Happy Thanksgiving

To family, to friends, to health, to life, to love, to fun, to trials, to growth, CHEERS!

Lord, we are so thankful for it ALL.

Make us ever mindful of your goodness and mercy...amen.

We have a two year old!

Oh my! Two!

When looking at this photo of Evie today...

...it is amazing to see her one year ago!

Opting to go 'hands free'!

Checking out her new fun, chair from Grammie and Poppy!

We celebrated Evie's birthday today with a yummy, cake. Ian and Gabby decorated the house beautifully and Evie enjoyed opening her presents. It was simple and low-key, and very enjoyable :) We are planning to celebrate her birthday again, along with Gabby's, in December.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Evangeline!

Evangeline's dedication

Evie's picture on the big screen. We are standing to the far left.

Jeff and I, along with family and friends, dedicated Evie to the Lord today. It is a public commitment to raise her in a Godly home to know Jesus and the love He showed to us by dying on the cross in our place.



She was very curious with all of the goings on around her, but did very well through the whole service. (about 20 minutes long)



It is still so amazing to me that I get to be her mother.



I am so in awe and so grateful.

Happy Birthday Dad!

My dad is ...

...the happiest reindeer!

ian, dad, gabby, evie and my sister, christianna...last Christmas.

...Vanna (Danna?) White!

...hmmmm. nice, dad. moving on...

...a super, fabulous dad who deserves much better than a 'just-after-midnight-(because-Arizona-is-dumb-and-does-not-do-daylight-savings-time)-oh-my-goodness-I-can't-believe-I-almost-forgot-your-birthday-call' call from his eldest daughter!

I love you, Dad!!!

Happy Birthday!

Halloween tradition continued...

let the sugar overload begin. just outside Daddy's work with their loot bags filled from trick-or-treating throughout the cubicles.

admiring their handi-work in carving the pumpkins

our precious Tink!

me and my mom. the mechanic and the hippie.

Peace. I dig it, man. (er...mom) :)

After we visit with the Loughs and get pictures of the kiddos in their cute costumes, we head to mom's house. Her neighborhood is always full of activity, and this year was really busy! We walked around the block a bit, but as usual, the kids really weren't that interested in going very far and just wanted to head back in to gramma's to eat their treats and drink yummy cocoa. Gabby has become quite the candy distributor, with Ian pitching in to help her once in a while...and Evie, well...she only escaped completely out the door and had to be caught by kind parents waiting on the sidewalk and returned to us...twice. She is so, so fast.

Halloween tradition

this group photo just wasn't going to happen.

remove the youngest two, and it's not too difficult to get a shot of Tiger Lily (Gabby), cheerleader (Hannah), Captain Hook (Ian) and Darth Vader (Justin)

hey! speak of the little ones...Evie and Owen as Tinkerbell and a frog.

on the couch they are better contained, even some smiles!...however, it does look as though Owen is texting for someone to get him out of there!

Ever since Gabby and her friend, Hannah were tiny, we have met them each Halloween to photograph them, and, of course, all of the siblings that have been added since!



As Hannah's mommy, Heather said, trying to get a group photo of all 6 was exactly like "herding cats"!