Liah's "new" dress

My mom made this dress. She hand-smocked the bodice.

This was Lorie's baptism dress.

Then my baptism dress.

And now Liah's baptism dress.

p.s. Liah commented that "it's just like the old-fashioned dresses from the movies!" also that it has "Cinderella sleeves." And also that she loves it.

Liah is 8?!?

My sweet little Liahbug is 8! For her birthday party, she wanted a "peace sign party" because "she just loves peace signs!" So I did my best. I whipped together a peace sign cake. She was so excited when she came home from school and saw it.

We had 11 girls over here from 5-8. We had pizza, watched a movie, did footbaths and nail painting and had cake.

Liah wanted a hula hoop for her birthday. She's actually pretty good at it!

Addy and me. He looks freaked out, but he's actually just saying the "ch" part of "cheese." :)

Opening presents... finally opening the highly anticipated gift from aunt Lorie! Savannah says "open it like you mean it!" lol... So they are excitedly delving into the package.

Her "Merliah" doll and a peace sign necklace from aunt Lorie!

Pete's dragon and an activity set from Gramma MacGregor! Grandma also sent her clothes, but she got to open those in August.

The peace sign necklace from aunt Lorie. Liah was so excited!

Liah blowing out the candles on her cake:

After 8, all of the girls went home except Savannah. Liah had her first sleepover! She was so excited! I'm not crazy enough for an 11 girl sleepover, but 1 I can handle. :)

Liah talking on the phone to Grandma. Liah and Savannah are watching yet another movie while getting manicures.

After staying up until 11:30 (they were so excited to stay up late!), they insisted on using sleeping bags on the floor. Because clearly, that is what you do at a sleepover. Then they giggled until 12:30am.

The girls and I went to IHOP for breakfast.

They insisted I take a picture of them coloring...

...and eating.

They played the whole day and had the time of their lives. I think it was a successful birthday for my Liah.

Happy Birthday my sweet little Liahbug! I love you!!!

Interview with Addison

My sister reminded me that I need to be recording these super cute things Addison says. So while the kids were at school this morning, I took this video. Some of my favorites are "Oh-hey!" and "you cute!" "you best!"

Because I know you are all wondering...

A picture is worth a thousand words. and I have 3.

Yes. It's official. I'm a moron.

When the garbage guy puts your trash can down right behind your car, and you back up, this is what happens.

Emily's surprise...

Look what's new on Emily's ears! She finally got brave enough to get it done while her and I were on a "walmart date." She held on to her chocolate milk and little stuffed elephant, and I bought her icecream from McDonald's afterward. She is one happy camper. Her earrings came with a matching necklace and they are even butterflies! How fun is that? She keeps telling every single person she passes about getting her ears pierced. So if you see her soon, be prepared...

Doesn't she look cute??

My red!

This little boy surprises me every day. He is learning so many new things everyday. He figures out how to say more and more things and his latest obsession is colors. He is obsessed with the color RED. If he sees anything red he will stop whatever he is doing and say "MY RED!!!" Needless to say, he prefers using red cups and red plates and red bowls and wearing shirts that are red... and he loves to play. He will play by himself for hours at a time. Most recently, he has started putting those square foam puzzle pieces together. He lines them up perfectly and he does it fast! (see picture)

Yesterday, I found him on his floor passed out and exhausted from playing. lol


This morning I walked in his room and found him sorting colors! He took all up the stack cups and matched them up to the ring that matched. When he saw me, he then had to tell me what each color was (and especially pointed out to me his favorite color "my red!") I know every parent thinks their child is a genius, and well, I'm no exception. ;)

Back in Christmas of 2005, my uncle took pictures of my girls and make collages out of them. They've been in my livingroom since then, and I've been wanting to do some of my boys too. Last week, I finally decided to get it done. So I took all the pictures last week and then yesterday I put together the collages. I think they turned out so well! So now I just have to wait until they get here next week. I'm so excited!

Here is Addison's, with his background appropriately in red: (I scanned in my scrapbook paper to make the backgrounds... clever? I thought so too.)

And here is Sean's:

In loving memory of Betty Ruth MacGregor

Last month, Addison and I had the opportunity to go down to California and spend a week with my grandma. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer last November.

Here is Addison on the car ride down. He was such a good little traveling buddy.



We arrived Thursday July 29 in the evening because I knew my parents would be there and I wanted to see them too. Here is Addison playing with Grandma (my mom) and his little farm she gave him for his birthday.

Great Gramma (my grandma) got out a box of toys for Addison to play with that she kept. Lorie and I used to play with these at Grandma's when we were kids. It brought back so many memories. Grandma was the source of our favorite childhood memories. She used to have Lorie and I come over, sometimes together, sometimes separately, to spend the day with her. We got to watch whatever we wanted on her big screen TV, have whatever we wanted for lunch and she always had soda and icecream! Could life get any better? Yes it could. She even used to take us out to eat sometimes. Being one of 6 children, you don't get that kind of one on one time very often.

I used to love that little McDonalds!

Here is Addison Tavish with Grandpa Tavish (my daddy)

We got to swim in Grandma's pool. Addison had a great time swimming with aunt Baba (that's his name for Lorie, for whatever reason...)

Grandma also bought each one of her granddaughters a watch this summer. She said if I ever came down, she would get me one too. So one morning we (Grandma, my cousin Heather, Lorie Addy and I) set off to do some shopping, get McDonalds smoothies and get me a watch. Grandma wouldn't tell me where we were going just where to turn. It was also a little fun to park in the handicap spot legally. I was a little surprised though when we pulled up to Batteries +! lol. That's so Grandma. Up at the front by the registers are 2 little carousels: one with watch bands and one with watch faces. You just pick out what you want and they put it together for you. They had tons of cute colorful ones, but I wanted to be able to wear it with pretty much everything, so I opted for silver. I did get a little color in my watch face though. I love it! And because it was a gift from my grandma, it is extra special to me.

I bought Addy a little chair while we were there. He liked to sit in his little corner and watch movies. He is so cute.

Grandma also has a peach tree at her house. Lorie and I had fun looking up peach recipes and making all kinds of treats for Grandma. Here is Addison picking peaches. There were some low enough that he could reach and he just thought it was awesome. He kept saying "a peach a you... a peach a me... a peach a you... a peach a me..." as he was picking. It was so stinkin' cute. (a peach for you, and he would hand me one, a peach for me, and he would put one in his own bag)

While we were there, we also went into Grandpa's music room. He passed away 6 years ago. He LOVED music and has a very extensive record collection and his music room holds all kinds of treasures that you just can't put a price on.

Addy, Lorie and me the day we left. Grandma woke us up Tuesday morning all excited about going to a store called "Tuesday morning." So we headed on down there. She was so cute picking out jewelry for herself.

One of the peach recipes I found was called a "peach betty," which I did not make, but Grandma got a kick out of it having her name in it, so we made her a peach pie and just carved Betty in that. She loved it.

It was fun getting to cook for Grandma and serve her. One of the dishes I made for her was hamburger stroganoff, which I love with all of my heart, and I couldn't believe in her nearly 84 years she had never had. It was her lucky day. :) She loved it.

Here are Lorie, me, Grandma and my cousin Heather. All the MacGregor girls except Katie. Grandma usually puts up a big fuss about pictures, but she didn't fight this one at all and got right in.

It was very hard to leave her Tuesday morning knowing that I would never see her again in this life. I called her the next morning to let her know I'd gotten home safely, and she got very serious, which is very unlike her and she said "I will see you again." I know that is true.

Betty Ruth MacGregor passed away this past Friday night at 11:48pm. She is now with Grandpa and I know she is much happier.

I love you Grandma. Thank you for being in my life. You are very loved and you will be missed.