Last Week of June

This one is from May, but I felt like throwing it in...
Lukey, Bennett, Shay

My step brother came back from Asia for a short while (crazy man); his 94 yr old grandma was delighted to see him!

My grandparents (left) took a train tour through the Rockies that happened to have an over-night stay in our town...Impromptu BBQ!
(My parents, centre and my dad's parents, right)

My grandparents and their traveling companions. Sally (centre) was adopted at the age of nine from Guyana, while her parents (right), who had already raised four children, were in the country doing missionary work. Quite a remarkable story. Could you imagine waiting nine years to have a family to call your own?!

Bennett and his fantastic Kindergarten teacher, Mrs Stuckey, on the last day of school...

Playing with a wooden top that his Auntie Laura bought for him in Mexico...

Trying to see who could swing the highest: I think it is a tie!
(Derek, Laura, Bennett)

Serious Dog Walking: Look how tiny Bennett looks in this picture!
It helps that his uncle is 6'6"...

The Maple tree my grandfather backed his car over last fall seems to be making a spontaneous come back...

Miss K thinks that Nana's dog is her own personal pony...


Puppy Love!

The Archer (my big bro) and his Offspring...

Spudly did not want to partake in this photo shoot...
Miss K, Spudly, Bennett, Sunshine M

AN UNDERWEAR AFFAIR
(Spudly did not get the memo and showed up with the lone swimsuit...)
Miss K, Spudly, The Niece!, Sunshine M, Bennett

K8 @ 8 months...

My nephew (sans tears), Sir Spudly Grrr!


ALL FOUR (bio) COUSINS TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME:
Not one of them looking...

Someone snuck out of this shot...

The best I could get, necklace eater and all!

Bennett (7 yrs, 2 mos), The Niece! (3 yrs, 8 mos), Spudly (21 mos), K8 (8 mos)

Good Friday: Easter Egg Hunt & 7th Birthday Bash for my Pumpkin

Birthday Boy...

Hunting with his Birthday Balloon in tow...

Note the Tasmanian Devil on a Hog...there may have been some coersion from the Mama when it came to balloon selection...

Baby's First Easter Egg Hunt...

Yes. We still call him "The Baby."

No. I don't look forward to the day that he catches on and says,

"I'm not a baby!"

Team Toddler Trouble

Hunt in Progress...

Not a bad turnout!

Candy Consumption in Progress...

I love her expression here!

Torturing our children by asking them to look into the sun and smile...

And they all try to cooperate! This cracks me up!

It donned on the camera person that better results may be achieved by selecting a different local...

Slightly better local...

Brothers from Other Mothers & the Sorority Sisters

The tickle monster cometh...

~ 2 ~7 ~5 ~ 4 ~ 1 ~ 3 ~ 4 ~

Models:

Luke (BP2, Godson, Pumpkin's Baby Bro) - 27 mos

Bennett (Birthday Boy, Pumpkin, My Boy!) - 7 yrs

Shayanna (BP1, God-Daughter, Pumpkin's lil' Sis) - 5 yrs, 4 mos

Sunshine M - 4 yrs, 5 mos & Miss K - 20 mos

The Niece! (Turkey Liver, Cousin to the Pumpkin) - 3 yrs, 6 mos

AO (God-Niece...yah, I coined that term!) - 4 yrs, 2 mos

My Baby Brother & his Lady...

This boy did well in the Birthday $$$ dept.

Post Party...

LOVE HURTS

Lukey loves to chase down Miss K and give her a kiss. Miss K always tries to get away from his affections...which usually ends with him tackling her...this time, however, it went all wrong...for both of them!

Third Week of May...in Pictures

SUMS UP PACKING...


BOO!


SUCKY COLLECTION


SWIM SUIT GANG

Bennett Pumpkin (6 yrs, 1 mos), BP1 (4 yrs, 5 mos),
Miss Sunshine (3 yrs, 6 mos)

PARTNERS IN GRIME

Miss K (9 mos), BP2 (16 mos)

WAR PAINT, COMPLIMENTS OF BLUEBERRIES


SOOO SAD TO SEE THE DAY COME TO AN END!


MILO'S OPINION OF MOVING...


POTENTIAL LAPSE IN JUDGEMENT:
GIVING THE TODDLER CHOCOLATE IN THE CAR...


THIS PICTURE MAKES MY NOSE ITCH...


SHIT FIT.


ROCK CLIMBERS




PIE HOLE PLUGGED




STILL ON ALL FOURS


THREE IN ONE FRAME


IF PICTURES MADE SOUND, YOUR EAR DRUMS WOULD BE SHATTERED RIGHT ABOUT NOW...


THE STANCE OF A NON-WALKING TODDLER


His big brother wore that track suit at five months and those shoes at ten months...Bennett was not a small baby...Luke is average (when standing on his tippy toes)...it's almost like they had totally different mothers or something...

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Flashback: Here are some pics of Bennett in the same jacket/pants at five months of age (Sept '02):

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Back to the present:

I told him I would buy him a new bike when he finally learned to ride without training wheels (which were removed last summer!!!)...I think we need to go on a shopping trip...

Do you see BP1 SPLAT in the back?

She's determined to not be left in the dust! Rivalry, oh so motivating!
CLOWNS ON BICYCLES...


Contemplating the next sip...or glaring at his sister. Take your pick.

ECSTASY IN A BOTTLE. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S RED.


POP-EYE

LIKE THE TURKEY LIVER BEFORE HER, SHE TOO HAS STOLEN MY HEART...


LIKE A LAZY SUNDAY...ONLY IT WAS A TUESDAY...

GRABBY HANDS


WRONG END OF THE CUP...

UNFORTUNATELY FOR HIM, THE ESPRESSO HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CONSUMED BY A SLIGHTLY MORE MATURE PATRON...