Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Seven year pictures

Listen, if an absurd amount of pictures annoy you then take this as a fair warning to LOOK AWAY NOW, AND DON'T GO ANY FURTHER. 

Hope's seven year pictures are now finished and I do know of some grandparents, aunts, and cousins who are happy to look at my seventy two thousand photos. 



Hope in the middle of a tree farm.



Absolutely gorgeous setting.



This time with her hair pulled off her face.


Something different.



Still barefoot

And fancy free.



Which you know pretty much sums her up.



She generally does well getting her pictures taken.



I think she loves all the attention.



And listen I know this is obnoxious and annoying



But I think she's cute.



I love how these just captured her sweet face.



 

Especially her sweet freckles.






Now to try and pick a favorite?


 I can't.



Thank you Brittany, you have no idea how much I love them!



Monday, July 28, 2014

These are my people

It's a tradition to visit the Zoo at least once during the Summer break.  Bowling Green is sort of situated between Louisville and Nashville, so we always have to decide which Zoo to visit. But seeing as most of our people are very close to Louisville, it's sort of a no-brainer.  

Eight kids, four women, and unlimited head counts all day. 


I kept telling Brittany, "this time next year, there will be another one!" Seeing as T, J, and G are done with the childbearing it's all up to B to keep adding to the group. (Or at least G better be done adding more offspring.)


Considering it's nearing the end of July, the temps could not have been more perfect.



Low-humidity and a nice breeze.



And other than the cats, who are almost always sleeping when we visit the Zoo, most of the animals were all up and very active.



In fact I don't ever remember getting such close-ups to some of the animals.



And the Polar Bear was in special rare form. He was busy playing and throwing a toy that he would then dive after and get.


We must have stood there and watched him for a good 15 minutes..


The kids laughed and screamed each time he dove after that toy. Such fun!



Another thing that the Louisville Zoo has that Nashville doesn't is a splash pad. Sure it was loaded up with twenty-hundred kids, but I was in serious thoughts of knocking the kids around so I could get in.



 But you know probably the highlight of the visit was this silly wagon, all the kids either wanted to:

A) Sit in it.

B) Pull it up the giant hills.



Kids are so simple at times.



Like, "hey mom, take my picture on this rock!"



Maybe that's not so much simplicity though as it is they are used to us taking eighty hundred pictures.


But how else do you remember all these moments? Moments that we have been sharing with these kids since they were just babies.



 I love watching all of them grow up. (And unfortunately our daughters appear here as if they have buzz cuts)


These are the days.



And these are my people.


Friday, July 25, 2014

In which we had more visitors

Soaking it in. 



Trying to enjoy every little detail of the last Summer moments before I am back in the routine of work.



Besides just snuggles and play, we've also had some special visitors. (FYI: Jami was only over for half of a day, even though she packed enough to stay forever and become a sister wife)


Kids can never get enough of friend time.


Hope is always especially excited when there is a girl to play with.



Brittany was sweet and said we could come crash their place.



Their house is just set up for kid fun.


She usually has a crew at her place.



And kids always just make themselves at home.



Even invading the freezer.


But back to playing...

Hope finally had the chance to play Barbies with Maggie. And how could Maggie not want to play with one-armed Barbies? (One-armed Barbies are a result of an obsession with Bethany Hamilton and Soul Surfer. Looks a little horrifying though, doesn't it?)



But of course the highlight is the pool.




"Hey mom, judge our cannon ball contests!"



Over and over until they are exhausted, and the moms are too.


But I guess that's Summer isn't it? This wonderfully fun, yet exhausting time of year.



And even though I'm sure I'm the only one counting, 6 days left.