How I rank.

Bedtime. I&M's room. Tuck-ins.

Me: Isabel, I love you so much! You're so cute! I think you're the best little girl ever!
Isabel: I love you too Mommy. You're the best grownup EVER!!
.
Me turning off light. Me almost shutting door.
.
Isabel (in a funny 'I'm embarassed' high-pitched voice): Oops! Except for Jesus I mean!!
.
Me closing door. Me dying laughing in hallway.
.
It should be noted that my compliments to Isabel were mostly sincere but also said in a "joking/funny" way. I am not trying to inflate her head with that last compliment. I don't need a Rachel from Glee thing going on in this house. :)

Home Alone...and Family Rule #432

This is the first time that I've been home along with one baby. You know since the first two came as a package deal. (I should pause here to say that "being home" doesn't happen much lately. The NICU has been nearly exploding with babies for weeks now...)

When Keeler and I have been home alone, we've had time to...

Remember to take pictures of our favorite tree in fall before all of the leaves drop.
Pick the big kids up from school on the locomotive (also known as the bike+tag-a-long+bike trailer). No pics of that. Sorry. Trust me, it's a site to behold.

Take funny "first snow pictures" in cute fuzzy jackets.

Marvel at the amount of drool one child can produce--and enjoy just hanging out on the living room floor together.

It's been a while since we've had to institute a new family rule. Well, never fear folks....drumroll...Family Rule #432: You may not EVER put your baby brother under a laundry basket. (No matter how afraid you are that he will play with your light sabers while you are out of the room!)

Keeler was playing with the twins in their room one morning. As I walked past their room, I noticed that it was empty. Well, I thought it was. Until I saw the upside down laudry basket scootch forward a little. And then a little more. You guessed it! Keeler was underneath doing his best to crawl forward. Bless his kooky little heart, he wasn't even mad! (yet)

Me: "Um, guys, why is Keeler under a laundry basket?"

Them: SILENCE

ME: "Okay, Milo? You may not EVER put your brother under a laundry basket. That's not very kind buddy!"

Milo: "Uhhhh...umm...(here's the part where everyone thinks that he is going to say "ISSY DID IT!") I...uh....well, I didn't want him to get my light sabers and I had to go to the BATHROOM!"

Me: "Well, that's fine. You can just ask me to come and get him next them then okay?"

Milo: "Okay"

Pause.

Milo: "Well, I think he kind of liked it anyways. He's not even crying!"

It's happening...

...fall is here. Whether I like it or not. And let's be honest here. I do like. I just don't like what always follows it. SIGH.

Our evidence of fall includes:

The running of the Boulder Backroads Half Marathon.

No I am not in this picture. I was too dusty, hot, tired, beat up, and dehydrated to even THINK about getting my picture taken. It was 74 degrees when we started, 85 degrees when we finished, not a cloud in site, a 30 mile an hour wind, dusty roads, and not enough water to go around. Not my funnest race ever.

Jackets are making a more frequent (okay, every morning) appearance.


The colors are changing at RMNP. The elk are also bugling and amazingly beautiful.

Sprague Lake is a chillier walk and it gets dark so much earlier.

Soccer is in full swing.

(Can I just say that you want Milo on your team--not because he is a goal-scoring machine because he's not so much but because he is the loudest and most enthusiastic cheerer for all of his teammates!! Cutest thing ever.)

This gal on the other hand is *liking* soccer. She may have accused me of "picking soccer for her when I know that she's always wanted to be a ballerina!!!!!". Excuse me? No, cutie, you picked it yourself and most of the time you like it.

It's hat weather some of the time.

When you have a hat this cute, it's hat weather more often for you than for other people.

Finishing the Photos

Thanks to the ever-amazing Sage, we got some great pictures of our family and all of those who came to support us at the temple the day that Keeler was sealed to us.

The day was really beyond description. But, honestly, this entire adoption experience has been that way. It has definitely strengthed my belief that someone much greater than I (read: our Heavenly Father) orchestrated this adoption and the bringing together of our family and Keeler's birthfamily.

Outside the Salt Lake City Temple. It was so amazing to be in the temple as a family and to welcome Keeler (officially) into our family-forever! :)
Much of the fam that celebrated with us that day.

Cutie patooties.

Me and my boy. :)

Sweet boy. A wee bit tired after all the festivities.

New family picture.

Another of much of the fam (notice the switcharoo in the lower left corner--Loveridges for Pierces).

Cabin Catch Up

We were lucky enough to make it up for another weekend at the Pierce/Porter family cabin a few weeks ago. The cabin is adorable and amazing and the beauty of the mountains around it is almost undescribable.

This crazy--almost creepy Twilight-ish--fog had us all socked in the morning we left.
Mike and Beckett waiting for Edward.
All of the kids picked wildflowers. Sweet Porter wanted to take his home to his Nana. :)

Milo picking wild raspberries. (Spencer refers to that jacket as his EMO jacket. Spencer is not allowed to come clothes shopping with us because of just such comments.)

Issy and her wildflowers. Unlike in RMNP, if you pick flowers here your mom doesn't let out a loud HISSSS and stuff them in her jacket pocket so you don't get a ranger-talkin'-to (about saving the flowers for all of the other campers to enjoy...).

Going for a walk with the Pierces and the Davises.

Porter wearing his "scarf". AKA Keeler's blankie.

Um, cutest picture ever.

Sweet Laila. Also in contention for cutest picture ever.

Picture take 456 in this pose. Ahem, SPENCER.

Checking out the deer that were wandering around the property. Or are the deer checking out the kids wandering around THEIR property?

We're back. And we're FINAL.

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.

That would be the sounds of us exhaling. In the last two weeks we have visited a cabin high in the mountains, finalized Keeler's adoption way out on the eastern plain side of Denver, had a celebration with some close friends and family, hosted friends and family for days, hours, and weekends, blessed (christened) Keeler, worked a bunch, run a 10K, traveled to Utah, had Keeler sealed to us (a very special ceremony that takes place inside an LDS Temple, making Keeler a part of our family forever--click HERE if you'd like to read more about LDS Temples...), returned to Colorado, biked a bit, put up a bunch of food in the freezer, and wondered how the last few weeks went by so quickly!

Commence pictures. Part 1 anyway.

Spencer, Kennedy (one of my BFF's oldest daughters) on the new tag-a-long and a few other nameless children in the bike trailer! Thank you garage sales.
The Loveridge girls and 2/3 of the Andersons showing off their face paint after the farmer's market. The Loveridges are some of our oldest friends and favorite people--they came to CO for Keeler's finalization and blessing.

Keeler's finalization! :) The judge let us sit on "the bench". Our attorney was completely weirded out by this. Apparently, it is not common courtroom practice. ;)

After the finalization with the judge--who was completely adorable and completely stoked for us.

Sweet baby boy after his blessing (very similar to a christening for those who are not Mormon). He was so good that day and so cute in his puffy cable knit! (Sure it was 80+ degrees but we all have to make sacrifices for fashion right?)

I love this picture! On momma's lap.

The whole fam after the blessing. As you can see, the oldest two are just THRILLED to be having their pictures taken for the 152658th time that weekend.

Testing the light for the family pictures--Isabel snuck in to the picture.

Part 2 pictures coming soon...

And, if you're wondering what happened to all of the recipe posts, they've found a new home! Check out our (me and a few friends who are much better cooks that I am) blog...wholeplate.wordpress.com. Wholesome/low cost/less meat recipes and menu planning.

And then there was one...

Thursday morning I did something that I had feared, dreamed about, and imagined. I know, I know. Everyone thought I would cry. That I would be so sad to send them off to kindergarten. Well, apparently, I got all of the sadness out last year when they went to preschool. :)

My excitement was rivaled by their excitement-slash-anxiety. Once I left the in the classroom--sitting and standing and walking so close to one another that they were touching at all times (but not actually holding hands because, of course, they're not that nervous) I carried this little monkey out to the car, buckled him, buckled myself and thought, "Hmm. So this is what it's like to just have one". It was a very strange feeling indeed.

I'm so looking forward to elementary school. I have such great memories of it--thanks to my mom and to the magic of reading. :) I'm also so looking forward to enjoying every moment with this little guy. It feels like a new chapter of our lives is beginning (one that coincides with our adoption finalization on September 4th!!). I think we're gonna like this chapter just fine.

Sitting in on the reading rug before class started. They were totally fake reading. They can both read but this was so fake. This was a "turn the pages so fast that even mom couldn't read the words but just act cool like you do this kindergarten thing all the time" kind of fake reading. So cute.

New outfits (Isabel's was layed out on the floor for 24 hours prior to the actual "get ready" time) and new backpacks make it all feel very official.

A letter from Daddy to Isabel. He was climbing that morning and left them each a letter on their placemat wishing them a good day and reminding them to be brave. Bonus princess and panda drawings included.

Milo's letter.
Apparently, celebratory cakes/cupcakes are now a tradition for the night before school starts. Two years running makes a tradition right?