School Starts

Gotta love the morning bed head on Kate. This is us hovering around Ann, not wanting to let her go for a whole day. She is such a little burst of sunshine. At first, it seemed like a really long day without her. We wondered what we would do with ourselves. After a week or so of first grade though, we're all enjoying it. Healthy for everyone involved, I say. Sometimes Annie reminds me of that robot on "Short Circuit". . .does anyone remember that movie. . . "input, need more input". Anyway, Ann loves being in school most of the day surround by "input"--social, academic, etc. You should see her radiate when she comes home.



And Kate is blossoming with her time as the "oldest". She is very magnanimous to Caleb. Always helping him and then explaining to me about what he can't do or do as well as her because he isn't "big enough". Very refreshing to her to not always be the one who can't or isn't big enough. Love it.



Caleb, on the other hand, is struggling lately. Wowsers! Here come the terrible twos. We've been having frequent melt-downs like when his sandwich isn't cut "correctly"-- and "correctly" changes by the second. He doesn't want to take naps. Won't stay in his crib. What happened to my little cherub? I still love him actually.

And Brad. . .he sends me flowers-- "just because".

And here's her photo shoot

Well, it turned into two separate little impromptu sessions-- one in the backyard and one on vacation. July vacations and the hair really threw me and my grand birthday-date picture taking plans. I think we succeeded with a few keepers.




I've been playing around with a new logo too. Still in the works.

Katie's birthday

I bet you thought I'd forgotten. O contrare mon frier. (Oh dear, the French speakers are cringing. How is that phrase spelled?) I didn't quite have a camera for the grand Katie is 4 event. But my mom saved the day and we got a few with her camera. . . two months ago. Katie, my middle child, you are loved. I promise.

Disappointment

We told the kids we were going to go see the aerial show. We were in Park City for the family reunion and were going to the Olympic park. So, Annie, Katie and Caleb patiently sat and watched the skiers do amazing flips into the pool. We told the kids it was time to go and started to leave. Katie turned a shocked face to Brad and said, "But we haven't seen Ariel yet!" No wonder our children have stopped listening to us. There is no trust when a parent misleads you like that.

Tea Party

One of my favorite pictures of Katie ever. I can take a lot of shots of this girl before I get one I like, but, when I get one, I REALLY like it.

New stuff

Hop over to the photo blog to see some new photo shoots of my family.

A breath of the Montana mountains

Here's a peak at a day up Lulu pass and riding horses. Now, if I could only bottle up the mountain fresh air and give to you, you'd feel like you'd experienced it with us. (I'd leave the mosquitoes out, of course.) If you wonder why we are all bundled up in our jackets, it's because it was cold. Very un-August-like. It was around 50 degrees.































Caleb was a gamer on the four-wheeler. He's turning out not to be afraid of adventure.



Oh, yes, and we did stop and enjoy ourselves in Island Park on the drive home. We went and saw Big Springs-- the spring where the Snake river starts. Did you know that that big river is made by a spring?

Reunion 09

Well, we have been playing and vacationing lately. We had a Wilkins family reunion and then went up to Grandma and Grandpa Allred's cabin for a week. In the middle of our vacation, Brad and I weren't sure we could survive so much fun with giddy-about-their-cousins-crazy-non-sleeping kids and a sick Caleb. But we did enjoy being together with family and getting out of our day-to-day.

Beth planned us a fun filled weekend in Park City for our reunion this year. I pulled out the camera for our evening in the park. There was the traditional pinata, the fishing pond-- which brought bubble blowing. Then, there was the water balloon volleyball and soccer. It was a manly soccer game with AJ letting us witness his amazing soccer skills. The men had filled the water balloons with some things other than water for an added refreshment-- although the noodles and shaving cream weren't all that refreshing.