Little Blessings

Introducing Elizabeth Annabelle Plato

2012-02-25T22:20:00.001-08:00

Elizabeth Annabelle Plato, the newest member of the Plato family. A few months ago, when we went to the Aquarium, we were walking out through the gift shop, and Aidah saw a little stuffed seahorse that she really wanted. We didn't buy it. Later when we were asking the girls what their favorite animals were, Aidah told us she the stuffed seahorse was her favorite animal she had seen that day. Really?

Since that day, my mom has been on the lookout for a stuffed seahorse, which really aren't all that easy to find. Well, she finally found one, a buggy eyed, sparkly little guy, and gave it to Aidah for her birthday. It is now her favorite toy, named Elizabeth Annabelle Plato, and she goes everywhere with us. Aidah talks to it, wraps it up in her blanket, and sleeps with it. She has fallen out of bed the last few nights because she has to sleep on the edge to make room for Elizabeth Annabelle Plato. And the name is Elizabeth Annabelle Plato, not Elizabeth, not Annabelle. Oh, quirky little Aidah!

Beach Trip

2012-02-23T21:36:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of spending two nights in Lincoln City. A friend bought this trip for us at the SJB Auction, and we finally had time to use it. Thank you Mary! We have been super busy with basketball season, and haven't had a lot of family time, so the day Nick was done, we headed out. It was a wonderful weekend spent with our little family. The weather wasn't too horrible (for the Oregon Coast), we played on the beach, swam in the hot tub, and enjoyed games and books with the girls in our room. The girls loved being in a new place with new things to explore, and Nick and I enjoyed the peace, away from the demands of home and school.

Here is the typical Plato family self-portrait

The girls relaxed with daddy and read books. Clara, not wanting to be left out of anything, sat on him and ate her banana.

Miriam and Aidah got to sleep in their own little "room" behind a couch and thought that spot was the coolest thing ever. So did Clara. And again, not wanting to be left out, climbed right in the middle of them and wasn't happy when she was banished to her pack and play.

Typical Plato protocol at the beach: Nick makes a sand castle with the girls while I watch. They collect things to decorate the sand castle, and this trip, Clara added something new, she liked to kick the piles over. Nick had to make separate towers for her little feet.

Next step, Nick buries the girl's feet while they wiggle their toes and gleefully watch them emerge from the sand pile.

Lastly, I take the girls down to splash in the ocean. This usually starts out fun, until a big wave comes and they have to run away quickly. Aidah gets scared and starts to cry. They all realize they're soaking wet and FREEZING, and they all start whining. We have the LONG trip back through the sand and back to our room. It was fun while it lasted. Oh yeah, and this time, we tried to get a family picture that wasn't our really cool self-protrait, and....it didn't work out so good.....

We ate dinner at Mo's one night, and then walked out on the pier where we enjoyed a gorgeous Oregon Coast sunset.

My Mommy's Shoes

2012-02-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

I like to wear my mommy's shoes

I mean the ones she doesn't use.

I pick the ones with the highest heels.
You can't imagine how it feels.

To walk around, go out the door.
Clumpy-clump, all across the floor.

~Kate Gossard

1960's Pics

2012-02-03T20:48:00.000-08:00

The Oregon Garden

2012-01-31T19:03:00.000-08:00

We have had better than normal weather this January. A few weeks ago, the girls and I picked Nick up after school to take him on an outing. We had a Groupon for the Oregon Garden, and we thought it would be fun to walk around and enjoy the sunshine. We thought we were pretty cool because we had the whole Garden to ourselves, I guess no one else wanted to walk around in the freezing cold with no plants blooming. I can't imagine why?!?!? The girls enjoyed being able to run free, and although we were a little chilly, we enjoyed having daddy with us and being outside. Nick discovered a little pond that was frozen over, and the educator in him just had to teach the girls all about the ice. They picked up huge pieces of ice, smashed them on the ground, looked through them, and tried to break it apart with rocks. Thank goodness no one else was there! It was a fabulous afternoon, after we left the Garden, we browsed through Silverton's Antique Store, and ate dinner at little pub downtown.

Random

2012-01-22T23:43:00.000-08:00

I don't really have a central theme here, I'm just sitting up, way too late at night with a cold and wanted to post a few random pics on the blog. I have been playing around with Picasa photo software, and am loving some of the effects you can do on pictures. Today all the pictures are "cross processed" and next time, I am excited to try the 1960's pics.

Life with the girls just seems to zoom by. I can't believe January is already almost over. We are busy with basketball, school, and playing. Tonight, Miriam wrote out all the notes to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" so she could teach Aidah. I didn't have the heart to tell her after all her hard work that Aidah had no idea what those notes meant. She was so bound and determined to teach Aidah to play. Miriam and Aidah are also determined to potty train Clara as I told them we would start working on it after she got her cast off. Well, her cast is off, so here we go. I think I will have them do it.... Aidah is still as energetic as ever. Tonight she fell asleep hugging her bear and doll, and she keeps telling us "I can't wait any longer for my birthday. I want to be four now!!" I think this is the most anticipated birthday EVER. And lastly, little Clara. The big girls left with Nick today, and she stood by the window crying and calling out for them. She then wore Miriam's shoes for the next hour. She is adorable in all that she does, and we all can't get enough of her. Clara gets a little more camera time than the other two, she is always willing with a "cheeeeeese" followed by "I see." She has to see the pics of herself, yes, I know, great habit.....

Video Mania

2012-01-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

Clara May is talking!

Miriam is getting better and better on the piano.

And I thought Aidah needed a video since the other two had one....it is easier said than done!

Bike Doctor

2012-01-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

This last month, we were blessed with a lot of sunshine. (Until the last few days where I'm worried our house is going to float away....) The girls really enjoyed spending some much needed time outside, and they came up with a new game, "Bike Doctor." Miriam is the girl nurse, Aidah is the boy doctor, and their bikes are sick. They carry them around, use one bike to move another, and turn them upside down to fix their wheels. I would hear, "Hurry Mimi, your bike is coughing, we have to take it to the hospital!" And, "Aidah, come quick! I think the scooter has a broken leg, we need to put a cast on it!" And on they go...moving the bikes from the driveway/hospital to the rocks/doctor office to fix the array of broken bike parts and pretend illnesses. I think my favorite was when Clara's bike "had puke" and needed a bowl. Of course, Clara was right in the middle of it, she insisted on wearing one of the big girls' helmets and just looks the part of toddler. Notice the dirt on the side of her face...I can't help that she loves to eat EVERYTHING!

2011

2012-01-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

January

I celebrated my 30th birthday in Portland with the fam, and got to take my first ever picture in front of the Oscar Meyer Weiner mobile. Oh yeah!!

February

The girls were giving Clara May crawling lessons on a daily basis. She loved the attention....

March

We took a trip to Lakeview, where we got to play in the snow and spend time with cousins. My mom was on grandkid overload, and they all got matching shirts from Papa.

April

We got baby chicks and the girls loved them! They read them stories, and camped around the box for days on end. The heat lamp did burn a hole in the wall, a sign of remembrance that I'm sure will be there indefinitely.

May

We started getting to enjoy sunny days on a regular basis. Here is our little darling in her sun bonnet. She turned one this month, and we are thankful every day for the joy she has brought us this last year. Life would not be the same without her. She is our little "Chuckles."

June

Clara's first trip to the water park, where we got to show off her baby rolls to the world. There is nothing better than a baby in a swim suit!

July

With Nick being a teacher, we got to enjoy a lot of family time during the summer. Here we are hiking at Silver Creek Falls.

August

I don't think there was a day that went by where we weren't outside almost all day long. Every night, the girl's required a bath after days in the dirt. Even Clara May was into making (and eating) mud pies.

September

Daddy had to go back to school, and the morning before he went back, we had family breakfast on the back porch. We enjoyed our new bench that Nick designed and constructed all on his own (with the help of two very helpful little girls.)

October

We continued spending as much time as possible outside. When Nick would get home from school, we would pack up and head OUT somewhere. The girls enjoyed the creek at Bush Park where they skipped rocks and caught minnows.

November

Clara's first time playing in the leaves. This year, Miriam and Aidah pretended the leaf pile was Mother Ginger's giant hoop skirt and they would pop out of it like little Bon Bon's. You can tell we were deep in the Nutcracker story at this point....

December

We enjoyed a family Christmas with just our immediate family. It was a wonderful, relaxing day.

2011 - Another year has gone by - I can't believe how quickly. We are continually challenged and blessed every day by our little brood. They give us many dear memories and fill our lives with joy and laughter.

Friends and Family

2012-01-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

During the Christmas season, we were blessed with visitors and family to spend time with. I am so thankful for both sides of the family and their willingness to travel in order to share Christmas with us. We had an early Christmas with the Ruda's, where they watched Miriam and Aidah in The Nutcracker, and then had a family celebration the next day. The Plato's came up after Christmas and we have been able to spend time with them and enjoy several days of being together as a family. Uncle Alex flew in on Christmas, and the girls have loved spending time with Uncle Al. We have had many late game nights with friends, where we got our semi-annual overload of strategy games. I don't think we have been to bed before midnight in the last week, but it is worth it! Miriam's godparents, John and Suellen also came for an afternoon visit. I am very thankful for the richness that family and friends have brought to our life. We have been very busy, but very busy spending time with those nearest and dearest. Our little home has been filled with people, food, games, laughter, and merry-making. What a blessed Christmas season!

The girls love spending time with Seth and Sam.

Grandma Stevie made all of the grandkids pajamas.

The girl's got Disney dresses from Grandma Stevie and Papa, they have been a big hit around here. Aidah is a crazy Cinderella!

Beautiful Belle.

Our little Snow White.

Clara's favorite present, a perfect little box to sit in.

The girls spent much of the day acting out Swan Lake.

New rollerskates from Momo and Papa.

Aidah on rollerskates?

Suellen and John spent an afternoon playing with the girls and sharing in some wonderful conversation with all of us.

Third Time's a Charm

2011-12-28T17:09:00.000-08:00

The day that Miriam and Aidah were in the Nutcracker, Clara climbed out of her playpen by standing on a little basket, fell, and broke her arm. After three hours in the Emergency Room we found that she had broke both bones in her forearm and left in a splint. She was casted a few days later. This first cast, and yes, I did say FIRST cast, lasted less than 24 hours. It fell off, and she had another one put on the next morning. Her SECOND cast lasted about a week until Aidah was trying to sign it, Aidah pulled one way, Clara pulled the other, and....there went the second cast. We are now on our THIRD cast hoping that the third time is a charm.

Cast #1

Cast #2

Still #2.....she thinks this is HER spot.....

#3, and hopefully last one.....

We've wondered how on earth it was Clara who broke the first bone, not Aidah, and I think I have the answer. She is packed around and manhandled by her sisters all day long. She also loves to climb and get into things.....

We DID carry her around in this IKEA bag....

A little limelight for the other two......

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

My children have truly made this a beautiful, magical season. There is nothing like experiencing the joy of Christmas through a child's heart. Children don't need big, fancy, entertainment, their joy is sweet and simple. I have teared up many times during the last few weeks as I let their excitement and wonder touch me.
~I love sharing all of the Christmas cards with them, telling them about friends and family and how they have touched our life. The girls love each and every card.
~I love the care they have taken to think of the "perfect" gift for each other. I love the care they have taken to sew gifts, and string a button necklace for Clara.
~I love reading Christmas books to them. I tear up every time I read the words, "and every beast bowed low it's head for one small babe in a manger bed."
~I love listening to Miriam practicing "Away in the Manger" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel" on the piano while Aidah dances.
~I love their wonder every time they see Christmas lights, every ornament on the tree, and how they are SO EXCITED to put Baby Jesus in the manger tomorrow.
~I love Christmas crafts, Christmas baking, and how they were thrilled to clean the house yesterday to get ready for Christmas.

These are the beautiful moments, where I am amazed at how much God has blessed us with our children. I pray you all may have a wonderful Christmas, filled with the love of Christ.

The Nutcracker

2011-12-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

The girls take ballet lessons at Willamette Ballet Studio, and every year at Christmas, they are in the Nutcracker. This was Aidah's first time making it out on stage during a performance (that is a whole other story), and Miriam was an excellent help for her little sister. They stuck together and held hands the whole time while Miriam (the old pro) guided her sister through the process. They were doll dancers in the party scene, and then Miriam was a bon-bon who came out of Mother Ginger's skirt. My mom, dad, and sister were able to come and watch, and the girls were adorable.

All the little Doll Dancers on the stage before the performance.

Cinderella, Cinderella

2011-12-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

Busy times around here at the Plato house. The girls have been really into helping me clean and get things ready for Christmas. I gave them all rags and told them to wash - wash everything. They were really into it and it actually did help.
Clara continues to be a rascal. It really is getting to the point of embarrassing to put another picture on here of her getting into something, but it is also just too funny. She really has a knack for making mischief in a matter of seconds. In this picture, I put her in the bathroom with me while I was showering, thinking that I didn't want her running around the house. How much trouble could she get into in the bathroom with me IN THERE? She had the mascara on in a matter of seconds and she really did a pretty good job.....
Lastly, we have been going to SJB basketball games to support daddy's coaching. The girls love to get red and black ribbons in their hair, and after the first game, came home with face paint. Those red stars were the best thing EVER.

And yes, they were pretending to be Cinderella....

Three little Bosco supporters.

It Pays to be the Third Child

2011-12-04T17:23:00.001-08:00

Time in Lakeview

2011-12-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

Although it is sometimes challenging, we are blessed that both of our families are from Lakeview. This last week, the we took a trip to Lakeview for Thanksgiving, and we were able to spend a lot of time with both families. Now that the girls are getting a little older, it is easier to be out of town with them....although on the six hour trip back to Salem, we always vow that we won't do this again for a LONG time!

The first night, Miriam and Aidah were up at 4 am waiting to start their day with the grandparents. They had a wonderful time with both sets of grandparents. We got to see my cousin Caitlin's new baby Jack, and Miriam and Aidah were smitten with him at first sight. He is a handsome little guy and we enjoyed holding such a precious little newborn. My cousin Kristi was also there, visiting from Montana, so we got to spend more time with her than we have in years. We had a wonderful time playing games and enjoying being together as a fam. Jame, Ben, and the boys came down towards the end of the week, and we had a family Thanksgiving celebration. The cousins all played wonderfully together, and Grandma and Grandpa got to enjoy a house filled with company. The sky was clear and blue, something those of us from the Willamette Valley weren't used to, so we enjoyed time outside. Dad built a fire in the fire pit and the kids were even able to roast marshmallows.

Aidah was a little impatient for her marshmallow.

The kids had a blast with the fire. They helped Uncle Ben and Papa add wood, and of course the roasted marshmallows were a hit.

Best buddies.

The cousins had a blast playing on the swing together as we frantically tried to get a good picture of them all.

Sweet little baby Jack.

Proud Grammy Julie.

Grandpa Tom

The four cousins. How blessed we were to be able to spend time together once again.

During our time with Grandma Momo and Papa Gale, we went out to collect some Christmas branches and the girls were able to play in the snow. Nick and I were able to walk out by the Plato's house out of town where we enjoyed the beautiful scenery Lakeview provides. Momo and Papa got some new Play-doh playsets that the girls loved playing with, and of course, Laurie Walker, life-sized doll was a huge hit.

Making Play-doh cakes with Papa and Momo.

Aidah was setting up a bed for her and Laurie on the stairs.

Our little ham.

I love watching these two together; Clara May loves her big sister and will often sit in her lap.

A little time away from the kiddos.

View from Mo and Gale's driveway.

I Just Want to Eat Some Snow

2011-11-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

The Plato girls all took a trip to Lakeview this last week to visit both sets of grandparents. Aside from seeing their grandparents, the girls were very excited to see snow, and more importantly, EAT snow. Especially Aidah. As we embarked on the long journey down to Lakeview, within an hour, we were starting to see snow on the side of the road. The girls were enamored and kept shouting out "there's snow!" "I see snow!" We had to put a stop to this after awhile....yes, there is snow everywhere and we will continue to see snow everywhere. Aidah remembers eating snow last winter, and kept saying "I just want to eat snow." She thinks eating snow is just about the best thing EVER. We promised that our Lakeview trip would be full of jubilant snow-eating, they just had to wait. The next day, Aidah sat looking out at the quickly melting snow singing, "No snow, don't melt, I want to eat you." We finally got outside where Aidah picked through the last piles of melting snow searching for clean pieces to eat. She finally gave up on the "clean" part, and just settled for eating any snow she could get her hands on. Later in the week, we were able to go up Thomas Creek and collect branches for Christmas, where the girls were in snow heaven. They consumed a lot of snow, and got their fill of the Winter Wonderland.

Eating snow out of the last little piles.

Clara May all bundled up for a walk.

And here she is.....eating more snow.

Pure joy, running through the snow.

Clara May was pulled around in the sled the whole time.

How Time Flies

2011-11-11T17:21:00.000-08:00

How can it be that just a moment ago, this was little Miriam.....and now she is this big five-year old who lost her first two teeth? Granted, they did fall out when she was crying, reminding me that she still is a little girl, but still...she can't be losing teeth yet!! She was SO excited for the toothfairy to come in the middle of night and take her teeth away. She came up to me and asked, very seriously, "Mommy, how big is the toothfairy?" "Well Miriam, probably small enough to get under your pillow." I show her an idea with my fingers. Miriam responds with, "Yah, she's probably about two inches." This morning after the initial excitement about the money and note the toothfairy left, she was a little concerned about what the toothfairy was doing with her teeth. Time has flown, and now Miriam is this beautiful little girl overflowing with questions and love. She loves to do whatever I do and be a helper. Today, she lined up all the dolls to teach them school, something I was notorious for doing when I was little. She carries Clara around all day and Clara loves her big sister. Miriam and Aidah are the best of friends and don't know what to do without each other.

Miriam Lee, 19 months.

Miriam Lee, first lost teeth.


School's in session.

Next comes Aidah Lynn, the middle child. I have a hard time finding pictures of her because she doesn't really like her picture being taken and when I do get a picture of her, she is making a funny face. She lives in her own world, and spends a lot of time talking to herself. Today, I walked out and found her playing with the Thanksgiving turkey salt and pepper shakers at the table. She tells me, "I'm just talking to the turkeys." OK.... But that's Aidah. She is a beautiful challenge who makes us laugh and want to pull our hair out at the same time. She's growing quickly, I have noticed that most of her clothes are starting to look too small. She is no longer a toddler, but a little girl.

Aidah Lynn, 8 months old.


Aidah Lynn, 3.5 years.

Lastly, Clara May. I don't remember enjoying the other two nearly as much as I enjoy Clara. I think with Miriam, I was stressed out because she was my first child and I was too worried about doing everything right. Aidah was so sick and cried so much when she was a baby, that life was just hard. But with Clara, she is nothing but a joy. I can't get enough of her. I love her little rolls on her wrists and ankles, I love her fat little toes. She spends much of her time dancing, chuckling, and getting someone to carry her around. She is learning to talk and says the cutest things. I wish I could keep her this age forever.

The girls were trying to do school work and there's Clara, right in the middle of it with fairy wings on.

She loves this hat and wears around much of the day.

And here they are....our life and our joy. Some days, we long for peace and quiet, but I don't know what we would do without them.

Plaid shirt day at the Plato's.

Mom's Visit

2011-11-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that October is already over. It came and went too fast. My mom came to visit and we had a wonderful time with her. She read the girls read stories, painted their fingernails and toenails, made tortillas, and did projects with them. Nick and I even got to go out one night without kids!

Clara's first time making tortillas.

Aidah, not wanting Clara to replace her as biggest rascal at the Plato house, got into my makeup during nap time and put blush all over her cheeks.

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Although Halloween started off a little rough, the night ended up being a lot of fun. Aidah has been sick, and we spent the afternoon at the doctor, so I was a little behind in getting ready. I couldn't find Clara's shirt, Aidah didn't want to get dressed, and it had been raining, so we were apprehensive about the whole trick-or-treating thing. Miriam, though, was ready to go, and wouldn't have stood for anything less than getting dressed up and going out. There was a small break in the rain, so out we went. We had a blast! The girls did a great job of ringing the doorbells and saying "trick-or-treat", and then Clara would shove her way to the front, stick her bucket up, and say "teeeet." She was hilarious, and of course, all the neighbors thought she was adorable. They were all adorable, and the girls were amazed at how much candy they had, all their very own. We had a great time chatting with our neighbors, and then later handing out candy.

Miriam and Aidah were flower fairies, and Clara was a lady bug.

Mother Goose

2011-10-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Since Clara has really been stealing the limelight around here, I thought I would share a few from Miriam and Aidah. They are the best of buds; lately they have been taking turns reading Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose.

Did I Mention She's Unstoppable?

2011-10-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

I wasn't watching her for a FEW minutes. Literally, turned around to get Miriam and Aidah started on something, then BAM! My mascara ALL OVER. These are the days....

She's Unstoppable

2011-10-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

She really is unstoppable. She is into everything- the moment we turn our backs, something else is undone. She carries around the garbage can, taking garbage out and putting things back in. She wants to feed herself, but makes a gigantic mess. She is in the middle of everything her sisters are doing. She eats markers, cat food, toothpaste, and hair rubberbands, which is why I finally had to cut bangs to keep her hair out of her face. She makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time when I see the mess she has made in the 1.5 seconds I wasn't watching her. She is Clara May, 17 months.

Sucking an old newborn binkie she unearthed out of the diaper bag, sun hat from the summer box, toilet paper shredded on the floor, toothpaste from the counter, rifling through the hair things drawer. All in a day's work....

Autumn Adventures

2011-10-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

These last few weeks have been rainy on and off, but we have been trying to get outside as much as possible. We have been busy, my dad came to visit and we went to the zoo, pumpkin patch, and a volleyball game. We have been working a lot trying to get the yard ready for winter, and homeschooling is in full swing. Busy, busy, busy, but blessed with little ones to make life an adventure.

Clara wasn't overly fond of being held in the middle, but what can you expect when you're the baby of the family?

This girl is into EVERYTHING.

Clara loves being packed around, so much so that we call her the Queen of Sheba. She found a willing helper in papa.

The girls loved holding hands with Seth and Sam.

Aidah ate most of the popcorn on her own. Once she finished the bucket, she was sticking her head in it....

OSU Volleyball Game

Getting ready for cousin Elise's birthday party. Yes, Aidah doesn't look well, and yes, went on to vomit at the party.

Did I mention that she is into EVERYTHING? Notice she took her binky out to eat some toothpaste....

I moved the chairs out of the kitchen to mop, and of course, the girls thought they were out there to serve as their private audience for a dance. Out came the ballet costumes, and Clara had to come join in.

The latest "AI"....she fell face first on the sidewalk.

Miriam's picture for Uncle Alex...notice the whiskers and pink and purple toes.

Came out to call them in for lunch, and Aidah told me she was eating chalk.

I moved the play house onto the back porch so they could use it this winter without getting soaked in the mud, and they think the new location is the best thing ever, and keep begging to go out and play in it. I'm not sure they realize it's the same house.....

And lastly, they had to color their hands to match their outfits.

Jumping at the Zoo

2011-10-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

When my dad came to visit, we all met at the zoo for a wonderful morning together. The kids had a great time. Here are all the kids seeing how far they can jump. Sam is a little behind the rest, but definitely the star of the show!

Aquarium

2011-10-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

The girls loved seeing all of the different animals at the aquarium, and we are enjoying having children old enough to actually enjoy things like this. Miriam's favorite animals were the sharks and the starfish, while Aidah's were the sharks and the pretend seahorses in the gift shop.

Clara is saying "cheeeese", like she always does when she sees a camera.

We went to the beach, and it was a typical windy day at the Oregon Coast. We still were able to spend some time playing in the sand and enjoying the beauty.

An Afternoon at the Reservoir

2011-10-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

We have been eating up every last little moment of summer. Last week, we still had 80 degree weather, so the girls and I picked Nick up from school and had a picnic dinner at Silverton Reservoir.


Aidah was a little nervous in the water and stayed close to daddy.


Clara's new "coy" look.

Clara's New Outfit

2011-09-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Coming along as the third Plato girl, Clara mostly wears hand-me-down clothes from her sisters. It is the happy fate of the third child to be blessed with many, many tried and true options. But this is something she got new when she was born from her great-grandma Phyllis and great aunt Toni. It has faithfully hung in the closet for the last year, just waiting to have the tags torn off. So on the first cool day of autumn, we pulled out her stylish new outfit, making her the coolest toddler ever. (At least Miriam thought she was.)

Clara's new fascination, she loves wearing the older girl's bike helmets.

Life is Never Dull Around Here

2011-09-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

The girls all climbed into the closet and thought it was the coolest thing EVER.

I Gave In...

2011-09-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

I finally gave in and started a family blog. I wanted to share just a few pictures, mainly for my family. I have had trouble with Facebook lately and my pictures wouldn't post. Then I tried Picasa so I could send 20 different emails of individual pictures. Picasa froze up. I really have become far too reliant on technology. But when your family lives a long ways away, pictures are a fun way to stay in touch. I have been a little paranoid about posting pics of my kids on the internet, and have always thought that I was being careful by restricting access to the pictures to my 250+ Facebook friends. But....this really is the most convenient way to share our life and since I have oodles and oodles of time to be blogging.... And also, I can stop posting hundreds of pictures on Facebook. So, this is mainly for you, mom. :)

I wouldn't let the girls take dolls outside anymore ever since the cats sprayed one of their dolls. So they made make-shift dolls out of zucchinis from the garden.

Clara really did just eat the entire top of that marker.

Miriam was "harvesting" crops for the winter.

Brings back memories....these were Jamie and I's dresses from Great Grandma Daisy from her trip to Hawaii.

Clara says "Cheeeeese" every time she sees the camera.

First day of ballet.