Just some recent pictures...

Just some more pictures of our place! Eventually the kids will be able to have the 'loft' area upstairs. The plumbing and Electric inspections should be happening any day now...than the drywall and finish stuff...It's so nice to have a light at the end of the tunnel!

My new favorite (long) quote...

Ok...so it's not one of those short nifty little quotes...but...I really like it. Anyway...it's way late...morning will come way to fast...and I need to go to bed...but this was too good for me to not do anything with it :)

"The world can at times be a frightening place in which to live. The moral fabric of society seems to be unraveling at an alarming speed. None—whether young or old or in-between—is exempt from exposure to those things which have the potential to drag us down and destroy us. Our youth, our precious youth, in particular, face temptations we can scarcely comprehend. The adversary and his hosts seem to be working nonstop to cause our downfall.

We are waging a war with sin, my brothers and sisters, but we need not despair. It is a war we can and will win. Our Father in Heaven has given us the tools we need in order to do so. He is at the helm. We have nothing to fear. He is the God of light. He is the God of hope. I testify that He loves us—each one.

Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. In order to be tested, we must sometimes face challenges and difficulties. At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel’s end—no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea “Is there no balm in Gilead?” We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Heavenly Father in faith. He will lift you and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face."

- President Thomas S. Monson

Elli's hair...and a random keith picture...

Elli got a haircut the other day...actually, I did it...then wasn't quite content with it...it was...ok...but...there was a part that i really didn't like and didn't know what to do with. So...I had a friend who came over and 'finished' it. It's pretty short...but I really like it...and she likes the idea that it won't get so tangled. Anyway...

This is the back...but...I took this this morning before she took off her pj's, brushed her hair, all that stuff. so...this is the back...fresh out of bed.


















This is the side...

















And...this is keith. See...he had thrown a couple little rocks in the pool the other day, and when it was being vaccuumed, one of the little rocks made a hole...or something like that. So...he went out while Tommy had to get his snorkeling stuff on (and it was pretty cold and dreary) and patch the hole...the intent was for him to feel horribly guilty and never want to do it again...which...he did to some extent...i think it suprised him that it actually made a (pinprick sized) hole. Anyway...does he just look like he's suffering from painful guilt?

I hate laundry. (actually, I just lectured Elli on using the word hate.) So....I VERY STRONGLY dislike laundry.

My goal for this week is to do one load of laundry a day (vs. 4-6 on Friday). Why do we have so much clothes?!? I think I need to de-clutter...again. And I need to fix the tear in my apron so I don't go through so many clothes. Ugh. I hate laundry. Especially when you live in a place where electricity is soooo blasted expensive that I have to be feeling rich to use the dryer. Which isn't so bad when the sun shines...but...it's been raining...and raining. And Tommy's painting the trim for the windows in the shop...so I don't have half of my covered clothesline space. Sorry. I should be more positive....Positive Mental Attitude! Maybe if I sleep on it it'll help. It better anyway...I have 2 more loads to do that I would really like to get done so I can start the week with all nice clean clothes.

catchup...

I have a burning urge to put a picture of a bottle of ketchup. But, as I am tight on time and it's a miracle this is getting done at all today...I will refrain. Anyway...

Just some pictures from the last few weeks...





Elli's 5th Birthday (January 17)

















she wanted an easter egg cake... (??)



















Gage's 1st Birthday (Feb. 2)









I've been wanting to make this Pavlova (sp?) thing for a while...so I made it for Gage's birthday...if it didn't take so long to upload I would post the video of him throwing everything but the bananas over the side of his tray. Oh well...I personally thought it was delicious :)










Keith...sporting a new scrape.

Keith's 3rd Birthday!

It was Keith's 3rd Birthday the other day...and he wouldn't take a normal picture! He kept making these really random faces!

So Tommy tried to help him smile... :)

Elli....very much so being the big sister...

And then there was the candles...

Yup...the candles were definitely an adventure!

The past two weeks...

I can't figure out how to get this underline off....oh well. Anyway...here's the last couple of weeks...just random stuff :) I want to post something from Keith's birthday tho' and if I don't post these first...it'll be out of order...and that just goes against my logical and analytical brain.


Elli has taken a serious liking to talking on the phone...especially to her fancy auntie nancy... :)

Keith got a haircut...he looks stoned or something tho' in this picture...I promise he wasn't!

Tommy reading to Gage...

We went to bird park again...I love that place :)

Keith was very fascinated by the dew drops on the grass

I told him (oh great...now it's blue and underlined...what's up with this??)...anyway...I told Keith to show me his big muscles and this is what he did...

Keith's uncle Jon gave him this sweater...it was once a little bit bigger...but...when all wool meets washer and dryer...all kinds of possibilities open up!

Keith got a haircut! Doesn't he look older?

Gage has this kind of wierd crawl...instead of crawling on his hands and knees...he crawls on his hands, one foot and one knee. It's amazing how different all the kids have been. Elli hated crawling...crawled a lot when she was 2-3 and she'd play with Keith...but hardly ever before that. Keith was crawling up stairs by 7 months or so...and Gage...does this...oh well :)
Gotta love 'em all!

Sick kids...

Keith kept asking me why he had to sleep on the plastic tablecloth...I felt so bad...but this stomach bug that we (all) got was vicious...and even I sometimes had a hard time grabbing my bucket thing on time. yuck yuck yuck. I shudder to think about it...One of the few times in my life that was worse than morning sickness. Oh, and I did lay a blanket on top of the plastic table cloth so he wasn't laying directly on plastic...but he squirmed off of it in this picture.