Rock Climbing

Last weekend we went rock climbing at Climb Iowa with the nursery staff from church.  This blog is mainly to document that we did it so someday our kids won't think we're so old!

This is Jeremy in the blue shirt.

Me up at the top

 Maddox got so her feet were about 6 feet off the ground then decided to come down each time.  She's not quite brave enough but much braver than last summer!  Next year I bet she'll be all the way up!

 And poor Hadlee was too young to do it but Daddy helped her climb the little walls so she wasn't so upset.  She was VERY mad that she couldn't do it.  She'll probably be all the way up next year too knowing her.  You have to be 4 so next fall if we go back with the nursery she can do it then.

Sisters

Piper is 6 months old!  Jan 1

 Piper's first bath sitting up and with her big sisters.  She cried for quite a while until she got used to it, then just looked worried.

 How Maddox and Hadlee keep warm after a bath.

 Apparently something was really funny!

 All that laughing must have warn her out.  Piper fell asleep sitting up with my hand just holding her head up so she wouldn't fall over.

 The girls got to sleep in sleeping bags left out from the night before when Emily was here.  When I went up to check on them at my bedtime they were found in the same one!  I found out the next day that Hadlee said she was scared and crawled in with Maddox.  Now about once or twice a week we'll find Hadlee up in Maddox's bunk with her.

New Year's Eve

We spent New Year's eve at church where we got to jump in bounce houses, make crafts, do cake walks, dance, and go on a long church wide scavenger hunt.  We hung out with Julie and Trevor Hiley and their kids Ian and Cooper most of the night.  They're in our small group so our kids are friends.

 Where do we go next on the scavenger hunt?

 Dancing time!  The countdown was at 11 so we got to go to bed a little earlier!

Christmas

Hadlee had her Christmas performance at pre-school.  Her favorite part was the cookies afterwards.

 All of Daddy's girls cuddled up around him.  Well, I guess he is missing 2 cats and myself.  Almost all.

 Christmas morning

 The coveted Santa gifts!

 The last thing was notes from our elf Opal leading the girls with little poems from one place to another.  From the tree to a new suitcase, to Piper's changing table and a gift, to a gift on Grammy and Papa's bed in the basement, to their bathtub, and back to the Disney princess castle in the basement where there was one final gift of a Disney autograph book and a Magic Kingdom map and all the princesses having a tea party and pointing to a toy plan tied up in the sky.  Yes, they're going to Disneyworld!  And Florida to Grammy and Papa's pool and the beach!  See the excitement???  Okay, well maybe not so much then, but they're getting very excited now that it's closer.  Maddox is always saying "I wish we could go to Disney wold (she can't say her R) right now."  And she's marking that and her birthday party down daily on a calendar.

Thanksgiving weekend

Mom and Dad came up for Thanksgiving this year and Aaron's Turkey Trot.  Money wise it was a good turnout, people wise there were less attendees than last year because it was SO cold!!  On Friday we went to the Festival of trees where Hadlee was the only one willing to sit on Santa's lap.

 On Saturday Nov. 30, 2013 all three girls got baptized at Lutheran Church of Hope.  We had previously had Maddox and Hadlee dedicated at our other churches in the gown but not baptized.  We kind of thought if this church was going to baptize Piper we should probably do all three at once.  The Hattens and James and Angie and the kids came up.  Suzy and Mike are our kids' sponsors.

 The fully baptized family!

 The Schultz clan.

 The Garrison clan.

 Cute Piper showing off her great grandfather's baptism gown that's nearing 100 years old and has been worn by something like 15 babies.  We've counted and figured this out for sure but I can't remember right now.  I'm sure Mom will tell me and I'll correct it later.

Randomness

Hadlee on November 5, 2013

 Hadlee entertaining her baby sister

Piper's early days of holding her chest up during tummy time, Nov. 13

And who can pass up a couple cute little naked baby pictures!  Gotta remember that cute bottom, it's probably my last one!

Piper's first baby food, Nov. 18.  It was organic rice cereal which she still doesn't like.  She'll only eat banana, apple flavored oatmeal when it comes to cereals.  And I haven't found a vegetable she'll eat yet, only fruits.

Halloween 2012

We got lots of trick-or-treating in this year!  A couple of church events that Jeremy took the girls to, Beggar's night in West Des Moines, and a postponed Beggar's night in Waukee!

Corn Maze

On October 20th we, with Katherine and Emily, went to a corn maze, did a little jumping, played around in some corn, and had some fun!

A couple Piper cuties

From October 16, 2013

Aaron's Tree

On September 18, 2013, when Aaron Lowe would have been one year old, we remembered him by putting a donated tree in our yard.  The tree was obviously supposed to go to the Lowes but they generously let us have it here.  In the fall it became the most beautiful tree in our yard, gorgeous colors.  I love looking out my back door and having this tree that will be around for years and years, that my children will grow up under, helping us to always remember Aaron.  I won't forget him, but I don't want the girls to either and they know that this is "Aaron's Tree" and call it that.