Andrew is 4!

Yesterday was Andrew's birthday! Here are some things that we all love about him:


A--Always smiling. You can be sure that when you see Andrew, he will give you a big smile!


N--Nice buddy to his cousins and friends.
D--Does whatever his brothers do. Andrew loves his brothers and wants to be just like them!R--Raar is his best friend!
E--Everyone gets a hug. Andrew starts every day by hugging everyone in the family! He loves to give hugs and sometimes calls them "Anaconda Squeeeeeeze!"W--Wears his spidey suit. We thought this would be a passing phase, but Andrew has worn a Spiderman suit for years. He loves to be in "Superhero mode."What a happy person! Andrew is such a great part of our family. Happy Birthday!

It's Spring!

I love spring!! We have the prettiest tulips this year--thanks to all the rain. The sun is finally out today, so I got the boys in their cute new clothes and took some pictures.

Andrew turns 4 tomorrow, so get a good look at this cute 3 year old!

MMM...Slurpees!

If you don't think this is awesome, you need awesome lessons!

If you've spent any time with us lately, I'm sure you've heard our kids talking about our neighbor Brick. He is in Iraq right now flying jets. Here are some pictures he sent us... Ok, Brick is the squadron commander. So, that's him there front and center.
These are the pictures that make Frank so jealous! I think this one looks so neat because you can see Iraq underneath.
Here's Brick doing some tricks for us. He did this right after he buzzed the tower... James and Ben think that Brick is going to find Osama while he's over there and get the reward. He deserves it. And Osama would be sorry when Brick got ahold of him!

Well, I hope those pictures awaken the patriotic spirit in you. They do for us!

Playtime Champion

While I was working on the laundry today, I felt a little tap on my foot. Joey had crawled in with a bouncy ball and wanted to play.

He begins by issuing a challenge. He throws down the gauntlet and sizes me up with his steely gaze. Am I ready? Can I handle the bouncy ball?
His hands are a blurr as he throws the ball again and again...Just when I think I can take no more, Peek-a-Boo! He is unstoppable.

You have bested me, Joey. Perhaps next time I will be able to compete! I think the champion is now ready to celebrate his victory with a cup of juice and a nap. Until we meet again...

Who are the People in Our Neighborhood?

We are so lucky to live in this awesome neighborhood. What makes it so great, you say? Well, let's take a little walk down Via La Costa and I'll show you...

Well, the Fluhrers live a few doors down.
Trent likes to ride his bike around.
They have the cutest kids you'll ever meet-a;
And Rachel loves salsa from Costa Vida.

Because the Fluhrers are some people in our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood...
They're the people that we meet when we're walking down the street, they're people that we meet each day.







The Jacobs are always working hard;
on their roof, garage or in the yard.
They've dug up their lawn so often,
We think they may have buried a coffin.



Yes the Jacobs are some people in our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood...
They're the people that we meet when we're walking down the street, they're people that we meet each day.











If you want to learn to play piano,
The Morrells is the place to go.
They have fountains and a pond you know.
And Garn shovels everybody's snow.



Yes, the Morrells are some of people in our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood...
They're the people that we meet when we're walking down the street, they're people that we meet each day.






Well, the Izzis live the Air Force lives.
Rene' takes care of the squadron wives.
Brick's flying jets off in Iraq.
We'll be happy when we see him back.
Yes, the Izzis are some people in our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood...
They're the people that we meet when we're walking down the street, they're people that we meet each day.



Carrie Cundiff paints some beautiful art.
Her two daughters will melt your heart.
Kaylee's brunette and Riley's fair.
Their mom knits them pretty scarves to wear.

Yes, the Cundiffs are some people in our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood...
They're the people that we meet when we're walking down the street, they're people that we meet each day.




The Reed's house is the place to be,
For roasting marshmallows or playing Wii.
Jeff puts on the best firework show.
And Ginger used to Rodeo.



Yes, the Reeds are some people in our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood...
They're the people that we meet when we're walking down the street, they're people that we meet each day.






The Gadds live just across the street.
Their kids help keep their yard looking neat.
Steven climbs rocks which is really cool.
And Lesli has her own preschool.
Yes, the Gadds are some people in our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood,
In our neighborhood...
They're the people that we meet when we're walking down the street, they're people that we meet each day.

Hallo! My name is Joseph Moore! You're not my Mommy. Prepare to die!

What can I say, Joey is the happiest, smiley-est baby ever. He is a total mama's boy. I admit it, I love it. He is always wanting to be held. So, now that he is too big for the baby bjorn, I have a sling and a backpack that I carry him around in while I am making dinner or vacuuming or whatever. James and Ben call him my Sycophant. If you've never read the Leven Thumps books, a sycophant is like a little animal who is always holding onto Leven. I think Joey has two reasons for this. He is pretty cuddly and likes me to hug him. And also, he likes to supervise what is going on in the house from a higher viewpoint. Joey loves popcorn, balls, peek-a-boo, clapping, playing crawling hide-and-seek, dogs, his blankey, his brothers, Baby Einstein (especially the BLAH! part), being tickled, giving "fives," mandarin oranges, and going on walks in his stroller. I guess those are all pretty typical baby things. But what is really special about Joey is how happy he always is. I have never had a baby who was laughing and smiling all the time. He is just what we need around here when things get a little stressful.
We took Joey swimming at the indoor place in Kamas last weekend and he loved it. It was so fun to watch him splashing and laughing at his brothers. I can't wait to see how his personality is going to develop as he grows up. ( Not that I want him to grow very fast.) It will be fun to see whether he stays so happy like Andrew, becomes competitive like Ben or a calm peacemaker like James. Or maybe he will turn out totally differently than anyone. I am so glad we decided to have one more baby. He melts my heart with his red hair and sweet smile!

Let's get down to the Nitty-Gritty...Who is this Andrew?

Andrew is a ray of sunshine in our lives. He makes us laugh all the time. Andrew is always happy and the 3-year-old things he says are so funny! Yesterday, we were driving in the car and I asked him if the baby was asleep. He answered matter-of factly, "He is just (s)taring at me because I'm so awesome." Andrew doesn't pronounce his "s" in consonant clusters, so snow is "no", store is "tore" and stupid is "toopid". I hope this never changes. It cracks me up to hear him say such grown-up things and have it still sound like a little guy. Something really cute he says to his dad is, "Dad, us buddies!" He just melts our hearts.
Andrew loves his Raar. They have been best buddies since Andrew was a few weeks old. We have taken Raar to Hawaii, Georgia, California and everywhere else Andrew has gone. I have had to return to stores, friends' houses, church, etc. and organize search parties when we have forgotten this little stinky lion. We bought a lion that looks exactly like him for a back-up, but Andrew will not be fooled by immitations. He calls this guy "(S)cratchy Raar" because he likes scratch the tail with his thumbnail as he falls asleep and he calls the other one "Softy" because his tail is still fluffy.
You may not know that Andrew has a secret identity. He is also (S)pider-man. I can't believe those jammies are still holding together after all the wear and tear they have been through. Andrew loves to shoot webs and fight badguys. He has a crazy imagination and always is on some adventure or another. He loves playing with his brothers, cousins and friends, and everyone always likes to be with him because he is so happy. I hope he never changes.

What is that mysterious ticking noise? Ben, Ben, Ben-ja-min Moore

Well, here is Ben. What a handsome devil! It is actually pretty hard to get a picture of Ben. He is never in one place long enough for me to grab my camera. I love this picture of him. You can get a feel for his mischevious and fun loving personality.
If there is one thing that Ben loves, it is SPORTS!! His favorite is soccer, but this is a picture of him right before he hit THE GAME WINNING HOMERUN IN THE ALLSTAR GAME!! If he was pro, that would be on the front of ESPN the magazine or Sports Illustrated. I know, I am bragging, but it was one of those moments like in "The Natural." Everything was in slow motion and all of the crowd was holding their breath and then, CRACK! It was seriously so awesome. (I know people-especially Dave are going to comment that in the movie, he didn't actually hit a homerun and win the game, but you know what I mean)
Ben is always smiling, laughing or playing. He is always doing something, never just sitting around. Right now, in his room, he has a huge castle set up with blocks, army guys, tanks, knights, pirates, power rangers and about anything else he can find to stage a major battle. Ben loves cub scouts and his soccer teams. He is playing on a Rec team and a Competition team. I love to watch him because he is so serious and intense when he plays. Ben is also a healthfood nut. He would rather eat broccoli or granola than cookies or candy. Don'tcha just love this kid?!

J-Joe-Jeans and some Jellybeans, Let's sing a song about JAMES!

Well, there he is: Handsome James. I mean, really, isn't he going to be a heartbreaker? Watch out, Ladies!
James takes Aikido, but never fear, he'll go easy on you. Thanks to Allison for this picture! He is a great help with his brothers and they love him because he is gentle and soft-spoken and patient. James usually has some kind of animal living in his room. He usually goes for something slithery or slimy. Right now, it is a tadpole he named "Clover." I'll have to post a picture of him. He is starting to grow legs which James thinks is the most awesome thing in the world. James is also getting into scouts. He has all of his Eagle-Required merit badges except for camping. He is going to scout camp this year and is way excited.
James loves to read. He and I have been reading the same books lately. Some of our favorites are the Leven Thumps series and the Ranger's Apprentice series. We have the whole series, and love it! (For those of you who don't know, it's only available in Australia, but Frank pulled some strings with some of his mafia friends and got them for us) James is also really interested in Myths and history. I think he takes after his awesome Uncle Dave.
We are so lucky to have this kind, happy guy in our family. He is always ready with something funny to say and always aware of people's moods. I am so glad to have him here while his dad is traveling. He is a major helper with the little boys and keeping the house in shape. He is also my bodyguard. He's already taller than I am and the Dr. told us at his last appointment that he's projecting James to be at least 6'4"! So, don't mess with this guy!

Frank Moore-or something more?

So, who is Frank Moore? To some, he is an avid sports fan with a jovial wit, but he is much more...
He is my best friend and we have tons of fun together. Noone can make me laugh like Frank. He is a fun, involved dad and does as much with the boys as his schedule will allow. He loves: watching sports--any sport, going on long walks (with a football to throw), golfing any chance he gets, Def Leppard, playing with his blackberry, and watching silly, immature, funny movies which make him laugh like a schoolgirl.
Here is the part where I tell you what Frank does for a living. He claims to be an aftermarket sales manager at FMCTI or Jetway as we call it. He claims that this position requires him to be gone for weeks at a time. He claims that the reason he has multiple passports is because they keep getting filled up. He claims that the reason he gets calls in the middle of the night is because of time zone differences. Is he simply a traveling salesman? An overworked slave to the corporate world? Or is he an INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY? You put together the pieces...

Franklin, be-have!

Oh, the Tom-foolery!

Well, when James came in today, he asked me about our new bumper-sticker. I wonder how long that has been there? I have a suspicion that it was Allison who stuck it on my mini-van, but it is still just a hunch. I will need some hard evidence.

Seriously, April Fools is the funnest time of year. I will get a picture of the funny outfit James and Ben put on Allison's dog and post it.

Will the madness never end?

Funny Business

Cupcakes for dinner? Wait a second...These taste just like meatloaf with colored mashed-potatoes on them. APRIL FOOLS!!

Home again, Home again, Jiggidy-Jig!

Our big news is that we got Mimi and Ed home from their mission to Croatia! We are all so glad to have them back.

Everyone helped get the house decorated for them. It's hard to see all the yellow ribbons in this picture, but there were hundreds of them in the trees and bushes.

Andrew and Jack were sleepy at the airport, but happy to see their Grandpa, Ed again!