For Lindsey, With Love

This post is for my sister, Lindsey. She has been rather forceful in her thoughts about lazy mothers who don't post pictures of their kids for lonely aunts in Alaska. So, we'll give her a dose of kids right off the bat.

Rilla actually possesses visible teeth now. She also likes posing for the camera.

Cheyenne has red hair. And she's not averse to the camera, either.

And Elliott really likes posing. Ask Olivia, who took approximately 200 pictures of him this weekend, in direct response to commands like, "Take a picture of me running!"

We've been playing with K'Nex lately. This was Cheyenne's "tuba." Points for creativity and engineering ability, but we may have to check a book out of the library on musical instruments soon.

On a slightly sad note, our van rolled over 200,000 miles, and we decided it was time to part. (Parting hasn't exactly happened yet. Anyone want to buy a van, cheap? The previous owners were nice to it, at least! Not us-- we offered benign neglect. Marilyn and Dana treated it nicely.)

The good news is that we have a new van, courtesy of Mammy! It has 8 seats instead of seven (very useful when you're going to have four kids and you already possess umpteen siblings) and only has 114,000 miles on it! It is a very spiffy van, and we are all excited about it.

This picture really needs a drum roll! Evan is finished siding! Well, at least the parts of the house that we were planning on doing-- the back of the house is next year's project.

It looks spectacular.

So does the girl slouched in the doorway.

Actually, the siding is finished-- but Evan still has to caulk around the windows. And put the cap shingles on the porch roof. And re-do interior trim. (Evan, are you reading this? Go outside and get busy!)

That's not even funny. Poor Evan had to pour a slab in a four-foot crawl space today. Imagine someone who is 6'4" having to push a wheelbarrow full of heavy concrete around for hours, never being able to stand up. I feel very sorry for Evan tonight. Tomorrow night, though...

Mom and the girls were here for the weekend. Here, Mom tries to stop Marilla picking her nose so they can pose for a picture.

Here, Mom has given up a losing battle, but still gazes lovingly at her nose-obsessed granddaughter.

Olivia and Elliott chilled together.

Poor Rilla already has chapped lips. Could be a long winter.

But, when you have rainbow boots and a Bob the Builder book, you're ready for any kind of winter.

Rilla likes reading books.



This was Tori and Cheyenne's cooking session.

Varied and visually appealing! I'd hire them!

Cheyenne, a lady of leisure, reading a book.

Tori was reading, but decided she'd rather be immortalized as a raging psychopath. Boy, Tori, I'm sure glad you saw me before I snapped a picture!

Two pretty girls.


One of the aforementioned "Take a picture of me!" pictures.

And another. Good thing I don't have to buy film anymore.

This is kind of a cool shot, when Olivia was playing with my camera on the trip North Sunday night. What's better than a picture of Rilla? A picture with TWO shots of Rilla!

We got to see The Gilbert Monday. And Ashley.

Cheyenne, playing with the coolest Little People camper. Dad and Evan had gone down to Pennsylvania over the weekend, to pick up some leftover furniture from my aunt Hopie's move. We got a lot of great stuff (thanks, Hopie!) but the thing that made Bet and I squeal the most was the Little People. There was a ferryboat, camper, and A-Frame, plus assorted people. It's re-ignited my kids' passion for the old Little People.

Lily reading. But really, this was about getting a picture of those edible toes.

Elliott playing with cars from Hopie.

Dad staring distrustfully at the computer.

A perfect little egg-head. He liked his Aunt Clover. Or else he thought I was funny looking. Either way, he gave me lots of smiles.

This kid really knows how to rock the Reading A Book picture.

Although Ashley rocks actually reading a book. The only NY cousin not there is Rilla, who was taking a nap. They were all pretty fascinated with Ashley when she came over after work.

Okay, I have LOTS of other pictures from further back that I haven't posted, which I may get around to at some point. For now, though, this should give Aunt Lindsey a glimpse of life in the White household. Or at least the White kids, which is the important part.