Summer Favorites

Since it's been a while, I thought I would just go through my (painfully few) summer pictures and just share a few of my favorites (note: several major events are admittedly not included--I'm that lazy).

This camping trip had some of my favorite pictures of my girls. The first set is Hallie painting a stick. Her concentration was adorable...

Cleaning the brush...

The masterpiece in progress...

And the our good friend and AMAZING photographer, Deb, took these:

Taylor, posing (what else?)...

Oh, this one melts my heart!..

This one captures these girls to a T. Nothing better than having your children become best friends (except for having that coupled with "and never worst enemies" But a mother can only ask so much)...

And, yes, Brecken was there too (I love the tooth-losing stage he he)...

Most of the gang...

And this little girl (a favorite camera smile here)...

Turned two! This is her on the big day, showing off the birthday eating goodness...

A word about the terrible-two's, if I may:

Are they really terrible? Yes. Yes they are. With the favorite pastimes including, getting into toothpaste, the makeup, the pantry, and every other item attached with the phrase "no-no," there is a lot that is terrible. BUT (and a big huge but here) as terrible as it is, it is every bit compensated by cuteness and beyond. This is by far the most fun stage of toddlerdom. Every little, "Eekie my weedee, eetha MOON!" (which translates into "Look out my window, it's the MOON!" and "Ope! Pff" is heart melting. I could go on, but, I'll stop. She's cute.

And this little girl (that's Taylor under there)...

Turned FOUR! Didn't four used to seem older? I did get a few pictures on her actual Birthday, but they didn't make the "favorite pictures" cut. So that's all you get. But these did:

Taylor's FIRST haircut (I know, four years without a trim is pretty pathetic) She was pretty ecstatic to be the one under the shears this time.

And I know what you're wondering: Is that a garbage bag caped around her? Yes. Yes it is...

And Ta-Da! Yeah. she looks the same, only in this picture it's wet...

This one is just cute (no back story, she was just whining)...

And I know this seems like a Taylor-Hallie post, but Brecken gets in here also. Here is the first day of school. She is attending The Harrington Academy of Private Education and she is #1 in her class. Her teacher goes on and on about her, and we are all so proud ;)...

And a highlight of HER summer was a butterfly that she caught AND it liked her ;) so it stayed around long enough to snap a few photos...

Well. That's a wrap. Not a particularly climactic ending. But summer was good. Very, very good.