Boys on the Side...not Anymore!

Well here they are, 3 peas in a pod! Aunt Ali and Owen came for a visit and we all had a blast. When I picked them up from the airport and we nestled all 3 boys in their carseats-like 3 ducks all lined in a row- we burst out laughing. Very different from the last time we had young men riding in the back of our SUV. But that was from our "Boys on the Side" era and these 3 have managed to settle us down. Someone had to:-)

Reading Time

Aunt Ali is quite the reader!

Spin Masters

Nathan and Owen go for a spin! Owen is looking for Mama..his focal point:-)

Choo-choo

Mommy and Brandon enjoy the train at Tilden Park.

Giddy-up!

Our sons' take us for a ride!

Our Little Rookies

Erin just sent me these pics from our visit to Alameda. We were on a walk to a nearby park when Alameda's finest, Officer Rodrigue (he comes equppied with a baseball/policeman card of his personal stats-seriously he does), was nice enough to stop and let the boys play "policeman." You can see the boys intrigued yet approaching with some trepidation before they hop on.

Leader of the Pack

Nathan was happy to try on the helmet (complete with a very loud mic) and sit on the motorcycle. He had quite the time announcing over the mic "pull it over mam." I'm sure the neighbors just loved us!

My Peace keeper

Nathan is all smiles sitting atop this motorcycle (or donorcycle as Mommy refers to those things).

Moms & Babes

Well we tried to get a shot that we could compare to the shots we were doing together 5 years ago (not necessarily pictures). My how things change!

Fingerpainting Fun

Nathan does his da Vinci thing at the club during fingerpainting time (with shaving cream). His Mona Lisa really did rival the original:-)

The Good Neighbors

The boys are always thrilled when Andrew and Sharon come over because they spoil them with treats and prizes!

Summertime Treats

A favorite this summer is crisp watermelon that the boys' enjoy as much as possible. I make them eat it outside so they can make a mess of themselves...Brandon is doing a fine job here.

Yummy!

Brandon enjoys his slice.

Never Bored

Nathan demonstrates a new game he thought of...throwing his chair up into the air and seeing where it lands. Brandon couldn't stop laughing. Who would've thought?

BASA (Babby Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Here we have Neil Armstrong (aka Nathan) and Gene Cernan (aka Brandon) planning their ascent to the moon and then to Mars! This is an intense discussion about who will walk on Mars first:-) This toychest that we brought home from the hospital when Nathan was born is now their Spaceship. Mommy has the priviledge of being "Houston" as they make their "blastoff." So sweet.

Saint Bonaventure...Champions in Life!

We took a roadtrip/vacation to Southern California (Thousand Oaks/Camarillo) where David grew up to spend 4th of July with the Babby Clan. It was definitely our best 4th yet, and the kids had a blast being with all the cousins!

We stopped by David's Alma Mater and walked around. You'll see Quad Mary to the right where everyone "hung out" to "see and be seen." Notice the tag line "Champions in Life." The boys and I would agree (although I did remind him that at my high school we were champions in basketball and in life):-) Funny enough, we both had the quintessential Catholic high school experience that you can only get from cutting Friday Liturgy.

Our Arrival

We arrive and David can't believe how his sister has grown. She is 37 weeks in this pic so we thought we might have a "Born on the 4th of July" baby (Turner was 3 weeks early), but we're still waiting! I am up waiting for the call as she has been in labor all night so any minute now....

Nathan was the official belly rubber. He LOVED her belly and he keeps asking me "Mommy, why don't you have a baby in your tummy?"

Cousins in their Patriot Wear

The boys are too through after our roadtrip! Brandon wants his sippy cup and Nathan is so dazed he has the flatest affect I've ever seen-which is so unlike him. Turner doesn't get it.

All the Grandkids!

We're just in need of one Zak to complete the set. Although incredibly soon there will be one more! Is one more enough? Naw!

The Babby Boys

All 6 of them! The 4 grandsons & the original 2 (actually there are more, but of those present).

Family Photo

Attempting to get all the kids (& adults) looking and smiling for a family photo turned into a 2 day project.

Me and Mini-me

My little "Mini-me" is all smiles now!

Fireworks on the Golf Course

We walked onto the golf course where C&C live and watched the fireworks. Brandon really enjoyed it this year!

Summertime S'mores

Daddy educates Nathan on the finer techniques of marshmallow roasting.

Karoke Time!

It was quite the scene at HMW during our Karoke event. Christian may have won the singing portion, but my Avatar was definitely superior. Nathan is using mine as he belts out a tune...his father was so proud!

Sir Christian, your shorts are perfect for "Poetry around the Fire." :-)

Beach Day (just like the good ole' days)

Frisbee Time

Babe-watch at Malibu

Wave Watching from Daddy's Shoulders

Nathan and Daddy took a long walk to watch the waves. Better than planes, trains and automobiles- when traveling the boys prefer their Daddy's shoulders.

The Initiation

First to get buried!

Baby brother is not far behind!

The Next Generation

Daddy and Uncle Bill passed on a favorite pastime of burying each other in the sand. Their technique was flawless and creative--notice the little mermaid, octopus etc. That's what you get when you grow up on the beach!

Fun at Universal Walk

The cousins are all ready for some fun!

The California Babbys

Coming your way soon (must see the baby)!

The Whole Babby Clan

Ahhh...finally! As good as we're going to get with all the little ones. We're just missing the Seattle Babbys...next year:-)

Homeward Bound

Here they are on our roadtrip home. Don't be fooled, they were not like this the whole way. After at least an hour of crying, as we were in the middle of no-man's land, Nathan got car sick and gave us the opportunity for some quality time as we cleaned up and changed him. However, being that we pulled over just a few feet from a field full of cows grazing, the boys had great conversation with Salinas's finest cattle. They were mooing all the way home:-)