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Pumpkin Carving

Madigan was so excited once we starting carving our pumpkin. We decided to get one family pumpkin this year and it was fun to share it. At first Madigan didn't want to get her hands in there, but once I did it she also did it.

his age is so much fun because they understand EVERYTHING. We talk about all sorts of things and she seems to really get it. However sometimes she hears one thing and only one thing--example: tonight she thinks we're going trick or treating for candy apples. Ever since we read Clifford's First Halloween, she brings up candy apples just about every day.

Pumpkin Patch

We took a trip to the pumpkin ptch last weekend. Our pumpkin patch is Rocky Creek farm- the same place we did Madi's birthday aprty, get our pumpkins and find our Christmas tree. They're really great to families and do a tractor ride out to the crops, etc. We love it there.

New Easel

Last week Madigan and I were walking downtown and past the thrift store. Outside was this easel. For $3.50 we got this easel with a full roll of paper that rolls from the top, 6 full paint bottles, 2 paintbrushes, a squirrel figurine (was in the bag) and a paint smock! What a deal! I had bought Madigan an easel at a garage sale a long time ago for $1 and it worked fine but it wasn't anything great. This one however- is awesome! I love that paper unrolls from the top!


My kid LOVES to paint, and draw and color, etc. But painting means clean up time as well. No matter how hard I try to supervise her, she ALWAYS ends up with paint in places it shouldn't be. I don't really care since I buy the washable paint, it's just funny that it always happens that way.... And it's funny how happy this single activity makes my kid!

Talking through bananas

Sometimes Mom comes out of the shower or up form downstairs and finds something...well....funny in the simplest way. Dad is very good at doing silly things, especially silly things that Mom would never do. I guess it's good Madigan has 2 worlds that way.

Hi Nana

Madigan is waving to Nana from afar....Hello Nana! Aunt Erika and Uncle Rob took pictures of family members and laminated them for Madigan's birthday present. They all live next to the table so we can say hello often.

Birthday Toothbrush

We got this battery operated toothbrush for Madigan's birthday. I wanted to make sure some of the gunk was coming off her teeth when she's brushing. This child would eat tubes of toothpaste if we let her. Sometimes she takes the "adult" toothpaste and goes and hides while she eats it. Her Dad and I have wised up a little bit, but she still gets it sometimes when we're not paying attention.

Raking up leaves

Madigan and I spent a good bit of time raking up leaves a couple of weeks ago- then the wind came through and we had to do it all over again....which Madigan didn't mind.

Reading about goats

I think our blog readership knows that 1.) Madigan loves to read and 2.) Madigan loves just about any animal, but is particularly fond of farm animals. I got this book at the thrift store and I later found a The Little Rabbit of the same series. It's filled with real pictures of real goats and kids with the goats. Madigan really likes that.

**Plus Madigan needs to read up on raising goats so she can help Pappy with his goats next time we visit.

Winter Swimsuit

That weekend it snowed a few weeks ago, Madigan decided to spend almost an entire day in her swimsuit....at least she let me keep her shirt on underneath.

A girl and her tools

You can't separate a girl from her tools.

Birthday Walk

We go for a walk at the Gallatin Rec Area a few times a week, but this day was special--it was Madigan's birthday and it was also the whole family. We figured we should get out while the weather was still so beautiful.

We started a new family tradition this year. (Bear with us we're new to this family thing and have no family near by so our traditions have been pretty um, non-existent.) Kyle and I both wrote Madigan a birthday letter. Each year we'll write her a little letter and keep them in a box for her to read when sh'es older. As soon as I read about this, I knew it was something I would love to do- my love of preserving with pictures and video and sometimes a journal entry.

First Day as a 2 Year Old

I took these pictures before we left for school on Tuesday, Madigan's official 2nd birthday. She woke up and found the gift Joe and Wiss had left her the night before right away. So she opened that and the new monkey did not leave her side all morning. When it was time to get dressed we put on the new dress and leggings from Nana and Pappy (my kid is wear leggings everyday from now on- so cute!!). And then, well then came the yellow boots. We just found those at the thrift store on Monday. Madi's friends Max and Oliver have rubber boots (there's are not bright yellow), so when we found then for $3 and they are the next size up, we just had to get them. And Madigan has worn them every chance she's gotten since Monday.

Biscuits in the oven, gonna watch em rise

We have had the most amazing Fall- 70 and 80 degree weather, but a little Montana nip in the air at night. This week that was all left behind for the start of a Montana winter....our first snow storm! We woke up to a little snow today and we're supposed to get snow today, Saturday and Sunday-up to 30 inches in the mountains, around 6 down here. So, in preparation I made a small list of things we can do this weekend, here's a few;
*go to the library (duh, but always fun and one of Madi's favorite places)
*make a ghost paper garland (like this one)
*make Tortilla Soup (a favorite we haven't made in a while)
*make biscuits and pumpkin apple butter
*finish knitting that year long scarf (only 10 more rows to go!)
*read lots of books!
*Quarterly reports for Pinnacle roofing
*Reconcile 8 months worth of credit cards for Pinnacle Roofing
*Go swimming!
*Plenty of coloring and barnyard building


So in prepartion for a day at home on Friday together (Kyle has off to due to weather), I made this Pumpkin Apple Butter recipe below last night. Then this morning, Madigan and I woke up and made buttermilk biscuits to go with it....delicious. The recipe is ridiculously easy and I think I'll make it for all of our neighbors this Christmas.

Pumpkin Apple Butter

1 150z. can 100% pumpkin
1 medium apple, peeled and grated
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients in medium heavy duty saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours.
Serve with buttermilk biscuits, breads, corn muffins, or hot cereal. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Here's my little helper cutting out the biscuits. She also helped with all of the other biscuit making parts.

And here she is after our first round of biscuits and butter...hmmmm.

P.S. The title of this post is a Raffi song about biscuits in the oven- all you parents out there know it!

Knitting So Early?

Believe it or not, I've been working on the same scarf for over a year! I had taken that thing EVERYWHERE with me! I'm almost done now and have been itching to make a new alpaca scarf. So, after a day of drilling holes and an afternoon baby shower to attend, I came home and informed Kyle that I wanted a few minutes to start my new scarf...He obliged after having 3 hours to himself (3 hours seems like an eternity when you don't have the kid to watch!). So I got started and soon after Madigan wanted to also be part of my knitting. She kept saying "I watch", and she did.

The Beginnings of a Fence!

We got started on the fence building this past weekend. Sunday we rented a 2 person auger. Lucky for me, my brother,Matt, was able to take the place of that second person needed. To my amazement it took under 2 hours to get all of the holes drilled. The earth here was so soft and came up so "easily" (easy for me to say!). When we built our fence in Belgrade it was 100% rock and so difficult and so much work! Madigan happily tinkered around the yard for about 4 hours before heading in for lunch. She has always loved tools and as long as we let her help, she's content. She's sporty her new hat from the Schultz Gerlach family--thanks guys! She LOVES it!

Wooden Green Tea Sets Are So Fun

Nana and Pappy sent Madigan a wooden green tea set. It's ridiculously cute and it must be very tasty, because I had tea no less than 20 times yesterday with Madigan!

Birthday Party @ Rocky Creek Farm

We tried to prepare her for her birthday party by singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing candles out over our eggs in the morning. We talked about the Farm we were going to and that we'd go for a tractor ride and see pumpkins and have birthday cupcakes....for days we talked about this...And then the day came, she was so excited all morning, singing "Happy Birthday" to her babies, talking about the tractor and her cupcakes.... But then we got there and it was too much for her..she fell silent. In retrospect I think she had a fun time and she smiles when we talk about it. We tried to keep it very simple-pizza and cupcakes, no gift bringing was requested. We hung out by the tipi and picked raspberries and apples....and the weather actually held out for us!!! It was a very nice birthday celebration. Happy 2nd Birthday Madigan!



Tractor ride to the orchard and raspberries bushes:




Opening presents in the tipi-Madigan had no idea about ripping into the presents... She gently opened each one very slowly:
Birthday cake and singing. It was too windy so she didn't get candles:
Picking apples with Dad and friends: