Camping!! Who Knew?!

Who knew camping could be so much fun?!

For Dave's graduation gift and celebration we decided to buy a tent and some sleeping bags. I am so glad we did. Living in Idaho we are just a hop, skip, and a jump away from some beautiful mountains and camping spots. We have just touched the surface this year and hope to continue our adventures next year.

We recently camped for our second time at the Lower Mesa Falls campsite. It was perfect for me since I ran a race the next morning that simply required me to get out of the tent and run down the road a mile to the start of the race. Dave and the kids met me down at the finish line.

We love the time together as a family and Dad's yummy campfire cooking. I enjoy watching the kids explore nature. It is so beautiful and peaceful (at least until we try getting the kids in the tent and to bed)!

Groovy Girl!

Eliza turned 7 years old and started first grade. She is our little fashion diva and loves to dress up and accessorize. She is enjoying school and is always very sad when Saturday rolls around. (Boy! Will that change!) We sure love her!!

Pirate Birthday!

Our little Benjamin turned 4 yesterday. We celebrated the day "pirate style." We decorated a pirate cake, colored parrots and ship pictures, and even discovered our very own treasure map! It was lots of fun looking for the "buried loot" in the backyard!

Ben had a "super, awesome" day. He is so excited to be four because that means he can run even faster!

He is a definitely our secret treasure. He is very sweet and happy. He loves to learn and discover new things. He plays well with others and is quick to laugh!

Happy Birthday big guy!!

Summer Lovin'

"Summer lovin' happens so fast..."

The Stowell family has had such a fun, exciting, and busy summer. We have visited six different states and lived in three of those. Leaving Texas was very tearful and our hearts were heavy to leave such wonderful friends. We stopped at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado on our road trip back to Utah. Dave's kind parent's took us in to their home in Salt Lake for six weeks and let us climatize back to the West. We enjoyed time with cousins and especially Aunt Maren's beautiful wedding.

Dave and I enjoyed our first trip away together in 7 years! We went to Boston for a math conference, but oh! we had so much fun seeing the sites and being together. We loved walking the Freedom Trail, reliving history, and eating some great food.

We moved back to Rexburg, Idaho the second week of July. The kids love their own rooms and the big backyard. I absolutely love the garden vegetables and watching Ben and Eliza run around with the neighborhood kids!

We also spent a "cousins week" in Montana. My sister with her three kids and me with mine drove up to Cascade to visit Grammie and Poppa on Sugarloaf Mountain. We enjoyed time at the little community pool, hikes up Grammie's mountain, picking wildflowers, spotting snakes and Poppy (the turtle) in the pond, and lots of sweet treats and yummy dinners! (We even showed the kids "Grease" for the first time-- a movie classic for my sister and I.)

Our family also tried camping for the first time this summer. We love it, especially Dad's cooking, the s'mores, and the stars.

We plan to finish off the summer with a couple of birthdays, hopefully one more camping trip, and most important time together!

Home for the Holidays

We spent the holidays with our little family at home in Texas. It is always special to be together. We all love this time of year. Eliza loves the decorations and the anticipation of Santa Claus. Ben and David love the food... cookies, Chex Mix, soda, trifle, ham, orange rolls, cheesy potatoes, etc. We all enjoy sitting by the fire watching Christmas movies. I love the Christmas cards in the mail. And Josh just likes that we are all home and paying attention to him.

It truly is "the most wonderful time of the year!"

Small miracles

Christmas itself is a beautiful miracle. The meaning, the transformation of the individual spirit, and the wide-eyed wonder of little ones. This year we got an added bonus... Snow. Dallas experienced it's first official white Christmas in over 80 years. It started to snow Christmas Eve and lasted all the way through Christmas day. Now that is a miracle... at least a small one that we got to enjoy.

First Haircut

Why is it so hard for a mother to cut those first locks?

Now that I am cutting three heads of boys hair I told Dave he owes me $25.00. Five for each head and a ten dollar tip. I am expecting my money any day!

Joshua's birthday

Cake! Ice cream! and Presents!

Josh had a fun 1st birthday. He was lucky enough to have Grammie here to help celebrate. We sure enjoy our little Josh. He loves to laugh... and eat!

If only...

If only it were this easy to wash the kids, the car, and the house! I might even have time to do MY hair!!

Fall Fun and Festivities part 2

Here are a few pictures of us all at the Texas State Fair and Halloween. To be honest, I am grateful all these "fun fall activities" are over!!! I think I will sleep until Thanksgiving!

(Benjamin and his little friend Ethan were Bateman and Robin. These costumes originated from the early years of David and Matthew Stowell! Eliza was "Fancy Nancy" for her school costume, but chose to wear Belle the night of Halloween. Josh was just himself...cute!)

Our Little Cowboy.

Here is Ben's big event at the Texas State Fair. He won a trophy for "wrestling" that cow down the fastest! He really does make one handsome cowboy...Yeehaw!

Fall Fun and Festivities

Fall is such a fun time of year. We miss the brilliant color changes of thewest but we will take what we can get here in

Texas.This year we have had a lot of rain, but it has still been enjoyable. Eliza hadtwo days off of school recently so we took advantage of them.

One of our favorite

places is the Dallas Arboretum and their traditional Autumn Festival. It is a

pumpkin paradise. The kids

(especially little Josh)

enjoyed climbing all over the masses of pumpkins. Eliza's favorite part was getting her face

painted, and Ben

liked eating McDonald's Happy

Meals on the picnic tables. Mom was just happy to have a day outside with all three kids.

Our next favorite Fall tradition is the Texas State Fair. Dave took the day off so we could all go. We rode the "green line" train to the fair park and spend the day enjoying the sites, tastes, and rides of the fair. Ben

won a little trophy in the "Pee Wee Stampede Rodeo" for cattle roping. (It was really just a barrel of hay with horns on it that he had to tip over). Eliza enjoyed picking out a treasure at one of the booths. Josh loved feeding the animals (goats, lamas, long-horn cattle, you name it!) in the petting zoo. We all ate a yummy corny dog and some Borden's chocolate milk. Unfortunately towards the end it started to rain, and Josh got into a nasty pile of fire ants, but all-in-all it was a good day!