snaps.

these are just random shots from the second half of our trip that i took of the kids. there are no special stories behind them. just snap shots. however, they were cute enough that i could not just let them sit in a folder on my computer. i wanted to post them. so here are a few of my kids. just being cute.

moments.

when i took this picture, i just knew it was one of those moments that I was going to look back with lots of love! i am pretty sure i am right.

Pizza Ninja

I told Oliver to give me a smile and this is what he did. 

he looks fierce, like a ninja....of pizza that is! ;0)

he's a PJ Cowboy!

while together with the Palmer's, my little buddy Finn decided to throw on this cowboy hat. is he not the cutest little thing ever. he makes the funniest faces. soooo....

this post is for you Stacy!

blessing.

on 1-1-11 we had a little gathering at Garran's parents house to bless Ayla. We had decided to wait until we came to Iowa because we had some friends that we had wanted to be a part of it. It was a small group but we had a nice time and it was fun to visit with some good friends.

here is the special girl. My sweet Ayla Joan.

Mommy and A.

Garran's Dad, FN, Garran, Ayla, and Ed.

Daddy and Ayla

Here we are! (almost everyone is looking at the camera! woo hoo!)

Garran and his dad.

our old "friendly neighbor's"

Palmer Clan.

Good Buds.

Jaren and Kael

more good buds.

Cullan and Oliver.

Thanks so much to our friends for coming out to spend the afternoon with us. it was so good to see you all!

watch out julia childs!

the boys love to cook. 

especially cullan. he loves to help any and everyone that will let him, when it comes to the kitchen. well, while we were visiting Garran's parents over break, the boys, of course wanted to help. I was in the living room when I over heard Grandma or "Granny" as the like to tease and the boys putting on their own cooking show. They would talk to the audience as they cooked, explaining what they were doing and how wonderful it was going to taste. I thought it was so cute that I decided to snap some pictures of them, while they were having so much fun.

 Cullan..."That's right folk's, it's so easy even you can do it at home!!" 

don't they look so professional. i am sure the food network will be knocking on the door very soon. ;0)

perfect.

this is so perfect. 

b first thing in the morning. 

messy bed hair. 

chubby little body. 

enjoying some cartoons. 

i.love.her!

everyday mom

for some reason i feel like this picture should be on the cover of some sort of magazine, titled something like "Everyday Mom". This was taken shortly after Ayla was born. I mean it is so real life. Laundry hamper full of clothes. Stuff on my counters, and a drawer hanging open, and me holding a baby. Yep pretty much my everyday life!

oh dear.

(Briea rocking out at the Palmer's)

i think we have some very entertaining years a head of us!

this girl....

cracks me up.

what is it with this smile.

this is her new thing.

head back-eyes closed.

she has so much personality, it just kills me!

We Love Friends!

of course anytime we come to town, we love to get together with our friends the Palmer's. our kids are always excited to play with their kids and just have fun. We have had a chance to hang out a couple of times but I figured i would post a few now and then some more later!

Eden was decorating the living room with home made snow flakes!

handsome mr. finn and briea. they were very cute together. they like to swap binki's.

best buds. Jaren and Kael always have fun together!

kael sporting his super man shirt with fake abs.....makes me laugh every time.

i just love this picture. both of the boys just love babies, especially mine because she is so stinking cute. ( i am not sure about that but I am pretty sure I am right lol)

Oliver was trying to get Ayla to check out his sweet Christmas eye patch but all she wanted to do was smile at the camera. go figure ;0)

We have had so much fun playing with the Palmer's and enjoying their company. I can't wait to post the pictures from our rock band night! Fun times!

New Year's Eve Party!

This year we celebrated New Years with Garran's family. Here is the party crowd. Aunt Silara came later.

We decorated the house and had some fun things for the kids to do. We played some games and came up with our own balloon drop to do when we did the countdown. We also played "Happy New Year" which is just the same as "Don't eat Frank", but you yell Happy New Year's instead!

Grandma, Ayla, Kael and Briea. Briea looks really excited doesn't she?

Sweet Ayla. Sweet as ever and just hanging out. She really is an awesome baby.

Kael wanted a picture with his little sissy.

Garran, Silara, Sam, Kael and Ayla. Check out these PaRtY AnImAlS!

The boys and Briea being silly. We also watched "Despicable Me"!

My and my Honey. I have to laugh. In every picture my eyes are either closed or I look like a deer in the headlight. You can guess which this is ;0)

Happy New Year's from our family!

Grandma and Grandpa.

Grandma and Grandpa plus our kiddos!

Garran and his dad playing "Happy New Year!!"

Happy New Years from ME!

I finally made it in a picture.

I thought I would throw in the video of our balloon drop. It was a lot of fun. Garran's mom and I were trying to think of something fun for the kids to do when we did our countdown and this is what we came up with. (We did their countdown at 8:30. We thought we would let them stay up late for New Years!) The kids were really good sports considering some of them have had runny noses. I guess fun is fun when you are little. Feeling yucky or not. ;0)

Hope everyone had a safe and happy new years!

Christmas with my Folks!

Any time we are at my parents house, we always break out the camera so that we can get lots of pictures with everyone and also so that we can get family pictures all together. however, it usually takes a ton of pictures and a lot of convincing to get one that everyone is happy with.

Here is my cousin Katie holding Ayla.

And then started the attempts at a family picture. Well I will just post what I thought were the best ones.

yep...closed eyes, hands on face, heads in every direction...next

well at least most of us are looking in the right general direction.

just our family busting out some funny faces...well pretty much just cullan, briea and myself.

ahh a some what nice one of garran and myself.

sweet b playing with some ribbon

my mom and i. (note to self. do not take pictures with your hair pulled back. not attractive ;0)

my folks with all their grand kids and grand pups. again there were a lot of takes.

myself, my sister sara, and my mom

and then a big hit with the kids...their pillow pets!

cullan got a puppy

kael got a pig

bug got a lady bug!