Football at Thanksgiving

Grammie has an old football helmet at her house from when the boys were growing up. Asher and Giya love to put it on and play football. Although, Giya likes to wear it backwards and there aren't any pics that show how often they make mom and dad put it on.....

Jam Session - Love Session

This began as any normal kid jam session with guitars, records, and shakers and ended up an adorable love session (see they do get along sometimes!)

Our Family Picture

These really don't need much comment, except that they are all take one of the Fairbairn family Christmas picture. You'll get your Christmas card that has the better one that happened in take two.....we tried everything to get them "in the mood" and to no avail. But they are way tooo entertaining to pass up not showing off our misery.

The "Shocker"

For those of you who don't live in Kansas - the Wichita State University mascot is the Wooo Shock or the "Shocker". If you are still confused, then that is where I was for the better part of the first 5 years living here. He is supposed to be a "shock" of wheat. Clear as mud, right? Anyway, we've taken the kids to a few of the women's volleyball games this year. Asher is still a little sports confused, as you can see from the photo - he just had to wear his "number" shirt to the game which is a KU basketball jersey. Oh, well....so much to learn about Kansas University sports rivalries.

The Birdhouse

For Giya's birthday (as a distraction) Asher painted and made a birdhouse for our backyard. We also took some pinecones, slathered them with peanut butter and birdseed and hung them from one of our trees. We then spent the next two days watching three mad bandit squirrels chew down the string to haul off the pinecones. Believe me, the dinner conversation for weeks after this event always included the bandit squirrels.

Giya is 2 Years Old

It has really gone by so fast, I can't believe my youngest little baby is two. She is soooo grown up and has been talking for so long, she seems even older (and potty trained herself). She is now in a big girl bed and loves picking out her own clothes to wear. When we put on a dress or a bow in her hair or something, she can't wait to run out and show her brother. Today we were out running errands and going to the gym to play while Asher was in preschool. She sighed really big from the backseat and said "I'm so sad mommy, I miss bubba." Her other favorite phrase is "great idea, let's do that."

Making Cookies

I had both Asher and Giya help me make cookies for her birthday party. We were going to make sugar cookies, roll them out and make shapes and put icing on them. Sounds simple, right? Well, apparently when making the cookies with 2 small children you have to concentrate really hard to follow the recipe. These cookies turned into giant flat blobs on the cookie sheet....so I guess I need more practice, right? It will only make it seem worse when I tell you that Lance AND his mom were home to help and we still didn't get it right.

Halloween

We didn't really do anything on Halloween, but dressed up in our costumes periodically throughout the month - then they threw a fit this day to let me take pictures and had them on only 2 1/2 minutes.

Pumpkin Patch

Seriously, in the second picture, I'm not pinching either one of them in the leg....but they clearly didn't see the importance of getting a picture taken with me in a field near some pumpkins. Asher got to go on a school field trip to a really cool pumpkin patch with a slide, giant barn full of corn to play in, etc. This trip we took a few days later with dad and was a little more anticlimatic. I also learned that walking through a field of corn still isn't fun and that pigs are incredibly stinky (we watched a pig race).

New House

We are finally moved, unpacked and getting settled. Except for both kids regressing for about 2 weeks in forgetting how to go to the bathroom, we made it unscathed. They now love their new house, and ask on the way home all the time in the car to make sure we are going to the new house and not the old one. Asher is very happy all his things made it here including some he forgot about and some new stuff. There is a "circle" for them to play chase on the main level and right now the entire basement is dedicated to toys and play. The backyard is huge and they have a great time in it. Their other favorite thing to do is race down the slope of our driveway on their tricycles into the cul-de-sac. We are so blessed to be here and thank God everyday for making this happen.

Big Trucks and Machines

We went to a free "Touch a Truck" event for kids last week and every big piece of machinery you could imagine was there to climb in and honk the horns. The kids loved it.

Moving

Asher was really worried for weeks that mommy was going to forget to pack his toys, so a few days before the move he loaded up all these toys onto his wagon to take to the new house.

Asher's Class Trip to Zoo

Here is Asher (seen on the head of the Komodo Dragon statue) with his first class trip to the zoo.

Trips to the Zoo

The kids with Nonnie and Papa and their cousins Sean and Amanda at the zoo

The New Park

The city put in a new playground built especially for handicapped children at one of our favorite parks. Asher and Giya love these big "double" swings and the twirly things.

Pirates of the Kansas Plains

Playing pirate at the Children's Museum here in Wichita. They love using the term "ahoy", "skalleywag" and constantly say "arghhhhhh" and ask for eye patches while playing pirate. The top photo is Asher playing dress up and making himself a pirate with the little resources he has - use your imagination, he does!

The Airshow

In August, the Air Capital of the World has one of its many airshows. This one has these read metal kid-cycle-airplanes for the kids to ride in. As we were walking out on the "tarmac" to pick their planes, Giya was shouting "pink, pink"....how did she get so "girly".

The Trombone

My dad is soooooo proud of this. Asher had been asking to play the trombone for months and couldn't wait until we got to Papa's house and could try it there. My dad played for years/decades in jazz bands, etc. Asher played until his lips were "tingly".

In Atlanta - Before New Neice Arrived

We got to stop off in Atlanta on the giant roadtrip back and see Jill pregnant - a mere 4 days before little Evelyn came into the world.

Kids playing in Missouri

Nan, Lilly and Loren Deprow - Janice with Asher and Giya
Nan holding Giya - who is "dressed" like a duck, can you see the hat and tail?

Asher and Riley Elder drawing

Giya and Loren Deprow hugging

Riley and Aaron riding on the tricycle