Portraits of my Children {beachside at Bayshore Park}

Parker: 10 and a half \ tenderhearted, funny, and kind \ the first to clean up a room and the last to get in the car \ prefers a piano over a football \ an art camp in town over a church camp away \ books over bikes \ steak over hot dogs \ smoothies over milkshakes \ peace over happiness ... he's perfectly content to be his own guy, unique and different to the rest, and he's keenly aware of his love for God and living his life right for Him

Monty: 8 \ adventurous, go-getter, who will argue his case till the cows come home and then the next week, have the sweetest, gentlest spirit \ the last to clean up a room and the first to get in the car \ loves extreme sports over the regular safe kind \ prefers spaghetti over burgers \ ice cream over custard \ instant gratification over patience \ protector of his family \ wants to live life to the fullest and try his hand at everything \ will do anything for little sister \ completely wrapped around her finger

Elliot: 5 and three quarters \ so funny, big hugger, soft heart \ wants to "grow" backwards and become a baby again \ still trying to understand that that's not gonna happen \ will only clean if mom is helping or otherwise - tears! \ can't sleep without brothers in the room with him and so, when they spend the night away, he sleeps on our floor \ is the only one invited to give Scarlet a night night kiss after mom tucks her in \ loves basketball cause he thinks he's good at it \ is adventurous and brave just like Monty but more chill \ loves carrots over every other fruit and veggie \ easy going and patient \ eager to please and loves being the center of attention

Scarlet: 2 \ sweet and clever and funny and awesome \ spoiled by her adoring family and all the better for it \ loves to squeeze into tight places meaning, where ever someone is sitting (mom, dad, or brothers) she'll squeeze in alongside \ loves pretending she's big and then asking to be held like baby \ loves having a blanket thrown over her and then yelling for us to find her \ when we do, she says "shhhh" and then hides again \ talking so much now \ has the worst tantrums every time we try to put her in her car seat \ wants to sit in the back, she says \ dislikes ponytails but likes bows still \ loves swimming (to my leg when I'm sitting on the side and then requires a push on her bottom back to the steps where she repeats), biking, scooters, trampolining \ spending time in her tree house \ drawing tiny circles in her art books \ cousin Adorlee \ bubbles \ eggs (which she's apparently allergic to but no reaction, so yay!), hot cocoa \ mangoes \ avocados \ bubble guppies \ her duppy was split into 5 pieces so now there's a big duppy and several baby duppies to avoid future loss and subsequent trauma \ just means that sometimes we have to sleep with 5 duppies instead of 1 \ tomboy and girly girl mixed into one happy little lady who's filled with love and gentleness and goodness