The College Graduate!

Well, as of today, Kyle is officially a college graduate! He turned in his senior research paper this morning and his diploma will arrive in a few short weeks! I am oozing with wifely pride. Sure, he may have set a record for the most years devoted to an undergraduate degree, but not everyone has the courage to change their major from a secure, career-oriented program to a liberal arts major (Advertising to Asian Studies), especially since he'd already been accepted into the program and knew that switching to Asian Studies would require much more challenging coursework and assignments that would stretch him far beyond his comfort zone. Learning to write and think analytically was no piece of cake, but he has improved dramatically and is now a wonderful writer and deep ponderer. Kyle has truly made all the student loans we've taken out for his education worthwhile! I asked him what he wants to do to celebrate his graduation, even if it requires spending some money, but all he could come up with is, "how about we vacation in Hawaii this August." (For those of you who are unaware, we've already secured a vacation in Hawaii in August for a relative's wedding). I was hoping for an immediate Baskin Robbins excursion, but I guess Hawaii will have to do!

Here are some pictures unrelated to graduation, but I just can't bear the thought of Grandma L's disappointment if I were to make her endure another day without grandkid pics.



Here is Didi's skeptical face, complete with double chin.


As you can see, Ellie has not really grown in the past 9 months, whereas Erik is pretty much larger every time I open my eyes from a blink. Perhaps he will soon outmerit Ellie for the title "Gigantor" which we gave her when "little" Erik was born.

With her cheesy grin, Ellie's affection for her brother may not appear sincere, but she actually is very gentle and loving with him. She's still quite jealous, but thankfully chooses to take her frustrations out on me, not him.

Here's the babe in all of his pudgified glory.


Insert Kyle on the left of this one and that's pretty much what you'll see any old morning before 8 am.This is what happens when you leave Ellie alone in a room with "yo-yo"

Here you go, Grandma L!

Swingin' Elle

Picnic at the Park

Considering how much Ellie loves her rubber ducky, we should've taken her to feed the local ducks much sooner. Friends Noelani, Kjerstin, Jana & Keith, as well as Bryce, joined us for a lovely picnic at the duck pond where Ellie ran all of us weary and nearly leaped into the murky pond for joy at the sight of real live ducks, turtles and fish. When Noelani showed up, she starting snapping her camera like crazy, capturing every expression and memorable moment. I tend to forget to take candids of my kids and things we do, so I'm thinking of hiring her to follow us around with a camera from now on. Here's a sampling of the almost 100 shots she took at the park. What did we ever do before digitals?



Here we are coaching Ellie through "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes"
Ellie's rendition is more like, "Toes, Toes and Toes and Toes"
This is the sun coming out in "Eeensy Weensy Spider"

Playing frisbee with Keith
Uncle Bryce and Didi soak up the shade
These ducks were pretty snotty, I tell ya. I guess enough lonely BYU students buy fresh loaves for them that they turned up their beaks at our day-old (but not yet moldy!) rolls. Kyle thinks they will only eat Great Harvest bread.


Auntie "No-no," as Ellie calls her, knows all of Ellie's tickle spots the best

Snuggle muffins

Snuggling while slumbering just might be my favorite part of motherhood, at least during my current state of sleep deprivation. =) Erik is always snuggly, of course. In the shot below, Ellie was watching Sesame Street but after five minutes Elmo hadn't yet made an appearance, so the show was useless to her. She climbed up and joined us for an afternoon siesta. What is it that's so irresistable about sleeping kids? Not having to take care of them???

The Box House

In order to combat any future accusations of favoring our second child (or maybe just to satisfy an urge to play with sharp knives), we made a special place for Ellie. Tiffany had the fabulous idea of building a house a week or so ago, and after dropping me off at work we found and somehow managed to stuff that thing in the backseat of our sedan.

When Ellie realized the magic of the large furniture box, she refused get out of it, and has been throwing housewarming parties ever since. The perfect little hostess will not accept "no" as an answer--in her mind there is unlimited room in her house. Tiff put up some decorations and lights later. So what if it's taking up half of our living room?



Here's Ellie moving in her most beloved belongings: her babies and their box bed.

Erik's many faces

Though he looks adorably small, don't be deceived... at his two week check-up he weighed over 9 pounds! (It's good if they get back to birth weight at two weeks.)

Erik appears to be completely opposite to newborn Ellie: dark skin, hair, and eyes, good eating skills, great burping dexterity instead of Ellie's intense spitting-up dexterity, he doesn't cry much, has long toes, he pees up instead of down, and his favorite color is manly pastel-blue. Though we thought we could never adore anybody as much as Ellie, we are amazed at the newfound joys and increased love we have for our growing posterity. It's a good thing Tiffany is there to raise them; I would mess those kids UP!