Grams

We sure love having so much family around us. I always felt a little jealous of my cousins who grew up together in Tri-Cities. So, now we're here, and although many cousins have moved away, we still get to be with a lot of family and I love it.

Almost every time we pull out of the driveway, Tate says "Bye bye Brandon!" We wish cousin Brandon was planning on living next door for more than a month. Although sometimes I get annoyed with the repeated cries for Brandon =)

Tate loves going to visit Grandma Great and Uncle Dave and Aunt Sandra a few houses down. It might have something to do with their collection of toys. Lately he enjoys getting out all the little cars and lining them up just right.

We're really getting comfortable with each other. Last week Grandma let out some gas and Tate said, "Good job! Poop?" It must be a potty training thing =) (Grandma is nearing 100 years old, so it's okay for me to share about her gas, right?)

Sometimes I help Grandma get ready for the day or for bed and Tate likes to follow us around a bit. He likes to be a helper (even though we're often just tripping over him). He also likes to be her cheerleader. There's a lot of "Good job!"s as she gets ready.

Grandma is obviously older and the mind goes, but she's always so sweet to me. She thanks me for helping her and smiles a lot and loves my kids and tells me she loves me. Even though she doesn't even know who I am sometimes. I think that really speaks to the kind of life she's lead. Such a good and wonderful lady.

Finally, I know what you're thinking after looking at that picture, and no, we do not put rubber bands on Avery's arms. One of the little girls at church asked me that on Sunday.

Edit add-on: Okay, I have to add here what grandma said to me tonight, "Oh you're the tall slender one. You're so beautiful." You see, this is why I like to go to her house =)

Just like her father...

Aves has been cracking me up with this face she pulls. She squints her eyes like that until I laugh.

Tate is in week 3 of potty training. He hates washing his hands, but has recently taken more interest in brushing his teeth. "Bruch!" has become his common plea. Today I bribed him to wash his hands by promising he could brush his teeth afterwards. It was one of those, "hmmm, never thought that would happen", moments.

I told you

Nothing cuter than baby suits =)

Random

I believe the term is "blag" (brag on our blog). That's what I'm about to do because then I don't have to go journal them and I want to remember these little gems. Today an older woman went out of her way at Walmart to tell me that my baby is so cute that I should enter her in a beauty contest. Which is totally doable--I learned from a commercial today that little girl beauty pagaents don't have to cost a fortune. That was seriously the only thing holding us back. =)

Blag Number Two: Tate decided to become a first-rate tooth-brusher by keeping the toothbrush still and moving his head back and forth really fast. Pretty awesome. He also spent this morning as a streaker at the library park. His two comrades had swimming suits, but we didn't get the memo and he had an accident and demanded to go naked after that. The life of a two-year-old has it's setbacks (like having to listen to your parents), but it's still a pretty sweet deal (nudity isn't a big deal).

I've also said before that baby girl swim suits are the cutest things ever. Now that Tate is smack in the middle of potty training, I have to admit that toddler boys' tighty-whities are right up there on the cuteness scale!

Prayer Time

Tate has been praying for a while, but now we understand some of his words.

Last night it went something like this...

"...jibber-jabber a Tate...

jibber-jabber a Ma...

...I sorry...

jibber jabber I SORRY!...

...amen."

Bandana

This is Avery's outfit for one of either two activities.
Eric says for squashing grapes.
I say for milking cows. But I suppose it will work for either one, really.

Actually, she just discovered bouncing on the bed and she loves it. She also waved to mother yesterday. My little 8 month old is growing up. Speaking of growing up, Tate began potty training on Saturday and is doing well. This makes him seem so much more grown-up than before.

More of the Beach

Mom, thank you for letting us borrow your camera. I'm finding that I love it! Eric says I have to take all the pictures because it's pink. He all ready had to endure using my old pink cell phone a while back and he doesn't want that hassle again. =)

Both kids traveled great. When I took them for a ride here in town after the trip, Tate was saying "beach?" and "Pabob?", which means grandma and grandpa. I think he wants to go back every time we get in the car. I'd love to! His speech has been doing much better, which is awesome.
Here's photographer mother, showing me how to work with angles. Nice chin up!
What's a vacation without a lot of r&r?!
Happy Father's Day pops! Four kids and eight grandkids. That's the seven plus Bre's half and Ashley's half =)
Okay, I'm just going to say it. Little-miss-healthy-eater Bre has let herself go by gaining a few pounds (but maybe you already knew if you read the previous caption).
Tate and Luke. One year's difference in age, but really of one mind. It's called crazy-go-nuts! Tate does it large and loud. Luke, little and with silent stealth. Oh, how I love watching these boys in action =)
This is just too cute. Enough said.

Langdon and Avery getting to know each other...
and she thinks he's hilarious.
I love this glamour shot.
And I love this bed-head shot. She finished off the last piece of her dad's birthday cake that morning. Nicely done Taeg!!