I didn't make these 2 but I'm still taking credit.

Cute can be learned, right? I know there's the whole nature vs nurture debate, but I'd like to think the cute crept into my neices using both methods. Yes, they were born adorable, but they keep getting cuter, and I'd like to think I'm indirectly responsible for that. I think they're sucking all the cute out of me and hogging it for their ownselves. But that's okay, it looks much better on them anyway.

As many of you might know, I have been pretty busy these past two weeks because Abby and baby Mary were down from Maine and we've had a lot going on, the big event being the dual birthday party for Echo turning 3 and baby Mary turning 2.  Since we had all the family in town (except for my hubby Bobby who was in Tiawan), we had some professional pictures done since who knows when we'll all be in one spot again.

Mom and Dad are in front and in the back row are Abby, myself, and Shrimp

Add in some hubbies and babies....

and finally Aunt Ellen and Uncle Ken complete the picture! That's a whole lot of blond.

I love these pictures. I don't think we've ever had a family photo with mom and dad before so this was a pretty momentous occasion.

But Shrimp had also wanted Echo's 3 year pictures to be a little more casual so a few weeks ago, we headed to Ft. De Soto beach to take some pictures. After seeing them, Abby decided to have baby Mary's pictures taken there also. So last night, Abby and Mary's last night in Florida, we all headed to the beach. Just us 3 girls plus the 2 little girls right at sunset; it was perfect. It made me miss my mom though and wished she hadn't run back to Tennessee and missed this. We figure when she said she had to get back home 'because of her garden' it was code for 'if I spend one more minute with you ho's I'm going to kill either you or myself with my new Smother with Love pillow (patent pending)'. You missed out, mom!

And I will own up right now that it took hundreds (about 700) of pictures to get a few (about 150) good ones but here are the top winners:





This one is my favorite of baby Mary



They are getting so big. You don't really notice it as much until you see the pictures and they don't look like babies anymore. Happy birthdays, Echo and Mary! I hope you stay cute until you turn into teenagers and then ugo up so we don't have to worry about boys so much.  Love you both!