order to preserve the memory of the girls wearing these generational outfits, I decided that we should all take a pictures to remember the outfits. Here is how it all turned out.

Schroeder

Each morning to start our school day we all get our instruments and attempt to play a melody while praising the Lord. Kelly, Landon and I are trying to play the guitar, Keaton does some kind of shaker instrument, or sings with our fake microphone, and Kelly sometimes uses the microphone. Sometimes Landon plays his toy flute. Well it is a fun way to start our school day. One day, Kelly put Cailin in front of the toy piano and she totally started playing. So... now this is her instrument. She actually plays it. It is so cute and she really enjoys it. We are now calling her Schroeder.

Christmas in August - Happy Birthday Keaton

Around here at the Blake house, Birthday's start pretty early in the morning. The first event of the day begins with a special one on one birthday donut run with Dad. It is amazing how the birthday person is almost always the first to wake up on that particular day. Keaton and Dad on a Birthday Donut Run.
We had a small cupcake birthday party with all the school friends during one of our summer swim Tuesdays. Notice how all the friends are helping Keaton blow out her candles.


Yumm.

It's good to be 3.

Keaton with a silly face

Keaton with another silly face. What's new?

Choo, Choo. Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Tour passed through Dallas on Keaton's birthday so we decided to make it a train birthday party with the family and enjoy the Free entertainment.

A quartet dressed up like characters from the movie sang Happy Birthday to Keaton.

The Tain from the outside.

1st edition of A Christmas Carol by Dickens.

Costumes from the movie.

Handwritten manuscript of Nicholas Nickleby by Dickens.

Another silly face.

The train also had cars with the making of the movie, technology, and an interactive portion where you could take your picture and it would turn you into one of the characters. Maybe I will post these later. Jason and my dad look pretty funny as Scrooge.

We finished off the night at the Gaylord Texan. We walked around the atrium and looked at all of the miniature trains and then enjoyed more cupcakes. It was a fun night and we loved getting to celebrate with Keaton. She is such a fun member of our family. Someday I really want to post what it is like to raise her, but I don't have time right now because she keeps me so busy cleaning up all of her messes. Happy Birthday Keaton!

Butterfly Birthday

Happy Birthday Kelly!
Kelly and Reece flying like butterflies.

Paul and Noah as Butterflies.

We celebrated Kelly's birthday with the cousins in Kansas and with Reece, Nicholas, and Blake. Reece has been a sweet friend to Kelly every time she is in Kansas. Last visit, Kelly was scared to go to children's church, but Reece held her hand the entire way down the isle to children's church, and sat by her the entire time. Reece's little bro is Blake named after the Blakes, and her big brother is Nicholas who is Landon's birthday bud, born 3 days before him.


Kelly wanted a butterfly birthday mainly because she has seen pictures of her 1st birthday which was a butterfly birthday because it matched the napkins, and the pinata. Well, I think she thinks she missed out since she didn't get to smash the pinata, so she wanted to try this butterfly thing again. We read the very hungry caterpillar in Hebrew since that was the only version we could find. Then we did a butterfly relay race.


1st leg -Leaf eating contest (lettuce)


2nd leg - wrap your friend in a cocoon


3rd leg - bust out of your cocoon and fly like a butterfly


Final leg - enjoy some nectar from a flower or a grandmother.


See pictures below.

Cassie in her little cocoon.



Noah wondering when this would be over.




Wyatt enjoying some nectar. (apple juice)

Finally, we all had a great time smashing the pinata. It was a great day with family and friends.

Keaton enjoying getting to smash something.

WE Love you sweet Kelly!

Happy Birthday Kelly Grace!

P.S. Thank You Lauren Blake for taking all of these wonderful pictures. You are really doing a great job as a photographer!

Pillowcase's and Cookie Cakes

The girls and their Pillowcase Dresses.

Landon, Kelly and Keaton decorate a sugar cookie cake with cream cheese icing, and strawberries and blueberries in honor of Old Glory.

I became inspired last week to sew. It only happens in the summer, mainly because my mom is off work and can come over and help me. She is the best seamstress that I know. She can do almost anything with a needle and thread. Well, we made 6 outfits (2 for each of the girls) and 4 nursing blankets for my friends. I will explain the other outfit on another day because it has a great story attached to it. These are Pillowcase Dresses. You can google it and get great instructions on how to make them yourselves so I won't bore you with the details but it sure was fun to make and easy. I just used material instead of a pillowcase but you get the idea. Well, no doubt the girls will get great use out of these play dresses and the best part of all, besides all 3 girls matching, is that they won't show ketchup stains! Hope you had a great 4th.

Baby Girl

Cailin - sweet baby!
Speed Uno with Aunt Lauren.