Favorite Pictures of My Kids

After months of searching, I finally found the CD with these adorable pictures on it. These were taken last October, a few weeks before Halloween. My kids were total angels, for a change, when we did this shoot. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing, so that probably explains their cooperation. I have a thing for old fashioned pictures. So, I talked Jodi into taking my kids pictures all dressed up as vagabonds. I love the results. We were fortunate to get these pictures when we did. The city paved the dirt road shown in some of these pictures shortly after. I don't ever grow tired of looking at these. Tallon looks so much the man, Cali looks so sweet and Braxon is just so chubby! I have a ton of these photos, but here are just a few of my favorite.

Family Pictures (Finally!)

Yes, there is a reason we don't get family pictures that often. Mom is up at the crack of dawn, getting 5 sets of clothes laid out, milk mustaches left over from breakfast washed off, and 4 heads of hair done. (Yes, Todd can do his own hair. I know you're surprised.) Ten minutes before the photographer shows up (Jodi, Todd's sister), it starts to rain. Not just a sprinkle, a downpour. So, we are improvising with a few pictures on the porch. The kids are already bored. Not a good sign. The rain stops for a fraction of a second, so we run down the hill to our neighbors back yard that is full of mature trees to take cover under in case the rain starts up again. We snap a few pics, and duck for the trees. About an hour and a couple hundred photos later, we take our muddy feet, limp hair and bad tempers back to the house. Oh, but that is only the good part. The best part is knowing there are only ten out of the hundreds of photos taken that doesn't show someone closing their eyes, picking their nose, crying or scowling. Aah, yes. Picture day.

Calista's First Dance Concert

I have the most beautiful Little Orphan Annie in the whole wide world! Cali danced with 11 other little Annie's in her first on stage production of "Tomorrow" in May this year. Cali has taken to dance like a fish to water. She is excited about everything dance! From the leotard and skirt for practice (pink, of course), to the cherry red concert costume (squeals of delight!), to finding out she gets to wear make up on concert night (eyes wide with awe and disbelief). Cali taps on the entry way tile every chance she gets and when she suddenly can't find her taps anywhere (check mom's shelf in the closet under her PJ's), she's prancing around in ballet slippers that are already too small. Yes, dance is pricey,but the chance to see my darling little girl light up with sheer pleasure...priceless.

A Day at the Temple

After nearly nine years of being married, I managed to squeeze (literally) back into my wedding gown and surprise Todd with pictures at the Logan Temple, something he has always wanted. We were very fortunate to reach our goal in 2001 and be sealed for time and all eternity the year after being married. Unfortunately, I was unable to fit in my dress for pictures at the time, due to the fact that I had just given birth to our first son, Tallon, only two months earlier. And, yes, it has taken me nine years to get that blasted zipper up without busting the seams. Todd's birthday was as good a day as any to get pictures taken, especially since there was no guarantee that I would be able to wear this rib vice for long. Needless to say, this was one of the better birthday presents I'd thought of.

Braxon's Latest Look

We had our warmest day of the spring on Easter Sunday and Braxon had his very first feel of grass. His hands stayed clenched the whole time and he kept grunting impatiently. Every time we tried to get him to touch the grass with his hand, he would growl and screech at us. I don't know, maybe he doesn't like it?;) Between the distractions of the road in front of our house and our tabby cat, Dash, he stayed on the grass for a good 20 minutes. Braxon is now 8 months old, weighs 22 lbs. and is 26 inches tall. He's on the verge of crawling, scoots and rolls everywhere, and says 'baba' everytime he thinks he needs to eat. He's my first strawberry blonde child and , much to his mother's dismay, has blue, blue eyes. (I married a brown eyed man. You'd think I would get at least one brown eyed child.) There's not much to say about Braxon, yet, but I'm sure there will be soon enough.

Calista's Love of Fishing

Living in Cache Valley Utah, we enjoy many wonders of nature. We are fortunate to have mountains in our backyard, lush green trees and evergreens as far as the eye can see. Cali often comments on how beautiful the mountains are when we are driving home from Logan. We have enjoyed the peculiar family of eight deer that live in our hollow just 10 yards from our deck out back. Cali squeals every time they make an appearance. She could sit and watch them for hours. The view of the valley from our front porch is unlike any other. Cali was in heaven when she realized she has a perfect view of the Logan Temple from her bedroom window, perfectly framed by the surrounding trees. Cali loves everything there is to love about nature in this valley. That is, until Grandpa Buist took her fishing. She was thrilled when he asked her to go fishing late last fall. Grandpa even bought a little Cali sized pole and tackle box. She hopped in the car with Grandpa, Grandma and Tallon and knew the deal was sealed when she saw Grandma had brought treats. Grandpa said she loved baiting her hook with bright bait, casting her line into the river and even waiting patiently in her little chair for the fish to bite. Then, the fish bit. Grandpa reeled it in for her and brought it up onto the bank. Cali was watching with wide, curious eyes. Grandpa strung the fish on his chain and held it up for Cali to see. Grandma said she was okay, until the fish started flipping around. (See picture.) After that, she quite lost her enthusiasm for fishing. Especially when Grandpa couldn't stop laughing. In Grandpa's shop, there is a pint sized pole and tackle box waiting for the next unsuspecting victim.

Tallon's Latest Injury

It doesn't matter how many times Tallon falls, he always seems to land on his face. In his 1st and 2nd birthday pictures, he has a scabbed up nose. When he was 3, he ran headlong into a restaurant table, cutting his eye open. When he was 6, he ran into a laser tag gun while we were playing in the Tag Room at the Fun Park in Logan. He cut his eye open again. Now, at 7, he tripped on our rock retaining wall and fell face first, 5 feet to the gravel below. Of course, I was watching from the kitchen window, having a heart attack. He put on a brave face, my Tallon. He cried all of two minutes until he saw how upset I was. Then he stopped crying and tried to console me by hugging me around the waist and saying, "It's okay, Mom. It doesn't hurt that bad.". Ah, my good little man. What he lacks in grace, he makes up for in heart. After the shock had past, all he could worry about was if the neighbor kids saw him fall. He wouldn't let me take his picture that first night, so I had to wait until he was asleep. He finally realized the glory of a face wound at school the next day when he was the center of attention everywhere he went. That was a week ago and he is healing up nicely. He's a little disappointed that the scars aren't that noticeable. (Thanks to Mom's generous applications of Neosporin.)

The Very Heart of Our Family

How very lucky we are to have Tallon, Cali and Braxon in our family. This picture was taken about 8 months ago, shortly after Braxon was released from the NICU. I love Tallon's 'proud to be the big brother' look. He was so anxious when Braxon didn't come home immediately. When Braxon came home, although Tallon didn't really want to hold him much, he was never very far from him. He is our child with the big, loving heart. Cali was quite the opposite. She, too, was never far away. She was always, and still is, right on top of him. We jokingly say that Braxon may die of CIDS (Cali induced death syndrome). You can see just how much she loves 'her' baby in this picture. She is our child with the busy, loving hands. Braxon is now 8 months old and fast growing a personality. Needless to say, he is always squealing with delight when Tallon enters the room and growling with frustration when Cali's been in the room too long. For now, Braxon is our child with the loud, loving yell.