When I was younger I had tons of ways I liked to unwind, and I was a tightly wound kid.  One thing I loved was swinging.  This was katie at a park last fall and this shot just sums it all up for me!

So, when the day is hard and the road seams too long, go swing or whatever it is that brings you peace!

This Easter we did our egg hunt in Klamath Falls.  Anna earned the money selling jewelry to buy these cute dresses. 

We have gotten a lot of mileage out of them. 

One thing you won't see is how Katie got purple gum on her dress. 

Katie is shy of the lab dogs, But Anna helped her get friendly with them while we were there.  Anna loves the dogs, she grew up playing with them.  She often asks to go visit the dogs, never mind the family. 

It is rumored that Grammy stands in for various legendary characters including the Easter bunny.  Yea we have fun with this stuff!

The girls play ring around the rosies.

I fell in love with lilies in Missouri where they grow wild on the sides of the road in the summer mist.  I have planted some in my yard, but the snails seam to like them too.

These violets grow like wild beside my drive way and the smell is marvelous.  I wish I could bottle it.  The daffodils also come up every spring even if I don't water them.  You gotta love that.

I just wanted to share a little bit of the beauty I see around that.

I have shared my love of flowers with my girls so they always have a flower in their hair or to give to somebody they love.

Nothing is more fun than a room full of little girls.

Anna holds her cousin, Grammy helps, and Great-grandma gets a turn.

Heidi finds a hat to go with Rachel's outfit.  The three girls all say cheese.  Katie helps with the traditional rocking chair photo.

Yea, I'm that far behind, farther actualy.  It occured to me today that if our house went up in smoke taking everthing we own with it, I would still have this blog to retrieve my pictures from.  So, if it seams like I am a little blog happy ( I never said I wasn't obsessive), it's because I am.  I hope you enjoy reading and looking at my photos as I drone on about my life.

PRESENTING

Bithdays Bell style:

Yes, we make a pritty big deal about bithdays around here.  The cake, the family, the presents, it's safe to say we get a bit carried away.  This is Katelynn's 3rd birthday and Dad-dad gave her a huge book of Dr. Suess and read some of it to her.  What a guy!

There are many children in the world who are not as lucky as mine.  We have a daddy.  Not just a genetic donor, but a real carry you inside when you fall asleep in the car, read bedtime stories, watch Saturday morning cartoons with you, take you to the zoo and to the job site kind of Daddy.  Today I want to share some of the photos of our Father of the Year nominee; Dan.

Daniel was impressed with Anna's fundraising efforts aimed at getting a "play ground" in our yard so he found someone giving one away.  He took it apart and put it up in the back yard for them.

Daniel holding baby Ben, Daniel and Ben at one day old.

Any one who knows our Daddy knows he does his own research and sticks to his guns. 

Daniel and Anna have a connection I can only marvel at.  I think that they were a package deal. Here they are in Daddy's computer class 101!

One of the things that makes him so great is that he knows when Mommy needs a time out.

These photos are from the time when I was about 7 months along with Ben and we went away for 2 days to the coast on a job/getaway.

Katie and her Daddy take a play break or two.

Daddy always knows what is needed weather it is a cuddle or a trip to all the best family friendly places in Portland.

At the zoo and at the parade Daddy's hands are always good to have around.

Daddy sets a good example.  When Grammy wanted a garden, Daniel tilled the ground $0, and picked out seeds $100, he even watered it while his parents were gone for a week, priceless.

Daniel takes Anna on ride alongs, and was there to hold Katie when she hurt her arm and needed x-rays.

And so, on behalf of all of the lucky ones who get to live with this great guy; Daniel, we love you! 

Once he was so very small, but we knew Benny would be tall.  He has large hands and head and feet and he smells like an ice cream treat.

Ben is so cute, so sweet, and so silly.  He sucks on his toes and gives me wet willies.

When Benjamin smiles we all smile too, well look at that face, what else can we do?

One day he will be as big as his dad, but for now he is still my pink little tad.

Anna is always up for an adventure!

She is a great big sister!

Anna loves art (wonder where she got that from), she is curious, and resourceful.  she even has her own business!

She gets her love of computers from her Daddy, and she always loves a new park with new friends to make.

Anna is an indispensable part of our family and I don't know what I would do with out her. 

She also knows a great photo opp when she sees it.   I love my Ann!

There are so many things to love about Katie, here are a few of my favorites:

She makes friends easily

She makes me laugh with her funny faces, you can always tell what she is thinking

Her laugh is contagious, everyone laughs when katie is laughing!

She is fearless and fun

She can be surprisingly sweet, eager to help, and kind.  When I was pregnant she got me water to drink on her own.

She says it like it is!

I love to watch her run.  Katie is the best hugger, she gives her warm snug hugs freely.

Below is Katie and her Great grandma.

Katie is a joy to me, and anyone who knows her.  Even her nursery leaders from church miss her now that she isn't in their class.

In short, I love katie, and I am grateful to be a part of her life.

P.S. Katie is very imaginative and loves to pretend and tell stories.

These are some photo's of "the fam" from Sunday June 29th at the Bell place.  Katie had been in an altercation with a metal pick nick bench and was wearing a band aid to cover the damage but it just looks worse than it was in these photos.