Christmas Candy

I dreamed that it was Christmas Eve, and we were trying to find everyone's stockings.

When we woke to our first ripe raspberries of the season, you would've thought it was Christmas morning! The girls were squealing and jumping up and down with delight. Macy looked seriously at the treasured few in her hand. "I'll save these for breakfast," she said, popping one in her mouth. "Well, maybe not," popping in another. "Well, probably not," popping in the rest.

Carly's Last Day as a Kindergartener

Carly's teacher taught the kids sign language all year. For their program, they signed the Pledge of Allegiance and some patriotic songs.

Mrs. Pond got a little emotional when she gave Carly the "most-compassionate-person-I-know" award, "child or adult."

From a very young age, she has always been aware of others and their needs. The other day, when I told the girls we were going to meet a new neighbor, she got out some markers to make a card right away.

She is really growing up. One day, at the end of the day, she came up to me and said, "Sorry, Mom." I said, "For what?" She said, "For being crabby today." I was amazed at her maturity. I'm going to miss this girl when she goes to school ALL day.

What a Dad!

I came across this picture of Myles, taken while he was on a mission for our church in Brazil, shortly before we met. After we were married, my favorite part about our trip to Brazil was meeting all the people he knew.

These pictures show how Myles is always teaching his kids (and me, too). He is always patient and willing. I'm grateful for the many talents he blesses our family with.

The other day, we were in the waiting room of a doctor's office. I noticed a mom with a baby and little boy. The boy was well behaved, but seemed bored to death. Before I knew it, Myles was folding a crane for him out of a magazine ad. I'm not sure who was more delighted, the boy or his mom, when he handed it to him. He is always so caring and solution oriented.

I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and father for our children.

We love you, Myles!

Mummy Daughter Date

Robyn and I got to attend a fun theater workshop and play. This monster mystery was written with 7 endings, a different one for every performance. The costumes were my favorite part.

New Blue

After trying out just one bike, Robyn didn't care about any other kind. After much Internet-and-other-good-deal searching, Myles finally realized that all she cared about was that it was blue.

She wanted me to be sure to get a picture from every angle.

I Woke up to a Peaceful Battle

Our Good Luck Charm

When Robyn turned 4, Myles was excited to give her the little, red bike he learned to ride on. She didn't want to have anything to do with it. The following summer, when she decided she was ready to ride, she hopped on and took off.

Carly didn't want to ride the summer she was 4 either. When she decided she was ready, she was able to take off with Granddad's help.

So, when Macy had just turned 4 and decided she wanted to ride with her big sisters, Carly said, "We gotta call Granddad. He's the good luck charm." Sure enough, with his help, she was on her way! She's still working on endurance and steering, but I think it'll help make for a fun summer with her sisters and the neighborhood kids.

Now that June's almost halfway over,

here's the quotable quotes from May!

Macy: Mom, you're always going to be my mommy, even when I grow up and go away. You'll always still feel my spirit. Yeah, then I'll be a mama and my kids will grow up to be parents. I'll have some girls and a boy.

Macy (when passing food at the table): It'll be comin' round the mountain when it comes.

Macy: I'll take this out (her helium balloon) so it doesn't extract you while you're sleeping. (She meant distract).

Macy (When her foot had fallen asleep): I have batteries on my foot!

Carly: How old are you, Mom?
Me: 32.
Carly: Wow, you're really young...compared to Grandma (She's 91).

Macy (Singing a line from Willy Wonka): If you are wise you'll listen to me...If you are wise, you'll listen to yourself!

Carly: What if whenever you licked a sucker, it got bigger instead of smaller and every stripe was a different flavor?

Carly: Do you think they keep celebrating Birthdays in heaven?

Carly: Will we have to brush our teeth after we're resurrected?

Carly (While making her own CD player with a circle paper and a stick from outside): I dreamed that I took my friends' Ds's and then put them in our stockings.
Me: They would be sad!
Carly: No, they'd just think that Santa didn't listen.

Macy's word of the month: ALERT!
As in: 'Scuse me, ALERT! or I need another cookie, ALERT...

Macy's other word of the month: any word with "ita" at the end
As in: Mamita, Carlita, Dadita...

Carly made a remote control and was pointing it at Macy who was acting things out.
Carly: I'm watching this one in 3D.

Carly: Do birds cry?

Carly to me: Did they have cameras when you were born?

Carly: Did Jesus ever cry when he was a baby? Because he was perfect.

Something nice we each said about Myles on his Birthday:
Me: That you're always helpful without being asked.
Macy: That you found a bug (@ work)
Carly: That you like to read books
Robyn: That you never give up

Macy: What do you like best about yourself, Daddy?
Myles: I fooled Mom into marrying me.
Macy: Well, you almost fooled her!

We looked at his baby book and other pictures as part of his celebration. When he turned to the page with his kindergarten class picture, he said: and this is my...
Carly: family?

Macy: I've just been wondering, since cherries aren't in season, how did they get this cherry flavor into this sucker?!

Me: It's almost time for school, and we haven't brushed your hair yet.
Carly: It looks ah-mazing!
(I should've taken a pic. for this one).

Macy: Would you rather smell a rose or eat a mandarin orange?
Carly: Eat a mandarin orange.

Carly: What if everyone was made out of a close pin, and you had googly eyes, and arms made out of pipe cleaners?

Carly: What if Adam and Eve didn't like each other and never got married?

Macy: I'm going to pray for Zach's mom.
Me: Really? Why?
Macy: Because her freezer and fridge weren't working. (The power went out).

I dreamed that a skeletal system had something to do with the answer for Myles at work, and then Macy woke up early, crawled in bed with me, and asked: Do you think the skeleton is happy to be inside our bodies?

Macy: Dad, what if YOU were the ice-cream man?!

Carly (about the Boxcar Children): Sometimes, it's kind of sad when you're really enjoying a book...and then it's over.

40 Years

These wonderful people have raised 8 amazing kids, and I am blessed to be married to one of them. They have always stood by each other, as they do now.

They love each other, respect each other. They serve together, laugh together, learn together, sing together, only speak highly of each other. They are a great example to us and our children of true happiness. I'm so grateful that I get to be a part of it. This is what it's all about.

Happy 40th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

The Graduate

These Great Grandmas are Great...

and stylin'!

Flower Girl

I love this dress. I love this girl. What can I say?

I also love that she clips iris and brings them inside for us to enjoy.

Ahh, Nothing Like...

Going to the library and loading up on some good, new books!

While You Were Sleeping in Past 6:30 AM on our 1st day of Summer Break...

We were playing in the root beer iris,

capturing this beautiful bird (a pigeon),

and these beautiful flowers for you, Mom.

love, You Know Who :)

Jennifer Holm

I have to admit that when I heard Jennifer Holm and her brother, Matthew, author and illustrator of Baby Mouse would be the featured presentation at our local book fair, I wasn't super excited. Graphic novels just aren't my thing. What I didn't realize was that Jennifer Holm won a Newberry Honor for her book Our Only May Amelia! Robyn read it before I had a chance to read it with her. I think I could appreciate it, growing up with only brothers, just like Jennifer did, and the character Amelia who was inspired by the life of one of Jennifer's aunts. I'd also like to read her newest book, Turtle in Paradise.

I had to laugh when I was reading her bio online. She remembers liking to read as a child more than just about anything else. She'd rake leaves with a rake in one hand and a book in another. This morning, Robyn was sweeping the same way.

It was fun to meet this down-to-earth author.

Our Friend, the Illustrator

Maryn Roos has illustrated children's books, including The Sugar Plum Ballerinas by Whoopi Goldberg and Taco Soup by Mario Lopez. She drew the front cover of this month's issue of The Friend Magazine. We feel blessed to know such a happy, talented person!

She whipped up these caricatures of the girls at the book fair in just a few min.

Our Annual Iris Pic

The girls are always asking me why I'm never on our blog, so here I am.

Just like Disney Land...almost.

Lots of people, lots of waiting, fun characters to meet...but free. (Our library book fair)