Backyard bliss

We have neices and nephews?

So after traveling to TN and arriving at 3:00 am for a action-packed weekend of family fun, we ended up with more pictures of Stewart and Olive (Karen's new kittens) and fourth of July fireworks than of the family. Sad.

Welcome baby Blayden

My first nephew Blayden Sheffield Schwartz arrived this morning at 11:34 (Tokyo time). He is roughly 5lbs. 5oz. and 19 inches long. Mom, dad and big sister Skylar are all doing well. Can't wait to meet this little guy.

The Bishop clan in all its glory

Thankful

On this day of giving thanks, I wanted to share a few things I am incredibly grateful for: quiet moments shared with family and friends, the overwhelming love I have for my husband, the stories and characters that live in my head, laughing until it hurts, having friends who "get" my quirky personality and like me because of it not in spite of it, friendly smiles from strangers, the feeling of obsessiveness I get from reading a good book, passionate heartfelt songs that give me goosebumps, snuggling with kitties in bed on a lazy morning, putting the right words down on paper, a glass of crisp white wine, fictional characters that I love enough to cry over when they are gone, random cards and emails that let me know the people I love love me back.

And one to grow on

Happy 90th birthday, Grandpop! We look forward to many more!

The family just keeps growing

I received a video today that told me I am going to be an aunt again. (And before you ask, no, it's not Karen.) Skip and Holly are expecting their second child in February. And Skylar is super excited about being a big sis. It'll be hard to see the new addition with them living in Tokyo now, but they'll be in the states for a good long vacation next summer!

They Do!

David and Amber's wedding was stunning. Candles and groomsmen filled the chapel. Snow cascaded down, whirling around the front doors as guests arrived and the bridesmaids tromped around in their polkadot rain boots. The perfect scene for a Colorado wedding in February.

Not For Another Ten Years

The move is finally upon us and luckily we have cool parents who are coming in our time of need. Dad and Susan came on Monday to help pack, clean and physically move us into the new house. I took the week off of work so that I could spend time with them and get things in order. We had most things packed and organized so that unpacking would be easy.

Each box was labeled with the cointents and in which room it would go in the new house so that whoever carried it inside would know where to put it. The system was almost fool proof. The closing however wasn't.

A few headaches, like the water being turned off a day early and having to go down to the county office and complain and trying to work out how to close on Morley and have the money transfered from one lawyer to the other so that we had the downpayment on Sweet Bay, made it all a little stressful, but we survived.

Now were in and quickly unpacking because Mark's family is coming and we need to have furtniture put together so they have beds to sleep in and locate towels so that they can bathe. Too bad it can't all put itself away. Tonks knew how to do that.

The Munchkin Likes the Beach

I think Caroline takes after her Grammy and Aunt Susie, not her mom. As bored as Karen gets with the beach, it is a wonder that C loves it so much. She didn't care that the water was freezing or that she had sand in places that a person should never have sand. She LOVED it. She also loved taking a running start and leaping on her favorite aunt, knees first, over, and over, and over. I've never been that worn out and beat up in my life. But its hard to be annoyed when she is this adorable.