Orchids or Kids, I'll take both!

I just love the serene settings at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens (and it's free!!) It was decorated for the Chinese New Year 2009: Year of the Ox. We caught the tail end of this exhibit, it ends on the 28th. It is just amazing what they can do with plants and flowers!

They had tons of
my favorite flowers,
the Orchid.

There was also a lovely Coy pond, all three of my girls were climbing the fence
to get a good "look see."

The girls are a handful each time we go
(Elizabeth has taken a liking to running a muck),
it might be easier if I didn't try to take picutres.

I'm glad I weathered the storm.

I got to have my Orchids...
and kids too.

**Tea Party**

We finally had the "long awaited" tea party Brianna has been anxiously anticipating and repetitively inquiring about...

The party attendants were her friends Katie and Emma, her cousin Fiona, sisters Kaitlynn and Elizabeth.

We mustn't forget the "nosey" guest, Rusty, the human dog.

Everybody dressed for the occasion. We had fancy plates, refreshing H2O (no worries with spills), and some chocolate chip cookies.

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE tea parties!

2009 Valentine

For Valentines day, 2009, we were visiting family in Salt Lake City.Aunt Drea thought it would be sweet for all the girls cousins to get a long stem red rose from all the boy cousins. At this visit there were just the perfect ratio of girl to boy cousins. Elizabeth was quick to break her longstem rose and before the night was over almost all the Porter girl's roses were either short stem or decapitated.

A Valentines to Remember!

3 out of 4, Dentist agrees he likes Porter children

Ok, so I'm not sure if this is really such a great thing to post about since it will reflect poorly on my parenting skilz.

We went to the dentist last week to find out that three out of our four children needed some work ranging from very mild to semi-extreme.
Today we did the work on all three*...
and are now anxiously awaiting our Income tax returns!
Although we still have coverage through the military there are some overpriced expenses (sedatives) which are not covered that had to be paid for TODAY.

We learned a few years ago that it is easier on everyone involved if our child(ren) is/are medicated for dental work. This is also my opinion, Greg would differ on the "everyone" part. He had a very tough time watching sedation effects on his then three year old son. This time he was dreading having Elizabeth (his precious baby, almost 18 months) go under. He didn't sleep well, not that he does anyway. He has now announced that it was better to go in prepared for the worst because then it wasn't so bad.

We were told that the children would probably sleep the rest of the day away.
I got gypped, I want my money back!! OK, how about half?

*Kaitlynn is our "NO cavities" winner this round. Yea!! Kaitlynn!!! I think she was glad too.

A Reading Rainbow

Today as I picked my son up from school, this magnificent rainbow left a trail of color to his school. I only had my iPhone on me so this is the best picture I could get. If I was a true photographer I would have a camera around my neck at all times (I'd probably have a really great camera too).

One day this picture may impress my son, today I'll share it with you.

Knowledge is golden!