Maloney Visit

Waiting for Grandma Maloney and Aunt Jennifer to get here from the airport for their visit!

Aunt Jennifer gets to hold Rachel first.

Now it's Grandma's turn to hold her namesake for the first time.

All three kids in/on the shopping cart.  :)

Mommy's little Love Bug!

Aunt Jennifer and Grandma made some easy Christmas cookies with Luke so we could still have Christmas goodies even though I wasn't ready to do a lot yet.

We hung up our stockings!  Rachel's wasn't made yet, so our mantle still had just four stockings.

My little sweetie.

She looks so tiny!

Very interested in looking at Jonathan.  :)

Grandma & Luke mixing up some peanut butter blossom cookie dough.

I helped roll them, dip them in sugar & top them with kisses, since that was easy to do sitting down.  Standing activities still wore me out pretty quickly.

Joanna brought us a meal one night.  I think this is the time she told us her news that she was pregnant again with baby number 4!

My dad joined the Maloney visit for a couple days, and enjoyed meeting his newest grandbaby.

During Rachel's first Hughes family dinner, we celebrated Sophia's 6th birthday.

More baby holding - this time with her eyes open.

Modeling the new hat Grandma Maloney made for her to wear when we walk to drop off Luke at school on chilly mornings.

Luke & Jonathan enjoying Grandpa time!

A fierce game of Battleship.

Multi-tasking.

An early "Christmas morning" present opening with my family.

Sleeping through the festivities.

Our family Christmas card picture.

Grandpa & Grandma with all the grandkids.

Aunt Jennifer with her niece & nephews.

The solo picture of Rachel we used on our Christmas card / baby announcement.

Snuggling with Grandpa.  The boys have pictures like this with Grandpa also:

Luke

Jonathan

Spring Break 2012

Early April 2012 saw me and the boys flying to Oregon to spend Luke's spring break with my family.  We stopped at my grandparent's house after arriving at the airport and spent some time with them.  Here's a cute video of Jonathan playing with my grandpa.  Jonathan would walk away, then turn around and giggle all the way back to Great-Grandpa!  Over and over again!  :)

Getting out the toys to play with Grandpa.

Purl finding a cute place to take a nap.  :)

 We went on a walk to the lake by my parent's house and enjoyed the view and throwing rocks in the water.

The local feed store had baby chicks and bunnies that we went to see before stopping to get frozen yogurt.

Since it was the week before Easter, my mom got each of the boys an Easter basket they got to open at the breakfast table (like we used to do on Easter morning growing up)!

Luke running off to join the men when some of my extended family visited.

Unfortunately, Jonathan got a fever and was miserable at the end of the trip - but it made for some nice cuddles.

Riding in chip boxes to help Grandpa at the store before heading back to the airport.

Maloney Family Pictures

Before I forget, I have to share with you these "fantabulous" pictures my sister took with her camera while we were in Oregon in July.  Since they weren't on my camera, they're saved in a different spot on my computer and I forgot to post them when I was posting about our trip.  First up is a lovely family picture of all of us!

Our little family of four!

Heidi & Andrew!

Grandpa & Grandma with their two grandsons!

And last, but certainly not least, is one of us three sisters!  It's fun to note that while we are all definitely biologically related, we each have a different color hair.  My hair color & Jennifer's has darkened over the years, but in it's purest form, we're a brunette, a blonde & a redhead!  :)

On a related note, I am madly in love with this super huge, detailed, expensive cross stitch pattern from Golden Kite.  It totally reminds me of my sisters and I - and the hair colors match!  :)  One of these days (when it goes on sale!), I will probably be snatching this up - I just can't resist!