Spring 2019

Funny how you run into the store to just grab one thing and come out with a whole cart load...

These pretty girls got all dressed up to go to a tea party hosted by Aunt Sarah. So fun!

Peter just learning to roll over.

One of the funnest things we've ever done as a homeschool group is visit "Crocodile Encounters." It was amazing! They really let you get up close to these animals

You just have to remember to stay on the right side of the fence!

We celebrated Easter at my parent's house. Annie made the cutest little Easter Bunny!

Matt took a break from his busy work schedule to join us at the Sylvan Beach.

The Museum of Fine Arts hosted a fabulous Van Gogh exhibit. The best part was at the end where the kids got to interact with the art and artist.

Just so fun.

What a smiley boy!

Ada studied "flying creatures" this year for science, including butterflies. She successfully hatched, raised, and released a half-dozen butterflies.

So proud! I think this was the first time he got into a tree by himself.

A local nursery has this little guy living in the office. He really took a liking to Jojo.

With Nana and Popie, we visited beautiful Missouri including: the zoo in Springfield.

a roadside park for wading,

and a beautiful waterfall. I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but there were two men in the water fly fishing. The kids were fascinated.

It would have a been a perfectly wonderful trip if it hadn't been at the peak of tick season. We were literally pulling them off left and right, even covered in bug spray. (I am never going back during tick season!)  We also found some surprise guests living in their home --a little grey mouse (It would have been adorable if it had been living outside or in a glass cage...) and a very long snake (It slithered across the driveway and right up the front steps into a little hole in the exterior wall.)

Look at this beautiful girl. Ada has such a kind heart and sincere love for the natural world.

For Annie's birthday, we had a few little friends over for a tea party. Sadie and Ada even gave the little girls princess make-overs. 

We gave her another little party on her actual birthday

and yet another one with Nana and Popie.

Winter 2018-2019

We are pleased to present Stephan and Jennifer Shakespear! Married December 22, 2018. It was a beautiful ceremony and a lovely reception here at our own ward building. We are sooo happy to have Jenn as an official part of our family now.

We loved having the whole family together for the wedding and for Christmas. We had lots of time to play and have fun with cousins!

Christmas morning was also fun.

Peter received his baby blessing the Sunday before Christmas (23rd) to take advantage of having all of my family here. And Grandma and Grandpa drove up from San Antonio.

These little guys just got plumb tuckered out...Annie even fell asleep in the middle of eating her cereal. It was so funny. (No that flake in her mouth was not staged. She really fell asleep mid-bite.)

Annie has always had plenty of personality! She's such an angel...

even when she's not!

Jojo lost his first tooth in January.

One of our favorite places to go is the HMNS butterfly center. During this particular visit, they even had bugs out that the kids were able to touch.

Gotta love those chubby cheeks!

Annie, aged 50 years.

One unhappy baby!

Michael took a basketball class at a local church and loved it. The little kids were able to scavenge extra balls and play along the sides.  Annie loves this little pink tutu and wants to wear it all the time. All three girls have worn it and played in it.

 All six kids at Mercer Botanical Gardens.

Hanging around with old friends the Mohontys at Kleb Woods.

Michael's 11th birthday. He just couldn't wait to dig into that cake!

One nice thing about living in Houston: you can don swimsuits mid-winter and wash the car without freezing to death.

Ahhhhrrg! the dinosaur got her.... with a red marker.

All curled up with Lovey, her most favorite thing in the world.

Popie helped the kids prepare our garden for spring planting.

 Peter's first ride in the swing.

Peter was such a drooler! I resorted to keeping a bib on him all the time to try to keep his shirt mostly-dry.

His first taste of solid food was "interesting."

It was a lovely day for a walk along Cyress Creek.

Annie's hair was taking so long to grow, I finally decided to have it cut, just to kind of even things out for when it did start to grow. So this is her first haircut: before

and after.

 If that was the end of the haircuts, it would have been great.  But she decided she liked haircuts so much that she cut it herself a week or so later.... and then again .... and then again.

We finally just had to break down and take her back to the barber to get a super-short boy haircut.


At day at the zoo.

The kids got really creative one Saturday and decided to put on a show for the parents. We had a magic show, a clown act, dancing and miming. It was great!