CHILI TIME!

(click to enlarge/drool)

Hey all...Mark here. It's almost Halloween and it's definitely chili time. Started the season off right with one of the best batches of chili I've made yet. And I bet it will taste even better today when I rip through another bowl. Yes those are Fritos folks. Doesn't get much better than this...mmmm...

Lazy Sunday Morning

Iris and daddy are taking it easy this beautiful Sunday morning. While mommy and Nora are still in Texas, we continue to keep each other company. Here is Iris playing in her Jumperoo while listening to some jazz with daddy. We can't wait to have the rest of the family back home.

Separate Ways

The girls are now apart for pretty much the first time ever. Mom and Nora have gone to Texas for an extended weekend. It is cousin James's second birthday. While those two are away, Iris and I decided to make a stop at the Lenexa Chili cook off to see our friend Todd. Would you believe it, his station was set up very close to the Dacks. Iris got to play with Emily, Laurie, Alex, and Kyle. She loved her hat.

Nora Triptych

These are literally her attempts at smiling...

Teething Biscuit

Iris loses it while having an afternoon snack:

Some Random Photos

Nora's dresser is here now. It's just like Iris's.

Couldn't even make it to daycare. Out like a light.

The girls love their new highchair. The bumbo seat feedings only lasted a couple weeks.

Iris and Daddy.

The old bumbo seat process - this is long gone now. We've graduated to the high chair.

"Nobody puts baby in the corner."

Green Lipstick

Nora

Iris

Our little baby girls have moved on from squash and sweet potatoes. Now they fancy themselves a little bananas and green peas. Mommy did it right because the peas are very very green, which means three things: healthy, strange baby poo, and funny pictures. See for yourself. All I could think of was the line from Ghostbusters that says "I've been slimed!"

SQUASH!!!

And so begins the love affair with food. This weekend Iris and Nora got to eat some squash. If you don't know why this is such a monumental event, it's because it's the first time either have eaten food off a spoon.

It's apparent that Iris is fine with the lovely vegetable, but Nora is not quite sold yet. That's okay, though, because we have some sweet potatoes that we roasted for them as well. Who knows what all we'll be making them in the future, but if it's this fun we can't wait.

A Couple of Cuties

Here are a couple recent pictures of the girls that we like a lot...

Nora is really starting to fill out now.

Iris and Nora love hotels.

Busy and Fun Weekend!

Our whirlwind weekend is coming to a close. Saturday morning, we got up early and drove to Oklahoma City to visit the Starr/Beabout clan. It was great to see everybody. It had been too long!

This pic shows four generations of the family - Nana, Janie, Mark, and the girls.

Girl talk with Grandma Janie and Nora B.

Look at these sillies in the hotel room. Iris is saying "don't shoot!"

Ah - our shy daughters at a rest stop on the way home on Sunday.
Daddy and Iris at the Towanda Historical Marker.
Nora wants to point out the beautiful flora growing at the Historical Marker. Such a green thumb.
Mark and the girls at Beverly's Waffle House in OKC on Sunday Morning. Oh yeah - where else but in Oklahoma can you get a rig griddled into your waffle? You think about it. Get back to me.
And for the Grand Finale - the love of my life turned 37 on Labor Day! Happy Birthday, Baby!! Wonderful to see everybody in OKC!!! Hope you had a great weekend!