{Happy Birthday Lou-Boy!}

My baby is turning two today, I think that officially means he's not a baby anymore (but he will always be my baby). I'm sure there's more than one of you out there that understand how sad that makes me feel! Where did my sweet little man go? Not that I'm not completely in love with the crazy little boy his is now! Everything is a game, always on the go, a little grin that can get him out of any kind of trouble, and a very infectious giggle! He loves to "nuggle" (snuggle) and read any book that has trucks or animals in it. Everything is a backhoe or a wheeler or a truck. He's happiest outside with his daddy and very dirty. But it seems like just yesterday...






Chubby Lou at 6 months...




So adroable at one...

Goofy Lou at 18 months...

Is it just me, or is he growing up right in front of me?!? Handsome Lou at 2.

happy birthday louis!

(I'm going to go cry into my pillow now...)

{Snowball Fights in JUNE!}

Yep, you read that right. A sad, sad thing happened yesterday... it snowed. Don't believe me? Here's our super-tiny snowman.

After his grand creation, we had a very spirited snowball fight! It turns out Elizabeth is quite ruthless, and also daddy does not like to have snowballs thrown at him while he's trying to mow a very soggy lawn... it's amazing the things you can learn about a person from a freak storm!

{An Everyday Dillema}

"Mom, can I still wear these socks?" Caroline asked innocently.

What?!?

*What happened to them? * Where have they been? * Is she serious? * Does this nasty sock / toenail combo seriously reside in my house?

I'm so embarrassed... and laughing my head off!

{Here Fishy-Fishy... a.k.a Rainy Days Part 2}

In Todd and I's "Grand Vacation Plan 'o Fun" we were going to pick up the kiddies and bring them up to the camp site for the last night so they could have a little vacation of their own. Well, we all know our "Grand Vacation Plan 'o Fun" didn't really go as planned. So to make it up to the kids we thought the least we could do is take them fishing. Yippee! Fishing! The sun was shining, the worms were fresh and feeling lively thanks to all of Louis' poking, and it was going to be a wonderful day!


I bet you'll never guess what happened next...

We fished!

Even the babies joined in all the fun!



Now this is a picture to make a daddy proud. Perfect form, deep concentration... but pictures can be deceiving.


Lou does seem to have his own technique. Todd was physically cringing every time he tried to watch Lou "fish."




Then we even caught a couple! The size of the fish somehow seemed to relate to the size of the child catching it...






Lou's first minnow ~ahem~ I mean fish. He even reeled it in all by himself!


Those of us who have short attention spans then abandoned the poles for the mud. Much more fun! Elyse was not alone in this, pretty much all the kids abanonded us eventually. Poor Laura was left to man the Barbie fishing pole alone.



This last little clip is just a trip down memory lane and for a personal little giggle just for me. Anybody else ever heard of snake-grass whistles? ... hmm, didn't think so. Well, we used to make them all the time back in our younger years (especially on Memorial day because we could always find snake-grass growing at the cemeteries - don't think about it too hard, it gets a little disturbing...) and my great big sister Laura still remembers how to make these great little instruments. So without further adieu, I present Laura's 1st Symphony! (Yes, Laura, I do realize it's not "really" a symphony... I know you'll call me on it in the comments).



And if you noticed behind Laura a little change in the weather. Suprise (say it again a little more sarcastically please) SUUU--PRRRIIIIISE! It started to rain and we had to pack it up early - again - and run for our lives. Anyone sensing a theme here?

{A Love Story}

Once upon a time...

there lived a couple who had been married for ten years (that's a decade, children!), and they were so in love.


There was Todd


and Alynn


and they decided to go camping all alone. No kiddies, no cell phones, no T.V.
Just each other, and their feet were happy!


They spent their time celebrating by eating the best fillets the world had ever known (cow lovers, better turn your heads for this one),


and they saw waterfalls

and played on Big Red, the three wheeler,


and Todd fished,



while Alynn read books and took pictures of girly things like flowers,


and waterfalls


and very cool farm houses,


and her own happy feet.



But then something horrible began to happen. The sky turned black, and it began to rain.



And it rained

and rained

and rained.

They couldn't sleep, the thunder and giant rain drops were too noisy. Their clothes got wet. Their shoes got wet. Their feet were not happy anymore.

They were quite sad.




Then they decided to so something smart. They got out of the rain. They traded their wet hiking boots for fancy ones, and they went to the movies instead.

And they watched happily ever after...

The End!

{School's Out for the Summer!}

We finally made it, one more school year down, and these kids are all mine for the summer! Yippee! (We're not going to talk about the mama trauma that will take place when Caroline and Elizabeth will both be in school next year!) Time just flew by, we moved to Idaho from Washington just days before the school year began, and I was so worried! Elizabeth had an amazing year, good teacher, and good friends. She really excelled, and because she brought home a straight "A" report card we definitely had some celebrating to do! She brought her two best friends home, Sydney and Brokelle and we partied all day long. We made bracelets and necklaces, ate, ate, ate, went to the splash park (where I forgot my camera, again!) then watched a movie and went for ice cream. Good report cards require ice cream and my kids know it!

Now bring on SUMMER!

{Real Life}

Life looks so beautiful when seen on my sidebar. Don't you just love the new picts I got of the girls? Can't wait to get them framed and on the wall! (Louis will have his turn soon enough, if it ever stops raining!) I have to say that I didn't even photoshop Elizabeth's eyes, they really are that stunning! ...and I love that picture of Caroline, I hear her cute giggle every time I see it!




If only life was always so perfect. Had to share what was really going on.


Awww... my little baboon!

Elizabeth was not about to be outdone. Coo-coo!

Just goes to show ya, you can't judge a girl by her blog! This is my real life, and I love it!