Hiatus

Oops, I've been away for a while.  Sorry about that.  But life, vacations, illness, laziness, idleness, and (fill in any other appropriate noun) has kept me from my appointed duties.  I shall add more pictures shortly.

Jack is now five months old and he can roll over.  He has the ability to hold a bottle for at least a few seconds at a time.  Oh, that's a huge milestone for parents.

Betsy Jo is speaking with greater clarity... although that low mumble voice she does in the morning can be unsettling at times.

Mary Jane is now three and has had a big cake for her party.  Yes, Deborah the Zebra was there to keep an eye on it. 

Really, more pictures and posts to follow.  I always wish to have more posts than the previous year but sometimes... life just gets in the way.  Kind of like a big truck passing another truck on the 10 East when we're trying to get to Phoenix.  They pass even though they know I'll be stuck behind them for an extra five minutes.  Hey, I have crying children in my car!!!

Wait, I'm ranting... I best be getting back to grading now.

A Very Happy Family Friend

Connie was quite happy yesterday.  She was a bit irritated that Miss Jill and Mister John started the UCLA/U$C game two hours late due to sick children they were putting to sleep.  But the game itself was splendid for her.  Lots of touchdowns and lots of sacks by her favorite Bruin, linebacker Anthony Barr.  Everyone else is on the Myles Jack bandwagon.  Not Connie!  At least not until next year when Barr turns pro and Jack is still around sacking, intercepting, and running for short TDs.

Bunnies Not Feeling the Thanksgiving Love

For some unknown reason, the bunnies at the Erb household are not too thankful.  It's that time of year when the humans seem to be thankful for things but the bunnies come off as mildly unappreciative.

The bunnies nailed a seven-point plan on the back door, in much the same manner as Martin Luther did with his 99 Theses so long ago.  Mister John took a look and wasn't sure what to think of it:

The girls are not so happy to swap sleeping locations with the rabbits.

1. Allow more hopping time in the back yard for rabbits.
2. More time inside the house while the little children sleep in the cages.
3. More insulation on the cold winter nights.
4. Satellite TV.
5. Finely engraved carrots.
6. Free towing.
7. More stuffing and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving Day.

Miss Jill is unsure about some of these (Mister John is perplexed at #6) but maybe compromises are to be had.

Cookie Sue thinking about her demands.

Girls, Guys and Tea

This weekend Mary Jane and Betsy wanted to have some early morning tea.  Along with them were Paul the Panda, Phone Wolf (always known for his love of iced tea), and Lyle the Crocodile.  They all sat there and enjoyed their tea and scones for the morning.  Cheerio!

A True Family Photo

Now that is a family photo.  We used the letters of our last name -- which are situated high up in the living room -- and allowed our little ones to hold them for a precious birth announcement photos.  Jack was about a month old (maybe younger) for a sequence of photos for his birth announcement.  Betsy has a quiet smile about her and Mary Jane's hair is tossed about like she's her father!

Best photo ever... of course if my last name were Johnson, I might think otherwise.

Girls on the Farm

 A few weeks back the girls went to Underwood Farms and had a great time riding on the tractor as well as picking berries and sitting on pumpkins.  Tis the season for pumpkins!!!

 Jack is hidden underneath my sling.

OK, maybe too many berries for Betsy Jo Jo.

Too Cool for School

Nothing says Hollywood quite like Betsy and Mary Jane.

Note: it's been a good season for our rose bushes.  I really do need to take a picture of them as they have blossomed something fierce.  Ah, nothing like the smell of roses in the front yard.

Posing at Two Months Old!

That's our Jack!  Still not quite sleeping through the night.  Almost coming up with a smile.  So close.  But by next month, he'll hit all of those markers and I'll be sleeping much better.

Oops, Took a Month Off

Yeah, well, what are you going to do when you have three children under three?  Something has to give and for me it is blogging.  I think I'll toss in a few pics here just to keep the loyal bloggers happy.

Here in this picture Grampa Kendall helps Betsy climb a tree.  She wasn't sure if she wanted to or not but there she goes.

Operation: Tree Climb seems to be a success.  Never mind that she wanted down about 30 seconds later but she still loved it for the brief time she was up there.

Baby Jack stole the show in Fresno last weekend as everyone came over to look at the new baby boy.  He kept his eyes open and looked at all the family members.  Yes, some day you'll need to memorize the names.

Here Mary Jane is looking at a small dog.  She's not a big dog person -- Betsy has always been the bigger animal lover -- but she didn't run away this time.

Looking at the New Guy!

Here Mary Jane and Betsy Jo are wondering who this Jack guy is.  They've heard all about him but now they get to see him up close and personal for the very first time.