The deer are frantically searching for that 'special someone' over the next couple of weeks. This makes them much less cautious than usual and is the reason for all of the Car vs. Deer this time of year. It is also the reason it is the best time of the year to hunt. Two years ago today, Jason got this beatiful (and delicious) creature:
On this date, his hopes are always a little higher when he goes into the woods. This year, he is sharing his special day with Isabel. She loves to go out with him...she brings her DS and a book to read (because, let's face it, I don't even think I could sit out in the woods in complete silence for four hours!). Last time she went out, they didn't see a single deer, but she exploded through the door telling me all about the squirrels and about how she couldn't wait to go out again because it was so exciting to wait for a big one. Good luck to my hunters today, and as Jason always says, "Shoot Straight".
Baby-Mamma knows how to multi-task
'You come talkin' that trash, we'll pull ya card... 
She was such a good baby and has grown to be such a good little girl, as well. She wanted to celebrate her special day with early morning presents, followed by chocolate chip pancakes. She had asked for rollerblades for weeks, so she was really excited to see the oversized shoe-box sized gift.
Then, she wanted to do lunch at A&W and follow it up with manis and pedis with a few friends. It was such a cute group of little girlies!!! 
We finished off the day with Monicals (she wanted pizza, but Jason and I had to be clever to make her think that she wanted Monicals instead of Pizza Hut) and cake at home.
The summer was full of fun Park District activities. In addition to swimming, the girls did Soccer/Baseball, Teddy Bears (Ash), and Nature Nuts (Is). Although they both did a great job, I think we can now be certain that they just don't enjoy competitive sports. After the first day of soccer, Isabel told Jason "Dad, did you know that you have to fight for the ball in soccer? I am just not that kind of girl!". 
In August, Jason's parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. We went to Nauvoo, which is a Western Illinois favorite of mine...it is a small historic town with an old hotel that has been turned into a huge buffet-style restaurant. They have the BEST food! The girls love overnight visits with Grandma and Grandpa Moppy (named after their dog, who I am surprised is not in this picture)
Then came the excitement of back to school! Ashlen started Kindergarten!!! She absolutely LOVES every minute of it! Although, she has gotten too big for her britches, as a result. When I pick her to go to school, she insists that I wait in the car while she walks out and gets in all by herself. Then, when we get to school she makes me just drop her off at the front door...I am not allowed to walk her up even on the nicest of afternoons! Here she is dropping her supplies off the day before school started:
And here she is on her very first day of school (not surprising, she selected a purple backback for this year):
Here are the girls together on the first day of school...Isabel started 2nd grade this year and has had a MUCH easier time transitioning to a new year this year (whew!).
A few days after school started, Ashlen got her first 'shiner'. She fell off of her bike and used her face to catch the majority of the fall. Her bloody elbow and bruised hip caught a bit too, but this turned a nice shade of green for a good week. I am just glad it cleared up just in time for school pictures (there was still a hint of green, but I paid the extra $3 for touch-ups just in case it was visible in print!).
Tonight, we decorated for fall...we are all very excited for the Pumpkin Festival (excluding Jason, of course...he dreads those four days more than any other time of the year and unfortunately for him, his birthday falls on the first festival day this year). I just know that once we get past the festival, the holidays are here before we know it and that makes me a very happy girl! 
Our good friends have a baby coming soon, but the doctor gave permission for one last little trip before she arrives. We were happy they could come along!
One of our first stops was the Children's Zoo. The girls love to brush the goats.
Ashlen likes to get to know her goats before she brushes them...
In one area, a lady walked around asking everyone "Would you like to pet my lizard?" and "Have you had a chance to pet my lizard yet?". Needless to say, our husbands took this with the mentality of junior high boys and thought it was hilarious. 
To top it off, Jason let me carry the big camera bag all day until he caught a glimpse of this action. He couldn't get his hands on the camera fast enough. I know ladies, this husband of mine is quite the catch. 
We spent the next day relaxing at the hotel so the kids could enjoy the pool. We all know that no matter how many awesome things you do on a vacation, the favorite with the kids is always the hotel pool. On the last day, we went to Six Flags. My girls are pretty timid, so I was curious to see what they would ride.
Isabel's favorite ride, by far, was the Tony Hawk roller coaster. It was definitely an adult ride, but she loved it! 
She was brave enough to try the Screaming Eagle! This is a picture of her right after the ride...you can see that she is slightly less enthusiastic about this ride.
I was worried when Ashlen said "My favorite ride is Daddy!!!". But, she did find a few things she liked to ride.
Her favorite ended up being the kid's version of the Superman Ride. They go up into the air and fall back down...she said it made her tummy tickle! I would estimate that she rode this about 35 times. Lucky for her it was a cool and overcast day, so there were no lines at any of the rides! 
My favorite part is always the Turkey Legs! I know they are soooo gross to eat, but they are also soooo delicious! I would gladly get in my car and drive 2 hours for one right now.
The last two pictures do an excellent job of summing up how we all felt at the end of the day...
I love the determination and concentration in her face in this one:
For her last day of preschool (sniff, sniff), they had a Garden Party. She was very worried that proper ettiquette required one to wear gloves to a Garden Party, but I would not allow her to wear her winter mittens to the party, so she settled for a hat and a pretty dress alone.
The following Monday, they had their picnic and songs for the parents. It was HOT that day...you can just see it in the faces of the kiddos.
Finally, our summer break officially began. Isabel had a little trouble letting go of the routine of school. For the first few days, she only wanted to do her math workbook (she was very concerned that they didn't finish the entire workbook this year and she was determined to get it done before 2nd grade started).
Ashlen and I, on the other hand, had very little trouble settling into the new summer routine:
I have a big garage sale every year and this year I decided to let the girls do a lemonade stand. They did very well and I have a feeling they are going to be requesting this activity often this summer. Isabel had been working on money in school, so it was great practice for her.
Then, Daddy found a baby bunny and managed to catch it for the girls to see...they named it Hopper O'Hare. They played with it for a bit, then we set it free to find its momma. Now, with every bunny that comes into our yard, we hear 'Look! Hopper came to say Hello!'. Best of luck to you, Hopper!
We had planned a trip to Gulf Shores this summer, but with the oil situation, we decided to do a few small trips instead. Last weekend we went to St. Louis with the girls. We did the zoo, lots of hotel swimming, and Six Flags. I will put the pictures on soon! 
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