We laughed one night at my moms when Sam hooked this suitcase onto the little car and rode around.  Such a Sam thing to do.  He reminds me of his dad, always thinking of how to make things work more efficiently.

See?  Always being efficient.

Sam loves me, but he looooooves his daddy.

One weekend at the first of summer, Sam got tonsillitis and the two of us had to stay home while the rest of the crew went to a cousin outing for the weekend.  He was pretty lonely.  Saturday night I was busy doing something and noticed he had gone missing.  After a little panicked searching, I found him out playing on dads "mini-tractor".  He was happy as could be.  I should have looked there first. :)

At long last, a sandpile!

dance lessons (otherwise known as future blackmail material)

the backyard and slave labor

We checked yet another project off our list this Spring with the long anticipated redo of the backyard.  The grass has always been terrible back there (more weeds than grass), and we have been wanting to plant trees and rearrange everything.  We finally tackled it this spring.

It just so happened that the only day we could get sod was the last day of school, so you can bet how excited the kids were about laying sod to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation :).   We would never have got it done without the help of Uncle Darrell and Aunt Alyssa, who showed up without us even asking.  They helped us so much, and we were so thankful.

We didn't quite get it done, however, and so the following two Saturdays we put the girls to work.  They were awfully excited about it.  Sometimes it seems that there is nothing quite so, shall we say expensive as free labor.  As in, it ain't really free.  It causes me great emotional pain sometimes.

These girls have a very hard life.  As you can see, we work their fingers to the bone all. the. time.

this just might be one of my favorite pictures. ever.

random

  I found this picture on my phone, apparently from way back at Easter time.  

Looks like yet another attempt to get chores done happily. . . :)

 I snapped this picture one day at Sam's Club.  Claire lounging on the bottom of the cart and Sam in his favorite cowboy attire and shorts.  We're nothing if not classy.

(Ryenne will kill me for posting this, but it's too cute.)

Sam was having a hard time falling asleep one night, and when I went in to check on him a bit later,

 I found these two.  She has a soft spot of that little brother of hers.

I was able to attend a field trip to the Dinosaur Park with Emmy.  I happened to have one terribly blurry picture to document the day, due to the fact that I managed to lock my purse, keys, and camera in the trunk of the car.  Don't ask. 

Kate and Ashley at the Breakfast of Champions.  This was held at the end of the year to celebrate students who excelled academically last year.  These two are quite the pair.  (And smart, too!)

We always do lamb chores in our princess dresses.  

Best buddies.

Emmy and Mrs. Christensen on the last day of 3rd grade.  

What an amazing teacher!  We loved her!

This girl is a character.  And she got new glasses!

a boy and his dog

just yesterday

Yesterday you were looking through a box of some old pictures, and I died a little bit.  When did you grow up?  I looked at all those pictures and you looked so. . . little.  In my mind, it seems like they were taken just yesterday.  Your once bright-blue eyes (that are so very green now).  The cute round little face with those perfect cheeks I've loved since the day you were born.  Princess dresses and fairy houses.  Those first tiny freckles on your nose. 

You're taller than me now.  Beautiful.  You have a great sense of humor- I find myself laughing out loud at the funny things you say all the time.  Just yesterday, I was laughing at the things you said because they were funny in a cute sort of way.  (You know, when you didn't really mean to be funny, but it was so cute I couldn't help but laugh?  The way we giggle about the things Claire and Sam say?)  Now it's different.  I laugh at your jokes the way I would laugh with a good friend.  

Just yesterday it was frilly nightgowns and piggy tails.  A dozen new adventures with your sisters every day- with you at the lead of course. (You always did have an amazing imagination.)  Tea parties every day.  And a flair for the dramatic.

OK, some things never change.  :)

Just yesterday, you and Kate would come up with the craziest outfits to wear to "go on an explore" in the fields.  You slept with on your "care bear couch" and were never far from your "corner" (your favorite blanket).

Your first trip to the ocean.  And Disneyland.

The first ballet recital.

(Remember when Uncle Ronnie started calling you "Sassafras"?   His own little special name just for you!)

Just yesterday, you were counting down the days to our skip-the-pumpkin-walk parties.  One of these days, I'm afraid you're going to plan a skip-the-family-party party. 

I can't quite figure out when it happened.  One day you were my little girl.  Just yesterday I thought it would last forever.  The princesses and play dates.  Nap times and dress-up times and crying-over-toys times.

Suddenly it all seems new.  Our days our filled with drive-you-to-work time.  Friend time and Volleyball time.  First crushes (with code names, of course). Your first little ballet slippers have turned into pointe shoes.  Piggy tails are now "messy buns".  You borrow my make-up.  I go to your room to find my missing shoes.  You update me on the coolest new songs (and are learning I've always been behind in that department :).  We have late night talks and riding-in-the-car talks and you act surprised to find out that I had to suffer through some of the same stupid middle school stuff that you are dealing with (some things never change).

Lately I look at you and wonder that you are mine.  A beautiful, smart, funny, and talented girl.  My girl.

Just yesterday you made me a mom.

Today you make me a happy one.  Happy number fourteen, Ryenne Ashleigh.