Thumb Sucker

Did you hear it?

At about 1:00 this afternoon, didn't you hear it?

The cha-ching! at every orthodontics's office as Beck soothed himself to sleep this afternoon with his thumb for the first time.

The Sweetest Little Old Lady

Forget the weather, forget her own mother, forget her two brand new nephews, forget her daughter's best friend and cousin, and forget her favorite sister (ME of course!). If this doesn't bring Beth back to California, nothing will!
Beth! Did you forget about Sister Evans' birthday cake!?!

I know the sweetest old lady. Now I'm sure everyone thinks they know the sweetest old lady, but my lady is by far the sweetest. She is in my ward and when she makes the announcement for the blood drive you would think she was sending us to Disneyland. She is the only one who could make giving blood sound like so much fun! And all of her sweetness goes right into her cooking. She bakes a chocolate cake, with some sort of cream cheese / chocolate chip layer for EVERY WOMAN IN THE WARD and delivers it to them on their birthday! And it is soooo tasty! Don't get me started on her home made dinner rolls!! I have kids just so she'll bring me dinner and some of those rolls.

True story: When the sign-up sheet got passed around to bring me dinner after having Kendall it was full before Sister Evans could sign up. She expressed her disappointment to my visiting teacher and my visiting teacher said no problem and bumped someone else off the list so Sister Evans could get on!

Beth, really, what were you thinking?!?

Family Portrait

I have been wanting to get an updated picture of our family ever since Beck was born. Naturally, I could only go with the best. We had to sit for a very long time while a well known artist in the area sketched out our portrait. The kids were surprisingly patient during the whole thing! I think it is a great likeness. My only regret is I should have dressed the family in more natural colors like tans, black and white as opposed to the pinks, reds and green we went with.






From left to right, top to bottom it is Scott, Jody, Beck (with stick-up hair), Kendall and Morgan (Her words were, "It's okay that Morgan is little." We trust her judgement). The artist's name is Kendall and you would never know by looking at the picture but this was her first attempt at drawing people!

Double Date

There is this family that we just love to hang out with. They have three boys (the youngest not pictured) who Morgan and Kendall call their Soldiers (when playing with princesses, they don't want to be the prince, they want to be soldiers). For the most part they all get along although there have been some lovers quarrels, mostly with the younger two. We went out to dinner and it just worked out better to have the kids at one table and the adults at the other (turned out to be a win-win situation). It's kind of funny how the kids sat themselves.

Looks like Kendall's "date" isn't going so well. And it looks like Morgan's is going a little too well!

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY MORGAN!!

Makaafi Memories

Have you ever had a best friend move away? Ugh. That is what we are experiencing at our house, times five!

(...sigh) They're gone. And I'm happy for them. Truly, heartfelt happy for them. But I have to admit, I am sad for us. So, I hope you will bear with me as force myself to take the advice of my wise older sister and be thankful for the time when we had it so good.


Easter when Beth and I coincidentally bought matching dresses for Eden and Morgan.


Vegas baby!


I think this is one of my favorite pictures of them.
Sweet Anela.
Who is going to make chicken bones for Beck?
Funcle-O was always her favorite.

And we will always have this everlasting uma from Anela.

Hamburger Plant

Whatcha doin' Morgan?

Planting my seeds.

What seeds?

From my hamburger.

Your what?

My hamburger. I picked off the seeds from the top of it and I want to grow hambugers.

Oh. Good idea!

A Blessing

I remember when our first child was blessed, she was one of two babies being blessed that day. The other was the youngest of three. The other father went first. Then it was Scott's turn. I can't say exactly what he was feeling but as he began he was over come with tears. I can only imagine it was feelings of being surrounded by the men in that circle of whom he held the utmost respect and gratitude for. Men with such strength all delicately holding his tiny little baby who herself is a gift so recent from her Heavenly Father's arms. I'm sure there is so much more to it that I could never do proper justice in words. Later the father of the other baby came to me with congratulations and said how neat it was to hear Scott's overwhelming joy and how he remembered feeling the same way with his first. I smiled and when I reflected on it later I could only hope that if and when our third one came, their blessing will be just as joyous as it was for this one.

Fast forward five years later and I can happily say it was. The circle of men was slightly different. Some of the hands the same, those who couldn't be there were missed, and some new friendships produced new hands. But the spirit was still there, just as strong and just as overwhelming as it was with the first.

I am thankful for the blessings I was given yesterday. Being surrounded by family and friends is almost too much to handle when I stop to take it in. And of course the blessing of three beautiful children and a wonderful husband who couldn't be a better husband and father if he tried.

A Must See!

Hey guys, you've got to check out what my good friend's, Mindy, baby can do at only THREE WEEKS! http://www.dahmerfam.blogspot.com

Mindy, I just think it's so cute, and amazing!

Cousin Katy

From Boston to Los Angeles to Maui back to Los Angels to Boston to Charlotte N.C. We were happy we got to spend an evening with Cousin Katy on her whirl-wind trip...

...during which we had to convince Beck she was NOT his wet nurse.