Family Pictures

First Day of School

Is it really that time again?  No, it was actually that time almost two months ago.  Amazing how time flies when I've got SIX hours a day of quiet in the house.  The little girls and I are having a lot of fun home all day together and the big kids love being back at school again.

Don't mess with Truman!

 I know Truman doesn't look very mean or intimidating but give him a frisbee...He actually feels really bad about what happened--not as bad as Bret feels.  I told Bret not to worry about people staring, he looks tough with a black eye.

Dexter's Baptism

 I am so proud of Dexter.  He is such a good boy.  At night after everything had settled down he and I were sitting on the front porch talking about his baptism and I asked him his feelings about the day.  He told me that right after he was baptized he could feel the Spirit and he knew that was Heavenly Father's way of telling him he had done the right thing.

 He had so much support on his big day.  This picture is of most of the kids who attended his baptism that will be getting baptized this year.  The little girl to the right of Dexter is his friend the rest are his cousins.  We've got some AWESOME family!!  We've got a HUGE family!  Bret's got six siblings and I've got seven siblings.

 This is Dexter with his grandma and grandpa Gundersen.  This was the last baptism they attending before leaving to serve a mission in Russia.  I am so proud of them!!  (My parents left before I was able to get a picture of them with Dexter, bummer.)

Spanish Dance Festival

Yikes, I'm a bit behind.  Last April Truman, Dexter & Eve danced in the Spanish Dance Festival at school.  They do this every year and it is SOOO cool.  I love that my kids are in the Spanish Immersion program!

Graduating from Elementary School

To say I've been a bit emotional this year is an understatement.  Every activity I went to at the school made me cry because I knew it was Truman's last.  When I saw Truman  during the Halloween parade (dressed as George Weasley from the Harry Potter books) I started to cry.   When he was singing Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, I was crying.  During the Spanish Dance Festival, I was...yep, crying.  I cannot believe my baby is growing up.

 Here he is getting his diploma.  The best part of the graduation, for me, was when he played the piano. I am so proud of the amazing young man he is becoming.

Truman and his sappy mom on graduation day.

This is my favorite picture of Truman and Bret.  It was taken when we were renting from Norma.  I still remember the moment this picture was taken because I was so happy to be a wife and mother.  I still am!!

Eve's Room and Mushy Stuff

Much to Eve's delight, she finally gets her own room.  She and I spent many late nights planning and painting and, and, and.  One of the nights I was up really late thinking back to the time I painted my ceiling black and white checkerboard with my mom (mom doing most of the work).  I now know that my mom is not a perfect person (only because I now know no one is perfect ).  Which goes to show, you don't have to be perfect to be a perfect mom.  I love you mom!!

Four generations.

 Eve and my two perfect moms (I must say that they are pretty dang good grandmas too).

Look Who's Growing Up

 Graham played soccer for the first time this year.  His cousins, Cooper & Ethan, were on his team.  His coach was his Aunt Cassi.  What fun!!

 Believe it or not, the day after Graham broke his elbow was one of the happiest days of his life.  What could be better than going to kindergarten with a cast on??

 Graham's birthday was at the park.  The kids all decorated their own cupcakes and then took a swing at the pinata.

 Happy birthday Graham!!

13 Years

 I woke up this morning to this beautiful bouquet.  Today is our anniversary.  I LOVE my husband!  We've had an amazing 13 years together and I look forward to many more years together.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The kids decorated these boxes for their class parties today. (The kids are in Spanish Immersion and if their name is not a Hispanic name they get a new one--Dexter's Spanish name is Daniel, Truman's is Tito & Eve's is Eva.)