Mark’s friend: Here’s a candy apple for you!
Mark: Is it poisonous?
10-24-11
“Mom, just so you know, you’re carrying a 40-pound boy on your back.”
10-25-11
To Dad with messy hair at the breakfast table: “Wow, and I thought MY hair was funky. You look like a rock star!”
11-1-11
“I love you, Mom. I don’t think you even understand how much I love you.”
Paige gave this to me in a frame for my birthday. It’s immensely thoughtful and I savor each detail.
Daniel decided to take a photo of our cookie baking adventures last week. The kids cut out maple leaves, pumpkins, acorns, and ghost shapes.
The kids really enjoy decorating with royal icing. They came up with some beautiful designs.
The end.
I thought we were going to have an easy birthday party for Daniel. We planned to meet his friends at the pizza restaurant up the street and we would stuff ourselves, sing, and go home. We had to change plans when the restaurant told us that “buffet night” is not the best time to try to get seating for a party at their restaurant. In normal towns with more than one boy-friendly restaurant, you could just go somewhere else. It is not so easy in Sahuarita.
We decided to do takeout and hold the party on the back patio. I spent the afternoon on the ladder, hanging lights and festive things. This is what I really enjoy doing, though, so I didn’t feel too sorry for myself.
There was no time to make up creative party games, so we pulled out Twister. It was a hit.
B. always seemed to get trapped.
We ate dinner under the lanterns. Richard is rolling his eyes that I didn’t adjust the settings on the camera before taking this. This is why people hire photographers when they are trying to host a party.
Who needs fancy party games when you can jump on the trampoline?
It’s not recommended that you let 5 boys jump on the trampoline in the dark all at once, but when they’re holding glow sticks, it’s pretty spectacular to watch. We let them do this for about 2 minutes.
Red velvet cake and cheesecake. Yum!
Daniel and Richard are posing patiently so I can begin the chronicle of Daniel’s rise in height during the next few years. Paige and I have our photo taken before General Young Women meetings, so I’m starting the tradition of photographing Daniel and Richard each October before the General Priesthood meeting. They went out for pizza with his Young Men leaders after the the broadcast. He said to Richard as they drove away from dinner, “I think this is going to be a good year.”
Here’s the person of the day. He’s smart, creative, athletic, handsome, and carries tools.
I call him Dan Man…even though I don’t really want him to be a man just yet.
Daniel is missing in a lot of our photos because he’s usually blazing the trail for the rest of us. It’s nice to have a boy who is independent but will still give me a hug at night before bed.
He’s twelve and he’s a good boy. I feel so blessed to have him in our family.
This is my new big hat. This is also what I look like when I am watching Cub Scouts scaling slippery rocks on the mountain.
This is Daniel and his friend. They’ve been friends for 6 years but it’s rare to get them together.
This is one of 600 photos Paige posed for because she’s so beautiful and well worth photographing.
This is Timothy on a hike with the Cub Scouts.
This is my Markie. He likes to snuggle anywhere.
This was our picnic and Richard who carried everything up and down the hill.
Thanks, Susan for sharing so many family photos with us. I really loved the ones of Violet and Joe. Looking at this picture makes me want to have my photograph taken more often in the hopes that somebody will remember me as young and not just an oldie.
When was the last time you had your photo taken with your sweetheart?
When was the last time you sat outside together like this?
Sigh. We’re due for some of that.
We went camping this weekend on Mount Lemmon with our church.
What is that you have, Mark?
Oh, a tiny horned lizard!
Timothy found one, too, but it was much bigger.
Daniel whittled.
Paige was great at tent setup and cleanup. Yes, she IS that incredible.
Everything was packed and ready to go, but we lingered. The pleasant temperatures, the pines, and the company kept us there. Just ignore that odd expression on my face.
