Derby Hat

 School starts tomorrow.  We visited Grandma and Grandpa in Kennewick last weekend as our last summer trip.  I have mixed feelings about school.  The kids could use some getting away and working and friends, but the busy schedule will be unwelcome.  I won't complain anymore, though, because I still have two littles at home and our schedules aren't too bad.  We have school, speech, scouts, activity days (my church calling), and Avery would like to sign up for gymnastics.

Isn't Finley's fancy hat amazing?!  It makes me happy =)

Checks

bribed him with fruit snacks to put on the outfit and pose

Fin wasn't in the poser mood for this shoot.  But I needed some photos of her with a white background before mom left.  All my babies had white backgrounds for their one year pictures at JC Penney.  We found this blue checked bubble outfit the day before, and Henry already had the jacket and bow tie, so that was a no brainer =)  I'm crazy about matching kids.

Strike a Pose

Here's the mother load of photos!  Love this baby!  One year has flown by, and we are happy to have a healthy sweetie pie.  I'm also happy to be more settled here and getting some sleep at night ain't bad, either.

p.s. Do you notice how she has grandpa waiting on her hand and foot?  She LOVES her grandpa!

Stars and Stripes

Finley is so patriotic that she insisted on this photo shoot as she cheered Team USA on in the Olympics these past two weeks.

Precious

 Let's take a moment and appreciate the little things (that grow up too fast!):

 Nose and hands

 Feet

 Cheeks!

 legs

 tum tum

 smiles!

wispy hair

 eyes

Love this sweet thing from head to toe!

Finley is One!

If ever a mother can indulge, it's on her own blog.
If ever a mother can really go crazy on her blog, it's when her baby turns one!
If ever a mother can go crazy with pictures on her blog when her baby turns one, it's when grandma the photographer comes to town!

Enjoy...

 I leaned in with the lit candle to help her blow it out.  The cake fell onto her lap and her bib knocked out the flame.  I nearly caught my baby on fire!  But I didn't, and she enjoyed the cake.

This is only the beginning of the one year pictures...

Baseball

It's Finley's First Birthday Week!  We started with a minor league baseball game-the Missoula Osprey vs. the Orem Owlz.  I'm so proud of our little family of 6 going out of the house at 7pm on a week night!  We lasted 3 innings and it was fun.  Finley is just starting to walk, so she practiced on the stairs in the aisle by us.  Henry was a little tired (loopy) and he got real sticky with his candy, and then walked around a bit carrying a squirt bottle and crayons in his shirt pocket.  Then, there was some bickering over a hat, I think, and he was punching Tate.  Eric was walking around with the two littlest at one point when Henry proceeded to pull his pants down to pee.  Eric persuaded him to wait until they found a toilet.  Tate and Avery enjoyed the candy and drinks we brought, and liked the entertainment between innings.  They thought the mascot was hilarious.  My favorite line of the night was when we were just getting to our seats and there was a beautiful osprey flying around who has a nest right by the score board.  Avery said, "Look at that bald eagle!".  It was fun to get out and nice that the tickets were free from a reading program at school.