One Year Ago...(Our Wedding September 1st)

The flower girl and the ring bearer.

Me and grandpa.

My gramps walking me down the aisle.

Ethan getting down with his bad self. (I think the expensive tux rental was on the ground somewhere. : )

The Ceremony site.

Lets get this party swingin'!

The site just after dusk.

The cake was monogramed with our initials.

One of the Maids of Honor, my friend Natalia.

Mommy's dilly, dilly (silly, silly) grrrl...

Ready for her close-up!

This is what Grandma Reiff and Aunt Whitney do when I leave her alone with them!! Put enormously large bows on her head and have a fashion show. Bella posed her hand under her chin by herself, obviously loving ever minute of it!

Ever heard the expression "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water"?

Well, this version is "Don't throw your child out with the yard waste", a statement, more than anything, of how much yard waste we actually had (whoops!). Ethan kept complaining that the leaves were "scratchy" but I just told him to hold still and smile until I got the right shot, which explains the forced smile.

Our anniversary trip to Sausalito/San Fransisco

We stayed at the Hilton in the financial District. We had a balcony and veiw of coit tower and the Bay. Could also see Alcatraz Island in the bay.


Sausalito park. The ocean is right beyond those trees.


The marina in Sausalito.

Summer Loves Steve

He's my best friend. When we spend time together, whether watching a movie or just laying on the bed talking, we feel so familiar to each other. Friends and lovers and soul mates by choice. I see now how beautiful marriage can be.

My Little Angel Baby

Nothing more beautiful than a sweetly sleeping baby!!

My Birthday

My parents and family took me to Cheesecake factory for my birthday (Steve was out of town). The food there is SO yumgorious I am not beyond making up excuses to go back (uh, isn't it almost time to celebrate my un-birthday?) The only scary thing about this birthday (my 26th) is the realization that I am now on the countdown to- dun, dun, dun, 30!!! (Scream)

Do you Fandango?

My mom decided to have a surprise puppet show for Kaitlan's birthday. She made a stage and then made a fandango puppet that represented each member of our family (the puppets are very accurate portrayals- down to what we wear, even). It was an improv show, so anyone could get up at any time, choose from the selection of puppets and impersonate another family member(s). Well, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to make fun of each other's quirks (as only family members would know) and the skits had us belly laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes. There is a video of the entire thing that I will try to post as soon as I get my hands on it. (These are even better if you enlarge the pictures to see the details)



Here is Steve (note the glasses and spikey hair that comes up in the center!), Ethan and me. Bella is on me under the blanket (wearing a bow, of course).



Then we have Whitney and Louie. Note Whitney's diamond ring and Coach bag (two of her favorite obsessions). Louie is wearing a motor sports tee.



Kaitlan and Taylor. Kaitlan is rocking a retro bohemian shirt and earrings (so Kaitlan) and Taylor is wearing his usual- an American Eagle shirt with Abercrombie shorts (updated to the seasons latest style, of course).

Then we have dad and mom. My dad is wearing a retro flannel shirt that really isn't retro because it actually was purchased in the 80's. And he's still wearing it. No detail was spared, hence the two band-aids on each cheek. Dad has to have non-malignant skin cancer removed so frequently that band-aids have practically become a fixture on his face. So hot, dad. And I gotta laugh at the ginormous shell used for his nose. My mom made these puppets and she didn't hold back!!!

And lastly, The Family Portrait.

Immortalized forever in...paper bag.

Bella's Blessing

Here's my little angel cakes on her blessing day. She is wearing a 100 year old dress originally worn by great grandpa Yeager when he was christened. Grandma Pink and her daughters were also blessed in it, making Bella the fourth generation to wear it. Grandma Reiff made the bow and pearl bracelet.

Bella was blessed by her daddy with papas Fink and Reiff and uncles Louie, Ryan and Gabe standing in the circle along with the bishopric.

Afterward, the entire family came back to our house for lunch and aunt Jenna took these priceless pictures of Bella (plus many more). It was a great day with the family.

Isn't this what childhood is all about?!!

It started out with Ethan wanting to "cook" something (which means stir something) and since I didn't need to cook anything at the moment I just gave him a bowl with some flour and oil for him to mix on the kitchen floor. He began by keeping the spoon low in the bowl the way I taught him but soon (realizing that I had left the kitchen) resorted to more entertaining methods of cooking: "flipping", "flinging" and "spreading". He had a small little pile of flour on the floor around the bowl when I checked him next. Then, when I noticed him starting to get bored, I decided to sacrifice a dump truck in exchange for five more minutes peace. Well that was just tops for him, as he is currently fascinated with dump trucks, but after a few minutes he began complaining that his truck couldn't scoop anything more because the flour had spread out too thin and asked if he could dump the bowl over on the floor. "Oh, alright", I said, seeing his point that a flour mountain would be much funner with a truck than flour dust. Well as you can see, the thing about flour is it doesn't stay in one place so you have to keep getting more...and that's just what I did. "What the heck", I thought, "isn't this what childhood is all about?" as I pulled my flour container out of the cabinet and began dumping it on the floor. Pretty soon Ethan was ice skating, and then, probably with reasons only a three year old would understand, became a dancing "squirrel" and began singing about the next upcoming adventure he's been looking forward to; "I'm so berry excited to go to grandma Reiff's and swim" and five more minutes turned into an hour. The play culminated in the making of "flour angels" (as you see in the picture) with one highly satisfied little boy, having fulfilled the daily goal of all little boys (to get dirty) and ready for a nap!

Oh No! There cannot be a bow too large!

Grandma Reiff (my mom) began conceptualizing an entire line of handmade bows as soon as I told her I was having a girl. Visions of flowers, lace and BLING kept her awake some nights. She was a woman possessed- "all things girl" became her mode of operation. And while I was complaining about how much I hated being pregnant, she was casing specialty stores, stocking supplies and creating a vast empire of hair bow production called "Bella's Bows" (to which my two sisters shortly became slave laborers). I am told that the gears are churning yet again and the line will be branching out to include...bracelets! This may require an even larger workforce. (Perhaps my dad and brother will now be forced, I mean, invited, to participate.) I am glad I live far away (but close enough to receive weekly installments of each new design, of course!!)

Where Ethan gets his protein

Ethan said "Look mom, a bug!" I said "Hold on, I'll get it."

He Said "No, I don't want you to get it". So I didn't, figuring he

wanted to look at it or something. A few minutes later I heard

(in a somewhat quieter voice) "I ate it". "WHAT?!!" "I ate

the bug". "You put it in your mouth??" "Yes". "Well, spit it out". "I can't,

it went down the drain". "What drain?" "The drain of my mouth".

(His throat)

Look Mommy what I made for you!

Try some, you'll love it!

Salon de Kaitlan

Ethan at Swim Lessons

There's my pretty girl

Oh look, it's the Mid-morning Cry...

Which directly follows the Morning Cry, then the Early Morning Cry and, of course, the Wee Hours Cry.

What?!!! Did somebody just say something about a milk shortage?!?!?

love it.

Ethan at Grandma Reiff's pool (on Uncle Taylor's back).

Ethan and Aunt Whitney

At Whitney's house

Does Grandma Reiff approve of this??

Apparently it's a hair bow by day...eye shade by night.

Ethan fishing in his new pool

She's Here...!!!

Isabella Catherine Fink
May 21st
7lbs, 9oz

Ethan's Room is Finally Finished!!

With the exception of a large picture of Ethan playing in the sand in his swim trunks which will hang over his bed (where the fan is now) and a new rattan lamp, the room is finished!! The whole thing is Grandma Reiff's plan and creation. Thanks Grandma!!!