Alara 7 Months

Alara is 7 months old. I wanted to wait until she could sit up a little bit to take her pictures. She is such a delight to have in our home. All sugar and spice. It is especially fun to get a baby kiss from her where she tries to eat your face just a little bit. She can scoot around but no official crawling yet. She does the swimming motion with her hands and legs because she hasn't quite figured out her knees yet. All babies are wonderful but THIS one especially.

10 Years and counting

I can't believe how time has flown! A decade ago I became a mom for the very first time. It has been a crazy roller coaster but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Gabe is becoming such a wonderful young man, but it is bitter sweet since he is officially not little any more. With 10 years he has broken the 5 foot barrier, studies his scriptures almost daily, earned a dog, reads like his father, climbs higher than I care to watch, and is a great example to all his younger brothers and sisters. I love you Gabe with all of my heart. Thanks for teaching me how to be a Mom. Happy Birthday!

Baby Alara Helping with the Birthday Bite

Clarence

 We have a dog. We are officially Fort Collin-ites now I suppose. I've never had a dog before. After a summer of math study and a trip through the Book of Mormon, Gabe earned a red heeler named Clarence. A 13 week old puppy from an animal adoption agency. Clarence is yet to be fully potty trained and likes to chew on things like my carpet, but he seems like a nice little fellow. When Gabe is home from school he has been very responsible about feeding Clarence and cleaning up his accidents. Gabe is not always home however. I have a lot to learn about dogs, but lucky for me I have time to learn it. I take care of small things for a living, how different can it be? 

This is Lincoln 2 1/2 telling Clarence, "Sit on your bum!" Lincoln totally bossed him. Unlike Mac and David, Lincoln is the alpha dog where Clarence is concerned. It is so funny to watch. Clarence totally loves Lincoln for it. 

Pretty in Pink

 This picture is from Easter. Someone wasn't too happy about having her picture taken but that's OK, she cheered right back up afterwards. It's fun to take a girls-picture every once in a while.

Alara 6 months

Alara is getting bigger! 

She has made it all the way up from the 5% to 15% for weight, 

Weight coming in at a whopping 14 lb 6 oz

Length -26 inches 50%

She is also beginning to roll around and try to push herself towards objects of interest. She can manipulate her hands quite well so I try not to let her get too close to my plate at dinner. Alara is still our dainty little girl with tiny giggles and pitiful cries. I'm always a little bit sad when my babies hit six months because it means half of their babiness is gone. I savor the time that I have. I love to hold her in at night in the big purple chair and just watch her drift off to sleep. I think to myself, if I had just this one I would consider myself most blessed, how lucky am I to have six.

Tina and Steve's Wedding

Zach, me and the two girls had a chance to go to Tina's wedding in Massachusetts over spring break. Kylan was  a champ and stayed here with the four boys. It was a wonderful visit with with family, but also a bit of a whirlwind since the girls and I came back after only a few days. Zach stayed behind to do research for his book. It was good to have an excuse to make the trip.

(I'll post more wedding related picture on my photo blog and Facebook page soon)

David's Baptism

My sweet David got baptized yesterday. Daivd means Beloved and he surely is. Zach performed the baptism and confirmation for our second oldest. Our family performed a special musical number, Heavenly Father Loves Me, with me on the piano, Gabe the violin and everyone with a voice singing the words, including little Lincoln who loves to sing. It was a nice number but nothing stunning yet the Lord was able to use us to touch someone's heart that hadn't been to church in years. A mother, there for the baptism of another child in the stake, said that she used to sing that song to her now inactive daughter. The daughter had come to the baptism and been touched by the spirit when we sang. That made me smile.

This moment will echo throughout eternity. Thanks for being our adopted family again Kylan Rice and standing in as a witness.