Regarding the puddle

Apparently, when you add kids, summer, water and dirt you get a mud puddle with the drawing power of an industrial strength magnet. Kids and mud puddles...a magical combination that fills the mind with nostalgia. Knuckles caked with dry mud that crack when you bend them as a result of making mud pies those are some of my memories of mud.

The kids wandered into this black as oil mud puddle near my dad's shed cabin one day. We took my grandma Gertie to see the work my dad had been doing all summer long fixing his new shed that happens to look a lot like a cabin. Wes and Ryley hunted frogs in the 'pond' aka glorified mud puddle and left me with the question of how I was going to get them back home without ending up with a muddy back seat.

Anyway, these are a few of the pictures from that day...

Oh, PS...I've been without reliable access to a computer so my posts are as sporadic as a kangaroo with hiccups...I don't know what that means, but it sounds good.

Mud puddle 2008

Just Some Random Shots

I was looking through some old files on my computer and found some pictures that I thought were cute, funny, and our family being themselves...
This picture is from a couple of summers ago. Ryley and Wesley just hanging out in an old boat on a pond at my uncles house. I think it looks like they stopped a deep conversation just in time to look at the camera.

You can now see why no one wants to share a bed with Chaz.

I'm not really sure what Chaz is doing, but it doesn't seem to be bothering Ryan at all!

I thought this was a cute picture of me and Chaz. I haven't a CLUE what my dad is doing or think he's doing in the background.

I have to say these Easter eggs have the most personality of any Easter eggs I have ever seen. Plus, the kids had a lot of fun making the faces.

And Now We're In Arizona

After living in Idaho and staying in Oregon for the summer, the Howard family heads back to Arizona to live. Ryan got a new job as a trainer for the schools of Payson Arizona...go Longhorns! The drive down to Arizona only took two days, several stops and a few non-bloody fights. The kids weren't too bad and there was only one carsick incident. Here are some candid photos of our trip!

The concentration is evident, after all they're watching School of Rock!

(We had no idea he got his hands on the bag)
Chaz giving us a, "I'm full." look after eating an entire bag of Doritos.

Jennifer looking a bit stressed in the heavy rain in southern Utah!

Chaz didn't want his picture taken and so he placed his toes in front of the camera. He thought it was hilarious. So, did we.

Quick pics

Ryley enjoying her icecream and rolling her eyes without skipping a lick.
I think this is the only time this summer Chaz was actually sitting still. We needed to take a picture to prove this moment to ourselves.
Wesley challenged me to a staring contest. I thought taking a picture would break his concentration.

Summer Soccer Season

Wesley kicking the ball down field
Ryley concentrating on getting to the ball.

Wesley and Ryley started soccer here in La Grande. They both have played their first games and had a lot of fun. It has been exciting to have family watch them play. Both Wesley and Ryley are very energetic players. They have been burning lots of calories running around kicking the soccer ball.

An odessy of family pictures, can a perfect picture ever be taken?

This is us trying to take a picture with cousin's Luna and Kosmo. Eventually the dog became part of the picture and this is the best picture of a 30 min. jont in the backyard. With Aunt Jennifer(taking the photo) post op from surgery! (gallbladder removal)

Last month I took my family and my sister (her being the photographer, laboring with yet an other excruciating headache) She thought we should do a mother daughter picture, this is the result. Us in front of an old tree at my Grandma Hibberts house.
I actually love this picture, even though the hay is in Ryley's face it shows every ones personalities.
This was some of our first attempts of a family picture and Chaz started out not very cooperative(imagine that) and only one person looking at the camera. Good job Wes!
Yet another attempt of our allusive family picture. We are in Grandma's Barn on the old stair case, half of us looking at the camera.Yet, I think Ryan and Chaz look so cute looking at each other.
The boy's, great picture! I love the background with the beautiful Mt. Emily in the background!

Wesley proves to be our most consistent picture taker. I love the setting for this, but we, as a family portrait could not pull it off.