Family Pictures

At the end of September, my parents took us to have family pictures made. They did the same thing with my brother in Arizona in August. This is a big thing because the last family picture I know of taken with my parents was when I was a baby. So out of the adventure we have pictures of all of us with Grandma and Grandpa, just our family, just the kids, each kid, and just Greg and I. I don't think we've had that since our wedding! I'd like to say it was fun, and it was . . . for the first 15 minutes, maybe. Then the beast in Ashlen was released! She just wanted to play, not pose. She cried anytime we tried to get her in the pictures. I recommend Portrait Innovations to everyone. In spite of her drama, we still ended up with some good pictures. As matter a fact, Ashlen's picture was probably the best one, just because when the photographer did get a smile, it was real! These pictures were what we chose from and aren't the final prints, but they're still nice to share. Can anyone tell me how to rotate pictures on here? Sometimes it does it automatically, but sometimes you get the following results!

Dance Class

We got to visit Camden and Brynn's dance classes this week and take pictures. It looks like we love Brynn more, but this is not the case. Camden's class was on Monday, which falls into the category of 'all pictures taken before Tuesday are GONE'. I say again- GRRRRRR! But, rather than dwell on what I don't have, I can spotlight Brynn.

Brynn tends to dance to the beat of her own drum. We've noticed dance class is spent doing things her own way, but as she has pointed out, she never gets in trouble and she always listens. Apparently that doesn't mean that she always does what they say. Some good family fun!

A Few Firsts

These are just a few pictures of a couple of firsts for Dacey. You can see why I feed her just about anywhere besides her high chair. She fits it as well as Camden did when we first got it. To celebrate her 6 month birthday (6 months already!?), we decided that it was time for Dacey to finally have her first bath! This does not mean she has never been bathed! She has taken several showers, but I think that everyone would appreciate the lack of pictures of those events! She wasn't too sure what to do at first, but just hanging out in the tub-in the tub with her sisters seemed to be ok. Poor thing, she doesn't get to experience much by herself like the older ones did. I guess that's what happens when there are three more always lurking around.

GRRRRR!!!! I have just experienced the joy of losing pictures! I guess this is my first! You WOULD have been able to see the very funny pictures of Dacey eating her high chair tray because that's where her mouth reaches, except you can't because somehow all pictures taken before Tuesday are gone! Now I could recreate the eating the tray scene, but there is NO WAY I will ever capture the face she made just as I took one of the pictures. That was the one I was excited to share! :( They make everything else so hard to figure out, deleting pictures should be too, just so you have a chance to save them! I have a feeling that I will be remembering a few other events/pictures that are now gone and will not be feeling very happy!

All The Rage

From reading other blogs and posts, etc. it seems that going to the ER was all the rage so we decided to join in. Words of advice . . . do not let your little ones try to cook pancakes when they are only 5 months old. As excited as they might get and however much they want to help (cook or eat), this is definitely not a good idea. The result? A sad baby with a burned hand, a trip to the ER, and wound treatment for several days. Once Dacey got over the initial pain and received a blessing, she has been great! Her poor little chubby hand that I love - it is getting special treatment everyday and she gets to have a mitt for a hand to hit me with. Dacey has been amazing. By the time the doctor at the ER saw her, she was laughing and talking. The only time she seems bothered by her hand is when the therapist is cleaning it, even then she doesn't cry every time. Today she entertained herself during the process by gnawing on her helper's hand. I'm just thankful it wasn't worse and that it doesn't hurt her.

After the ER

After a couple days of treatment. We still have about a week to go, maybe.Not so happy to be here.

We spent the day with cousins in Nashville to watch the BYU game. The exciting part for all the girls? Touchdown chocolate! Although the thrill was gone once the reeses cups were. It's just fun that we can drive a little and be able to have fun with family.

Hangin' with Uncle Stan

Camden seems to lose a tooth each time we visit. She now has what Greg calls an "Alabama Smile" She is so excited and has informed me that until she has teeth again, she needs her apples sliced. And not just one slice like I like to do.

Ashlen would probably do just about anything for a "sucka"!

Meet the Flintstones

For the 8 years that we've been married, Greg has wanted us to dress up for Halloween as a family. This year he finally had an idea early enough that we could try to work with. I am not the seamstress, but I managed to make everyone's costumes (except my own). I even made a hat for Bam-Bam. The girls loved their costumes and being a part of their own pretend families. So. . . meet the Flintstones and the Rubbles.

Bam-Bam
Betty

Barney

The Rubbles in full gear on Halloween.

Fred

Pebbles

The Flintstones (Camden practiced her photography skills for this one!)

Since the Young Men didn't do a haunted house or spook alley for the Trunk-or-Treat this year, Greg finally got to decorate our "trunk" like he has wanted to. Here is the final result. Notice the deceased . . . Troy and Gabriella won't be around for a HSM 4 at our house!


Brynn was not too sure about subjecting Troy to this display. She could've cared less about Gabriella!

We took full advantage of Halloween festivities this year, but it was too much effort to use our "real" costumes every time. Here is our cowgirl rounding up her cattle, the bumblebee and our knight in shining armor for the fall festival at the YMCA.






Dacey playing dress up!

GOT MILK?

MEOW!

Is there a better way to say Happy Halloween than with a rice crispy treat pumpkin? I didn't get to carve a real one with the rest of the family, so here is my contribution.

These are the few pictures I tried to post last week and did not succeed. But they were too cute to forget about. One, or a few of my favorite things about Dacey are her chubby little fingers and toes. Can you tell which is which?

I tried holding off on the cereal so that Greg could be home to take the "first time eating" pictures. Well, Dacey was hungry! So here are the pictures I took of me feeding her for the first time! Not too bad for either one of us.

That's a lot for one time, but since I never do anything with the hundreds of pictures that I take, I'm finally taking advantage of the opportunity to share them with others. Now if I only let others know that these pictures are here.

Assorted Poses

Dacey's standard sleeping position.
We wonder if she is trying to figure out why she ended up in our family. Maybe it's just better to hide. They say we're sisters . . .
It wasn't for another two weeks before Dacey really tried to get herself over again. All the inbetween was spent practicing and napping.
The joy of success! I think the smile was more for me than excitement of rolling over. The bigger girls get more excited when she rolls over than she does. Now I can't leave her on the couch anymore.