How Time Flies...

My Birthday Princess at One, I didn't think she could possibly get any cuter...



Then at two (she was holding on to that baby for dear life, so her BFF wouldn't take it from her)


Wow, three (we get the best pictures when she is tired!)


Four, and she seemed so grown-up, but she was a big sister by this point


*gasp* Then she was FIVE, the very anticipated, FIVE. Wasn't she a cute kitty?

Then, as hard as it is to believe, my baby is now SIX. I was wrong about her getting cuter, she definitely has, especially now that she is losing teeth!

Now she's in Kindergarten, at the big school. She also has opinions on her favorite music, clothes, hair... Well stronger opinions anyway (she's not 16, but can act like it), her voice has gotten a lot louder in the last year or so.

She also has friends, my little socialite, and apparently can throw a mean birthday party.


Happy 6th Birthday Kiley Jeanette, you little nut.

Note: Don't Question Mom's Flower Knowledge

I have been attending a "Gardening Symposium" class for the past few days and have learned a thing or two about planing in this here little town. Just a thing, or two, or notebook full.....

So a few weeks ago I posted about some flowers that I was very proud of in my yard that I grew from seed. I named them: Pansy, Morning Glory.... remember this?


My Mom saw the pictures and said, "I saw the pictures of your flowers and they are so pretty!"

I of course said thank you and was stoked that they turned out so well.

She then said, "Um, are you sure the Morning Glory is not a Nasturtium? It kind of looks like a Nasturtium to me....."

Cough, cough "Of course I am Mom! I labeled the pot with Duck Tape 'MORNING GLORY. It's got to be a Morning Glory!'"

I should have known better than to question my mother's flower knowledge. My mother who has been gardening much, much longer than me. I shouldn't, I won't, I can't ever again.

A few weeks ago I said that this was a Morning Glory, when in fact it is a Nasturtium. I learned that today in my Gardening class. I should have just learned that from my Mom.... I stand corrected, thank you Mom.

Something is different....

Something has changed.

Seemingly grown over night....

Our clubhouse changed from a boy to a man.

He's got horns now.

Funny thing is I always thought "he" was a "she".... but clubhouses are funny like that, it's hard to tell gender.

Jon's happy to have the extra testosterone around the house.

Moose!

He told me I couldn't post this on Facebook, but he didn't say anything about posting it on the blog. Something about the moose being too small or something.

He goes, he hunts, he kills and then brings home the beef, um moose. Max and Jon went on a "tide" hunt- meaning they took off when the tide was high and were planning on being that night. He saw a bull at Black Point, shot it and was home within four hours! We are still working on cutting it up and getting it in the freezer. Last night we ground about 50 lbs of burger, tonight we'll do a few more pounds and be done.

Max got a moose the opening day of the season and that moose is processed and in the freezer, we even have the sausage we had made in Anchorage home and packaged!

Yum...

I used Cilantro that I grew in our green house to make some homemade Salsa...it lasted about a day. Can you smell it? Yum!

Clouse Clubhouse

You've just been invited to the sickest club in town....
That's right the Clouse Clubhouse.
Yes, we did paint Oscar and Kami's paws and press them onto the walls of the clubhouse. That's how we roll, deal with it. It is not animal cruelty, they liked it. It's family inclusion at its best.

Eat your heart out Eric Carle

Rainbows, caterpillars, polka dots and lime green paint. Jealous? You better be. All the kids in the neighborhood want one just like it. We might have to patent this sucker.

That rainbow is a Jon Clouse original baby.

It took all summer to get a weekend as perfect as this one (blue skies and 60 degree temps- Friday, Saturday AND Sunday).
I hope you can come and see the clubhouse in person one day. It is truly magnifique, Sis had the red and yellow hair to prove it.
Just check out that artwork!

Morning Glories, Pansies... and more!

That gorgeous flower is a Morning Glory, and I grew it from a little tiny seed. Note to self- try to sow these a little earlier in 2011 (Maybe in February?). It is really hard to wait these beautiful blooms until September!

This little beauty is a Pansy, and I grew it from a teeny tiny seed (have you ever seen a pansy seed? They are seriously minuscule, daunting even...). I was smart this year and sowed all my seeds directly into the pot I was going to put on my deck this summer. My Dad told me that Pansies are "very hard to grow", so I took that as a personal challenge.
These beauties are from my mom. She gave me a "roll" of seeds that I basically laid out in the back of our house, watered and watched grow. Another note to self; get these suckers out and watered early (MAY)! Waiting until September for them to bloom is too long to wait! Since this picture has been taken there are some beautiful blue and pink flowers that have bloomed. I'll have to see if I can snap a few pictures when the sun is shining on them. They sure are pretty.

Early fall beauties

I planted these beauties from seed, and I am so proud, happy, satisfied. Finally after years of trying I got these gorgeous wild flowers to bloom for me, in my yard, where I want them to be! They are so pretty and surround our driveway with pink, blue, white, orange and yellow. I make sure to point them out to anyone who comes into our yard, not boasting just being a little pointed...

Kiley's First Day of Kindergarten

We made it, both of us didn't cry. For one of us it was a little harder than for the other, ahem the taller one in particular. I was thankful Kiley wasn't the child that went limp like a noodle and hid under the tables in the classroom, although that would have made for a good story in a few years. But it would have been nice to have a little emotion that mom was leaving, well I did get about three hugs.

Kiley was so excited she could barely stand it. Excited about her classroom, her friends, her lunch, her clothes, riding the bus... the list just goes on and on.

I asked her what the best part of her day was, and was surprised when she said, "Exercising." Was it naive of me to think it might have been a story or books? Maybe tomorrow....

Holy Potatoes

I've cheated a little this year. I couldn't wait until after the first frost to dig up our potatoes, I've been too curious to see how those suckers are growing down under. I first dug up a few that I just threw in the ground, under my bedroom window.... but when that was disappointing (just one tiny potato per plant) I had to go and see what was in the garden.

Graelin was visiting and he told me, "No I've never picked 'ponanoes' before", so of course Kiley, Grae and Kalin had to help dig up the 'ponanoes' in the garden. The pictures say it all! The last plant the kids dug up held the biggest potato we've ever grown! I was so impressed I had to show my neighbor, and since then I've shown just about everyone who I thought would be even remotely interested in my potato growing skills.

I wish all the potatoes were as big as the big dog, but you know I am just not going to complain. I have bragging rights to at least one monster potato from my garden and pictures to prove it!

We also had to pick some carrots, and although they aren't in any way big I am impressed. We've never even been able to grow any carrots that were big enough to eat, and these were just the right munching size. Yummy!

Yes, you may call me Farmer Clouse.

State Fair 2010

The family at the wedding, we are just missing Jon!

Kiley's favorite ride- the rollercoaster!

Sis was asleep before we left the parking lot!

We had a great time at the state fair this year. Kiley's second trip to the fair, Kalin's too. We made a trip into Anchorage just the girls and I to meet up with my parents and to see the rest of the family. What a whirlwind of a trip!

Swimming, "Old MacDonald's", Chuck E. Cheese, a wedding, a birthday party, the state fair.... and for the first time school clothes shopping! Kiley had to tell Kalin about all the fun things to do in Anchorage over and over again.... she even had a top "five" list of things she had to do. We got to do almost everything, except watch a movie. We'll do that next time. The girls really did well with all the hubbub and hectic schedule, there were of course "moments" but I like to think of the good times more than the bad... no matter how memorable they may be.

To top it all off Pen Air decided to give us an extra present by delaying our trip home for over three hours! Yup, we didn't leave Anchorage until about 8:45 so we didn't get home until after 10:00 p.m. This wouldn't have been a big deal if Kiley didn't have her Kindergarten assessment the next day!