Feeding Cows...

It's good to be 2, you don't have to walk, you can see everything from Daddy's shoulders, and, in this instance, he sort of looks comfortable to sit on...






Papa Bob helped Josie climb to the top of a pretty tall haystack, she loved it up there and didn't want to come down.







I like this picture, you can't see too much but the sun gives it a nice element.







Here's Josie sitting on "Blue". She actually asked to get up on him, which I though was awsome. She really enjoyed it. And, one left over from the river, Luke and Josie climing rocks.

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving at my parent's house this year, and while we didn't take a ton of pics we got some nice ones on the way over, and a few the next morning feeding cows with Papa Bob.


This is the Arkansas River that runs through the canyon on Highway 50 between Canon City and Salida. It's really beautiful and Luke and I's favorite part of the drive over. This is a pullover at an old railroad tressle that they've converted to be sort of a viewing point for the canyon/river.

Josie and I at the "viewing station" they built on what I think was one side of the old tressle, the water below is awsome, some pretty hardcore rapids. Very neat to stand and look down. Also, my belly at 25 weeks :)










Luke and Josie throwing rocks, this picture came out a bit darker than I would have liked...









Josie and Luke checking out the rapids, we also hiked down and let her get close to the water (with one hand on her at all times of course)! She loved it!

Incredibly proud of myself!!!

If you'll notice below I've finally figured out how to put videos on the blog, which ROCKS! I won't tell you how much time I've put into it this evening, that part is embarassing. But, I'm really excited! Now you'll all get to see what she's up to:)

The top in the bunny costume is of course Halloween, all dressed up and ready to go. Below that is Josie dancing to her without-a-doubt-absolute-favorite-bestest-most-wonderful song in the whole world, Shakira's Hips Don't Lie feat. Wyclef Jean~ Enjoy :)

http://www.bolt.com/shanschlachter/video/Happy_Halloween/2582829


Get video codes at Bolt.

http://www.bolt.com/shanschlachter/video/Hips_dont_lie/2582221




Get video codes at Bolt.

I'm a slacker...

At long last, here are Halloween photos! And, for all of you that I never talk to, I'm sorry. I know I've been really really bad about calling people lately. As for No. 2, at the ultrasound it was basheful, so we'll be waiting to find out at the birth if we're having a boy or a girl! Here's some updated belly shots for my girls, and Josie the Bunny!

I know my belly is still tiny, which is interesting, because this baby feels huge!








Josie smoosing for the camera. She loved her bunny suit, and luckily it was warm because it was all of 24 degrees out while we trick-or-treated. She had a blast!











The carrot was actually sown onto her hand, they were like little mittens. This was nice until about an hour in, then the carrot really started to tick her off. Imagine that, Josie, upset... ;)





Josie enjoying a chocolate cupcake. Of course we had to do cupcakes for Halloween, and Luke was there to help us decorate them. As a note to self, the black sugar looks good but will stain anything it touches!

A few more pics...

These last few photos wouldn't fit in my last post, so, here they are.

A cute one of Luke and Josie, she's really becoming Daddy's girl, and I think he likes that!

For those of you who've asked, here's my belly. Not terribly big by any stretch (yet...) but my jeans are getting tight. I was 18 weeks on Saturday, Sept 30, so nearly halfway there!!!

Update on the family

At long last, here are some long overdue photos. Good one's though...

Josie washing the pickup with Daddy, she was so serious doing this! She helped him for nearly an hour, washing the hubcaps, and bottom of the pickup.







This is Josie's very first morning of Sunday school, all ready to go! She started nursery class a little early because I'm teaching kindergarten and Luke was planting wheat so we talked with the church and she got to start early. She loves it! She was so proud of herself! But, of course, she wouldn't let me get a good picture!

Update

Monday I had my 4 month dr. appt. Nothing eventful, I refused the blood test to screen for Downs. Somehow, I feel best not knowing, condemning this unborn for something I struggle to see as a disease. All Downs children I have know have had their challenges (don't we all), but they were all somehow, so angelic. Forever innocent, which really, is a blessing of a kind. Anyway, enough philosophy, I refused the test.

Dr looked for 5 minutes until we heard the heartbeat, both of us were getting nervous I think. Josie sat so still while he was looking (she was sitting on the bed next to me). Finally he found it and when he did OH BOY! It was loud! He actually turned the Doppler down, you could hear the thump, thump, over the static. Josie was just amazed, listening. Dr said that he normally doesn't hear heartbeats that loud and clear in babies this small.

Sometime during the week of October 16th I will have the ultrasound, we will check for babies health, and we will (hopefully) find out the sex! That is if no. 2 is not being shy.

We are sowing wheat, Josie is missing Luke. He has to kiss her goodbye in the morning before he leaves or there is major drama. She gets upset when he forgets. Hopefully we will be done soon, there is some rain holding us up, I have my fingers crossed that the end of next week we'll be done.

That's really all the news on us, I'm trying hard not to shop for the new baby, until I know what we're having. Everyone is saying it's a boy, I guess we'll see!

Photo update

Here are some recent photos of Josie, this one taken at Grandma Judy's house, of course, hamming for the camera.







This picture is finally a nice on, but still a bit of a funny face. I like the colors though...








Take that Tinkerbell! Josie all dressed up wearing her new favorites, green converse sneakers. She got them when we went shopping a few weeks ago and hasn't taken them off much since!









Josie is obsessed with winter at this point. She is very impatiently waiting for the snow. I made her a new hat/scarf for winter this year and she's really excited about them. She also really liked the yarn, sort of a thick chenille. And of course, it's purple!


One of the few and elusive photos of Josie and I together. We were snuggling and Luke caught this one. Every time a see a photo of Josie and I together I'm struck by how different our coloring is. I'm hoping that maybe this next kid looks a little like me and not a carbon copy of Luke!

Heard the heartbeat!

I'm about a week late in posting on this, but we did go the Dr and got to hear the heartbeat! He didn't have to look at all, just put the Doppler on my tummy and there it was. He moved the microphone a bit to get it a little louder. So, number 2 is doing good! Somehow reassuring to hear that little noise.

Josie was excited and keeps talking about baby's heartbeat. She will put her head near my belly and tell me "I hear that heartbeat!". She's definitely looking forward to being a big sister. She talks about it quite a bit, and Elmo did a thing about families on Sesame Street last week that she loved. Also, I'm waiting until the time is right and the "Big Sister Dora" DVD will make an appearance in our library. Anything Dora does is totally cool with Josie.











That's about all the news we have for now, my next apt is in mid-September, but we should be finding out if it's a girl or a boy in October at 20 weeks, so about a month and a half from now!!!

Expecting No. 2

Just a little note to let you all know that Luke and I are expecting baby No. 2 on March 3, 2007. I'm currently about 9 1/2 weeks along & doing pretty good. Morning sickness was pretty icky in the beginning but I'm starting to feel a lot better now.

We'll keep you all updated here with news, and happenings:) We will of course be finding out what we're having, but that won't happen until 20 weeks. So, check back often, if I get brave I may even post belly pics ;)D!

Harvest

Here are some photos from harvest, it seems like we didn't take very many this year, but it was busy. Josie rode in the grain cart with me and really liked it (thank goodness for our portable DVD player though). She also took some turns riding in the combine with Daddy & Papa Steve for breaks from me. Everytime she was on the road with Luke in the combine she fell asleep which was pretty funny.

The flies were horrible in the fields, & one night Josie kept saying "I bite flies, I bite flies" when the flies bit her. It was too cute. She would point to her shoulder & say "I bite fly right here". I felt horrible for her, but luckily we were in the tractor & away from the flies for the most part.

Because spring was so dry & we got rain late in June it was a little crazy this year because Luke was actually planting millet while Steve was one field over harvesting wheat. Luckily Luke finished up about 2 days into harvest though.





Josie enjoying a chocolate chip cookie after lunch one day...
Luke planting millet-
Josie all set to go for a ride with Luke while he was planting millet.

The haircut!

Well, I'm a little late here, but I wanted to post pictures of Josie's hair cut (she got it cut the middle of June)! I loved it long, but, I was catching her chewing on her hair, and those of you who know me know that I am totally grossed out by all things involving hair, so it had to go!



Here's before...

And here's after:)

More pics

Here are a few more from moving cows, and around my parents house:) Top is Josie just after a goon nap driving up to the summer pasture.








Luke and Josie climbing back into the pickup after a loooong day!

My sister Marika, Mom Debbie, & Josie playing with her new "Dora" bubbles! :)

Mountains

It appears that I have a limited number of pictures I can add for each entry, so, lots of entries today! Enjoy~
Checking things out with "Aunt Leelee" at my parents before we left to take cows up...
I think this is the very south end of the Collegiate Peaks (top of Poncha Pass) but don't take my word for it!
The corral, 'Cowboy' Luke is helping unload...
Pretty, pretty, pretty
Long day and Scooter needed a nap, she crashed pretty hard! She also loved being in "her" pickup...

Moving Cows

We had a bunch of fun, and enjoyed being in the mountains. A very full day, with everything from Luke 'wrestling' a calf, to me getting clocked by a fence post, to Josie having a ton of fun watching Annalee's dog Olson (black lab) swim... Beatiful pictures!

Josie and her new "Dora the Explorer" doll
For Mickey- he wanted a picture of him holding the calf while Step-Dad Bob branded...
Branding....
Annalee, Mickey, Luke, & Step-Dad Bob sureveying the situation...
More branding...