Ida's Birthday Party

I finally have a summer baby so I desperately wanted to have an outdoor birthday party. Luckily there was a break in the bad weather we've been having to do so. My very talented friend Emily let us borrow her tinny tikes bouncer. It was the perfect size for Ida & her friends & cousins. If you click on the image you'll see how much fun Ida was having!


I wanted to hang some pictures of Ida in chronological order like a bunting flag. • I'm not totally sure I put them in the right order though• She's always been such a fun baby to photograph. So many different looks in that little face.

She's crying in the first photo because I took her milk away not knowing she was attached to it at that moment. She soon forgot after she saw the chocolate goodness she was getting into. Many thanks to Karin for picking up my camera & shooting away!


These are just some of the cute pics I took when I realized I didn't have very many recent pictures for the picture flag. So yummy!

Ida's 1st Year

I can't believe my baby's already one! It's been one of those years where I wanted her to grow up fast/ didn't want her to grow up at all. I think when you have 2 kids in 2 years you, at least I, feel like you get over the baby stage a little quicker the second time {well really the 3rd time} around. As you all know Kaleb was my only child for 10 years so having two little ones has been a whole new ball game & I've loved every step of the way {except the being pregnant for ever part}

I think there is something to having babies when you are older & somewhat wiser. Here are some pictures of her taken today then back through the years. The video is of her walking yesterday. She's improving daily. She may be my earliest walker yet!

6th Grade Graduation

Kaleb's graduating elementary school! I can't believe my little/big guy is going onto middle school (that's what they call it here) He's growing up so fast.

How cute is he?

*One of his friends moms made a candy bar lei for a bunch of kids in his class.

Remembering Dad

so my dad would have been 82 today. a year older than adams grandma GG. sometimes when i think of him i shed a tear. sometimes when i look at old pictures of him i can't help but smile. he had an infectious smile and a beautiful soul. every so often i get a note from someone who knew him when & can't say enough about how he influenced their lives. i only wish i could make that big a impact on someone's life. i wish he was here today to play with his grandchildren. he was so fun before he got really sick. Our stupid scanner isn't working so I took a picture of the pictures. (not so great)
he's holding me in the first pic i was 1- in the second pic i am 2 standing next to my mom

My bro eric laying on my dads lap (he loved photography) & my sis michele at my grandma blairs (elsa) second pic- sis lisa on his lap with me in the yellow i heart ny t-shirt- little sis andrea to the left- eric in the back ground

this was our last family picture- i think it was 1989

i've almost lived as many years without my father as i did with him. he past away when i was only 20- the weekend before my very first professional ballet performance with ballet iowa (my favorite company i danced for) he was suppose to come see me with my mom. man what a crazy week that was. rehearsal till late monday- flew home for the viewing & funeral tues & wed flew home to make it to perform thurs through the weekend. my mom & my sister heather came out to see me. i'm usually a nervous reck before a show- i don't even remember being nervous i had so much adrenaline going from everything that went on.

Oh My

this kid is officially a deacon! he passed the sacrament for the 3rd time this past week & he was amazing. i'm always impressed with the little dudes keeping track of who's already had the bread or water. GOOD JOB K!
my tweenager (typical right?)

rarely seen smile

Birthday Pics

How cute is the hat elsa's wearing. Eliz made cute little birthday hats for the girls. check out ciels in the last picture. We celebrated everyones birthday on Valentines day at our house which was nice but we really do need a basement. It's hard to have everyone in the same room for hours.

12 This Means I'm Really Old!

happy Birthday!
What can I say about Kaleb! He's pretty much a tweeny bopper. Already getting himself into all kinds of trouble.
He makes his sisters laugh daily.
Loves playing football at recess (maybe starting on a team this summer)
loves the ladies
hates walking to school
loves scouts
hates doing chores
loves church basketball
looks forward to becoming a deacon
can't stop whistling around the house (drives us crazy)

he's going to challenge us like crazy this year but we love him to death.

Elsa's 2 Where has the time gone!

it really doesn't feel like little pookie came into our lives 2 years ago already. she came into this world a little beaten up but oh my what a beauty she is now !
she is chatty & loves to dance
she thinks a tail or a hole at the bottom of any toy or stuffed animal is called poop
when she says she loves me- my heart melts
she's a total daddy's girl when he's in the room
she loves to feed ida (which scares me to death)
she's still such a little squirt!