December 13, 2006

Welcome friends and family to our blog. We have added pictures and news for the last couple years. I thought of instead of writing Christmas cards, you could browse the going's on for the last year. Just click on the right side archives. The month's photos and news are grouped together. Keep the blog address under your favorites and check regularly to keep up with what we are doing. We love you all and hope you are all well and happy this holiday season. Best wishes and lots of love. The Bordens

We finally got a family photo. 

Tara making gingerbread cookies 

We finished the Santa puzzle. 

Jake found lights that work. 

Found our Christmas tree. 

I forgot

Tara's school had their fall festival this past weekend. I entered the chili cook-off and haven't heard the results yet. Taras' class was incharge of the wacky shack (a huge inflatable). Her teacher's husband had a severe heart attack last week, so her teacher was gone a whole week. She said school was really boring with her subsitute, but when I stepped in on WEds. everything was calm and very organized and she's been bringing home such wonderful work. I rather liked the sub! Each of the girls are taking turns going on daddy dates on sat. So, they've both seen flushed away lately and loved it. I think that's all.

Tara with cheer trophy 

Jake in front of his speech class...doesn't always like going in. 

This was right before trick or treating on Halloween night. 

Nov.14, 2006

Let's see, what's been going on since Halloween? All is well. We bought new windows for the old part of the house and will see if that will help with the heating bill this year. (We had many that wouldn't even open, most needed books propped up to stay open and they were very cold.) I am happy about it the most because now I can clean the windows from inside and open them on the top or bottom and the light shines through so well with clean windows. Yeah. We've arranged to have our property line dug out and hope that will eliminate the trouble when it rains. It really is too complicated to explain ....but, I hope it works. Tara went to her cheer banquet yesterday and recieved a trophy, dvd of herself cheering and a necklace with a cheer charm from her coaches. Gene has headed to Florida for a brother's reunion so we'll miss him for a few days but are happy that he is happy at the beach. We have finished gymnastics and the girls want to take ballet now and Jake really just needs his own padded room to romp in. We have bought our tickets to the Nutcracker and are anxiously awaiting the date. Santa is already at our mall and "the grinch" was already on tv, so we put up our tree on Sunday. No ornaments of course, just the lights. Emily and Jake decorated it Monday morning with any toy that would hang, necklaces, purses, etc. Everyone is healthy and happy and we hope you are too.

Nov. 1, 2006

My written blog was kicked off the page after I posted so many pictures. Be sure to click on the side that indicates the date Oct. and you will get all the info on what we have been doing. Nina

Another winged friend. 

Gretchen (jake's best friend) was a cowgirl, it was a fun surprise  

Maddie was belle too 

Happy Halloween 

Emily was Belle from Beauty and the beast. 

Jake was a cowboy. 

Tara was a "royal" butterfly 

Tara's butterfly wings, a better view. 

Oct.29, 2006

Monday was a good day. Jake went to his speech class. He's doing a great job on the "ts" ending. He is enthusiastic and happy to go. He had a surprise, a firedrill during his class time and basically "freaked" out. They all had to go out side and I had his coat....I walked around the school looking for him, by the time I got to where he was, they had gone inside. He was not a happy boy. Emily and I prepared treat bags and games for Tara's Halloween party. She loves a little time with me while Jake's at speech. We work on her writing. Monday night was Tara's last football game to cheer at. It was so cold and muddy. She said she had fun but, she doesn't want to do that anymore. Maybe piano lessons and swimming next. That's ok....it's fun to try things out first. Tuesday Emily went to preschool and brought home lots of fun "seasonal" animals...bats...lots of rainbow colored bats. We have made alot of crafts : tissue paper ghosts, scratch ornaments of black cats, tissue pumpkins, popcorn hands (with candy corn fingertips). We didn't have enough places to put everything. So,w e decided to make a Halloween tree. It was the branch that fell from our tree out front. Tara tore off the remaining leaves, and voila! Weds. was the trunk or treat at church. The kids had a great time. Jake missed it last year. We lost him right at the beginning and found him about 7 cars up going"Mom! Everybody's mommy is giving me candy!!" He couldn't believe it. It was great except the winning prize for the cake walk was 2 stale donut holes. Yuck. Thurs. it was hard to get up. Everyone was exhausted. Tara had a great party. I'm room mom and did a fun "pin the nose on the pumpkin", scratch ornaments, halloween bingo, popcorn hands and pumpkin toss. The kids said it was alot of fun. Tara just started on the accelerated reader program. She reads a book, then takes a test and there is a running tally of points. Now she can read the night time story books to Emily while I put Jake to sleep. Thurs. night was the primary pres. leadership training. Friday was finally a day I could put away the laundry I washed Mon. It's been a crazy week. Last night Emily had a birthday party for Ben and then we all headed to the Little Gym Halloween bash. We have enough candy now to hand out on Halloween. The kids are on "high" mode. All is well. Have a fun Halloween. Congrats to Tyler,a nd Happy Birthday to Jonathan too.

The finished butterfly garden 

Emily painting her garden 

A finished butterfly rainbow 

Tara painting her wall 

The chucky cheese photo booth shot 

A happy bowler. 

He had a ball! 

Everyone in their bowling shoes. 

Oct. 20, 2006

Ugh! Everyone has been sick for a week....except me(small hip hip). Tara started last Thurs. with a high fever for 2 days and then a barking cough and congestion followed. One by one they all got it..Emily then Jake then Gene. So, it has been a cold, rainy, sickly fall holiday. We have managed to do a few fun things. We went bowling and entered the Chucky-Cheese Zone of craziness. It was actually fun. Jake has been taking 2-3 hour naps every day and I must say he is much more delightful a child. We got a medicated humidifier for his room and he sleeps like a dream. We painted the girls room, what was supposed to be lavendar, turned out to be a brighter pink/purple color. We let them choose and they love it. We painted 2 bathrooms and i must say a coat of paint makes all the difference in the world. Mr. Clean erasers can only do so much, ya know? It's been nice to get photos of some of you lately. Best wishes for a happy halloween, incase I don't get back here til then.

It's October at the pumpkin patch, none as big as grandmas