Like Riding A Bike

Lucy got a new bike (with no training wheels!!) for her birthday, so Jordan has been working on teaching her how to ride it. She is doing pretty good...

Jordan showing Lucy how it's done.

"Cowboy Joe"!

Happy girl Mahri!

Photo Shoot

This was actually a little while ago...maybe a month or so. I made the girls some fairy tutus and some 'Peter Pan Pants' for Josiah for a woodsy/fantasy shoot. Thank you Celeste! The pictures turned out great!

How could I forget??

Lucy turned 5 at the end of July. It was a fun time. She likes to draw out her birthday celebration as long as possible, so we had a few days of cake, balloons, and fun.

The 'Princess Castle Cake' I attempted. It was 3 am...give me a break!

Lucy's new bike! She was so excited to get this bike - with no training wheels. Now we just need some practice...Lucy and her cake. Ok, the moment that I brought out the cake was probably in the top 5 best moments of my entire life. Lucy and I had been looking at cakes online for the entire month leading up to her birthday. No cake was good enough. She seriously wanted a $3000 wedding style cake for her birthday party. I don't think so. We never agreed on a cake, and I was a little worried that she'd be really disappointed. Not that I have to give my kids everything they want so I don't upset them...they are not spoiled like that...but I did want to make her something that she liked. After all, it is her birthday. So, I made this one (without her knowledge) and when I walked outside with it, Lucy literally squealed in delight and said it was 'the most perfect thing ever'. I DID IT! I actually pleased the most picky girl this world has ever seen!The girls hanging out, drying off, and playing with new toys. What fun!

Happy 5th Birthday, Lucy! We love you, Princess!

TOOOOOO Long!!

Ok, I don't even know when the last time I posted was. And honestly so much has been going on!! Maybe one of these days I'll update on the past (probably not!) but for now I'm moving forward. The latest thing is we went on vacation. I mean a real, honest vacation. Which, horrifyingly, we've never actually done before. I mean, we've gone to CA to visit my family a bunch, which is super fun and wonderful, but we've never actually gove somewhere with just us, with no one else, no time scchedule, no stress. It was wonderful!! We went to Oregon. First we went to Roaring Springs in Boise with our friends Rachel & her kiddos. That was a blast! And totally worth the $35 each to play in the kiddie area. But, it's the priceless smiles on all the kids faces that make it worth it, right?! Then, we went to a hotel...the kids first time ever! They were so excited they wanted to document every moment. Here we are at the hotel brushing our teeth...I know...very exciting!

Then we headed to Detroit Lake in Oregon. That was BEAUTIFUL! We walked down to the lake from our campsite, where the kids threw rocks at the ducks and went swimming...fully clothed.

We have never actually camped before, so this was a trip full of firsts. (We have tried in the back yard multiple times, but have never made it all the way through the night...the nice warm house is just too much of a temptation!)
So, at the site we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire, then told ghost stories.

The next day we were off to the Oregon Coast. Oh, how I love the beach! Even though the water was quite frigid, Jordan, Lucy and Josiah got their swimsuits on and went for it! I was in up to my knees, while Mahri slept peacefully through the excitement.

That night we camped near the beach. Another fun night of roasting over the campfire. Lucy and Josiah met a couple kids a few campsites down and they had fun playing ladderball with us. The next day was a LONG drive. We were detoured by a few hours because of an accident so we ended up staying in a hotel. That was great because they had a pool, and the kids (ok, and me!) were all about that. On Friday morning we hit the road and made it home late that afternoon. The kids did wonderfully in the car. They were fantastic at the campsites and hotels. We had a great, fun, and relaxing time! I think we are all ready to do it again! Where to next time???

New business...

Ok, I have learned how to make the Moby Wrap style baby wraps. I LOVE it, and whats more is Mahri LOVES it. Plus I get asked about it all the time. So I decided that I'll start making and selling them. Maybe I'll earn enough to take the fam to Disneyland in 15 years...Lucy will still be into princesses when she's 20, right? Anyway, the name is holding me up, so I'd like your input. I have 2 choices (because thats all I can come up with) in a poll on the right sidebar. Or if you have any suggestions please post a comment. Thanks for your help!!!

The 4th

We had a blast at Dierkes Lake (what we have fondly named "the beach") on the 4th of July! The kids p;ayed and played in the water. Jordan and his brothers Jonathon and Seth jumped off a few cliffs, and lived to tell the tale! And Mahri and I soaked in the warmness from under the very comfortable shade of a tree. Good times! Next time we go, though, I'll be jumping off the cliffs and doing a few laps...I miss the water!!!!!

Mahri

So with Lucy we took millions of pics. With Josiah...thousands. And poor Mahri is only in the hundreds. Is this normal or am I becoming a worse mom as I go? Well, either way, here she is in all her adorableness!!

Blessing day...

And too cute not to post...