Kids, Kids and more Kids

Gwen did this on her own, of course.

Aerin always wants "a little tiny drink" of whatever I'm drinking.

Ava and the kids at the pumpkin patch.

Aerin Potter.

Gwen Potter.

Jack and Lainey would go so high on this thing.

This is one of the first pictures I've taken since reading that photography book. This shot has a wider aperture setting than normal. I think it works.

James is home

Ok, so, I took a whole bunch of pictures, but most of them were terrible, lighting, blurry, etc. I'll try and fix that for next time. But first, Gwen went on a jaunt through the airport.

Then, James came home

with a belt buckle.






And then he played on the trampoline with my kids.

BYU-Tulane

Well, it seemed like they started slow, but the facts appear to be that they scored on their first 6 possessions. I was put off, I suppose, by the field goals on the first two drives. I wish Bronco would risk a little more down inside the 5 yard line; I think it's important for the boys to have experience, gained in JV-type games (Tulane) with that kind of do-or-die scenario.

Kariya looks pretty good. Maybe it's Harvey Unga's hammy, but Kariya looks better right now. The defense certainly looks good enough to make last week look like no fluke. They're quick and get to the ball, they swarm, they hit hard, and for the first time in memory, they appear to be good tacklers, with good technique; head in front, wrap up, hold on. The only BYU team I have any memory of that were good tacklers was the 1996 team that went 14-1. Speaking of which, I watched that game on Altitude the other day, and it was pretty good. I forgot that the 1996 team had such a good defense.

Max made a couple of terrible throws (including his pick), but a couple of real good throws. But I'm still worried. That TD throw to Jacobsen that he wrestled away from the defender, that was actually not a very good throw. Jacobsen saved him.

Kids and More Kids

Aerin explains it all.

Gwen will be doing all of our cooking from now on. She prefers continental style.


She will also be handling all conducting needs.


She likes to sit in the drawers.


Those kids love the trampoline more than anything.

Except when they don't.

Jack is a daredevil

He's really shy about people, but not about risking his body:

Berry Picking

The kids wanted to go pick something, so we went to Roger's mom's house (Grandma Merrill, now), to pick some of her famous strawberries. These are the strawberries she uses to make her amazing, the-rest-of-your-life-will-seem-weak-by-comparison strawberry pie. We got some red potatoes too.

Halle was pretty helpful with the strawberries.

Jack mostly just looked and chased after this cat. It kept pouncing on people who were trying to pick. It's the neighbor's cat.

I mostly just held Gwen.

In other news, the kids like to ride their bikes all the time. I need to get Jack an actual bicycle, but I just haven't gotten around to it.


Aerin is beautiful.

My "Reminder" Pile

So, I write down reminders on Post-It Notes, so that I don't lose the pad I wrote them on, and they can all be in one place. This is what my desk looks like today-I tell people I am busy but they say "yeah, yeah", that's what they say, they say "yeah yeah". Well, who's doubting now? You, Thomas?

Birthdays

Ok, due to the vagaries of fate, from July 29 to August 13, there are 6 birthdays in my immediate family, my dad, motherinlaw, daughter, daughter, wife, brother. So, we try to consolidate.

First, the Aerin, who is 3 years old-August 3, 2009.



The Family before church, Aug. 2.


A consolidated birthday party, because a three-year-old and a one-year-old won't know any better.


Gwen didn't understand why she was getting gifts, but it's all the same to her.







This is how she looked on her actual birthday. So different from when she was only 361 days old, don't you think?


She already thinks she's a movie star.

Gwen at church

Sitting on the shelf.
Ben

Quick Survey

How many of you would go to a tattoo parlor called "The Bleeding Cowboy"? Show of hands? Kind of like going to a restaurant called "The Exploding Bowel", isn't it?