Freaking Long Friday!

I know the year is half over, so I've got a LOT of catching up to do...
January was a big month. My sisters and I ran the St. George half marathon and had a blast.
JJ started sunbeams and is such a little man. He LOVES wearing suits and ties and shoes just like his daddy.

We finished out the month with our littlest monkey's first birthday. He didn't quite know what to think.






He looks so overwhelmed, but within days he got the memo that his terrible two's are right around the corner. He has been practicing for them ever since. Green marker, anyone?


February was a fun month. Grace's school put on a "Moms and Muffins" breakfast and we had a really good time together. And all this time, I've thought Grace looked just like her dad and then we got this picture back. Do you see the resemblance? I was shocked!

The kids' super Aunt Sissy took them to the Shark Reef for a great time. Honestly, everybody needs an Aunt Sis!




Another great of our many greats, was the swearing in of my dad as a Henderson Justice of the Peace. We dooted up in our Sunday best and were so proud of him!



Unfortunately, I didn't get any shots of the actual swearing in. Keeping all those munchkins still was the task as hand...

February was also Grace's sixth birthday. I can't believe my little lady is 6 years old! We alternate party years. This year we celebrated as a family at Chuck E. Cheese's. And true to form, I forgot my camera! Thank goodness for the Chuckster Cam!

Yes, that's me, the brunette. It didn't last long enough to even have any other pictures taken..and next time I try to do it, I truly hope my sweet husband changes his answer from, "I like your hair every way" to "DON'T DO IT!!" Grace wasn't sure it was even her mom in the picture!

March marched on like every other month, too fast! We celebrated St. Patty's Day the way my momma raised me, on corned beef and cabbage and hash browns cooked in a whole lotta bacon grease. YUM! It got so warm mid-month that we had to celebrate that with a whole lotta water in the back yard!



That's mud, I sware!

We finished out March celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary! WHAT? It seems like just yesterday I was sitting waaaaaaaaay too close to a hot 18-year-old, dreaming of the day he'd be mine!



It's quite a sucky thing to be at the point where you can finally say, "Oh, we looked so young!"

April started out beautifully with a Gibson family trip to my dad's friend's ranch. We watched conference, ate like pigs and played like kids. My parents brought up the 4-wheelers and we all took our turn. There were horses, the best dog Duke (who JJ still talks about), a stage perfect for the kids to perform on, green grass for playing Red Rover and Freeze Tag and more than enough fresh air for all!

I am so thankful to be so close to family.

This was the last picture ever taken of Jared wearing glasses.

Thanks to Lasik Eye Surgery, he has 20/20 vision...no more flipping him off early in the morning...bummer!

May started out with a trip to California. Jared's mom was in the USC Hospital and was going to be celebrating her 44th wedding anniversary and Mother's Day all alone, so we drove his dad down so they could be together. If anything means anything to her, it's family. The relief on her face when we all came in made the trip so worthwhile. The trip to the beach was icing on the cake!




Anytime we stay at a hotel the kids are in hog heaven. Then you add in eating out for every meal and 24 hours a day with their dad, it's over the top! But you add in their Papa, and it's almost too much!



More and more school days have come and May is now almost gone. We had to stop and document our carpool..

..and the best kindergarten teacher EVER!

Grace is super excited for first grade, but I have a feeling she might have to drop by and check on Miss Mackinnon from time to time.

..And I should probably check on my little monkey from time to time as well...

Wish me luck!