Aleia Caroline

Lillian Charlotte

Fabulous Mary

I almost cry when I look at these pictures and see Mary so grown up.  I am not sure that we are ready for this. Mary is taking life on and coming off conquerer. She has such a loving and caring heart. She is a wonderful friend to everyone.

Our Anna

Hmmm. What to say about your kids as they get older. I will say that Anna can bring the house down with her witty comments. She loves "cleverness". She is an observer who loves to watch and learn. She is such a fabulous person to have in our family and we love her!

Jacob the Beloved

There is no denying that we love our Jacob. He such a great kid with such a happy disposition and fun-loving attitude. Having said that, he is also a big tease that loves to get a rise out of his sisters. He is a great big brother and is great at playing with the little girls. He is so inquisitive and excited about life and the universe at large.

Truly Brooke

There are a lot of words to describe Brooke. She is sweet, helpful, loving, funny, creative, capable, determined. She is also mischievious, clever, sneaky, and quick. She continues to be my hobby and keeps me hopping. She is such a fun girl to have around and loves her friends. She is already sad at the thought of moving and leaving her friends here.

Second Stop- Palmyra

Here is the beginning of the Palmyra Pageant. It was awesome and inspiring to say the least. (And exactly the right length of time)

Some how I managed to only get a few shots of our time in Palmyra. Here are the kids playing on a bridge as we headed into the sacred Grove. Lets just say the kids were worn out by this point and if you want to have a positive experience in the Grove, go there first.

Look Who Came to Visit!

We love our friends the Spriggs. And we are so glad they were willing to drive across the country to play with us. I am not sure how I survived a whole year without seeing them!

First stop- Niagara Falls. 

We drove over to meet up with them and do a little sight-seeing.  The Falls were amazing and definitely worth the trip.

We all boarded the Maid of the Mist to get a close up view of the falls. The blue plastic rain ponchos actually fulfilled their purpose and fortunately no one suffocated.

Let the fits begin...

I swear it happens over night. One day they are sweet and easy going, and the next they are hitting the floor. Aleia and Lillian are both in full swing fits. It is funny to see the neighbor kids become very concerned as the girls rant and rave on the floor. Yesterday when Lillian did not get the popcorn she wanted she literally threw herself down in the hall and refused to be comforted. She carried on for at least 5 minutes.

Mullet to Pixie

Well, after considering all possibilities, I decided to trim the rest of Lillian's hair and make it look like her hair cut was on purpose. I suppose it suits her sassy personality. Although it does tempt me to pierce her little ears...

Summer Days

It has been pretty hot around here since we got home from our family reunion.

Don't mind the "hoochie" shirts.

I have to include this picture of Mattie and her best friend Peppy. These two romp and chase and play every chance they get. Mattie will go out into the yard to see if Peppy's car is there and Peppy shows up at our door every time they take him out for a walk. I don't think we would have as many neighbor friends if it weren't for Mattie:)

Mullet Baby

If there is one thing that I really dislike, it is an unplanned haircut by unskilled hands. A certain 4-year-old gave Lillian a whole new look. (If only this were the first offense!) Only moments before Lillian came wandering in I had asked, "Where is Brooke?"(never a good question). Fortunately Moss was home to give me time to cool off so I did not do anything irrational! Well, at least now there won't be any confusion of who is who.

Lovin' the Warm Weather

We live in a neighborhood of little boys~which doesn't bother Jacob a bit.