The Latest...

...family picture! 

4th of July!

I LOVE THIS DAY!!  We did some projects, went swimming, had a BBQ, and watched fireworks downtown! Happy Birthday America!!

Hailey is all smiles when she's holding a cupcake! 

 Oh yeah, the day also included picking cherries...from the neighbor's tree. But, since we haven't seen the neighbor of the abandon house for over a month, when he was here for a few minutes to mow the lawn...I don't feel that bad about it :)

 YUMMY!

 Couldn't find a bowl? I guess a backpack works too...

 Thanks for bringing sparklers Grannie!! Fireworks are illegal in Spokane, but we are assuming Sparklers are okay!

 Hailey LOVED it!

 And then it was over- such a sad face!

Watched a few fireworks right from our front porch thanks to the Spokane Indians!!

Happy 4th!!

Kelly's "Basement Shower"

Shortly after the basement was complete, Kelly wanted to have a "grand opening" party- just like the Academy awards...well, I guess it wasn't just like that- there were no celebrities, fancy outfits, or limos...but there WAS a gift bag! and good times had by all.  Because Kelly  (and his lovely assistant) put so much effort into the decor, gifts, refreshment, etc.  Julia fittingly named the evening "Kelly's basement shower."

Welcome to our new basement!  It is our new favorite part of our house!  Nice and cool, comfy couches, the toys STAY downstairs, AND we have "mood lighting!"  What more could we ask for?!?

 Kelly's movie posters (the movies that he has made that is) adorn the walls...

 The sofa, love seat, big-chair combo that we ordered, turned into 2 love seats and a big-chair combo when the sofa would not fit down the basement stairs...it's perfect though, I don't think the sofa would've fit in the room even if it had fit down the stairs!

 From this angle you can make out the 'play room' where (so far) all of the toys in our house have stayed since being moved there!! I'm so happy I could cry.

 Just in case you forget where you are, you're in the "Ditto Film Theater...HD"

The Goodie bags...

Hershey Kisses- "Good for romantic movies"

Tissue- "Good for sad movies"

Water gun- "Good for action films"

Glow sticks- "Good for scary movies"

Laffy Taffy- "Good for funny movies"

Come see it for yourself!  We'll treat you right :)

1 Month of Baby Love...

Our little Maren is 1 month already!! She is still the favorite thing about our summer so far- by far the most exciting 'attraction'...especially for her sisters!!  She is an extremely mellow baby and sleeps like a champ! We Love her and are SO glad she is part of our family! (and I'm especially glad not to be pregnant anymore, now that it is 90degrees outside!!)

Mimi Visits!

Mary came to visit at the end of June! WE LOVE HER!!  Thanks for the great times Mimi...not the least of which involved making tie-dye shirts for the whole family! (and then taking some WILD pictures!)

Tie-Dye in progress...WAY less messy than I remember it!

We are a tie-dye family!

MAREN!

Maren Kelly Ditto was born on June 3 at 4:15pm! She weighed 6lbs, 7oz and was 19.5 inches long...we are SO glad to have her here!!

I was induced at about 9:30am, so even though she took her sweet time to get here, once she decided to come, it was quick!! Kelly and I had just finished our Monopoly Deal game and I told him to tell the dr. I thought she should check me- the dr. came right in and after checking said "It's time to push!" about 5 minutes later, Maren was here!


The happy parents :) She didn't have a name before we saw her- I have always loved the name Maren and Kelly really wanted her middle name to be his...so it was a great combination!

She was very alert the day she was born...since then she's been asleep just about every moment...(I'm not complaining about that!!)

Kelly is having fun practicing his photography skills on Maren!

I went to Maren's first "bath"- the first time I have ever been there while they scrubbed up on of my babes- she was remarkably chill...not like the other three babies who were screaming! Way to go Maren!! let's keep the chill personality forever!!

A visit from the sisters the next day (Addison was hangin with his cousins) They fell in love immediately! Especially Laynie who could hold Maren all day long if we let her!

Tiny toes- the next few shots are my dad's from the 'photo shoot' he did while visiting...Maren was very patient with us.

I LOVE this little girl!!

She's so tiny! Although, she is growing! She had gained 6 oz by her first dr's appointment!! She definitely knows how to eat!

Daddy is in love all over again.

The girls beg to hold her, dress her, change her diaper, etc. They have been great helpers! (although the days they spent in Seattle with Nana and Papa right after Maren was born were pretty great...)

Addison LOVES baby Maren too- he loved the time that he "had Maren all to himself" while the girls were gone.

Thanks to Becca for the C.U.T.E. hat and diaper cover...they make for great pictures :)
Thanks to everyone who has helped with dinners, babysitting, play dates, etc. We have the BEST family and friends ever!!

Are we first time parents?

I included this picture only because after Kelly and I took it, we laughed at ourselves...only first-time parents take pictures of sleeping babies right? Maren has captured our souls! We LOVE YOU little girl!

The Waiting Game

The kids have been way more patient than I have waiting for our baby to come...but I still get the comments from Laynie each day: "Is that baby going to come today?" My thoughts exactly Laynie!!

p.s. aren't my girls the cutest ever when they are loving each other??! when they are fighting...not so much, but I could just eat this picture up!!

Addison also likes to make remarks on my pregnancy, but usually they have to do with the size of my tummy..."wow mom, your tummy is really big!" Well yes it is thank you. I don't mind his comments as much as the one from the perfect stranger last week on the walk to school when he stuck his head out of the car window and yelled "You're gettin' LARGE woman!" how very perceptive of you- man with no manners.

So here's the last of the belly shots...ANY DAY NOW!! (in fact I thought it was going to be last Saturday because I had contractions for 12 hours...and then they stopped...that was depressing.)

We (I!) can't wait for you to be here!!!