Well, what else would you do with a new toilet seat before installing it? Put on your wife's wig and chase your kids around the house of course!

When I look at this picture I can feel nothing but fulfilled.

Laura and Jane's Visit

So my friend Laura came to visit from California - we calculated 17 years that we've been BFFs! So this was totally fun for us because we haven't seen each other in 3 years. We have daughters 10 days apart and the last time we were together they were a few months old. This time, they got to be buddies and it was a blast watching them interact, dining out, lounging, swimming, shopping (especially when Laura set off all the hopping gobbling turkeys down the Jo-Ann store aisle). The girl knows how to have fun anywhere. So she had to leave her one and a half year old home and come 6 months pregnant on a 4 hour plane ride with a very energetic and inquisitive 3 year old. That's a good friend :-) Here's the pictures of our girls....

They arrived late when Ellie was sleeping, but she knew they were coming and came right out when she heard them...she was excited but she is very shy at first, so outgoing little Jane jumped right into the introductions..."Hi Ellie...wanna play?" To which Ellie replied nothing but a shy coy smile while frozen in one spot from nerves.....so what else to get Ellie playing than....

tickling of course! Smart girl. That got an instant smile on Ellie's face and two seconds later....

good buddies.

So they....jumped on beds,

Watched Harold and The Purple Crayon when Ellie needed her down time.....the girl is just like her Mommy,

played ring around the rosie,

swam,

bathed...because Laura said I needed to bathe my child once in a while,

were goofballs, said plenty of silly things and potty word things and giggled to their hearts content....

and Ellie has missed her ever since. She keeps saying, "Mommy where's my sister?"

First Day of Third Grade

Max has a wonderful teacher again this year - we have so blessed with 4 out of 5 great teachers from K- 3rd (he had two teachers in Kinder because we moved, two in 1st grade because one left for an administrative position and two in 2nd grade because one had to go on medical leave). His teacher this year has just the perfect amount of expectation, dedication and care for her students. He kept saying he wanted to be home-schooled when the beginning of school was nearing, but I haven't heard that since his first day. I love this age - he is so fun and self-functioning. He knows what he needs and what he needs to do. He's my mister math whiz, chess whiz, entreprenuer and list maker. Here he is headed out the first day and with the bus stop gang - wonderful neighbors and friends.

Father's Day

Finally! Do any of you have husbands that are soooooo hard to shop for? I think after ten years of marriage I finally got him something he liked. Two nice golf shirts, Clive Cussler's new book Medusa and a really funny card this year was the ticket (well, since the big screen tv I gave him the first year we were married - what was I thinking spoiling him like that....no wonder nothing has compared!).

One More Baptism Pic

So Max's baptism was right after my recital, right before his birthday party and right in the middle of summer piano lessons with the kids at home all day making it hard for me to prep. Just an insane time. There had been so much hype leading up to it...us making sure we say all the right things and that he understands what choice he is making and the promises involved, the interviews and the Primary lessons, etc....that he was like, yes yes yes...let's get this thing over with. So I took the easy route that day and instead of making it really peaceful and spiritual, we decided to enjoy God's creations while swimming at the neighborhood pool. I thought maybe if I wore him out fe would be a really good listener and reverant for the event too. Well, we wiped him out all right - here is a pic of the kids on the way to the church..... unfortunately he hardly looked at the speakers, but I like to think he was listening still.

Destin, FL

We were able to go to Destin with Shane's brother Jaymee n fam, sister Brittany n fam, and mom. It was a BLAST...except for all the people on the beach (including Shane's family members) who had to witness me topless after catching a great wave. You know me, I'll do anything for attention. Needless to say, his family and I are much closer now. I've never felt so laughed at and accepted in my life.....they rock.

Scripture Master. This kid LOVES the scriptures. We haven't done anything out of the ordinary - he is just fascinated with the stories and we are so excited to often times find him passed out like this with his picture scriptures next to him. He read the hardcover Book of Mormon picture books and the church published paperback Old Test. New Test. B Of Mormon and D&C ones before he was baptized. Since he was baptized we've started reading the regular ones with him at night but often times he'll read ahead of us after he goes in his room. He has started to ask good questions about them too which is wonderful for us to hear as formulating coherent questions has been a roadblock for him in the past - he has had a lot of difficulty with language processing and expression. The scriptures have really helped him develop in that area. Seems he was really blessed with a love and understanding of them - so awesome. He will make a great missionary someday.....when he's not in airplane bedding anymore.

So nice. Shane often times lets me crash for a Sunday nap. Makes me such a happier person. Of course he has to take pics of me to prove it too. So here is evidence he rocks and I sleep....after talking to someone I guess since I'm holding my cell.

Oh so cute. Ellie is really starting to look a lot like Shane. Look at that smile - she loves his attention and he just adores her!

We love Camryn....

Max's cousin Camryn hung out with us for a week this summer. They had a blast - we tubed down the Chattahoochie, swam, played, she read Harry Potter while he played her Nintendo DS. I wish I had caught a picture of them as they were frequently on the couch doing that with her head resting on his shoulder and vice versa. Once in a while he would get all sheepish when he remembered she was a girl. Talk about melting our hearts. They are only a few months apart and very much alike...I think they really get each other and she was a really good example to him too.

If you have a boy, you understand.....

We just took pics off Shane's phone - this is Christmas '08 (hence the cheesy tight elf outfit), but I had to post it. We caught him doing this at grandma's house.

Catching Up....

I have been choosing things other than blogging lately so I have some catching up to do! Here's some of the happenings in the last few months....

Shane and I have been hitting the weights, roads and pool lately. He's brought the stylish bandana back and Ellie don's it as well. She is a big time momma's girl, but she LOVES her Daddy...especially his humor. This has got to be one of my all time favorite pictures of them - wish it was a regular camera and not a camera phone pic.


I think for Mother's Day maybe it was Shane sent me one of those darling Pajama Grams with this "Super Mom" outfit in it. He scored big points - so cute. Max has had a new sense of muscle mass since mom and dad are trying to tone and bulk. There is usually a nightly evaluation of his muscle growth also :-)