Diaper Loading

The Brothers

We've been very pleased at how well Sam has taken to Ben. Though he's been found guilty of a few eye pokings and stabs at Ben's head with Hot Wheels, we don't think he's had any malicious intentions. Yet. So far, it's been nothing but love and fascination. And we'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Ah, the time honored fraternal sharing of pacifiers, including the transmission all the koodies boys are able to harbor.


































Here they are looking toward mommy. Sam is dismissing her with a goodbye wave, and Ben is looking for aid.


















But Sam meant no harm. Here he is presenting his head for snuggling--Sam's version of a hug. Ben is still looking for assistance.

Of Huge Kisses and Blossoms

Annie has done quite a bit of baking lately. In particular, she has taking to modifying known cookies recipes. So far, each one has turned out very well (as attested to by my recent forays onto the scale).

Here is one of her concoctions. She took your standard peanut butter blossom, as seen on the left, and magnified it several times over, using an uber-kiss I had bought her for Christmas. She ended up with a mega peanut butter blossom that had to be eaten more like a cake than a cookie. No one minded. (For all you Pampered Chef fans, please note the well-seasoned stoneware bar pans).

What I Missed in 2008 - Part 3 (Final)

The biggest event that happened in our lives was the arrival of Ben. I was with-it enough to document his arrival blog-wise, but I didn't do much of the actual pregnancy portion, which took up most of '08.

Annie and I see our photos as assets, to be used at a later day. Here we staged a guilt photo that we can pull out when Ben gets older. "Look at your mother! Here she is, driven to her knees while her womb is wracked with a contraction! And you want to sass her? How can you treat her like this?! HOW DARE YOU!" It's going to be beautiful.


Here I am performing my husbandly duty by holding up her burgeoning belly (she's just a couple weeks away from delivering Ben at this point). Further proof that I am a fantastic husband, father, and man.










I finally let Annie take a break from the photo shoot, and she retired to the shade and the comfort of the wicker chair. I thought the hibiscus here made for a nice compliment to her shirt. I'm also a fantastic photographer.

















Actually, here's proof that I still have a lot to learn about photography. One of the maxims of taking a good photo is to pay attention to the background. For instance, when taking a sweet picture of your pregnant wife at the pumpkin patch, try to make sure that a red-headed child isn't trying to climb inside her head.







I still didn't catch onto the fact that children were climbing inside Annie's skull and kept on taking photos. You can see her expression begin to sour as another group of boys join the red head for a romp inside Annie's brain pan. So much to learn, little photographer.

There was one more addition to the clan that I need to mention. And here he is: Jack the Russian Desert Tortoise (just 'Jack' for short). He's been with us for only a few weeks longer than Ben. Jack is four years old, eats spring mix and dandelions, enjoys basking in the sun, and doesn't require diaper changes or being house broken. His shell and scales make him resilient to damage. He isn't capable of misbehaving, and he requires little interaction with his human overlords. We're trying to teach the children to be more like Jack.

What I Missed in 2008 - Part 2

I missed blogging on some of the little things. You know, things parents don't usually think to pay attention to. Things like your children's first day at school. I was there for it. I took time off work to see them off and take pictures. I just didn't share it. Once again, naughty blogger.

Kate and Genna were eager to be off, and here they are, hand-in-hand, wearing backpacks big enough to hold both their school work and their jet packs (which, we later found out, are prohibited on public campuses).


















While staying with the Walkers, the girls (well, mainly Bob) planted sunflowers and watched them grow throughout the summer. I've heard that in ancient times, ninja would train by leaping over growing plants, so that every day their training would get harder as the plants grew. I tried doing this with my girls, but that only resulted in them almost getting impaled on those dangerous tomato frames.


















(Please note the subtle Disney plug--Genna wearing a coveted Pocahontas dress)

Sam enjoyed his one year birthday at my folk's place. Here's the obligatory covered-in-cake shot. Though, frankly, I've seen worse. Much worse. I expect more of you, son!


















But Sam made up for it by being bad elsewhere. And what's better, I didn't have to be there for it. Here's mama Jeanne restraining Sam while he got his first official haircut. It was a grueling ordeal, something akin to water boarding. Sam finally admitted to being Al Qaeda and even gave up the whereabouts of Osama's hidey hole. And he ended up with a slick haircut. (we'll be doing simple buzzes from here on).


















I think Jeanne was happy to be part of Sam's torture because he had been such a nuisance around the house. It was her time to give Sam his comuppance. Here's one such instance of there almost daily conflicts. Sam has always been fascinated by dishwashers. They are usually full of shiny pokey things, the adults are always filling it, and they're low enough for him to climb on. Here's Jeanne faced with the prospect of having the bull break her fancy dishwasher. See the horror and rage on her face?

What I Missed in 2008 - Part 1

I was a naughty blogger in 2008. I was so negligent, that I missed a lot that I could have passed on. I'm now sifting through my oodles of photos from 2008 like a miner panning for gold, to bring you the nuggets that otherwise might have never seen the light of day...

...anyways...

This is one of Annie's favorite pictures of Sam. He's curled up on my folk's sofa on Easter Day and smiling at his mother like only an eight-month-old can.


















Here are the girls all lined up during a birthday party. I have no idea whose birthday party it was, and I don't think it matters. I don't think they even knew. There are just so many girls running around that all the squealing and screaming and playing rolls into one big Squeal Fest. And of course, Julia has stripped down to something less than proper. We need to break her of that over the next few years.


















While at Discovery Kingdom the kids were able to find a docile crocodile and climb aboard long enough for me to take this shot. Would you look at that. Everyone of them is smiling (Julia with her uber-smile). Sam isn't fighting it. It's a Discovery Kingdom miracle.


















Here's Julia goofing off while we wait for the twins' swim lessons to start. She's easily entertained and quite entertaining. She's good to have on hand while you're waiting in line or sitting in traffic--you'll never get bored.


















Annie wanted a nice photo taken of her and Julia in the pool (I think for Sam's birthday--but again, does it matter?). Karri had other plans. Click on the photo for a close up. Karri, how did you manage to give us a glimpse of that dangly thing at the back of your mouth? Thanks for the photobomb.

Christmas 2008

Christmas was a lot of fun this year. With the kids growing up, we got to explain more of what the season means (with some help from the Grinch). Here's our second annual living nativity. This year the role of Joseph went to Kurtis. Mary was played by Genna. The three kings (wise men) were played by Julia (not much of a wise man), Carter, and Casey (who stabbed everyone repeatedly with his new fake switchblade--very much in the Christmas spirit).

You'll notice the angels played by Molly and Maggie. Kate and Sophie were the shepherds, and they had their hands pressed together in prayer the entire time. They never broke character. That's dedication. The Baby Jesus was of course played by the most recent newborn, Ben. Sam declined playing any part of the nativity. Evidently the scriptures didn't have any non-compliant, disruptive toddlers anywhere in the narrative.



















We also made our annual trip to the Oakland Temple to see the Christmas lights. I brought my trusty camera and trusty tripod and had fun running around the grounds while neglecting my family and leaving all the parenting to Annie and the grandparents.

The new manger scene:


















The grounds from just inside the gates. They changed the lights up from last year. I liked the new look quite a bit.

Sam, Monthly

Annie has been diligent in having portraits taken of each of the kids for each of their first twelve months of life. We recently scanned all of Sam's portraits, and it would be wrong of me not to share. Enjoy.

Sam at One Month. Asleep, be-overalled, and curled up as only babies can be. He also has the most hair he'll have for several months. Where did it go? The hair fairy took it.























Sam at Two Months. Still asleep and still unable to lift his one-hundredth percentile head off the ground.























Sam at Three Months. Finally able to lift his head and smile. Or strain, not sure which one it is. Back in the overalls and now overtly adoring his mother.























Sam at Four Months. Almost sitting up. He's mastering the squinty-eyed smile for which he has become famous. The moose is also very appropriate. He's turning into one. And again, notice that perfectly symmetrical head.



























Sam at Five Months. Back on his belly, but showing off his neck muscle strength and coordination. Winter is here, and he is properly dressed for it.























Sam at Sixth Months. Now he's just showing off. He's grown hair once again (it took a liberal dose of Chia Head to get a good crop growing). And look at him on the verge of crawling.























Sam at Seven Months. With Winter on its way out, Sammy turns to the islands for his fashion sense. He's sitting up and displaying his weapon block collection.



























Sam at Eight Months. He's going for a Eur0-minimalist look that will only work for as long as he's in diapers. Thereafter, my boy, you'll have to wear some pants (I know, I, too, loathe having to wear pants). Check out that tuft of hair that Annie managed to style!


























Sam at Nine Months. He has so much hair now that a mohawk is in order. Actually, it's more of a faux-hawk, a la his Uncle Brian. His patented blue eyes are developing that impish look that we've come to expect of him.



























Sam at Ten Months. That's the smile we know! That's the flaxen fuzz we know! That's the ball my forehead will soon know!



























Sam at Eleven Months. Sam's becoming a little man. He's back with the island theme, sporting board shorts and looking like he should be in a department store ad. I'd buy those shorts for a cool $19.99.



























Sam at One Year. Ah, full circle (orbitally speaking at least). My how they grow. He's standing, though not walking. And he's menacing any furniture he can get his hands on.