Baby Kitties

We were surprised but excited to find out that our cat was expecting kitties. We made them a box with a blanket and a couple days later we had 4 baby kitties ultimately one of them died. One night while Matt was gone I fell asleep and woke up smelling strong of skunk. I went outside to find that a skunk had attacked the cats after the kitties no doubt. The next morning we couldn't find the kitties and we were all devastated. But a couple days later I found them in a bag of mulch. The mama cat had moved them to protect them from the sunk.

The girls love these kitties and they are now big enough to play with and so much fun

The kids will be so sad when we give them away and have named them all. Smokey, Stripes, and Snowball.

Fun Friday

We woke up ready to have some fun so we decided to head to Treehouse Museum and we took our new neighbors and friends the Bingham's with us. The kids all had a great time but it was crazy keeping track of the 3 littlest. Teann's twins are crazy and I don't think they have been out of the house much and have no boundaries so it takes a team to keep track of them. We had a fun time but after a couple hours we were exhausted.

That night Matt went to the Jazz game with clients  so the girls and I had a pizza party and watched a movie. The girls loved having a girls night

Matt loved being at the Jazz playoff game even though they ultimately lost.

A Volleyball Weekend & Em's So Sick

We had a very busy and fun weekend minus Em getting so sick. Friday I got called in to work so Matt stayed home with the kids and when Em woke up she had a fever of 103.5. Matt gave her a bath and got her comfortable until I got home. Matt and I were supposed to go out that night to the graduation celebration but with Em so sick I stayed home and Matt took Gracie as his date. They had a great time. Em looked so cute before she started feeling yucky. Nic bought these for her and they finally fit.

My parents got to our house late and we all got to bed once we got them settled. Em fevered all night Friday but we were able to keep it down with meds. She felt pretty crappy but we got up and moving so we could get to soccer on time. Having one car has been really hard since Matt sold his truck. When we go we all have to go or be stuck where we were left. Since Em was still running a high fever(over 104) I called the dr and they wanted to see her. So after Gracie got done with her soccer game we ran over to the cancer fundraiser they were doing for a little girl Gracie's age before taking Hallie to her soccer game. We bought treats and a few other things as well as the girls getting their faces painted. Em was so excited to see Elsa but we could tell she wasn't feeling like herself. 

 About half way thru Hallie's game we had to leave to get to the Dr for our appt. The Dr checked her for an ear infection, uti, and strep throat but everything came back negative. As the day went on you could tell how terrible she was feeling. She slept most of the ride to get to the volleyball tournament. I felt bad but we had been looking forward to this tournament for months. She was pretty content to just sit on our laps and rest which made it nice not to have to chase her everywhere. Here is Maddi's cheering section for the tournament. They had a few rough games but ultimately did pretty good.

 We went for a few walks in the stroller and she took a couple naps. I was glad she was getting some rest. We took our whole Dr kit so we checked her temp once an hour and gave her meds to keep her comfy.

 We took coloring stuff, books, a few games, and the tablet to keep the kids entertained. They did great until about the last game then everyone was tired and ready to be done for the day. There were a lot of tears and so once Maddi was done we headed home.

 Saturday on the way home Em threw up and then her fever climbed back to 104 and at one point to 105. I was pretty nervous about the numbers I was seeing but she was eating, drinking, and appeared to be resting in short increments. We just watched her closely. Sunday morning my parents left to go back to Vegas and gave Matt a ride to the car rental place until we can get the new truck. I stayed home with the girls and spend most of the day in the recliner hold Em. Sunday evening we got to 105.4 and once again the panic set in. We got her some more meds and then it slowly came down to a reasonable number so we could put her to bed. I sent a text out to my family and asked for everyone to include Emy in their prayers that night. Matt took the first shift and I went to bed knowing to was going to be a long night. Em was up again about 1230 and Matt stayed up with her until about 2 then we got her laid back down and I started my shift. We kept meds in her all night and had lots of cuddles. On Monday I called the Dr again and they just wanted me to still watch her since her fever was manageable. I once again spent the entire day in the recliner holding her. She seemed to rest better than she had been the previous couple days. As the day got later I saw glimpses of our sweet spunky Em. We ran the girls to dance and then headed back home since Matt was going to pick them up. Em helped me make dinner and then I could tell she was feeling yucky again. Monday night she slept better than she had been. Her fever stayed down at 100 all night and I think we all got better rest. Now its Tuesday and although her fever has been lower her nose is now running like a green river but she seems to be getting better.

I don't remember any of the girls every being this sick or having a fever this high or for this long. We are getting thru it. I'm so grateful for Hallie, Gracie, and Matt that have really stepped up and helped with the stuff I haven't been getting done. Here's to her feeling back to her old self sooner than later.

Kindergarten Round Up

I was able to spend some time with just Gracie when we went to kindergarten round up. I rarely get on eon one time with the kids sometimes because they don't want to leave each other but when we do its nice to have a conversation and do something fun. She was so excited and a little nervous. She is more than ready and will do so great. We all stayed in the gym and got checked in then she was able to go and meet and interact with both the kindergarten teachers, She had a great time doing puzzles, reading stories, and a few art projects.

 After I was done in the gym I picked up Gracie and we stopped to get some cookies before we headed home.

It was a fun afternoon. Im so grateful for Matt and his willingness to come home and take care of Em and get Hallie from the bus so I could have this special time with Gracie. She is such a sweet and tender girl. She is the first to say thank you and ask someone how they are doing. I love her and the piece she fills in our family.

Easter Weekend

Our Easter weekend was full of warm weather, sunshine, fun, and family. Our original plan was to celebrate the commercial side of Easter on Saturday so we could focus on the Savior in Sunday but our week got shot and honestly the Easter Bunny wasn't prepared. Saturday morning we gave the girls the option whether they wanted to go to their soccer games or do the Manor Care Easter egg hunt....they of coarse chose the Easter egg hunt and honestly Matt and I were totally ok with that. We have been going to Manor Care's Easter egg hunt since the kids were babies and its my fav. They give each of the kids a number so the egg hunt is actually a hunt. The girls were so excited to go. Emy kept waving to tell us good bye since we weren't moving fast enough.

 The girls were oh so ready when we got there and all lined up

There were hundreds of eggs and it took us about 20 minutes to find all the girls eggs before they let the kids loose to get whatever were left. Em found the golden egg so she won a basket full of prizes. This was the first year Hallie didn't find the gold egg but she was so excited for Em she didn't seem phased in the least. Here are the girls with all their prizes. The grocery bag of eggs was all but over flowing.

 Em insisted in carrying/dragging her basket out to the car. She waved to everyone she passed and was so proud of herself. It was super cute

When we pulled into the driveway we were greeted by a front yard with yet more Easter eggs. Someone had come to our house and covered the front yard in eggs. The girls were so excited and quickly gathered up the eggs. I still don't know where they came from but it was pretty cool. After they gathered the eggs they headed straight for the back yard to play and shortly after the neighbor boys joined them. We are loving having neighbors with young kids like ours. They play so well and help keep track of each other. This time of year is my favorite 

That evening when we came in Em had gained a nice little tan line. Emy's first farmers tan

At night I like to sneak down and check on the girls. They are so peaceful when they sleep. Some days I can't wait for bedtime to come and once they're in bed I miss them...silly...yes. But true none the less.

 After they went to sleep the Easter Bunny found us and of coarse we all got spoiled.

 One of the girls favorite parts is the "bunny" trail. My parents used to do this for us and we have continued to do it for our girls. Other than what the Easter Bunny will bring this is a topic of conversation for weeks prior to the day.

 Sunday morning the girls were up by about 8:30 and were thrilled with what they found. They all got matching dress and swim suits for our trip to the Oregon Coast next month. Hallie got roller blades and socks, Gracie got a beauty and the beast play set and new panties, and Em got some Mickey books. Hallie had requested chocolate bunnies for all of them. My mom had sent a gift bag full of fun stuff for the girls that they also opened.

 Emy finally joined the rest of us about 915. She came out holding a couple pieces of candy and although she wasn't completely awake she was definitely excited. I love her bed head

 She was facinated by all the candy laying on the floor

 After the girl finished opening all their gifts we had some time so we dyed our Easter eggs that we hadn't gotten to yet. Kimber gave us the great idea of using a veggie tray and it worked great.

 Then it was time to get ready for church. I secretly love to dress the girls the same. They all looked so beautiful in their mint colored dresses. Im definitely partial but they are so cute

 Can't forget a picture of all of us. Love this eternal family of mine

 We made it thru 3 hours of church and miraculously everyone was still happy for pictures

 We invited Matt's family to join us for Easter. We did almost all of the prep on Saturday so we got to just hang out and do a few things on Sunday. I made this sweet cream vanilla cheesecake it was amazing. We BBQ'd chicken and beef kabobs, had multiple, salad, potatoes, and then dessert. It was super yummy. The kids had a blast playing I only wish it had been warmer so they could have played outside more than they got to.

All and all it was a great Easter weekend. I love every minute I spend with this little family of mine.

Spring Break

Spring break was just what we needed. Some uninterrupted time with our little family and some quality time at grandma and papa's house. Monday I was supposed to work but ended up getting called off so Matt stayed home and we took the girls to run errands and have a fun lunch.

We love Chinese food and so its not hard to decide where to eat

Hallie was so excited she bought a coconut at her school store she insisted on taking pictures with it.

Then Tuesday morning we headed for our flight to Vegas. Nic was nice enough to take us to the airport since Matt had flown out that morning for a work trip. I was nervous to be away from home with my U.C. flaring the way that it was but I felt at peace that it would all be ok.

Em loved taking off she was so funny and yelled wheeee both times we took off

Em loved sitting on the girls laps so she could see out the window the girls were so good and patient with her

Mom, Luke, and Lydi came to pick us up at the airport and we got home just in time for the kids to get in some playing and naps before Kimber got off work. 

Somehow Emy and Lydi got a hold of the caramel dip and found a shady spot to eat it. Em started eating it and Lydi watched on waiting for Emy to share.

Em was so tired she fell asleep as soon as we left to take the kids back to Kimber

After we dropped the kids off Mom, Maddi, Emy, and I went shopping for Maddi's prom dress. It was fun and Em was really good. I was glad I was able to be there to be part of her special time. By the time we got home Papa and Nate had taken the girls swimming, fed, bathed, and ready for bed. The next morning we went for a walk. The girls all loved helping to walk Sophie Em always thought it was her turn she loved Sophie.

After we got home from our walk we got ready and went to see the new Beauty and the Beast movie. It was really good and the kids were all pretty good. They each got a kids pack with snacks, drinks, and popcorn.

It was also great timing we came home for lunch and then Emy was ready for a nap. While we were in Vegas Emy decided she likes to sleep with a pillow and in a real bed. Such a sweet sleeping baby

The girls loved grandma's cat

Thursday was our relax and hang out day. I surprisingly had felt better the first couple days on the trip than I had in weeks so that was a huge blessing. The kids loved "swimming" in the hot tub.

That night we went to the famous corn dog truck. My parents love this place

While we were there we found some cute labradoodle puppies. The girls loved them

Thursday Kimber came over and we went to a couple different parks that my mom had been checking out. We saw turtles and a bunch of ducks and geese.

Hallie and Gracie loved mothering Lydi..something she wasn't used to but she seemed to like it.

A warm day at the park mus include cheetos that's a must

After a couple hours of park hoping we decided it was time for lunch. After we had some lunch grandma had set up an Easter egg hunt for the kids. They were so funny. They were talking about how much candy and money they were going to get in their eggs.

Em would pick up and egg and pause to see what was in it before putting it in her basket and then moving on

That night we celebrated Maddi's birthday a day early since we flew out the following evening. We had Cafe Rio(per Maddi's request) and then went to Thrifty ice cream shop. Em loved using her cute face and would say "bite" and I think she sampled everyone's ice cream.

That night the girls decorated Maddi's door for her birthday the following morning.

Friday morning we got up and I was not feeling great and neither was Kimber so we hung around for a couple hours and took it easy. Once my tummy settled we headed to the strip to see the sites. We have never done the tourist side of Vegas because my parents hates traffic and the crowds. Im really glad we ventured out. It was fun to be a "tourist" Hallie had requested to see the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. Gracie was most excited about M&M world. We found the Eiffel Tower first Hallie was so excited and we got as close as we could after taking pictures. She said it was bigger than she expected. But seem satisfied and I think it saved us a trip to Europe at least for now.

M&M world ended up being about a mile from where we parked and I thought I was going to kill Kimber and my mom but we made it. We did a lot of people watching on the way and stopped to listen to some street musicians.

I thought they would love the M&M wall and they did. It didn't disappoint.

After we spent well over an hour in M&M World and everyone had picked out their souvenirs. Hallie picked a key chain, Gracie picked a variety of M&Ms from the wall, and well Em didn't really care so she just played with and sampled both the other girls. By this point everyone was hungry and Kimber was getting sick. So we found a food court next door and had some Wendys

After that point Kimber decided she was to tired to continue with us so her and her kiddos headed back to the car. We went across the street to see first the Statue of Liberty and then the Hershey's store. The kids also loved the castle

Then the Statue of Liberty

Then to our second chocolate stop....the Hershey factory

I think they thought the Statue out of licorice was just as cool as the big one outside

They each chose a cookie sandwich and we were on our way. We were having so much fun that we had lost track of time and had to get moving so we could see everything else we wanted to see before catching our flight home

Em finally crashed and slept most of our way back

We had to stop once to have a rest and test the kids sandwiches

Then we headed to the Bellagio to see the flower gardens and they didn't disappoint 

The butterflies were beautiful

Hallie and her Eiffel Tower

We originally thought we were going to miss the water show since they didn't start until early afternoon but it turns out that since we had taken our time we were just perfect in our timing to see the show

Then we had to run to the car so we could get home and finish packing to catch our flight. We got home just in time to grab our bags, go potty, and say our goodbyes then we were back on the road to the airport this time. Then just like that we were headed back home to our daddy.

We got home after 10 and everyone headed to bed...we were exhausted. The following morning we got a welcome home gift of snow after our fun week in the sun.

Its always nice to be home and usually after only a couple days I get so home sick but I genuinely had a good time this trip. I was thinking about why I felt that way and decided it was because I made plans to get out and do touristy things and not just sit around my parents house all day. I love taking the girls to try and see new things. Watching their eyes and faces as they they experience new things along with Matt and I is invaluable.