Squash and Metamorphasis

We had to figure out what to do with the one, enormous pumpkin that ripened in our garden two months early. It's too early for jack-o-lanterns, so we decided to make pumpkin-bean-chicken soup and a jack-o-lantern. We're not really doing the creativity thing.
We found a cocoon clinging to the drive gate. I believe it's the same species as the one we captivated two years ago. Hopefully, we'll have a more positive outcome than the last time we tried it.

Craftiness

We got a package in the mail the other day from my sister, Allison. She has four children, who have been making crafts indoors because the weather in Austin has been almost as miserable as the weather in Kansas City. They had apparently run out of things to make for themselves so they turned their attention on our girls, since they're small and cute like dolls.

Nora was not outwardly happy, but she looked very frilly.

Sam is planning on wearing her outfit to school in a couple weeks. You can't see the shoes very well, but there are little cube-beads that say IAM on one shoe and SAM on the other.

Becky has also been crafty. She made this cake here. The stuff under Barbie's skirt was surprisingly tasty.

We've had a number of zucchini's picked too late. Jon had to figure out something to do with the behemoth squash.

Vualah. Lucy used ionized particles trapped in her hair to craft a portal onto a beach in 1923, where she instigated a fight between two wet women

Seen here:

And this is an obligatory baby falling asleep video. Mommy had just finished reading to her out of the Ensign.

Bath time is fun time

If you're not LDS, this won't be as funny to you, but nonetheless, this is what I just overheard from Samantha while she was bathing with Lucy:

"Brothers and Sisters.

"Ladies and Gentlemen.

"I would like to excuse the shower curtain for being in the way.

"I would also like to announce that bath time is fun time."

Sauce and Cakes

Well, the Thornes won 3-2. Your votes can still count if you send in checks or golden nuggets.

Terry's let the win go to his head. He's been holding shiny things over his head and is refusing to wear pants.

A few things over the last few weeks:

Samantha turned 5. She's still more attractive then everybody else's kids, but now we say "pretty" instead of "cute."

Lucy had courageous and ultimately victorious battle with pink eye. Wiping snot out 3-year-old tear ducts should be an Olympic sport.

Nora now has pink eye. We've felt bad enough for her that she's been aloud to exist in the buff. Consequences be damned.

My beautiful, 31-year-old wife also has pink eye. Yes, 31. That's what I said. She was 30 YESTERDAY, people. Seriously, get a calendar. Dummies.

Contest

My folks came over for a weekend and played. We thought we'd take the opportunity to have an online contest to see which set of grandparents is cuter.
So, if you think Wendell & Deanna are cuter, make a comment or send five dollars to our address.


If you'd like to vote for Terry & Sue, make a comment or email us with your credit card number(s).

Here's three little girls, who are not in the contest, as they haven't had children who have had children.

This is how Nora feels now that they're gone.

Sam had a pre-birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese.

Really. Crappy. Pizza.

Grumpa Wendell is starting to resemble the knotted redbud tree, no? Both excellent perches.

Bearing Fruit

You want a zucchini? I'll give you a ZUCCHINI! And your LITTLE DOG, TOO!!!

Polijuice

These two pictures kinda make it look like our daughters have been hanging out at Hogwarts.

LUMOS!!!

Expelliarmus!!!

Happy 4th, everybody.

Tubes and Vampires

Becky had her sisters over last night to watch the Twilight movies in preparation for the 3rd installment's release this weekend. That meant that the husband and the little girls who don't yet appreciate smoldering had to be out of the house. We went to McDonalds, where nary a sparkly, J-Crew-wearing vampire doth go.

Then we rocked out at ToysRUs for a few minutes before they closed.

It turns out that the ladies only managed to watch the first movie, which is interesting because watching the first movie is like having a pitchfork colonoscopy.

This is a clever edit that Jeremy and Megan had posted on their blog.

Papa's Job

We've kept this a bit of a secret over the last month or so, but I got fired from my job at the hospital. The reason for my termination was a few "documentation issues". I didn't murder any patients or steal any drugs or make out with any doctors.

Anyway, this would be a long, uncomfortable post if I talked about getting fired. Long-story-short, I was out of work, sent out about 75 or 80 applications, and I've been hired at Hospice Company here in Kansas City. I start next month.

In the mean time, we found that we still require money to purchase things like food and diapers and electricity, so I went and got myself a job that I had 10 years ago.

Nothing says 2 Bachelors degrees and part of a masters like matching hats for you and your car. Oh well. We're just really grateful that this very stressful time only lasted a month or two.

Real and fake children.

Strawberry pie, minus the pumpkin

These are pictures of Becky's parents and their time in Hawaii. If you want more, you'll have to talk to them, because when we see them, we just get bitter.

Becky's mom brought back some tropical fabric, which Becky promptly made into tropical dresses. We're hoping they'll help the Polynesians in our ward like us.

Lucy's 3rd birthday was yesterday, the same day as Father's Day. Becky gets crafty on most occasions, so the girls got t-shirt dresses to wear to church.

I know we keep going on about our garden, but it's kinda the only thing going really well at the moment. Here's a picture to give some scale to the pumpkin and zucchini sections.
You may need an interpreter to understand this, but for those who are truly gifted in baby talk, you will see the genius in our child. Also, you will see the results of trying to steal the spotlight.