Fun in the water...

I made it a point to have as much fun as we could before the baby came.  I signed the kids up for swim lessons, we went swimming a lot, we played in the water at our house a ton, and we ate way to many popsicles!  It was awesome!  

Swimming lessons were a huge success!  Noah and Leah were in the same class, which proved to be great!  Isaac had his lesson at the exact same time, so it was so nice to get it all done in one hit.  Kate and I would go back and forth to watch each of them, and it was so fun.  Kate did such a great job being pushed around in the stroller...I was a little nervous that she'd want to get out and jump in the water, seeing that she's our little water baby!  But all was well and I didn't have any "issues" with her.  And they all passed with flying colors!  Yay!

We went to the pool about five times, each time with Doug.  There was NO way that I was going to be able to go without him, being almost 9 months pregnant and all.  A few times our cousins came along, which was so much fun!  We sure do love these peeps!

And Kate and Isaac played outside in the water almost every day!  No joke!  It was so much fun too!  I would go out and just sit on the grass with them while they splashed around and had a blast.

And how cute is that little tush... :).

Strawberry Days ~ 2014

We look forward to the Strawberry Days parade every year!  It's so fun to go to Doug's hometown and enjoy this fun day with family.  And they put on a good parade too...filled with lots of candy and coupons to Taco Amigo!  Good times!

The kiddos were happy collecting lots of candy :).

All Kate wanted was a sucker...

Afterwards, we all went to Doug's parent's house for a BBQ and ice cream.  It was a great day!

Isaac is FOUR!

Isaac has been looking forward to his birthday for quite some time...especially since we had already celebrated Leah, Noah, and Kate's a few months prior.  He was beyond excited with the day *finally* came to celebrate his birthday!  Turning four was a very big deal to this little guy :).

We woke up very bright and early on his birthday...6:30 to be exact!  A little too early for me, but I went along with it.  He was just too excited for me to care.  Isaac was so excited to open his presents...he's a classic 4 year old.  One thing that I love about Isaac is how appreciative he is...after he opened each gift, he was so excited and said "thank you" over and over again to all of us.  It was so sweet.  

He was especially excited when he opened his bow and arrow set from us.  He has wanted one for so long and this gift did not disappoint.  He played with it all day long...so fun!

His first phone call of the day was from his daddy...he was so excited to tell Doug about all of his gifts.  

Then it was time for breakfast...Isaac chose his favorite meal, pancakes!  As per tradition, I made his pancake into a "4".  He knew this was coming and he was very excited about it.  

Most of our day was spent at home playing, which was totally fine by Isaac.  He's pretty easy to please.  One thing that he did want was to go and get a snowie, which we were all totally ok with!  

Once Doug got home, we all headed to the park to eat some dinner and to play.  He loves playing at the park and was looking forward to it all day!  

We saved his "big" gift for when we were at the park.  He had been asking for a remote control car for quite some time, so he was beyond happy when he finally got it.  He had a blast driving it around on the trail at the park.  

Needless to say, Isaac's birthday was a very good day.  We love this kiddo more than words!  He is simply the best and we love him to the moon and back!  Happy Birthday, little man!

Happy Father's Day ~ 2014

Happy Father's Day to the BEST Daddy around!  These kids totally lucked out in the Daddy Dept.!  Doug loves these kids so much and would do anything for them!  I'm pretty thankful for him and all he does for us...he really is the best!

33 Weeks!

I honestly can't believe how fast theis pregnancy is flying by!  Part of me is thankful for that though, since I am so done being pregnant. The sleepless nights are really getting to me, and I'm beginning to think that it will get more sleep with a newborn than right now!  I know...how can that be?  Ready or not, this baby will be here before we know it!  All of his clothes are cleaned and ready, all of the blankets are folded, and I figure we'll get anything else that we need when the time comes. This must be my fifth baby ;). We are definitely more laid back now than we were with Noah ;). My doctor let us set an induction date for July 7!  So there is an end in sight, and it's just over one month away!  I'm pretty sure that this next month is going to fly by at lightening speed, and I'm ok with that because I can't wait to meet this sweet baby!  We're all so so excited...especially the kids. I so look forward to seeing them with their new brother...it will be a moment I know I will always remember.

The one worry that I have about bringing baby home is Kate. She has been so attached to me lately. I know that this comes with the age, but I can't help but worry a little about it. I don't want her to feel like she is being replaced or not the baby anymore. She honestly wants to be in my arm all of the time...which will be tricky with a newborn around. I know that she won't have any bad feeling towards him...she loves babies!  I just worry that she will want my attention 10x more than she does now. It'll be interesting to see how it all goes. I keep telling myself that it'll all work out...as I'm sure it will!!

Here's to just a few more weeks of being pregnant...I'm ready!!  

Last Week of School ~ 2014

Noah and Leah's last week of school was full of lots of fun activities.  I think that they definitely enjoyed it :).

The annual Dance Festival was the first item on the agenda.  All of the grades had been practicing for the past month to perform it for the entire school and family.  We live right by the school, so I went over there an hour before to get a spot for Doug and I to watch the show ;).  The kindergarteners were first up and they were SO adorable.  They did a dance to the Jackson 5's "ABC...123".  Very fitting!  Leah knew all of the moves and was so energetic through the entire thing.  She's our little performer.  Now, I told Noah beforehand that he needed to be a little more energetic when he performed, since this isn't his most favorite thing to do.  I told him that it's OK to smile and look like he's having fun!  And guess what, he took my advice!  He did such a great job too...it was so fun to watch him!  Kate sat on my lap and kept yelling "HI NOAH" the entire time!  She loves her big bro!!

Leah was lucky enough to have  Pirate Party at school during her last week.  She was VERY adamant on going to the party store to get a pink eye patch to complete her ensemble.  I was happy to oblige, and she looked so darling.  She had a great time celebrating with her little class.

Noah spend the rest of his last week of school cleaning his desk out and having field day.  He LOVED Field Day so much, as I'm sure all kids did.  It was a great day that wasn't too hot, which I'm sure made it that much more fun!  

Here's a first and last day of school comparison of my Noah.  He has grown SO much this year...it's crazy!  He has also learned so much!  We are still working on enjoying reading, although I'm happy to say that at least he *can* read.  My goal this summer is to find some books that he'll enjoy so that he can develop a love for reading.  He has made so many friends and has enjoyed his school days.  

He had a great teacher this year and we're thankful for all of her hard work!  These teachers really are so amazing to me!  Now he's all mine for 2 1/2 months!  Yay!!

And here's my Leah on her first and last day of school.  Her hair has grown, that's for sure ;).  She said that was very important!  Girls!  She has also grown up so much and I'm so impressed with the little girl that she is becoming.  She is not one to keep her words to herself...she doesn't really have a filter on her!  That has been one thing that we need to work on...when and when not to say certain things!  Oh boy!  Aside from her developing personality, she has LOVED school SO much and is beyond excited for first grade.  I am amazed at how much she has learned and she at the top in all of her subjects.  Can you say proud mama!?!  Learning is definitely one of her favorite things and her thirst for knowledge is never-ending.  

And her teacher...there are no words!  She was AMAZING!  She has done so much for Leah and helped her learn and grow in a way that I never thought possible.  I'm beyond thankful for her and her patience with these precious kindergarteners.  She is simply the BEST!

I'm am really going to enjoy this summer with these two home.  I know that it is going to be a little chaotic once the baby comes, but I know that it will all work out.  Next year I am going to be sending them BOTH to school all day long...I honestly don't know how I am going to handle this!  For reals!  They are my best buddies and I love them oh so very much!  Here's to a great summer!!!

Isaac's Last Day of School!

Isaac has had such a great year in pre-preschool this past year.  It has a lot to do with the fact that his teacher is the BEST!  We just love her SO much and I love her dedication to these precious kids.  Isaac started out the year doing so well, although he did have a little hiccup this past month.  He would have a hard time actually going to school, but once he was there for about 10 minutes, he was just fine.  I'm beginning to think that he was just doing it as a show to bug me...who knows!  Thankfully, that only lasted a few weeks, and then everything was back to normal and he went back to loving everything about school.  I was even lucky enough to help and teach his class the week before school let out, which was so much fun!  These 3 year olds are so so smart and fun!  He is so lucky to have been able to spend the year with them and make lasting friendships.

Isaac was a little sad about the last day of school and didn't want it to end.  I told him about the big party that his teacher was going to have, which made it better.  I also assured him that he would be going back in a few months, so that made it easier as well.  It was so great going to pick him up on his last day and seeing him all dressed out from his Luau!  He had so much fun!  Now I get this precious little guy all to myself for a few months...man, I love this kid so much!!

First and last day of school comparison.  He honestly hasn't changed very much.  

Isaac and his amazing teacher.  Words can't describe how much we love her!  She really is the BEST!!

He wore this outfit the rest of the day!  How much fun is that!!

Pinewood Derby!!

Noah was lucky enough to become a Cub Scout just in time of the pinewood derby in our ward!  He was SO excited to able to make a car with his daddy for the event.  Together, they decided to make a Minecraft car!  I found a prepared printable online, printed it out and we mod podged it right onto the wedge car that they had bought.  Then they went to town putting on the weights and wheels.  What a project that was!  I'm glad that I didn't have to do anything for it, because I would have had no idea what to do!  Doug even went and got his old derby car from when he was a kid and put some of the weights from it on Noah's car!  Very nice!  Noah's car did really well at the derby...and I was just happy that he didn't come in last.  Their hard work definitely paid off!!  

Kate's Potty Trained!

Back in March, Kate was showing signs of being potty trained...so I made the decision to just go with it and see where it took us.  I mean, who am I to say "no" to potty training a kid?!?  I've done it three times already, and, if she was going to take after the other kids, this should be a piece of cake.  Well, it was!  Within two days, she was going on the potty consistently and she was going #1 and #2!  It.was.awesome!  I was so thrilled that she caught on as fast as she did.  And we haven't looked back since!  It was a gradual process and we did have some accidents along the way, but she's doing great. She will now, very rarely, have an accident, but that is mostly due to the fact that she is distracted by playing and just plain old forgets to go to the potty.  She is really really good at letting us know whenever she needs to go, which is fabulous.  We have even started going out in public without pull ups, and she's been so great.  She lets us know when she has to go, and will hold it until we get to the potty.  I'm honestly so amazed at how well she has done with potty training.  And I'm beyond grateful that it as been so easy!  PLUS I haven't had to change many diapers the past few months, which is just awesome!  Honestly, this is the first time in 8 years that I haven't consistently been changing diapers!  I've been totally enjoying it before baby comes.  But I am just so happy that I won't have to train her with a baby around.  Hallelujah!

How stinkin' cute is she in her big girl panties!  Love it!!

And a princess on the potty...the cuteness is killing me!

Now, the one downfall to potty training Kate is her extreme interest in toilet paper!  She gets so excited to pull on the roll whenever she goes!  She also likes to pull the roll off and throw the entire thing in the potty!  Naughty!  Yet so innocent.  I mean, how can you get mad at that face?!?!  Heaven help me! ;)

Noah's Baptism

Sometimes I can not believe that my precious Noah, my first born, is EIGHT years old!  Doug and I have been parents for eight whole years...that is just crazy!  Words can't describe how proud we are of Noah and the person that he is.  We have, of course, had our ups and downs, but he really is such a great kid and we love him SO much!

Noah was lucky enough to get baptized on his eighth birthday, which we all thought was pretty cool.  We have been preparing Noah for this big step in his life for a while now, and he was ready for it!  We did all the preparations for his big day...new clothes, bought him his very own scriptures, discussed the importance of becoming a member of this great church, had an interview with the Bishop...he was ready to go!

On the big day, we spent the morning celebrating his birthday, and then we were busy getting the house all ready for the celebration that we would have afterwards.  He was lucky to get baptized with another boy that he knows, which made it even more memorable.  The program was to start at 1:00, so we got ready to head over to our stake center around 12:15 to get ready for the big event.

Once we got there, Doug took Noah to get changed into their special clothes for the baptism.  Once they came out, I was overtaken with the spirit.  This was really happening and I was just so happy that Noah had made this decision.  It made me feel so good!  We then went and took some pictures of the boys and then took our spots in the room where we would have the program and where Noah would be baptized.  Noah was SO lucky to have so many family and friends come to support him.  I'm beyond thankful for all of them and that they took time out of their day to come and celebrate this special moment with our boy.  So blessed!!

After everyone was there, the program started and we were able to hear a great talk on Baptism by someone in the other boys family.  It made the spirit so strong hearing these words as we prepared for the upcoming event.  Then it was time...Noah was first and, again, I was so overtaken by the great Spirit that was present.  When Doug and Noah stepped into the font, my heart was so full of love for this little boy!  I couldn't hold back the tears anymore!  I was trying to be strong, but I just let my emotions take over and I had tears flowing down my face...tears of pure joy and happiness!  Noah was making one of the greatest decisions of his life, and I was so happy for him!!!  When Doug said the baptismal prayer and lowered him in the water to have his sins washed away, it was quite the moment.  I think everyone felt how great of a moment it was...the Spirit was so strong!  Then he came up out of the water and was clean!  And he had the biggest little grin on his face.  I love that boy so much!

Once everyone was dressed in their Sunday best, they came out so that we could finish the remainder of the program.  I was lucky enough to give a talk on the Holy Ghost.  I am not a huge fan of giving talks, but for this occasion, I was more than happy to!  I kept it together for most of my talk, and I had the joy of Kate crying for me most of it {little stinker}, but I felt good about the words that I had spoken to Noah and his friend.  I was a little emotional when I bore my testimony, but that is always how it is!

Then it was time for Noah to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  All of the priesthood holders in our family got up and encircled Noah as Doug gave him this great gift and a blessing.  Again, the spirit was so strong!  It was a great experience!

I am SO proud of Noah!  I know that Doug is as well.  He is such great little boy who has such a wonderful and good heart.  I know that he has such a strong testimony of this great work and I know that he is so happy to have it in his life.  I'm beyond grateful that he now has the gift of the Holy Ghost, and I pray that this gift will help him throughout his life.  I know it will!

After the baptism service, we all headed to our house for some great food, company, and had a wonderful time celebration our boy!  It really was a magical day...I will never, ever, forget it!!!

Kate ~ 2 Years

I think that the first two years of Kate's little life has flown by faster than the other kids.  I honestly feel like I just had her...she should still be a baby!  And, in my eyes, she is still a baby!  She is growing and learning so much each and every day...it's amazing to watch!  At 2 years old, Kate...

...is the happiest little girl I know.  She wakes up happy and is on the cheery side 99% of the time.  She is so content with whatever she is doing and it seems that she is always finding the best in all that she does.  Her laugh is contagious and we just love her for that.  Her constant smile is something that always brightens my day...I love her and her happy disposition.

...absolutely *loves* the water.  She would take 10 tubs a day if she could.  Getting in the tub is definitely one of her most favorite things to do every day.  Because of this, she usually takes one in the morning and at night.  I'm sure she will find every opportunity that she can this summer to get in the water.  I'll have to keep an extra eye on her at the pool for sure!

...is the best little eater ever.  She will eat anything and everything.  She reminds of Noah when it comes to food, because he'll eat pretty much anything too.  I'm so thankful that she's not a picky eater like Leah and Isaac!  SO thankful!  Her favorite foods are mac and cheese, milk, ice cream, bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries (her favorite!!), pizza, cereal, bread, and the list goes on.  

...is the best sleeper too!  She takes a good 3-4 hour nap every day, and then goes right to sleep at 7:30 and wakes up at 7:00 in the morning.  I'm beyond thankful that she takes after her siblings in the sleep dept.!  I've definitely been blessed with wonderful sleepers!

...absolutely LOVES bags!  This little gal *always*, and I mean ALWAYS, has a bag on her arm.  She got a Hello! Kitty bag from Leah for her birthday, and she hauls that thing with her wherever we go.  She is also very protective of what is inside of it and won't let anyone touch it...unless you want to hear her scream!  Having a bag on her arm is definitely her little trade mark ;).

...is actually very reasonable.  Whenever she is crying over something, I can sit with her, have her look in my eyes, and ask her to calm down and listen...and she usually does.  She is really good at listening to what I have to say in moments of weakness and she finds comfort in knowing that whatever she is upset about will be fixed.  I think that she has been my easiest child to reason with.  Hopefully this sticks as she gets older.

...is not a big fan of watching TV or movies...at all!  Sometimes she'll sit with the other children and watch whatever they are watching, but it doesn't last long at all.  I'm actually OK with this.  Especially since we barely have the TV on anyway during the daytime.  

...is very clingy to me, as of late.  I think that she knows that there is a baby coming soon.  She will see other babies and I'll tell her that we are going to have a baby in our house soon...then she'll look at me and just hug my neck.  I think the adjustment to becoming a big sister will be a little harder, but we'll make it through.  I'm prepared to give this little gal some extra attention, that's for sure.

...loves her blankets so so much!  She has these four blankets that we have used with her since she was just a baby, and she loves them so much.  She calls them her "dee-dee", and is often found dragging one around the house.   As of late, she hasn't been seen with them as much, but when she's tired, she'll definitely go find one and come to me to cuddle up.  I've tried to make it a point to not leave the house with them anymore because I don't want this attachment to get too out of control.  So, she can have them at home and that's it.

...is very particular about what she likes/doesn't like.  If she really wants something or is enjoying something, she will get so excited and just talk about it non-stop.  It's pretty cute.  But, if she isn't fond of something, she will let you know!  She's not afraid to voice her opinion, that's for sure!

...is starting to talk so much, and we all just love it.  She is a little mimic and will repeat whatever we say.  Sometimes it is just flat out hilarious and unexpected...we all love a good laugh!  Some of her favorite sayings as of late are "I did it", "look at me", "me soooo cute", "I love this", "this is so so yummy", "I read book", etc...  

...loves to read!  She's a little book worm, just like her big sis.  I can often find her in her room looking at her books, and it really just warms my heart to see this.  She'll also pretend that she's reading them, which is just adorable.  I hope that this love for reading continues on!

...loves her babies so much!  She's a classic little girl and loves to play "mommy" to her babies.  She'll wrap them up in blankets, and hug them, and love them, and kiss them, and feed them bottles...it's flat out adorable to see.

...can be quite the little stinker!  Sometimes she knows that what she doing isn't the right thing to do, but she'll do it anyway, just to get a reaction.  Her new thing is stripping down and taking all of her clothes off.  When I try to get her, she'll just run away from me laughing.  One time she made it out the front door and was in the front yard for all to see...oh man!  OR, she'll get really messy with her food on purpose.  She knows how much I hate it when she throws food on the ground, so, when I'm not looking, she'll do it and then start to giggle.  She can be a naughty body sometimes...that's for sure!  Good thing she's cute!

More than anything, we just love this little gal SO much!  She has been such a great blessing in our home and we all just love her to pieces.  We love you baby girl...to the moon and back!!!