It all started with...

...a bath.

This is the calm before the storm!

Tuesday night, we prepared our home and us for the company of my sister and her kids,

while her hub. drove all their things back from Cleveland Ohio (where they have been in dental school, and just graduated!!!)

We waisted NO time!! First was a complete makeover for the home, inside and out, (a continual process for the 4 days) and then off to "girlie lunch" which has usually been just the girls of the fam, but with Auds 2 boys, and Charlie, it was much more then that! We had a GREAT time!!

And all the kids did great! When we went to order the quesadillas they didn't quite believe us that we had 7 kids, under 6. Actually, we had 8 kids under 6, Charlie just didn't need one!

So much fun!

Lucy and her cousins that are oh so close in age.

Brig, just 2 in Feb. Lucy, 2 in Oct. and Meg, 2 in May!!

And after hours is when we really kicked it into gear. Hair cuts and highlights!!

Which left no time to sleep! This is Lucy at an hour she typically doesn't see. 6:45 am.

We loaded up for the 5k run on Memorial Day!

We packed the kids in the double jogger, and headed off to the race!

Its such a fun event WoodsCross city puts on every year, its become a tradition!

Waiting to welcome the rest of the fam through the finish line!

Team Sanders!!!

After the race, we headed up to Midway, where we began with a fish hatchery tour.

Perhaps we were the only family growing up that got tours of nearly every fish farm in the western united states, but it had been years since I'd been to one. Jeff had never been, and all the kids loved it! You ought to check one out, especially if you fish locally!

The rest of the day was spent at the park, eating, playing bocha-ball, eating, relaxing, eating...

we just had the time of our life! It was a real vacation, that we truly needed!!

Oh, and plenty of kisses to go around!!

Are you kidding me?

First things first.

Jeff and I celebrated 6 YEARS of marriage on the 15th of May! Man, time has flown! I didn't get one picture of the night out, but it was great to be just with each other, and spend some much needed time alone! Its been a whirlwind of years, and the best of my life!

Pictured below, my best friend!! Oh how I love Lucy! Yes, her hair is long enough to put a clip in, barely! And that huge mark on her forehead, yet another fall on the cement! Oh dear.

And this little potato, I have NEVER met a baby who smiles more! He is happy just to be with you, and will talk your ear off. He loves to be really close, and will just run his fingers on your face, and in your hair, all the while cooing! Love him!

And Lucy, finding her belly button! Quite the feet getting past that big 'ol belly, but she got it!

Here, the picture that my children are born with hair,

its just very fine, very few, and very blonde!

These two already are peas in a pod! Lucy LOVES to be with Charile, and the both make each other laugh!

Notice Lucys nails! She'll let me pain them, and after she says "whoootie" (pretty)

Just helping me make cookies... or something like that.

Who is this childs mother? No shoes, no pants? This was just a daily mail run with dadda. She loves going to the mail box, and is still in love with the sheep from grannie in N.Z.

Every night as I lay my children down in their beds, I say prayers with them, and cannot be thankful enough for them! I feel so blessed, and have realized that I need these children much more then they will ever need me! Truly the best part of my life, being their mother!

Chub and the gangsta shirt

Oh, how I could gobble this boy up!!!

So, yesterday, Lucy and Charlie had a run in with a LOT of water,

which soaked Charlie's outfit. Being that it was only 2 hrs. till bath time,

I just put on the closest, cleanest outfit, which happened to be one of Lucys doll outfits.

Turns out, he was THRILLED to show of his "man boobs" and strut his stuff in this outfit!

LOVE this photo! Look at his flab.

This boy is such a character! When he cries, you'd think something was wrong,

but as soon as you get over to him, he stops crying , and flashes the BIGGEST smile!

Poor thing just has his face kissed off all day!!

Here is our little book worm.

She still loves books, and keeps buys with them.

(oh, Em, notice the chair! This is the "after".

I'll have to get some closer ones. It turned out darling! )

Just being Charlie.

What Charlie does, Lucy does!!

Me and my sweet boy.

So he does love the kisses. Look at that drool!

Love these kiddos!