Merry Christmas!

We hope that you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas!

Miss Richards' Fashion Show

Reese as Emily Griffith

Reese and her teacher, Miss Richards

Earlier this month, Reese's 3rd grade class held a turn of the century fashion show. The students picked a person from Colorado history and dressed as that person. They did research and gave a short presentation as that person. Reese chose Emily Griffith and she and Jeff searched for a costume at a local costume store and a thrift shop.

Our Thanksgiving Hawaii Trip

On the 15th, we migrated from the cold of Colorado to the tropics of Hawaii. We chose to vacation on the Kohala coast of the Big Island in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area. We played the role of tourists very well by taking in the Kona coast (of course we bought coffee), swimming, snorkeling, doing the Volcano Park, more swimming and going to a luau. We had so much fun and the only bad part of the trip was getting on the plane to leave.





Click here for more pictures.

Pumpkin Party

Last week, we attended our friend's 4th Annual Pumpkin Party. Each year, we bring a pumpkin for each kid and carve a myriad of designs and figures. It seems to get easier each year because the kids are old enough to carve their own pumpkins.

Noelle got tired of trying to figure out the stencil and switched to computer games.

Emily and two friends trying not to lose their fingers.

Reese wielding a (plastic) knife.

Emily's Last Cross Country Race

I thought about posting all of Emily's pictures from her meets since the last posting, but then realized that they all looked the same. Instead, here are pictures from the last meet of the season. I really do need to thank my uncle, Scott, for the new camera. There is no way that I could have taken any of these pictures without that camera. With our old camera, the delay was so long that action shots were impossible. Now, we can make flip books with the rapid fire shots that we take. The telephoto lens makes it possible for me to be standing hundreds of yards away and still take a great shot. Thank you!

Noelle

While at Paul and Judy's on Labor Day, we saw three deer out in the field. These are some really cute pictures of Noelle watching them.

Reese's Rocket

For Christmas, Reese received a rocket kit that was put together over Labor Day weekend. She and Jeff decided to shoot if off at Uncle Paul and Aunt Judy's house, since they have more open space. Click on the pictures to enlarge. Here is the rocket before lift-off.

Jeff and Reese at the countdown.

The rocket lifted off so fast, this is the only shot I was able to get.

We couldn't even see the rocket in the sky. Only the plume of smoke.

Reese

Noelle in Dance Class

Noelle has just entered her third year of dance. We have moved to a new studio that is right by our house-Northridge Dance Conservatory. This has already saved so much time and hassle because the other studio was about 25 minutes away, in the middle of rush hour. Noelle is again in a combined tap and ballet class. Right now there are only 2 other girls in class, so there is more individual attention.

Emily has decided that she wants to try ballet, so she is at the same studio with a very dedicated instructor. I'll try to post pictures next week, as there is no class this week due to the holiday.

Reese is undecided if she would like to take up an activity this fall. Her hip has been causing her some discomfort again, so until the orthopaedist looks at it, she wants to refrain from physically strenuous activities.

Emily's First Cross Country Meet of the Season

Emily had a spectacular start to the running season today. She finished 14th among 100 7th and 8th grade girls. Jeff did a great job with the photography and captured many great shots.

Finish time

Poetry in motion

And they're off!

Part of the pack

Just for you, Paul

At Paul's request, here are pictures of the backyard projects from this summer. Please excuse the weeds, as the landscaping is not complete.

Here is the gazebo that makes the patio a little more usable, instead of a roaster.

The furniture inside the gazebo.

The recently completed swingset. This weekend we plan to fill in with more sand and make sure the concrete is not exposed.

Emily's First Day of 7th Grade

Can you believe that Emily started 7th grade yesterday? Here she is in a dress that she shopped for with a friend so that they could have matching outfits on the first day of school. And although you cannot see it, all of the girls went in last week for manicures and pedicures to start off the school year. We had so much fun that it will become a yearly tradition. On Sunday night, we had a "Welcome Back to School" celebratory dinner at PF Chang's and dessert at Maggie Moo's.

Emily already has a busy schedule lined up with cross-country running and dance. Compound that with both of her sister's schedules and I will need to start looking for a personal driver.

First Day of School 2007

Today marks the first day of school for Reese and Noelle. Reese is in Miss Richards' third grade class and Noelle is in Mrs. Cook's kindergarten class at Prairie Hills Elementary. Emily is the lucky duck today, as it was 6th graders only at Timberview Middle School. Her pictures will be up tomorrow.

July Update

Just an update to let you know how the month of July went. Please forgive the backwards chronology. By the time I remember that Blogger puts the pictures in on top of each other, I am already too far in and don't want to start over. But, the story is still the same.

Towards the end of July, we made our yearly pilgrimage to northern Minnesota. We started out by way of Cheyenne for Frontier Days. Lots of cowboys. Then we headed east into hot and humid weather. Blech. We made a stop in St. Paul for dinner with my brother and a trip to the Science Museum. We picked my aunt up at the airport and made the drive to my mom and dad's house to enjoy the mugginess and bugs. Oh, and the Korean food wasn't bad. Grandpa did take the girls fishing, and even Noelle caught some bass. Grandpa did help her cheat and she reeled in some of his, too. Enjoy the pictures below.

Here are the girls helping Mimi pick raspberries. Later, she made jam for us to truck across the country to my aunt and uncle's house and Paul and Judy's.

Here are Emily and Reese with Mimi and her birthday cake. The girls also picked out the flowers. And before you ask, Noelle was napping, that is why she is not in the picture.
Here are the girls at some rest stop in Nebraska. It just seemed like a nice spot to take pictures.
We stayed overnight in the St.Paul area. While there, we went to the Science Museum of Minnesota. Here is Reese extracting DNA.

Noelle at the telescopes. Reese and Emily doing a germ test.
Overlooking the Mississippi River. You would not believe that no more than 10 minutes after taking this picture, there was a horrible rain that dumped sheets of water. The water was blowing sideways and made driving difficult. We were drenched walking the 50 feet from our car to the hotel.

We were camping again in mid-July. Here are only a fraction of the children who usually are part of our camping group. We may soon qualify to use the group campgrounds. This time we were only about 45 minutes away in Woodland Park. However, it didn't look any different than the campgrounds that are 2 hours away, so we may be doing this more often.

Here are the girls in a field of flowers while we were on a hike.

4th of July camping trip

This past 4th of July, we were camping in Breckenridge, CO, where Jeff competed in the Firecracker 50 with some friends.

Emily at Dillon Reservoir

Noelle at the Reservoir

Reese at the Reservoir.

Justine at the Reservoir.

Florida Trip

We just returned from the Mulder-Vlieg-Hoolsema-Hutt Reunion held at the home of Rich and Lynne Mulder. We had a lot of fun and I actually came back with one more kid than I started out with. Jeff's niece, Justine, will be spending the month with us and I will take her home to Minnesota when I go back in July.

Noelle, who is always mugging for the camera.

Reese during the glass-bottom boat tour in Wakulla Springs State Park.

Emily

Gator

Sunning turtles

Girls at the pool on our way to Florida.

The girls in the Florida Caverns.

Grandma and Grandpa Mulder with only some of the great-grandchildren.

On Monday, we went to Panama City Beach. Imagine our surprise when we found out that the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum was just down the street from where we were having lunch! Emily just loves that show and we are already planning on going back to the museum for an "interested parties only" tour so that she can actually read everything.

In the frigid waters of Wakulla Springs.