A picture I almost forgot!!!

This is how Chloe eats. She doesn't just take bites . . . no, she has to "experience" the food . . .all over her face.

Caffeine

I just had a thought to put out there for the 3 people who look at my online photo album . . . . we all know that caffeine is horrible, and the carbonated drinks we find it in can dissolve a penny in about a week. I say, forget all that. Caffeine is every mother's best friend. I'm talking about the 4 p.m. exhaustion point - you know what I'm talking about. That time in the afternoon when all your energy and well-meaning is gone. That time of the day when the kids better jump when you say "jump" or else your temper is going to flare. That time of the day when you're supposed to start making dinner, return friends to their own homes, pack up the car with all the baseball equipment needed for that night's game, and make sure the house looks fabulous so when your husband comes home from work, he'll be amazed. That is the time of day when you only have one best friend . . . and that friend is overflowing with caffeine. I don't know about you guys, but when I get my hands on that glorious can of Diet Coke, I feel relieved. I know that I will be able to conquer the obstacles that still lie ahead of me before bedtime. I guess sometimes our patience and happiness levels need a little artificial energy, right?

Just thought I'd put that out there! Have a fabulous day!

Jake is 6 months old! -believe it or not!

Moving the cows to the summer range

We all had so much fun at Grandpa's ranch!

Our Trip

So, we did it. We did the thing every family must do. We headed to Southern California and DISNEYLAND. The whole trip was so much fun! We thought about just packing up all 4 kids and hopping on a plane, but NO! that would be too easy. We knew our kids needed to experience a real, live ROAD TRIP. Just like in the olden days. SO, we packed everyone up (making sure to bring plenty of movies - just for our sanity), and spent 2 days getting there. It was great. Waking up to the waves of the ocean right outside our back door made the trip spectacular. After breakfast every morning, the kids would climb over the little retaining wall that separated us from the beach and the play would commence. I think that maybe I was the one excited about Disneyland, because when we asked the kids if they wanted to head to Disneyland one morning, their response was that they wanted to stay and keep playing on the beach. My own stubborn enthusiasm won, and we were off to Disneyland! We loaded up backpacks full of snacks and water, the strollers, the passes . . . . everything! When Joe got in to start the car, nothing. The car wasn't starting. OF COURSE! That's how it goes, right? Our ROAD TRIP wouldn't be complete without a "Griswald Family Vacation" moment, right? Needless to say, we got a hold of a minivan and were off to the happiest place on earth. Seeing Chloe and her fabulous Cinderella dress (complete with bright pink hi-tops) wandering around "La-La Land", was worth the whole trip! During the evening parade, "Boppity Boo" singled her out of the crowd to ask why she was watching the parade and not at the dance. Chloe was with her the whole way by saying, "Uh, huh! I go to dance with the prince!". My life was now complete.

Our trip to San Diego