06APR12

I realized a few weeks ago I will have THREE children soon.  Yes my mom and mother-in-law both have 4 but somehow three seems like so many!  I only have 2 hands, there are 2 parents, etc.  I am SOOO excited to have baby David soon but also nervous about having enough attention to go around...  I'm also feeling a little like I'm "starting over."  Ryan is 4, potty trained, sleeping through the night and pretty self sufficient!  So I decided a last vacation with 2 kids was necessary this spring break.  Unfortunately, Travis has BRC (Best Ranger Competition) going on right now which means lots of busy long days so there was no way he was going to be able to get time off.  FORTUNATELY, I have a great friend who was more than willing to take a little mini-vacay with me!  So off we went to Atlanta for 3 days with me, Nic, Alexis, Ryan, and Dak.  It was a GREAT 3 days.  On day one we drove straight to the zoo. 

Ryan snuggling with the gorillas.

Hey look a monkey on the back of a monkey and Dak pretending to beat it! HAHA These kids are hilarious!

This was HILARIOUS!  Especially b/c Lex kept yelling mommy he's trying to get on that rock.  I tried to exlain it was another turtle with out going into too much detail.  Also you could HEAR the turtle grunting.  I kid you not!

LOVE this picture!

And this one.  Playing in the bamboo.

Enjoying some ice cream.

Up close and personal with the panda.

THey all loved the goats but Lexi took a special liking to this goat.

Lexi tried a rock wall for the first time.  She got pretty high for her first time! :)

Ry on the carasoul.

Our sweet baby birds. :)

22MAR12

A few cute things the girls have been saying... This is more for me to remember how adorable they are and what they say.

Alexis asked me a while ago, "But why do you have that invitation for a baby bath?"

You may have read this on FB, the other morning while doing Lexi's hair (we have the BEST conversations while doing hair!) She was talking to me about Christ. She said "back then." I said back when? She said you know when everything was in Black and White. After I was done cracking up I explained to her that only movies and pictures were in black and white people and things have ALWAYS been in color. HAHAHA. She was geniunely surprised. I love kids!

After not taking a nap this afternoon Ryan came downstairs and said she was done sleeping.  I said but did you sleep?  She said yes mom.  I asked her honest (this is our code word for you HAVE to tell the truth.)  Again she said yes.  I told her to go to time out b/c that is lying (I KNOW she didn't sleep.)  After time out we talked about it and she told the truth then we talked about lying.  All of a sudden she GRABS her nose and yells, "BUT MOMMY I DON'T WANT MY NOSE TO GROW BIGGER!!"  HAHAHAHA I was cracking up.  She watched pinnochio a few months ago and I guess it stuck!  So cute.

22MAR12

We've been doing a 10 day no sugar challenge that's over on Friday with just one exception St. Patty's Day!  My sweet friend from church, Rebecca, invited us over for a St. Patty's Day party and I knew sugar was going to be involved so the girls and I chatted and decided we would have one cheat day!  I'm really impressed by Alexis and Ryan who have been completely on board.  If Ry asks if she can have something I just say it has bad sugar (we're mostly just doing no cake, candy, etc they're still having fruit and all that okay for you sugar.) and she's fine with it.  She's even asked my friends when they are watching her if there is sugar in stuff before she eats it.  Lexi has been bringing home any candy from school and just handing it to me and she ever refused chocolate milk when she bought her lunch the other day (chocolate milk is a HUGE treat for her!) 

On to the party.  Rebecca is the sweetest little southern belle you'll ever meet.  She's from Columbus and she is my first counselor in the Primary Presidency.  She is FANTASTIC!!!  When she invited the girls over for Saint Patricks Day we were in for sure.  She usally just has small things b/c her son is only 1 and he does better with smaller groups so it was a very fun party for the girls who got to do everything with just them and Baby Jeff! :)  Travis, me, and the girls ended up being over there for way longer than we expected but it was nice just hanging out!  Thanks for inviting us Rebecca and Jeff!! :)

The cute set up and adorable hats the girls got to take home!

Baby Jeff hitting the pinata (he had just gotten up from nap hence the no pants!)

Ry's turn

And now Lexi.  It was a tough pinata after 2 turns each plus Rebecca's mom Travis finally had to beat it to get the treats out!

Lexi's favorite the Leprachaun scavenger hunt!!

Part of the hung involved the piano.

the pot of gold!

As you can see in the background Baby Jeff just wanted to play with the girls!

21MAR12

We are big Dr. Seuss fans in this house but they didn't do much at school for Dr. Seuss week I decided to have a green eggs and ham breakfast.  All I did was fried eggs, ham and an english muffin and I read the book to the girls while they ate.  Guess what?  They thought it was the greatest thing ever!  Kids are so easy to please. And this not so crafty mama is so glad! :)  I also threw a random pic of Trav cooking with the girls one morning b/c I just liked it!!!!

20MAR12

This is Lexi's 5th season playing soccer and she is still LOVING it.  After the first practice she said, "mommy I have sure missed soccer!"  We just played in the fall!   I'm so glad she has something she likes so much!  Tonight she had a game and she was running towards the ball the other team kicked it HARD right into Lexi's face (the side of her face.) You could hear the smack.  All the parents on the sideline totally gasped.  The kids all took and knee and the coach came out and grabbed her.  After a few minutes on the sidelines she came back into the game.  She was so tough and I was so proud.  For these pictures I said Alexis let me take a couple pics of you.  These were the many poses I got!!! :)  The camera loves her! :)

20MAR12

A story from Alexis:

The Big Game

Today at Jim's school they were haveing a big game.  Jim didn't want to go.  Jim's mom was curious.  Jim always liked to go to the games.  Jim's mom asked why he didn't want to go to the game.  Jim found out that the other team had a bully on their team. All Jim didn't know was the bully was sick.  Jim said I'll do my best.  Jim went to school.  The bully was it there!  The bully was mad.  He knew Jim was there.  He really wanted to be mean.  One of the kids on the other team was tasing Jim.  Jim didn't care.  He looked at his other friend.  He said I know we can win.  Jim hoped their team could win.  The game start.  Jim falled the ball rolled toward him.  He kicked the ball.  Jim made the first goal. His team was cheering for him.  the next day a kid from the other team told the bully that the other team won.  At school the bully hit him.  Jim told the coch.  The coch said that the bully had to sit the holl game.  The bully had learned a lesson.  The bully said sorry.  They learned to be nice.  The End.

19MAR12

Birthday waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and the cute birthday girl in her cute outfit from Ms. Keri and family!