The kinds of things that make my days un-dull...

The other day I took my little Ivy to the grocery store with me. Just Ivy. Our store has a shopping cart that looks like a race car. With multiple children, this ride is the source of many the grocery store disagreement. Little Ivy, all alone, giggled with her good fortune that day. In her happiness, she sang sweetly and unashamedly as she "steered" throughout the whole store, "I wuv Mommy; I wuv my mo-o-o-ommmmeeee....." while occasionally peeking back at me to smile proudly. I don't often do all my grocery shopping with a goofy sentimental grin spread across my face, but there it was that day, ear to ear.


Misha, mouth very full of banana managed to be aghast at Vitali's lack of manners, "VITALI! Do not talk food mouth!!!"

And--

After my shopping trip with Ivy where I had discovered yogurt on sale, Misha greeted me at the car to help me carry in bags. "OOOOOH! Yogurt! A LOT!" He exclaimed as I handed him a bag. When I followed him into the house, there he was, eagerly stacking it in the refrigerator with a song just bubbling out of him. "A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot...." The boys still get so excited to see the refrigerator and the fruit bowl full.
At our family reunion, Misha turned seven. Also, there was a gift shower for the new arrivals, including the three boys. Each gift was opened with huge enthusiasm! Once, Misha opened some clothing wrapped in a shirt box. Not realizing that the box held more, he cheered, "A BOX!!!!" and held it up for us all to admire. Vitali did the same thing. We thought it was a joke until they didn't open them. They just laid the precious treasures in their laps and admired them.

On Misha's birthday, he opened some flip-flop style shoes. I had tucked them together, end to end before wrapping them. When he opened them, he held up the little bundle, "ONE SHOE!!!" he cheered. We pointed out the second shoe tucked into the first and he was even more excited, "TWO SHOES!" Later, wearing his shoes on a car ride, he showed off his new shoes to a friend, "Look!" he said, proudly displaying his feet, "Shoes! Two!"

Family Reunion in Pigeon Forge Tennessee 2008

I think I'm first to get these pictures posted! Yay! We just got home on Monday and have finally awakened from our sleep-deprived fog so that I could post some pictures of our fabulous weekend together! Vitali loves Evan because Evan rough-houses with him a lot. Evan has been in Alabama for several weeks so we've missed him!

Man, this guy is handsome! I'm glad I'm related to him!

Here is my sister's new little guy. Steve held him a lot. He doesn't usually hold the babies so much but Jude is tiny and just feels cozy...or maybe he just misses holding little babies....?

Each family group wears a different color of shirt. Red was our color this year. Grandpa gets his own color. He chose to be bright yellow. He likes the contrast in the big group picture.

Unfortunately, the big group has a light flare throug all my shots! If any of you can decrease the exposure in just the middle, let me know. My software doesn't do that. Or, if you got this shot, I would like a copy. Grandpa likes to get it on his desktop for the year asap!

Here is the dignified pose of Grandpa and his children(except Michael, whose family was missing this year). But my favorite is the next one, despite the fact that the camera seems to have focussed on the tree instead of the faces.

See what I mean?

Sweet little Alexander made his first appearance at the reunion this year. Look at that hair. It is even softer than it looks. I couldn't resist petting it-- A LOT!

Alexander is Dan and Kari's newest. They are pictured below. Here with the ice-cream-cone cupcakes is little Owen. He's a big brother now! Isn't he a cutie?!

Okay, More later!