Myke & Me Plus ThreeFour: July in a Nutshell

It has been a FULL summer and it's not even August yet! We have been so busy (am I ever NOT busy?? Is anyone?) that I have just found no time at all to post, though in my head I'm blogging all the time. I always want to share what we're doing in our day-to-day lives...if, for nothing else, it can be a keepsake/memory book/ a kind of time capsule for me, Myke and the kids. Something we can look back on...because I'm pretty sure that these years will be a blur when I look back on them (see a couple posts ago). Time is zipping by and my babies are growing older, bigger, faster, stronger by the minute. Chloë is practically a teenager already! At least she ACTS like one. You should hear the things that come out of her mouth. It amazes me. She is definitely a firecracker. A non-stop firecracker. I love her to death:) She exhausts me. She makes me laugh. She is four-and-a-half going on 14-and-a-half. She's the best big sister you could ask for...SO good to Owen, Eli and Ella. She just adores them and is always looking out for them, helping them on the playground, getting them drinks at meal time, etc. She's amazing with them.

Owen & Chloë both love to hold Ella. Here they are holding her in her room after her nap.

It's so cute. When they hear her fussing they all three yell "Ella!!" and like to run to her room, climb up the side of her crib and reach in and unwrap her if she's in a swaddle. All three just adore their baby sister.

In other news, we had Owen baptized on July 7th. My best friend since the 3rd grade, Crickett, and her family (finally!) came out to visit us here in San Diego for a week earlier this month. We had asked them nearly 2 years ago to be Owen's godparents and we finally worked out a time for the baptism that worked for all of us.

How we met:

The summer before I was to start the 3rd grade my family moved to a new neighborhood and my brother and I were going to start at a new school. My mom had to find a before-and-after school babysitter for us and it ended up being Crickett's mom, Jackie. Jackie ran an in-home childcare and when we went to check it out Crickett and I hit it off right away. Well, I remember it that way. She and her sister remember it differently. Apparently, Hale and I "messed up" their Barbie house by rearranging the furniture, etc. Anyways...26 years later and we are still great friends...even though we haven't lived in the same city since high school. You know a person is a great friend when you can go months without talking and when you get back together you can pick up right where you left off, as if you see each other all the time.

First day of 3rd grade (and first day of kindergarten for Hale)!

This is us waiting for the bus.

I was a tall cup of water (not sure if I still am really)...and so was Hale (and still is)...and Crickett was a shortie (and still is).

Here we are almost exactly 26 years later!

Baptism Day

Owen & the Stocker Family

Katelin, Megan & Chloë (pushing Ella) heading into church

The baptism ceremony

Owen's cake

Myke's parents came arrived in San Diego in time for the baptism as well.

We had a great week with Crickett & JT and their girls. Chloë was in hog-heaven having an almost-6-year old and 10-year-old to play with every day. These girls are FISH. They were in the pool every single day!

4th of July neighborhood party

Katelin & Ella

Megan & Ella

the girlies

The Stockers spent a week with us...and a what great visit it was! Hope they'll come again! After they left, Myke's parents moved in and are here for another week now (month total) We've been having a great time with them, too! It's nice to be able to go out and enjoy San Diego with them and the kids- something that's difficult (ie nearly impossible) for me to do on my own when I'm alone with the 4 kids. It's also great for the kids to get to know and bond with their grandparents like this...something that probably wouldn't happen with only week-long visits.

Okay, I'm getting tired so it is time for me to close up....even though I have so much more I could ramble about. Sleep calls. I'll end with some photos: