Talking to one of my favorite people tonight. This came on right when I got off the phone. Oh, so perfect to what we were talking about. I love that.

Now, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again

Regina Spector

Congrats to Amy and Jon

I am a new auntie again today! Amy had her 3rd little girl. Pictures to follow. There are now 12 -almost 13 - kids between us West girls. Crazy.

Téa's Fired

Hey Téa, did you get all of the pizza cleaned up downstairs?

Yes.

All of it?

Yes. I promise

Are. You. Sure? Because I just had to soak all of the pizza sauce off Eden's body from dinner and now that she is clean, I don't want to have to bathe her again. Please go check and make sure everything is picked up and out of reach.

Ok, I did. Everything is picked up. I swear.

Five minutes later, I find this...

Uh, that would be leftover peach kefir in the glass.

Idaho

The drive from the house to the reunion.

You cannot believe how beautiful it is up there this time of year. It doesn't seem real.

I don't know what my problem is. This summer I have all but stopped taking pictures. Four days in Idaho with 24 of us together and I took only 2 pictures. These other two were taken, thanks to David, with his phone. I am vowing to change.

Coming Soon.

Josie and Megan came and hung out with ME for a week!! I was so excited I did not take one photo. So as soon as I "borrow" some photos from them, I will share.

3 moms and 9 kids make for a loud house but so much fun.

Lavender Laden

Every July I make Lavender Bread from our bushes in the backyard. The list has grown yearly to include cakes, cookies, lemonade and this year's hit. . .Lavender Lemonade Slush. We just sat on the front porch and hacked away at the huge lemonade ice block until it was gone and we were sick.
Sick and happy.

Where there's a Will, there's a Way.

The face of sheer determination.
Téa is one of "those kids." The ones at the doctor's office that slide down the wall, hyperventilating, in complete terror and disbelief as the nurse preps the needles for their vaccination shots.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this little girl wanted her ears pierced. Desperately. 

She never moved.  She never blinked.  She never allowed any circulation into my hand.

But she did it.

 

Skinny Love

Bon Iver was playing at an outdoor concert downtown last night. We continually watched their Letterman performance of "Skinny Love" on TiVo for over 6 months, so we were excited to hear them sing it somewhere else. 

Let's just say the outdoor concert series has gotten a smidge busier since we went pre-kids or even when they were little. The girls could only sit where we couldn't see the stage and listen for so long (Mom!  This is sooo boring!!!) before we had to be on the move. The catch - there was nowhere to move. 

After an hour and a half of listening to the opening band, we grabbed them an ice cream cone and called it a night. As we drove away, we could hear Bon Iver start their set.

It was a beautiful summer night with the family, Skinny Love or no Skinny Love.

In front of the stage in 1999

In front of the stage in 2009

The Fourth