Picture Highlights

I've got some serious catching up to do. Really I'm just posting the few pictures I've taken or received from others over the past five months with a few anecdotes.

My three handsome boys in the backyard sometime in May.
Don't let those faces fool you...

...here their true character shines through.

A dear friend from college who has lived in Chicago for the past five years was in Utah for a wedding this past June. Since Utah is a whole lot closer than Illinois, the boys and I loaded the van and spent a day with her and her family in Salt Lake. We took in the Gateway Planetarium, Temple Square, and rode the Trax (definitely the high point for J and A). Then we spent the afternoon at Kangaroo Zoo--a crazy bouncy house dreamland. It was so good to see Miss Ashley even if it was somewhat daunting to travel with the three kids all by myself. By the end of the trip I got pretty good at throwing food to the back seat for J to hand out to his brothers. That seemed to keep them all happy. Sorry about that juice box to the lip though bud. We could both benefit from a little more catch in the backyard.


The big boys in front of the temple, and the whole group at Kangaroo Zoo.





We've been in our home for just over a year now and though it definitely feels like home it is definitely still a home in progress. We broke our backs this spring putting in a sprinkler system, a garden, some rock and wood chips to get the yard in shape. Now it's high time I do something with the inside. Not by any stretch of the imagination am I a decorator, but I am trying. Here are a few projects I managed to finish.


A shelf made out of an old pallet (Boyd just shakes his head at this one).

Our inherited bedroom set with a face lift, one of the nightstands.

And the dresser. Obviously I've not finished the dresser. A streak of rainy weather has inhibited me, but I'm hoping Thursday will be the day. Then maybe I can rest better at night. At least you can kind of see the before and after look here. Does anyone have any pretty white dishes they'd love to give me to spruce this thing up?


The 2009/2010 school year I joined with five other Mom's to do a co-op preschool. It was the best thing I ever did! J made some of his favorite friends in this group and so here are a few pictures documenting the fun they had.

Making gingerbread houses at Christmas time.

A fieldtrip to the MK Nature Center.

A visit to the firehouse



The whole gang and some siblings with the Fire Dudes.

All I have to say for these next few pictures is "Brother's gotta hug!"

Early June we played a mean trick on J. We took the training wheels off his bike. He cried, he stomped around the house, he swore never to ride a bike again and then 2 days later he taught himself how to ride a two-wheeler.

See his little brother watching closely? Well it took some close watching and a few months later he hopped on the two-wheeler and started riding it himself.

That's our "Man-drew". From day one he's been in a hurry to grow up and do whatever big brother could do. The learning curve is sure faster for younger siblings.

Early August J celebrated the big 5. He spent the afternoon helping me make this "superhero" cake. Then enjoyed having family over to help him celebrate and open presents.

Where has the time gone? I can't believe I have a five-year old. He made the kindergarten cutoff, but after much deliberation and thought we decided to delay sending him to school. One more year of freedom and innocence. We're doing our best to enjoy it.

These final photos look closely at the mop on our baby boys head.

If I owned a little dress I would have put him in it with a pretty bow in his hair. Really he was starting to be mistaken for a girl so it was high time for a trim.

Two haircuts later this is what he looks like today.

No mistaking that. He's definitely all boy inside and out.