First I will start with a little of Grace's photography skills......she is OBSESSED with the camera, and gets a hold of it any time I am not around. I then take a few pictures and along with the ones I am putting on the computer there are some of these shots.....






this is the Olympic gymnast Haylee, the other morning they were taking shots of their routines and then scoring themselves.

Ladies and gentlemen silence please.......

around the stool......
both feet this time...wow!
It's a perfect 10!!!!

Last week was the Northwest Washington Fair and other than the heat....(it was about 90 that day and "yes" that's hot for us) we had a great time. The girls got wrist bands for the first time so that was just fantastic that they could ride "anything we want???" they were pretty cute. Although they both got about 10 minutes into it and looked like they were going to pass out from heat stroke, they don't do heat well.

See those red cheeks, I think this was ride #3.

Haylee is a lot braver than I give her credit for.
Here are Gavin and I melting together...this is the only way this little monkey likes to sleep.

They loved the animals and Haylee would practically be IN the pens with them, just sticking her hands right up to their mouths and everything.

See??? This is Ben the bull.....not Uncle Ben like they thought it was going to be. :)
Justin had to help short legs out a bit on some of these fun house things....pretty funny to see him in there though....he almost wedged himself into the inflatable slide...the age limit is like 10.
roller coaster
It finally cooled off in the evening and they were able to ride more comfortably.
This is a really neat thing we did too, it's called child profiling and if you are ever somewhere they offer it we really recommend it. Ours was free but if I had to pay next time I would. We got a kit that has the girls' DNA samples, teethe imprint, finger prints, and a video of them talking all about themselves. We get to keep it with us and if they ever get lost or something happens, you have a whole kit for the police or whoever to go by......is that great??? The girls both did great and they got an ice cream coupon at the end to use at the fair so even better.
They like to sit and watch their DVD of themselves, they are a little confused as to what it's for.
Anyway, all in all a very fun day and the best part for them is:
Now that I am blogging a week later they have since passed on, yes it was quite tragic for Grace...we finally get a pet of some kind and it dies a week later. They did a very good job at taking care of it though and it was a good little trial run for them, it's going to be a very long time before we go down "that" road again.


Gracie last week during quiet time took her instructions for her lincoln logs and built it step for step....it may seem easy but the adults in this house have had trouble with it. (sad I know) She did so great and so I told her I would blog about it.
Also, she was talking about building the Great Wall of China with her legos and Justin in awe says "Grace do you even know what that is?" and she replies "Yes it's a restaurant in Boise, see the booths and the place where you get your own food?"....ohhh THAT great wall of China....duh!! ;)

So now on a Gavin note, he is 3 months old and I thought I would do an update to get some journaling about him at this age. He is so much fun these days and totally over his evening crankiness...thank goodness. He is sucking on his hands like crazy and now reaching out to grab toys and things, his car seat toy he loves. He giggles finally and mostly is all smiles and coos. The girls just adore him still and are so sweet and good with him, Haylee can be a little over the top but I feel bad because she thinks she is helping and how do you get after her for that?? It's funny though he will be bigger than her before long, at 3 months he is already 14lbs, 6 1/2 oz.
Grace's favorite thing to do.


All of our sweet babes. :)

Little monkey at 3 months, with that smile I could just eat him and all his pudgy goodness.
He was trying to get the polka dots.

Look at his roley poly legs. :) His favorite toy.
How fast they grow.

Gavin sounds

So I finally figured out how to get an actual video WITH sound on here so you could all share the sounds of our sweet baby boy. Of course the girls had to get in on the action, they are never too far when the camera comes out. :) Enjoy!

Incredible...........

Well the Olympics have been going as all of you know and among all the heart pounding action (the swimming last night was so great!) I was totally shocked by this woman:

Romania's Constantina Tomescu, ran the Olympic marathon in 2 hours 26 minutes 44 seconds....WHAT????? That is full on sprinting for 26 miles....who does that? It of course made me feel extremely lazy so I went jogging today, ummmm I went 1 1/2 miles...in about 30 minutes....woo hooo!!!! Constantina watch out!!! ;) Anyway, it's just incredible to watch what the human body can do and it makes me remember that as long as I am healthy there is no excuse for me not to at least "try" something out of my comfort zone.

Also, Heather (my sister)- once again I just want to tell you that you are a true inspiration for me and because you are my sister I can hope that those running genes have been passed along....at least long enough for me to fit into my own JEANS. ;)

Self portrait

So this is me....... and this is a little bit about me. :)

I love my feet......BUT....I hate dirty feet and I can't stand to go barefoot. My girls and I have regular pedicure days usually out on the deck in the sunshine and that is one of my favorite things about them, Grace has little fat feet and Haylee smiles with her feet (when she is excited her feet move all around).

I can't be without these: Justin has always given me crap since we first got together that when we would kiss I would "snot on him"....my nose runs all the time, what's a girl to do?

I LOVE my deck and I LOVE LOVE LOVE flowers but I am SO SO SO not good at gardening......YET! ;) I like to keep telling myself that someday it will come naturally.....any time now! When my Mom and Bonnie came to help with the baby they both planted some things for me and my job is simply to keep them going and so far so good....fingers crossed.

Except this anyway...this is my tomato plant that got caught in the wind storm, I am so bummed. I think these are Zinnias????

Petunias, Geraniums, Lavender

My Nasturtium plant that Grace started from seed as my Mothers Day gift from school.

I am so excited about these, my Mom planted these on our porch every summer growing up and I would go out every morning and count the blooms. If you want the true blue color you have to start them from seed every year because to reseed they come back in a different color. (who knew?) Morning Glories....and here they are climbing away. :)

Our deck.

This is Justin's Fathers Day gift that we are so loving, this is by far one of our favorite things to do......and now we have the option of smoked, charcoal, or gas....decisions, decisions.

I think that if every person that really "knows" me had to make a list about me they would include that I love candy and I may have a small problem......though there are a couple of those people that I could turn it right back on (Jen, Wendy) but I will admit that I am never very far from a sweet of some kind and then I wonder why the baby weight is not coming off.....it's a mystery.
This is another thing maybe even above sweets (it's a close 2nd) that I could not live without and that is BREAD! All kinds, all the time, anywhere. This is one thing that a meal is not complete without, when I met Justin's family and started having meals with them they never had bread, now it's a staple and they are probably cursing my name. :) Oh but it's so good!

This is my living room and it's always cluttered, no matter what time of day there is always just stuff everywhere.....where does it come from?

Let's see, what else is there......

I hate waking up early

I am late a lot and it makes me so mad that I don't know how I manage to do it all the time.

I have really liked being away from Boise but am really starting to miss my family.

I really miss all of my sisters and the fact that I am not that closer with them is really hard for me sometimes.

Growing up I was always the "friend" of the group and all my pretty friends got the boys so I think with that came some self esteem issues. I did get lucky enough though to marry a man that wants to be my friend AND thinks I'm the most beautiful thing he's ever laid eyes on...(ok maybe that's exaggerating a bit).

I always go to the female cashiers at the grocery store.

I hate the process of getting ready for the day, I am SO a hat girl.

I love taking baths.

I love to look at pictures, even of complete strangers. I really like reading strangers blogs too....though on a bad day it can just make me despise these what seem to be "perfect" lives that people want to pretend they have. ;)

I let my kids run around in pjs most days until noon....(I can hear the gasps) and whats better yet is I am in mine too. :)

I love bags....not purses but bags and if I could I would get one probably every time I went shopping.

I am always cold.....it has to be pretty warm for me not to be wearing a sweatshirt.

I love the sunshine, it doesn't have to be hot I just love the sun to be out.

I love to cook and am just average at it but I still love it and nightly dinners at the table will always be a tradition in our home.

Well, this is it for now I am bored of talking about me. I will say though that Justin and I went to the Randy Travis concert the other night at the fair and had a great time. He was so good live and sang all of our favorites and then some. That's another thing I could list about me, I love country music.

Post date picture, notice anything different about Justin? :)

Yesterday (13th) was Grace's friend Brayden's 6th birthday and we met them at the pool for a little celebration. He is such a sweet boy and he and Grace are just two little peas in a pod. Happy Birthday to you Brayden, thanks for sharing your special day with us. :)

Apparently our children like to use this finger.....

They both have a sweet freckled face.

This is a picture of the little man that Nicole took, look at his pudgy little hand....a perfect way to end a post. :)