7 and a Half

She's sitting! Instead of 6 month pictures we take sitting pictures. Elise's Aunt Wendy was the photographer, she is very talented and very patient and very loving. Wild animals/babies calm for her.



I love chubber cheek profiles.

And serious face

And charming face

And Curious face. Elise loves her reflection. Our bathroom is house o'mirrors and when we talk to her in the bathtub she looks into the mirror to respond to us.

Playing in the wild

Egg for All

Jara thoroughly enjoying her spoils

A family moment, ignore my squinty eyes even in 80% cloud cover the NV sun gets to me

Jack tenderly loving his prize bunny

Eagerly anticipating the over 7,000 eggs (at least that's what they claimed) just waiting for small children to retrieve

And Elise, the oh so hoppy little bunny who got to stay home with a babysitter, because she was asleep and because she doesn't like to play in the wind and because do you see that look on her face? uh huh...

Eight is Great

We are now entering a gilded stage of wedded bliss, the bronze stage of marriage. I know this because Jed looked it up and eight is the bronze anniversary, so he bought me a picture with a bronze gilded border surrounding the frame. So tasteful and thoughtful, I know, which almost makes me feel badly for planning burial holes in the back yard for him. muhahaha

By the numbers:

8 years married

3 kids

2 cats (unfortunately for jed)

6 major trips (2 years off for babies)

13 years since our first confession of "i like you, i like you too" kiss.

4 different houses we've lived in

2 ER trips

11 inches difference in height

1,000,000 errands, honey-dos and glasses of water Jed has procured for me

2,920 days or 8 years (at least) we've said I love you

"Marriage is not just spiritual communion and passionate embraces; marriage is also three meals a day, sharing the workload and remembering to carry out the trash." -Dr. Joyce Brothers-horrible woman

True. Marriage is loving one deeply, because I wouldn't cook three meals a day for someone I just "cared for," let alone someone I disliked and Jed takes the trash out faithfully at 5 o'clock Wednesday morning's because we had/have a long driveway, he knows I don't like to wake up and he's a good, loving husband like that! Amen.

Happy anniversary to us!

Even the Car has it

My temperature spiked at 103. Jara spiked at 104.6. Jack spiked at 102.5 Elise, the same. However, Ruby, our car got it the worst, her temperature spiked so high she blew up in a cloud of steam on I-15. No amount of tylenol is going to fix Ruby. Nothing short of a new radiator is going to help that ol' gal.

Last week is when all o' the fun started. Jack was sick, Jara was sick, I was sick and Elise was sick. Having three sick kids is miserable, being sick with three kids is beyond miserable. Jed came home one horrible day to me only half-alive laying in bed with my eyes bleeding hot sulphurous (i'm sure) tears, petting Elise like a kitten both of us immobile and moaning. (a bit dramatic but i'm painting a picture here and its true anyway)

Well, after a week of the girls whining and miserable and Jack and I feeling better a trip to the doctor was deemed necessary. On the way home from the unnecessary doctor trip, Ruby decided that she was also sick and protested one more movement. In the less than one minute it took to hear a horrible thump, even my non-mechanical mind knew it was a belt, and find a safe place without guard rails to pull over she blew.

But wait there's more...

My dad, thankfully, came to my rescue, having two sick kids, one being an infant, on the side of a steaming car next to the interstate is not fun, not even Jara wanted to count cars "I think I'll just rest mom, is that ok?" So Jed embarked on his mission to retrieve Ruby but his truck began having sympathy pains and refused to start. Of course. Eventually it started, via the shockers and dragged Ruby home and now I'm just waiting, waiting, waiting for the next thing to go down.

In the meantime enjoy the picture of my beautiful orchid, it's the only thing thriving around here

It's a little dark but that suits my mood at the moment

Half and Half

Elise is 61/2 months old. This age seems to bring forth so many things. Such as:

spitting, especially during church, if she were three it would definitely be offensive

hissing, she sounds like a bubbly feral cat

snatching, nothing within a 3 foot radius is safe, she will practically jump out of my arms to grab Jara's hair in passing and she does not understand why she can not grab and eat food off of my plate, she would eat a hamburger if I would let her

looking for dropped toys. she threw her first angry tantrum during the battle of the remote last week, taking away things is already unacceptable, my child is so advanced.yay (sarcasm intended)

going everywhere and continuing to be happy and cooperative, as long as she is being held

sucking her thumb, I'm starting her dental fund now because she loves it so much I don't think she will give it up without a fight and/or duct tape

going to bed around 6 probably earlier if i were more on top of the dinner rush

road construction is a soothing white noise for her, the last few weeks there has been heavy equipment right outside our house and I thought she would never sleep again but it lulls her. I think is the one thing nosier than jara and jack thus blocking out their racket making for more peaceful slumber

strolling, she loves walks, we carry on a continuous conversation of weather/birds/that !#$% sun is in my eyes again, we walk around the high school, due to it's convenient proximity, and the occasional student will be roaming in the parking lot staring at me like I'm crazy.

On the downhill slide to a year. Why can't she stay a puppy?

St. Thomas Alive

This weekend we were able to do more than hike among the ruins of St. Thomas we were able to learn about the pioneers and history of the area, authentically, thanks to the valley youth conference, 100-year celebration of the stake.

The youth hiked a total of 19 miles dragging these puppies, no not Jack, the handcarts in the background. (I'm glad I only had a Jack to drag.)

Families of the area set up booths where you could learn about the founding fathers of St. Thomas and the development of the community. It just so happens my great-grandmother was the most popular/prettiest women in all of Clark County when the railroad came to St. Thomas thus she was chosen to drive in the copper railroad spike. The very spike I am holding in this picture. I have held the legendary copper spike, I can die a happy woman.

Jara standing next to the picture of great-grandma driving in the spike.

Jed and his pioneer mama, the woman who ran the dramatic productions/re-creations of the area, great job Kathy! Not only was a play or two produced but various women/men spoke of their ancestors and other entertainment was provided non-stop from 10-3:00

Rodney and Elise's first hand holding. This is approved until they can walk. You got 6-9 more months little monkeys.

My baby in her sun bonnet. She is a good little baby, we take her on all kinds of adventures and she is so nicely behaved. (and of course, since I mentioned it she will now do everything in her power to prove me wrong-but let's hope...)

One of the tallest ruins which I believe was either a pool hall or a garage. Very fascinating to a 3-year-old boy.

Plotting against their wife's.

Nothing like a baby strapped to your chest to make ya manly. I owe him big time but the little beast weighs a million pounds in that thing and my back just can't take it anymore.

PS-In case you didn't know, the town of St. Thomas was covered by Lake Mead after the creation of Hoover dam in the thirties. In 1999 I was wakeboarding over St. Thomas but since the lake has dried up, the town ruins have been exposed once again.

Jed's B-day

The big 3-0. He's finally caught up to his old woman.

When did we ever get so old? I remember the first time I bought him a birthday present he was turning 17.

I also remember my friends telling me when we were young/crazy/new-married/minus children, "He'll slow down (i.e. not jump his 4-wheeler off of ramps) when he's 30." ha I knew he wouldn't slow down, he's just added more to his resume.

Grandma orchestrating kiddie games. Good thing, we had 16 kids under the age of 7, with 11 under the age of three! Holy-lots-of-kids in my gymnasium echo-y (word?) non-carpeted house.

Party at the kiddie table. Double-double fun and trouble.

Triple-triple fun and trouble. Don't think us mom's and babies don't have a good time.

Elise already has the boys drooling (cheese-yes please) all over her.
These little ones are right in a row, they'll all go to school together, just like their daddy's.