When Johnny Came to Town

We had a bunch of people over to our house because Johnny and his family were in town.  This was taken after some people had already left, and our photographer was just 6 years old (thanks, Kate) but it is a good reminder of the fun time we had catching up after all these years and seeing every body's cute little kids!  I hope we can do it again, in less than 8 years this time!

First Practice

MaKaty had her first practice of the season today.  I was happy to see that she actually went after the ball and seemed to enjoy her time!  Maybe it will be a better season than it was last time!

Peach Leather

I made peach leather out of some extra peaches from our neighbor.  The leather got a little crispy because I left it in just a few minutes too long, but it was still tasty!  The kids used it in their lunches for the next couple of weeks.

Maximum Ride

Hannah flew through this whole series in the first couple of weeks of school.

Rainbow Fish

The beloved children's book...now an art project.  MaKaty was very proud of her beautiful fish!

Neighborhood Fashion Designer

Hannah played with MaKaty and her friends for hours in the craft room, using my extra fabric to make a dress for Grace, our next door neighbor.  Here is our little model, in for her fitting!

Catch and Release

Don't worry, Zach didn't really drop Yoda!

Hula Girl

MaKaty attended a hula dancing class with our neighbor.  Tonight was the performance.  MaKaty did such a great job!  And don't they all look adorable?

School picture day

for some reason, Hannah always wants her hair crimped on school picture day.  It's one of only a couple of days a year that she has it done this way. 

Cuteness Factor

As Cru got all ready for his first soccer practice, I had to admit that with shin guards and cleats, the cuteness factor was off the charts!

Jaw Replacement

Seth brought home this sun-bleached coyote jaw bone.  MaKaty pulled out one of the teeth and tried to convince me that she had lost a tooth at school.  Nice try, Kate!

Time Suck

The only thing worse than playing candy crush on facebook, is playing candy crush on my phone.  It has definitely sucked a few of my hours away lately!

Boat Captain

Shauna and Darryl invited us to go boating with them on Quail Lake.  Darryl let Seth drive the boat.  He took it very seriously, and did a great job!

fun with boxes

the kids had a blast playing with empty cardboard boxes at Ethan and Alison's house for Sunday dinner.

Stockton turns 1

My niece asked me to take pictures of Stockton's first birthday party.  He is such a cute little guy!

Remember these?

Remember all those 177 boxes?  I had to label, sort and assign all those boxes to teams.  Before we were done, there were over 200 teams, each with their own box of uniforms and equipment.  Quite an undertaking!

The List

I found this list on the nightstand next to MaKaty's bed.  I asked her what it was and she said, "A list."  "Of what?"  "Of stuff I need."  "Stuff you need for what?"  "For life."  So, I will interpret the list of things that MaKaty needs for life: balloons, parachutes, lasso, tent, salt water fish tank, frisbees, scissors, and a cage.  You know, all the important stuff!

Running sunrise.

It was an especially beautiful sunrise on our run this morning.  And it was an especially good run, too!

First Day

The kids looked adorable on their first day of school.  Hannah in sixth, Seth in fourth, and Miss MaKaty in first grade. 

Back To School Photo Shoot

I made the kids dress in their new school clothes and endure a photo shoot.  I think I got some really cute shots!  Cru was sick, so he didn't join us.

Muddy Buddies

Oh these two.  Seth and Christian are best buddies.  I just wish I could say that Seth was always the good example.  Clearly, he knows how to get into trouble with Christian in tow!

Kanarraville Falls

The kids were all strong and brave on the hike to Kanarraville Falls.  Not only did they all climb the ladder to the second falls, but they all slid down the waterslide.  I was so proud of my little people!

River Rats

Have you ever seen three cuter boys?

Little Red Car

Grandma got this at a yard sale for Cru.  It doesn't have a battery, but that doesn't stop Cru from promising to give Hannah and her friends a ride to school!

Epic Water Balloon Battle

The kids recruited all the neighbor kids they could find for a short, but epic water balloon battle followed by a slip and slide festival on the front lawn.  It makes me so happy to know that our new neighborhood has that same feel.

Big Day

Today we registered my great big girl for her great big new school.  The start of a great new chapter.  When did she get so big?

Grandma's Farm

We had some cousins come visit Grandma's "farm" with us.  The kids got to play with the chickens, the tortoise, the gecko, and the dog.  Mattix is such a ham!

Putting my feet up

That half marathon was really hard on my legs and feet.  I spent the next couple of days resting them as much as possible.

The Half

First official half marathon.  2 hours 20 minutes and two ginormous blisters.  And the first of (hopefully) many medals!

177 boxes

this is what 177 boxes of uniforms looks like in my garage. 

35 years and 1 day old

we ended up doing Rick's birthday celebration one day late, so he got his cheesecake on the first, instead.  Happy Birthday, dude!