Family Photos

On Tuesday my good friend took our family picture. This is the third year she has done it. It is so nice to have friends willing to bless you with their talents. The first three pictures are of Cameron, Ethan, and Laurel, and though they were not smiling I like these pictures of them. Cameron was so wiggly during this shoot. We were by a river with rocks and logs. He was all over the place, climbing and throwing. So typical of Cameron. He stays busy. There are days when Cameron will be so shy, this picture seems to capture that, and other days that he has so much to say to everyone he meets.











Ethan is such a character these days. This is a face very often seen at our house. He tries to make a sour face, but he is mostly trying not to smile. Walt and I just had a parent-teacher conference where his teacher told us that he is just "perfect." He in Kindergarten, but he is reading on a second semester 1st grade level. His math skills are great too.
I adore this picture of Laurel! I'm not sure why she kept putting out her tongue throughout our photo shoot. Oh well, she is soooo cute. I know I am her mom, but she really is beautiful!

One of our nicer pictures.



























Our Christmas picture this year will be a composite of this picture of Laurel's head with the next picture of the rest of us. Isn't it wonderful what Photoshop can do. You can take 2 non-perfect pictures and make a great picture. Ahh, technology and a computer whiz husband. Isn't it lovely!!!! You will all have to wait to see the results at Christmas time.

Pumpkin Patch

We had our annual preschool group outing to our local pumpkin patch. Cameron and Laurel had a great time. Here are couple pictures of the two and their pumpkins.

Smiley Baby

I have a friend who says that I have the smiliest babies.

Little does everyone know that they have a dad who comes home at night and laughs with them for long periods of time. So of course they are happy and quick to smile! Luke is no exception. This picture was taken about 2 weeks ago. Now he not only smiles but is beginning to laugh. It's delightful to hear.

My shadow, my friend!

Lately Laurel has been playing with her shadow. If you've seen "Bear in the Big, Blue House" you'll know the song "Where, oh, where is shadow?" Laurel goes around the house singing that song, and then goes to the wall and talks and plays with her shadow. I think this is so funny. She ask everyone, "Where is shadow?" It is interesting to see her imagination take flight lately. Dream on little girl, the world needs more imagination and hope!

Ethan's Sixth Birthday Party

In our house, birthday parties are all about the cake. Since I decorate cakes, the kids come up with some interesting ideas for their birthdays. Ethan wanted a planet party this year. Originally he wanted a cake that what a sphere, like a ball. I told him it would be difficult to do so (mostly because the pans for that are really expensive, and I didn't want to buy it and use it once)! So he came up with the idea of doing a cupcake solar system. "Perfect," I said, "mom can handle that this year. So easy!

I tried to make some or most of these look like the pictures I could find on the internet. Ethan is particular that way. So particular, that he actually tried to assign planets to specific friends. Sometimes it worked, others rebelled and requested different planets. The cupcakes were mint cake (per request) and the Sun and Mercury (for dad) were just plain, for those who didn't like mint.
Ethan inhaling the planet Earth. He had first dibs, it being our planet. We had to tease him by saying, "Ahhh, don't eat us!"

Here the kids are making the one planned activity of the party. I had them color and put stickers on a paper plate for a flying saucer. Then I had them go outside and "fly" them frisbee style. Ethan especially enjoyed the Mr. Sketch smelly markers I bought for nostalgic reasons. I had been looking for some more since I was ten. Then when I found the markers casually at Staples I had to buy them. Come on, they were on sale, I couldn't resist.

Ethan's one present from Walt and I. He is so tall that he has outgrown his other bike, and Cameron has outgrown his. So new bike for Ethan, and Cameron gets to move up to Ethan's old bike.

Just a picture of the whole gang of boys who came to Ethan's party! So cute they all are.

Ethan was in the middle of opening presents when Walt said, "Look at Luke, he's smiling!" I just sat there adoring him saying how cute he was, when Walt replied in a sing-song voice, "You have a camera in your hands get a picture!" So here is our first picture of a smile from our baby Luke! It was a good day!

Four may be more, but what a blessing!

These pictures were all taken on Wednesday the 10th. Laurel fell asleep in Luke's car seat. I think the reality of having a new baby in the house has finally sunk in for Laurel. I think she is having a hard time not being the baby of the family. Most of the time she does well, but other times there is an awful lot of loud, high pitched screaming. She may not be the baby, but she sure thinks she is the princess (..and well, maybe she is).
Luke continues to grow at what seems an excessively fast pace. He is not growing any faster than the other three. I just get slightly sad that my babies never stay as little as other babies do. They seem to grow big so much quicker. However, I am sure grateful that my little Luke is happy and healthy. I couldn't ask for more.

Cameron is such a sweet child, but he can also be my most mischeaveous. I think this picture does him justice in that respect. He sure looks cute, but there's trouble behind those eyes!
Ethan will be 6 on the 18th this month! I can barely believe it. It seems just yesterday he was the baby, and he snuggled on me all day. Now he's the oldest of 4, reading, and becoming a very thoughtful and helpful kid.

Luke at 4 weeks/1month

It's been a couple of weeks here. Goodness, the weeks are going by quickly. I once heard that for parents the years are short but the days are long. That seems so true for me. Life has slowed down since last year. I am great enjoying that aspect of life. It is so nice not to be Primary President, homeschooling, and running myself ragged. I truly feel at peace, well most of the time. Until one of my 4 children starts screaming, but even then it's nice not to be worrying over so many other things.

The other children are still adjusting to life with a new sibling. It's going to be a few more months before we reach a new level of normal around here I think. Cameron is my daddy in training. He is constantly wanting to hold Luke, burp Luke, and he is usually the first one by his side when he cries. Today Cameron told me, "I want Luke to cry at me. So I handed him over to him, and he actually did a good job at soothing him. What a treasure Cameron is, most of the time. (Walt may disagree today seeing as how he had to uproot the toilet to unclog the plug Cameron created. Walt was not excited about that!)