evan's flipping out...

A few days ago Evan figured out that he can turn somersaults on the couch. He was so excited about it that he wanted me to take pictures of him. I really didn't want to drag the camera out at the time, but I'm so glad now that we have these images of him being silly...it will make a sweet memory. :) Honestly, the other two would have never been allowed to play on the couch this way...I guess they've worn me down!

Evan has also said some really cute things lately and I have to document them before I forget them! Like last week when I called him "baby cake" (I call him this often), he said, "I like it when you call me that." It was SO sweet! Some other funny things he has said recently:

A couple of weeks ago when he was sick he just wanted to sit on my lap, so we were watching Rachael Ray as it was coming on. She walked into the picture and Evan said, "I don't like that dress she has on." I mean, he actually has an opinion about such things???

The other day Evan was standing next to me as I was looking at pictures on the computer. He must have been impressed by one of them because he said, "Now that is definitely a very pretty smile." If you could just hear his little raspy voice saying it!

This morning, he came to me asking for help because he was having trouble getting a movie to play in the VCR. He said, "I'm trying to watch 'sour cream and onion' and it won't work!" I was laughing and trying to figure out what he was talking about. Then he showed me the movie...The Buttercream Gang! I guess the "cream" part got him mixed up!

Here are some of the pictures of Evan flipping and being cute...


He wanted me to take a picture while he pretended to be asleep...


He REALLY needs to stop sucking his thumb, but I figure years
down the road this one will be a favorite...


I am very excited about Evan's birthday pictures...that's next week! Thanks for visiting...hope you all have a GREAT week!

happy birthday, sis..

Today is my sister Alarra's birthday, so I am devoting this post to her. I was going to dig out some old photos of her as a kid, but fortunately for her I couldn't get to the box. :) Good thing I have some shots of her at her wedding last year.

Alarra is younger than I am by only thirteen months. My mom says everyone used to think we were twins because we were the same size. I don't know how anyone could have ever thought we were twins...we are so opposite. Unfortuately for me, she got the looks AND the personality!!! Haha! So not fair! My sister is one of the most fun people to be around. She is very witty and quite sarcastic (sarcasm is one thing we do have in common:). Whenever we are together, we are ALWAYS laughing. Everything she says is funny and she's always the life of the party. I wish we lived closer so we could do fun sister stuff together.

With her kids, Ashlyn & Kyler...


Mike & Alarra...


I love this one because to me, it depicts her perfectly...


The serious face...


She's gonna kill me, but I couldn't resist... :)


Alarra...okay, I'm done talking about you like you aren't here. :) I've been thinking recently about how the Lord has blessed you this past year. You have had a lot of good things happen for you, and I am so thankful to God for that. I am also thankful to have you as my sister! I love you and I hope you have the happiest happy birthday ever!

Well that's about all the soft and mushy I can handle, so enough of that! I'm just so happy I managed to update my blog twice this week!!!! Hope you all have a great weekend...see ya!

moisture + cold air = SNOW...

...If only we could get both at the same time!!! Everyone knows 2007 was a crazy-weather year. This year is not looking much different. Finally the kids got out of school yesterday and started two hours late today...because of ICE! The kids got up yesterday and got ready for school as usual. We were putting breakfast on the table when someone called and said school had been delayed because the roads were icy. At 6:30 it wasn't even raining, but by 7:00 it had started drizzling lightly and it was just cold enough that it froze in a matter of minutes. A couple of hours later school was canceled due to the fact that half the people in town had driven off the road into a ditch. About a minute later, the ice melted and it was just a cold, rainy day. It was a nice surprise to unexpectedly be out of school for the day though and we all enjoyed it.

Anyway, we have practically been begging for snow...especially when so many people we know just keep getting more and more. Of course next week, it's supposed to be in the 60s. CRAZY! I just know we are going to get some snow...in April, after we get out our summer clothes!!! :D

It does remind me of the Scripture about being content in whatsoever state I am...I think I'm going to move to another state! :) As you can tell, I have nothing else to blog about today and I don't usually post this kind of stuff on here, but I'm including some of my favorites from some baby sessions I've done lately. Hope you enjoy...



















If I can get my scanner to work, I have something to post in a couple of days. Big IF...but maybe I'll see you then. Thanks for dropping in!

ages and ages and ages ago...

Does it seem to anyone else like Christmas was a long time ago??? Of course the plan was to post these pictures the week of Christmas instead of the middle of January, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. I was planning on putting these pics and a whole series of them opening gifts into a slideshow, but we're trying out a new slideshow program and we haven't figured out all the kinks yet. At this point, I don't think anyone (not even me!) wants to see pictures of our kids opening Christmas gifts!!!

We have wanted to visit the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge for a very long time. Ringo and I even went to eat there once and the wait was two hours! I don't want to eat anywhere that badly, so we skipped it. On Christmas Eve, we finally got to go. We love, love, love it! Now THAT is some home-cooking! Then we wandered around the riverside and the kids tried to catch the geese and the ducks. :) It was a fun and memorable time and I hope we get to do it again sometime.

Christmas morning...Evan ran a fever all week...he was trying
hard to give a good smile even though he felt so bad.


The historic Old Mill...


He managed to have fun even though he didn't feel well...


She wanted a picture of her with the ducks...see it floating in the river?


Braden and his ever-present chapped lips... :)


Braden took this one of us at the Christmas Place...


So once again this week we have had sick kids (can I blame my lack of posting on that?) Bella has had strep although I didn't know it until yesterday. She was kind enough to share her germs with Evan so now he's full of bacteria too. :) Braden hasn't shown any signs of getting it so that's good. Still I am grateful that the kids have been as healthy as they have during the winter season, especially Evan. November and December are usually his toughest time of year, but he hasn't had much trouble at all...just a few breathing treatments. Praise the Lord for that! :)

I have left out plenty of stuff from the past few weeks, but at this point, who cares! Despite the sickness, I have enjoyed getting back into the routine of things and working on some things that needed worked on (new year's resolutions). May 2008 be the best year of your life...and ours. :)