Ben: (*sigh*)... "Ahhh, that's better -- I like you much better from this distance."
Lindsay: "Aww, man! My mommy pulled me away... I sure would like to mawl you, though.
...Hey, I like your double chin."
Ben: "I like yours too."
Lindsay: "And your dimpled elbows."
Ben: "Yeah, same to you."
Lindsay: "And your thunder thighs."
Ben: "Yep, yours are pretty cute too.
...Hey, you have more hair than I do."
Lindsay: "I'm a girl - I'm supposed to. But don't worry, you'll get some eventually. Good thing you've got a great-shaped head... that's important on a bald baby like yourself."
Ben: "Thanks for your kind words. You're a good friend." :)

(note from Ben's Mommy... don't you just LOVE the soft little chubby baby parts?...)

Lindsay: "No really - I'm serious..."
Ben: "Help..."

Ben and his friend, Lindsay Russell. :) Doesn't it look like she's thinking "Hey, how'd he get two of those white things in there? I only have one and I'm three months older!" And Ben's saying, "Oh, I LIKE you!!" Lindsay's also thinking, "Let me see what those feel like" as she's reaching her hand toward Ben...

New accessory compliments of the big sister. :) And the other two accessories (in the mouth) arrived on Mother's Day... cute accessory but it doesn't make him ACT very cute since he seems to be trying to cut more (ugh, he can be a grump!-- though obviously not in this particular picture)

Pearsonzoo :) Aren't they so cute?! Such a neat, neat family. I'm proud to call you my friend, Ang. :) Oh wait... I'm sure everyone will want to know names... let's see if I get it right... Clockwise from left... Caleb, Ashley, Krista, Megan, Sierra, Brian and Tyler. Hey, I think I did it! Now don't ask me ages... though I do have a good idea for everyone, I know I'll mess it up a little. Oldest to youngest goes Ashley, Megan, Brian, Krista, Tyler, Caleb, Sierra. What a sweet "bunch"! :) Oh, and Angie wanted me to make sure everyone knows that they don't always look this way... I think it's perfect since they do live on a farm! Very cute... :)

I love this picture... it's so cute. :)

Oh man... what'd you run over?

Big Sam, you're a nutcase!

... taking care of Ben.
He is SO good with him. Sometimes when he's a little fussy I call "Isaac, can you come play with Ben?" - and Ben stops fussing and starts smiling. And the other day we were having a hectic morning and Isaac asked if he could get Ben up. I said "sure" and next thing you know, he's got his diaper changed, fresh clothes on and he's buckled in his carseat, ready to take the kids to school. Wow!! I'm likin' that!! Thanks, Isaac! :)

When choosing a yard ornament for our new home, we decided to go BIG!! (ha ha)
Nah... we had to drill a new well. And in the interim, I couldn't do laundry (darn). But I will say... after the well was done, I thought to myself, "I never thought I'd look forward to doing laundry!" It piled up and piled up (for over a week) and I have a literal mountain to work through now. Ugh! So nobody call me or anything... I can't chat... I'm doing laundry!!! :)
Also -- notice the son that headed RIGHT out there as soon as he got home from school. I swear, Isaac's going to go into some kind of construction field... building or making something. He's so interested in that kind of stuff. Glada gave him a little battery powered cordless drill for his birthday. He LOVES that thing. And he asked for his own tool set and tool belt for Christmas (like Big Sam). So... here he is involved in two of his favorite things... watching something be made or built and...

I just love the look of complete concentration here...

Good morning, Daddy... happy golfing... :)

Two big boys -- just hanging out. :)

Thank you, honey, for the flowers. :)
Funny story... Kate walked in and said "Hey, where did those flowers comed from?" I said, "From Daddy." "Why?" "Because he loves me." :) She said, "What did he got for me?... he loves me too."

Aww - aren't they cute? :)

Come and get it!! Picnic time! :)

I know it's nerdy but, hey -- as a mom, I LOVE it. Safer (and quieter) than an ATV and the kids still think it's FUN!! :)

Obviously not quite "sitting up" yet ;) (btw, the jammies used to be Jesse's... awww...)

Here's the other clip...

Hootenanny on the piano

Ooohhh... my boy...

Love this one too (even though it's a little fuzzy)

love this picture...

The official "2007 Easter picture"...

and I have to mention that Ben DID have a cute outfit on at one point but you know how newborns can be with those diapers (sigh) and all I had in the diaper bag were pajamas! (5th child... poor thing)

Another "Happy Birthday Isaac" picture. :)

Good thing I got a spring picture before it started SNOWING in Columbus!!!

Kate to Daddy:

"Remember when you ranned over my pink bike?"
Daddy to Kate:

"Remember when you left your pink bike in the driveway behind my car?"
(but Daddy still caved and bought her a new bike - purple this time... maybe we'll have better luck with purple) :)

nice...

Oh!!... now I get it!! :)