a lifetime's not too long....

to live as friends. Don't you miss the 90's and singing M.W.S. songs at youth group?

My dear, precious, friend of 13 years, Ali- came with her family this weekend. We were a little confused for a bit because we couldn't remember if we were the ones who were friends from college or our husbands...since they played like 12 year olds and we barely saw them. But I guess that's not the worst thing that could happen. :)

Oh Ben, you are sooo cute.

This made me laugh.
Ava taking care of the "babies."

Mike Moser: Male Model




I love this scene...and I love that Ben is eating his lunch FROM the cozy coupe. :)

Our matching girls...Kaiya was coordinated, too-but there was never a time when everybody was awake!

We miss and love you Moser's...let's play again soon!

Top Five (or 6)

Things we've been doing lately.

1. Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa.

2. Boat Rides.


3. Allowing me to touch their hair. (this is a HUGE accomplishment. i have all girls and nobody will let me do their hair. resulting in this 20 second ponytail.)
(longest time with bow in her hair EVER. 1 hour.)
4. Hats.


5. Loving our cute baby.


6. Swimming with friends. (WARM WEATHER!! YIPPEE!)

I'm getting to the age I really need to start taking care of my skin.

This is what my friend Christina told me this weekend. It's true. But I don't want to.

I've washed my face maybe 10 or 20 times in my life. Mostly in middle school when I had a zit and then attacked it with every possible product and made it peel like I'd been south of the equator for 4 weeks. Anyway. If you see me glowing anytime soon, don't worry-I'm NOT having another baby, just following some new regime.

What's that? You don't care about my skin? Oh. Sorry. It's just that I don't have much to post about. And I want my girls to look back at our blog book and clue in that somewhere around 31 they need to up the anty on anti-aging.

Ok. Took the girls-all 3-to the dr, for 2 month, 18 month, and 3 year appointments. Besides everybody getting shots and taking Ava to the potty 3 times in vain, it went great. I have never posted stats on here before. I'm not sure why, but I'm going to now because I'm mad I've never done it. Obviously people who don't wash their face also don't keep baby books or the little slips you get from the dr. SO-for my personal record keeping: feel free to bypass (if anyone is still reading, which, besides my Mama is probably no one.)

AVA: 32.3 lbs (70th %) She gained 6 lbs this year! Big ol' spike on her growth chart!

38.5 inches tall (80th%)

KAIYA: 25 lbs (60%)

33 3/4 inches tall (95th%)

REESE: 11lb 12 oz (75%)

23 3/4 inches (93%)

And now pictures of those big cuties.

loving hanging out together...makes me happy :)

Oh I love that baby. Someone said to me the other day, "you sure have lucked out with three really good babies." And I thought...don't I get any credit for being just an exceptional mother? Then Ava hit me. So true about the pride and fall thing. So true.
We support mud.
I don't even know what to say about that face.

My friend Meredith and I at an auction the other night. We felt it more important to take our own picture than participate in the Nascar item up for bid. (Yep, she is really cute. Sometimes you just have to give it up and be friends with perfect people because they can end up being really nice.)
Reese got to come out on our date. (Please keep the "how to get your kid to take a bottle" advice coming!) She and I had a lovely time in the handicap bathroom together.
Mother's Day lunch at Aunt Barb's house. Thanks for the gift of photography to Uncle Dave.

So thankful to be a mother. Seriously NOTHING else I ever wanted to do. I dreamed of being pregnant in elementary school. I'm so, so, so, blessed to be living my dream.

My little miracle.

Big Brother

One of my favorite things in life has been having a big brother. And he is the perfect big brother...interrogated Mark when we'd only been dating about 20 minutes, made me laugh when I was trying to be grumpy, and now-is a fabulous father to five little girls, so obviously Mark and I are taking pretty serious notes.

What a treat to have him visit us last weekend! He excels at unclehood just like every other role he is in!

My nephew, Q, decided the day Joel arrived that he was going to go to Wheaton next year. Joel and Melinda (and my Dad and Melinda's husband) are all Wheaton alum, so they made a celebratory "W".

This was our first attempt at a sibling picture. There was one other one but I like having Melinda for a friend and she would never have forgiven me if I posted it. I'm a good sister like that.
Uncle Joel and Baby Reese!
Making the girlies laugh...he is one funny guy.
Snacking with the fam.
More snacking.
See? I told you. Funny guy.

Joel wagered that Mark couldn't get a golf ball to the other side of the river. Of course Mark is always one up for a challenge...(he did it)
So then of course it was game on. Ava was a star cheerleader.
And our last attempt at the sibling picture. Don't mind the fact that I look like I haven't slept in 253 nights. (It's really only been about 56.)
We love you JOEL! So thankful for such a great brother/uncle/friend/pastor/role model in our life!