Baby Girl

This is Ruby Jane.  She joined us in September.  She is number five.  Isn't she cute?

An Update

At some point, I plan to go back and post the crazy story of how we found ourselves in California; but its much too long and complicated and I'm still too tired a bit emotional to even think of spilling it all out.  That said, I would love to include a little update on everybody.  We're just going to move forward...

Bryce: takes the train (bart) into the office almost every day - (we live about 20-25 minutes east of San Francisco.)  He loves the consistency of a regular work schedule and we love having him home every night.  Honestly, we *love* it.  Our FAMILY life here in CA is better than ever.  He still tweets here and writes a venture blog here.

amr: can be found smooching with Ruby and laughing at Josie most days, missing my old friends/making some new ones, decorating the house in my MIND ONLY cause these late baby nights are not as easy at 36 as they were at 25. Happily hosting various family members who have visited almost monthly since the big move from UT.

Kalli: rehearsing for the lead in the school play (I'm soooo proud of her, but more on that story later.)  Blending her own personal style with California casual. Studying A LOT cause Jr. High is much more challenging than elementary school.

Ella: making friends, packing school lunches (she does it every night), loving Ruby - this girl is going to be some fantastic mama someday - but insists she's having only 2 maybe 3 kids.  Whaaaattt?  Don't I make it look so easy?

Max: loving daddy time so so so much.  Losing teeth and growing tall.  Being sweet. Going to loads of school mate's birthday parties.  Loves going into the city to dad's office.

Josie: soo funny and soo loud. enjoying a preschool class - never stops talking, loves all princess and girlie things.  Has broken more things than all the other kids combined. Yep, she's a swirlie, girlie tornado.

Ruby: first plane trip this month (Deer Valley), smiles so wide, up all night (still!), light as a feather - 14 lbs at 5 months. In spite of it all, having another baby in the house is the most magical gift to a family.

That's it for now...how about you?  Are most of you all on Facebook, does anyone still blog?  How about Twitter?  You can find my tweets here.

Let me explain...

After a long and exhausting day of diapers and feedings and homework and chaperoning, I went to anxiously check the time and found this sweet little conspiracy in place...tacked onto the microwave clock with duct tape.  Max's bedtime is 7:00, but I can't EVER put him to bed if 7:00 never rolls around, right?  I died. "Bring me my camera!" I cried, and Kalli smacks me with these words: "Why take a picture - you don't blog anymore!" And my heart kinda broke.  She was right.  I would take a picture, eventually download it when my card was full, and this sweet story would stay put in iPhoto forever.  I would never  print it for a photo album, for a class project, or to frame.  But its little moments like these that are worth sharing...and more importantly remembering.  I really miss that about blogging - how you appreciate things a little differently because you get to share them.  So I'm back - really mostly for myself and this memory of mine that can't even remember my own kids' names.  Amidst this chaos of new baby, new state, new house - the life behind it all is just the same. Mine. And  I can't wait to share it.

Come along and melt with me...