A Lot of Pictures...But Oh-So-Cute

There are a lot of pictures in this post, so scroll through if you'd like or skip it altogether.  At the very least, consider yourself warned. :)  (Oh yeah, and there's a new post below, in case a short paragraph is more your speed.)

We love the warmer temps.  The kids love playing out there and I love being outdoors, watching them.  Its so nice.  Paige likes it too.  And now that she can crawl really well, the yard is a whole new world for her to explore.  Here's she after her mama with the camera. :)

A girl and her jeep...this girls loves to drive around the yard in this.  How cute is she?!

Ian got a skateboard for Christmas and it has been a big hit.  He's actually getting really good at it, which scares me a little.  I think I may have liked it better when he was riding it down the hill on his bottom.  But he sure is proud.

These pictures crack me up.  Merry Grace is a horrible driver.  Really, really bad.  That means she gets stuck a lot and cannot figure out how to get unstuck.  Luckily, she has a very kind brother who will come to her rescue.  The best part is that she's pushing the gas pedal while he steers.  I LOVE it!!!  And when she's all set, he goes back to what he was doing until the next time she gets stuck.  Now that is a superhero! :)

Here is our little softball star.  Elise is doing great this year, really grasping some new concepts and getting great hits.  We love going to her games and cheering her on.  Warm nights at the ballpark...is there anything better?

*Sigh*  This is why my car is crap.  Sorry, there's no other word for it, or I would have used it.  I was cooking supper while Ian and Merry Grace ran in and out of the house.  I had the windows open and could hear them playing and was checking on them every few minutes.  When I walked outside I found them tying ropes onto the luggage rack or my minivan and rappelling down the windshield.  *Sigh*  

Ian has officially earned the title "snaggletooth".  He lost his first tooth over the weekend, while we visited my folks.  He was quite brave.  We did run into a slight problem when he didn't find money under his pillow that first night.  Sometimes its helpful to actually let the tooth fairy know she needs to make a delivery.  But luckily, she probably just didn't know he was out of town and he was thrilled to find the money the next night.

One of the fun things we love about Grammy and Papa's house is playing in the kiddie pool and with the water hose.  Somehow it always seems like my brothers have as much fun as the little kids.  And you can rest assured a water fight will happen.  That is like money in the bank.  

Here is my sweet Grandma with my three little girls.  What a lovely group!

Did you know I think this baby is adorable?  Because I do.  I look at this face and want to smooch it to pieces.  I'm going to be that crazy old woman that kisses the little babies and children's cheeks with her bright red lipstick.  But I can't help it.

And its me...one of the kids stole the camera.  I'm just relieved they captured a good one for a change--not a close up of my tummy chub, me bending over with my love handles hanging out or some of the other lovely pictures I've found of myself lurking on my memory card.

So stinkin' cute.  I'm seriously going to need a thesaurus to widen my vocabulary.  I could just eat her with a spoon.

The kids love swinging at Grammy and Papa's, too.  And thankfully there are more than enough pushers, because these kids never tire of the swings.  

My lovely Grandma.  Can you believe she's 88 1/2?  Isn't she just beautiful?!  I hope every day that I inherited her genes.  The best part is that she's just as sweet as she is cute. :)

Somebody help me here--what else can I say but how cute this cutie pie is? 

Elise is great at hanging upside down.  It makes me dizzy just thinking about it.  I know I used to be able to do that...I think I might be getting old.

Elise is such a great sister.  All the kids are lucky to have her.  Paige, especially, loves her best of all...after her mommy of course.  Elise is so proud that Paige will go to her over Daddy.  She must be doing something right.

Flips on the rings...Elise actually went first and then Ian followed behind.  He almost got it. :)  There's a classic story in our family about my Dad attempting a flying flip on the rings.  It was a flip alright...he just threw out both shoulders in the process.  I guess he's just a kid at heart--he just forgot his body wasn't so much.

My wonderful folks. 

 

Do you love the hair or what?

Merry Grace and Paige had fun swinging together.  Merry Grace loves being the little mama.  LOVES it.

And so does Elise. 

All in all, life has been treating us well.  We're loving the weather, loving our time with family, and having fun.  What more could we ask for?