family traditions

Growing up we had a few family traditions that I just loved.  Family bike rides on the Green Belt was one of my favorites!  I am hoping that my kids will love them just as much.  So far they do.  :)

We have had very few nice days here and this morning was one of them.  I love to see my kids playing together.  Porter thinks that he is one of the big kids and gets mad when he can't join in.  Thankfully the kids let him tag a long. (most of the time) 

when you really want something, you better be prepared for the consequences.

I really wanted to get a new family picture......start the whining, dirty faces, crying, excuses.... now.

It is like pulling teeth to get my family together for a picture.  Heaven for bid I ask them be nice to each other for an hour while we attempted the imposable. 
A big thanks to Angela for taking these for us.  It was a lot of work, Porter was NOT happy the entire time and you can tell in each picture.  What I can I expect.... I asked for it. 
Until next year...

Has this ever happened to you?

Yes, that is our stove, and yes that is melted plastic.  Poor popcorn bowl.  

Have you ever had 3 minuets to clean your house before someone comes over?  Have you ever been so desperate to get your dishes out of the sink that you put them in your oven..... and then FORGET that they are in there?  Well that is exactly what I did.  Now whenever I turn on my oven it smells of melted plastic.  

In Kurtis's words, 

"Smelling this can not be good for us."

(Sadly this is not my first time!)

On a higher note..... Kurtis and I celebrated our 9th anniversary!  We had a great night, we ate out at 300 and 1st.  Yummy!  We also decided to buy bikes for each other.  Ever since we bought them we have been on some really fun family bike rides!  Our kids love it!  

(Picture taken on our cruse in November....have yet to edit those pictures!  I am so behind!)

cause you know in California there is somthing better for us all

There is just something about a girl trip that makes me just happy saying those simple two words.  In February (I know that was forever ago, I am slow!)  I went to LA(all ALONE!) to visit one of my favorite people in the whole wide world.  Angela, Merissa and I had been talking about doing something like this forever....well it finally happened.  Merissa moved to LA do to a internship there and Angela and I thought we had to visit.  So away we flew, away from all responsibility, cold, snow, children, and husbands.   It was a trip that I will never forget and still dream about today!  You can tell, though these pictures that I was obsessed with anything that was alive and of course the food that we consumed, yum, I am hungry.  :)

We ate at The Ivy, which a is a popular (& yummy) restaurant where celebrity's go and movies are filmed.  It was decorated so cute! 

We also got our make up done at Sephora by a really strange man.  It was a blast none the less!

It was amazing to see all the fruit trees.  Merissa had a grapefruit and lemon tree in her backyard!  I brought my kids home some lemons. :)
  We went to the beach one afternoon.  The water was cold, but the sun and sand were so warm.  Nothing wrong with a little vitamin D.  Even if my hubby is a dermatologist!

If you can't tell by now, our trip was based around where we were going to eat next.  We also did a fair amount of shopping.  In fact one day we shopped for 11 hours!  It was a dream come true!! The shopping was amazing!!

For some reason I was obsessed with this picture.  Love the car reflected in the window, love the multicolored roof, love the vintage feel it puts off.  LOVE. 

The LA temple was huge and beautiful.  So glad we stopped to see it.  We went into the visitors center and were attacked my the sister missionaries.  They wanted all the details of our trip and how we met our "doctor" husbands.  It was funny!

Thank you Angela and Merissa for playing with me for those 3 short days!  Love you!

she thinks she wants a sister

But I guess Porter will have to do! Aren't his earrings lovely? It was funny to see how still he was being. 

Hannah loves to get all dressed up and LOVES when other people notice how "beautiful" she is.  I think that I might be raising a vain child.  :)

Porter is obsessed with his "ball" shirt.  I asked him to show me his ball shirt and this is what he did.  Also, if you look closely you can see his ouchy on his baby finger.  Poor boy was just trying to keep with with his big brother outside.  Porters next love, next to any ball, is his Binky.  I think that I am going to have a hard time breaking that habit. 

Hannah likes to be little mother hen.  Porter is in the stage where he wants to do everything himself.  All the codling from his sister is not working for him.  I hate to admit it but the boy has a mean pinch.  Mean....

But after is is all said and done (and he is asleep in his bed) he really is a sweet little guy. 

All my kids are going like weeds.  I am so thankful for them. 

 Caleb is a really good helper.  He loves everything boys do.  He as become a very good reader and LOVES math!  Really, who is this kid..... I was nothing like him.  I have to admit that he is a lot like his father.  I know this pictures quality is horrible, but I had to post it anyway.  Just shows how sweet he is.  I would not trade him for anything!

There is something about the sun....

...that just fills your soul with joy.

 This one is by far, one of my favorite pictures!  These two are such good friends.  They would spend every second together if we would let them. 

I love each and every one of her freckles on that sweet little nose.  She likes them too. 

bed heads

I love the sweetness that bursts out of my kids when they wake up from good nights sleep.  The other morning I woke up to my three kids snuggling me in bed. The sun was so soft and pretty coming though my window.  I am so happy I took these pictures.  These will be a wonderful memory. 

My little Spring Chickens

After I got everyone's photos edited from my Easter Mini Shoot I finally got around to doing my kiddos!  The older two kids loved the chicks, but Porter was terrified of them.  Poor little guy. Once I took the chicks away he would try to get down, to say the least he was not having very much fun. To keep him put I just kept stuffing crackers in his mouth.  :)

It was a sad day when we gave away our three little chicks!  There names were Butterscotch, Rosabelle & Penelope.  We got them when they were just a day old.  Such sweet little babies!

After I had cleaned up Porter finally decided that he wanted his picture taken! 
These last 3 pictures where edited with a new action set!  I personally love it! What do you think?