We had some fun with the normally barely tolerable chore of family pictures this summer. It's so rare to have the whole family together on either side, and we were lucky enough to be together with everyone on both sides. First, for Kari's wedding with the Higbees, and then at the Beckstead Manor in Pocatello. Mom (Kristen) did such a great job of planning and coordinating it all. Dad (Rob) wasn't so sure about the green couch the photographer brought, but I think it looks great. Dad has been really interested in competitive shooting recently, and introduced us all to tactical shotgun shooting during our stay. We had to get the guns and have some theme pictures while we had the attention of the photographer.

The first thing Lainie did was get fresh mud from the pond on her clean pants. There was alot of bustle and an emergency tide stain pen was produced. 10 minutes later she had duck doo-doo on her pants. Wow, I was amazed.

I just wish we had videos of the adults trying to get the kids to smile (I'm sure I was the worst) . They are all smiles when they are doing what they want and then we dress them up and tell them to be still and stay clean and we expect them to keep on a smiley face. Oh well, they did a great job.

I've finally posted a video

Isaac is a lucky man to have two such affectionate sisters. They love to make him giggle. It's no wonder he is such a sweet mannered kiddo. 

Brincess!

(I wrote this blog a week ago, but better late than never)

I know Maren posted for Brinley's B-day last week and I'm so excited. This is now a joint venture and I'll see if I can just kind of fade into the background and have her take over with her more creative nature. I just found these recent photos that Maren took, though, and wanted to add them. I often just have to sit back in awe of this little girl and her spunkiness. How could one little girl get away with so much mischeviousness? She knows exactly what looks to give her daddy when she wants a little leniency (or a lot).  She does it all with giggles and her patented wrinkled-nose ear to ear grin and sparkly big brown eyes.  So many times I've walked in at 11:30 PM with the lights on and a slew of books piled around her while Lainie tries to sleep and she'll look at me with that smile, and ask, "ARE YOU MAD AT ME, DADDY?" (giggles) Well, I was...

She is a sweet, caring little sqirt, too. She was genuinely worried about me when we recently returned from vacation in Idaho. I was on call the following day and she kept asking Maren "where is my daddy?" When Maren explained I was at the hospital she became worried and asked over and over what was wrong with daddy. We had to remind her that I worked at the hospital :) Another thing I love about Brinley is her forgiving heart. She is always so quick to say "it's ok!" when accepting an apology from her older sister, even when she is in the middle of showing distress. She loves Lainie dearly. She is her older sister's little shadow and her echo, too. She brings such personality to our family and we couldn't imagine life without her. Thank Heaven for our little firecracker!

Life is Roses at Three

The other day I was driving the kids around in the car when I heard Brinley say from the back, "Mom, I love the world." What a beautiful thing to love the world. What a simple, yet very sweet thought. What innocence. I hope that she is blessed with a life that keeps her always feeling that same way. It was Brinley's birthday on the 13th of August. She turned three. It was a fun filled day of junk food (Our days menu consisted of sugar cereal-the kind I never buy, mac and cheese and chicken nuggets from McDs for dinner. All foods of her request) and game playing. Dan got off work a little early so we got to go to a miniature indoor amusement store, called Jeepers, where we had loads of fun riding rides. Later that evening we raced home and I put the finishing touches on a sparkly princess belle doll cake...


while Dan did some spectacular wrapping on her presents. It was very late when we had cake and presents (as is tradition in our family), but it was an exciting, special day for her. She had little expectations (only candles with fire) so it was impossible to disappoint her. It is amazing to think that our baby girl has turned 3. Dan gave Brinley a rose for her birthday. I wanted to get a picture of Dan, Brinley and her rose but of course the doctor hasn't been "in the house" much since her birthday so here are some pictures of Brin with her special birthday flower.

I thought I might as well make Lainie sit for a picture too, because the lighting was great, and she is easy to photograph. When I was done taking pictures of Alaina she rolled onto her back, closed her eyes, and folded her hands over the flower on her chest (Just like all the pictures of sleeping beauty in her story books) and very seriously said, "Mom, do I look like a princess?" My dad reminds me often of when I would do similar things as a child. He told me that when he would come to tuck me in I would pretend I was asleep, then tell him I was "sweeping booty". Like mother, like daughter(s).

I took pictures of Isaac also (rose not included). He has two teeth now, on the front bottom and his eyes have started taking on their true color, brown. (Suprise! Just like his sisters) As Dan says, he is declaring himself. -M

It's hard to believe I'm dedicating a blog page to my 6 month old son. SIX MONTHS??!! How can that be. Obviously he looks the part, but it just passes too doggone fast! (At last weeks visit to the pediatrician his height and weight were both 95th percentile. After hearing that his head circumference was 50th percentile, I said, "yup, he may be a football player.") He is teething for the first time as of this week, and just to prove a point, he outgrew his infant carseat this week, as well. (the same one Lainie and Brinley used until about 9 months of age.)
They say time flies when your having fun. If that's true, then I worry that Isaac will cause our lives to pass by too quickly. He amazes us daily with his good nature and reminds us why parenting is such an entertaining specatator sport. Even when he finally loses patience with us and gets upset, he'll break halfway through a wail and go right to his cheesiest of cheesy grins. He loves to cuddle with his mommy and show off his big smile to her. It's been a blast to see him socialize with his two sisters. Once they enter the room his eyes go right to them, and they rarely leave them. He has learned to grab two fistfuls of hair everytime they get within reach and he loves to full out body hug their heads and giggle. I sure hope he's always so watchful and loving with his older sisters. It would be such a big help to a dad who already gets butterflies thinking about teenage daughters :) I am so excited to share father-son activities with my Isaac boy through the years ahead. We feel blessed everyday to have him.