School Pictures

With the availability of talented photographers around, I have to wonder at the hype and pressure of "school pictures".  Do people even invest money in these anymore?  It's one day of the year.  One day in which your child goes to school looking like a work of art, spends a few hours destroying that art, and then takes a picture with a generally cheesy or guarded expression.

I have found myself the last couple years just buying the CD and nothing else so that I can print them if I like--or not.  But, in any case it's a gamble whether it will be worth it.  I care less and less about them except for the sentimentality of owning "school pictures".

Here's this year's versions.

Surprise! We're at Disneyland!!

So, my mother-in-law is just like her son.  (Or, I guess that should be the other way around.)  They both have an affinity for spontaneity.  On a Sunday she informed us that they would be going to Disneyland in 2 days and wanted to know if we'd like to come.  Three days later I was driving the kids across the desert in my minivan to meet up with them.

I decided that surprise anticipation was better than the entitlement that would otherwise occupy my children's persona, so I didn't tell them where we were going until we got there.

Here they are ready to embark.  Their guesses as to where we were going?  "Grandma's house in Utah" and "camping".  I snickered to myself and reveled in their ignorance.

Upon arriving at the Disney Grand California Hotel, Eliza was still clueless.  She thought we were at the Salt Lake City Airport and even got excited that it appeared that there was a "carnival" at the airport.

Ezra was asleep so he wasn't there for the initial unveiling, but here's a little snippet of Eliza sharing the good news:

For the record, I had a nasty cold the entire vacation.  It was tiring and annoying, and Shiloh wasn't even there to help out until Saturday because he had to work.  But, I am normally pretty good at sucking it up and pushing through.  Which is exactly what I did.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.  Enjoy!

She has an official DisneyLand Autopia License too.  Good thing it's only good on this ride because it was a doozy of a drive.

This is in "It's a Small World", and BOY DID SHE LOVE THAT RIDE!  

I'm ready for my close-up.

They are holding hands because they are scared of the HUGE dinosaur next to them.    Awe...  I'm not sure if I should have felt alarm for them.  I couldn't get past the cuteness.

After being soaked by the Jurassic Park Ride

On our way to the Universal studios back-lot.

Be afraid Jaws.  Be very afraid.

Hello Mr. Shark.

I couldn't help myself. :) Ashlyn's face!!

Cheese!... I think?

I *heart* NY.

Miss Personality

This is a post meant to celebrate Ashlyn and her 3 years on this earth so far.  A Birthday Post, if you will.  Prepare yourself:  It will be mushy and sentimental.

Recently, Ashlyn has proven that she has a flair for life.  She is Miss Personality.  Herein is a brief character profile of my little Ashlyn girl...

Ashlyn is... Graceful. 

Here she is on her first day of preschool.  The picture says a thousand words about her personality, but let me take a moment to draw your attention to the pointed toe.  Can we say "strike a pose"?   Not a single dance lesson, and I certainly didn't teacher her that!   I can only assume she came this way.  She has natural grace and movement and is a huge advocate for anything involving dancing or performing.

Ashlyn is... a Performer.

Here she is posing again.  She loves to show off her modeling and ballerina skills.  Want a show?  Ashlyn is On Demand.

Ashlyn has... Attitude.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, the Star is a little high maintenance.  Certainly, some high-maintenance attitude comes with being 3 years-old and having the entire universe orbit your tiny body, but I dare say Ashlyn is blessed with a little more than the others because she is also the baby of the family.  For the most part she is incredibly sweet, friendly, snuggly, generous, and easy-going.  But, she has also been known to be demanding, stubborn, strong-willed, and manipulative.  (She knows the power of a well-timed eyelash batting, that's for sure!)

This picture was an accident.  (She has no clue what it means to flip someone the bird.)  But I thought it was hilarious. 

Ashlyn is... Silly.

She has a belly laugh that will get you giggling and has a talent for laughing at will.  She loves to joke with her siblings and, as evidenced by this image of her and Grandma on their birthdays this year, loves to be silly.

Ashlyn is... Beautiful.

I can't go anywhere without at least one person remarking on some aspect of her beauty.  If only I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say, "Wow, look at those eyes!!"

Ashlyn is... Mine.

Yes, I am going to go there.

How Grand is the Grand Canyon? Pretty Grand.

We recently took a trip to northern Arizona.  We watched some fireworks, played with friends, rode horses (more on that later), and took a gander at the Grand Canyon.  Of my little family of 5, I was the only one who had been to the Grand Canyon before, so you can imagine the size of everyone's eyes as they witnessed the largest canyon they have ever seen.  My children were bursting with excitement! (An excitement that I did my best to contain because, well, have you seen the cliffs??)

I am so glad Ashlyn is out of the tiny toddler stage because otherwise she would have been strapped to daddy's back.  We set some pretty strict ground rules before we ventured out of the car--as in, "keep your feet on the ground, in the path, and within reach of an adult".  That kind of stuff.   In the end, though, we probably didn't need to even go over the rules so strenuously because the kids were scared out of their wits of the edge.

Of course, we couldn't help but take them a teensy bit off-road... Can you see the fear in Ashlyn's face?  She was a little nervous of the impending doom that lay just 4 feet behind her.   Yah. We are awesome parents.  She will NEVER forget this trip.

    
Honestly, I had forgotten how GRAND the Grand Canyon really is.  It's incredibly humbling, and I couldn't help but talk to my kids about how God created it...  They were quite in awe of the whole thing, and I am looking forward to the day that we hike down into it as a family.