Abraham, Age 32

Abe texted me a few days before his birthday with the following message:

"All I want for my birthday is you."

Then, a few moments later, he added:

"And Angelina."

So I took Friday off work and we went to see Salt, starring Angelina Jolie.

The Birthday Boy with his first birthday wish.

The Birthday Boy with me doing my best to look like Angelina Jolie.

That evening the Rexburg sibs (Quentin, Caleb, and Merritt) joined the rest of us at home for a homemade macaroni-and-cheese extravaganza.

Hillary and Briar gave Abe these lovely matching "Thinker" bookends.
He was (clearly) pleased.

I gave Abe a little statuette of a daddy with a baby.


I think he liked it.

Abe and Soren blew out the candles on his Macaroni and Cheese.
(We had cake on Sunday with my family.)

And then Abe took a moment to show us how it feels to be getting old.

(Photos taken by Quentin.)

(Except for the insane one. I took that one.)

Sleep Sketch

His head rests against the back of the chair,
eyes closed,
mouth slightly open,
the very tips of two teeth peeking out.
Under one thick wrist is a cotton receiving blanket, the print a jumble of baseball bats and hockey pucks and catchers' mitts. The other arm supports the white-diapered bum of a sleeping infant whose thick legs, like yeasty blobs of sturdy dough, are curled together on Daddy's denim lap. The little one's three-dimpled elbow is bent just slightly, his five-dimpled hand rests on Daddy's chest.
They breathe together and the little one, lashes pressed against smooth curved cheeks, contentedly draws peace from his pacifier.

Hypnotizin' Those Babies

So even if all that prenatal Hypnobabies practice didn't help me have a drug-free delivery, it seems to have made an impact on Liam. Look at him working that hypnotizin' groove on his pappy.

Summer Fun

Every Friday morning my sister watches Soren while I go to work; in the evenings, her kids come over to our house while she and her husband have their date night. Here we all are, frolicking in the backyard. Soren was not a fan of the sprinkler.

Abe's Father's Day Gift

Doesn't he look handsome in his new suit? It's his first since his mission. And I don't want to tell you how long it's been since he left on his mission.

We bought a new car!

With cash dollah. We were so proud. Especially Abraham. He's not one to write home prolifically, but this purchase warranted a rather lengthy missive to his siblings about the ins and outs of used car purchasing.