Finally Four!

This girl is so loved...

not just because she makes us laugh, such as tonight at dinner..."mom can you fill my cup with water?" 'no miss amelia but you can.'

"well okay cowgirl - if you say so"

she was dying to open some early gifts so we opened one from aunt tammy that had Hello Kitty mango filled marshmallows (they were interestingly good) thank goodness she shops at Asian food markets to find such treasures :)

thomas wasn't sure what to do with this hug b/c he didn't even remember buying her that pink princess camera

Birthday breakfast mixed with 1st day of school is always fun...notice baby in the background doing his stayin' alive pose

they are pretty mellow here, just trying to take it easy I guess

the only reason my sisters will check this post is to see if I pulled off making the request of a princess kitty & white blankey (her fav blanket still)

so cheers to the kitty made of rice krispies & covered in butter cream frosting...I bought fondant but I decided I really wanted to eat the real stuff.

Then came lots of hugs and loves

What a Happy Day for our little

Amelia Faith Bowen  

we named her appropriately for the two years that required every prayer to include her to be healed of ITP and she hasn't had to have medicine since January!!!  We are happy to say that life is sweet for this little one. Life is sweet.

goodnight hello kitty.

New Post as requested by Tammy...

Yes, I have an overload of pictures during our stay in St George and this Aunty came over every day after work just to squeeze this little man (and she fed him, bathed him etc)

well it looks like he also learned to text from all the time he spent in her lap.

No more requests will be granted at this time...we have the first day of school on Monday and a four year old's birthday to celebrate. The girls don't know what to be more excited for, literally they have been talking it up for weeks on the planning of her birthday & what luck that I move away from my friends that I could have burdened with being the photographer, the balloon maker/entertainer, the cake maker and party planner. sniff, sniffle...I guess I'll just have to do.

Already just a memory...

Hot summer days made just for swimming

Look close and you will see why it is such a miracle to make it through a summer at Grandpa's pool with no calls to 911...there are actually four platforms for diving off, one rope swing and a large pole covered with carpet hanging over the pool about 10 or 12 feet.

Aunt Deb with just a few piglets hanging on her (yes, the youngest piglet is naked)

Swimming all day can really wipe you out

Ashlin working on her upper body strength

  

From sun up to sun down this pool was on duty and did a fine job of entertaining on our long hot summer days...see you next year.

listen, it's me thomas. and this here is my aunt piggers...she took me out to play some raquetball and during our 1 on 1 she filled me in on the fact that she is now looking for a soul mate. no. not me, someone quite a bit older and maybe not so cute. he just has to have a sweet spirit and lots of wrinkles.

now that i've taken care of that, let's move on to my birthday...it rocked.

 my mom's all class when it comes to wrapping for a 1 year old,

she thinks i didn't notice

 can i just eat it like this?

 what do you mean there are rules to eating a birfday cake...

 that's what i thought

 hmmm, that's dang good

 water break

my twirling toes say it all.

thanks girls for playing tractor with me all day and for singing to me over and over and over again...i loved it everytime!

First Visitor!

Who woulda thunk that Uncle Joey who has 3 little ones of his own would plan a trip to fly out here b/c he was dying for some quality time with my 5 little ones! I know, he's an amazing uncle to fly up on his own dime & devote a week to hanging out with us...well maybe it was just an overnighter & maybe his work paid for it b/c he had some exciting deposition to do but hey...he could have stayed in a hotel but he chose us, he chose us (please say that last part with conviction like Tom Cruise would)

Thanks Joseph for the visit! I could have captured more exciting moments than this at the yogurt shop but I was too entertained with you trying to teach my girls leg wrestling before bed & watching to see if you would hurt yourself while trying to do your traditional tuck ins on the top bunks :) that was funny. Til next time!

little brother

i can't believe

after almost a year

that i still make my sisters

grin from ear to ear

(a little surprised that he doesn't have permanent bite marks from us wanting to eat him all the time)

The time has come...

so we haven't sold our home...yet. But we are finally making the big move & our home will soon be empty of all things & yet it will still hold our memories

We've decided to narrow it down to what we really needed to take with us to Reno...

trees

I should try to cover the fact that these grown men who happen to live on the same street and happen to attend the same church...well they both happen to feel unembarrassed (if not proud) & confident while wearing black socks & tennis shoes.

I will only inform the moving truck driver of the date and time to kidnap  pick up all our friends & throw them in the back of a dark semi trailer, just feel your way around for the couch & soft beds, it should only be a 4 or 5 day drive.

No, they are not running from that huge wave behind them. It was the seaweed that was attacking their ankles

they obviously don't do the boogy board thing very often

doing a little shell trading on the corner

here is the same baby pool I swam in when I didn't worry about walking around in a swimsuit

miss my grandpa and all our memories we had with him at the beach club, really wish he was still here.

A traditional 4th of July with some added sparkle...

We gathered at Suzy's grandma's house in the heart of St. George & made ourselves comfy, cozy on their front porch. (I now want a front porch)

my brother, Joseph, hanging out with his youngest, Grey.

Deb rode in on her bike & wasn't even out of breath (show off)

I always feel like we're starting a new year after the 4th because of all the  screaming & eating.