Did You Miss Us?

I would be amazed if anyone still reads this, as I basically left most people high and dry. And when it has been awhile between posts, I start to wonder why I keep up with it, as there are so many other blogs out there. But since I do not write for others, but as a record to my children that we do love them and we do try our best (that sort of feeling gets sketchy as little people turn into yucky teenagers) I continue to post.

There are a lot of pictures that you are about to be bombed with. Guess what? I finally found my camera. Yeah, it sadly went missing for awhile. So some of these are older, but still need to be shared.

Love these chubby little thighs! This was from early this summer. And I love those eyes!

We spent many an afternoon at the splash pads this summer. I miss those days, as it is already cold here in Utah! I would spend the time with my sister, her two little ones, and one of my best friends, Abby and her little guy. The three two year olds would run around while the moms would do their best to keep the two babies in the shade. It was a lovely way to pass the days!

 Oh yes, the notorious baby lotion pictures. I think these were from back in May. This is what a 10 minute shower will get you. And no, the culprit was not Jacob. It was actually Collin, Jacob just offered his help in eating and smearing!

This handsome guy already knows he is handsome. He tells us all the time. "Momma, I's handsome" And he likes older girls. That's right, this little 2 1/2 year old would hang out with the 9-11 year old girls at the splash pad. They thought he was funny and cute. We are in so much trouble!

 These are some of my favorite pictures. Mike had a really bad migraine on my birthday. It finally alleviated enough to be able to spend the day in one of my favorite ways: picking out pumpkins for our little porch! This patch had some pumpkins with personality too. 

 And last but not least, we had Jacob's (who actually shared with Collin)  on year birthday party. This cake was 6 layers of cake, with buttercream frosting inbetween (yummy!) in yellows and oranges. It looked amazing when cut! 

 You will have to zoom in on this picture to see the beautiful colors of the cake. The party was a fall party. We had pumpkins galore, straw bales, yummy soups and rolls, lemonade, a delicious fruit salad, and of course, the cake. There were activities for the kids, a bean bag toss, a mix of tables and chairs with different quilts laid about, and lots of friends and family to help us celebrate. The pictures I have are thanks to a friend. I am sooo not very good at making sure we get the pictures. 

Jacob the Skunk, Suzie the owl, Khloe the butterfly, Collin the pirate, and Tatum the pumpkin! It is quite funny that Collin is the only non-blonde of the nieces and nephews.  

These are some of the pictures we took of the boys. I have not touched them all up, and there are even more that are so cute. I love my boys!

Overall, we have been just busy and happy. It is very much an emotional roller-coaster. This year was hard. My niece had her very first friend birthday party in celebration of her turning 5. This will always be bittersweet. i love seeing her grow up, but it hurts because Lilly would have been there (and maybe even was). She would be starting kindergarten next year. But than if we had not lost her, or Ryker, we would not have Collin. 

Ryker would have turned 4 on the 27th. It was a hard day. For three days, I would just cry. I think the reason it hurts so much is that even though our minds say we are fine, our spirit's weep. They weep for the loss, and the hurt in our hearts.

So Happy Belated Birthday Sweet Ryker. We love you. We miss you. Help get your heart cousin buddy out of Primary's and home (if you could keep our niece Gracie in your prayers, and her sweet family, that would be awesome. She was readmitted yesterday as one little sick girl.)

Well, that is it for now. Off to do some more homework, and to go work some more on my little guy's busy books. So excited for the hoildays!

Here.

Here I am, writing once again. My heart has not been in it. Nor my mind. I just think "why would anyone want to read what I am writing?" It is nothing earth-shattering, or shocking, so I just have not been able to get my heart in it. Jacob is turning one tomorrow. Lilly would have been 5 yesterday. So I will make this short, and post again tomorrow as I have fall break. 

Happy birthday sweet baby. Thank-you for making me a mom, for giving me 5 amazing weeks to share with you. I loved every minute of it. And the pictures of adoration radiating from your dad, your grandparents, your aunts and uncles, just are priceless. We miss you more than words could comrpehend, but know that you were just to much for this world, to perfect to have to see or face the ugly that this world seems to show all to often. Thank-you for allowing us to know you. We love you 

baby girl.

An Very Very Unbirthday, to You, to You!

So do you remember watching Alice in Wonderland (the Disney version) where Alice attends an un-birthday party? That is kind of what we had with my family on Saturday. My brother and his family are away, in Ohio, (where we lived when we were little) attending school, and so they came home for two weeks to visit. Their two sons (our nephews) both celebrate birthdays the first few days of August, so we planned a birthday-party/family BBQ/swim for the birthday party celebrations.

My sister Heather about to eat some un-birthday cake

Little Miss Suzie Mae

Well, my brother and two nephews got food poisoning, so we did the BBQ sans their family and my older sister (she was back in DC on a relaxation trip, lucky girl!) So you would think the party would have been ruined, but actually it turned out being very fun! Never knew I could have so much at an un-birthday party! With my younger brother away in Afghanistan this last year, it was just so nice to rest and relax and have a lot of fun. 

 Little Miss Khloe (Suzie and Khloe are both wearing a swimsuit I actually had bought

for our Pricess Lilly. I know she is smiling seeing her cloths being used!

 Khloe's silly Dad, my little brother Jamie

If you know my family, my mom is ALWAYS notorious for bringing way too much food, so that you never leave hungry. So with her cooking, my dad's really yummy BBQ skills, and the extras that the rest of the kids brought, well, we were certainly just very well fed. And after we ate, the pavilion my parents had rented was right next to a swimming pool, so we took the nieces and nephews

over to swim. 

 

We had a great time! The nieces and nephews had a blast playing with their uncle Jacob, and he had a great time teasing and playing with them. We even had birthday cake! What was pretty funny was the other two two year olds laying claim to the presents that were sitting out. We were eating and my sister started busting up laughing. We turned around and my funny little nephew and Collin were each opening a present. Since it was just a coloring book and puzzle book, we let them go to town (Ben and Erica, if you are reading this, we will have to ship you two replacement presents!)

 

Two of my sister in-laws, Lindsey and Amanda, and Jamie again, sitting in the pee-pool,

oops, I mean the kiddie pool!

 My brother Jacob playing with Khloe and Tatum

 Collin trying to swim

 Amanda again (isn't she gorgeous?) She spent the last year having her husband

(my brother Jacob) in Afghanistan.

 Collin and Tatum hugging it out.

  

Collin trying to fit into baby Jacob's hat

 Jake with Baby Jacob

 My brother Jacob really worried that his nieces and nephews would not remember him.

Fat chance of that, they all adore their uncle.

Collin was climbing the bars to the right, when we noticed and went running. Uncle Jacob got there first and moved Collin to a lower set of bars. He honestly just has no fear!

It was just actually really relaxing, and it was nice to just be together, to have my brother Jacob there after surviving the hells of Afghanistan. It makes me a little teary just thinking about what a great time we had all together. So despite our problems and funny stupid quirks, I truly could not have asked for a better family. I think what I learned from this is just accepting that we are all very different, but when there is a lot of love, that can overcome any boundaries we may have.