The Last Pregnant Shot!

It's finally here...only one day left! Hopefully, I will post pictures of a new healthy and handsome James baby soon!
My huge pregnant belly at 37 weeks!

Fiona was sadly watching her blanky be washed.

Fiona...just being cute and finding her own way to get a quick drink of water.

Happy 4th of July!

We had a quiet 4th this year so that I could take a lot of naps! We still had a great family day with a house full of cheerful kids!

My girls having fun together!


Sweet sisters.



His brave face!

Fiona loved the whole fireworks experience. No fear for her! She clapped after everything and was full of giggles. I think it was her first day in pigtails that made her so giddy.

Fiona Grace's 1st Birthday!

She was the center of attention...and she new it!

Happy Birthday our little Fiona Grace. About 20lbs. of sweetness and joy...

...busy thinking about all the newness of life...

...running everywhere...

...stopping for a quick pose...

...and showing off her cheesy little grin. We are still getting to know this little one and thrilled at every turn as her personality pops out in unique and fun ways. What a blessing to our family!

This would be her first ice-cream headache...ouch! And yes, that was just one bite that she managed to cram in.

How she looked after cake. She put on a pretty fun show!

We practiced all week with the Happy Birthday song, and she was happy to have a crowd finally, until all the unusual attention got a little overwhelming.

She ended the day with some sweet cuddles and easily crashed for the night.

Soccer Time

Ivan is so excited to start soccer this year. Of course, his team wins every game, even though the league does not keep score at this age. And that's all fine with me as long as he gets back up when he falls, learns and has a fun time! He got his first goal in the second game and his face was priceless.

This is Ivan's game face.

This is Ivan (green shorts) kicking in his first goal!

Madeline and Deacon at game #1 routing on their favorite little soccer player.

Fiona 11 Months Old!

Well almost...not until May 3rd, but I needed an excuse to post some Fiona cuteness before I leave. She suddenly has gone from only 2 teeth to a whole bunch. She is taking a few steps, but not trying really hard to walk. She is quite the climber and get into just about everything. Huggies do work better for her. She tells me "I love you." Mostly she calls me, "Bob-bob," thanks to her daddy. She is still sweet, cuddly, and mellow, even though she is the first of my kids that can get out of buckles, climb anything and find all the areas in the house that are not baby-proofed. She is such a joy!



This is usually how she waits for a bottle in the morning.

Just some cuddles with dad.

Playing in sisters toys, and getting a little stuck.

Having fun in the grass.

Stealing the dogs bone. It was a pretty new bone, so I waited until I got the shot! The dog was waiting ever so patiently.

All tuckered out!

Easter Morning!

Happy Easter Everyone!!

This Easter we went for more celebration...which meant presents.

We always do a family basket, instead of individual ones. We love it, because we are all gathered around searching through it together.

Ivan's big gift was a new big boy bike, a spiderman bike!

My little climber got a slide.

The girls looked so sweet, but you won't find any pictures of the kids all smiling here, not when Gracie is on the go. This is the closest shot we got of all three together, pinning the little one down. Maybe we will try a photo session later! Nana made Gracie's dress originally for Madeline when she had her first Easter. This year Nana surprised Madeline with a matching one in her size!



Jenny bought the boys wigs as an Easter present. We love it! Ivan looked a little embarrassed when he first opened the gift, but he quickly liked the response he got from his crowd and of course he had an accomplice to share in the fun.

Time for Eggs

Such a serious little artist!

A little less serious...

and everyone had a successful, colorful egg dying experience this year.

New Room...Sneak Preview

This would be the den. Dark, oddly shaped, cheap wood paneling, and a drop ceiling that may have been white 40 years ago.

Demolition-everyone loves to be involved! And what kid wouldn't take a hammer to a wall if you suggested it?

A Very Dark Room...

And a newness that is bright. 9ft. ceilings, no more fluorescent lights, and very open.

Well, it's not quite done, but I couldn't help but share the progress. I can now visualize our family room as a place where we will spend lots of time. Soon enough it will be filled with toys and furniture instead of sawdust!

New Camera!!

Finally, we have a camera that can take good pictures (now I just need to learn some skills) and I don't even have to hold the batteries in anymore!


I just love all these brown eyes!

St. Patricks Day Smiles

St. Patrick's Day fun all started with some green milk, green french toast, and a story about St. Patrick himself. Madeline made dramatic faces while Deacon read the story eagerly awaiting the end. Everyone quickly dressed in green to avoid a day full of unwanted pinches. Sorry for the repetitive pictures, but it is getting more difficult to get all the smiles at once!


This is just some cuteness to show off. She is quite the climber and moving around on everything. I even found most of the way onto the counter next to her high chair. We have finally figured out a buckle for it that she can't get out of, but if she does figure her way out of this buckle, we will have to start tying her legs down.
We are really enjoying her personality coming even more to life. She can now say, "dog, dada, amen, and all done."Of course these are all in said such that not everybody would quite understand, but it is definitely a good start. Anyone that sees her, feel free to say "mama" a thousand times as I am looking forward to hearing that from her next!