At long last, an update...

I started this update last fall (of 2011) and just never quite got it finished. Quiet time (and sometimes even NAP time) is going really well, though, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to finish it up and finally publish it. It's selfish of me to enjoy all of your updates and then never share about ours. Hopefully I can make this a more regular thing, too! :)

Soo.... last time I blogged here Paul had just started walking. Which was pretty much an eternity ago. Here's what we've been up to in the last 6 months... the nutshell version :) Some pictures are a little out of order, so sorry.

Table manners are pretty lax around here... feet on the table and just use your fingers, even with soggy cereal.

Sofie (and Debra) came for a visit and a kiss...

Paul is quite the cook....

Paul took his first big tumble, connecting his forehead to the cement of our front porch for the first of many times. The bump is always in the same spot, too.  

We shopped for a new car in April, and Paul helped. (We did buy a new car, a Nissan Versa, which we all love.)

Happy Easter!

I made Paul's "suit" jacket and pants from a suit jacket that Mark couldn't wear anymore... because the magic goop from the Creepy Crawler Machine had dripped on it. :(

Paul loves Easter candy... One day I caught him with EIGHT whopper eggs stuffed in his mouth. All blue, so at least he is learning his colors. :)

For his school's talent show, Mark was Justin Bieber (and his principal was Ludacris!), so I was the costume designer.(I'll have to find the video, and some pictures of his awesome shoes that I painted.)  Paul wasn't a big fan, so we are confident that we are raising him with good taste. :)

Paul moved into his big bed, and we all love it. Easiest transition EVER.

At the annual Art City Days 5K, we had lots of family run and earn awards. I walked since I was very pregnant and very out of shape. :) Mark's goal was to place in the stroller division with Paul, and he did! Paul carried the plaque around for a week.

We visited the Hawkins in Texas -- that's the Alamo to prove it. :) Best trip EVER.

Paul thought it was pretty awesome, but also HOT and miserable

We loved playing at the Gulf of Mexico. So much warmer than Oregon beaches and less crowded than California beaches.

We saw the balloons at the Provo Freedom Festival.

Mark and I went on a "babymoon" while Paul stayed and played with Aunt Sarah. We went to the childrens' museum in the Gateway and got the special "pedophile" wristbands for the adults who show up without a kid. Biggest waste of $18 ever. Apparently it's meant for kids and not just adults who still think they are kids.

At my family's annual reunion, Paul got his first boat ride. He loved it!

Daddy taught Paul to play with the laundry basket, so now Daddy gets to pick up all the dirty clothes that Paul dumps out of the laundry basket when he wants to play with it. :)

Anna was born!

August 13, perfectly timed so that Mark was done with one set of trainings but had a couple of days before he needed to be back for the next set.

Paul adores Anna. THAT is what makes having two kids fun. :)

Anna's newborn pictures by Aunt Dusty

At two weeks old, we took Anna to her first Orem Owlz game. She wasn't all that impressed, but Dad was getting stir crazy. Yes, you read that right -- DAD thought he needed to get out more, and Mom went along with it. :)

Paul loves the Owlz games and still talks about seeing Hootz and Holly, the mascots.

From birth, Anna has had Mark wrapped around her little finger. This is going to be trouble :)

The day that Anna was born, I went out to a bunch of yard sales and washed the car. Paul helped:

Paul loves to help give Anna baths. Anna isn't so fond of it.

Paul  has lots of fun playing with Anna, and he's very good at sharing his stickers:

Okay, that's the update for now. I've been doing *much* better at taking more pictures, so maybe I'll get another update here soon...