Five Brown Kids

I'd been drafting a post in my head about modesty for men when I came across this article  - When Suits Become a Stumbling Block .  It's everything I wanted to say;  just better - much better.  So read it and then come back and add to the list. Here's what I'm adding 1. No backward caps 2. No arm cleavage (t-shirts that are just a little too snug on the biceps) 3. No buff men cuddling babies or pushing jogging strollers 4. No black men on bicycles Tyrone and Scotia - BYU 2008

The three oldest went to a friends lake house for a 24 hour birthday party and left Tyrone, Blythe and I home alone in our own little house.   By the time Tyrone got home from church Friday eve the house was clean, the babe was in bed and we didn’t have to fight anyone for the couch, the blanket, the movie or the ice-cream.  We didn’t have to tuck anyone into bed.  When we woke up no one was fighting over the TV, no unmade beds, no kitchen mess.  I ran while Tyrone took Blythe to Trader Joes, she napped and I did too, we swam while Tyrone played ball, Tyrone and I mowed the lawn while she took another nap.   The floor stayed clean, the sink stayed empty and it was quiet.   Heavenly!  Most relaxing day in a decade. A 24 hour vacation in my very own house. And the kids had fun too!

She's scooting backwards on the floor until she gets stuck in a corner. Crawling can only be days away.... The cutest faces Two bottom teeth Long eye lashes

Taye has a chess class this semester at school.  Dad's table is finally going to get a workout.

I've heard a few people mention that they think being a nurse anesthetist might be boring - just putting people to sleep all day. From the sounds of it, it is anything but. Tyrone did a crash c-section one day and he came home still going over the numbers..... woman arrives in OR at 8:38 without an IV, he gets an IV in, starts drugging her up and is sliding a breathing tube down her throat at 8:44 when the surgeon starts cutting, baby out at 8:45.  That will take your breath away. Some nights it is so quiet he sleeps all night and sometimes he works non-stop from arrival til departure. Some days he is charge CRNA and then instead of putting people to sleep he is managing a huge staff of anesthetists and making sure every OR has coverage when and where they need it - Right now!  He says the charge phone rings every couple of minutes with a need and there isn't even time to breathe between demands. We all love hearing about his most interesting cases over supper..... e...

It's happening. Our sweet little baby is getting a personality. And it's big!  I'm all business when we are home alone - diapers, bottles, baths, work outs, swings and naps but when the kids are around it's non stop party - noise and dancing and peekaboo galore. Yesterday at church she was so noisy I thought we'd get kicked out. She makes the most darling growling noises, plus lots of laughing and squealing.  Oh man! What did we get ourselves into?

Naomi John Hannah The original six

It was cool this week - some days barely making it to 80.  Love this photo of Jaxon telling Tyrone which route he wants to run. 

We flew to Chicago for some serious family reunion business.  The first four days we drove east to Grand Rapids for the Ripple Reunion 2014 at my brother John's house.  He and Carrie have a beautiful home and planned a really fun time.  I saw Jaxon looking at the schedule several times so he could see what food and fun was coming up next.  The first evening was my mother's birthday party.  We ate yummy food, the kids sang The Grandmother song , the boys told a few jokes, we watched the video I made and then ate delicious cake.  It was perfect.   Grandmother You give me a kiss You give me a hug You smile when you see me too I wish ev'ry child in the whole wide world  had a grandmother just like you We spent the next day at the lake with my brothers big speed boat.  I went with the "slower party" and still thought it was a bit too fast.  The older kids and men couldn't get enough, racing around and around unti...