house update, bird watching, and photo shoot

Just thought I'd post a few pics of the house. They have the inside framed and are now working on the roof. It's becoming more of a reality everyday. Very exciting:)







Umm....we didn't realize it would be so tall. Luckily the neighbors below us look out the opposite direction, otherwise we would feel even more guilty about destroying the lovely hillside they look at before. Anyhoo-it is what it is. Here is what will be the front entrance:



And the kitchen (with the back stairs). My dream come true:)



Here are some cuties we took home with us:



A photo shoot with Kate-I still have yet to learn how this camera works:








A robin decided to take a rest and let the girls get so close to it. You can't create moments like that.

Happy Spring.....

...or so says the calendar. We're all wrapped in blankets, drinking hot cocoa and staring at the rain coming down in buckets. But such is life here in the Great Northwest.

This blog posting thing is turning into a bi-annual event, so sorry to all of you around the country who wait with great anticipation for the next post. I shall be better. We have been busy with life and all of its excitement-building a new house has taken up most of our brain capacity, but I know a lot of you are interested in seeing some pics-so here is little sampling of what's going on...



First of all, this is what the property looked like last summer when we purchased it. It was very hard to picture putting a house there, but then it looked like this:




then this:



and now this:





As of this weekend, they had the basement framed and were beginning to lay the floor for the main floor. It's all very exciting and we can't wait for it to come together. Every Saturday we head up there to check the progress and the girls are calling it our "tradition". Heaven forbid we miss a Saturday, but we love to go and see what's been done. We buried a fruit snack in the corner of what will be the front porch-why? Just for the sheer thrill-or at least it was to Kristina. Maybe we'll get a fruit snack tree next summer, wouldn't that be a treat:). Just so you know-minimal trees lost their lives during the land clearing, but many a sticker bush and bunny have had to find new homes. We did burn 2 or 3 pretty good sized piles of debris-here is Rachel standing on the top of one:



Some other random pics of the kids playing:





And this one just because it's cute:



I love this guy....



We were married 12 years ago yesterday..wowza! Ne'r a cross word shared between us. Well, okay, maybe just a few...but I am the luckiest girl in the world!!!

Oh-and it was Brooke's birthday last week-she is seven! She had a tea party-very girly and very fun. They decorated hats and drank out of real tea cups and each girl took home her very own mini tea set in a little box.(Thanks Julie-for helping them look so cute!) I think I had more fun getting ready for it than the actual party.















Much love to all of you out there-I'll try not to stay away so long:)

POSTING PICTURES OF CUTE KIDS IS WAY BETTER THAN CLEANING OUT A CLOSET...

CUTE



VERY CUTE:)



PLAYING IN THE SANDBOX

Where have we been?

I'm not really sure where we've been, but this blog is in serious need of some love. Could it be the four kids? Or the four kids home all summer? Or the four kids waking me up at night? Did I mention four kids? It doesn't seem like much until they're all in the same room yelling, "MOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!" They are cute, and we've had some fun this summer, and I guess I should add the past 8 months(is that how long it's been?) This is what we've been up to:

**RACHEL**

She is our.....



.....SWIMMER




.....CLIMBER




....COOK




.....FASHION QUEEN




.....NEWLY BAPTIZED




.....COOL DUDETTE!!


**BROOKE**

She is our...



....PRINCESS




.....SUPER HERO




.....BEACH BUM




....FULL OF SPUNK




....DRAMA QUEEN!


**KRISTINA**

She is our....



....ONLY GIRL WHO LETS ME DO HER HAIR WITHOUT WHINING
(Who has hair like this at two?)I covet.




.....GOOFBALL




....MOMMA'S GIRL




....ONLY NAPS IN THE CAR(major bummer!!)




.....EXTREMELY LOUD




.....BEAUTY:)


**KATE**(a.k.a. "Katie-Boo")

She is our.....



....HAPPY




....FINGER-SUCKER




....CUTIE-PIE




....ALMOST WALKING




....DOESN'T LET ANYONE PUSH HER AROUND




....ONE YEAR OLD!!!


They keep us on our toes and we love them:)