What we've been up to . . .

I think we're ready for August to be here! We've had a fun and busy summer here in Moscow. Nothing big and outstanding. Just day-to-day stuff that adds up. Homeschool lessons, Lego building, bottle rockets (yes, Aaron was a big part of that!), sewing, exploring - it's been wonderful.

Just a couple of pictures of William and Laurel (we'll feature James and Henry next time around). William is becoming a master Lego-man. He is always coming to me saying "Mommy, look what I built!" and then explaining to me what it is and what it does. I see Legos for Christmas and birthday for this guy!


Laurel was so excited to make a flannel baby blanket for her baby sister. We pinned it together and sewed it, then flipped it and topstitched it. Still getting the hang of the machine, but she's got more projects in the works.

We've got the aquatic center to go to next week, plus a visit from Gran and Opa to celebrate Henry's 2nd birthday! Hooray - is he really two already? Aaron begins law school stuff on the 8th - an early welcome program, then on the 15th is orientation and then classes begin on the 22nd. Phew. We're planning a visit to Kennewick in September for some school shopping - forgive me, but Wal-mart just doesn't cut it for me when it comes to clothes for the kids.

Grateful Sunday

So grateful for the last 10 years with this man. He makes me laugh, makes me crazy sometimes, definitely makes me smile and appreciate all that he does for our little family. It's been a wild ride, but I wouldn't have missed a minute of it - even the tough parts. Those rough spots have brought us closer together and made the sweet spots all the better.




Thanks for 10 wonderful years, Aaron! Looking forward to eternity.

Henry's First Haircut

. . . or how we should have done it all along!

Yep, Henry's halo of golden curls is gone. Thing is, I thought I'd be more upset. But lately they've been less curly and more straggly looking. As James and William desperately needed haircuts, we decided it was time for Henry's first.

He wasn't too excited about it at first.

Well, as long as you let him hold the clippers, things are fine.

Okay, fine. He did great - no crying until the very end.

With his "best brother" James (thanks for that phrase Rebecca - we use it all the time around here) and their matching haircuts.

He looks so much older now that his hair is cut. Sigh. But we've got a baby on the way, so there's not much time to be sad about my baby growing up. He's a sweet little man - they all are.

Grateful Sunday

It's been far too long since I've done one of these. It's not that I'm not grateful - I am! No excuses though. This week, I'm especially grateful for:

• Priesthood blessings and the comfort they bring. I don't know how comforted William was by the one Aaron and my dad gave him last Sunday evening, but it sure calmed me down. His dentist appointment went well.
• My parents, who willingly took the day off to take care of Laurel, James and Henry while Aaron and I took William to his dentist appointment in Seattle. I couldn't have done it alone. He had a hard time and it was good that we were both there. By the way, they knocked him out, so it was a bigger deal than your average dentist appointment.
• Small towns. Love our little town. Love going to WINCO and not waiting in line. Love that there was no line (heck, no waiting area to speak of) @ the DMV. I walked right up to the counter. Can't beat it.
• Fenced backyards - loving mine!
• Great lesson in service today at church. Love our new ward.

Hope you have a happy fourth of July. And that's my last, and biggest, thing I'm grateful for this week. I'm grateful for this great country we have. I'm grateful for the Founding Fathers, and not just the big names, but all that fought for freedom through the ages. I'm grateful my ancestors came to this country. I'm grateful that my children can play and be free and at peace here. It's not a perfect place, but it's the best there is and I'm glad I can do my part to make it better.

Lego King of Latah County

This awesome man, complete with cowlick, has had a rough week. We took him to the dentist in Seattle for his crowns - they had to sedate him, which was scary for me. He did well, and came out of it with seven silver crowns (almost all of his molars) and one root canal. Whoa! Lesson learned - brushing your kids' teeth is not enough - you MUST floss. For the record, we did our best. William has always had sensory issues. He would freak out getting a buzz cut. So it's been a struggle and it's only been in the last few months that he's been cooperative brushing his teeth.

But he's feeling better and he's officially "into" Legos. Loves them. Loves building the set with directions, but then he loves creating his "machines" even more. I remember my brothers doing this and I love to see him do it. He's so excited to explain his latest machine to me. Love this William Spencer. He's just awesome.