A 1st Birthday

Birthday parties are always great, but the first birthday is such a sepcial time. This is the first time Ewan had sugar of any kind (that I know about!) and, in case you can't tell, the first time he's seen birthday candles! Uncle Byrne built Ewan's Tonka truck walk-along toy. I made a torte layer cake that looked beautiful for about 2 minutes! There is a picture of my mom and dad, my cousins Halee and Carly and my "big" Grandma that sums up all of our family gatherings. Everybody is laughing so hard, you can't hear yourself think. Ewan in the b.at-h tub might be the best photo of the day.

swim lessons

I had to add a few of these photos of Liam with his dear instructor Ms. Ren. We've had a little trouble getting him to learn to swim. I think, with all of his allergies and things, it's just been a lot harder for him to relax and get the gist of things. He is well on the road now, though, and I'm sure he'll be giving the dolphins a run for their money in no time. So, every week we are driving to swim lessons where Jacob and I ususally end up fooling around with the camera and Ewan has the time of his life!

4,000 words

Slight drainage problem in the new neighborhood!

It doesn't really rain in Colorado...ever. Most of you know that, but I don't think people really realise how truly unprepared we are for it until it actually happens. Well, I guess nobody over the age of 5 is prepared for it...

Ewan is One!

It doesn't seem possible that one year ago I was holding this little miracle for the first time. Babies are always wonderful and amazing, but Ewan was the one who changed everything for me! He was my first home birth baby, my first OB/GYN-free pregnancy,and my only Colorado born boy. He was, by far, the easiest delivery, and the only one that was completely drug-free. He has grown so quickly over the last 12 months, and yet, it seems a life time ago. Right now, he's barely trying to stand up on his own and you can tell that he's thinking about wanting to walk. He smiles all the time, and he is curious about everything. He doesn't really cry unless there is something seriously wrong, like... oh, maybe a big brother sitting on him or something like that! The only thing that makes him really mad is his crib! He absolutely hates that thing. Paul's mom shipped it over here from Scotland before Jacob was born. She used it for her three (forty years ago!) and Jacob and Liam both slept in it just fine, but Ewan is not having it. It makes me laugh. The picture of me and the boys on the slide was taken last year on my due date Sept.15. He would be born three days later.

I hate computers

I hate computers and 'cookies'. Paul tells me not to worry about it, though. They'll never catch on.

Keeping Up With the Andersons

I can never seem to take enough photos of these kids. They seem to be up to something new and crazy every day! In the preceding photos:

It was so much fun to watch the kids' faces on the Fourth. They had seen big fireworks up in the sky before, but we'd never bought them sparklers and things they could light themselves. There is a great shot of Jacob throwing a fit and having a 'time out' at our new house. I'm standing in a big mouth at Casa Bonita in Denver, where Paul took me for my birthday this year. It's inside the restaurant in a dark, creepy cave called 'Black Barts Hideout'. Apparently at three years old, I decided I was NOT going through that mouth (no wonder! It was a little bit scary last month when we took the picture! Imagine being three years old having to walk through that thing!) Anyway, it's a one-way tunnel so, you have to go through the mouth to get out. I guess I caused quite a scene. The boys are having a bubblebath in Mommy's tub for a special treat. In that one photo, there is an old chair awaiting the van to the thrift store, and I found the boys sitting in it one day...I told you I can't take too many pictures! There are two shots of the boys at swim lessons. Liam is doing 'laps' in one of them, and Jacob is sitting in a cute little inflatable airplane. This amazing woman teaches them how to swim and be safe in the water in all kinds of situations. At the end of each lesson (once they are swimming really well) she pushes them out of a toy like this and they have to swim to the edge. It sounds a bit barbaric now that I'm looking at it written out on the page like that, but it's really amazing. We've seen her for about 10 lessons and Jacob can swim almost the whole sideways length of the pool. It's http://www.donnasdolphins.com/ if you want to check it out! There are also photies of Ewan's first nap in his own bed, and the two biggest monkeys at the photo studio getting Jaocb's 5 year old pictures taken.

the broccoli baby

Ewan is my second broccoli eating kid. I didn't know there were children who would eat green things of their own accord. One of many lessons I've learned from my kids! I used to tell the boys that if they didn't do a good job in a restaurant, that I could easily take them home and we would have broccoli and rice instead of deep-fried junk at a restaurant. This usually enticed good behavior out of my two little hyenas,but we have had to leave a couple places and go home to some of Bonnie's finest home-cookin'! I recently had to stop using this as a threat, because, although Jacob is miserable throughout the entire ordeal, I noticed that Liam actually liked it. He would happily eat his punishment and go skipping off to play. I was very happy to realize today that I have a second broccoli eater. But, I'm going to have to come up with a new threat to use in restaurants.

Happy Fourth of July

We all got brand new 'Proud to be an American' t-shirts for the Fourth of July this year. I am so thankful to live in this country where I can raise my children to follow God and worship as we please. It's hard to imagine a world where people don't have that option. Yet, it goes on all around the world. I am grateful this Independence Day 2008.

Bonnie's Birthday Extravaganza

It's a good thing I have a loving and tolerant (and forgiving) husband, especially when it comes to my birthday. When it comes to big events, I often struggle with the 'morning after blues'. I think I build things up so much in my mind that when they are over I'm left with a feeling kind of like, "What do you mean ,'that's it'?" At Christmas, we go see a funny movie after all the festivities are over. That gives me something to look forward to. It's not a huge, dark depression or anything, it's just that the roller coaster ride is over, and you have to get back to real life. At my birthday, i have found that the only way around the post-birthday-you-are-another-year-older doldrums is to carry out festivities equal to a small country's celebration of independance, or perhaps Chinese New Year. Now, don't misunderstand me, I don't have an over-inflated sense of self importance. This is all for my mental well being. I won't list all the details, but Paul agreed to take me to this wonderfully tacky restaurant in Denver called Casa Bonita. Since we were already in town, my considerate husband talked me in to going to a gun show. They sell really great jewelry at those things! Who knew?! One night during the week of festivities, my parents and Paul and I took our three kids and my oldest brother Byrne's three kids to eat at the fabulous Texas Roadhouse! You should see the looks you get when you ask for a table with four adults and six kids! That was a party in and of itself. To top it all off, after unsupervised trips to Michaels and Hobby Lobby( I still can't seem to find those receipts!), my husband bought me a video camera that records right onto those cute little DVD's. Something I had asked for a long time ago. All in all it was a very successful, I mean happy, birthday. And,I don't feel the least upset about turning 26!

Jake's Preschool Play

How cute is this!? All the little kids were dressed up in 50's garb and they sang all these cute song like 'Lollipop' and 'You Ain't Nothin But a Hounddog'. Jacob really had a fun time with it. He sang his little heart out!