Being 8 is great!

 My sweet, sweet Lindsay just turned 8!  She and I went on a date to take some pictures in her baptism dress.  We went over to the Gardens and as I was handing them my membership, the worker asked what the pretty dress was for.  I said it was her baptism dress.  She then informed me that if we were planning on taking any pictures using their flowers as a backdrop I would have to pay $100.  Yikes!  I showed her that the only camera I even own is on my phone.  She didn't care.  We decided against the fee and just took some pictures outside of the actual gardens. 

We still had a great time, and she came up with most of her own poses.  So much fun just to be with her and have a little one on one time.  I cannot believe that she's 8.  She's getting old, which means I'm getting old!

One of these kids isn't like the others...

Grandma Mary has 2 corgis.  This year Lucy and Finn were lucky enough to become parents to 6 baby boys!  3 black and white and 3 tri-colored.  We had to make a trip up to see them before they were sold.
Lexi would point and squeal. 
Macie jumped right in and held one.
Maddie did, too.  (notice the cute new glasses).
Lindsay got up on a chair and didn't get down until all those pesky puppies were back in their cage. 
She finally warmed up to Lucy, who has mellowed out quite a bit since becoming a mom.  Jeramy told Lindsay that if she'd hold a puppy, we'd take one home. 
She did it.
And we didn't take a puppy home. 
Meanest mom ever!
Call me crazy, but I don't want a puppy, and I really don't want a puppy that doesn't have legs.  (Not a fan of corgis).

Lexi 18 months!

I told myself I wouldn't write this post until my 18 month old said "momma," so I've been waiting.  And finally!  She is calling me momma.  Happy day!  She is finally trying to talk more.  Grandma says she just needed all those sisters to go to school so that she'd have to try to communicate with me more.  Probably a little truth to that. 
It's fun and hard watching her learn and want to try things...like pushing the shopping cart.  Those short little legs make for a long walk through Wal-Mart.  She loves to watch Baby Einstien a little more than I do.  She demands that I sit with her and I can't be doing anything else while we watch.  She'll hit me until I give my full attention to her shows.  She loves the one with shapes and I love hearing her try to say "circle" and "rectangle" hard words. 
The picture in the middle would be us taking an early morning walk.  We made it about a mile and a half and then she. was. done.  Screaming, crying, twisting in her seatbelt done.  I finally stopped at the church and let her play for a bit so that she would calm down.  Half hour later, I had to put her back in and walk the last half mile home with her screaming bloody murder. 
Being 18 months is hard. 

Back to school...

 Back to school time came all too soon this summer, even for me!  The night before school started, we had a fun spa night complete with facials (made in our blendtec...didn't really work too well).  Everyone (except Jeramy) got their nails done. 
Macie was super nervous about going to school all day, but super excited to eat school lunch.  She promised to at least try every meal before she listened to her sisters opinions about them.  She did great, and really likes school lunch! 

Lexi and I had a hard time saying goodbye.  I didn't realize how much the big girls do for me and Lexi all day.  :(  Lexi loves to sit on the porch and watch the bus.  She squeals in delight when she sees the bus - any bus!  Every morning when the girls leave, they say, "Good bye, Lexi, we'll bring you home a taco."  And I'm sure Lexi will always be confused about what a taco is. 

So glad to have them back in school and back in a routine.  They all love their teachers and so far seem to be having a great time!