Updated Pictures

As we've been unpacking (are you sick of me talking about this yet??) it's been like opening a time capsule.  It is a total look into what our lives were like almost 2 years ago.  

My favorite treasure I unpacked was Claire's Batman lunchbox.  It was one of her most prized posessions 2 years ago, and it was still full of her most important treasures from when she was 4, right before we moved away from Washington.  It had her big Batman stuffed doll, a cell phone, a necklace and a flashlight.  And it brought back so many good memories of those sweet phases the girls were in back then.

One other thing that I unpacked that was fun was our girl's pictures.  Every year I try to take pictures of the girls' and we keep them on the wall (or on the mantel at this house).  When I found the frames, the pictures were of when Brielle was 5, Claire was 3 and Addison was 1.  Obviously I loved it.  But I obviously knew we needed to update that ASAP.  And on top of that, we needed to get a frame and picture of Molly as well!  How weird that Molly wasn't even born when all of our stuff from Washington was put in storage?

ANYWAY...we decided to do a photo shoot at our new house in the driveway.  The girls' were very excited to get new pictures taken at OUR house.

Here is the unveiling...plus some bonus ones as well:

Brielle

The winner

And Brielle's outtakes:

Claire

The winner

 Claire's outtakes:

Addison

The winner

Addison's outtakes and runner up pictures:

Molly

The winner - you wouldn't believe how hard taking an almost 18 month old baby's pictures is!  Or maybe you do know exactly how hard it is.

 Molly's outtakes:

We sure make some dang cute kids, if I do say so myself. :)

(And don't worry Grandmas...a package will be on its way soon with these new pictures.)

In the Meantime...

So...besides trying to get our house put together, we have been having a lovely time hanging out and enjoying our house.

We also welcomed a new family member, Koda.  He is a sweet little boy, and the girls are BEYOND smitten.

He's dirty from playing in the backyard with the girls...but still so cute.

I am SO tired from all the work we've been doing on the house and yard.  Today - after Molly wakes up from a nap and I finish taking a break on the internets - we are going to plant a tree or two in our backyard.  We're hoping to bring a little more shade back there.  The front and driveway have huge, incredibly shady trees...so hopefully the backyard trees will grow quickly as well so we can be back there more during the day.

Here are a bunch of pictures I took today of the girls (all messy and working in the yard), Koda and our desolate back yard that we are trying to figure out what to do with...oh the joys.

This was actually yesterday, but Addison is just SURE that Koda is her personal puppy.  She is just so in love and wants to be holding him at all times.

Molly playing in the dirt.

Addison digging in the dirt

Our one little sad patch of grass and random cement pad in the back corner of the yard.

Dirt...thrilling isn't it?

The other side of the house...again, lovely dirt.

Molly has started making faces at the camera...cute girl.

Addison cheesing it.

Brielle showing off her newly lost tooth.  You'll note that Brielle is in very few pictures, she kind of avoids the camera.

Claire didn't want to smile...so I just kept taking pictures of her being random.

Molly talking to Koda.  Do you like the helmet?  She thinks it's pretty great.

Look closly...notice her little piggy tail sticking out of the helmet? 

Koda making faces that he learned from Claire.

Molly playing with the dog toy

Hugs...even though it looks like she's attacking him.

Molly "helping" the dog get a drink.

So...there you have it. :)  I've been busy changing cabinet knobs, unpacking, decorating, taking care of children, trying not to die when all my kids pack on the stroller on our way home from the park, trying not to melt, trying to get caught up on laundry and keep a house running in the midst of craziness, and I've been loving every minute.

We are very happy here.  I got a little homesick today, because it is sometimes frustrating to not know who anyone is, or where anything is.

But all I have to do is drive down East Riverside Drive, or come around the bend on my way down River Road and see the gorgeous view, and I fall in love with the area all over again.

I didn't take this...but it's pretty much what you expect to see down here.