KETCHUP: so many great clove family photos in one post

no posting for a month means catching up. which i dislike.
so we'll do the condensed version, hit the major highlights, call it good & move on.

in the past six weeks we've....


gone to sadies with a fun group of kids:

 & continued working on our "wood" coffee table book:

the parentals escaped to one of the most beautiful places on earth for rbc's 42nd birthday:

where they checked and, YEP. STILL IN LOVE:

we rocked out with one of the coolest bands on earth:

& dave grohl reinforced my theory about a not-so-hot guy turning SMOKING HOTwhen he knows his way around a guitar and a microphone:

we dressed like cats for halloween:

as well as hippies:

& a sweet little strawberry:

we embraced some crazy on the daddy-daughter date:

& chuckled over the continued creative spelling stylings of our mia:

(TRANSLATION: "hi, my name is mia. i am building a house for my family. it is going to be SASSY.")

but the best part of the past six weeks was having our grandparents return home to us:

thankful thursday

things i am thankful for this week:



**beautiful weather for a motorcycle ride. and a buddy who wants to get in on the action:

i think we look so natural:

**the fact that i may or may not have (allegedly) BEAT somebody in a game of words with friends who may or may not (allegedly) be in the photo above.


which might just be my greatest achievement, ever.


i place it right above marrying russ and birthing my four children:






**mia's fantastic spelling skillz:

(TRANSLATION: "this is an ice cream. it is strawberry. it is yummy.")




**that the 80's dream is still kept awake & alive by my 13-year old's school:

(on the downside, she came to me and described this outfit as "from the 60's". dislike.)

**baby libby's shopping skills.

she went right along to las vegas to search for a homecoming dress, and she couldn't have been any sweeter. or cuter. i think she might possibly be the actual cutest baby in the world.

here she is just chillaxing in the dressing room amongst the 400 dresses we tried on:

**when i find random old photos on russ's cell phone that i've never seen.

like these:

**that the good 'ole candy bar card never really goes out of style:

thankful thursday

things i am thankful for this week:



**the loose tooth that FINALLY came out at the pool last saturday:

i tell you what: that baby was holding on for dear life by the thinnest of threads. the only way she was letting it go was the fact that her cousin showed no fear 2 minutes earlier and lost her first tooth to jody's expert hands:

the tooth fairy was quite busy that night:

**a kitty that makes me laugh when i see i've passed my "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out) right on to him:





ahhh, mahhhhhtin:

**once again, i want to express my thankfulness as a mother of four girls to the young men out there that are still asking to dances.


and in a clever way, at that:

katie is psyched to go to homecoming with taylor h.~

thankful thursday

things i am thankful for this week:

*a brother-in-law who is trying to break into the lorn industry: (that's LIGHT PORN to you...)





**the fact that sprint has taken the guesswork out of my christmas present from russ this year......



awwwwhhhh! so sweet of them! i love that they are only looking out for my best interests.

actually, i don't care that they are going to bleed me for every last dime. i just want that phone.

***2019 UPDATE** Yeah remember the christmas where dad didn't buy me an iphone after i had told him for MONTHS AND MONTHS that it's ALL I WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS?  yeah.  your dad screwed up BIG time. 



**a daughter who doesn't know how to throw the 'peace' sign:


have i NOT TAUGHT HER BETTER? {sigh.}

thankful thursday

things i am thankful for this week:



**my friend's husband's amazingly creative way to celebrate their anniversary--

this banner was displayed proudly on river road today:

**a sweet new baby cousin for us to love and kiss on:

**& for her incredible fashion GOOD sense she displayed at a mere two days old by wearing kitty clothing:

**the last two elementary girls i have taking the annual "back to school" obligatory photo--


my 5th grader:

& my 1st grader:

i must admit that i got a bit misty-eyed when watching this from the front porch:

i felt like i had a love-hate-love-hate relationship with the fact that i had no child at home during the day for the first time in SEVENTEEN YEARS! crazy.




**speaking of said child, did you see her awesome backpack that we purchased solely for the fact that it looked just! like! her! :

i might have been so enamored by the items we found at target from the harajuku mini line that i may or may not have purchased THIS backpack for no reason at all.

or for myself: (really. not joking.)

libby marchant is birthed and she's gonna like me best.

this is libby--we've waited a long time for her arrival, and she makes me an aunt on my side of the family for the 10th time.


she sure made her mom work a lot to get her here--but she was oh-so worth it:

she likes her daddy:

getting her long, luscious locks washed:

(so much!)

sleeping with her mouth open:

and hers mom's boobs:

 

but i'm pretty sure that she likes her aunt mimi best: