Sometimes I just have to laugh...

like in a crowded parking lot when someone sees me pulling my full grocery cart and two kids up to my car and flips on their signal (little do they know that the spot won't be available for another 1/2 hour at least)

or when I'm at the Library story time and in the middle of the room, in the middle of a song, Scott yells, "hey, look at me!" and pulls his shirt all the way up to his shoulders to show off his growing belly (we're all proud of our growing bellies in the Tilton household these days)

or when I prepare a Chinese feast, complete with fortune cookies, 6 *days* before Chinese New Year, not finding out until afterwards I was a dork and got the date wrong

or when Scott yells, within 2 feet of the unsuspecting passerby, "mommy, she's black!"

Yeah.

My mom's blog

For anyone that knows my mom, or anyone that wants to know her, I have great news: my brother started a "blog" for her. He's posting her journals and letters periodically, and I'd love for anyone who's interested to visit. The site is lessonsmymothertaughtme.blogspot.com. I've been thinking a lot about her, because Christmas just passed and also because my kids are so darn cute and I want her to be here play with them. I love that she wrote as much as she did so that my husband and children really can know her in time. And I take a lot of comfort in knowing that she didn't just vanish into thin air. She's still very much alive, as is her legacy of love and service.

Family pics

Here are some recent pics of the family. I now know why lots of people send only pictures of the kids: aren't they more fun to look at than me and Jer?

James is my favorite in this one:
The boys were just about done:
Trying...Trying... Trying...Got it: