OBX 2010

This year's trip to the Outer Banks was everything a beach vacation should be. It was filled with hot sunny days in the ocean, lazy afternoons at the pool, great food, crazy cousins, and lots of fun memories.

Spending time with all the Mattingley cousins is one of the best things about the beach. The kids look forward to "cousin time" all year. With 16 cousins to choose from, everyone manages to find some sort of mischief, I mean, fun.

Lauren loved collecting shells this year. Sitting in the shade with Grandpa, looking at the shells came in a close second.

Jackson loved playing in the ocean. He's getting pretty good at body surfing, and loved riding the waves up onto the shore.

Dallin sported several different "looks" this year at the beach. This is a suit I bought for him last year, it has built in floaties--too bad it's about 2 sizes too small. He cracked everyone up with his, um... physique.

Yes, we look forward to our beach trip all year long--and we were not disappointed.

Luke's Blessing

Luke Carter Mattingley

blessed June 13, 2010

The night before Luke's blessing, Joel and I lay in bed talking about the next day. Joel pointed out that it is the beginning of the end. Wow! That sounds ominous! But he was right, we are starting a stage of life where we will be doing things for the very last time. Most likely, this is the last time that I will dress a sweet little baby in white, and watch my husband tenderly name and bless him. Knowing that, made Luke's blessing day even more special for our little family. We were blessed to share the day with family and friends, and we are so thankful to everyone who travelled to be here with us.

The Mattingley bunch--all members are present and accounted for.

Taking pictures after the blessing is always an adventure. Getting this many people together and smiling AND looking at the camera is a pretty tall order...

...well, we almost made it. What a good looking crew.

Happy Birthday Claire!

For Claire's birthday this year, we spent the day celebrating with two of Claire's favorite things: bubbles & cake!

The kids had a blast with their new bubble wands, and Claire was in bubble heaven. She chased everyone down, laughing and popping as many as she could catch. It was a fun afternoon.

When everyone was "bubbled" out, we headed in for presents and cake. Claire loved her new dress ups, and her new bike. She spent the rest of her birthday cruising around the kitchen. And yes, she is in only a diaper--what can I say, she REALLY enjoyed her cupcake.

Spring Recap

So what happens after you bring home your fifth baby? Absolutely nothing! Well, actually that's not true, lots of things are happening, there's just no time to blog about it. So here is a recap of the last two months since Luke was born...

This spring, Lauren returned for another season of Mighty Mites soccer. What a difference a year makes! You may recall that last year soccer involved a lot of tears and drama, but this time she loved it. She has discovered her inner athlete, and loves to chase down the ball, and steal it from the other kids. She is really fast, and is already looking forward to soccer and T-ball in the fall.

Luke survived his first few days at home. Lauren and Claire kept a constant vigil beside his swing, running to him anytime he made the slightest sound. Luke proved to be up to the challenge of 4 "loving" big brothers and sisters, and slept through it all. So far, Luke is very laid back. He doesn't seem to mind being poked, patted, hugged, and kissed.

He doesn't get much floor time, but he does love hanging out in his swing.

We also had two preschool graduations this year. Lauren's favorite part was throwing her cap up into the air after the program, and eating cake. (of course!)

Dallin's class also did a great job, singing songs and telling about their year in preschool. Not surprising, Dallin's favorite part of preschool was "snacktime."

Thanks Miss Tonya, and Miss Melissa!

No spring in the Mattingley house would be complete without a trip to the strawberry patch. The kids love picking strawberries, and this year was extra special because they got to go with Dad. They returned stained and sticky, and we spent the rest of the afternoon making our favorite strawberry freezer jam. The kids were a great help this year, crushing berries and measuring sugar.

Jackson took over stirring the pectin this year.

We made 32 pints of jam in all, and we can't wait to enjoy it for the rest of the year!