The Rest of the Visit

A few pics from Grandma Brenda, Aunt Sara, Lily, and Carter's visit can be seen here, here, and here, but the rest of the photos I took during and the stories from our week of fun are right here.

Sara celebrated her 32nd birthday on Mother's Day, so we held an early birthday party for her here. Let's be honest, we probably would have bought or baked a cake even if it hadn't been almost Sara's birthday; her special day just gave us a reason to add text to the top of the cake we'd have already been eating.

Not even close to 32 candles.

Hallie looks impressed with Sara's lung power.

What?! You don't sip individually packaged gas station wine while you nurse your baby?

The first night Grandma, Sara, and crew were in town, all eight of us ate dinner together. It was crazy. I have no idea what I consumed, or even if I consumed anything at all - it's entirely possible that I spent the entire meal refilling plates (Will), breaking up fights (Will and Hallie), picking up food off the floor (Hallie and Lily), and cleaning up spilled juice (Will, Hallie, Lily, and Tom. Just kidding - Will didn't spill his juice). From that point forward we fed the big kids earlier; fed Carter next, while the big kids bathed; and then enjoyed an adults-only dinner after all of the kids were asleep.

Most nights the big kids ate in their underwear.

Dinner was super exciting.

I have never met a baby who smiles as much or as sincerely as Carter does. He smiles when you smile at him. He smiles when you frown at him, like he thinks it's funny that anyone would ever want to frown in the first place. He smiles when you laugh, dance, or sing. He smiles at kids and grown-ups and strangers and stuffed animals and the wall (he'd probably really enjoy Grandpa Paul's soccer schedule), but he saves his biggest smiles for his mama. Oh, I love that boy.

We went on a few shopping adventures, including one to Old Navy, where Lily showed a preference for gray shorts for little boys. She likes to organize, and has in her head a clear plan of how things should look and go...a girl after my own heart.

And lastly, a photo of all of the girls at Hallie's Mothers/Fathers Day breakfast.

Come back soon!