sum it up!

That about sums up the summer. Katie will be starting full time at Qwest next week. She is ready for the challenge but is anxious to get back into the workforce after being a stay at home mom for 3 years. Hopefully I can keep up better so I don't have to spend hours doing catch up posts! Thanks for reading!

1st day of PRESCHOOL!!!

Our little 3 year old started preschool this week. Her first day was tuesday 9/8/2009. She is loving every minute of it! She was so excited to wear her backpack and get there.

All of the kids line up and grab a spot on the rope. They have to walk across the street so this helps them to stay together. This picture below is to prove that she is taller than everyone in her class at present. The kid in the red backpack is a hair shorter than her. She jumped this year from the 78% all the way up the the 98% for her height.....watch out boys!

Here they are crossing the street. Mommy and Daddy are so glad that you are growing up Abigail and are so proud of all that you are learning. We love you so very much and are excited for you to be in preschool.

The Eastern Idaho State Fair

Monday we headed to the fair and met everyone there minus Clayton and Elizabeth & Oliver and Keisha (we missed you!!!!) to watch Mom and Daryl show their skills with the horses. I got a few fun pictures with Abigail and Grandma Ruth in the buggy. Also some fun pictures of the kids on the rides. Thanks to my family for allowing us to join in the fun!

Maybe against my better judgement!

So yeah, I am really brave to post this picture of myself and my fellow runners! I had recently started training for a 10K race and ended up running the 5K for several reason. I am glad to say that I ran the whole race and finished feeling great. I didn't get the best time ever but I finished and that was really all that mattered to me. I am finally into a routine of things where I can happily shed some extra inches! I have lost 10 lbs since I started the training schedule for this race and hope that I can continue in that direction. I am so glad that my sisters and cousin and friend ran this race and can't wait to run another one! L-R is Patty (my cousin who ran the 1/2 marathon) Gretchen (10K) me (5K) Christa (1/2 marathon) and Mohna (10K). Great job Ladies....WE DID IT!!!!!!

Stephen turns 34!

Stephen turned 34 this year. Of course I cheated and bought him a lemon meringue pie, because he really likes them. I have yet to find a cake that he really loves, I am certain I will find one eventually. I don't have any pictures at present to post on his birthday but I thought between Abigail and I we could come up with a few things we LOVE about our Daddy and Husband!

1. He is very kind hearted

2. He has a great sense of humor

3. He is very organized (when he wants to be :)

4. He laughs with us and has tickle wars

5. He tries to hide his crying spells during a sad movie, but we know the tears are welling up!

6. He is a really silly dancer

7. He loves to plan surprises

8. He is a good night time snuggler

9. He tells really great 'off the top of his head' stories

10. He has an amazing singing voice

11. He has a great ear for good music

12. He has a talent for all of the arts

13. He hangs things perfectly straight on the walls

14. He is striving to make things better for his family

15. He loves us for who we are

16. He makes silly faces when he rides my Dads old moped around the neighborhood

17. He has a testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Happy Birthday Mom!

A few of us kids were able to go to the farm and celebrate Mom's birthday this year. This was my second fondant cake and I have to say the first one turned out better. All I can do is practice to get better so I have to keep at it :) We all had a really fun time talking, playing, riding horses and eating cake! LOVE YOU MOM!

Abigail turns 3!

Abigail's birthday was an anticipated event by the 3 members of our family. I have wanted to learn how to better make cakes and decorate them for quite a few years now. It is just something that I think is fun and amazing. I haven't been able to get into a class yet so I got online and checked out a ton of books from the library on cakes and decorating. I started a few days before and tried my hand at fondant. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out considering it being my first cake. Abigail had made a final decision on a ballerina barbie cake so here it is.....

Daddy took her out for a lunch date and when she came home the cake was finished. I love her face in this picture because you can't tell that she likes the cake at all :)

the finshed prize!

Patiently waiting for the party to start.

Abigail loves to dance so Mommy and Daddy got her a new pair of ballet slippers. She also got a scooter, helmut and pads, a play horse, books, a teddy bear, earrings and rings, her first pair of leggings, a school dress, some candy, money and I am sure I am forgetting something! Thanks everyone who contributed and participated in Abigail's birthday this year. She loves you all so very much!

Youth Jam

Then came the youth jam at the river. We went with our friends Kristy, Seth and Rebecca. Abigail got her face painted by her preschool teacher! We also made some really fun masks, painted on huge boards and made sparkly pine cones.

Yahoo for family!

The following weekend we had the THUERNAGLE family reunion at Lava Hot Springs! It was a great time had by all (until some of us started getting sick) It was a pretty warm weekend to be camping in the middle of July. I think we will shoot for June or August next year, is everyone with me on this? On the first night we were there, Abigail picked up a hot coal from the top of the dutch oven and got a pretty good burn with 2 huge blisters. She re-injured that wound ALL weekend by falling and scraping all the skin off on rocks and I will spare you the rest. It was an interesting task for everyone to handle all of the crying that came out of her mouth. It was just horrible to look at! I don't know that I even got a picture of it, I will have to do some searching.

Here is a shot of Madalyn jumping off the highest platform and Caleb went right behind her....way to go you little dare devils!

We celebrated Madalyn and Isabel's birthdays at the reunion also, that cake was delish!

Here are a few of the happy campers standing in front of the Andy Thuernagle tent.

back to reality!

After returning home from Oregon we had much to catch up on. Next came the Stosich Family reunion here in Idaho Falls. Jeanne Marie did an amazing job putting everything together! Here is my Mother Ruth with half of her sibling. L to R we have Davidjohn, Eugene, Tom, Patrese, Myra, Ruth and Kim. All of the siblings were in attendance at some point or another.

Here goes nothing!

It's been months since I updated. I got so far behind it was exhausting to think about catching up the blog. I will have to add as I go but here is the quick version of how our summer has gone. Steve parted ways with his job in June. We then headed to Oregon for a few weeks to spend some much needed time away from home and with Steve's wonderful family. We had such a great time it was hard to come home!!!

Us at the beach

Steve taking some R & R with Maci, Jacob and Abigail

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us come and stay. We had the best time ever!