RED GROVER, RED GROVER!

A Party for Bubsy!

2012-02-13T14:16:00.013-07:00

We had so much fun celebrating our sweet girls first birthday! I'm pretty sure that her big sisters think ANY reason to get cupcakes and ice cream is good enough for them! But they talked about Avery's birthday all week and were so excited to have a couple chances to celebrate their little sis!

Her actual birthday (Wednesday) was pretty low-key, just us and some cupcakes! She sure was a happy girl, though! Then again, she's always a happy girl!

She was pretty unsure about her first cupcake and played with it more than actually tasting it! But that's all the fun, right?!

Then on Saturday, we had a little party for her with our family members that were able to join us! It was a great chance for the cousins to get together and play and to give Avery some extra special attention! And of course mom had lots of fun decorating and making cake!

(the decorations)

(caramel popcorn)

I seriously cracked up the entire time I was making the little toothpick pictures for the cupcakes. They look straight out of Jib Jab, like they should stand up and start dancing at any second! So funny!

I also attempted the rainbow cake that is all the rage right now, and made homemade cream cheese frosting to layer and top it with -- YUM! It turned out pretty good and it sure impressed the kids, so hey, I'll take that! I even got Chris to help me with the cake! It was his idea to freeze all the layers before assembling it, because they are so thin and fall apart so easily! He's a smart one, that guy!

All in all, it was a FUN day spent with the ones we love, celebrating the most adorable, special one-year-old I know! Nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids happy and doing fun things with them and for them!

Happy birthday, sweet girl! Love you to pieces!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Bubsy Boo-Boo!

2012-02-08T13:25:00.006-07:00

Today is Avery's first birthday! That's right, our little babe is ONE!! Happy Birthday sweetness!

As we were laying in bed last night, I told Chris that at that moment a year ago, I was nervously and anxiously awaiting Avie's arrival, hoping and praying that everything would go smooth and she would arrive safe and sound. And with humble gratitude I reflect on today a year ago when she DID arrive safe and sound. She was perfect on that day, and is even more perfect now! I could just burst with the love I feel for our little precious girl! She has been such a peaceful, happy influence in our family and there's not a doubt in my mind she was meant to come to us!

Things to remember about our Avery Ryenne:

Nicknames that have evolved over the past year--Bubsy, Avie-Aves, Avies, Avie-girl, Boo-Boo, Tinker. The girls call her Avie and I love that!

Big, alert eyes, right from birth!

Auburn hair, auburn curls, and a swirly cowlick right above her forehead.

Chubby, chubby! Cheeks and legs are the squishiest!

Great and excited eater. And loves to throw her food on the floor too!

Favorite words to say right now are "dada" and "yeah". Also, whenever I say "cheeese" to take a picture of her, she says, "eeeeee!!"

Loves the bath. Splashes like CRAZY!

8 teeth and beautiful grin!

Went from army crawling to regular crawling to now getting around on her hands and feet!

Has taken a few steps at a time. Wants to walk REAL bad!

Sleeps wonderfully -- down from 8:30-8:30, nap at 11:00, nap at 2:30. Still sleeps with a binky, but has also discovered the fun of throwing it over the edge of her crib and then cries because she wants it back!

Just learned how to go DOWN the stairs (thank goodness)! It's no fun going up if you can't get down!

Loves to play upstairs with her big sisters. Loves to do ANYTHING with her big sisters. Loves to laugh at them. Loves to follow them. Loves to steal their toys. They don't love that so much!

Just started in her forward facing car seat. LOVES it! And loves to get my attention so I'll look back at her. She's proud as punch!

Melted our hearts the day she was born. Has melted out hearts every single day since then. Literally every day.

Peacemaker.

Special spirit.

Laughs easy.

Loves to clap.

Loves to see Grandma and Grandpa on Skype.

Obsessed with our printer. And the paper. Probably need to move that up!

Loves to climb, especially up mom and dad. Like a little monkey!

Hates sitting still. She is soooo squirmy and ready to move all the time. It makes church real hard these days!

Avie-girl, we love you so much. Every single one of us! You make your sisters laugh. You make your mom and dad smile and melt and turn into putty! You bring joy, even to the strangers you encounter, with your curious smile and infectious nature! You have been a beautifully content and easy and happy baby since you were born. You don't ask for too much, just want your deserved attention so that you can give US your love! You are so special to us. You were prayed to our family for so many years and when you came, you fit so perfectly. PERFECTLY! I feel so bonded to your little spirit, drawn to your charm and happiness, to the point that I can't wait every day to see you when you wake up! A person should not be so lucky to have a girl like you! Thank you for making our lives so blessed by your place in our family!

We hope you have a special day today, Boo-boo! You deserve it, even though you have NO idea that it's even your special day! Happy birthday!!

More to come on the festivities!

(And she was DONE with this photo shoot!)

Family Pics

2012-02-02T15:36:00.011-07:00

This is old and I've posted a few on here already at Christmas time, but we got some family pics done a few months ago and I was so happy with the photographer! Her name is Kelley Howe and she did such a good job.

Mind you, it was the most FREEZING day we had had in weeks (of course) and the wind was blowing like CRAZY! I was positive we would all look like we were caught in a tornado and hair would be flying everywhere (we have a LOT of hair in this family)! But she managed to work her magic and we are really happy with the results now hanging all throughout the house!

Here are a few from our latest shoot! I love the colors -- the look so bright and vibrant! Props to Mrs. Howe -- especially with our 3 unpredictable kids! And props to our kids this time! They were really good, for the most part, even though they were freezing and some of the backgrounds were a bit uncomfortable! Such troopers! Whew, always glad when we can get this done and over with!

11 months and counting!

2012-01-13T12:08:00.007-07:00

Good gracious, in less than a month, this little chicky will be ONE YEAR OLD!!

Anyway, before that happens, she turned 11 months old a few days ago, so I'll give a few updates before the big day comes in a few weeks!

Still happy as can be. I hope this NEVER changes! I don't know how I would survive without the permanent grin she gives out so freely every single day! I'm an addict for it!

She has 7 teeth -- 4 on bottom, 3 on top.

HATES, HATES, HATES having anything in her hair. The second I put any kind of headband on, she is ripping it off, or pulling it down to suck on it. I've given up!

She is the busiest busy body! She is in constant motion! She doesn't have a lot of time for cuddling, which makes me sad, but I love watching her curious excitement for anything she can get her hands on! It sure keeps me on my toes, especially when her sisters seem to drop everything on the floor!

She crawls at turbo speed these days and is VERY quick to get into everything! But her favorite thing is to walk around, holding onto furniture, legs, whatever she can balance on. She has gotten really good at getting around that way, as long as she has something to hold on to. She has started taking steps while holding on to one of our fingers, so maybe she'll be walking soon? She also can stand on her own for a few seconds at a time. Loves to crawl in and through the legs of our dining chairs, but hates when she gets herself stuck!

She is sleeping wonderfully through the night, but is trying to give up her morning nap. She'll still take one, but it usually takes her 20-30 minutes to go to sleep. Afternoon naps are much better.

Loves her sisters so much and follows them around everywhere!

Is getting a bit pickier about food. She'll eat most things, but doesn't seem to care too much for bananas or peaches. She has discovered the joy of throwing every piece of food off of her tray and onto the floor. Maybe she really does like bananas, but she likes watching them hit the floor more! Whenever we say, "no, no, no" to her little antics, she just laughs!

Is too busy to ever get her diaper changed. We practically have to pin her down or she is doing everything in her power to squirm away! It drives me crazy!!

Is growing some really pretty auburn curls -- mullet-style of course! It's all in the back!

Is BY FAR the chunkiest baby we've had! She is so rolly and squishy and I am in love with it! Her thighs are rolliest of all, but her cheeks are a close second! Can't get enough of all that kissable chub!!

She has a sparkle and a joy about her that is contagious and special. I am so grateful for the JOY she brings to my days. She has no idea how much I need that from her and how much it brightens my life! What a blessing!

We are so in love with our Avie-girl and look forward to celebrating her first year really soon! For now, happy 11 months, Boo-boo!

Some decorating

2012-01-09T11:50:00.009-07:00

There are rooms in our house that have been seriously neglected for the past couple of years! We have this really great room above our garages that we use as the kids play room. It is such a cute room, but it's upstairs and it has always been that room that I don't care what it looks like because I never have to see it! Therefore, it is usually totally trashed and messy and I don't care too much because it's upstairs where it doesn't bother me! Lame excuse, I know, but doesn't everyone have that room in their house?!

Anyway, I decided such a cute room should not go to waste the way I have let it, so it was time to do some work! Nothing major. I'm totally over painting. It's too much work and I get bored with the colors too quickly anyway. So, I found this new trick that I am IN LOVE with! Fabric on the walls! Yep, it is the easiest, simplest way to make a statement on the walls. No mess. Cheap -- just the cost of fabric. And the best part? When you get sick of it, you just pull it right off, leaving no trace of anything ever being there! You see what I'm saying?! It's the BEST!

So, anyway, with this new trick, I decided to make a big statement on the biggest wall of the room. I wanted to give it the feel of the kids sitting under trees, reading their books. Doesn't that just sound fun -- especially in the winter when they can't go sit under the trees to read?! I LOVE how it turned out! I wanted very whimsical looking trees and I think it fits the look I was going for! And mostly, I love that the kids love it! They about died when they saw it! There were so many "ooh's" and "ahhh's" that it made me smile!Instead of shelves for the books, I kept them all at a level the kids could easily reach (and clean up) and made a long row of rain gutters under the trees to hold the books. Yep, that's right, rain gutters. Again, simple. Cheap. And I think they look SOOOOO much cuter than a regular old book shelf! (Thanks so much, Debbie, for the brilliant idea!) That might be my favorite feature of the room! It is my favorite thing to go up there and find the girls sitting in their little chairs or on the floor, under the "trees", reading their stories! Just exactly what I envisioned in my head for this room!The rest of the room is divided up into areas -- a little sitting nook at the top of the stairs, a movie area, with bean bags and sleeping bags and a little tv that the kids can watch movies together on. They love being able to go have little "movie parties" up there together! We added lots of organized storage with containers designated for all the various toys. At the other end of the room, we have their kitchens and tables and chairs for arts and crafts. They have their tent and teepee in another area where they like to go hide out and play. (The teepee was a Christmas gift this year from my SIL, Debbie -- it is so cute and the girls LOVE it!) The girls have gotten really good at putting everything back in it's place. I think it has really given them a sense of ownership over that room and their toys and it has taught them how to clean and take care of their things, instead of just throwing everything all over the place. I love that! Kaiya will come down almost on a daily basis and tell Chris or I to come upstairs because she has a surprise for us. She has us close our eyes, then leads us into the room to show us how it is all cleaned up! I love it!

And then for decoration, I have these tissue poms hanging everywhere in the room. These are a favorite. So easy to make, so big and colorful, and all it costs is a package of tissue!I'm really happy with how it all turned out, but mostly happy with the effect it has had on the girls and taking better care of things. That room has gone from being the room I never wanted to see, to the room that I love to go up and spend time in with the kids! Such a peaceful, happy, cheerful room now! I am probably going to add a little flower garden out of fabric, maybe some little birds for the trees, but it is mostly done! And in the coming years when that room becomes a bedroom or we decide to use it for different purposes, I can just go pull the fabric down and change it all up all over again!

While I was busy with the fabric, I decided to add a few touches to Avery's room as well. I added this collection of circles on the wall by her crib and I think it really adds so much personality to the room! I love that there is so much to look at in that room for little Avery. Who needs a boring mobile when you have such fun and busy bedding and so much to look at on your walls?! I also added this ribbon chandelier above her dresser and the "A". Both were made from embroidery hoops that I got at DI and painted and spruced up. Added some ribbon and there you go! Whenever I get Avery up and out of the crib, she loves to have me run her head through all the ribbons as she tries to grab them all!So, very, very simple changes that have made such a HUGE difference in these neglected rooms! I can take it easy for awhile before the next big ideas start swimming in my head! I can see Chris sighing as I write this!

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed!

2011-12-30T20:01:00.015-07:00

To sum up the last few weeks, it has been such Happy Holidays around these parts! Truly, we have felt the Spirit, felt an abundance of love in our home, and been warmed by the thoughts and kind gestures of so many others! We are so blessed!

I won't try and recap ALL the details (just some). Suffice it to say, we had a simply sweet Christmas Eve and a wonderful Christmas day! With none of my extended family close by this year, it was just the 5 of us on Christmas Eve. I have to say, I loved it! It was purposefully simple and really, really happy. We made and decorated cookies early in the day. Kaiya was VERY into this. She had been talking for weeks about Santa's tummy being grumbly and how we HAD to have lots of cookies for him. So we made lots!

That night we decided to eat out at one of our favorite restaurants because again, SIMPLE...and mom didn't feel like cooking! We went on our traditional Christmas Eve drive to see lights and Kaiya spotted Santa heading into someone's house (probably for a party of some kind). She was quite distressed about it and covered her eyes and said, "I don't want to see Santa! He won't bring me presents if I see him!!" She was convinced it was actually him! Too funny! We came home and worked on our love stockings (by far, one of my favorite traditions from when I was growing that we do in our family now),

put on our Christmas jammies,

had hot chocolate and treats and popcorn while watching Frosty. Then we read the Christmas story and talked about how much Jesus means to each of us. Another of my favorite things to do. We listened to Grandma and Grandpa read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" in their recorded book, put our cookies and glass of milk under the tree (that's where Kaiya designated it should go so Santa would be sure to find it),

and went outside to throw our reindeer food in the grass so they would be sure to have something to eat while Santa worked.

Then after the girls went to bed, Chris and I watched National Lampoons together while wrapping presents and constructing a few things. It was a really nice and quiet and perfect evening!

(This picture kills me -- look at Tay and Avery making the EXACT same face! Sisters for sure!)

Christmas day started bright and early as the girls snuck into our room to ask if Santa had come, still too nervous that they might see him if they went out to see for themselves! We had a blast opening presents and I am happy to say we were really successful this year in our choices for the kids -- they loved everything!
It was so, so nice to have Christmas on Sunday this year and to be able to go to church. Our choir put on the most beautiful program and I was grateful for the added measure of the Spirit to think about our Savior. Afterwards, we drove to Chris' parents house and spent the rest of the day/evening enjoying being with our family. Delicious dinner (Chris' mom always works so hard and puts together the most yummy spread), and a chance to visit. We opened more presents there and then drove home all tuckered out, but very happy! I really loved Christmas this year! So much!(The reality of what 90% of our pictures really look like!)We really missed my parents as they serve their mission. We had lots of moments of "I wonder what mom and dad are doing right now" or "Remember last year when we were doing [this] or [that] with mom and dad?" But it is also such a blessing to be able to share our love and sentiments across the miles. We felt of their love so strong and hope they felt ours in return. We know they and we have received such abundant blessings from their service and we are so grateful for their example. I missed my siblings a lot too. I was fortunate to be able to spend some time with my sister and to have my oldest brother fly into Utah for a quick trip and meet him for dinner one evening. We also had a visit from one of Chris' sisters that lives out of state and her family. So, those visits with family members were cherished and I'm grateful for any chance I get to spend with the ones we love.

We have been sooo lucky to have Chris home A LOT over the last few weeks! He had some extra days to take off, in addition to what he already had off, so it has been almost a full two weeks of our honey! We have been soooo spoiled! I don't know what I'm going to do when he has to go back to work :( We have had lazy days, fun days, busy days, and very happy days with him around! Life is just BETTER and more fun and more exciting and more sweet when daddy is home! We are cherishing this time with him!

So, I'll end with some pictures and my heart full of happy memories from our Christmas this year! Hope yours was wonderful as well!

Merry, Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T12:53:00.002-07:00

Well, since we failed to get a Christmas card out in the mail this year (LAME!), this is our Christmas wishes to all of you!

MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS
to all and may your new year be BLESSED!

Thank you for your friendships and relationships -- we cherish each one!

We love you!

Chris, Karli, Kaiya, Taylor & Avery

Temple Square

2011-12-20T10:47:00.007-07:00

It just wouldn't be Christmas without a visit to Temple Square! This year was really fun because we got to meet Brad and Annie there and the kids were so excited to see their aunt and uncle! They are always sooooo fun to be around and we love every chance we get to see them!

This year, because of some errands we had to run before we got to Temple Square, we ended up getting there early, before it was dark.

So, we decided to go to the Visitor's Center, which we never do because it is always so crowded. But because it was early enough, there was hardly anyone there and we spent about an hour just walking around and taking in all the beautiful paintings and videos. It really got us in the mood and helped us to be mindful of the Savior. What a beautiful spirit is in that place! We especially loved the opportunity to visit the Christus statue. The girls were so enthralled. It was really sweet. Kaiya asked what was on Christ's hands. So, we talked about His Atonement and how He died on the cross and ever since then, all she talks about is Christ's "owies" and how she is sad that He got hurt. She is so precious!

The lights were magical this year and we kept saying how we could swear there were WAY more lights this year than in years past! It was a really fun night! We had a yummy dinner with Brad and Annie and then head home, having had a REALLY great evening! I always love this tradition, even if it is freezing cold and crowded. It just makes Christmas!

Festivities

2011-12-13T11:35:00.013-07:00

What a FUN and busy season we are having! Almost no time to blog about it! But of course, these are the things that I will always want to remember, and therefore, I have to make the time to write them down!

This past weekend certainly got us VERY much into the Christmas spirit (even though we were already very full of the joy of the season)!! On Friday night, we took our kids to a live Nativity at a little farm outside of town. It was one of the coolest things I think we have done this year, if not ever, for Christmas. Picture a small farm. Very old and a little run-down. Wooden barns and stables and pens. It was a really cold night, but the owners had large tin fire pits set up all over the farm to warm up your hands. Hot chocolate available if you needed it! The only price to get in were cans of food that will be donated. (How cool is that?!) A very small little venue with not too many people. Just a little something that the owners of this farm do for the love of Christmas every year. No profit for them, but those of us that were able to attend -- how much we benefited from their efforts! Anyway, back to the setting. It was so humble and sweet and small and intimate. Really and truly how I imagine the setting for the birth of our Savior. It was really the closest I have ever felt to what that special scene might have been like.

As we walked inside this small, little stable, our kids immediately ran over to pet the sheep and the donkeys and the goats. Just a very few of them, and they were very calm and let our kids get really close.

In fact, Taylor even told one of the donkeys some secrets right into his ear!

It was really quiet inside and peaceful and calm. Really, I was surprised at how peaceful the atmosphere was. Even our kids were unusually calm and quiet. A very special spirit in that humble little place. Then back in the corner, a small manger full of hay and a tiny doll wrapped up tight. Close by, sat actors portraying Mary and Joseph and the Shepherds, along with the 3 Wise Men. Nobody spoke, but there was a lot of smiling. My heart was so touched that I got choked up. I knelt down next to Kaiya, who was particularly tuned in to what was happening. She is always so close to the Spirit and so aware of things that are meaningful. We had a good, quiet talk about what the scene was about. She identified all the things that we have been reading about in the scriptures and I think it really helped it all to come to life for her. The woman playing Mary motioned for Kai to come up and get a closer look at the babe. She very timidly did and with eyes big and wide, whispered to me that it was Baby Jesus! It was one of those tender moments that I will always cherish in my heart. As we made our way back outside, we were surprised by a camel named Moses who was quite big and we were very certain was going to spit on us! But he behaved and the girls thought he was pretty incredible!

Then we walked around and saw all the other animals in the pens and stables -- cows, horses, chickens, sheep, goats, etc. Finally, we got to take a horse drawn hay ride around the farm that was authentically bumpy and the girls giggled the whole way!

As we left, we took one more peek inside the stable at baby Jesus and his family, as per Kai's request, and left with freezing hands, but hearts warmed by the Spirit of what this time of year REALLY is about.

I am sooooo thankful we got to have this experience. I know it sounds like a typical Christmas outing. But there was just something so special about it. The scene was so humble and so sweet and so simple. Nothing like the hustle and bustle of shopping and parties and gifts, though those are all wonderful parts of the season too. But for our family, to have this authentic, quiet reminder of what really brings us Joy during Christmas and always -- the Savior, Jesus Christ -- it meant so much to me. And to be there with my little family, the ones I love the most, just meant that much more! I felt grateful for the efforts of a few, to share their farm, to organize such a sweet event, to bring focus and perspective back to Christ in a world that often forgets Him. I want to send them a note to let them know how much it meant to us. And I want to put this event on our calendars FIRST thing next Christmas, to make sure we don't miss it! What a perfectly special, memorable night!

The next morning, we had our ward Christmas breakfast that -- it was fun and yummy food!

That night, we sent our kids with a sitter to our neighbors house so that we could host our second annual Christmas party here at our house! It was such a FUN, FUN night! We (or maybe I should say "I") really love doing this party. Chris is such a willing sport and helps out so much, even when my ideas and my plans become BIGGER than what he would necessarily care for! Hehe! And maybe next year, I will remember to pull my camera out DURING the party to capture our friends! Anyway, we had a great turn out of our friends and neighbors. Such fun and great people that live around here! I did the hot chocolate bar again -- with so many yummy mix-ins!

And everyone else brought such yummy food to share! We did our white elephant exchange, which is always absolutely hilarious and unpredictable! My face was hurting so bad because of all the laughing! All I can say is underwear with butt pads to give you that firm, plump behind you always wanted?! Sooo funny! So, I would say that it was another successful, fun party and we look forward to making this a tradition! Hopefully our guests would agree!

**As a side note, I did a TON of baking for this party and I gotta say, even though it was busy, I had so much fun! I tried a bunch of new things and have to share a few! I did red velvet candy cane cake pops -- yum, sugar cookies on sticks that looked like huge lollipops,

Milano cookies dipped in red candy melts and sprinkled with crushed candy canes -- thank goodness for the Pepperidge Farms factory we have here-- (see here), and my absolute favorite (in case you need a last minute treat idea) were these shortbread chocolate peppermint bark cookies (see here)! Ohhhh, they are so, so good! I have to keep making more batches of these because we keep eating all the ones we are supposed to be sharing! YUM!

For family night last night, we took the kids out to Willard Bay to their light show. It was nice to be snuggled up in our sweats and jammies, nice and warm in the car for this one! We had the Christmas music going and we drove through the light show about 6 times, round and round! Our kids really, really loved it! Cheesy? Well, yes, of course! But our kids soaked it up and the excitement from them oozed out all over Chris and I and we couldn't help but love every minute of it! Cute little Avery was enthralled! She was squealing and craning her neck the whole time to see all the lights! So fun!

Some other fun things we have been doing around here for the holidays: going on lots of drives to see the Christmas lights all over town, watching every Christmas movie under the sun, drinking lots of hot chocolate, baking a TON -- treats coming out of our ears, dancing to "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" with the girls -- their favorite, Christmas crafts with the kids, and talking a LOT about Santa Clause! We will be heading down to Temple Square this weekend, which I can't wait for!

Seriously, don't you just LOVE this time of year?! I wish it would never end!!

Sweetest. Thing. Ever!

2011-12-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

I gotta remember this one -- soooo precious!

Kaiya and Taylor fight like nobody's business. No doubt about that! Sometimes I feel exhausted from being the referee all day!

But, thank goodness, they also love each more than anything else. If they can be together, they are. They are partners in crime and do EVERYTHING together. There is a total sweetness about hearing them, lost in their own world, playing and conversing with each other. It nearly brings me to tears sometimes how sweet they are to each other. Totally unscripted. Totally unprompted. Just them being best friends.

The other night, Chris decided to do some nail-cutting (the girls needed it pretty bad). Taylor was in no mood and was fighting it. So, Kaiya sat down next to Taylor (who was sitting in Chris' lap), reached over and grabbed her hand and started saying, "It's ok, Taylor. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll hold your hand." Those were her actual words. I mean, seriously, as a mom, I LIVE for those moments. It was honestly the most precious, sweet thing ever. And she did. She sat there and never let go of Taylor's hand and Taylor was as calm as could be.

There is such a connection between them that goes beyond what we can see. It is spirit to spirit and it is so sweet. They stand up for each other (even to Chris and I when the other is in trouble!), they look out for each other, they laugh so much together, they get excited to be around one another, they speak kindly to each other (well, most of the time), they hug and say sorry so easily to each other. I'm so grateful I get to see this on a regular basis and for how it warms my soul!

Thanksgiving recaps

2011-12-02T10:46:00.009-07:00

Better include Thanksgiving before Christmas is here!

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving break! It was so, so, sooo nice to have Chris home for several days! We spent a lot of the time doing absolutely nothing, but hanging out together, which is probably my favorite thing to do!

We enjoyed such a great dinner at Chris' parents house with his family! It was all so delicious and we so appreciate the work that goes into that kind of production! It was so good to spend time with his siblings and for our kids to see their cousins from Idaho that they haven't seen in a long time! Kaiya followed her cousin Katie around for about 8 hours straight and was in heaven! It was so cute! We stuffed ourselves silly and then tried not to move much, but sat around and chatted and enjoyed being together! It was a really perfect day. How I missed my family, though!

We got the house all decorated for Christmas and it was really fun this year because the kids were such good helpers and were so excited about it all! Kaiya did have a moment of melt-down, though, because she thought that decorating for Christmas meant that it was time to open presents! She was incredibly disappointed that she still has to wait a month for that! But she got over it really quick and fell in love with all the sparkling and snowmen, and dazzling decorations! We had the music cranked up loud and our Christmas tree candle burning (artificial trees just don't smell!) and just had a blast with it all! It is truly a different holiday when you get to experience it through the eyes of your children! I love that! So, we are feeling mighty festive and sooo excited for the holiday season! There is such a special excitement in the air that I wish would never go away!!

So, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving and we are all ready to continue with a wonderful Christmas!

Walking in a winter wonderland!

2011-12-02T10:18:00.004-07:00

These were from back in November when the first substantial snow fell. We woke up and everything was fluffy and white and all covered in snow. So, of course, the girls thought it was literally a winter wonderland and could not wait to get out and play in it! So, at 8:00 in the morning, we bundled up and took them out to play. They loved it, LOVED it! There is always something so magical about that first snow. I mean, for sure, by about January I am snow crazy and want it to GO AWAY. But you can't deny how beautiful it is when everything is covered and white and sparkling! I absolutely LOVE the quiet, peacefulness that snow brings too. And while my KIDS love going out to play in it, I particularly love sitting snuggled up on the couch with my family, covered in blankets, snow falling outside, everything nice and quiet, sipping on some hot chocolate, Christmas music playing in the background! Luckily we'll have plenty of these opportunities for the next several months! If only it could snow AND be 80 degrees at the same time! So, winter is definitely here!

Thankful

2011-11-23T15:36:00.003-07:00

We have been doing our "Thankful Jar" for a few years now, and this year has been my favorite year by far! The kids got so into this year and were so excited every day to add to it. It touched my heart that they would ask me to add to it, without me having to prompt or remind them! We are definitely going to need a bigger jar next year!We really try to have gratitude in our hearts all year, not just during this holiday season. We are better at it some times than others. But I do love the special attention our jar helps us to pay to writing down some of these things we are grateful for and being extra aware of all that we have. I could literally sit here for hours and never even scratch the surface for the many things I have to be grateful for. Too many things to count, too many things that are too personal in my heart. But I will say that I acknowledge the hand of our loving Heavenly Father in each and every single blessing we have been given. I know that everything we have comes from Him and His tender mercy and love for us as His children. I know that He is eager to bless us and I see that every day in my life, if I will take the time to notice it. Even in time of trial, there is so much to be thankful for and I am learning that there is something so healing and peaceful in the sincere feeling of gratitude amidst difficult things. For all that I have, I truly am GRATEFUL!

And these girls. Wow, they teach me so much. Soooo much! I have absolutely loved their expressions of gratitude. They are grateful for such simple things. Their gratitude is so innocent and real. And sometimes so funny! Here are a few of my favorites that went into the jar this year:

Taylor is grateful for smiles. Beautiful, right?
Kaiya is grateful that she has sisters. Even when they take her toys. Pure truth from a 4 year old!
Taylor is thankful for sandwiches. Shouldn't we all be grateful for our food?!
Kaiya is thankful for her teachers. (I am too!) And she has some EXCELLENT ones!
Kaiya is thankful for her friends -- and she made a list. It was long and sweet and she was so determined not to forget anyone! She thought long and hard about that one.
Taylor is thankful for nursery. There is a reason she loves going every single week. There are some great people who are so good to my kids.

I am looking forward to sitting down as a family and going through our jar from the past month and being reminded of all the things we have added. It fills my heart to overflowing that we could so easily stuff our jar full. I hope we can always foster this attitude in our home and with our children. It just feels so much better to be grateful!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Avie-Girl, 9 months

2011-11-18T11:46:00.006-07:00

Avery baby turned 9 months last week and the time just keeps flying by. And with every passing day, I can't help but fall more and more in love with this precious soul. She is so special to me, she brightens every day, she is such a perfectly fitting piece to our family. Who knew that a mother's love could multiply so easily, so naturally, so effortlessly? That is how I have felt since the day Avery was born. Everything about loving her is easy, natural, and effortless! I adore this baby girl so much!!Avery is at such a fun and very curious stage! Everything is exciting to her and it's such a joy to watch! She is in a real squealing phase! Oh I love it! She squeals in absolute delight at the simplest things and is so easy to please! She also growls and hisses, which is hilariously cute!She was pretty average in all her measurements at her appointment -- 40-60% in everything. Which surprised me a little bit because she still has the rolliest, chunkiest legs! I could nibble on them regularly!Some of her growth steps right now:

Started REAL crawling just yesterday!! YAY! She had that army crawl down to an art for the past month and a half and I thought she would never do a real crawl because of how proficiently and quickly she was able to scoot around with her arms. So, she literally just got up and started going yesterday and we were soooo excited! The girls got down and were crawling alongside her -- they thought it was all pretty cool! And Avery was proud as punch, seriously! It was so adorable!

She really loves to be standing, holding on to some furniture and playing. She is pretty stable and I think she prefers to be up where she can see what is going on! The girls don't always like that she can reach their toys that way! Better get used to it!

Eats everything and anything! I love that she is NOT picky!

Sleeps so amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Goes to bed from 8-8, naps in the morning and again in the afternoon.

Loves being in her car seat! Always up for going along for the ride and literally never makes a crying peep when she's in there!

Has mastered the perfect binky balance! Kaiya was addicted, Taylor would never take one. Avery is so great with it. She only takes it at bedtime and is fine without it too. It's a perfect soother, but not a necessary one.

Laughs really hard at her sisters. They love to play peek-a-boo with her and she cracks up!

Ticklish in her neck and her legs!

Waves hi and bye with both hands.

Sleeps on her tummy with her bum high in the air and wakes up smiling every single time!

Has three teeth -- all on bottom! The top two are just about there -- any day now!

Still has her swirly cowlick, but is growing in what appears to be wavy/curly aurburn hair.

Sucks on her bottom lip and looks like an old man when she does.

Gets herself into such precarious situations as a result of her curiosity! She loves to crawl into the bottom of her exer-saucer and gets frustrated when trying to get out! The other day I came into the room and could NOT find her anywhere! I looked in every room and was beginning to worry. I heard a faint little noise and found her WAY underneath the girls' bunkbeds, in the dark, playing with some toy they had dropped under there! She was laughing when I peeked under the bed to find her! She also gets stuck all the time in our dining room chairs when she tries to crawl under them or over them!

Avery girl continues to spread sunshine everywhere with that smile! She is so easily happy and has curious, observant eyes! And her expressions -- so many, so varied, so funny! She is just a peach, absolute joy! I'm so very grateful that she is healthy and strong and exploring and growing. And I'm humbled that I get to be her mom. She is so sweet and special and amazing and I hope I can be half the mommy she deserves...cause she deserves the world! Love you to pieces, my sweet girl!

Fall fun

2011-11-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

We HAD been enjoying fall, until the nasty cold weather showed up these last few weeks! Snow, ughhh! But I'm grateful we had such good weather for as long as we did! YAY! Sorry, this is another "catch-up" post!

Kaiya had her first field trip with her Preschool and I volunteered to help chaperon. It was such a fun trip! They went to the local fire station and had a grand tour. The kids were all pretty amazed by the trucks and equipment and of course, the highlight, the pole the firemen slide down! Taylor and Avery joined us and Taylor was sooooo excited to be with the big kids! She was walking around making friends with all of them! They were all very nice to her! At the end, all the kids got a fire hat -- pretty cool! I can't get over how OLD Kaiya looks with her class. Oh, stop growing, sweetheart! A few weeks ago, we were able to go down to Thanksgiving Point and meet up with some of our favorite people -- Jessika and her family! It was the funnest day! We met for lunch first and had fun catching up and talking. Then we went over and enjoyed all the farm animals and sights to see at Thanksgiving Point. We rode ponies (the absolute highlight for Kai and Tay!), took a ride on a tractor, pet horses and goats and cows, and played hula hoop! There was so much fun stuff to do and our kids had a blast and were so tuckered out! We always LOVE every chance we get to see Jess and her family. We love them so much and are so grateful that we can have these meetings every so often! They are such good people and we love them! We found this really great spot up the canyon, by the river, where tons of ducks and geese hang out. And it's really beautiful up there! So, we went there two days in a row! The first day, we were just coming back from our Sunday drive, so we didn't have any bread, so we had to come back the next evening with bread and crackers in tow. The kids were seriously in heaven -- they LOVED it! (Don't you love the beautiful bed hair -- the girls had just woken up from naps! Oh well!)
We were able to go up to Idaho a few weekends ago and had a blast! Some of our great friends, the Strebel's, who used to live right down the street, moved a few months ago up there and we've been wanting to go up and visit them at their new house! We have missed them A LOT! We finally got up there and they were such GREAT hosts! Our other good friends, the Butler's (who used to live right next door to us, but moved about 10 mins away) also came up. Our kids love all of their kids and had so much fun spending the whole day with so many friends to play with! They all play so well together! We spent a lot of time talking and hanging out and enjoying each others company. We enjoyed a fun Halloween lunch, a treasure hunt, the kids planned a fun "carnival" with games and all, they decorated cookies, and the adults got a good chance to talk and catch up! Then we went to feed ducks next the beautiful Snake River, went to a cute pumpkin patch where the kids got to run through a hay maze and ride an adorable little train. They loved that! And then we went to a really neat Fun Park and the kids tired themselves out with running around and jumping in the ball pits and dressing up! We went back and had a nice dinner together and then it was time to hit the road home! We are so, so happy we were able to go see our friends and so grateful for their ALWAYS warm hospitality! What great people! And some funnies from the kids that I want to remember:

Taylor said to me the other day, "Oh mom, you're so cute!" And I said, "No, Taylor, YOU'RE so cute." To which she replied, "No mom, I'm cute AND beautiful!" Funny girl!

Every morning for seriously a month now, the first thing Kaiya says is, "Mom, it's ALMOST Halloween!" (And how quickly it's over -- so sad!)

The other day while I was doing her hair, Kaiya says, "But mom, we just did my hair last week!" (Her concept of time is a little skewed!)

Out of the blue (and I still have NO idea where she came up with this), Taylor throws her fist up into the air and yells, "SUPER STRONG" in this really deep voice! It's her coined phrase now these days! Makes us laugh every time!

Taylor tells us, "I'm going to be a costume for Halloween! Yay!"

Halloween treats

2011-11-01T07:26:00.009-07:00

These girls were our Halloween treats, that's for sure! Gosh, I could seriously just eat them up!

We had a really, really fun Halloween this year. We went to the annual "Pumpkin Walk" in our town, which is always really cool and the girls love it! My camera battery died about 5 minutes into it, so that was a HUGE bummer. But still a very fun day! Kaiya got to wear her costume to preschool and have a fun Halloween party last week. Tay was really sad about that, so she dressed up too and wore her costume around the house. It satisfied her just fine! We made witch cupcakes that turned out pretty elementary, but I never claimed to be the Cake Master, that's for sure! The girls had fun helping with them and eating them and thought they looked pretty cool, and that's all I care about! They are so easy to please!And finally Halloween came! After hearing them ask every day if it was Halloween, I was READY for the day to get here! We enjoyed our Halloween chili dinner to get us all nice and full and warm for the night! The girls were so giddy as they were getting dressed up and were not very cooperative for me to take pictures because they were soooo antsy to get to the trick-or-treating! Kaiya was a ballerina princess and the younger girls were ladybugs. They literally ran from house to house! I think it was the first year that Kaiya really understood what was happening! So. Much. Candy! Every time she would get a piece, she would run up to us and show us what she got. Every house. It was pretty cute! And Taylor tried to grab handfuls at every door. We had to quickly teach her about just taking one! Avery joined us in the stroller for the first hour or so and then had enough and rode along with Chris in the nice warm car. Taylor lasted about as long and then was tuckered out from walking, so I pushed her the rest of the night in the stroller. It was cute, every door Kaiya would ask for an extra piece of candy for her sister, since Taylor was no longer trick-or-treating. She filled up Taylor's bucket really nicely! It was cute. We joined up with some friends from our neighborhood and Kaiya had a BLAST running around with their little boy from door to door! It was such a FUN night and the kids are loaded for about 2 more years with candy. Mom will have to find ways to share some of this candy with others! I'm glad this holiday is over. It's fun, but I'm definitely ready to move on! Happy Halloween for another year!

A little photo shoot

2011-10-25T09:33:00.012-07:00

I've been needing to get some pics of my kids updated for the house and decided with Chris' help, I would attempt to do it myself! The kids were so cooperative and did pretty good, for the most part, considering we only had about half hour of sunlight left so we had to hurry! I think we got some pretty cute shots, which is not really all that hard with such beauties (I'm biased, of course, but they really are pretty cute :)

First was Avery, who is at a great stage to take pics of because she can't go anywhere just yet! Whew, no chasing! And that grin with her lone bottom teeth, oh, she melts me! Next, Tay Jayne -- the hardest one for me right now. She is not a smile on cue kind of girl and can be a little stubborn when the camera comes out. But as long as dad is around to make her laugh, we can usually capture something. All the personality is in those baby blues -- those eyes just glow and they warm me right up! And my Kai. She is such a joy to take pictures of right now. She smiles easily, sits where she needs to, stays put, etc, etc. Makes the job so much easier! And my goodness, she gets more and more beautiful by the day. She takes my breath away! We actually got a few with ALL three girls looking and laughing. But let me tell you what daddy was doing to make the smiles and giggles come! He stood behind me and literally kept falling to the ground and flopping around! What a sport, eh? The girls were in stitches and mesmerized by his silliness! Thanks, daddy! Last, but not least, Chris and I got some shots with each of the girls. I treasure these. I am always behind the camera so I have very few pictures with my girls. Chris did such a good job getting these! Love them! Ahhh, glad that's done and we have some cuties to hang up now!

Some catch-up

2011-10-21T10:15:00.013-07:00

I need to do some catch-up from the past month or so and it's just going to have to be a post with lots of unrelated randomness and cuteness! Here we go!

First off, this past Sunday our ward did their annual Primary program with all the kids. This was Kaiya's first program and she was asked to share her testimony. We practiced for several weeks, but were still a little unsure of how it would go in front of such a large group of people. She did soooo well and as her parents, of course we were bursting with pride and love for her! This mama was fighting back the tears. She went up and though she talked a little like a mouse, she conquered her nerves and shared her tender, sweet, precious testimony. I'm pretty sure there is nothing that touches Heavenly Father's heart more than to hear His sweet little children sharing their love for Him. What a special girl! We have had such a beautiful and fairly warm fall this year and we are enjoying every minute of it! A few weeks ago, we went to one of our favorite spots to let Chase go swimming in the pond. It's an activity that he loves (soooo much) and the girls love it equally as much because they love to throw the ball out in the water for him and then wait to get sprayed when he shakes off! And you can never throw enough rocks into the pond either and watch all the ripples! They could do it for hours! It was a beautiful and relaxing day! This one is precious to me. My calling right now in church is somewhat of a busy one. I love it, but it's busy. It provides the opportunity for me to go on a lot of visits to people in our ward and that is wonderful. But I always miss my family while I'm gone. This particular day, I just really wanted to be a homebody and not leave. But I went anyway. When I got home, everyone was gone, so I called Chris and he said to come outside and they would be by to pick me up. They pulled up and Chris said we were headed up to the canyon because they had a job that they weren't finished with yet. Then they handed me an old water bottle they had found and worked into a little vase that was full of wild flowers! Hand picked by my family. They had gone exploring for as many colors as they could find and had created the most beautiful bouquet I had ever received! It was so, so sweet and touched my heart. So simple and yet something I will always remember. Glad Chris got pictures of it too! Probably the best thing I've come home to! Of course there's been lots of dancing -- there's ALWAYS lots of that around here! Daddy's had some fun playing dress up! Some pretty intense, concentrated play time -- evidenced by the tongue! This is where the girls have eaten lunch literally every single day this summer. Even now that the fall chill is in the air, they still want to put their coats on and eat on the porch. It's their daily routine together and hey, a lot less mess for mom to clean up! It's kind-of monotonous to update, but also fun to look back at all the fun that we've had lately! And I can happily say that I am finishing off the updates with the memory of visiting the temple yesterday with my sister (very special and something that I really loved doing with her) and dinner with a dear friend. I feel fortunate for my friends and family, for the wondrous world we have to enjoy, and for the simple comforts and beauties of life!

Change is in the air!

2011-10-18T08:50:00.002-07:00

Well, we finally did it. We had to bite the bullet.

Avery finally made it out of our room and into her own! How old is she, you ask? Oh yeah, she's 8 months old. And she has slept in our room since the day she was born. In a bassinet too, if you're were wondering. In our closet, to be precise. Awesome, you agree? I don't really think so.

Let me explain. Three kids in three years means that when the next one arrives, the crib is still occupied by the baby just older. I have stubbornly refused to get another crib because that just seems ridiculous. So, instead I do the "less" ridiculous thing and have my babies sleep in my room for 8 months. That makes so much more sense, I know! This is dripping in sarcasm!

I just have NOT been able to bring myself to moving Taylor into a big girl bed. Just couldn't do it. She wasn't interested, loved the crib, was sleeping like a champ in her own room, so what would be the hurry? I liked the fact that everyone was sleeping soundly, including Chris and I. You know how precious that sleep is, it's almost sacred. You don't mess up a good thing! But always inside, I knew that poor Avery needed to get out of that bassinet. So, very begrudgingly, we made the move a few weeks ago!

Kaiya and Taylor are now sharing a room with bunk beds and I am RELIEVED to report...it is going GREAT! I kid you not when I say that there was literal hyperventilating as we were assembling the beds. I mean, bouncing off the walls with excitement from both Kaiya and Taylor! They could not wait to sleep in the same room! And what do you know? Taylor has adapted to her big bed amazingly! She has fallen out a few times, but other than that, she loves it! She does look so tiny and that the bed might swallow her up, but then again, Avery looks the same way in the crib! I guess it really was time! And Kaiya is thrilled to be so high up on top! They have definitely both skipped out on some sleep as they have transitioned. Taylor especially. She and Kaiya play in there until late into the night, sometimes in cute little whispers in the dark. Sometimes with the lights on and a circus happening in their room. But they are so, so happy together! And Avery, oh she has been such a peach! Has not skipped a beat at all. Continues to sleep the minute her head hits her nice BIG new sleeping arrangement! When we first laid her down in there, her arms and legs did a spread eagle, like she wasn't sure what to do with all that room! So funny! She loves the crib, loves to watch her little Aquarium toy as she falls asleep, and loves to curl up real close to the side of the bumper. I think she is happy with the change!

So, I'm glad the transition has happened so well! All the little details that I stewed about really worked themselves out on their own and were not issues at all! Sleep continues in our house, with very few hiccups, thank goodness!

I'll be posting some pics of the changes I've been working on in their rooms -- it's been fun to have some rooms to rearrange and redecorate a bit!

Some thoughts on GIRLS

2011-10-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

I sometimes have to chuckle a bit that I am a mom to THREE girls! I feel like one of the reasons I was sent these beauties is to give ME some more femininity. I have never really considered myself to be much of a girly girl. I love sports. Spent most of my life playing anything and everything. And truth be told, I love me some Sports Center. Yep, I seriously love to sit on the couch and watch football or basketball with Chris, college is always my preference (seems there is still some love for the game at this level instead of just playing for a RIDICULOUS paycheck). I never learned to sew. Don't have any desire to. Hate anything that is high maintenance. Or frilly. You won't find an ounce of pink in my closet -- though there is inevitably some in my kids' closets!

I think as I have "grown up" I have definitely found hobbies and interests that are more feminine. I love to cook. I love to TALK. I love clothes and shopping. I love to decorate and beautify any space I'm in. I love flowers. But always underneath all of that, I crave wearing sweats and watching a good game with a coke!

So, I do have to laugh at my life now with these little girls. Could we get any more estrogen in this house?! But I want to teach them the beauty and privilege of being a female. I want to nurture in them those talents and qualities that I love most about the women in my life. I want to instill in them a sense of confidence about what it means to be a daughter of God and how blessed we are to have that experience. I look forward and see many days ahead of shopping and laughing and talking and bonding -- you know mother-daughter, GIRL stuff. I envision tu-tu's and dance recitals and the endless amounts of HAIR I will be fixing (story of my life, I tell ya)!

But in saying that, I also see many days ahead of going to games to watch my little sportsters shoot hoops or spike a ball. I hope they will find a love for the less GIRLY things too. And if I'm being completely honest, I think I won't be able to help but influence the less girly things in their lives! I don't love perfect hair or huge bows (seriously, have you seen those babies with the ridiculous gardens on their little heads to the point you can't even see the kid that is under there?!). I don't love matchy, frilly, fluffy outfits. I don't love a kid who can't go outside and run around with bare feet or get lots of dirt under their fingernails. I think that side of me will naturally rub off on my kids. And their dad will have a lot to do with that too! Who says a dad can't teach his girls to play sports just as well as he can teach his boys?!

So, as with all things in life, I am learning balance. The balance I want for my girls to be beautifully feminine, embracing the blessing of coming to the earth as a female without being high maintenance or over the top girly. I want them to be strong and yet selfless and kind. I want them to be confident yet humble and meek. I want them to explore and find their talents in MANY areas of life. I guess they will be who they want to be and I'm fine with that! But I will always hope that they have a draw towards running and jumping and passing and kicking and bouncing and spiking! And if they want to do all of that with a bow (albeit a small one) in their hair -- well, that would be just fine with me! But the longer I can put off the gallons of hair spray and fingernail polish and make-up and tears and tissues that will be pouring in and out of our house, that is also just fine with me!

And I will continue to be grateful for the ways in which my girls have rubbed off on me and given me a greater desire to nurture my feminine side a little more! Can't help but experience a bit of that with THREE girls!

Conference weekend

2011-10-04T07:37:00.015-07:00

Twice a year, our Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) gathers for General Conference. This is a special time of year for us. We enjoy the weekend together as family watching Conference on t.v. or over the internet. Some members of our church gather at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City where they can enjoy Conference live. Wherever we are as we gather and listen, there is always so much to be learned and so much strength to be gained. The leaders of our Church, including our dear Prophet, President Monson, share their counsel, inspiration, guidance, and wisdom on a wide range of topics that are pertinent and important to our time. So many of the talks seem to speak right to me individually, even though there are millions of members of the Church listening in. It is a testimony to me that we, as children of a loving Heavenly Father, have more in common in our struggles and our joys, than we have differences. And still, in the midst of the millions of His children, He knows and loves ME and my family and knows what counsel I need and what will strengthen and lift me. It's such a beautiful thing!

During this particular Conference, I felt reminded and reassured, over and over again, of the Lord's love and awareness of each of us. Many of the talks spoke of this individual love He has for all of us. For me, for you. We all have different struggles, different hopes, different triumphs. And the Lord knows each and every aspect of our lives and desires to bless us and help us. I KNOW this. I sometimes forget it momentarily, in the daily routine of life. But I know that when I pray, He listens and cares. I know that when I hurt, He knows the purpose in it and also the way to find peace and escape from those burdens. I know that when I am happiest, it is because I am doing the things He would have me do and that it also makes Him happy. I know that the people I pray for and care for that have very personal struggles of their own, that they are also His children and that He loves them and desires to bless them and help them. I feel so renewed in this knowledge that I was reminded of this weekend. There is not a more kind, more loving, more genuine, funny, understanding man than President Monson. He knows the issues we all face and his counsel is always so perfect for our needs. He is so inspired! All of the leaders are. It was just such a wonderful weekend!

Conference. Cousins. Canyons. Friends. That about sums up the weekend! In addition to Conference, we also enjoyed a lot of fun things too! Friday night, I was able to go have some girl time with a couple of my girlfriends and it was so much fun! I always enjoy these little outings. As much as I adore my children, it's nice to have good friends to have adult conversation with! And I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful husband who is so supportive and encouraging of me to get out once in awhile! It couldn't happen without his help in taking the kids and I soooo appreciate it! And it's always so nice to come home to my family and their hugs and kisses at the end of a fun night!

Saturday afternoon, my sister brought her kiddies up here to spend the evening with us! My girls get soooo excited to see their cousins every chance they get! And I love the time I get to spend with Britt! Wish we could have that time every day! We took the kids to the park and got all their energy out, and I'm pretty sure all of our energy too! Then we went and enjoyed some pizza, pasta, and salad, as per Ame's request -- nice choice, girl! Then came back and played outside with Chase! It was a very fun night and my kids are already asking when they can see their cousins again! Thanks, Britt for making it up here -- I know it's a lot of work! I cherish our time together and love you so much! Sunday, in between Conference sessions, we took the kids for a Fall drive up in the canyons. This is one of the many reasons I LOVE where we live. A 10 minute drive and we are in the mountains, surrounded by the most beautiful colors, trees, rivers, lakes, trails. We could explore for hours! The colors are coming out right now and always amaze me! We have such a beautiful earth! We threw rocks into the river and then took off our shoes so we could stick our feet in and relax! We gathered golden leaves and threw them at each other and danced around as we threw them in the air! Avery had her first taste of fall and she tried her hardest to eat the leaves and everything else on the ground! We hiked around a bit and just had a blast together as a family! I love these outings and I hope fall sticks around for awhile so we can get in our fill! Again, such a GREAT weekend. Full of all the things I love the most -- family, friends, the beauty of nature, and inspired counsel. Ahhh, I'm so renewed!

Can't forget the Tay Jayne

2011-09-30T07:22:00.001-07:00

Yeah, as if I could ever forget to do an update on this girl! Since we've shared some recent stuff on Kai and Avie, naturally it's Tay's turn, and trust me, it's never hard to come up with stuff to write about this one! Ohhh our house is so full and spilling over with the sunshine that is Taylor! There is a song that has ALWAYS reminded me of Tay every time I hear it. It's called "Bright As Yellow" by Innocence Mission. I've loved the song for years, but it took on new meaning and life when Tay Tay was born. It reminds me so much of her, her personality, her brightness, her love of life. To quote a line, "And you live your life with your arms stretched out, eye to eye when speaking. Enter rooms with great joy shouts, happy to be meeting. And bright, bright, bright as yellow, warm as yellow." That's Tay. BRIGHT! Some of the things I am loving about Tay right now. She is in a phase...well erase that. I am in a phase right now where I cannot get enough of Taylor's loves. She is so cuddly, so squishy and snuggly! I chase her down and scoop her up probably 200 times a day, just to smooch on those chubby, kissable, rosy cheeks. I love it when she reaches out and wants to be held or climbs up to sit in my lap.
I love it when she takes my face into her hands and squishes her nose up against mine and laughs. I love to feel her arms wrapped around my neck in her tight squeeze. I love her monkey legs that hang on when she's happy to be carried around. I love that she gives kisses with her bottom lip stretched out over her top lip. I just can't get enough of her!I love Taylor's wild, untamed, wavy curls. Perfectly coiffed hair just would never suit this infectious free spirit! Her hair is so golden and beautifully messy! I love to run my fingers through it, or blow the locks out her eyes when she is concentrated on something else. I love how it bounces when she runs. Kind of like her whole personality. Bubbly. Bouncy. Golden.

I love Taylor's trademark tip-toeing. Still walking, running, dancing on those toes. I love her twirling dance moves. She sort of gallops around in circles, arms waving in the air. You can't help but get off your tushie when she starts grooving -- it's contagious! She loves to sing too and it kills me to listen to her version of songs! Soooo funny! She loves Adele (great taste, I know!) and belts out "Someone Like You" like nobody's business! She also loves "Do As I'm Doing" and makes sure that EVERYONE participates when she's "doing".

I love those dimples that punctuate her every smile. Not that her smiles need any punctuation, as BIG and HAPPY as they are. But the dimples just add some extra icing on her happy cake. Sometimes she gives this sweet, closed-lipped, half moon smile that takes my breath away a bit. She is so beautiful. It's one of my favorite smiles she gives. I love when she says, "Mom, will you...(insert something that she wants me to do for her)?" And when I say yes, she says, "You will? Ok, GREAT!"

I love how she watches Kaiya and looks up to her so much. Though she will never be told what to do or how to be, I can see the admiration she feels for her big sis, and that she wants to be just like her. I love the bond they have. It's the most beautifully natural thing I have ever witnessed.

I love the way she grabs hold of Avery's hand and gets up close to her face and says, "Hi Avie-girl!"

I love how inclusive and social she is. There is not a soul she would not welcome in with her warm smile and happy greeting. When we go on walks in the morning, she waves and yells, "HIIII!" to every single child that rides their bike or walks by on their way to school. I like to think that it sort-of starts their day off on a happy note. If anyone ever comes to the door, she runs right over and greets them with all the energy she's got! I can tell she has this special way of brightening people's days, whether at the grocery store, at church, or just sitting on the front porch. I have always felt this warm, peaceful, happy, SPECIAL spirit when Taylor is around. The number of people who have commented on that to me lets me know that it's not just the mom bias -- she really is contagiously, noticeably happy!

I love her HUGE, crystal clear, blue eyes. They are so expressive and tell so much about the light that is bursting out of her. They sparkle, just like her.I love that Taylor is also not shy about speaking her peace or making her presence known. I worry sometimes for that middle child, who innocently gets lost in the shuffle. Not Taylor. She has no problem getting her fair share of attention! She has no problem fighting for what she wants, even if it is someone bigger, like her sister! She has no problem being as loud as she needs to be in order to make sure she is being heard! She has no problem stomping her foot and shouting, "I'm MAD!" when life is not being fair to her! She has no problem telling me to stop talking to dad when she is trying to get his attention! (Stinker!) I have the feeling she will never have to work too hard to make sure we all know she is there and what she wants. That's the spunky side of her that adds a whole lot of spice to our family! And I love that about her! I love seeing her first thing in the morning (though I hate that she's an early riser!). She is so happy and ready for the day. She is quick to give hugs and then quick to get started with all that the day has to offer her. When she sees everyone for the first time in the morning, you would think it was the first time she was seeing us all in years! She is soooo excited and gives the warmest, most cheerful greetings to each of us! Pretty much impossible to start the day on a bad foot with her around! Soooo sweet!Suffice it to say, I adore this little girl. Special. Sweet. Spunky. Spicy. Expressive. Squishy. Beautiful. Excited. HAPPY. The perfect compliment to the other personalities in our home. So thankful she is ours!
Love you, Tay Jayne!

Kaiya funnies

2011-09-16T09:11:00.002-07:00

Some funny lines from Kaiya-bear recently:

She has gotten really used to praying for Grandma and Grandpa on their mission in Germany. The other night Chris was getting ready to go work out, and Kaiya says, "Dad, are you going to the Gym-any?" So cute!

While helping me make some birthday cupcakes, Kaiya says, "The M says mmmmm like yummy cupcakes!"

Little miss Kaiya was getting an attitude with mom so I told her not to talk back to me and she says, "But mom, I HAVE to!"

When I told Kaiya we were going to the park a few days ago, from the backseat I hear her saying, "Oh mommy, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" (while she waved her arms in the air!)

"Ewww, Taylor, you poop soooo much!" (And this is true, I must admit!)

I was putting brown sugar in something for dinner the other night and as soon as Kaiya saw the brown sugar, she comes running and yelling, "Mom, are we making cookies?!"

Every time Avery spits up, Kaiya yells, "Aughhh, she's spitting!" while pointing at Avery. The other night after Avery just spit, Kaiya says, "Avery, stop spitting or you need to go to your room!" What a little mommy in training!

Whenever we get into the car after being in the hot sun, Kaiya puts her head underneath the blowing air from the air conditioner and says, " Ahhh, I'm just getting the hot off!"

While eating a Ring Pop she says, "Dad, look it's a binky!"

The other night we were getting ready to go for a walk and I told her to get her shoes on and she says, "But mom, we want to wear our feet!"

Kai asked for a drink and when I told her she could have some water, she said, "But mom, water makes me PEEEEE!!"

We were on a walk one morning and a bee flew by close to her ear. Of course she started spazzing out and yelled, "Aughhh, mom, the bee put honey in my ear!"

And my favorite thing Kaiya says right now: "Oh mom, I love you very, very much!"

Our big Avie-girl!

2011-09-12T10:29:00.011-07:00

Sweet Avies turned 7 months old a few days ago! I don't like being on the closer end to a year and for some reason, she, more so than my other girls, has grown up so, so quickly! Literally blink and you'll miss it, I feel like. And I'm not so happy about that!I can't even describe the joy that this girl brings to our family! She has such a precious, sweet, HAPPY spirit! It fills up any space she is in, along with our hearts and souls! I find myself anxious for her to be awake, drawn to hold her and play with her, and steal one of her gorgeous grins any chance I can get! I literally cannot get enough of her. She holds such a special place in my heart and in our family! I feel like she is already such a peacemaker. She just makes everyone feel better when she is around.I ran into someone the other day who had been a visitor to our church one Sunday. She said she remembered me because of my cute baby and then proceeded to tell me that she couldn't take her eyes off Avery the whole two hours! She got such a kick out of Avery's feet and said that all of her emotion seems to play out of her feet! She was RIGHT on the money! Avie-girl's feet are in constant motion and are sooo expressive! When she is particularly excited they go round and round in fast circles. When she is playful, they kick wildly. When she is falling asleep, her toes open and curl. And when she's in the mood for something to suck on, she always finds her toes! It's hilarious!

People ask me all the time if she ever cries. I gotta be honest, not really! People in church say they have literally never heard her be sad! She truly is a dream babe, so content, so easily satisfied, so low-maintenance! She has plenty to entertain her, with her sisters constantly running and then stopping to get in her face and say hello. How they adore her and the feeling is obviously mutual! When they aren't around, she loves to be in her play saucer, loves to lay on her belly with toys within her reach, loves to sit in her high chair in the middle of the bustling kitchen at meal times, and loves every and any ounce of attention she can get or give! I don't know how we got so lucky to have such a sweetheart of a baby!Some of her milestones right now:

She is really stable at sitting and gets this look on her face like, "wow, check me out -- I'm so big!" when she is sitting up! She is pretty proud. So are we! She is doing everything in her power to crawl. She gets up on all fours with such concentration, but just hasn't figured it out yet! I'm happy for this. I'm not ready for her to take off yet! Stay still for a bit longer, ok girl?! Since she can't quite crawl yet, she makes do with LOTS of scooting, army crawling, and squirming her way to things! She is fast too! We will lay her down and before we know it, she has wiggled her way clear to the other side of the room! The funniest thing that happens ALL the time is that she somehow squirms her way underneath the entertainment center! So, just her top half will be showing, like her legs have disappeared! It's so funny! Avie broke TWO new teeth in the last couple of weeks! She was not too happy about this, but still managed to be the happiest teething baby I've ever seen! Because of those little chompers, she has been drooling buckets. Literally buckets! She is always SOAKED with slobber!Ave's is such a GREAT eater! We haven't found anything that she doesn't like yet! And sooo cooperative too -- mouth wide open like a baby bird, always ready for that next bite! She also is doing well with cereal puffs. Again, when she particularly likes something, her feet are swirling in circles! Sleep is also pretty much heaven these days. She goes to bed at about 8:30 and sleeps without a peep until about 8:00. Then a two hour nap in the morning and then at least two hours in the afternoon (usually more like 3). Ahhh, it is so nice! Thanks, baby! One of the highlights of my day is going in to get her from sleep. She is usually on her stomach, facing the opposite direction from the door. As soon as she hears your voice, she cocks her head in your direction and all you can see is her huge dimple, indicating that she has got a HUGE smile on her face, even though she can't see you yet! It melts me!

She has gotten really talkative lately too. She loves to say, "Dadadadada" and will even repeat you if you say it to her first. She also says, "Nananana". I have convinced myself that that is her way of saying mama :)! She also has figured out how to shake her head side to side, but thank goodness is not doing it to say "no" yet!

She has been holding her bottle by herself for the past month or so and that is sooo nice!

She is our chubbiest baby yet and oh the rolls, how I love to squish my face into them! Her legs are the best and the rolliest! She has the softest, fluffy cheeks to kiss and I could nuzzle my nose into her yummy neck just about anytime. She is such a willing soul too! She always tries to drench our faces in her drool which makes for some pretty wet kisses, but who can resist?!

Avery loves her carseat and to be in the car going for a ride. She also loves being in the stroller, which is good with all the walks we go on. Kaiya has really become obsessed with pushing Avery and does such a good job with her. One cute little caravan of strollers walking down the street, I must say!

Well, that's some news on the babe! I could go on and on for hours about how much I love and adore this sweet addition to our family. It's like winning the lottery PLUS Christmas every single day with her. She is the epitome of joy and teaches me everyday how wonderful and simple and HAPPY life is. If I ever need a reason so smile, Avery provides the medicine! I cherish these days of her young life. They are so priceless to me and I know they will continue to pass too quickly. What a blessing this Bubsy is to each of us!

Love you, my Avie-Ave's!

Back to school

2011-09-07T09:16:00.010-07:00

Kaiya started another year of preschool yesterday and I'm happy to report that she LOVED it! I am so excited for this year for her!

(This is Kai, not sure what this face is she is making, but anyway, she is with her little best friend, Paige, who is also in her class. Such cuties!)We were talking about how different it was yesterday with Kaiya even from last year when she started preschool. She was soooo scared last year and cried and didn't want us to leave, etc. This year could not be more opposite! Sweet Kai has come out of her shell so, so much this past year and we are so proud of her! I walked her into her class and she immediately left my side, sat down at her table and began coloring. I had to say good-bye to HER because she had already forgotten I was there! She was smiling and exploring and didn't need mom at all! What a relief for me and what MAJOR growth for her! Her new teacher is really amazing and I am already soooo impressed! She came to our house a few weeks ago to meet Kaiya on her "turf" and brought her all sorts of fun things to help her get ready for preschool. She is so on the ball and organized and so nice! She also had an open house last week so that the kids could come and check things out. I think it made Kaiya feel so excited and ready! We also ran into her teacher at the store and Kaiya thought that was the coolest thing ever! Who knew teachers grocery shop too?! ;)

Anyway, some of the things Kaiya has been working on to get ready for school are: practicing writing her name (her teacher brought over a laminated practice page where Kai can write her name over and over again, erase, and start over), writing her alphabet letters (same laminated idea where she gets to trace over the letters), and some refreshing from mom -- alphabet sounds, counting, shapes, colors, etc. It's amazing how much they forget over the summer, but luckily it all came back pretty easy! We also had some projects to work on with Kai. Her teacher has a "puzzle wall" where all the kids have a puzzle piece that they decorate with pictures and things about themselves, then she puts all the pieces together on her wall in a big puzzle. It's so cute! She also gave Kaiya a big brown sack and told Kaiya to put 5 things in there about herself for the first day of school so all the kids could get to know each other. So, we talked to Kai about what she wanted to take in her sack. Of course she wanted her sisters in there, so we put pictures in of her family. Of course she needed a book, since she is obsessed with books! Of course she wanted her pink baseball mitt because she loves to throw and catch. Of course she wanted to bring cookies for everyone, but we decided that was too much of a distraction, so we put in mixing spoons and our favorite cookie recipe, since Kaiya loves to help me make cookies! And of course she wanted to literally put Chase in her sack and take him too. Hmmm, what to do about that one? Well, you get creative, right? So, we taped together some huge poster board (it took THREE pieces, by the way) and taped it to the wall. Then we coerced Chase to come stand next to the wall and I traced him. Ridiculously funny and not sure if it would work. But look how cute! It turned out great and looked just like Kaiya's pup, full size and all! We taped a picture of Chase to it and rolled him up and put him in the bag. I thought Kaiya was going to have a heart attack, she was soooo excited to take him! And all she could talk about when I picked her up was how much her new friends loved Chase! Success!

When I came to pick up Kai, she was literally bouncing in her shoes and looked like she was about 14! Such a big girl! She had had a wonderfully fun time, was happy and excited, and can't wait to go back again today! It is such a pleasant surprise to see her jumping in full speed this year! It is going to be a great year, I can tell! My little girl is growing up fast and we could not be more proud of her progress!

A GREAT get-away!

2011-08-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Since school doesn't start until next week for Kaiya, I'm just reminiscing about the summer, so sad to see it ending! It was a busy, but surprisingly simple summer for us. So back in July, we decided we needed at least one little vacation to get away! So we went to one of our favorite places to visit some of our favorite people! We went to California to visit my brother, Aaron, and his family for about 10 days and it was such a GREAT trip!! It always is!
(LOTS of pics ahead, beware!)

The week before we left, we had the treat of having Aaron's family here in Utah to visit, minus Aaron! Debbie and the kids braved a two week trip without daddy -- wow!! And we had so much fun while they were here! We spent a day with Brittany and her kids at the Aerospace museum in Layton and had lunch afterward. Three adults and let's see, ELEVEN kids = crazy fun!! Another day we took all the kids to the pool for the day with my sister and her kids again! Again, LOTS of fun! I opted to leave little Avie with a sitter and that worked out best, so I could use all my free hands for Kai and Tay! The rest of the time was spent talking and cousins playing! It was really nice to have our guests! Their last day we spent packing and getting ready for our two families to follow each other back to Cali! It never ceases to amaze me how much STUFF a family of 5 can take for a vacation! We were packed to the ceiling!

On our way out, we got to stop in St. George where Jessika lives with her grandparents! We spent the night there to break up our drive and it was such a TREAT to see them and spend so much time with them! They treated us to this really cool water park in their town that has rocks to climb on and streams -- looked like a miniature St. George with all that red rock! And there was also a carousel that the girls had a BLAST on! Then we went back and enjoyed a yummy BBQ dinner and Jessika's grandma's to DIE for cheesecake! They also did a little celebration for Kai's bday, since it was just a few weeks later. They always spoil her and are so sweet to our special girl! We did fireworks and stayed up really late just talking and catching up (Jess's GREAT new boyfriend was there too). Kai and Tay shared a room that night and it was a good test to see what the near future will be like with the two of them sharing a room -- they did pretty good, except for the fact that it took them hours to fall asleep! Silly girls! The next day we were up bright and early and saying our good-bye's until next time! They were such wonderful hosts to our family and we always enjoy every second we get to spend with them! I should insert here how the kids did in the car. It was a 15 hour drive each way. Yes, we stopped in St. George on the way out, but on the way back, we drove it straight through. I was really nervous about all the time in the car with such little ones. I can VERY happily say, the kids were PERFECT!! I was beyond shocked at how well they did! I kept them entertained with treats, movies, and dollar store "gifts" along the way that they thought were amazing! Easy to please, these girls! I was especially impressed with Avery, who of course could not see the movies, but still was such a peach! They all slept a lot and it gave Chris and I some great time to talk and enjoy each others company! I was so proud of the girls and so grateful that it was such a PEACEFUL, LONG drive! We drove to Vegas and of course had to stop and the MASSIVE H&M for some shopping, which we did quite well and quite fast, considering we had 7 kids between all of us who were NOT interested in shopping! A HUGE thanks to Chris for that one!

We made it to Aaron and Deb's that night and went to their church the next day and then just hung out!

We had such a blast on this trip, and spent nearly every day at the beach! HEAVEN! We also went hiking to some beautiful falls and enjoyed a beautiful walk by the ocean. And did I mention we were at the beach A LOT?! We went to different beaches each time so we got a really nice taste of different places. Chris and Aaron got their surf on and even saw SHARKS -- yes, that's right, SHARKS!! No thanks! But it didn't seem to deter them! I so wish Chris could surf more often. He really loves it, but only gets to go once a year, if that! So, yeah, he had fun with that! We hit up our favorite, well, everyone's favorite little joint -- SPLASH CAFE -- mmmmmmmm! Oh, I crave that clam chowder in the sour dough bread bowl all year long! And it never disappoints! Which is why I made sure we went there twice! Debbie and I had some alone time to shop, thanks to the boys. We enjoyed a fun evening at an outdoor concert. And we made lots of sandcastles, played in the water, and oh boy did the kids get SANDY!! Sand it places you don't even want to know about! I'm pretty sure they were even pooping sand! Taylor especially, oh she loved it! She would lay in it and just roll around! Most of all, we just had so much fun being with Aaron and Debbie and seeing the cousins having so much fun together! Their 4 boys were so good to our 3 girls and they just adore them! We also spent one day with Chris' grandparents who live not too far from my brother. We went to lunch with them and spent some good time visiting with them. We so love and admire them and are grateful for each time we get to see them! This was such a NEEDED vacation. It has been a stressful year for us for lots of reasons. It was such a blessing to get away and not have to think about some of that stuff for a little while. It rejuvenated us and we came back refreshed and ready to go again. We are so grateful for our family. They mean so much to us and we have drawn so much closer to them throughout our struggles. Aaron and Debbie were such great hosts and we are so grateful for the close relationship we have always shared, even living far away from each other. This will be a vacation for the memory books! I'm soooo glad we went!

Birthday festivities!

2011-08-22T07:31:00.017-07:00

Wow, August is a busy month -- our anniversary, Kai's bday, and by the time mine comes around at the end of the month, I am usually worn out!

Kai had some pretty fun birthday activities this year! We had been wanting to take the kids down to the Living Planet Aquarium for awhile now, so when Kaiya asked if we could go for her birthday, we thought it was the perfect excuse to finally go! We met up with Chris' brother, Wes and his wife, Tiffany, and their little girl Sammie. We were so excited that they could come with us! The girls love to spend time with their cousins!

It was a REALLY fun trip! Our kids were at such perfect ages because they thought the Aquarium was MAGICAL!! We could have stayed at every tank for hours and they would have been perfectly happy! It is a really great place and we will have to make a trip back sometime soon! The favorites were the penguins (who were very active and having lots of fun), the octopus, and of course the sea turtle and the sharks. They wanted nothing to do with touching the sting rays, but I totally understand -- they are SLIMY!! It was seriously such a fun day! Afterward, we went over to Chris' parents house, where they totally spoiled Kai with gifts, balloons, a yummy lunch and a BIG princess cake! Lucky girl! Chris' sister and hubby, Ann and Brad, also came over to join us. It was so good to spend time with our family and I know Kaiya felt so special by all the fuss over her birthday! On Kaiya's actual bday, which was on Sunday, the 14th, we had cupcakes and opened presents at the park with our little family. It was simple and fun. I figured that the Aquarium would suffice for the birthday celebration, but the more I started thinking about it, the more I really wanted Kaiya to have her first birthday party too! I couldn't resist! So, of course, I gave myself no time to actually prepare for it, but sent out the invitations anyway! I got some really GREAT ideas from my SIL, Debbie, and the party sort-of evolved from there! The invites were water balloons, and inside I had stuffed the laminated invitation. So, the kids all had to pop the water balloons to get the invitation out! They LOVED it! The party was water-themed, so of course we had goldfish and swedish fish for snacks, along with blue jello with swedish fish "swimming" in it. We had about 10 little girls here, so it was pretty crazy, but they all played so well together and had so much fun! We started by having all the kids decorate their gift bags themselves and doing bubble art. Next was "Pin the Sunglasses on Ame". I found this little hula girl and Kaiya thought it looked just like her cousin Ame, who is also a hula girl, so that's what we named her! The kids really loved this one! Next, we did a scavenger hunt to find all of the treats and prizes for their gift bags. Then the party moved outside! We did water hose limbo, water balloon relay races, sprinkler games and the favorite, "Squash the Shark" -- I drew shark faces on water balloons and sent them floating in the pools, where the kids had to try and squash them by sitting on them! It was hilarious to watch!! Finally, we enjoyed cake pops and ice cream and the kids went home, hopefully happy! I know Kaiya had a blast and I am so thrilled that her FIRST birthday party was a hit! One of the parents told me the next day at church that his daughter hadn't stopped talking about the party, so I'm glad the kids had fun too! And all I can say now, is WHEW, glad that's over! Happy Birthday, sweet Kai!

Happy Birthday, Kaiya-bear!

2011-08-14T16:37:00.003-07:00

Today is our sweet little lady's FOURTH birthday! Kaiya Michelle is another year older and I am still shaking my head about it! How did this happen?! Fast, that's how it happened! I cannot believe she is four already!

As I was tucking Kai in for her nap this afternoon, I laid down with her and told her about the day she was born. How on that day four years ago, I became the happiest mother that has ever lived -- that SHE made me the happiest mother that has ever lived. I told her how she was just a little tiny baby, smaller than Avery is now, and that as soon as she was born my arms were literally dying to hold her. When I held her, I couldn't get her close enough to me, I couldn't kiss her soft cheeks enough, I couldn't smell her newborn smell enough, I couldn't get over her soft cooing noises, and I couldn't believe that she was mine. I still can't believe that. And I still can't get enough of her! And I told her how long daddy and I had waited for her to come down from heaven and that when she finally came, she still felt and looked and smelled and sounded like she had heaven all over her! She has never lost the heaven that she came here with. She has the most tender, sensitive, kind heart that you could ever find and I know that she carried that into this life with her. As I told her all these things, my eyes brimmed over with tears. It still feels like yesterday that we were at the hospital with Jessika, completely wrapped up and consumed with the spirit that Kaiya brought with her as she was born. I remember the feeling in the room and it is something that I will hold in my heart for as long as I live. I don't know if there has ever been a more powerful moment in all my life. I knew my life was changing because of this perfect, beautiful, special girl!

I love Kaiya so deeply. She is my oldest, first daughter. She was the first of many miracles that brought our children to us. She is one of my greatest teachers, since everything I do as a mother, I do with her first! Which also makes her incredibly forgiving because I make a lot of mistakes as I learn, and she never seems to mind too much. She is tender-hearted and so easy to love and so full of life. She is naturally close to spiritual things and ever aware of everyone around her and sensitive to their feelings. She is becoming such a BEAUTIFUL little girl. She was a beautiful baby, a beautiful toddler, and now is growing into her childhood beauty. She is curious, but cautious; strong and independent, but still so affectionate; sooo smart, but also so teachable; the best example to her little sisters, but always learning how to be a better big sister.

I do not exaggerate when I say that Kaiya is so far beyond anything I could have dreamed of when I dreamed of becoming a mother. She has filled my life with the most amazing light and joy and peace. I will love this beautiful, sweet girl every day of eternity. Dreams do come true and Kaiya is our evidence of that!

Happy birthday, my sweet Kaiya!
(We've got some fun things planned for your birthday and we'll share that soon!)

It's our anniversary!

2011-08-09T07:16:00.003-07:00

NINE years ago today, pretty much all of my dreams came true! Yep, it's kinda crazy to believe, but Chris and I celebrate our ninth year of marriage today! Wow, time really goes by soooo fast! And yet, I find myself thinking back to that special day and I can remember it just like it was yesterday! It was such an amazing day and I had never been so happy or so in love!

But the really amazing thing is as much as I loved Chris today nine years ago, that love has only grown more deep, more true, more intense, and is so much more based on all that we have experienced together during our marriage so far. When I say I love this man, it does not give justice to how I truly feel about him! And I'm grateful to see how our love has matured and solidified over these years and know that it will continue to do so in the many years ahead!

I love every single thing about Chris. He is so supportive and honest and kind. He is STRONG, smart, determined, and I have every assurance that he would literally do anything for his girls. He brings a peace and a happiness into our home that only he could do. He is just that eternally optimistic and happy guy and it is sure to rub off on anyone he is around. He makes me laugh and smile every single day. He gives me his arms and his love when I need them most. This guy is so special, so amazing. I love him so much.

Like all of us, we have been through a lot together. This year alone has thrown us some curve balls that have made life difficult. But when I imagine ever having to go through anything alone, it makes me grateful for the feeling that I can do ANYTHING as long as Chris is by my side. No matter what happens in life, I still get to get wrapped up in his strong, protecting arms at the end of the day and it is safe and comforting there. And hey, we have also been through some INCREDIBLE and amazingly joyful times together as well! The happiest and most important events in my life I have experienced with Chris. And that's what it's all about, right -- the good, the bad, the great, the hard? Wherever life takes us....

For our anniversary this year, Chris surprised me with tickets to a concert at the USANA. It was The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, and TIM MCGRAW!!! Ahhh, it was so amazing! Seriously, Tim is pure excitement to watch and puts on the BEST show! And The Band Perry, how I LOVE, LOVE their music! It was so fun to have a night away together and we had such a fun time! What a treat, especially since Chris does NOT love country music and kept saying he wished he knew any of the songs! He was so sweet to take me! Thanks, baby! Happy Anniversary to my best friend in the world! Just another stepping stone in our eternal lives together, each one adding to the beautiful journey we get to share with each other! The happiest NINE years of my life!!

Avie-Ave's

2011-07-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

Little Avery Ryenne's turn!She is now 5 months old and growing like a weed! She is our first kid with rolls and it is so addicting to smooch her little chub! Luckily she kindly obliges...or maybe she just doesn't have a choice! Avie-girl is just the sweetest, happiest thing! I don't know what else to say about her. You would be pressed to find a more content baby. I kid you not, she just never really cries or asks for much! It has been such a blessing in my busy life to have such an easy-going baby! She will sleep wherever she can and wakes up as happy as can be! She is doing 8 hour stretches at night very consistently now, which is a dream -- literally, I can finish dreams now! She goes down from about 10-6 am, quick meal and then back to sleep until about 9 am. And she takes one good, 3-4 hour nap in the afternoon. She could probably use a morning nap too, but our schedule usually doesn't permit it! So, she'll just take a cat nap when we're out and about! She is a roller -- has been for the past few months. I mean she rolls everywhere. Therefore, she doesn't mind tummy time too much, because that's usually where she ends up! She still spits up, but not nearly as much and without the pain she used to have. She has the most beautiful auburn color hair and blue-green eyes. She's just beautiful and happy and smiles ALL the time! Can't ask for anything better than that!We have slowly started her on rice cereal, but haven't been very consistent at it yet. But good news, she doesn't seem to mind it at all, so we just need to give it to her more! I think a lot of it is that I just am not ready for her to be old enough to eat like this -- it is happening WAY too fast! I asked Chris to put her headband on before we were leaving somewhere, and this is what I found! Daddy can't resist having some fun with her -- and she seemed to enjoy it too! She loves the bath! It's probably her most content time! She is really mild in the water and just watches you and smiles! Avie actually does REALLY well in the car seat! She usually falls asleep when we are driving anywhere, which makes traveling really pretty easy! She loves being on her floor mat, playing with her toys, rolling around.She loves her sisters and they sure take good care of her. They especially love to share their books, how nice of them!(This was Kaiya's little set-up!)This girl is just pure sunshine! You give her a smile, she will give you one right back, nice and big. You give her your attention, she kicks and flails and gives you every ounce of her excitement! You cuddle her up close, she will stare into your eyes, grab at your face, and sometimes even fall asleep. I am so grateful to be a mother again to this most sweet, precious, lovable, happy, beautiful, (did I mention HAPPY) little babe! We are pretty dang lucky to have this little chick in out family! Love you, Avie-girl!

Tay Tay's turn!

2011-07-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Now an update on Taylor!

Oh this girl is so full of it...personality, that is! I think you will get a taste of that in the following pictures!

Let's see, Tay has been having a very fun summer too! Her days are spent getting into all sorts of mischief with her sister Kaiya, but also full of a whole lot of sweetness! This girl has become sooo cuddly and affectionate and we are LOVING it! She will just come up and want to sit with us and cuddle and give lots of kisses! She loves to chase the neighbor's cats and dogs around to give them loves too! She talks soooo well and sooooo much and there is nothing so sweet as hearing her jabber on and on and on! She has chubby hands and chubby feet and chubby cheeks for kissing! She loves Kai and Avery so much and is so sweet to them! She has wild hair in cute curls, she has bright, big eyes, and is always ready to take on the world! She is such an easy, laid-back, funny little kid! She is just so contagious to have around!

She spends a lot of time in this jeep riding everywhere with Kai, therefore, it sometimes needs some maintenance! She is currently having a love affair with Woody and literally will not got anywhere without him! She loves cereal -- but not just for eating! That's what I get for drifting off on the couch one early morning. She wanted some more cereal and Kai gave her the box. This is the result!She is such a good little helper. She ALWAYS wants to play with my mops and brooms! Too bad she doesn't ever actually get much cleaned! Oh well, it's good practice! She loves to talk on the phone. And when she can't talk on the real phone, she uses EVERYTHING else as her phone -- remotes, sippy cups, Barbie's, etc, etc. You can tell she is quite comfortable on the phone! She is silly, she is sweet, she is full of EXPRESSION, and we can't get enough of this girl! Love you, Taylor Jayne!

Fun, fun!

2011-07-18T14:37:00.008-07:00

Ok, so I need to do a little pause here in the kiddie updates to remember some fun that we have been having here the past few weeks...and then I'll get back to updating the girls!

So, first off, we got to see my dear friend, Jamie, a couple times while she was out here to visit family! It's such a great treat ANY time she is in town and we can get together! I have known Jamie for most of my life and I will always count her as one of my dearest friends! An added bonus was that the first time I saw her a few weeks ago, was for my sis's bday and our longtime friend, Katie was there too! We always have so much fun catching up, remembering our good old days in Corcoran, California where we all grew up together! It was such a fun night and I love each of these girls so much!(Chris, me, Britt, Quinn, Tucker, Jamie, Katie, Ryan)

The next time we got together a few days later, we had the treat of having Tiffany and Carly (Jamie's sister) there with us too! We all met at my sister's house and brought all of our kids -- a FULL house! There were 13 kids and 5 adults! It's amazing to see how our lives have all developed and how we are all MOM'S now with all these little, adorable, amazing kids! I was blessed to have Tiffany as one of my roommates, along with my sister and Jamie, in Hawaii, and since that is one of the most special, memorable times of my life, Tiffany will always hold a special place in my heart as well! And can you even get over her sweet Eliza and Solomon?! Sooo cute! And I grew up with Carly and have known her forever too! It was the perfect, crazy gathering and I'm so, so glad we all got to meet up!(the whole gang, minus my Tay) (Tay working the cash register for the lemonade stand) (having some GIRL time!) (front: Jamie, Britt, me; back: Carly, Tiffany) (jordyn, alyson and ame) (Avie-girl with Tiffany's little Eliza) (Tiffany put Ave's right to sleep!)

Also on our schedule for the past few weeks has been this really fun sports clinic that Kaiya did. It was four weeks long and each week they focused on introducing a different sport. So, she got to do basketball, t-ball, soccer and frisbee. She had sooo much fun! I was so proud of her for getting out there and playing, even though she was a little nervous and timid at first. It was sooo good for her and really helped to build her confidence! She did especially well in t-ball and soccer! Good job, Kai!

Updates, updates, updates!

2011-07-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

Ohhh, goodness, I am so far behind, but so many things I don't want to forget either! So, I'm going to be updating -- join me if you like!

We'll start with Kaiya first!This is WAY old, but we finally got Kaiya a bike! It was several months ago, and I keep forgetting to post this milestone! If you know Kaiya, you know that it is such a BIG deal that she is riding this bike! She is so timid and cautious and was very scared at first. We weren't sure if she would want to stick with it. But she is also one determined little girl and she wasn't about to let that bike beat her! So, she got on and rode, VERY slow at first, but with lots of practice, she has gotten so much better! The training wheels are still her friends, but I'm totally fine with that because I am sooooo proud of her for tackling a BIG fear! She is so in love with her helmet -- almost more so than the bike! When we bought it, she wore it the whole hour car ride home!Kaiya also has been in Primary at church since January. She is doing so well there! A few weeks ago, she even gave her first talk! With Kaiya, you never know if she will have the courage to get up and do it or if the fear will win. This time, she was brave and got right up and did an amazing job!! I had to fight back my tears as I helped her because I was bursting with love and admiration for her! She loves her friends at church, most of them are our neighbors too, and it's fun to see her coming out of her shell to be social with them!

Kaiya is having such a fun summer! We signed her up for a sports clinic that runs for 4 weeks and each week they focus on a different sport. So, she has been introduced to basketball, t-ball, soccer, and frisbee (I know, I thought that was a strange choice as well, but the kids actually loved it)! She is really good at t-ball -- that was her favorite! She can throw the ball like you wouldn't believe! We got her the most adorable PINK mitt that she is in love with! It has been so, so fun to see her come out of her shell and have so much fun playing! I'm so glad we got her into this!

Kai LOVES being outside. Every day as soon as she wakes up, she asks me if it's too early to go outside! Most of the time I try to stall her until at least about 10:00! She loves anything to do with water -- sprinklers, their water activity table, the pool, splashing Taylor!! She loves to color with the sidewalk chalk, ride her bike, push Taylor around in her car, give rides in her jeep to whoever will accompany her, throw the ball to Chase, and pretty much ANYTHING else that entails being outside! I have to admit, I love being out there too, so I don't mind too much! Because of her many hours outside, she has developed the most beautiful tan (obviously she didn't get that from our fairness!), her hair is always wild and beautifully untamed, and she is always dirty from the fun! She is such a beautiful summer girl! This girl has some pretty wild bedtime antics! Some mornings, she wakes up with 3-4 hats on and mittens that she has pulled out of her drawer the night before. Some nights, we sneak in to see what she's doing and find her in her boots, or playing with her books in a funny way! And don't you just love how she has placed Barbie so she can watch what is going on? She is such a funny girl!Kaiya is becoming more and more beautiful every single day! So smart, so funny, so creative, and oh so sweet! We love our Kaiya-bear!