Rock on...

You know the session is going to Rock when you've got:

Serious "funk" going on...

Boys...doing what they do best...

A husband who isn't afraid to get in there and love on his wife...

Great shoes...

Some groovy background...

Paris models for hire...

Some good graffitti...

A mom who can love and be proud of her family in ANY circumstance (just look at the pride in her eyes :)

Beautiful women...

And above all...good "bad" humor....

Spring is HERE

I've become a crazy weather watcher. Everyday I get up and look at the forecast hoping that the beautiful weather will hold, and so far so good :) I loved all the different colors we were able to incorporate...and the TRUCK! Way fun.

Groovin' Graduate

I was going to make a play on words for seniors...but then thought about how many people confuse "high school seniors" with geriatrics :) so I went for "graduate". She was great - and its really nice when I can recruit all of these "graduates" to help with babysitting!

Boys with guitars

Rock on...brothers...rock on.

Any-hoo I loved the first image of the session where the little guy just started jammin' out...it was hard for him to just have to "hold" the guitar and not be able to serenade us.

Family Catch-up

I'm a tad bit behind on posting my sessions, so now its time to play some catch-up. I had an extended family session and all the kids were great...not one of them fell into the little pond - quite the miracle. But first some female bonding :)

This next session I had 2 graduates from Emby Riddle Aeronautical University. He's a pilot now and I couldn't resist trying to grab some airplane shots...

My favorite of the session....

Survived...Barely

I kinda wish I could rewind to last week, when I was lounging around a sunny pool in Phoenix. Fast forward to reality. Matt and I had an awesome, wonderful, relaxing few days in Phoenix. We only had one little glitch and that was Thursday night when I thought we would be able to get a table at Pizzeria Bianco (Phoenix's pizza version of the soup nazi)...anyway, I've been wanting to go there for about 3 years and knew the chances were slim...try a 3 hour wait, no reservations :( But did I let that get me down...did I waste a wonderful photo opportunity??? heck no...I'll take my picture in front of the famed Bianco in my lovely dinner attire...complete with sweaty spandex workout pants, sweaty sports bra, and borrowed bedazzled flip-flops - I just couldn't bring myself to don the sneakers. Nice.

We had a slight mix-up with the luggage and I was forced to dine in this special attire :) Not a stitch of pride in this old gal' (I would like to note that I'm also humble enough to post this awful image - completely un-photoshopped of course, can't be cheating as we enter the last stretch of largeness. I liked the angle...it hides the belly well dontcha think???)

So we ended up salvaging the night with good company and some "pseudo stroganoff" (translation: meatless--something that skipped my attention). We made it back to Phoenix well rested and ready to tackle the next 2 exhausting months. We have found that even though tax season officialy ends on April 15th - the craziness doesn't subside around here until June...a perfect month to bring children into the world-wouldn't you say??? So even though our fingers are a bit bloody, we can say that we survived the season, clinging to everything that was stable around us, and we're ready for summer to hit.

I've found that with the warmer weather, my kids have been much MUCH dirtier. This has forced nightly baths in our house, something that brings me great distress (not that I mind bathing...just don't like taking the time to do it! - I know gross...whatever). This past week I've had several sessions (all of which I'm behind on blogging of course), my almost 3 year old is still wearing underwear - weird, not quite used to that - and the fact that he just did it by himself--even weirder, and a slew of babysitters, for which I am grateful. They come around 4:30pm when its the awful time of day and I get to walk out of the house for 2 hours - make people smile - and they get to play with the kids - like I said... grateful :)

Laina went with Matt on a little Daddy-daughter campout last night and the boys and I had a date night "in". Indy had originally wanted to go to Freedom Station, but we wouldn't have been able to go until around 7pm, so when we went to the store and he started asking for all this junk food I told him we could get ALL the junk food and movies he wanted if we could stay home :) He took the bait and started loading the cart up. It was gross...disgusting...but was such a relief to think that I had just avoided an evening of awful chaos surrounded by loud crazy video games and kids...yippee! Laina waited in the car for 45 minutes while her dad packed up for the campout...just eating popcorn and chilling...and holding on to her princess flashlight. We have learned that if you try to show up to the campout withOUT a flashlight...you might as well go home...its like showing up naked. Its all about the flashlight. She was very very excited and her dad is a very very good sport - all he needs is a fried chicken dinner and coleslaw and some donuts in the morning and he's good.

Speaking of Laina and her father - he decided to help her find some socks yesterday for school (trying to integrate himself back into home life :) She walked out like this and I burst out laughing (still laughing - full belly laughing-as I write)...I tried to choke the laughter down so as not to hurt her feelings, but then Indy rounded the corner and started laughing too! He looked at me and we both tried to compose ourselves, but it was to no avail...I told Laina to stand there while I grabbed my camera (I think Matt was channeling the Lollipop Guild while searching for some socks:
Needless to say, I found some normal socks for her (and did her hair) but she opted to wait till we got in the car to change them - I think she wanted to spare her fathers feelings :) In his defense, he thought they should be pushed down...then they would be okay.

I ended up finding our Egg dying pictures and thought I'd better throw them up since everyone cooperated and we didn't spill one cup of dye this year! Note there's only like 9 eggs!

My dad just sent me the following video link (Cristin this is for you :) I have not been to this station, but I was in Amsterdam's and that's close enough for me. I will also note that this will be going on the labor pains ipod playlist (more on that later - no time to talk maternity/labor plans now) - and yes I will forgive the Macarena portion...I'm in a giving mood this morning.
Sound of Music

EGGscellent Weekend

I couldn't leave (I should be packing) without writing a bit about our Easter weekend. (I'm starting to receive some serious flack...)

So Saturday morning, I got up and tackled a recipe that I've been wanting to do for 3 years. Exactly 3 years ago, this weekend, I got up and made Eggs Benedict for my little family (or at least tried to.) I had the muffins toasted, the eggs poached, and then started making the hollandaise sauce. I cracked 12 eggs, kept the whites and chucked the yolks. After stirring for a few minutes and realizing because the sauce was clear and not yellow that something was wrong...I had wasted a dozen eggs - you're supposed to keep the yolks and chuck the whites. Sooooo I banished the recipe from my mind and every year about this time I think I'll try it again. This year I did. I only made 2 :) The sauce was okay...I'll still have to work on it, but I'm glad I can finally cross that off my list. (Of course my husband thinks I'm nuts...but I didn't notice him complaining when he was allowed to eat one of the two :)




McLaren decided on Saturday morning that he was going to start wearing underwear. I think he did this just to thwart his mother, who will be leaving town for 3 days and knows how unwise it is to walk off and let your child potty train themselves...but he stuck with it and is still going strong....best wishes to the babysitter!!! (He was my easiest child...put the undies on and never looked back...I knew there were benefits to waiting till almost 3 :)



Saturday we dyed eggs (woops...I'll have to find those images and add them later!) This counts as my April "Year of the Mother" activity :)



Saturday evening, as Laina was being tucked in, she said "I wish the Easter Bunny came at night so we could have eggs in the morning" (I had been telling the kids that the bunny knew we had church at 9am and so he'd probably come in the afternoon. It makes it a bit tricky when the actualy bunny shows up--which means (lucky for me!) that I don't have to do any baskets...he brings everything!!! yippee! I didn't buy one stitch of candy or treats...it probably would have put me over the edge this week anyway...so without further adieu...let's welcome the Easter Bunny for our 2nd annual "Bunny Day". He was seen hopping down the hill as we drove in from church...Laina jumped out and McLaren immediately started crying. (Notice Indy laughing in the background of the images...)



Mac just took his loot and headed inside...far away from the bunny.

The girls loved him...Laina said "he KNEW I loved jump ropes and he brought me one!" "He's a good friend of Grandpa Wade"...this was in reference to his letter he handed us to read last year that said, I'm a good friend of your Grandpa Wade...

I think Taylor commented right about here, that the Bunny, with 2 pregnant women was like the Easter Daddy...

We grabbed Mac and had the kids do a little group picture...PLEASE NOTE: McLaren IS similing here...

He starts to go down hill from here...

The following images are deceiving...I was NOT enjoying torturing my son...I repeat...I was NOT...

This is Indy probably saying "goodbye Bunny...I'll have you figured out next year...."

Happy & safe inside...(sporting his new haircut...he decided to add to the first haircut that his mother gave him and so he was buzzed...of course this breaks his fathers heart who does NOT believe in cutting hair...if you HAVE it)

We couldn't resist - we were color-coordinated after all - Sheri is due 6 weeks after me.

And one of my dearest and I...all in pink...'cause everyone knows that REAL men wear pink (we would have a taken a family image...but we had to distract the kids by making them change their clothes so that Taylor and Sheri could quickly hide our 9 dyed eggs!! I know...pathetic!)
Which brings me to one last thought...I can't handle dying 2 dozen eggs, just so they have something to find...what the heck do you do with 2 dozen eggs afterwards?? We can only eat so many egg sandwiches! we went with 9 (3 each...)