a photo sesh...

we got family pics done at the beach last weekend...  it's our favorite side of the island.  i love the mokes in the background.  i love the sand over there.  i love the color of the water...

and our friend donated all the proceeds from pictures to another military family that is adopting.  so very cool!  (she recently adopted a 9 year old girl, and they are adopting her friend!)

we LOVE the pics...  it very adequately shows our family right now.  nora poses.  james is a goof.  chris was teething.  no one is ever looking at the camera at the same time.  but i LOVE them!

sweet girl...

the fam.  love the expressions!

nora, posing.  i am being choked.  c is grimacing.  d... trying to smile, i think??

someone told me they loved this one... c just looking back at the camera!

my baby and his expression!  

he loves his shoulder rides!!!

my goof ball...  having fun in the sand!

love my girl.

kissing baby brandon.

couldn't be left out...

kissing my best friend!

because.

just because.  i love his grin in this one!!!  it's fun to get him REALLY smiling!!!

more.

the baby shot...

running some more.  

the kids.

i love him so much!

for some reason, this makes my heart melt...

trying to make a sad boy happy!

more of the fam...

love!

baby....

just us... kids were running like crazy!

i keep thinking i am going to write more in my posts.  and i don't.  i am tired by the time i sit down.  and try to decide what to write.  i intentionally don't write the bad things, or the frustrating things.  i don't want my kids to look back some day and think i hated this time of life!  because i don't!  

but, i am tired.  and i can blame the baby.  or the three kids.  but i am tired.  and that's all there is to it!  and i keep thinking that life will slow down.  and have to realize that this is the new normal (and WILL get busier!).  and be more intentional when i WANT things slower.  less activities.  more saying "no".  (i like to be busy and to do things...  it's hard for me!)

i DO SO love these days.  the kids are so much fun.  chris is saying more and more every day.  he's amazing.  i love getting to be with him each day.  james LOVES school.  i LOVE that.  he is now begging to stay longer.  this the kid who cried last year!  and nora...  she's the oldest.  she's a girl.  she's a lot like me.  

and that scares me a bit!  i see things in her that i do, and want better for her!  

and it's a busy time in david's life.  he's been gone a lot.  which makes saying "no" to outside things more important... we need good family time!