Who says girls don't like dirt?

Sometimes, rain and dirt can be a great combination! What began as a little puddle stomping evolved into great fun for all the girls!

Apparently, Marissa wasn't muddy enough.

This picture should probably have been before Marissa got her backside soaked in the mud. I think she was doomed to become a mud-monster from the very beginning!

Perhaps a little too much splashing for the little girls.

Muddy days can be extremely fun days!

While the little girls were in the bath, the big girls decided to 'shower off' up at the barn. Happily, it was WARM water!

Of course, fun mud days make for a little clean-up afterward. Thank you Nichole!!!!

I like this picture! It would be a great advertisement for Tide, huh? Actually, most everything ended up pretty clean.

Jamie is happy to help the girls with bath time.

All clean and talking with cousin Cynthia.

Cerena loves to make this funny face. There will probably plenty of pictures like this one on our blog.
Esther is clean and ready for bed. . . well, sort of. When is a little girl EVER truly READY for bed?

I love this picture. Cerena looks completely bored, and Esther is being so dramatic.

I don't know that we will have many days like today, but we will never forget the fun we had on this WONDERFUL PUDDLE STOMPIN' DAY!

Tiny Tim

Back when Tim truly was tiny. . .

He has grown into such a fun loving man.

He is also a very spiritual person. None of us were surprised by his decision to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
He works so hard, serving the people of Bad Axe Michigan. He has met wonderful people, and loves being a missionary.
The girls and I often find ourselves saying something Tim would have said, or doing something he would have done. We really miss him.
And all the fun he brought into our home. No doubt he is bringing quite a few laughs to the people in Bad Axe.


Esther and Cerena love looking at pictures of Tim. From the first moment she laid eyes on the pictures he sent home for Christmas, Cerena has been saying that her big brother is Tiny Tim! They are very excited to meet him.

We are so proud of our Tiny Tim!!!

Beauty

Beauty can be found just about anywhere if one just takes the time to recognize it. I thought this was absolutely beautiful. Definitely not your average graffiti.

I saw this on a trip Rob, Jamie, and I recently made. We have been quite the travelers lately. In just the course of two months, we have driven to Wyoming and back twice! That has to be some sort of record--for us, anyway. And we are preparing to do it yet again in just a week's time. Of course, there is a purpose to our travels. We have been getting to know two beautiful girls who are about to become a part of our forever family.

Esther

Quite a little beauty. And like many little girls, Esther loves to dress up and make believe. She has a wonderful imagination, and the most precious smile.

Cerena

Another beautiful red-head. Cerena (pronounced Sareena) is thoughtful and reflective. Her smile lights up her whole face, and her laugh tickles the heart.

The beauty of love. . .

No, this isn't a tabloid picture of Angelina Jolie sneaking around on her husband! This is ever so much better. . . it is a picture of love in the making as my sweet daughter Jessica accepts a proposal of eternal marriage from her love, Mick Swenson. I just happened to see him kneeling down and quickly held my camera up above my head to shoot this picture. Clearly, I was a little to excited to get a clear shot.

Obviously, Jessica was pretty happy with the idea of marriage. These two have exquisite taste in jewelery. Such a beautiful ring!

The FIRST engagement picture. . .

Taken just outside the Portland, Oregon Temple where Mick proposed to Jessica. Again, beautiful.

Quality Family Time. . . beautiful too!

So, this year, Grandpa Phil got our family tickets to a Portland Trailblazers game. It was a great game! The Blazers lost 104 to 108 (I think). It was such a close game. Nearly went into overtime. We all agreed that the refs made some pretty bad calls, but it was great fun anyway.

Unexpected Beauty

Generally, this building is rather ugly and even a little creepy--especially at night. But, apparently anything can be beautiful under the right circumstances. I generally don't really enjoy a lot of fog, but an ugly old building can be quite pretty when seen through the filter of a good dense fog.