How many words are pictures really worth?

THE REAL QUESTION IS: How many questions do pictures inspire???

I will ask and answer some questions you will likely have when viewing my pictures on this post:

Q: Why is James being fed like a zoo animal?

A: Because he behaves like a zoo animal

Q: Why does James have huge road rash on his face?

A: Because we were at a theme park (Knott's) and he ALWAYS gets hurt at theme parks. We are just happy it was not another broken leg.

Q: Who are these good lookin' people

A: Our dear friends Camilla and Tim Deans.

Q: Where is this at?

A: Shea received an award at school. James did not want to waste a moment's time congratulating her. He sat on Shea's lap for the remainder of the awards assembly.

Q: Goosebumps?

A: Shea loves to read and she loves scary stories. Goosebumps offers a nice combination of both.

Q: Why is James holding the bottle in an odd way?

A: When James is tired, he looks for the easies way to hold the bottle. On the back of his hands is a favorite method.

Q: Where is this?

A: At the Nixon Library. Such a fun experience. No matter how hard I tried, I could not convince James it was a helicopter, not an airplane...I learned to pick my battles this day.

So, This week was eventful. Valentine's Day was not exactly what the average American hopes for. We had 4 people sick with this nasty cold/flu going around. However, Adam and I are amazing at making lemonade with our lemons. (wink, wink)

Baby Pictures of SHEA!

Baby Shea was so cute! I just had to share!

Shea was born on August 29th, 2002. She weighed 6lbs 14oz. Shea finally decided to grace us with her presence after 25 hours of labor. She came out with a "World, here I am" attitude. Shea looked me in the eyes and you could see that she had her own determined personality.

SHEA LOVES TO:

Play the piano

Sing

Play Soccer

Dance

Read

Play Tetherball

Write stories

Play games

Organize her room

Run

New Family Portrait

This is our most recent family portrait! We love it!

Some fun photos

My friend Andrea Skidmore is an excellent photographer. She spoiled us by practicing her skills on James. (Shea was too busy enjoying the playground to pose). Thank you Andrea!

James' First Hair Cut!

James and I got our hair cut at the same time! The hair was everywhere and we could not get home fast enough to wash it off us! It was so itchy!!

This is the face of a handsome boy who knows he is in the main focus of my camera!

This face says "Yeah, I know I am cute" !

"Are you still taking pictures?"

A nice shot of the back.

A little Larson update!

This is a brief clip of what James is like in the tub. Crazy! He does not like his hair washed. He does not like to be expected to sit. I hope I was able to catch some of the chaos of tub time with James for you all. We have a lot of fun watching him. Actually washing his body could easily be compared to rolling with a piglet in the mud.

Yes, this is Shea. Shea is 7. 7 yr olds have lots of personality. 7 year olds talk a lot. Shea likes to tease me. I had enough of being teased and provoked. So, what did I do? The natural thing. I wiped James' baby food on her face. I had a blast doing it. Shea learned that when I say I am done playing, I mean it. Shea was very offended and sort of angry at me. However, she has responded to my "leave me alone now" remarks.

Food fights are a lot of fun!

I love this picture because it has my two favorite dudes. James did not have the patience to wait for me to take the picture. If you look close, he is saying "cheeeeeeeeeeese".

Shea and Hannah got to ride in a helicopter in January! It was so fun for them. They rode in a 4 seat helicopter at the local air show.

Adam and I were so excited to go skiing this year! We got to take a morning and go to Alta. Truly the best snow on earth. I had a huge decision to make. Do I bust out my 1970's relic skis that are totally awesome and get too much attention from other skiers? Or, do I blend in with a rented pair? Well, I decided to rent because I am not in shape and my old skis require their rider to be more fit than I am currently.

We had a great time!

This is our 2009 Christmas picture of the kids. We have a mini "memory tree" filled with lots of ornaments that remind us of our lives. We have a step ladder showing because James refused to dismount his new "toy".

I used to think "I can't wait for a real tree, or at least a tree that is taller than my 2 year old". This year, I realized that the size of the tree doesn't matter. In fact, we had a great Christmas with our little tree 5 years in a row. I am thankful to have it, thankful to store a smaller tree, thankful to not have to decide which corner of our house is unusable for the month. Our tree fits anywhere! This is our first Larson Christmas tree. I think it will be difficult to part with it ever! So, kids, be ready to be taller than the family Christmas tree for years to come.