Alderbrook & 4th of July

The first picture isn't actually at Alderbrook, but I just threw it in anyway. This is what happens when I try to do step aerobics before naptime. I have my little helpers to workout with me...

These are pictures of our 4th of July stay at the Alderbrook with all the Husseys. It was a lot of fun. The kids liked the rocks in the pathway the best, I think.

Griffin couldn't take it any longer and had to take a little snooze with his baby cuz, Don.
Breakfast time in our room.

Sophia was getting so mad at me when I would hoist her in, after she was the one who counted to 3! Silly girl.

We like to attend the 4th of July parade in Tumwater every year. It's pretty cute and the kids have a good time watching the muscle cars and cowgirls.

Sister Love

Sophia had a little something to say to her brother last night on her way downstairs to bed...

"Griffin, do you know how good I love you? More than anyone in the whole world. Even more than Santa."

Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog!

Proud New Daddy

My brother-in-law, Richie, is the cutest new daddy. He's always been in love with babies and now he finally has his own to completely dote on. Father's Day we were all at the Hussey household and amongst all the chaos, I look into the living room and Richie has set Baby Don up for a little photo shoot. It was so cute.
Then Richie asked someone to take his picture with Baby D on his phone so he could have a picture of him and his boy on there to show people. So cute!

And this last picture is a very common sight nowadays. Richie loves our Griffin very much and is always packing both boys around with him now!

Happy first Father's Day, Rich. You are too cute.

Family Time on Father's Day

Kim - are you sure you don't want 3?!

Sweet Cousins

Nick and Kora gettin' some practice in... ;o)

One Big Crazy Family!

See the rest of this completely chaotic and silly photo shoot HERE.

"You'll shoot your eye out!"

Kyle finally showed Griffin the Red Ryder that Papa Dan got him for Christmas when he was one. He's obsessed. Notice the stick lighter on the ottoman... that's what he's been using as a gun since Uncle Justin babysat him months ago. The day after this picture, a commercial came on the TV and Griffin went running into his room and right back out with the gun. I didn't know why so I hit rewind on the DVR and there was a deer on the commercial. He had to go get his gun to shoot it, I guess. Boys...

Take a guess...

Very interesting, isn't it?

A Little Composer

Sophia composed her first masterpiece and it sounds beautiful! (She doesn't really read music, but she took this up all on her own and surprised me with her skills in drawing some sheet music.) She's composing another piece as I sit here doing this post. Can't wait to hear her play it!

Sophia's New Runway Looks

These two are just having more and more fun playing together. It's so great! Griffin actually allowed his sister to dress him up a little bit for a fashion show she was putting on for me. He actually cooperated and enjoyed doing the show for me, too. Sophia loved it!

Lots of Pictures

I just uploaded the last month's worth of pictures to my Kodak gallery. Check the links over to the right in my Photo Album column. The new albums are Baby Don's Arrival, Preschool Pictures, May 2011, Sophia's 5th Birthday, and Sophia's Ballet Recital. Hope you have time to enjoy them.

As always, I appreciate comments so I know people actually read my blog. :o) Thanks!

His Sister's Hero

Just a sweet story from today. I was mowing the last bit of the lawn down in our backyard while the kids played out in front of the garage riding their bikes and drawing with chalk. I only had a couple more passes when Griffin came bopping down the hill on the side of the house to find me. I waved and he kind of waved, then he held his hand out to stop. So I stopped and turned the mower off. He was (in his own nasally weird way) saying "Sissy-sissy." I said "where's sissy," he replied "rah-rah, rah-rah, bie-bie, crash" which is rock-rock, rock-rock, bike-bike, crash. (In his language you say everything twice.)

So I ran up to the front of the house and sure enough Sophia was there crashed in the rocks. It didn't look serious, she had the bike on top of one leg, sitting on her buns. I figured there would be a scrape involved. (Forgive me if I seem callous... but Sophia Rose is very, very dramatic when it comes to owies.) I headed over to where she was absolutely hysterical and wailing and checked her out. She had a little bitty scrape on her palm (no blood even) and the bike was on her one leg. So I carried her to the house and snuggled her and got her a cold wet rag for her scrape and turned on Dora. She was fine in about 2 minutes. But it was sure a good thing that her baby brother Griffin was looking out for her and came and got Mommy. He basically saved her life. :o)