School has begun again!

It came so fast, but school started once again August 11th. Ashlyn and I found ourselves up several times the night before with her hanging over the toilet and me holding her hair back. Needless to say, she was not well enough to attend the first day of school but Cooper was all set! She was not happy but attended the next day no problem. I left for Utah shortly after these photos were taken with Jody, my mom, my sister Carter and her 3 kids to graduate at BYU and to visit with other family - my dad, my sister Casey and her family as well as my sister Colby and her family in Alberta, Canada.

A few postings

Sarah was baptized in June in Washington. Ashlyn got to travel with Jody to the event. The girls had lots of fun.





These next two pictures are from our last swimming "party" at my mom's house since she sold her house this summer. She lived there for about 10 years or so and we were sad to see the pool go but we have the memories and there are many. That red flower in my hair was a gift from Ashlyn for Mother's Day.


Yes, Cooper pushed Ashlyn off the diving board.


Next, Cooper's birthday at Peter Piper Pizza was lots of fun. You gotta love the tornado cupcakes his dad made.


Ashlyn recieved the most prestigious award her school gives out: "The Golden Scholar" last year for being a top student. I was so proud!

It's a GIRL!

Well, we found out today that we are having a girl! Our first daughter and child together but when you add our other children it will be the 3rd girl and 4th child in our blended family! I was hoping Jody could have the experience of having a son, so we will have to try for a boy next! Ashlyn was pointing out that she was the first girl and child of her mom and dad and Sarah was the first girl and child of her mom and dad and now this baby will be the first girl and child of her mom and dad (Jody and I). Even Sarah got a baby sister once her mom remarried, so we are in a trend, I think! HAHA! We have thought of a few boy names but not girl names, so we are going to have to concentrate on that over the next few months. This makes it all seem so much more real and I am reeling from the "real"- ness of it all! I am glad to know what we are having, though. She wasn't cooperating at first, crossing her legs and "sleeping" as the technician said, but the techinician prodded her a bit and then we could see better that there were clearly no boy parts on this baby! Ashlyn commented that she thinks the baby has a "pig nose" like hers! I love the crossed leg picture and the feet. So adorable!

Ashlyn is 10!

Run away! It's the double digits. The teen years are almost upon us! And with Ashlyn you have a reason to be scared! Here are some shots of her birthday cake and birthday party with her homies (those who live at home with her) and Grandma - a homie in her own right. I seriously can't believe she is 10! This is nuts.

Ashlyn's dragon eggs

Ashlyn needed a place to put her dragon eggs - she is totally into dragons now. If you can click on the link below or copy it to your browser, she should get enough "visits" for her dragons to hatch and grow. You can click on any of the eggs to help it grow as well.

http://dragcave.net/user/gruffen

School pictures

I bought the kids school pictures this year, which I usually do not do. I usually take them to a studio of some kind (Target usually) and get their best smile and pose and then buy a whole bunch for a great deal and pass them around. This year, I have been focusing on schooling and trying not to wretch from "evening" sickness and so I bought the overpriced school pictures - that didn't turn out half bad! No, Ashlyn does not play soccer and Cooper did his own hairdo that day. It's a moment in time at their school that was captured on overpriced film. Or maybe it's cheap film and they just charge us way too much. Oh well. Here they are:

Another Testament of Christ photo slide show