Visiting friends along the way...

When we were in Utah we got to visit with some friends that we still miss living by. Madison and Morgan had many adventures together years ago in South Carolina. They look so old now compared to the many pictures we have of them as toddlers. They looked huge when they both crammed themselves into Jamesy's baby pool. We were a Navy family for 8 years, and we had to say goodbye to many good friends during that time. Fortunately our paths cross occasionally and we can visit again and think about all the fun memories we had together. Although I'll continually miss living near you Shannon- I always love talking to ya!

Meeting our new cousin Alex

We got to be at Alex's baby blessing the first weekend of our vacation. We enjoyed meeting him immensely and took turns entertaining him. The kids love getting more and more cousins.

Vacation BEGINS!

We stopped at a Sinclair's gas station on the way to Utah, and this dino picture is the first of many I will be taking on our 5 week vacation loop of northern Utah, southern Utah, and southern California. We're looking forward to visiting family, eating good food, and having loads of fun. Vacation always seems far off when your looking forward to it for so long and when your on it you can't believe it's finally happening. Then there are some moments you wish you could skip altogether... like the longer than long car rides and the comments that accompany it.

Relaxing the day away....

James is consistently busy learning new things. This industrious nature makes him tired. Here he is taking time to relax. Oh to be a sweet baby without a care in the world- he must sleep so soundly. I had to get a picture of his wee piggy toes as well. I like to pretend I'm eating them sometimes because it makes James laugh.

Hooray for Dad!

The kids love their Dad so much. When he gets home from work they usually swarm him with their news and love. I'm grateful they love him so, and I try to tell myself that if I wasn't around all the time they would be more excited to see me too!

School year wrappin' up

The end of the school year brings a host of culminating activities. Madison participated in a Willy Wonka play as a photographer. She also performed a dance with 4 of her friends for the school talent show. Baby James went along to all the extra activities and was a sweetie pie wherever he went. I'm looking to having a break from my chauffeur job over the summer.

Baseball season comes to an end...

The boys finished their baseball season and got some awards from their coaches at the end of season parties. Both the boys loved playing their first season of baseball. I must confess that I liked watching Carter's team a bit more because they had a better handle on what they were doing during the game. Although some of the funniest moments happened during Grant's games. Next year should be even more exciting to watch!

Zion's Camp Fun!

Here we are out at the lake by Zion's Camp. The kids had a blast squirting water at each other, as well as the Andersen's, while paddling around in the boats there. James did pretty good on his first camping trip. He ate dirt, found bugs, and tried some marshmallow. Carter discovered a salmander in the water and was enthralled by it for some time. Our family camped one night, then the girls (+ James) went home and the boys stayed one more night and had their father & sons campout. Jeremy is a seasoned camper and we always have fun going camping with him.

Punk Po

Why couldn't I have school assignments like this when I was a kid? Madison had to come up with a design for a potato to take to school and this is what she ended up doing. She expressed a wish that she could keep her potato forever, while hugging it and looking forlorn. I said that would be bad in a very smelly way. Instead we took a picture of it that she can look at in the future when she's missing her punked-out potato.

Illahee Beauty

Madison and Carter went on a field trip to Illahee Beach this week and I came along to watch them have fun and take some pictures. Miss Piper, Madison's teacher, took a picture of me with Madison, but when I was trying to get a picture with Carter the closest I could get was me in the foreground and Carter as a tiny orange speck in the background. The boy was constantly on the move and did not have time to be photographed with his mom.

Family comes to visit!

We love when our family or friends can come visit us. Now that my kids are getting a good sized collection of cousins, we're having all the more fun visiting with our relatives. I'm the oldest sibling in my family and Jeremy is the second oldest in his, and we were the first to get married and have kids, so we've been waiting for nieces and nephews and now they're coming right along. I like being called Aunt Shauna.

First lost tooth!

Grant's first tooth was wiggled out while Grant was in the shower on May 22. He insists it was himself that loosened it and not getting it bumped hard by Carter's head only a week ago. I guess only the tooth fairy is privy to the real story. Grant was excited to put the treasured tooth under his pillow and wondered aloud if he would get twenty bucks for it. I had to burst that bubble real quick and tell him that the tooth fairy doesn't carry bills that big!