I Know You're All Wondering...

What is happinging in this photo.

A little brother/sister bonding time...

Can you tell this is a house filled with girls?

The one boy is in desperate need of his big brother-n-law to come and get rough and tough with him.

Daddy and Grandpa can only do so much!

January can't come soon enough...



Personality...

I sat down this morning to do some editing of photos from the past couple of days.

I was planning on doing a whole post on the excitement that took place when we received a box from Galen and Cadi...

but I couldn't resist posting this picture!

This is a perfect example of crazy attitudes in this house.

Take special notice of the little one on the left...

Do you notice anything... strange about her face?

Click on the picture to get a close up...

She thinks this is hilarious!!

It is definitely a true representation of her personality...

Crazy Face!!

From Ari...

Ari decided she needed to send something special to Cadi and Galen.

When I suggested a picture, letter, cookies...

she said, "No."

So, this is what she opted to send...

For Cadi...

For Galen...

For fun...

Love you, Cadi and Galen!!

For Cadi and Galen...

I love you both!!!!

Driving and Playing...

Somedays around here (not often) we get a chance to play more than work.

Play comes in all forms, though.

Just because something sounds like work to one person doesn't mean it is work for all.

Mowing the lawn is a perfect example.

The girls have fallen in love with the riding lawn mower.

Sydnee was the first to learn to use it, although I somehow can't find the photos I took of her driving it.

Then Daddy got in on the action and drove Brysen around...

who thought it was "So Much FUN!!"

Ofcourse, the swing is always in use.

Aubrey loves nothing more than having someone push her really high...

up into the leaves and branches.

Grandpa is more than happy to help out.

Grandpa noticed a large rock right under the swing and decided it wasn't safe.

He took a couple of minutes, removed it and the swinging began again.

That is Aubrey pushing Lily up into the branches...

The belly laughs coming out of Lily were so cute!

Then Aubrey took her turn on the mower.

Hey Galen...

Now Syd and Aubs know how to drive a stick shift...

Have you learned yet?

Uh Oh....

Am I in trouble for asking that question?????

Smiles and Because of Galen...

I love nothing more than seeing a big old smile on the face of one or all of my children.

The swing seems to be a great place to get this type of shot these days.

They love that thing!

Lily is hanging on for dear life.

Anytime I can't find some of the kids, all I have to do is look out the window and there they are...

on the swing...

laughing...

enjoying the last days of summer 2010...

Aren't those the best days of all?!

And...

Just because Galen loves him...

Here is a photo or two of beautiful Taz.

He doesn't know what to think of the crazy lady

 running around taking photos of him all of the time.

So, he just ignores me.

Typical.

Honeymoon...

This is my daughter and her husband (my son) in the Bahamas last month... on their honeymoon.

They look tanned or burned... depending on how you choose to look at it.

I just wanted everyone to see how gorgeous they are.

I love you guys!!!!!

They celebrated their one month anniversary last week.

How cute.

It made me think about how fast time really flies.

I know we all say that, but seriously people, it goes soooo fast!

Almost Here...

17 days...

A Hard Combination...

That's Galen in the photo...

He may or may not be getting a slight bloggish big head...

you know...

now that he is a superstar on this blog...

 he is making all kinds of demands...

like...

special drinks, flowers everywhere, people to cook and clean for him...

and blogs that name him specifically EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

Now, before you all freak out and think that my soon to be son in law is going to be offended...

Let me tell you that this young man knows the secret...

I only tease the ones I love!

That is Galen's Dad, David...

He was helping Galen move some really heavy furniture into their apartment.

Beautiful stuff!

Furniture...

A brand new bedroom set...

ummmmmm....

I don't have one of those!

Hey hubs...

What's the deal?  Where is my new bedrom set?

All I have to say about that is...

Galen!  I got to sleep on that bed before you!!  Ha Ha!

Galen is proving to be a very hardworking young man!

I love that.  That makes me feel that my daughter will be okay.  She is a hard worker too... but there is something really special when you know that the young man your daughter chooses is one of those guys that sees how special she is... just the way you see it... and he wants to take care of her and cherish her and he has loved her for what seems like eons... so, I can rest in the knowledge that they have an amazing future ahead of them.

I had so much fun hanging out with Galen...

Yes, the daughter was there too...

but she did work a lot. 

So, the boy... sorry Galen, but for now that is your name around here... it will change in 5 weeks... the boy and I spent a lot of time together and I realized something that I think I knew even when he was about 3...

I REALLY like him!

He is a perfect fit with this family.

He teases me as much as I tease him.

(and that is hard to do!)

He loves my daughter almost as much as I do.

(We can argue about that later Galen!)

He smiles and laughs and makes my daughter an even better person than I already know she is.

He is one of us....

...and that is a hard combination to crack!

Wedding Shoes...

I know I took a better picture of these shoes...

but I couldn't find it on the camera!

Maybe I just dreamed about taking the amazing shoe photo...

Is that normal?

The beautiful wedding shoes...

Coming Home...

Today, I will be leaving the dry land above...

That holds two of my favorite people in the whole universe!

The only good thing about that is that I am returning to 10 of my favorite people at home...

Oh, and the dog!

There is nothing like coming home!

Babies...

I am sure that I am missing all of my at home babies by now....

You know that I am enjoying being with my big babies right here... right now.

I sure love you guys!

I hope not...

I hope we're swimming today...

But, since I am writing this before I actually leave for the trip and scheduling it...

It is quite possible I am bringing all of the cold at home weather with me...

I hope not!

Lots Of Sharing...

Are you waiting with baited breath for me to return and plant a whole bunch of photos on ya?

I am spending some awesome time with my beloveds... pictured above... and I have been ordered by all of my beloveds at home to take pictures of everything...

So, that means lots of sharing!

See ya soon!

Where Am I????

I am flying out today to spend the next few days with these TWO LOVELY PEOPLE!

It is soooo exciting to get to actually lay my hands on that girl again and plant a big ole hug around her neck... as my Grandma used to say!

I hope your days will be as blessed as mine!

With My Best Guy...

Awwww.....

I am remembering the old days when I would lay in a field of daisies with my best guy....

Oh, wait that was yesterday!

Now I know where Cadi and Galen get it from!

Just kidding, Cadi (not really).

This is another one of Cadi and Galen's beautiful engagement photos.  The photographer is a good family friend who is a professional photographer.  Her name is Emily Loftus and she is based out of Reno, Nevada... however, she works all over... so give her a call if you need that kind of thing.

Embellishing...

When Galen (my soon to be son-in-law (son)) saw the photo of Miranda with Nate from a couple of days ago...

He said, "That girl needs to eat some meat!  She looks like a holocaust survivor."

Do her arms look meatier in this photo, Galen?

She really does eat...

She is just nearly 10 feet tall...

Well, I may be embellishing that a little bit... but she is very tall!

Love...

For those of you who don't know this already...

My daughter and her beloved are getting married in about 6 weeks.

They went out with a good family friend... who just happens to be an amazing professional photographer for some engagement photos.

We have now been tempted with the first photo.

LOVE....

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself.

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.

 ~Kahlil Gibran

Awwwwwww... Joy!

Isn't it exciting to check the mail?!

I mean sometimes you get something that is totally unexpected... expected... I mean unbelievable, extraordinary, knew it was coming but still can't believe it... trying to wrap my brain around the fact that they aren't still 12.....

Get it?

I don't know if other parents feel this.

I don't know if I will feel this with all of my children's choices for a spouse.

I don't know if it will become old hat by the time we get to the end of the line of children...

But for now...

In this very moment...

I am so happy for them.

I am so excited for them.

I am so proud of them.

I am so proud of their choices.

I'm... bubbly............ Can you tell?

I mean...

First of all, there is this girl that I obviously think hung the moon.  I mean she is beautiful and smart and talented and A young woman after God's heart (which just pleases me beyond words).  I mean she did pop forth from my own body over 2 decades ago...

Second, there is this young man that I have known since he was just a wee lad ( Although this kid is big.  I don't know if wee lad ever really was a good description for him.)  He was always my fave.  You know, we sometimes look around at other people's children and wonder why God even gave them children... but not this young man.  Years ago, I remember thinking that if God ever blessed me with a son ( and that is saying something... because we know how to make girls... the boy thing came much later)  I wanted that son to be just like this very young man... (Okay, Galen... don't go getting a big head... I am sure you will do something to make me change my mind about that for a minute or two...) 

Now look at the picture again...

Awwwwwwww....

Joy!


p.s.  Is that enough run on sentences for ya?

Congrats...

If you can't find me on July 17th...

it's because I'm at my daughter's wedding...

and I'm gaining a new son...

which we need more of around here!