questions & answers

Inez: why do you have to wait until you're eight to get baptized? Why can't you get baptized when you are one?

Dave: Well, I guess it's because you don't really understand what baptism is when you are one—you just don't know enough yet.

Inez: Dad, I know about everything! ...except tarantulas.

Dave: Really? How do you know everything? Where did you learn it all?

Inez: Dad! Swimming lessons! Preschool!

Dave: Right. Right.

Inez: Dad, do tarantulas have little hands at the end of their legs?

Dave: ...

sesame STREET

a first for this mom

A few weeks ago, Inez shut her finger in the car door after we got to Maceys (the grocery store—not the department store and not a typo). So instead of turning around and going back home, I decided to take her in and get her an ice cream cone to distract her from her pain while at the same time walking around with a bag of frozen raspberries on her finger—Mother of the Year award comin' my way for sure.

There were many tears (hers) and many mini prayers of gratitude that the accident wasn't worse (mine—I don't do well with blood). As a result, her fingernail died. The last few days it was just hanging on by a thread (of skin? Is that even possible?) and I was so afraid that it would get ripped off by some sort of four-year-old activity because after all she did have five of her cousins here with whom she was constantly swimming with, catching bugs with and getting into mischief with—think getting free gum from the ice cream man while Grandpa was watching them. She also wouldn't keep a bandaid over it. I tried once and when I discovered that the bandaid was off, I asked here why she removed it to which she replied, "Um...it was just feeling a little bit better, so I took it off" in her high voice and coupled with her smile that is just sweet and innocent-like.

The day it actually fell off, we were saying our family prayer that morning before Dave left for work and as Dave was prompting her with what to say (she is fully capable of praying on her own but refuses) he said something about her fingernail getting better. Well, she didn't like that, so during the prayer she whispered back to him, "I don't want it to get better, I just want it to fall off!!" Needless to say that when she discovered it had fallen off she was ecstatic. When I discovered it had fallen off (because I had stepped on it) I was relieved that it wouldn't be something for me to have check on every few hours anymore. As the title implies, this is a first for me.

Another thing to remember about this adventure was what she said to my sister while looking under her nail (in her most cynical voice):

Inez: My Mom's a liar.
Kristy: Oh? Why is that?
Inez: THERE'S NO NEW NAIL UNDER MY OLD ONE!!

This girl is so funny. If you don't know her, you should. This is a picture of her nail a day or two before it finally fell off. I love her expression here—she just saw a new clippie in her hair and got really excited about it.


How I love this girl. She is my heart, my Nezzie-girl.

hold me closer

too much fun

We have been back from our vacation for a week now and Inez is in seventh heaven with all the cousins that are here. My sister Kristy is visiting with her family. One thing that has been a big hit with all of them has been photo booth. Check it.

Dave

Holly

Dad is channeling a Norwegian Troll here (he is norwegian after all).

Mom accidentally drank the water while they were in China and grew a few extra facial features, including extra pupils.

My brother Joe was in town for a little over a day, so he had to join in the fun as well.

Kristy, the 1980's called. They need their hairstyle back.

Kristy's first, Tainui. (insert your own joke here)

#2 Tasman will be a football player when she grows up.

#3 Tama with a heart-shaped head.

#4 Teina, the cyclops.

#5 Tui sucked on a helium balloon.

Uncle Jon has a forked tongue. And we still need to get Aunt Ashley to join in the fun!


It's now a new rule to partake in a photo booth session when you come to our house. So come on over!

six

Happy Anniversary to us.

Here's to many, many, many more.

our vacation and 4th of july in coronado

We were lucky enough to spend the fourth of July with our good friends, the Whites, in Coronado.

The view from our room. The lifeguard tower in the lower right corner kept getting knocked over by the tide each night. It became a fun thing to look for every morning.

The parade—GO NAVY!



I love that Inez is swinging her little phone around in the background here.

Those lips!

We headed over to Seaport Village for an afternoon,

where Inez had a unicorn painted on her face. She was on a high all day.



And we had lots and lots and lots of beach time. That's my kind of vacation.





The weather was beautiful, the company was enjoyable and the memories are lasting. Thanks for having us James and Melissa!

be back soon

We're enjoying this.