Something at Last -- Hey, we were busy!

We really have been busy. Promise. Just take a look for yourself!

We went to the beach...Hadley enjoyed the picnic the most. Mmmmm...rice pudding! Thanks for the yummy recipe sister Mindi! We love it!

When not eating, Hadley really, really likes to dig...and fill up this bucket. And dump, and dig, and fill....and so on.

Alexander was a bit more of an active beach participant...when the tide washes out your castle and moat, SIT IN IT! Here's a story of me and how dumb I can really be. Alan says it ranks right up there with the bald eagle/kite story... if you click to enlarge the picture, you can spot some clear blobs on the sand to Alexander's right and up...I thought that someone dumped their ice on the sand and asked where all the ice was coming from...turns out they are pieces of jellyfish. I found that out the hard way, when I touched one with my toe. *shudder* Alan laughed for a long time. He may still be laughing.

I love this photo of my little bathing beauty. She finally dared walk onto the sand and play! I also love the fat guy in the background. Priceless.

90% of Alexander's beach time was spent filling a bucket with water, carrying it to the sand, and dumping it out. Don't ask...I have no idea. :)

Alan, of course, started a sand sculpture. Yes, it IS a robot. How did you guess?

Soon the kids joined in the fun...even kids that didn't belong to us. This little boy tried later to steal Hadley's chopstick. She was using it to poke the sand. She stood her ground and the boy retreated in shame. I helped on the robot too....the shell eyes were my idea. And I made most of the head and one arm. I'm so talented. Unfortch...everyone was having too much fun to take any pics of mom. Sorry, Jake, I know you were really hoping for one.

Sand robot almost complete. Just missing one leg. :)

This is just to show off how amazingly cute Hadley is getting. Check out the curls!

Being cute all the time is tiring. Except when mom wants you to nap or go to bed...then it's wild and crazy party time. There is singing and laughing coming from her room at night for hours!

Bums. They were "watching the tornado". A favorite after-bath pastime for my kids. I raced to get the camera when I came back with towels and saw this.

A family photo! Alexander needed to take one to school today, so a neighbor snapped this for us. Thanks Carmen! And now...the moment we've all been waiting for...

The first day of school! Note the fish nametag, color-coded by teacher, and the yellow bus number band on his arm.

Alexander and Kevin waiting for the bus. Kevin lives in our court and is in Alexander's class! So is a cute little boy from up the street a ways...Noah. Mom is relieved that he will have friends close by, because there are no kids his age in the ward. Alexander is the only mormon in his school!

Finally, he arrived home safely. :) Note the added paraphenalia...on the right a bus sticker with his bus number on it (even though it is on his name tag and wristband) AND on the left another sticker denoting that he is a kindergartener, thus needing extra help. Tiff, doesn't this put your mind at ease? NO WAY he was getting on the wrong bus! :)

I saved the best for last...I found a way to post short video clips! Let me know how it works. Our speakers died, so I hope there is sound!

Love you all, and I promise to update more consistently from now on! xoxox