I can't believe this boy of ours has started the adventure of teenagehood. The days have been long, but the last thirteen years have flown. Addison is a good boy with a kind heart. He's goofy and incredibly creative. He has the ability to capture all his siblings' imagination and take them on adventures no matter where they are (even while cleaning their rooms). He is a deep thinker and it's awesome to see how his personality fits in a bigger body and a more grown-up social environment. It's rewarding and also anxiety-inducing to be involved in watching all the growth that is taking place in Addison's life right now. We're so proud of him for wanting to try and be better when he makes mistakes. I honestly feel like that's the secret to life, and he's practicing it frequently. It's also noteworthy that he's got a singing voice beautiful enough to make you cry if you're lucky enough to be standing outside the bathroom door when he's in ...

Our sweet Brynny turned 11 in July. In my brain she's still my little chicken-loving girl, but in reality, she is really growing up. She's sweet and smart with an extremely strong will. The absolute queen of organization - I ask her to help me organize schedules and other things for our family because she's just that good at it. She's rocking homeschool and is a loyal sibling and friend. She loves to swim with all her heart. She'd do it every day if she could. And she reads voraciously. Her personality adds so much to our family.  Bryn had a great birthday. Her birthday is the day after Emmie's, and Bryn picked an awesome way for our family to celebrate a couple days before: a trip to Classic Waterslides! Bri, Mason, and Abigail also happened to be here from Alabama. It was special to have them around for the celebration. 11 balloons for his 11-year-old. Bryn moved into her very own room not long before her birthday. A few of her aunties did some watercolor pain...

Our sweet Emmeline turned 2 in July! This girl brings energy and fun into our family. She loves berries and noodles and baby dolls and being outside. She gets away with way more than we'd care to admit. For example, instead of sitting in her own chair at supper time these days, she insists on sharing Leah's chair. And we just all go with it. Also she loves to sneak into bathrooms and cover her head in shampoo and conditioner when no one's looking. And because of her we use so. much. hand soap. Ahh the joys of being the youngest.  We love to watch Emmie learn and grow. Just this week she learned to pedal her trike and do somersaults. She really loves jumping on the tramp and swinging. Also swimming and baths. She likes to pick cherry tomatoes from the garden and watch for hummingbirds at our feeder. And she is a reader. She loves books and the library. She also loves to sing and be sung to. Happy birthday, sweet Emmie! Snuggled in Mom and Dad's bed with "Baby Jane....

Leah turned eight last month.  It was a treat having her home to celebrate instead of her spending most of the day at school. We took advantage of it and started the day with a Dad, Mom, and Leah date to the nursery to get some plants for our garden. She got a candy lei and lots of fun presents, which she had a REALLY hard time waiting to open. Also, she had her birthday outfit and hair picked out days in advance. I had several friends dig through their craft drawers and look for extra stuff, and between what they all found, we made Leah a craft kit to end all craft kits. Hawaiian haystacks were the birthday supper of choice. And she had carrot cake cupcakes, which we hired one of the deacons in the ward to make and frost. They were SO good. And adorable. Our number one favorite babysitter and her mom, who used to teach Leah in Sunbeams, dropped off a balloon and some goodies on our doorstop at the end of the day. What a su...