It has occured to me

while doing one of the most mundane tasks {walking into the grocery store} how very blessed I am.

I have a boy who still kisses me goodnight even though he says girls are gross {who also enjoys building giant paper airplanes}

i have beautiful children {that stink a lot sometimes} but always fill my life with richness, purpose and laughter.
she looks like me {she really loks like me}

and that is just awsome.

also... I got my mojo back. oh yes, you'll see.

i'm still.

not still as in "holding still"... still as in

still adjusting. still unpacking, still cleaning, getting up in the night and wondering how long it will be until I feel "settled". After a year in the road I am a little slow on the uptake I suppose, but life is good. Derek is paying do's and I am enjoying the freedom of staying home. As I was looking through pictures, I decided a random update was in order since we are wrapping up our summer of craziness...

my buddy and me.*

love this kid. he is a mini derek so I guess that's fitting.

*I chopped my hair...is summer almost over everywhere else? because here we are still roasting and swimming whenever we can. Easton even has a tan- never thought I'd see the day!
Easton and the Lofgran boys were cracking us up- singing and "showering" the pool.

see? we are cracking up!!! check out the armpit rolls!!!

Our Davis family camping trip left me asking myself two questions:

1.how in the world did so many boys get into our family? We used to be the Davis chicks- now we're overrun by stinky, dirty, gross boys. Payback- right dad?
and

2. Why did I go camping without my husband???

1st day of 1st grade. A sweet kiss goodbye and a short walk to school, then he was off. There were no tears, although he was apprehesive. We are a week and half into it and he is into it. Whew! I'm so relieved!

And what do us girls do while the Ames men are at school and work? We BUMBO!!!

ok-just Saige. But wouldn't it be a hoot in an adult version? I'd want yellow of course! She was a little confused at first-not to mention the fact that her thighs barely fit. there may or may not have been some mashing involved...but then she stayed in here for an hour and just stared at me. What a weird invention. brilliant, but w-e-i-r-d.

drooling and pointing with delight!

"OK mom- I like it. I don't get it- but I like it"

We are happy.

cupcake shops

apperently the new trend is to go to a fancy cupcake shop and spend five of your hard earned dollars (or in our case five of our kindly loaned from the federal government and earing interest daily...) to enjoy one of their delish cupcakes. Well, I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever met a cupcake I didn't like. They are all delish. so why pay $5 for one? I spent five bucks on ingredients and got 24 for the same price. so... here's how I copied our local cupake favorite:

cake:

1 white box cake mix

3 eggs

2 T veg oil

2 tsp Coconut extract (new discovery- wonderful!)

frosting:

1/2 c softened butter

2 c powdred sugar

2 T cream

1 T coconut extract

top with toasted coconut, and take some to your neighbor. now you only have to feel guilty for eating the cupcakes. not eating them and spending so much. ;)

Is that yummy coconut frosting on your lip honey? yes. yes, it is.

sometimes...

you* get a new cousin who is half your size and your mom and aunt take pictures of you and edit them and post them for all to see because it is just sooooo funny how much of a difference 4 weeks and 6 lbs makes.

*please laugh at this when you grow up and don't be mad. or do. it's still funny.

spring...{not in a nutshell}

Three days. We had three days as a family up until this point between the time Saige was born and now without either having company, being company, or being on the road. We have been from Idaho to Oregon, back to Idaho, to Utah, Colorado and back again to Utah.

I want my maternity leave and I want it now. Is it too late to take my 6 weeks off???

Derek is officially graduated, licenced, and had his first day on the job. A real 8-5 day. I missed him. This "real job"adult stuff is going to be a transition, but I couldn't be prouder of him. He survived 12 years of college and couldn't wait to start working. what a stud.

Graduation was a wonderful, chaotic rainy whirlwind.

I guess this is what you get when you graduate from Pacific University. An audience full of umbrellas... and a wet diploma.

Derek won an award for excellence in clinic for contact lens fitting. He was pretty excited, but Easton was so thrilled it could have been an academy award or something. He was so proud and I have to say I am glad we dragged him with us even though he was one of the only kids. He has been our little buddy throughout school and I think he was as happy to be done as the rest of us!

baby likes to get her picture taken on retro couches while the boys fish.

We were up at our friends cabin at Fish Lake where I found this couch and wanted to tie it to my car and take it home. I think I was born in the wrong decade...
Easton has discovered a love of the outdoors and he is hooked on fishing, camping, hunting etc. I wonder where he gets that from...

Eastons other latest obsession is Avatar the last Airbender. Now if you don't have a son between the ages of 5 to 11 you probably have no clue who that is. But if you do... you will be their hero when you volunteer to draw "power source" tattoos on them that give them the power to "bend air, fire, water and earth". Um... ok, whatever that means. Thank you crayola for being washable. Thank you branch for transforming into the "doom stick."

He's totally in character. He even brought my full length mirror into the living room so he could watch himself do tricks off the couches. so so funny.

We had 15 people stay at our house for Saiges blessing and it was pure chaos. Our condo is 1100 sq. feet and 2 bedrooms. It was a very crazy morning, but we survived and Saige was an angel!

Aunt Mel and Shel

Uncle Dave and Aunt Kellie

Little Side note about the blessing and back story on the dress. In my family there are 6 women. My dad calls us the "The Committee". He also refers to us as the SBO (Sisters Without Borders) an affiliate of the FWA (Fathers Without Opinions). We are a little bossy at times. Headstrong, stubborn, but always with good intentions. When my oldest sister Trisha was born my Aunt Cheryl gave my parents a dress to bless her in and all of the girls in my family have been blessed in it since. (except Krystal... because she was adopted when she was 6 months old, but that's another post altogether.)

I am a little obsessed with the dress.

It was the first thing I thought when I found out I was having a girl. literally. "Ooooh. I get to bless her in the dress!"

I love this little girl so much. I love her every day and the more she changes and grows the more I love her. I love her when she cries and poops and gets up in the night. I really do.

she is the best.

She loves her daddy... that's him she's smiling at. she loves him even though he drug her through 4 states in the first 4 weeks of her life.

This dress is amazing. Saige was given a beautiful blessing while she wore it and it occurred to me that all of us girls must have had similar blessings given to us. I know that is a part of who we are and why. We are all greatly blessed women and I am so greateful to share this legacy of faith and motherhood with my daughter. I am proud to be a member of "The Committee".

That is why I love this dress. It is so much more than a cupcake head cap tied with satin ribbon... or chubby toes poking out behind antique lace. It is a symbol of the love that binds families together and the beauty of a baby that will someday grow into a faithful, strong woman.

thanks for my bracelet grandpa! (and grammy...)