sEt mE frEE

while i was in texas meeting cute babies,
alex took superb care of the kids. lucky for him,
the x games were on, and hutch was able to see
all the motorsport/bmx events
he could handle.
they must have rubbed off, because last monday he declared he wanted
his training wheels off. he prepared by drawing a mustache and goatee
on his face, waited until dad got home, and went to work.
and he was ready. and i have never seen such joy on his face,
and watching his face made the whole event awesome for me.
that night, he hugged me and said,
"mommy, thank you so much for watching me ride tonight. i love you."
man, i love that kid.
the first picture is him riding at home,
the second is of him "off-roading" into the distance in idaho,
with elsa desperate to keep up.

new LOVE

a couple of weeks ago, i finally got to meet my
nephew and niece, daniel timothy mcguire,
and emmeline kay mcguire.
after gazing at multiple pictures of them for two months,
it was just so lovely to meet them. i'm always surprised,
even though i should know by now, at how much love God creates
in our hearts for new life in our family and close friends. it's like my heart has to grow
bigger every time, because here comes more love than i know
what to do with.
i miss them, and feel so honored to be their aunt,
and so honored to be their godmother! such a wonderful
cherry on top.

someone was the lucky recipient of an
all-purpose helmet courtesy of some friends
with three boys...









which means someone else couldn't WAIT
to get her hands on the one hutch has been using
for pretend play.

there are definitely two winners. and both winners have worn the

respective helmets two days straight...and counting

hAPPy 4th

new camera or not, you can only get kids to sit so still...

kOOteNaI cREek

did a little hikey-hike with some friends this weekend,
about a half hour up bitteroot valley from missoula.
montana in the summer is the best.

helLO PHotOs...

well, my constant sighs of wanting a digital slr has paid off
(katie, your awesome pics put me over the top),
because alex surprised me with a new camera for my birthday!
an added surprise is that if purchased online from costco,
the prized possession will not arrive until
four weeks after ordering.
but i digress.
my new 'ra (as i like to call it)
arrived today, and i have done nothing productive since,
and am feeling a little overwhelmed by all of these options
i now have at my disposal.
so, expect a lot of slide shows like this one.
random photos of my kids who need their faces and noses wiped,
while hutch is pretending to cry in several,
a few glamour shots of alex,
and some garden and weed pictures. enjoy!

three (as of a few months ago)

hutch, i have really stuggled in writing this post. not because i don't have a million things to say about you, because talking to you/about you is easy as pie, but more because i'm in denial you're getting older. three sounds so old to me. i think all the time about how God is so wonderful to us to make each year with you and elsa better and better to counteract with the heartache of how fast time flies with our babies.
and it's not just time that flies, bubbs, you fly. this has been a pivitol year for you as far as finding things you love, and what you love is to go fast. your ultimate goal is a dirt-bike, but until then you will be satifsied flying around the skate park on your scooter, flying down the bunny slope on your skis, jumping off things so high they make me cringe, and practicing your motocross stunts. i spend a lot of time covering my eyes with you, and i am so thankful for your balance and confidence, because every day your attempts get bigger.
you make everyday life so fun. your enthusiasm is contagious, and there is plenty to go around. throwing rocks in the river, catching bugs, all the simple pleasures are met with "oh, man, that sounds AWESOME!" when suggested. seeing the world through your eyes is a beautiful thing, and i enjoy you enjoying life, and enjoy you wanting to confirm that any fun thing we have done that day will also be available in heaven.
but the thing i love the most about year 2-3, something i pray won't ever change, is how vocal you are in your love for us. thank you, hutch, for telling us you love us as often as you do. daddy, elsa, and myself are so blessed by those three words, and your inablility to keep your 'i love you's' and huge hugs contained is indescribeably perfect.
in short, hutch, we celebrate you, delight in you, and are so, so thankful for you and the boy you are.