I Love This Kid...

Max turned 8 last month.  He is one stellar kid.  He's knocked my socks off this year with the fun run, his social blooming, great help and maturity with me through the pregnancy, and his brilliance in school and Legos.  The kid is plain wonderful.  I couldn't trade him for the world.

We had the sweet experience of baptizing him while in Utah for the Harmon Reunion. It was perfect. He was smiling, listening, just dear...   He has worked on reading his scriptures on his own since being baptized.   He has tried to be so, SO good.   I just adore his heart and who he is.

3rd grade began this week for Max and he came back with the words on his lips "Mom, I LOVE my teacher!"  He couldn't wait to go again today!  If only a teacher knew what a gift that is for a mother!  I'll write and tell her.  I think it will be a great year.  Feeling really joyful about that.

Isn't he cute?

I woke up one morning to hear the kids talking about going up on the roof with Glenn... that popped me out of bed fast!  Yikes!  But, they were all okay... so maybe I am overprotective???

Last day of summer fun-- Santa Barbara :).  Rented Surrey (Max helped pedal!), beach time, visited an old Catholic Mission, ate pizza in a college town, and found an ice cream sandwich cookie shop!  Let's say I had major contractions that night...

Max with his best buddy and cousin for a sleepover.  They were awesome.  Whispered quietly while looking through books on snakes (to not wake Ali and Jonas). Studied scriptures together.  Went right to bed when I left (without being asked!). Can it get any cuter from two 8 year old boys?!

Summer Comings and Goings...

We love the train museum!  Especially the little train ride around it. However, I seem to be the only one who looks happy about it in the pic below...

My dear Amy who is getting MARRIED this month!  This photo makes me think of the term "through thick and thin" :)  haha!

Love the zoo.
 Kind of underestimated how hard that one would be on a prego body.
Hills and heat and crowds- oh my!

9th Anniversary!

Fun princess party at our friend's house!

Dr. Visit.  Making sure it wasn't strep...

Max earned $100 for Legos for eating veggies for a month.  This was HUGE in our house.

Jonas earning $ for his heart's desire... a fart gun.  Ulgh.

Jonas' sports class... he awesome at it. And... he loves it!

Gabriel and Malachi came to visit!
We had fun at Disneyland, parks, bowling, Chuck E. Cheese, baking, and playing games-- I can't believe how OLD these two are getting!  

Once I wrote real posts...

Last week I read through some old blog posts and I realize I used to do more than spit out loads of pictures up here.  I'm not sure when that day will return.  So here is another conglomerate of pics from this summer...

Ali, Jonas, and Max had swim lessons

Glenn rocking Ali for bedtime.  She insisted on reinstating this tradition.
Every nap and bedtime she wants to be rocking and singing... I love it.

Ali really wanted to wear this far-too-small tiger suit.

I totally underestimated how hard it would be to be very pregnant in the heat of the summer with three kids home ALL THE TIME.   We try to go out for adventures and classes almost daily, but it is not exactly easy on this body.

MAX TURNED 8!!!!  We'll post more on that later.

We love our Ortons!

Tickle Monster!

Jonas working to earn money for the Despicable Me 2 Fart Gun ($35).
I HATE the gun.  LOVE that he is actually working.

Growing.

Our 9th Anniversary!  The Ceramic anniversary...

Tie Dying shIrts for the 4th of July

Girl's Camp!

A LOT has happened around here....

Summer has been in full force already-- back to Utah for my Dad's wedding and to see Granddad Doug, Cory and kids came for a couple of visits (we snuck in a Disneyland trip on one!), the Murphey's visit, and tomorrow Adam and Landen McBride's visit!  We've potty trained, and vegetable trained (long story).  Couple it with daily summer entertainment tactics (puppet & bouncy ball making, kite flying, archery, painting, Chuck E. Cheese, hiking, museums, etc.)... and we have been busy.  Next week we begin some summer classes (Lego robotics for Max, iPlay summer sports for Jonas, swimming in a couple weeks for all three).

My biggest problem with summer... Being BIG.  I can't go anywhere-- park, church, store-- without people commenting on it.  It is not that my whole body has grown out of proportion, but let's say the middle looks like I should be having this baby any day now.  I still have 3 months to go. THREE MONTHS.  It is to the point that I almost cry every morning when I get dressed and cannot bear to look in the mirror.  I daily go for several mile walks, I am trying to eat well.  This is just a fourth baby on a body that has already given each child an Olympic sized swimming pool for gestational purposes.  This guy just thought he should get it a few months early.  Ulgh.  You'd think I'd just be able to buck up and think "So glad we have a healthy Baby Boy in here!" And I can for a few minutes-- but then that I can't take 10 steps without someone bringing up the topic again. You put that slam of "You are BIGGGGGG" with already sensitive pregnancy hormones and I am tempted to become a hermit for the next few months....

This is to show my belly, not Ali losing it :)

Mike was ordained a high priest-- it was really neat to be there.

Shawna and I are a few weeks apart- this was a moment of pregnant brain telelpathy.

Dan "trying on" Ali's swimsuit.  She thought he was so cool.