Brothers

Visitors

Bea and Inga loved the sailor duck full of flowers that Fink and Grandma sent.

Snuggle time with the kids - I miss them!

Daddy showed Graham pictures of the night William was born. Then Graham wanted to see the incision. We don't think that he was traumatized for life, but I'm guessing he won't be a doctor.

Bop and Gaga got to go visit William in the NICU.

This is the first time I've seen both eyes! William usually gives me a pirate look and keeps his right eye closed. He and Graham-the-pirate will get along just fine.

William will hopefully be released from the NICU tomorrow morning so the kids will finally get to see him tomorrow when the come. We'll have the cameras ready!

William - 2 days old!

Hormones

Apparently I have the air cranked up too high in this house.

Happy birthday, Bea and Inga!

Bea and Inga LOVE puppies so they had little puppy cakes for their second birthday this year.

Graham celebrated in style

Frosting was exchanged

Gifts were opened, tutus were twirled

Hello Kitty underpants were fought over

Bea is ready to take on the world, Laura Ingalls-style!

Happy Birthday, Girls!

Happy Birthday, sweet Graham!

Graham helped make his cake yesterday afternoon. He has become an expert egg-cracker!

This morning our little pirate woke up to streamers, a birthday sign, and his own pirate cake.

Bea and Inga wanted to try on the party hats which looked especially fantastic with their jammies and bed hair.

Aunt Emily called this morning to wish Graham a happy birthday from Texas.

Graham wore his birthday boy pin to Vacation Bible School. He said, "The whole Bible school sang for me!" Later in the day Aunt Katie and baby Elijah came for a birthday visit.

Graham opened presents while Bea, Inga, and Elijah slept.

Animal crackers were a much lower priority for Graham today; he had a lego helicopter to build!

Bea and Inga watched from a distance while Aunt Katie changed Elijah.

Tonight we celebrated Graham's birthday with our neighbors and friends, the Millers. We are so thankful to have met such a great family who happen to live just a few doors down!

We sang to Graham and Daddy cut the cake.

Happy birthday, dear Graham!

Projects

The kids got a huge birthday present last week: a new swing set. Before it could go in, the large crop of thistles in our backyard had to be destroyed. David and I (mostly David) worked on it for two mornings before it was under control.

Fifty bags of wood chips and three large boxes of swing set parts were delivered to our house. The kids loved watching the process!

"Bye, bye, truck!"

David and Graham took a break on Saturday and went to see the Thunderbirds do cool tricks.

I stayed home with the girls and welcomed my own group of girls: Kathy, Adie, and Eby of NWC days. We hadn't been together in years but it felt like college days again, except for my huge belly, aching back, and the large bottle of wine the other three enjoyed!

Earlier this week David began the long process of staining each piece of wood for the swing set. It's going to be awhile before that thing is up...