because mindi doesn't

a couple weekends ago i went to manhattan to visit my favorite family. (you can guess who it was.....) i joked with mindi that it was time to start blogging. she mocked me. so...i returned the favor and antagonized that i would do it for her. she laughed. but....like i said i would, here are some shots of my favorite kiddos. (in case you wondered how big they are getting...BIG. a small army, i might say.)

so...since mindi doesn't:

here's zeke. little, but with a BIG opinion. :) he's so funny.


here he is checking out the gecko. i'm not sure of it's name....
i'm lead to believe the name changes on a regular basis.

and the finished product of the disaster you are about to witness. the cookies. i made dough and some of the frosting ahead of time...definitely cut down on the mess and work time. but...i may have made cooper chuck some green frosting in the middle of the night due to sugar overkill! sorry brian and mindi!!!

a patient brian helping out zeke. or shall i say "monitoring the frosting intake?

the only picture of mindi i could manage. and a picture of a very grown up elijah. (i know you're not supposed to have a favorite, but how could i not love this face?!? don't tell him i said that, he's far too grown up to have 'aunt megan' gushing over him.)

and a very grown up emma as well. she took this job very seriously. and made sure to nab every 'girlie' cookie cutter possible.
(turned her nose up at the teenage mutant ninja turtles....what am i supposed to do with flowers and ribbons??? this girl is ALL girl!)

and my very own heart with my name on it. the best one i've ever recieved. elijah was very proud and couldn't figure out why i didn't want to eat it right away. i might have saved it a couple days....but e- it DID get eaten!




eating the goods all along the way.



zeke managed to lick several clean. we snuck them into the trash when he wasn't looking. trust me, no one wanted to eat those!

poor cooper. little did he know, that frosting was not going to stay with him long. seriously. how

cute is that face? ugh. so cute.

coop helped me make frosting during the day. and i couldn't tell him no when he requested licking the spatula. those eyes. no one can resist those eyes.

the boys rocking out to michael jackson. they're so hard core.

i mean really, look at these eyes. i told cooper that his father will have to teach him to use them for good, not evil. seriously, the sweetest little batman ever. my hero.

on a more serious note, i got to go to challenge with mindi on thursday and listen to brian speak. so much fun. it was sort of surreal to be in a place that held so many memories, but to feel like such a different person and to wonder how to return to a place where faith seemed much simpler. the journey with God certianly does change as we experience more life. regardless, hearing brian is always special and important. thank goodness for that. i'm so thankful that they have walked SO much life with me. and that they know me so well. family.

anyway, it was a priceless weekend. my goal is to have these weekends as often as possible. this family is so precious to me. i really just don't know what i'd do without them.

and for the record, after over 48 hours....i now know why mindi does not blog.