UGH!!

The smell of fall is in the air - ugh!

The chill is starting to creep in at night and early morning - ugh!

Controlled burning makes it smell like people are already using their fireplaces - ugh!

I have to start finding shoes and socks and keeping them on my childrens feet - UGH UGH UGH!!

(On a side note - I grew up wearing sandals year round - birkenstocks to be exact...and no...I never wore them with socks.)

Ugh - I refuse to start burning my fall apple crisp candle for at least another week...

Broken Rib.

Okay...so its an "undiagnosed" broken rib, but I have the most excruciating pain when I cough or move - and since a friend informed me that you can't bruise fat - I'm going with the broken rib theory. After watching multiple re-runs of House with Matt, I feel that I am pretty familiar with the "ins & outs" of diagnostic medicine - and have let my mind wonder on the possibilities that a broken rib could lead to.

In addition to the possible broken rib, I have laryngitis, a sinus infection, a coughing 2 month old and a coughing 6 year old - who missed 2 days of school this week. But enough "woe is me"...lets get caught up on some family images. These were taken about 2months ago (Ella was a whopping 10 days old), but my family was all together and somewhat willing...and hey - I only had to Photoshop 8 heads...David and Jace were the winners of being perfect.

My favorites are always CHAOS.


Who is the biggest poser?? :)

Sorry Court - there was no head for you to change!

Mac 'n School

Is there ANYTHING cuter than a 3year old little boy?? YES. A 3 year old little boy WITH a speech impediment! (Grandma Kathy won't let him go too much longer, so I'm soaking it up and laughing all day long as he tries to talk to me seriously with a lisp and an innability to make a "k" sound)

McLaren is my first child to go to preschool. He's also my first child to ever pick up a pencil or crayon BEFORE entering kindergarten. Call it a 3rd child thing...who knows...but he loves it! I'm not complaining either...although I've yet to actually snag a nap before he gets home :) He insisted on wearing a dirty OLD B-dacks (speech imp. again) shirt his first day of school. He wouldn't let me talk him out of it. Oh well.

Pool Party (post 2 of 2)

We've had a wonderful few days of cool weather and rain...but today the temperature jumped all the way to 96...okay - if you're in the shade its still beautiful.
I hiked Emmanuel Pines trail with Kris (and El' in the front pack), decided I need new shoes, otherwise my shin splints are going to render me disabled.
Took the kids to the pool. I am going to embrace the rest of summer and not consider it over despite the myriad of texts and emails from my father trying schedule the upcoming holidays. I love the holidays, don't get me wrong...but I really really like summer a little more :) And who can think about the Polar Express when its hot outside??
So almost everyday of my summer was spent taking kids to the pool (except for the childbirthing part) - we even convinced Matt to join us one afternoon. I tried to spray him with sunscreen and he ran away. He was seen later that night with a wet washcloth resting on his roasted head. Hmmmm.

*These were all shot with the 70-200L...no other way to capture & zoom high-action.

Matt had a pair of sunglasses in college that were blue...just making a note here.

We loved having Kathleen there to play!

2 months - Ella

I hiked Thumb Butte with El' today...I found it difficult to put one foot in front of the other...next time we go up the grandma side first (no offense to grandma's--I feel your pain)


She had her first extended quiet (1.5 hours), happy time this week. So nice. Perhaps we will get a few more and maybe some smiles and some talking...maybe that's pushing it...maybe we used all the happy time up for the month...who knows...

Hmmm...here's something we don't see everyday! I'm sure its just her belly trauma...not the fact that she despises earth and was forced to come out only to get kicked in head by her older brother (pictured above) or to have her cheeks (which are plentiful) squished and called "fat cheeky"...none of those things would be the reason for hysterical crying during the day (she sleeps good at night though...most nights...)

The HAIR....not the face or body...just the HAIR bares a strong resemblance...that's all I'm saying...

I'm going to have to go and find the Land Before Time dinosaur for Indy, a little Native American in a papoose for Laina and Benjamin Button for McLaren...just to even the playing field.

Camping.

After the long narrative of the "Great Defrost of 2009"...I'm going with less writing and a few more images. Nothing perfect or pretty about them...just good ol' fun times - day wasting with the family - lovin' dirt - in the beautiful Aspens in Flagstaff. If my father-in-law hadn't shown up with his camping rig - I'm not sure how we would've eaten....
No...he did not want his picture taken...Yes...she did.



If you aim the camera and rapid fire...the subject can't help but laugh.

No comment necessary.

Cheetos are a MUST for an enjoyable camping experience...Cheese Balls can work as a replacement if no cheetos are around.

I'm not sure how you avoid giving your child a complex, when you dress her in outfits with the words "Baby Phat" on them??

Hey honey...can you snap a picture for me?

Hike.

Went on a hike. Beautiful.