"I'll spitty spitty right back in your face . . ."

I think we'll do updates by person this time.  

Drew 

I have to take a picture of him whenever he's in uniform holding our baby.    

 There's just something really sweet about it.  Maybe it's because I am usually exposed to pictures of service members and their families in emotionally charged articles and advertisements.  Regardless, I love this one:

 And this didn't happen recently, but I finally remembered to take a picture of it this week.  Both of our children have independently identified this bounty hunter from our Star Wars counting book as "Daddy" at one time or another.  <Insert cry-laughing emoji>  Drew is a very good sport about it.

Here is 30-year-old Drew with his 3 kids and triple chocolate birthday cake.

Sabrina 

As for me, my handy hand mixer mixed its last this week.  It started clunking its way laboriously through that luxurious chocolate butter cream frosting, and now all it is good for is some distressingly loud white noise.  It has served me well for nearly seven years, and I was sorry to lay it to rest.  

 I've been doing a little bit better catching the kids with my phone before they completely fill up my memory with texture closeups of all the surfaces in our house.  Consequently, there are more pictures of my demanding hand.

"Give it to me now." 

 I was brave and went on a few outings with just me and the kids this week.  This is what happens when I take them to the library:

  I guess I don't mind that they spend their entire library time on the computer, because then I get to choose the books by myself.  This is a good thing because I have to read the library books aloud several times a day, and sometimes the ones they attach themselves to at random off the shelf are really terrible books.  So, you just go right ahead and stayed glued to the computer while I peruse the Caldecott Award shelf, little sillies.

Starting the procrastination of other tasks in favor of solitaire young . . .

 We also went to the Branch's Missionary Month kick-off party at Tsuzu Beach.  It was cold and windy, but the food was good and the company better!

 Vivien's friend from youchien, Norah, and her family came.  I'm glad they did.  Erica is her mom, and the one that has me making my own yogurt, finally reading Total Money Makeover, and buying beautiful clothing from Tea Collection, so I got to sit and talk to her.  They'd make good Mormons.  Vivien and Norah had a great time together.

I can't get over how different this girl looks in the water compared to last year.  It's been a good swimming summer!  Though, I doubt we'll be able to take all of our kids to Bali and Okinawa to help them get more comfortable swimming . . .

 After that party we went to the clinic's Wardroom party (it's like a club for officers; Drew's the treasurer, with his little cash box) on the banks of the Nishiki River.  The kids spent the entire time bushwhacking.  It made me and Drew nostalgic to watch them, remembering exploring undeveloped fields and foothills when we were little.

It is really hard to get out of the house.  It completely wears me out, and every time I get home after being gone I say to myself, "We are NOT LEAVING THIS HOUSE AGAIN for another MONTH!!"  But guess what?  It's really hard to stay in the house too, because this happens when Drew's at a soccer game and I'm giving the baby a bath in the kitchen.  So, I guess life will just be hard for a little while.  Maybe for the rest of the while . . . We won't think about it.

Vivien

Here's a picture of Bibi-chan and Manami-sensei.  

 Vivien's been creating inventive cradles for her dolls lately.  I'm not sure this one would pass safety regulations.

 She is a great big sister.

 But will not fall asleep in her own bed.

 It gives me a heart attack if I'm not expecting it.  THERE'S A BODY IN MY BED!!!  Oh wait.  It's my daughter.  And she's breathing.  It's ok.  Then we just have to heave her into her loft bed without whacking her head on anything or dropping her (big downside of a loft bed for small children).

 Here's "The Happy Spider" she drew.  The red on the left is our tower, the sun shining above it.

 Also, an abstract watercolor.

 She got her face painted for the first time at the clinic's Fall Harvest Festival.  She has asked for a rose on her cheek every day since and is extremely annoyed with me when I try to tell her I don't have any face paint.

Rafe

I don't have any pictures of Rafe for this post.  He has not been very pleasant to be around lately; he is so busy and has such big feelings, but is so unskilled and inexperienced (a.k.a. a 2-year-old).  The other day at lunch, he had a meltdown because "peanut butter is all over my sandwich!!!"  It was a PB&J sandwich, which he had specifically requested.  I have limited time to spend with him, since Andelynn requires my attention the vast majority of the time, and I'm afraid I have to spend most of the time I do have with him cleaning up his many, many messes.  It is frustrating.  But he wants my approval so much.  Sometimes when we're sitting on the couch, I'll look over at him and he freezes, watching me, waiting to see how I will react to noticing him.  If I smile at him, even if I can only just fake a smile, his face lights up all the way to his eyes and his whole body relaxes.  The little glimpses of how much influence I have over these little spirits in my home are pretty crushing sometimes.  I'm grateful for them, because they show me just how many rough edges I still have to smooth.  And I'm grateful for conference, so I know where and how to start.

Andelynn 

This is how Andelynn spent conference.

She has started smiling at us a lot more.

 She has such awesome hair.  And as much as I would love to stay in bed a few more hours, I really do enjoy welcoming the sun every day with this little baby.

Even if she makes everything smell like old milk.