Photo Challenge - Day 6

A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day ~


I absolutely love my life :) I wouldn't trade it for the world. That being said, there are a few individuals that I would absolutely love to change places with for a day. Top on my list is my friend, Emilie. We were friends as children and through the magic of the Internet were able to reconnect a few years ago. She has a wonderful blog (from which the photo below is borrowed, which you can read here) that I love reading.


She is constantly visiting fabulous places (that I will visit someday!) with magical names like St. Tropez and Corsica. She lived in Paris for several years and currently has a beautiful old house, filled with character, in New York City. She often spends holidays in Provincetown (located at the tip of Cape Cod), and her activities seem to me to be the epitome of culture somehow blended with abandoned amusement, a combination I find intoxicating :) Her blog reminds me a bit of the magazine "National Geographic" as she captures the personality of wherever she is and her photos seem to bring those places and the people in them to life. Her photos have helped me start to notice similar moments around me and I now appreciate them more fully.

Conversation with Beth

"You know, Mom, it's true that I have a TV in my head. Actually I have 2 computers and a TV in my head. Actually I have a whole house in my head. Even with an attic that I can go into. It has chairs and beds. It even have my own refrigerator and recipe books so I can cook cookies. I cook chocolate chip cookies. And it even have a playroom with all the toys that I want like a teddy bear that can talk when I press a button. And I even have my own (Mommy - what is that kinda music thing? The sleeping box that plays music) music box. And I can go on my roof whenever I want. I'm allowed to play on my roof. I play ball there. And I have a pool in my backyard (now can we go into the backyard part?).

In my backyard, I have my very own swingset and a treehouse. I can look at birds there. I went and I saw a nest with a bluebird. I got my very own slide in my backyard.

The computers in my head - I can talk to Jesus on one and I can play games on one. I play ballet games. Oh! I forgot about something. I have my very own ballet dress. And I have ballet shoes. And that's all.

Theeeee end."

Photo Challenge - Day 5

(Sorry this is a day late!)

Today calls for a picture of your favorite memory. I have six favorite memories of all time. In descending order . . .

Having Eva join our family ~

Finally meeting Jack ~

Giving birth to Beth ~

Holding Kylie in my arms for the first time ~

Becoming a mother for the first time when Megan made her appearance ~

My final favorite memory I actually don't have a picture of. It's when Rob and I met and fell in love. I suppose the photo below is a culmination of that memory ~



Nothing I will ever accomplish or experience in life could hold a candle to spending eternity with my best friend and being blessed with each of my children :)

Photo Challenge - Day 4

A picture of your night ~

My night usually consists of staying up with Eva, who is a night owl, and either doing homework or watching a show on Netflix.

Eva at 1am (I think she's about 2 months old here) ~

Eva and I doing homework ~

Photo Challenge - Day 3

A picture of the cast from your favorite show ~

For year my favorite shows were Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, and Scrubs. Although I still love those shows, I'd have to say that there is currently a three way tie for my favorite show between . . .

Eureka

Bones

and Numb3rs

Beth singing to herself: "I love my mom. I love my daddy too, but I like my mommy's food. . . they are all members of my fam-i-leeeee . . . they buy me presents for my birthday like pillow pets. I got a mother. I love her and she loves me back. She gave me all my sisters, my brother and all my sho-ooooes. She's the best mo-ooooom in the unnnniversssse!"

Beth "riding a horse" ~

Kylie with her new friend ~

Eva asleep in the baby swing - look how big she's getting! ~

All five kids ate lunch together today at their picnic table. Eva was thrilled to be included, although she would have preferred the same food her siblings were eating and kept trying to grab food off Megan's plate ~

Jack made a face with his food, so the rest of the kids followed suit ~

Jack got a haircut tonight. He asked for a haircut more like Daddy's - long on top and short on the sides. I did my best, which wasn't too bad considering that he had issues staying still and that he has four (!!!) cowlicks. He looks so grown up! I think he looks just like my dad (Papa) in the first photo ~

Photo Challenge - Day 2

A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest ~

That would have to be one of my best friends, Laura. We met almost 30 years ago (good grief, was it really that long ago???). We can go for literally a decade without talking and immediately pick up where we left off. I couldn't find a picture on my computer of the two of us, but I found one of Laura holding baby Jack when he was only a few months old.

Photo Challenge - Day 1

10 Things About Me ~
1. I have been married for almost 14 years.
2. I have 5 wonderful children.
3. I am currently attending grad school working towards a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
4. I love to read.
5. If I could visit anywhere in the world, I would visit Italy.
6. My favorite food is lobster (with lots of butter).
7. I like to cook.
8. I think good friends are one of the most important things in life and I am very blessed to have the friends I have.
9. I love music and almost constantly have music playing.
10. My favorite thing in the world to do is to sit with my husband and listen to my children play.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Intro

Below is the outline of each day of the photo challenge ~

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Day 04 - A picture of your night

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Day 25 - A picture of your day

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

Day 31 - A picture of yourself

Current Future Plans

Megan ~
I am going to be an artist, a mom and a cook. I am going to college at either Texas Tech or one of the BYUs. I'm going to study art and cooking. I will get married when I'm 19 and will live RI, Australia and Montana. I will have at least 5 children; 2 boys and 3 girls. I will live in a 3 or 2 story house.

Kylie ~
I want to be a shopkeeper because all the money you earn, you keep. I think I'm going to get married to Dalton because he already has a crush on me and he kissed me in kindergarten (I didn't kiss him, he kissed me). I will have 4 or 5 children; 1 boy and about 4 girls, like our family. Their names will be Julie, and I don't know the rest. I will live on this street. I will be a cowgirl. I will go around the desert and live in a cowgirl place for a couple of years - that will be my vacation.

Beth ~
I'm going to be a doctor - a real doctor like Dr. Robert (our pediatrician). And I'm gonna also be a mom. I'm gonna have 5 kids. I will have only girls. They will be named Emma, Katie, Elizabeth, Beth, and Eva. I don't know where I'm going to live. I'm going to have a computer and a tv and a cookbook for my oldest kid. I will buy the oldest kid an apron and I will have a yard sale so I can get money.

Jack ~
I will drive a car. Can you teach me how to drive a car? And then I can go on the computer. I will watch grown-up shows and kids shows too. I will get married to my aunt (Jack's nickname for Brittney). I will have lots of kids. Only boys. I will stay with Daddy. I will make dinner. I am a good maker of dinner. I make dinner for the coach and he say I win. And that I a good maker!

Favorite Recent Facebook Status Updates

Quote for the day comes from Beth, who just told Kylie "Yes, Jesus did tell me to help you. You see, I got a computer in my head that lets me talk to Jesus."

So Eva and I have reached another compromise ~ she (while teething) will sleep without crying and waking up Rob if I sit up and hold her and feed her all night long. I'm thinking I would not have made as good a lawyer as I thought I would. I don't seem to be winning any of these cases. Can't wait to see how her teenage years go!

Jack playing "this little piggy" ~ "this little piggy had pizza, this little piggy had tomatoes, this little piggy had gananas (bananas), this little piggy had a robot, this little piggy had a rhino, this little piggy had pizza, this little piggy had orange juice, this little piggy had milk" . . . etc

Rob: There are only a few people I would be happy about dying . . . Voldemort, Darth Vader, Sauron . . .
Me: You know those aren't real people, right?
Rob: Huh (in annoyed tone)

Rob's pain pills may be kicking in . . . he just murmured "I love you. Au revoir."

Megan (age 8) is apparently writing a book entitled "12 Defenses Against Men"

well negotiations have been successful against Eva's sleep strike . . . unfortunately we were unable to reach a compromise that allowed me to sleep as well . . . This little girl would make an excellent lawyer ;)

4th of July

As usual we watched the fireworks the night of the 3rd.

Megan made monkey bread for breakfast - almost completely by herself! It was delicious!


We decided to take some family photos in our matching flag shirts. As we are cheap and don't have a camera with a timer, Rob and I took turns being in the photos.


And the requisite silly photo ~


Eva found the slide! She couldn't quite figure out how to climb it, but give her a week or two and she'll be giving us heart attacks just like her older brother did :)


My goofball of a son ~


The last few years Megan has been disappointed that her younger siblings didn't agree with her design plans for our traditional 4th of July cake, so this year we divided the cake into four sections and let each of them decorate their own quarter.

Beth carefully laid out her design, creating a "patter-in" and using her remaining blueberries to frame the cake ~


Kylie decided to go with a flag theme, although she used raspberries to make three "eyes" on the top of the cake ~


Jack made a tyrannosaurus rex cake. He was disappointed that I wouldn't pick up the cake so he could put legs under it.


Megan made a flag too and marked it with her initials ~


We had hot dogs, sausages, corn on the cob, potato chips (smoked mozzarella and pesto flavored), and watermelon for dinner and cake for dessert. Afterwards, we went into the backyard and set off poppers.


Eva LOVES the organic lollipops we buy for the kids. She occasionally gets confused as to which end goes into her mouth, but she always manages to get them eaten anyway :) Granted by the end she's so sticky that we could probably stick her to the wall, but she has so much fun eating them!

Rob's getting a little thin on top. Thought we'd document it for posterity :)


It's really not that obvious though if his hair is brushed in the normal way ~

Pictures from the last half of June

My laptop keyboard stopped working about two days after my class was over, hence my lack of updates. We were grateful it happened after the class was over instead of in the middle of it! Fortunately it was still covered by warranty, so we were able to send it in to get repaired. As this was the fourth time we've had to send it in for repairs and considering that the warranty is up in a few weeks, we bought a new laptop and are selling our old one :)

Anyway, so this is what we've been up to for the last week ~

Kylie lost another tooth (her 6th I think) ~

(Meg wanted her picture taken too)

Eva got a second tooth (finally) and decided crawling does not quite offer the opportunities she's looking for, so she's doing her best to figure out how to walk. She pulls up on everything she can get her hands on and is already cruising!


Megan decided to become a magician and come up with quite the outfit for the role! She used a blanket as a cape and hid a stuffed bear in her hat as she couldn't find a rabbit ~

Jack and Eva playing on my bed ~


Beth with her "hook" on ~


Nothing like hugs from a big brother! ~


Jack and Kylie apprehended my camera and went on a picture spree. I thought this photo was worth saving :) ~

We discovered that Rob has another hernia (this is his third), although we caught this one soon enough that the specialist thinks he may not have to have surgery (yay!!!). He's been in a lot of pain from it though, so he's had to take it easy. Eva loved the extra time she got to spend with Daddy! When she would get tired of crawling and climbing on everything, she would crawl over next to Rob and curl up for a nap (notice that she's sucking her lower lip - something she's recently started doing) ~

Eva gets so excited every time she pulls up and starts cruising ~


Kylie held Eva for me one night while I made dinner. This was the result (note Kylie's outfit - I'm sure you'd be shocked to know she picked it out herself) ~


We put pillows on the floor around them in case Kylie was out of it enough to lose her grip. Kylie woke up enough to notice them and move to the floor ~