Summer Vacation

A smattering of pictures from a wonderful, inspiring, exciting, and fulfilling family vacation!  We traveled from Utah to Washington and back again... by plane, car, boat, train, and bike.  You know a vacation was really good when you arrive home feeling rested and renewed.

Audrey's Special Day

This morning Audrey was baptized by her daddy...  what a lovely, peaceful event it was!  

We enjoyed beautiful music, a marvelous talk by Grandma Lewis, and writing personalized cards to Audrey.  She was radiant and so happy to be able to take this important step in her life.  

Afterward she described her feelings to me and said that throughout the meeting she felt her insides "fill up with spiritual things."  Emotions were tender as I saw my oldest daughter, so pure and faithful, wanting to be the best she can be throughout her life.  Our primary president gave Audrey a special baptism book to fill out and she spent the morning pondering her thoughts of the day and recording them.  I hope she remembers the feelings she had today.  How blessed we are to have the ordinance of baptism. 

 

 

 

 

With her basket of handwritten cards (she went home and read them all!)

 

Relaxing at home afterward

 

Opening a gift from cousin Haylee

Caleb turns 3!

Our sweet Caleb turns 3 today...  he is such a wonderful little guy.  Always cheerful and polite, plays nicely with most everyone, quite coordinated and helpful!  What would I do without this kind little boy?  His disposition makes our home a happier place and we are excited to see him growing up.

Photo Shoot

It's family photo shoot time again and each year gets a bit more complex as we add new faces and personalities to the bunch.  We were blessed with a few pictures where mostly everyone was looking at the camera and had a somewhat decent expression.  This was our first runner up for Christmas card hall of fame.  Another year down!

Costume Parade

We decided on a lego theme this year (except for Kooper, who went as Napoleon Dynamite).  We made real lego people heads and hands for Brendan and Audrey out of animal cracker tubs and then created lego bricks out of boxes and plastic cups.  With the addition of some bright yellow spray paint, the costumes were finished!  Everyone had so much fun wearing them at our ward trunk or treat. 

 

8 months

Really just yesterday James entered the world with his handsome cap of dark hair and big kind eyes.  He is quite large for his ripe age of 8 months, crawls everywhere, pulls to standing, and laughs or giggles at his siblings especially.  They lovingly refer to him as Jamers, with Caleb close behind, uttering his take on the nickname, which sounds more like "dame-ohs" (adorable).

Sometimes I just can't stop squeezing and kissing this little... I mean big...  precious guy.

School Portraits

It's so fun to see each child growing up... school portraits have a way of making children seem older.

I marvel that I have three school aged children. I marvel at how beautiful they are. I marvel at how each of their spirits is developing so well and how they've each learned so much.

What an extraordinary blessing to be a parent.