Easter 2009

Nap time

Sometimes I don't know why I bother with nap time. Juliette does anything but sleep. There are no toys in her room, but she still finds plenty to do. She tries on clothes and this time found candy and stickers in her sister's drawer.(she takes all of her bedding off and stacks it so she can reach up into this drawer) Since she had candy stuck in her hair I had to take her straight to the tub.

Braces

Aleah just got braces last week. I think she's a real trooper and think she is beautiful with or without braces. She is definitely growing up.

Dad comes to visit, Ian's blessing

Dad came to visit for the weekend and to participate in Ian's blessing. I really enjoyed him coming and only wished mom could have come too.


We had a long wait before church, so he entertained the kids by playing games and reading them books.


Ian was ready to go but not happy in this picture. Surprisingly, he was very good during the blessing and all through out the meeting.


This is pretty much the best picture of him before church. I think he looks a bit like Alex here.


Here's the whole group. There's our bunch plus Grandpa and Grandma Cook, Great Grandpa Cook, Grandpa Zollinger, and Uncle Adam and Aunt Brittany.

"Happy" Guy

Josh and I have dubbed Ian "happy" guy, not because he recently learned to smile, but because he is kind of a fussy baby. He doesn't seem to know what to do with himself if he is not eating or sleeping. During the day he spends the majority of the time in a front pack, while I try to cook and clean. In the evening we do a lot of jiggling and walking the floor with him until he finally settles down for the night. He does have his moments though, when he flashes that smile, and it makes it all worth it.

Sandbox

Josh built a sandbox for the kids to play in on Saturday. Why didn't we do this before? The kids are having a great time.

Little Ian

Little baby big bed. This is Ian dozing while I'm near by putting on makeup.


Wide awake, it looks like he's waving.


Grandma feeding Ian.

All the kiddos ready for church

Whether we have church at 8 in the morning or 1 in the afternoon it is always a struggle to get everyone ready and head out the door happy and on time. Poor Ian was already done before we even got to church.


Here he is in his Sunday finest.

More Ian

Ian at 3 days old.


Adam holding Ian.


Josh multi-tasking.


Ian snoozing, while all around him life is noisy and busy.


Ian holding his head up while Grandma holds him.

WELCOME Baby Ian

7 lbs 8 oz 20 inches.

Baby and Mom are doing well. Baby was delivered 15 minutes after water broke O.o

Part-time Hairdresser

In a pinch, Josh can do the girls' hair on a Sunday morning. Who knew he had such talent? These pictures will serve for proof someday when Genevieve and Juliette are teenagers and don't believe me when I tell them that their dad used to do their hair.

Quartzsite '09

I forgot to take the camera with us this last weekend when we went to Quartzsite, but these are some of the treasures that we found. I got a strand of malachite beads and and a couple of amethyst stones that Aleah and I already used as focal points for the necklaces in this picture.

Quartzsite is an experience. Part flea market, part rock and gem show. The kids really had a lot of fun walking up and down the aisles and spending their money on whatever caught their eye. They even got to "make" rope.

Little Farmer Juliette

Juliette loves dirt and mud even better (what 2 year old doesn't?). This is what you get if she is outside for any amount of time. I think on this occasion her boots got stuck in the mud, so here she is barefoot.

Grandpa Cook's Birthday

We celebrated Grandpa Cook's 60th birthday with him recently. I think it was a happy milestone for him. I know that we certainly had a good time. We are thankful to him for being such a great role model and an involved grandpa in the lives of our children.

Homework

I had to take a picture of my very studious children. Every night they sit up on the bar stools to do their homework, while Josh does the dishes.

I can personalize your Christmas ornaments!

I have a professional vinyl cutter and can personalize almost anything for you, including Christmas ornaments.

I thought I would post a few ideas. The ornaments pictured here are ones that I purchased at the 99cent store, six for 99 cents. I think that they are about 3 inches across, so they are the bigger ones. I then added a bit of ribbon. I think that they would make excellent, inexpensive Christmas gifts that look very finished and not home made.

Vinyl can also be applied to wood, ceramic, glass, mirrors, etc. Think of the possibilities. You could personalize frames, jars, tiles, and more.

If you are interested, just let me know. You can either call me or leave a comment. The price would be $1.00 per word or phrase. I'm not supplying the ornament, just the vinyl that will be ready to peel and stick onto your ornament.

My vinyl colors that I have are white, off white, black, brown, gold, and a dark red. I have a lot of fonts to choose from also. I would be more that willing to mail orders.

Holiday Baking has begun!

All of my little chefs like to be in the kitchen to "help" me bake. It can be a bit hectic and crazy to have them all want to participate, but I'm hoping to create some great memories, and maybe cultivate an interest in cooking. Next up on our list of things to make: cathedral window cookies, pumpkin fritters, peanut butter balls.

Two on a Tricycle

Juliette would love to be able to ride this tricycle by herself, but alas her legs aren't quite long enough. She seems to be content riding on the back of the bike with her sister though.

Weekend Getaway

Last weekend Josh and I were able to enjoy a little vacation without the kids. We stayed in Cameron, AZ at the old trading post. It is north of Flagstaff and about 45 minutes from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, in the middle of nowhere really. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a little peace and quiet in a unique setting.

This was just outside our motel door in Cameron.


This is an old building used for a gallery in Cameron,


Here's an old bridge right in Cameron.


We went to the Grand Canyon and really loved the view and all that there was to see. This is a watch tower that was built in the 1930's. I loved the architecture inside and out. We were able to go all the way to the top and look out over the canyon. (please excuse my "tiny" jacket, it looks funny I know, but it was all that I had)


Inside the watch tower.


My favorite picture of the canyon.


Tiny jacket again!


My favorite picture of Josh at the canyon.


Monday as we were coming home we stopped at Sunset Crater Volcano national park outside of Flagstaff. It had snowed just a little and was already melting, but we got out and did a bit of walking and inhaled the clean mountain air for a bit.


It was a great vacation that I know both of us tried to make the most of, since I really don't know when we'll get the chance to get away again. Happy memories!