picture overkill as therapy

Too many things on my mind tonight. Most pressing is how in the world I am going to come up with, oh you know, like $20,000. But that is a story for another day, a story that I am sure will be broadcast loud and clear from this blog at some point in the future when things are a little less muddled.

Since I can't wrap everything in my life up into a pretty, uncomplicated package right this minute, I shall attempt to at least get a little control over this here blog. I have approximately a million photos all ready to make their debut here, but I haven't come up with a clever way to organize and post them. So tonight, to make me feel like I am making progress somewhere, I am going to dump them all here. One big fat post of pictures. You don't mind, do you?

Her hair is staying dark so far, and I can't even tell you how happy that makes me. A blue-eyed baby with dark hair? In love. Now if only I could order up some dark eyes for the next one...

I took this series of photos one afternoon when we were hanging at my mom's house. Pea happened to have a pretty precious outfit on and was sitting up facing the big sliding doors, the light hitting her just so. I see everything in photographs these days, and when I saw her sitting there I was happy I had my camera.

The seven months of Pearl's life have truly been a whirl. I do not know what happened to months 4, 5, and 6. Really. They are just suddenly gone, and in front of me is this baby who is sitting up alone, rocking on all fours threatening to crawl, and scooting herself around with those chubby little feet in a walker. Not sure what she is trying to taste in this second picture, but that ever-busy tongue makes me smile.

We still haven't gotten into solid foods much, but Pearl Loves-with-a-capital-L when I slice up some fruit and stick it in that little mesh holder for her to suck and gum to death.

I'm not even sure why I like this picture, but I do. Probably just because it is of her.

Remember when I told you I would post the rest of the pictures we took when we were up by the Alpine Loop awhile back? Here they are.

Whenever I look at this picture I think of the Joker saying "Why so serious?" from that Batman movie (John just informed me it is called The Dark Knight) and it kind of ruins the happy moment that usually comes when one looks at a sweet photo of her children :).

Ah, there we go, that's better. I love that they are totally making the same face.

Here is the daddy with the babies.

And the mama. And just so we are clear here: John and I actually didn't really have the intention of being in these pictures. We didn't set out to get family pictures-- we were going on a drive up the canyon so John could bury some scientific wire in the stream to collect data. I got my kids dressed in clothes that I thought might be cute to take a few photos in, but what you see here is mostly luck. John and I happened to be wearing clothes that sort of worked out and we ended up getting a few cute pictures. Happy accidents.

Do you know that Pearl looks a LOT like I did when I was a wee babe? I had dark hair and blue eyes (though by this age my hair had begun to lighten), but I am pretty sure my Pear Girl has a few pounds on my seven-month-old self. She is so round!

We had to settle for bunches of pictures of either John or I with the kids, but not all of us together. It was too hard to get us all looking at a camera that was just sitting there with no one attached screaming and making funny faces.

Ha ha, see what I mean? Can you spot the abnormality in this photo? We tried (to get a family picture), but it was pretty hard and we were pretty unsuccessful. If you can see what is wrong with this picture (besides the crazy wind blowing us away) you will win four points.

This was a moment that just happened where they both were looking at the same thing at the same time and I had the camera on the right settings. Yay for that because it almost never happens.

Unless their daddy is dancing and singing like a crazy man to get their attention. Then they both look.

I know that I said the first photo I posted a couple of weeks ago was my favorite from this day, but I have since changed my mind. These last two are my favorites. I love the way Pearl is looking at her daddy with her hand resting under his chin, and then I love the kiss I captured (again, this just happened, we did not try to set this up) in that second one. And I love that George is just chilling there, probably looking at some really cool rock or stick that he could grab to throw into the water. Looking at these makes me motivated to do less of the "George! Pearl! Look over here!" pictures, and more pictures where I just let them be.

Quite often while Pearl is napping George and I will paint. In fact I have a bunch more photos to post of a more recent painting-while-she-naps session, but I figured I should get to these first. If I don't want to worry about any messes I will tape up some paper to the back of the house and just let G do his thing. Blast winter coming to ruin this delightful activity.

Nevermind the jungle that is our grass.

The thing I love most when I look at these? The dozens of those little animal/shape bracelets that he has shoved onto both of his wrists. Oh three, you are such a perfect age. I cannot get enough of this boy at three.

I have stories to share about this little boy of mine. He is full of so much humor and happiness and I don't want to forget any of it. Here is a little teaser of things that won't make sense to you, but then I will remember to write about them later.

*expecting audible answers from Heavenly Father, and "I thought the Holy Ghost would come, but he didn't."

*the privileges he revoked from his father when J said no to me (ha ha, cracks me up)

*putting a pillow behind Pearl and his promise to me after

*J as Mario up on the stand at church

*sobbing for his sister when she got shots

And to finish up tonight (whew, right?!), I will post these cute pictures...

...so that I can finish with this hilarious one. Her face. Kills me.

With that face in my mind as I go to sleep tonight I should have pretty awesome dreams, right? :)