Well, it’s a little late, but I couldn’t resist posting these pictures.

This video shows Oliver blowing out his candles. Sometimes those candles are so tricky to blow out . . .

It was a bit too cold for swimming, but I gave it a shot anyway.

Happy Mother’s Day Grandma Kotter and Grandma James! Abby and Oliver wanted to let you know how much they love you and tell you how much they wish that you were here right now. Kay and I are also so grateful for you. You are wonderful mothers and great examples to us. Thank you for all that you have done! We love you.

Hey Dad!

Nabby celebrated your birthday today by trying to put rubberbands on her toes and Oliver celebrated by playing with Nabby in the swing out back (it’s the only way he can push her without a time out). I was originally hoping to get film of them hiking up the stair case with heavy backpacks and sitting on Jason’s bike with help, but these turned out more cute and I’m sure you’ll love them. Did anyone make mississippi mud for you?! I miss finding that in the freezer each year. Love you!

Every year at Christmas time, we like to ponder on all of the tender mercies of the Lord that we have experienced during the past year. It helps us remember how grateful we are to our Savior. Here are two of our favorite tender mercy moments of 2009: (Sorry about the helicopter noise in the background; I think that was our heater.)

Oliver has turned into quite the chatter box; he talks all the time! Here is a small sample of him asking about the flash on the camera.

We miss home soooooo-oo much around the holidays. Nothing beats smores, sparklers, and all you can eat and green jello salad with walnuts and cottage cheese, but fireworks on the national mall comes close. We can’t even buy snappers here in Virginia so we didn’t do any of our own fireworks (the crazier the people you live around, the crazier your laws get I guess.) Last year Jason and I went to watch the fireworks from the balcony where he works and it was INCREDIBLE-ash-in-your-hair-firework-fun, but too intense really for little kid’s ears so we stayed in Arlington to watch them this year.

Some the monkey sounds in this video are Oliver. He loved it.

Oliver loves playing at the local spray grounds. Almost every time we get in the car Oliver asks if we are going to go “play water”. As I was watching him play the other day, I was struck by how much he has grown in the past year.

Then:

And Now: