Trick or Treat!

We had fun at Lake Family's Fall Halloween Festival....bonfire, pig roast and trunk or treat! Every year we love carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds with the kids! Brianna and Landon still really enjoy it. We told them they can never get out of this tradition! I hope they always love it!

M i c k e y........M o u s e!!!

We had such a wonderful vacation to Orlando!!!!!! We went to Disneyworld, Epcot and one of the water parks, Typhoon Lagoon. We had so much fun!!! As the kids get older, it is so much fun for Brian and I to watch their personalities form. Even through the chaos of parenting, we have so much fun! I am so happy to have such a wonderful journeying partner! We truly enjoy our kids and this family. Sometimes it isn't easy, but Brian and I are both so good at laughing and recognizing that the challenging times will pass and knowing that we just have to enjoy each and every moment of this journey together! It still makes me laugh that we had 2 different times where someone told us that our family was entertaining to watch....haha! Ya know, you have to ask yourself..."what exactly does that mean"? It makes me giggle because YOU KNOW they were referring to the "energy", the laughter, the CHAOS. I am soooooo thankful that our kids are lively, energetic or I guess you could say wild, outspoken. I call it plain F U N!!!!! I have often wondered why God didn't give us just ONE quiet child but then, I remember that we have to keep life exciting. I want our journey to be active and full of life. Us Knopfs...we love adventure and challenge! We are a team (though we forget this many times) and WE LOVE LIFE!!! As Brianna says, let's be the fruitloop in the bowl of cheerios!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go teammcbabllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Day of School!

Do we really have 2 middle school age children??????? That is crazy how time flies. I remember older, wiser friends and family warning us about how fast time goes with children when we had 2 babies in diapers. They would look at us and say "Enjoy them while they are little because before you know it, they will be grown". That is such a hard concept to believe when you are in the midst of busy parenting, diaper changing, constant chaos, busy schedules. It is still a hard concept to believe in the midst of running kids around, family schedules, wondering who has what when. Brian and I juggling where everyone needs to be -often times splitting up to make sure everything is covered. I remember thinking date nights were hard when they were little still in diapers, but wow...now date nights are even harder. The older they get and the more kids...the more things to coordinate. If only we would have known back then to take advantage of those "slow" times. It takes more coordinating, more juggling, we have to work harder on our relationship. It is even easier to let that fall to the back burner now. We thought it would get easier as the kids got more self sufficient. Oh...the lessons of life:)

The kids are enjoying school. Brianna is still in taekwondo, Landon is playing middle school football. Carli and Mayli are enjoying 1st grade. Carli loves reading and Mayli loves music class!

Grandpa is fun!!!!!!!!!!!

We love Gpa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grandpa Bob, Grandma Charlotte, Lindsey and Maddy came to visit us before school started. We had fun at the pool with them!

Grandma and Grandpa Camp!

Carli and Mayli spent a week in Arkansas at Grandma Marys and Grandpa Lens. Gma and Gpa kept them busy with many activities, such as a petting zoo, alligator farm, tennis lessons, fishing, boat rides, visiting friends and helping out with the dog Toby Joe! They loved it and are ready to go back next summer. Carli already requested that they stay 10 days next time! haha gma and gpa!

The girls had a blast with Grandma and Grandpa!!!

This is what grandma said about their visit.....

Everyone who met the girls comments on how outgoing, loving, intelligent and of course how cute they are. They have been so good. (Of course, I had to throw in grandmas words:)

Our new boat!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Friends, the Ovingtons totally blessed us with this boat. Their family enjoyed it on the lake for years and since thier kids are all older, they passed it on to us!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brian and Landon have had such a fun time getting it to work again---THANKS MIKE MENGES, the boat expert:) Landon has really taken ownership of it. It has been so fun and so inspiring to see his happy face when he tells us about how they made this boat come alive! We have already had such fun going out on it and it's only month 1 of summer. YAY for the Ovingtons and YAY for out new boat! We are definitely hooked on boating now..........uh ohhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

me n the kids with cousin Conner

Congrats to our kindergarten graduates!

All of the other kids just walked in very calmly with their hands at their sides but NOT CARLI!!!!!!!!!!!! She walks in like a celebrity....a grand entrance!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and here comes Miss Mayli..........................