just can't get enough

i just can't get enough of my little niece, grace.

really, can you blame me? look how adorable she is!!!!

i love her to pieces - and her mom, marion, too! i feel really blessed to have such wonderful women in my life. my mom, grandmothers, sisters, and yes, even the in laws....i really love them too:) and now, the next generation of little girls that will grow in to beautiful and admirable women before i know it.

i hope this little bun in my oven can join the girls club.

i would really like that.

that being said, i will be most grateful for a healthy and happy baby, whether boy or girl. although jensen may not be. he was telling my gran this last weekend that if we have a boy, i told brent that we would sell him and that brent was ok with that.

i'll have to watch jensen if we do have a boy - he is getting really good at spelling and writing and would have no problem whipping up some "brother for sale" signs.

where we live

i have always found that the beauty of nature makes me appreciate our Father in Heaven and the beautiful world He has created for us. i find that being out in the woods, walking on a beach, the smell after rain, sunsets, fall colors, spring colors, and so many other sights and sounds of nature fill me with a deep sense of gratitude that i can enjoy the world around me and a profound feeling of thanks for the beauty of the creation.

Heavenly Father must truly love us to bless us with such beauty in our surroundings.

looking at my family brings me the same feelings of gratitude.

i really am blessed.

no belly pictures from me!

so, jensen was telling his aunt briett the other day all about the babies in my tummy - yep, babies. jensen is convinced that we are having triplet girls. then we would be even, he says - 4 boys and 4 girls! and, according to his logic, he must be right. jensen was telling briett that we must be having twin girls because, "mommy's tummy is so big already and she's only been pregnant for a few days."

i'm 14 weeks.

wow, i must really be huge!

thanksgiving

what a wonderful time of year! i love all the changing colors and the chance to give some extra thought to the things i am grateful for. family always tops the list. friends, left behind and newly found. a warm home, food on the table, a husband who works hard to care for me and our boys. the blessing of being a mother to three wonderful boys and growing another (girl hopefully). and most thankful for a loving Savior who knows me and knows what I need to feel peace in my life.

and i am thankful for my camera! i love to take pictures. so, that being said, here are some good ones i took over our thanksgiving trip to good old sylvan lake. feel free to click here and here!

who needs a halloween costume?

so, funny story. about a week ago, after brent left for work, burton woke up and came in to our room. i was still in bed, savoring the last 20 minutes before the alarm went off, all wrapped up in the blankets. i heard burton come in and sat up to say hi. he screamed - literally screamed. not a high pitched fake scream, but a real, scared yell - and started to cry. i brought him in to bed to snuggle him and asked him why he was so scared. he wouldn't answer me for probably 10 minutes. once he settled down, he looked at me and said, "you scared me when i saw you. your nose looked really long and i was scared of your bed head."

geez - i already knew i looked pretty bad first thing in the morning. but is it really that bad?

friends

i love this picture.

not only are my boys brothers, but they are best friends too. and although they have their not so nice moments, for the most part they really get along. i love that they play with each other. i love that they are concerned for each other and sensitive to one another. it warms my heart to listen to my boys play and pretend with each other. and even though evan is not in this picture, he is just as much a part of the group.

my 3 amigos - i sure love them.

p.s. it was crazy hair day at school - i don't spray my kids' hair red regularly...especially since it ended up getting everywhere! oh well, the picture was worth it.

i love where we live

yesterday we went on a small hike with the kids and some friends, just outside of cranbrook. it was a beautiful day - warm, sunny, and so many different colors as the trees are starting to change. i love the fall. i love all the colors and the coolness mixed in with the warmth of the sun. we hiked to this amazing little water fall and had fun climbing the rocks, feeling the water, and exploring in such a wonderful place.

and to think it was just 20 minutes away from our front door. i love this new place we call home!