One of the things I love about you is that I can demand a big hug and a big kiss and wave obnoxiously, I can make a huge production as I tell you good bye and then you do the same back! - but when I'm gone you turn around and walk away and start playing without a fuss! Not just any kid is that self assured. thanks.

Kaid my little man - 6 is big. You may not want it to be, you may not 'still want to go to school.' But, the fact of the matter is you are getting big. You have grown and matured so much in the last few months I hardly recognize you. You continue to be sweet and kind, the kind of kid everyone wants to hang with, but there is a maturity to you in the way you take care of your little brother and sister, in the way you talk to me and reason with me, in the way you spent a whole week away from me with Grandma and Grandpa, in your willingness to do what I ask you to without complaining. Yesterday you were 5, but today you are 6. No longer my little man - turning into my big man! I love you (my little) big man!

The Plan

To Totally Get Dad!

Backfired!

Anna, Help!

Somehow Grandpa ended up in the middle of the plan.

The Plan... on the loosing end!

The terrible 2's in full force!

Zoo Trip

So yes, we went to the zoo and the conversation in the parking lot on the way in went something like, 'should we take the double or single stroller? Maybe we shouldn't bother at all. We are just about past that phase. But we want something to carry all our stuff so definitely a stroller.' My pick - the single. Craig's pick - the double. My comment, 'well if we take the double the only person who will ride in it is Anna.' Now the proof.Notice the two smallest children walking! Ahh Anna everytime...

Lexsie - in no time at all you are two! Where oh where did the time go? I knew I wanted you to be my baby as long as possible but you bulldozed into sleeping all night, doing the stairs, bulldozed your way out of a crib, out of diapers and into a big kid! Since you were willing to do all these things without my prodding I guess I had to let them happen, but sigh... you are now two, a beautiful, independent, sassy, smart, turn-it-on, turn-it-off-fit-throwin', Lego-building, baby-doll toting two year old whom we all love and adore! Happy Birthday Monkey! And just for the record these pictures make you look all sweet and girly - but the truth of the matter is - you are a fire cracker!

blast from the past

Kaid with his newly earned yellow belt! Good Work Buddy!
Lex had had enough of church so she just plopped down against the wall - I was cracking up!

Dig In

OK, so this time the kid saw the watermelon on the counter and told Craig he wanted some, Craig said, 'not right now.' So Quinn climbs on the counter gets a knife and wants to cut it himself, of course Craig stops him and tells him, 'not right now.' So Craig is sitting on the other side of the room watching as the wheels in Quinn's head begin to turn, (and anyone who has observed Quinn knows you can practically see the thoughts coming out of his head - his face is so expressive you always know what he is thinking!) but before Craig could stop him, Quinn pushed the watermelon on the floor to break it open. Ingenious or naughty?

Finally - after 2 years we are taking full advantage!

No not of the tube... the boat! We got it out of storage and now we can hardly stand to miss a sunny, non-18 hour work day! The lake is like bath water and the (very intense) swim lessons are paying off! As of this week we have 4 kids who can swim, and one who isn't afraid of the water and 3 that will knee board! Yippee! Anna was knee boarding and had been on so long we were telling her to let go of the rope (so she would fall in) so she let go, and just kept on riding, she had such good balance that she shrugged her shoulders and finally took hold of the rope again. Eventually, we had to just stop the boat...
Quinn is jumping off the boat and into the lake - every time we're not looking.

Lexsie has learned the fine art of using the bathroom on a boat. It took a lot of convincing as we have been telling her for weeks not to go in her pants (and she hasn't) then all of a sudden we are telling her to put her bum in the water and go in her pants. Hmmmmm.

Kaid has blossomed this summer. From not even wanting to put his head in the water to swimming with no life jacket and getting out on the knee board in the middle of a big lake by himself. Way to go dude!

Bekah has turned into a bathing beauty. I'm not sure, but it seems over night she is carrying herself differently, and acting very much the teenager - I'm really not sure I'm ready for this kind of thing! Besides, I really don't think I qualify in years to have a child who acts this way!

I won't bore you with all the knee boarding video, but I am so proud that all the big kids gave it a good ole' try.

Does the Rider look like his ride?

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

OK, click on the link and watch for the family half way through, with kids crawling on the table. Been there, done that. Too much! This time I wasn't crying out of frustration however, they were tears of sympathy and joy - a joy that if they put it on the church website, it must not be just me and it must not be as bad as I thought!