A baby in tights

Has to be about the cutest thing. I am loving the cold weather accessories for a baby girl. 

Crazy dress, take 2

Evan's turn. This was one of my favorite wacky outfits we've put together over the years. 

 Aaaand and photo bomb by Grant.

Crazy dress day

And Grant does it up right. He really got into his role. 

5 months

And still as sweet as can be!

Sometimes, the simplest things

Are just so hard!

First real food

It seemed to be time for Vivian to try cereal. I know I'm not ready for it, but perhaps she is.

Evan's creations

Evan is creative. He's always creating something new. And everything he creates has a purpose and a story. And usually, tape. Lots of tape. I can't remember the story behind this creation, but rest assured, there is one. 

Getting comfortable

Pip has had no problem making himself at home. 

Vivian's smile

Is ever-present... and stinkin adorable! She's about 4.5 months old now. She is perhaps the world's happiest baby. The most frequent thing people say about her, after "her eyes are beautiful!" is, "is she always this happy?"

Welcome to the family, Mr. Pip

We (I) couldn't bear the emptiness in our house and our hearts any longer. It's hard to have a dog -- a beloved member of your family -- for 9 years and then suddenly, nothing. I always knew that the next dog we would have would be a bigger dog and that we would adopt from the pound. I went to our local shelter, visited twice, and ended up coming home with our sweet boy Pip. Pip (formerly "Oscar"), was found in a parking lot with a collar, but no owner. He had been in the clink for about 6 weeks. When I visited the dogs, he was the only one who was not barking and not jumping. He had such a sweet personality. Best we can tell, he is a lab/husky mix. Since coming home, he has been amazing. He's sweet, great with the kids, fully house trained, and hardly ever barks. For those who knew Bullit, you understand how that must be strange for us. And the neatest part about Pip is how much the kids love him. They came with me to the shelter and so they feel like it's their dog. We're so happy he came into our lives. 

Nana comes to visit

And boy did we have fun! The boys loved having her here (and I LOVED having her help -- and company). The best part of her visit, according to Evan, was when she took them to pick out their own Christmas gift. Nana's visit allowed these weary parents of three kids to go out on New Year's Eve -- what a treat! And considering we came home to a wailing baby at 1 a.m., we owe her big!