day 109

April 19




I visited the husband today at the office. I saw the work van and I had to wonder out loud...
"Ew, who was drinking the Pepsi?"

day 108

April 18




Today was a perfect day for hopscotch in the backyard in your Sunday dress. I know you were all doing it too.

day 107

April 17






Blue skies, billowy clouds... It was a perfect day for cloud watching in the backyard. Caleb saw lots of dragon clouds. I saw happiness.

day 106

April 16




Day number three of parking it.
Is there any time better than spring?

day 105

April 15




Hailey had to miss out on a field trip today because of the dang diabetes. So we went on our own field trip instead. Thanksgiving point's tulip festival with Amanda and Grace. She said it was fun. Reason number 3 to love diabetes. We are still on the lookout for more reasons to love diabetes.

day 104

April 14




Sunshine is good for the soul...
and for the baby.
We are parking it for the next 3 days in a row...
because we can.

day 103

April 13




Busy. Preparations for my Grandma's 90th Birthday. I think it may kill me. It's either that or the flu. But one of them is going to take me out for sure.

day 102

April 12




To Jonas, our handsome 10 year old... We can't give him the world, but we can give him a bike. And that has to count for something.

day 101

April 11




Juice boxes abound in this house. When Hailey is low, juice is the best way to bring her up. It's also the best thing for kids who are throwing up. And we are enjoying both at the moment. We love life.

day 100

April 10




Rub a dub dub... to extremely loud boys in a tub. Bath time is laugh time for us. It provides me with so many of those, "I Love being their mom" moments.

day 99

April 9




Look everyone! I grew a flower! It's alive and not dead!

ok... so maybe they just popped up on their own and maybe they are tiny beyond belief. But it's there... in my flower bed... and I feel proud.

day 98

April 8

I think we spent an hour here today. Up and down, up and down, up and down... I watched him and realized those legs of his are getting stronger, longer, leaner. That is the most depressing realization that I have had in a long time.

day 97

April 7

Caleb has been jealous for some time about Hailey's photography debut on my picture of the day blog and decided today to get in on the action. And I must say, it may just be the best photo take of me in years.

day 96

April 6

Does anyone else have a entire cupboard dedicated to cereal? Does anyone else drop 25 bucks on cereal in one shopping trip? Does anyone else then go through that 25$ worth of cereal in like 2 weeks?
All I can say is dude, kids are EXPENSIVE.

day 95

April 5

Ok, so this isn't actually a picture from today. I didn't actually take a single picture yesterday. So I made it 94 days without failing and then, out of nowhere, on a random busy day, I dropped the ball. But let's just pretend I didn't, OK?



Doesn't this sugary goodness for breakfast make up for it anyway?

day 94

April 4



Somebody please tell me why we keep trying to take pictures of large amounts of small children on special days. Has there ever been one in the history of photographs that has turned out well?

day 93

April 2



Easter traditions have never been my favorite. But I caved and let the kids have their fun. And they will be eating hard boiled eggs for weeks for payback.

Day 92

April 2



When the weather can't remember it's spring and decides to dump snow all during your children's spring break, at least roses on your kitchen table can make you feel like you are enjoying spring.

day 91

April 1




The baby is weeks from walking. Brian is already in mourning the loss of our life with a baby in the house.

day 90

March 31





I make lists. Obsessively. About everything. Therefore, I buy notebooks. Obsessively. But somehow, I can never find one when I need it. What's up with that?

day 89

March 30





Can your almost 10 year old make an elephant out your garbage?

I didn't think so.

day 88

March 29




I have a baby that is completely convinced that he is the funniest thing on the planet. I think he is convincing us too.

day 87

March 28



If I ever get a pet? I'll get a baby midget goat. Way cuter than a dog in my opinion. Jarringly louder, but cute for sure.

day 86

march 27




Best place to take an almost 10 year old boy? Goblin valley. Why? The nooks, the crannies, the silly shaped rocks. A little boy's heaven.

day 85

march 26

Every now and then, boys just got go out and be one with nature.





And take your camera with them.

day 84

March 25

Lesson number 8,706,342:



If you are trying to curb your wants, don't step foot in Ikea.

That is all.

day 83

March 24



Four year olds really love birthdays.
And presents.
And singing happy birthday.
And Mcdonalds.
And bowling.
And cheetos.

Did you know?

day 82

March 23

I knew it was going to be a weird day, when we woke up to these guys chilling on our porch:

day 81

march 22

For dinner tonight:



Because when the dad's away, all nutrition and order just fly out the door.

day 80

March 21

Reason number 6,793 to love Costco:



Double packs of Pirates Booty.

Shiver me timbers, indeed.

day 79

March 20

Too much of a good thing can be bad...
unless it's your birthday:



Then all bets are off.

day 78

March 19

Let the celebrations begin with an uninterrupted night's sleep in strange bed... best way to start a birthday.

day 77

march 18

Just in case anyone has any doubt that small people live here, I will tell you now:



Yes, yes they do indeed.

day 76

March 17

Spring, you have heard us at last....
and just in time because my children almost became a casualty of cranky mom syndrome.

day 75

March 16


A day so wonderful we pulled out the sunglasses.

We pulled faces too.

day 74

March 15

I just love this space.
I love that it's totally not decorated, just lived in.
I love that it's ours.
ALONE.
I love the silence upstairs.
I love that the basement has a door.
I love that I am alone upstairs in silence in an undecorated space that is ours.
Did I make myself clear?

day 73

March 14

Toothpaste.
Toothbrush.
On the kitchen counter.
I mean, What?
The sad thing is it's going on day number 2.
I am leaving it there to see just how long it will stay untouched.
(I am afraid to know the answer...)

day 72

march 13

Another Hailey photo.
The subject? Her nemesis.
One day her little fingers will build up a resistance to this evil contraption and she will have defeated her foe. Until then, it will stay on her enemy list at number 2. Number 1 will always be reserved for the syringe.

day 71

March 12

I don't know why, but I have this tiny suspicion that this sweet little baby is learning a little too much from his master wild man older brother.

That thought is enough to keep me awake at night.

day 70

March 11

I keep begging spring to come and stay, but it keeps teasing me.



And so does he.

day 69

march 10

These tomatoes were the casualty of overenthusiastic consumerism. The B comes first in "BLT's", not T. Next time I will remember that.

day 68

march 9
Can you see the light at the end of your tunnel?

day 67

march 8

Brian's side of the bed.
I think he has a thing for time.

Can you tell?

day 66

March 7

Maisie Day. She would be 4. We love celebrating her birthday, and looking through our Maisie album, talking to the kids about their own little angel cousin.

I love that I managed to get every single person in a strange face moment. I am THAT good.

day 65

march 6

Something I have seen a thousand times. Something I see and love and realize how fleeting childhood is. Something I see and don't want to ever forget.

day 64

March 5

Hailey’s shot of her feet.
This made me laugh.
I think I have a million photos Hailey has taken of her feet. But this one tells a story. The story of a girl who loves her converse. These are last year’s shoes. They are too small. They are ragged. They are faded. The shoelaces are shot. I bought her much more expensive shoes this year. She wore them for a week and then went back to her love: the converse. Comfort is winning out with her. I think she may be more like me than I thought....

day 63

March 4

Another picture from Hailey... I love this.
I love his eyelashes.
I love his-soaking-wet-from-all-that-slobber onsie.
I love that I can tell he is studying something fascinating, most likely something small and dangerous.

I love that Hailey sees it too.

day 62

march 3

Ok, so I know that this picture a day thing is MY thing, but when you have a 7 year old daughter then you have a shadow. She loves to see my picture of the day every day, and she loves to take her own. I decided to take a few days off and let my little shadow take over.

I must say,



She's got skills. If this picture doesn't define Caleb, I don't know what does.

Day 61

march 2



This is what happens at my feet every time I sit down to post.

Porter is an artist.

Day 60

March 1

This animal has been a thorn in my side. He eats pound cake I buy for baptisms, fruit snacks I buy for bribery, Entire boxes of rice krispie treats (the costco size)... but worst of all? Dirty diapers from my garbage can; and leaves the remains for me. Dog sitting him was not on my list of favorite things to do, but I have to say he's been SO good. And he has missed us. Which makes me kind of glad he is here.

But I would never repeat that.