Sunshine for the soul!

It's been pretty quiet and uneventful around here lately, so I thought I'd post some of my favorite photos from vacations and other sunny days. I'm hoping it will bring some cheer and sunshine our way! It's so fun to think about all those good times; the kids make me laugh.

Look at that face!

I gave Sophia's hair a little trim the other day, and she wanted her picture taken afterward - so here she is! Cutting her hair has become a source of contention with her; I can't even mention the term "haircut" without an instant squeal of extreme disapproval. I have cut her hair short a few times - I personally prefer it that way because I think it looks so cute with the shape of her face. So now she has a fear that I am going to cut it short everytime, and as everyone knows, princesses have long hair! :)

Remember when...

I've recently been back in touch with an old friend, and it's caused me to reminisce. So, here's to you, Angela! I hope you can appreciate the candor - you look the same, but me...the braces, the hair - yikes!!

A sunny Sunday afternoon.

After church on Sunday, it was such a gloriously sunny and warm day, (the first of it's kind in some time) so we decided to go to a nearby nature trail area and go for a little walk. It felt so nice to me to be out in the sun, but I think the kids were much more enthralled with the numerous piles of moose droppings on the trails as we walked!

More family pictures...

These are just a few of the photos taken of friends and relatives...

A busy, but happy weekend.

This past weekend was a full one, with Noah's baptism on Saturday, we had many family and friends visiting for the occasion. It was great to see everyone, especially those we haven't seen for a while. Thanks to everyone who made the effort to come and support our little Noah!

It was indeed a time for reflection, and a little pride, for both Chris and I, as we witnessed Noah making such an important decision in his life. I can't tell you how fulfilling it is to see this child who started life under such distressing circumstances, now growing up to be such a wonderful, intelligent, unique individual. I can't believe he's 8 already, and such a blessing to our family.

After a very spiritual baptismal session, we all gathered at our house for some lunch and visiting. It was a good time, and the weather was very pleasant, which was also nice. The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins and grandparents.

Later that evening, after Sophie and Nicolas had gone to bed, Chris and I let Sammy and Noah stay up late (a very unusual privilege in this household!), so we could play a game of "Whitetailopoly". This game, which Noah was given most generously by his grandparents, is an outdoorsmen's version of the game Monopoly, and any of you familiar with the game know that it can be quite time consuming! So, as the 11 o'clock hour approached, Chris and I had both gone bankrupt and were helping Noah and Sammy duke it out, we finally had to end by just counting money and property to determine the winner. Noah victorious (as we continue to be reminded)!!

First camping of 2008...

Despite the cold temperatures and blustery winds, we headed out Friday afternoon for a night of camping. Being our first camping trip of the year, we weren't sure how Nicolas would do, a year older and a little more precocious. The landscape and scenery were amazing; the river winding it's way through the middle of the jagged, colorful rocks, sagebrush and Juniper trees. The wind was unbelievably rough and definitely annoying, putting a bit of a damper on the fun to be had. Nonetheless, the 3 older kids had a good time playing in the sand and climbing the endless trails and huge rocks. Nicolas, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult, as anticipated. His desire for independence and exploration made for a lot of work for me and Chris, as we had to follow him constantly, hoping he wouldn't trip on the uneven ground. He also wanted nothing to do with going to sleep at bedtime, and we were all tired today!

It was worth the effort, though, as we all needed a little break and some quality family time. My one wish is that the next time we head out camping it will be warmer!