Our dog Abby

There was lots of extra petting, hugs, and love given to our 12.5 year old dog Abby over the last couple weeks. But on Monday October 30th this sweet girl went to doggy heaven. And although we miss her terribly we like to believe she is once again chasing footballs, eating cheese, and reuniting with our other dog Brady

 Abby was so kind to our kids. Over the years she put up with each of them pulling her feet (which she hated!) or laying on her when they were young and didn't know any better. But on the flip side she got to enjoy the daily dropping of food on the floor and the bedtime snuggles as they took turns sleeping with her at night. She loved them and they loved her too!

 Let's give credit where credit is due! When Craig and Kelsey went to Walmart in Stillwater 12.5 years ago and saw baby puppies for sale she somehow convinced him that we needed one! And while Craig was looking at a boy puppy, she picked up Little A (as she calls her) and said "but Craig, look at this one!".....and the rest is history! Thank you Kelsey for bringing Abby into our lives and into our hearts! You picked out such a sweet good dog that has given us years of wonderful memories! 

During the afternoon on Oct 30th, I  knew that it was time for Abby to go to heaven. Coming to that realization was hard and I went back and forth questioning it. I even took this picture of Abby and at that moment she looked so content and perfect. But deep down I knew. We waited until the kids came home from school so they could say good-bye. When they finished and we got in the car to go to the vet, Abby's condition deteriorated so quickly that we were wondering if we would make it in time. But we did and she went to doggy heaven surrounded by the people who were there from the beginning--Craig, Kelsey, and myself. Thinking about the events of that day, we are convinced that Abby was waiting for the kids to come home so they could say good-bye because she knew that was important to them and to us. And after that was done, she knew it would be okay to go.

Abby (and Brady) were our "kids" before kids and will always hold a special place in our hearts! Even though we are busy tending to the needs of our 4 children, the house somehow feels oddly quieter with Abby no longer here. But we are grateful for the many years of funny moments, sweet memories, and love that was shared! Love you Abby!

Happy Halloween

Austin went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood on his own with his cousins and a friend. Mikayla wanted so badly to be old enough to go on her own but had to settle with going a house ahead or across the street from us with her cousin. Brooklyn was the cutest little witch and loved every second of trick-or-treating. And Katelyn quickly caught on to the idea that you get candy when you knock on the door at each house and was all in!

Happy Halloween from the Grim Reaper, a leopard, a little witch, and Minnie Mouse who was too busy jumping on the trampoline to get into character!

Pumpkin Carving

 We got together for our traditional Bastings family pumpkin carving! 

 It's nice that Austin and Mikayla are old enough they can pretty much do it all on their own.

Brooklyn did a couple scoops of pumpkin cuts and that was enough for her. I finished the rest.

 Snake Stromboli--Mummy dogs--Spiderweb Taco Dip--Monster Munch--Pumpkin Oranges--Graveyard Brownies--Halloween Cupcakes--Spooky Pop

It's what's for dinner!!!

Some of our pumpkin masterpieces all lit up.

Fall Break

We had a great time camping with our family over Fall Break.

We picked a spot that was right by the water and it was perfect!

The kids spent a lot of time throwing rocks and catching frogs.

These guys went disc golfing and only made it about half way through because the coarse was too long according to Craig which is something I have never heard him say so it must have been so.

And the rest of us enjoyed time at the park.

Me and Andrea got to take the girl on a horseback trail riding. Mikayla was pretty excited about getting to ride on a real horse. 

Those girls looked so tiny on those big horses. Good thing those horses knew what to do.

Mikayla was pretty much smiles the whole time! 

Now that is not something you see everyday in a campground! But due to some forgotten items, we had a few air mattresses that couldn't be inflated without electricity. And after they were inflated this was the only way they could get them back to our campsite. I'm sure they got quite the looks and the laughs as they were driving down the road.

We enjoyed hot dog roasting for dinner

Followed by s'mores of coarse!

Dirty faces only mean we are having a fun time!

Sparkler fun for everyone

We enjoyed playing games.

One of Brooklyn's favorite games is Old Maid

She gets completely into the game

And laughs hysterically when someone picks the Old Maid.

Cousin Bonding Time

We ended our campout with a hike on Fossil Trail

Such a great time enjoying the outdoors with our family!

9 years old

This girl is a complicated one! Mikayla is fierce. She can be stubborn, and persistent, and wants to be in charge and in control. But that kind of determination will get her far in life. Mikayla is full of ideas--often big ideas that involve creating and end up in a big mess to clean. But that creativity will keep her life fun and entertaining for those around her. Mikayla is giving. She is always writing notes to her family telling us the things she likes about us and how great we are. She will also save any treats she gets from school to give to the pre-K kids that ride home on the bus. That giving heart will fill her life with happiness and love. We love this 9 year old girl of ours!