Pool pictures

 boy cousins

 JW & Sam

 JW - what a Bob getup

 girl cousins

 I'm pretty sure I didn't take this picture. We get tons of frogs in our pool, and I guess I never realized how much I don't like them until JW and Mike kept trying to get Little Jay and Lydia to throw one on me. For future reference, that's not a fun game!

Popsicle break

Some Natalie Pictures

She turned 3 months old a couple of weeks ago.

 She learned to roll over to her tummy. She hated it at first, but she has gotten much stronger now.

 I think there is a smile coming behind that passy! Hannah loves to grab the camera while she is watching Natalie.

This is how she tells me she's hungry -- by sticking her fingers in her mouth. She has found her voice and will cry these days, but it takes a lot to get her to that point. I have never seen such a patient, content baby. She wakes up in the morning full of smiles, and she keeps smiling all day long. Oh, we love her so much!

First of many pictures

I uploaded the pictures from my camera last night, and it was a bit overwhelming. I'll see what I can do to post a few of them.

This picture is from about a month ago. She sure found a great place to relax.

We had a baby shower at our house for a friend from church. I had so much fun making this diaper motorcycle for her. Ryan had fun with it, too!

Little Lucy. She deserves her own post, but this will have to do for today. A family at church had a litter of puppies they were giving away. Nate and I had been talking about getting a puppy for Ryan to have as a playmate. He was so disappointed when Natalie arrived too little to play. So we got Lucy, and she was a really sweet girl. However, we took her to the vet for her shots and a check-up and found that she had a severe heart murmur. I had noticed that she seemed to tire easily, sometimes she would even end up laying down outside when I took her out to go potty. But, I don't know how much a puppy is supposed to sleep. Hannah was with me at the vet when we got the news, and she was heartbroken. Unfortunately, I'm not the type to spend more on doctor's appointments for my animals than my children, so a visit to the NC State cardiologist wasn't really feasible for me. Ryan still asks when we are going to get another puppy. Nate has decided it's not going to be any time soon. Next time I'm going to tell Ryan to ask his dad, not me.

Nikki's 10!

On Nikki's actual birthday, she wanted to do something fun. So we went bowling!

 Look at the ball going straight for all of those pins! Go Ryan! When we finished he was completely convinced that he had beaten everyone.

 Mr. I-took-a-bowling-class-at-BYU was almost disappointed when he didn't get all strikes, but then he saw how well the rest of us played and he was able to keep his head up high. We had a lot of fun.

 Then, I thought it would be fun to go strawberry picking. Nikki has been asking for weeks to be able to go. Just remind me next year that she doesn't like picking strawberries. So I told her to go get the camera and take some pictures.

 Wow, that's a full bucket Nikki! Who filled it for you? :)

 Notice who isn't in the picture working ...

It turned out okay in the end. She got to blow out a candle in her strawberry shortcake after dinner and we were all happy. Thanks for a (mostly) fun day, sweet girl!

Natalie's Blessing and Nikki's birthday

We blessed Natalie on the first Sunday in May. I like this picture, but I think it's kind of funny that everyone is sitting so straight with their hands in their laps. Definitely not the way we usually fly around here.

 In looking at these pictures, I have realized that we didn't really get a good picture of Natalie in her dress. Well, she was cute anyway.

 Here's the cake I made for her.

 And here is Nikki with the cake I made for her birthday. I was so happy when she agreed to share her birthday party with Natalie. It was great to have my brothers and sister and families come to celebrate with us.

And these last two pictures pictures I just think are funny. Lexi and Eliza look SO excited for Nikki! :) HaHa

This was one of her presents. I think it's a little too tight, Nikki!

Mother's Day

 Mother's day was so wonderful this year. Well, I will admit that it felt like a lot of work in the morning trying to get everything and everyone ready for church and then jumping back in bed to enjoy a great breakfast in bed and opening presents. But we weren't too late for church. The kids worked on my present for about two weeks. They made a poster with cards, coupon books, Ryan drew me some cars, a homemade set of Angry Birds Old Maid and Crazy 8's, and the funniest test I've ever been given. I may have to scan the pages of it because I definitely want a record of that. I laughed so hard reading through it. Hannah had just finished her end-of-year test, so I guess she was giving me a little payback. :)

While I was taking a nap in the afternoon the kids made me some peanut butter cookies and wrapped them up in a box with some other candy. They were trying to decorate the outside of the box with pictures, and they said they had a hard time finding a picture of me. So, I'm going to do a better job of getting in the picture this year. No better day than Mother's Day to get a picture of me with all of my little ones.

I love my children and so often feel inadequate to be their mother. I find it amazing that my children are so quick to forgive me. I watched the recording of Sister Monson's funeral yesterday. I've always been impressed with the remarkable woman she was in supporting President Monson in all of his responsibilities. But I think what struck me most yesterday was that her children said their home was a happy place because she made it so. President Monson has said that of all the places he has traveled the place he loves the best is home. That's the kind of influence I want to be in our home. I want to create a loving, happy place where my family wants to be. I'm certainly no Sister Monson, but I feel very inspired to try a little harder and do a little better.

Two Months

I'm a little slow in posting these days, but that's okay. I'm just going to do what I can do. This little cutie turned two months old last week. What a happy girl! Today she smiled at me all through Sunday School, and then when we were home from church eating lunch Nikki and I could hardly concentrate on our food because she was just laughing and smiling at us so much. Oh, we love this baby.

Kiddos

 Our soon-to-be 10-year-old girl.

 Sweetness

 I Love

 Ah, I thought I could rotate it after I uploaded it. Well, she's cute upside down, too. I love when they sleep with their arms over their heads.

She wouldn't wake up, so we sat her up on the couch and tried to have a conversation with her. She slept through it.

I have a funny video to upload sometime of her trying to wake up. Very rarely does she make it on her own without me picking her up to change her diaper. On the couple of mornings where she has opened her eyes by herself, the only way I know she is awake is because I hear her breathing pattern change. She is such a happy, calm baby. I have never had a baby sleep in our room for more than two weeks, but I don't think I would ever hear her if she was in her own room. 

Even truer love is ...

when your husband agrees to pay for someone to complete the job when you get tired of what you started!

Here is a picture of when we were first moving in. The only cute thing here is Eliza!

And here we are three years later!