We're still alive!

I haven't updated in a while because I've been busy cleaning up messes like the one below...

and having lots of other summer fun with the kids like going swimming, attending birthday parties, gardening, picking strawberries and making jam, painting birdhouses, graduating from preschool (Abbie), talking about potty-training (Leah), eating solids (Porter), celebrating Father's Day (Jared), and sewing (Christina). It's just too nice outside to stay inside and blog so check back later for more pictures of all the above and more!

Thumbs and Toes

Porter is 6 months old now and everything is about thumbs or toes. He can be found pretty much at any time sucking on one or the other. I'm glad he can find ways to keep himself happy but we might have a problem in a few years when he doesn't want to give up the thumbsucking. It's not like I can take it away, like a binky. But for now, who can say no to that face?

Caught in the act

Wrinkly toes at bathtime

I guess I should eat real food sometime! Porter's first solid feeding
Mmmm, it's not so bad...

Sometimes I play with toys and my sisters too!

Porter's 4 week old photo shoot

A friend of mine came over when Porter was just a month old and took a bunch of pictures of him with her fancy camera in different poses using different colored blankets and props. It was hard work getting Porter into certain positions while he was asleep and trying not to wake him up but we had fun and I couldn't wait to see the final pictures. Well, wait no more, here they are!

My favorite so far

Santa Baby

Hmmm...


My beautiful boy

Blessing outfit

Full body on black

In a basket

In a tiny Radio Flyer wagon (seriously, it's like 10" long)

I took these last two with my trusty Kodak. The one in the basket my friend set up the pose but had to leave for a bit so I snapped a couple shots and the wagon one I took later that day since we didn't have time to get to it. I can totally tell the difference in quality, probably because of my old camera or my composition (I took them in color but like the old fashioned/sepia tone). Either way, I'm glad there are people out there that know what they are doing. Thanks, Julie, I will cherish these pictures forever!

It's raining cats and dogs (and cows and ducks)!

We've gotten a lot of rain lately and the other night it was so warm out during a storm that the girls and I went and played in the rain. Abbie and Leah loved using their own umbrellas and getting all wet, especially since I hardly ever let them splash in the puddles and get all muddy. All we had was snow boots and they got soaked through pretty quickly so it looks like I need to invest in some rainboots.

Yay, puddles!

Abbie pointing at something

Cute little Leah

Abbie also had a field trip to the farm this week with her preschool. It was pretty muddy and dreary out but at least the rain stopped for most of the time we were there. Here we are on a hay ride.

Farmer Joe gave a great tour and let the kids take turns milking the cow

The little baby cow, I think it was only 6 weeks old

Leah petting a baby goat

Petting a bunny

Leah petting a baby goose. She was so excited to see it because it looks just like her Quacky, a stuffed duck that she carries with her everywhere!

We also saw horses and sheep, fed the pigs and goats, saw ducks and geese during the hayride, saw lots of baby chicks and eggs about to hatch in an incubator, and learned about shearing sheep and milking cows. It was a lot of fun and reminded me of my childhood, visiting relatives and neighbors who had farms.

Happy Mother's Day!

Abbie and Leah sang in the Mother's Day program at church today and they did great! Leah was excited to go up to the front for the first time and Abbie knew most of the words to the songs, which is unusual. Porter slept through most of sacrament meeting so I actually got to listen to the talks which were great. We even made it to church early enough to get a good seat so I actually could hear the girls this year. This is a reenactment of one of the songs they sang today. What a great Mother's Day!

Easter outfits

I forgot to get pictures of the kids wearing their Easter outfits a few weeks ago so we got all dressed up again to get some pictures in front of our pretty tree (and to go to church). Here's the best one, Leah was cold so she has a scowl on her face and Abbie's eyes are closed but aren't their matching dresses so cute? I love Porter's little matching vest and khakis too.

Here's a much better one of them inside on the couch, aren't they the cutest things ever? I love this picture so much I've printed a couple copies and sent them to relatives, framed some 8x10's, put it on my blog header (see above), and made it my new desktop background. I just can't get enough of my sweet babies!

A few more of Porter in his first church outfit. He's so handsome and such a smiley boy!

Trying to get some laughs out of him

Don't you just want to squeeze him? I do!

I looked out the window and what did I see?

Popcorn popping on all the trees! Spring is finally here, I'm so glad! It's warm and the flowers in our garden are up and the tree in our front yard is blossoming. It's the one week of the year that our tree is beautiful! Here are some of my attempts at photography to capture the beauty:


Pretty maids all in a row

Here's the progression of the tree blooming. This was taken April 21st:

A couple days later, April 25th:

At it's peak, April 28th:

Just up the street from us are a whole row of pretty white trees that bloom at the same time every year. Beautiful!

A huge magnolia tree, Abbie loved these huge flowers and wanted to take a bunch home. They are kind of strong smelling trees, though, a little too much for me. I'm kind of glad I don't have one of these in my yard but can admire it and then walk down the street to my house.