The Falk Family Blog

FRIDAY
AUG
27
10:27 pm
7
comments

Back to School

Where did the summer go?

Here the boys are standing in front of their school on the evening of open house.
First day excitement!  (We just finished day 3 of school as I blog this…the excitement was short lived.)
Getting ready to walk to the bus stop…
At the bus stop the boys met up with Stevie.  Lincoln couldn’t wait to see the big bus!  He brought his toy bus along.
Daddy worked from home and was able to come along and see the boys off on their first day.
There they go! (snif, snif)
FRIDAY
AUG
20
2:33 pm
2
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Diving Board Fun

The boys swimming skills have come a long way this summer.  Ethan passed the long swimming test at the YMCA on his very first try and now has permission to use the diving boards and swim in the deep water.  Isaac came close to passing, but got tired and couldn’t make it to the end.  Luckily, the pool in Dan and Kari’s neighborhood does not require you to pass a test in order the use the diving board!  This was Isaac’s first jump off a diving board.

They had so much fun doing this over and over and over again…
SUNDAY
AUG
15
2:21 pm
5
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Fun at the Lake

I decided it would be a good thing for the boys to play at the lake for an afternoon. After convincing Warren that it was a good idea, I packed everything up and we headed out.  Not knowing what to expect since we had never been to this beach, we learned that the bottom of the beach is very rocky and painful to walk on, an overcast sky and a poor application of sun screen will not protect Warren’s delicate skin from harmful rays, and the boys do not know how to eat snacks without eating sand at the same time.  We played for nearly two hours and then the sky opened up and a big storm came in.  Everything got soaked before we had a chance to get to the car.  Oh well, Warren was happy we had an excuse to leave. :)

SUNDAY
AUG
15
1:50 pm
1
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Children’s Museum

My friend and I took the kids to the museum.  Ethan chose to play at a friends house instead of coming along.  He says the museum is baby-ish. Seriously? You’re eight, kid!
I love this picture of Isaac and Lincoln playing the piano with the city skyline in front of them.
FRIDAY
JUL
30
4:12 pm
4
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Random Summer Snapshots

I love this picture!
Toy Story 3 in 3D
Ethan and his friend decided to be “twins” for the day.
Nice and clean after a bath. I think he looks just like his daddy in this picture.
Love date nights!
FRIDAY
JUL
30
3:56 pm
1
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Dog-Sitting

We took care of Bella for a week while our friends were on vacation. Isn’t she cute?
Mickey just seemed annoyed and batted at Bella a few times to let her know this was his territory. :)
The kids had a good time trying to get her into a playful mood. They mostly loved to be chased by her. Surprisingly enough, after Bella left not one of the boys asks for a dog.  (Phew!)
SUNDAY
JUL
25
9:44 am
2
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Anderson Family Reunion 2010

The reunion was held in Pigeon Forge, TN again this year. I believe there were nearly 70 of us in attendance!

It was sweet listening to Warren’s Grandfather (90+ years old) tell the story of how he came to love Warren’s grandmother (she passed away about 10 years ago).  Something about his old, sweet voice made it special.

Mom and her six siblings singing Grandma Anderson’s favorite song.
Some of the crew enjoying ice-cream. There were about 20 children at the reunion! Always a cousin to play with. Our boys had so much fun and were quite sad the night before we left, knowing we had to leave in the morning. The cute little blond girl is Annika, she and Lincoln hit it off quite well.
I have so many pictures of our family on these porch swings from reunions past.
Ethan and Madelyn.
Future boy band? I doubt it!
A sweet moment between Misha and Jude.
Anderson and Lincoln were SO cute together! I could just eat them both up!
They played a game where they pretended to be asleep. :)
Bug hunting! This is what entertained the kids for the majority of the weekend!
Isaac and Jayce were good buddies. I had to remind Isaac hundreds of times that his name is not “Jason” it’s just “Jayce!” :)
SATURDAY
JUL
10
3:58 pm
4
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A Budding Artist?

Isaac enjoys drawing and here is some of his latest work.  He gets his artistic ability from his Daddy. Those two shall not be allowed on the same pictionary team on family game nights!

This was waiting for me one night when I walked into my room for bed.
MONDAY
JUL
5
9:30 pm
2
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July 4th Cook-out

Our cul-de-sac got together for our annual July 4th cook-out.

How many kids can we fit into a baby pool? More than you would think!
Sweet brothers.
Always lots of yummy food at our cookouts!
Ethan enjoyed playing basketball.
Isaac walked around and took several pictures (not sure where he gets that from)!
Halle and Lincoln didn’t care much for the noise of the firecrackers the neighbors were setting off.
Glow sticks for all the kids! It made keeping an eye on them much easier once the sun went down.
The kids played in our backyard while they waited for the 10:00 fireworks. We love having an amusement park out back so we can sit in the comfort of our own yard and watch a wonderful display of fireworks.
Dan, Kari, and the boys came for fireworks. Alex seemed afraid of the noise.
But, was much happier when Dan plugged his ears! :)
WEDNESDAY
JUN
30
9:29 pm
1
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2 1/2 Years Old

Lincoln’s birthday is just a few days after Christmas, which I feel badly about. Because of this, I thought it would be fun to have a mini celebration for his half birthday. Ethan and Isaac were excited to help me pick out a toy and helped distract Lincoln as I put it into the cart and paid for it. This was a very last minute, spur of the moment celebration so I was not prepared with a gift or treats. I called Kari and told her we were going to the park at lunch-time and she was able to join us with her boys.

I found caterpillar donuts at the store and put 2  1/2 candles in Lincoln’s.
Five Falk boys!
He loved his new gun! And as you can tell, so did Ethan!
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Lincoln at age 2  1/2:

I can honestly say that Lincoln is such a joy and hasn’t shown any signs of the “terrible two’s.” He almost never throws a fit and when he does it lasts all of a few seconds. He’s sweet, tender-hearted and very easy going.

He says so many cute things every day.  He won’t fall asleep until he asks us to “Tell the boys to be quiet and no noisy.” After he burps he says “excumse.” His favorite phrase seems to be “yeah because…”  He pronounces the “th” or “f” sound as an “S” sound. So, Ethan is “Esan.”
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We are working on potty training. He is doing great with pooping on the potty (maybe because he gets 3 jelly beans when he is finished). It will be nice to have him out of diapers.
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Lincoln thinks Mommy’s kisses are magical. He comes running to me with each new “owie” and it’s immediately cured with my simple kiss.
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His favorite foods are oatmeal and macaroni and cheese. He takes about a 2 hour nap each day and always needs a 10 minute cuddle after he wakes up. His favorite TV show is Caillou. He loves to play outside and drive his car, ride his bike, play in the water, or drive the neighbors 4-wheeler. Lincoln is content to play on his own and will entertain himself for long periods of time with just a couple of matchbox cars.
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He loves his big brothers and tries so hard to be like them.  They are great with him and genuinely care about his happiness. Isaac will often spend the whole time in the YMCA child-watch on the baby side to keep Lincoln from being sad while I workout.
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I love watching my two-year-old run around outside in his t-shirt, shorts, and cowboy boots as he looks for bugs with the bigger kids.  He is too cute for words and we are so blessed to have this special little boy in our family!
TUESDAY
JUN
29
10:30 pm
1
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North Carolina (Swimming with Aunt Lisa)

Visiting my sister and her brand new husband in North Carolina was tons of fun! Their neighborhood pool was calling our name as soon as we reached Lisa’s house. Swimming was a great way to release some bottled-up energy after nearly 8 hours on the road.

They LOVED this pool!
TUESDAY
JUN
29
10:30 pm
2
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North Carolina (Cookout @ the Bevan’s home)

Charlie grilled delicious burgers and hot-dogs for us.
My sister and I standing at her front door.
My handsome husband.  :-)
Aunt Lisa bought the boys sidewalk chalk and bubbles to keep them entertained.
Debbie and Dad
Back at our hotel after a long, long, day.
TUESDAY
JUN
29
10:29 pm
2
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North Carolina (Lazy 5 Ranch)

While driving around the 3 1/2 mile trail at Lazy 5 we experienced domestic and exotic animals including giraffes, buffalo, zebras, cattle, sheep, and many others. We opened the hatch to the van and folded the back seat down. It was perfect! We bought a couple containers of food for the hungry animals. Some even tried to join us in the van (after all, that’s where the food was!)

The Emu were among the first animals we encountered. They were certainly not intimidated by us. They frightened us by getting a little too close and sticking their long necks into the van. We laughed and laughed as we inched our way towards the front of the van.
Aunt Lisa and Ethan still waiting for the emu to leave us alone. :)
We saw some beautiful animals.
And some pretty ugly ones too.
We always love giraffes.
Their antlers were so velvety soft.
WARNING: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear
Bad hair day? Don’t worry, we all have days like that.
MONDAY
JUN
28
10:29 pm
1
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North Carolina (Wedding Reception)

Lisa and Charlie’s wedding reception was the main reason for our NC trip.  It was great visiting and catching up with so many family members.  Our boys got to meet “Uncle Charlie” and they all approve! ;-)

This was a special time for my grandma. She’ll be turning 80 next month and she had all her children together. It doesn’t happen often so we took lots of pictures!
Uncle Gary, Mom, Grandma Carlson, Aunt Jule, and Uncle Randy
WEDNESDAY
JUN
23
3:36 pm
1
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Pool Fun With Cousins

Nathan and Elise spent an evening in town and we enjoyed a cookout at Dan and Kari’s followed by swimming at their neighborhood pool.

Lincoln, Owen, Simon and Ethan
Owen, Alex, Isaac, Lincoln
Sweet Harrison & Elise
WEDNESDAY
JUN
23
3:30 pm
1
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Enjoying Midway State Park (NY part 1)

We are back from our annual summer trip to Western NY.  On this particular weekend there was a wedding for a close family friend of Warren’s family. We were able to see my family and also Warren’s family.  A highlight for me was driving around the old places we spent our childhood and showing them to our boys.

Lincoln, Ethan, Isaac, Jenna, Jedd, Megan, and Gracie – They are getting so big!
I was so happy to spend a day at Midway. This small amusement park hasn’t changed too much from when I was little.
Isaac was a little worried he wouldn’t like this roller coaster. He was right. :)
Grandma
Tilt-a-whirl
Lincoln LOVED this car! Good thing too, he was crushed after waiting in line with Daddy for several minutes to ride the bumper cars only to find out he was too little for them. This boy loves cars more than anything.
TUESDAY
JUN
22
3:29 pm
2
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Chautauqua Lake/Mohls’ House (NY part 2)

It’s always nice to stop in and visit with Pastor and Mrs. Mohl. We were planning to go out on the Lake in the boat, but NY weather changed our plans. Instead, Pastor Mohl and Warren took Ethan and Isaac fishing while Mrs. Mohl, Lincoln, and I stayed nice and warm in the house.

Isaac’s catch!
Mrs. Mohl made a taco spread and we all enjoyed it!
MONDAY
JUN
21
3:29 pm
2
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Fun in New York (NY part 3)

The hotel pool was used often by our family!  We learned it was a great way to tire the boys out and get them to fall asleep within minutes of turning the lights out.
Ethan mostly hung out in the 5 ft. area of the pool because it was the deepest end.
Who would have guessed that silicone rubber bands formed into shapes would be such a HUGE hit!?
The kids spent lots of time trading and comparing silly bandz after Grandma surprised them each with a new package.
Our NY trip would not be complete without a few trips to the Ice Cream Shack! I think I had four cones of White Lightening. It’s the BEST ever. I’m not normally a big ice-cream fan, but I can’t resist White Lightening. It’s probably a good thing we don’t have Perry’s ice-cream around our house!
Ethan really enjoyed the “Piece of Cake” flavor, Isaac was a “White Lightening” fan, and Lincoln just ate whatever was placed in front of him. :)
On Father’s Day before making the long trip back home we enjoyed a large breakfast with friends and family.
Ethan loved holding his smallest cousin, Claire. He was so good with her!
Our boys with cousin, Simon and Ronald & friends.
Somewhere along the way home we stopped for lunch at McDonald’s, where else!? Nathan and Elise left NY at the same time we did and they were near us on the interstate at lunch time. It was nice to stop, eat, and enjoy their company.
THURSDAY
JUN
10
9:35 pm
8
comments

Fun at the Zoo

My friend Amber and I took the kids to the zoo on a beautiful summer day.

Lincoln, Isaac, Ethan, Emma, and Anna
Feeding the giraffe, a highlight for sure!
Petting some kind of lizard/snake thing.
Emma and Ethan are growing up so fast. Seems like yesterday they were laying in a hammock together as tiny babies for a photo shoot.
Riding the train around the zoo. Lincoln was so very excited and loved this part.
The polar bear was so entertaining and the kids had a great view!
Feeding the birds was another highlight. They were so colorful and friendly.
Isaac chose this animal to ride because it matched his shirt. (Is he my kid or what?) Actually, come to think of it Ethan rode the elephant for the same reason.
My favorite :) There were several Mama’s with their babies.
This monkey was just hanging out (literally) with about 10 feet of nothing below him. Lincoln studied him for a moment and in a very concerned voice said, “Uh-oh Mommy! He meeds help!”
Instead of ice-cream they all chose a blue icy. What a fun, long, day at the zoo!
SATURDAY
JUN
5
8:56 am
3
comments

A Sweet Taste of Summer

Our Cul-de-sac enjoyed a cookout over Memorial Day Weekend. One mom made chocolate chip ice-cream sandwiches and they were a big hit with the kids and adults! The kids sat here all in a row without anyone telling them to. I had Warren run home and get the camera (I had a sore back) and I’m so glad I got this picture! I printed a copy for Ethan and Isaac and they have it hanging on their bulletin board.

This is the crew minus 4 babies and one on the way! We’ll have 10 boys and 4 girls. They always have a blast together!

On this particular night the kids stayed in their bathing suits and went from the little pool, to sprinklers, to water balloons. They caught lightening bugs in the dark while wearing glow- in -the- dark bracelets and watched the fireworks in the backyard. We all ate too much and had a great time!  I know I say it a lot, but our cul-de-sac is the best!
THURSDAY
JUN
3
8:42 pm
6
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Puddle Jumpers

After a good rain the sidewalk near our house collects a HUGE puddle!  The boys were a bit confused when I told them to put their swimming trunks on during the downpour! They had SO much fun.

I think Lincoln held this smile for the whole hour they played!
WEDNESDAY
JUN
2
4:42 pm
4
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Isaac’s Kindergarten Graduation

We’re so proud of Isaac! He had a great Kindergarten year. He got straight A’s all year in everything except handwriting. His teacher is quite picky about perfect letter formation. Isaac was thrilled when he earned a piece of candy for getting his writing paper on the chalkboard during the last week of school. He seems to have grown up so much this year! It’s hard to accept the fact that Little Isaac will he be a first grader in the Fall.
Singing for the parents during the graduation ceremony.
He was the narrator for his class skit. He did such a great job! He wasn’t too nervous, spoke clearly into the microphone, and knew when to come in and when to pause.
Walking down the aisle after hugging his teacher – going to get his “diploma.”
Isaac and his good friend, Ben.
Isaac’s teacher, Mrs. Harmon.
Gifts from Mommy and Daddy.   He named his bear “Graduate Bear.” Isn’t he clever? ;)
At home all tired out from his big night!
WEDNESDAY
JUN
2
4:18 pm
4
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Nephew Alex’s Birthday

This picture is FULL of personality – I love it!
Alex loves Buzz and Woody so his birthday theme was Toy Story. (I think Lincoln is shooting Buzz, not Alex :)  )
Here’s the culprit responsible for the Vault shortage. (Sorry Dan!)
Happy 2nd Birthday, Alex! Glad we could celebrate with you!
SATURDAY
MAY
22
3:03 pm
5
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I love a good bargain!

I found this water/sand table at a garage sale for $10.00! The boys LOVE it!

Lincoln played with it for almost 3 solid hours!
It was fun listening and watching the boys play…they’re quite imaginative!
While they were busy Warren and I mulched our landscaping. It feels so nice to have accomplished that.
Can’t beat a beautiful Saturday morning outside listening to happy children, birds singing, and getting work done all at the same time!
SATURDAY
MAY
22
2:53 pm
3
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Bike-A-Thon

The boys participated in their school bike-a-thon. Here is a picture of Ethan trying to look happy about it.

This expression better matches his attitude. It was a bit chilly and rainy and he isn’t crazy about bike rides to begin with.
Isaac on the other hand rather enjoyed himself! The kindergarten class rode in the gym due to the wet weather.
TUESDAY
MAY
18
3:08 pm
3
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Me and my boys

I’m so blessed to me the Mommy of these three handsome boys.