Swimming with Mak

Mikayla my niece came over to play today while her mommy cleaned out her classroom (Have I mentioned how many teachers there are in my family?) Mikayla just melds right in to the family and I wouldn't even know she's here. (I swear after 3 kids there no difference at 4 or more). They spent the morning playing hide and seek, house (on the swingset) and swimming in the pool all before lunch. Here are some pictures of our 10 ft pool we put up 2 weeks ago, we saw one at Tonya's house and had to get one. It's so cool with a filter, skimmer and everything. The kids are in it everyday swimming away, they've all gotten quite brown.



I guess the pool was a bit cold for Missy Mak;0)



Coming up for air!




Lainie wanted a picture of her underwater, so of course I took one. I thought it turned out pretty cool.


Lainie loves her Cousin Mikayla, so much so that she wants to marry her when they grow up, we'll see how long that lasts!




Alorah, Isaiah, Alaina & Mikayla in the pool.



Isaiah drying off and warming up on the pavement.

Day with the Bells

A few weeks back we spent some time over at our friends the Bells for swimming and dinner. Jill has been my best friend for 8 years and I love every minute spent with her. She's the Gail to my Oprah (of course I get to be Oprah cuz it's my blog) we just have so much fun together and I love to tease her about how she parents. She's a much more cautious and orderly mother than I am. She colors in the lines while I color like a 2 year old ;0)

Steve and Jill have 5 children ~ Johanna, Madison, Colson, Audrey and Naomi.
Alorah loves to apend time with the girls and Isaiah adores Colson. Colson is 3 1/2 years older so i don't think Colson would choose to spend everyday with Zaih like Zaiah would him.
Then Audrey and Lainie are close to same age ~ just a few months apart.

I brought my camera for the day but I don't think I used it once. Jill shot all the pictures below, I'm not sure where Johanna was though, she didn't make it in any of them.

Naomi with big sister Madison.




I love this picture Jill captured of Steve and Audrey.


Naomi loving her big brother while Colson and Zaiah warm up on the hot pavement (neither one of them has any meat on their bones and Zaiah always comes out of the pool with blue lips)


Swimming and jumping on brothers sure can be exhausting . . .


Micah was a tough one around the water because he has no fear. He would run down to the deep end to jump in before I could get down there. This kid would've gone off the diving board if we let him. I probably would have let him learn the hard way by falling in, if we hadn't have been at the Bells. I can just imagine the look of horror on Jill's face (who by the way makes her kids wear life vests in the sprinklers . . . giggle)



Ol, bug eyes Alorah had a ton of fun swimming with the girls especially with her goggles!



Here is Lainie with her BFF Audrey (Jill and I have to constantly remind them that they're bff's because they don't quite see each other often enough to remember ;0)

Lainie loved pushing Naomi around in the baby doll stroller.

Here is Pico their rat, er, ummmm, I mean dog :0)

Painting the kitchen

Last week while the older three kids were in Vacation Bible School, I decided to tackle painting the kitchen . . . a task we've been talking about for a year and a half. Unfortunately we still had one little helper at home. For most of the week he was a joy just playing at my feet as I painted and getting his screwdriver to help me take apart cabinets, a VERY big help might I add! Saturday, however, when I ran to get a phone call This happened:





He also painted my chair, the floor and a cabinet with the roller. WHAT A HELP!!!!

Our Oasis

On Saturday and Sunday Ev worked really hard to put green outdoor carpeting down under the swingset in the side yard. We had a bunch of friends over Saturday night and barbecued, Ev took advantage of the strong guys to lift the swingset (Thanks Dan, Trevor & Chris) Then on Sunday he finished laying and staking. It was a time consuming project but fairly painless ~ except for when he asked Alorah for the hammer and she "tossed" it to him slicing his finger wide open . . .

I thought it would look pretty tacky ~ kind of like trailer park sod, but instead it turned out well. Great job, babe!

Picture Day

Alorah was easygoing and took beautiful pictures as always!

Isaiah wasn't too thrilled about picture taking but he sucked it up and smiled away as long as I had intrigueing (sp?) conversation for him ~ mainly about Darth Vader.


Lainie's a total goofball. she was telling knock-knock jokes and cracking herself up throughout the whole shoot ~ just goofing off


Micah is a total ham for the camera. No matter what's going on he'll stop to pose and "Cheese" it up!

SOY

I spent yesterday snapping pics of the kids and then scrapbooking. I'd like to try for SOY (scrapbooker of the Year) and I need 20 layouts to submit (12 of which can't be on a blog or online forum)I'm about halfway there but it's so hard not to post my work . . .




Journaling reads:
It seems as though your childhood has been a blur. I remember the world stopping as we waited for you to take your first bresth, and then finally there it was . . . you were no longer in distress (your heartbeat had dropped with each contraction because the cord was wrapped tightly around your neck.) THe next thing I know you are a beautiful young lady. I have memories that stand out from the nine years between., like asking my sister if it was normal for a newborn to only have two twenty minute naps the entire day ( you’ve NEVER liked to sleep) Your toddler years at Joy Lane, from exploring the creek and picking blackberries to running down the long driveway to greet daddy every evening. I remember being amazed at what a smart child you are From speaking in full sentences at a year to effortlessly learning to read at FOUR you’ve always been an amazingly brillant child. School has been an easy pleasure for you and some of my favorite memories are of sitting at the kitchen table with you for school. I remember your joy at the birth at each of your siblings, automatically stepping up to the plate as a resposible and loving big sister. I remember your tea party birthday with the feathery hats and boas, you ringing the belll for papa and daddy to serve you. I remember you telling “buzzy” to get out of here while I wondered when you got an imaginary friend. Memories of you hobbling around on you red, white, and blue cast. Memories of you walking down the street to see your best friend and sleepovers with Emily on hot summer nights. Constant singing, everything was and is usually accompanied by a song. I remember each and every solo you”ve sung and all of the practice for each audition and part. .I remember all the bible verses you’ve learned over the years. In first grade you memorized the entire Chrtistmas story from the book of Luke and I can still hear you reciting “ . . . born in the city of Davis . . .” I remember you telling someone that your middle name was borealis. My biggest memory is of the love in our home that came with your arrival. Oh how I love you my girl. You are so precious and beautiful inside & out.