baby update

I have been anxiously waiting to feel this little peanut move. I am going to be 18 weeks tomorrow and with this being my 4th, I figured it would have been more obvious by now. Well, last week I was at the dentist office in that almost laying upside down position and the baby's movement got really strong. I was so excited! I wanted to write about it that day but thought I would wait until I felt more. I have felt a little movement about every other day since. Not as strong but enough that I can tell that it's the baby! To me, this is one of the most amazing parts of being pregnant. For months now, I have known that I am going to have a baby. I've been to the doctor, heard the heartbeat, seen it on the ultrasound BUT...there is nothing like the first movements of that little life inside of you. To experience a part of the miracle as it is unfolding. Right there with you. To me there is nothing in the world quite like it. It is in that moment that the whole thing becomes real. I wonder what it is doing. Why did it move? Is it asleep or awake? I also think to myself...I am the only one that gets to be a part of your little world right now. I am your world right now. I get to be the only thing this little one knows for the next 5 months. It is my constant little companion. And although the excitement of the first movements fades somewhat, I continue to be in aw and amazed every time I feel my baby's move. I feel so blessed to be given this, the most amazing gift given to women. To be entrusted by my Heavenly Father with such a great responsibility is amazing and overwhelming at the same time. I am so thankful to Him for giving me this gift not only once but four times. I am so grateful for this phase of motherhood in my life and hope that I can continue to enjoy every minute of it as it will be my last.
Even now as I type this, I can feel a constant little bump every few seconds in my lower abdomen. I think it has the hiccups.

potty time

Drew went poop on the potty today. I don't dare get too excited but it's kind of hard not to!:)

Kate turns 6!

 My spunky little Kate turned 6 this year. Kate decided earlier in the summer that she wanted a "mermaid party" and I had fun planning it. Kate invited over a couple of her closest friends for a "late- nighter" and we played some underwater games and did some crafts. I think it was a hit. Kate said it was her favorite Birthday so far.

 The girls each got to take home a mermaid wand and some mermaid polish.

 My cute birthday girl, modeling with her cake!

 Water relay games.  The girls played "fish, fish shark," "wet sea sponge," and a few other water games. They had a blast! I think they would have done that the rest of the night if I would have let them. I love Macy's excitement in this picture! What a good little cheerleader she is for her sister and her friends! Love you Mac. 

 The cute little group. Ellie and Mae Stoddard, Judy Tingey, Kate, Kylee Remmel, Cameron, Ashley Rowe and Macy.

 I think this was the biggest hit of the night! I hid some shells in the sand. The girls then looked through the sand and collected their "treasures" and then got to paint them and make jewelry and baretts with them. The simplest things seemed to be their favorite! I think I have to agree with Kate. It was my favorite party too!

 

 My Birthday Girl! What a cute little face. 

 Here she is enjoying her birthday cake
pancakes in bed!

 Opening presents first thing in the morning! I think this big one was her new razor scooter. Her main present was an Itouch. She had been asking for that gift for as long as I can remember. She was pretty excited!

 Love this picture. Jas adores his girls.

 Me and my girl.

 Love this picture. Love these two.

Enjoying the girls birthday dessert at BJ's! Pizookies!

Macy's BiRthDaY PaRtY

 Too many bubbles=lots of craziness and fun. This picture was taken after we had dumped arm fulls in the sink!

Fun in the pool...

 The Birthday party.

 Make a wish.

 Trevi, Shea, Macy, Kate, Allie and Ash (Madison had left).

Macy has wanted a pool party for the past 2 birthdays. This year her wish came true! We decided to have her party at one of our favorite pools here in Las Vegas, the Marriott. To top it off, she got to invite 2 of her best friends, Allie and Ash Hanseen to sleep over the night before. The girls had so much fun in the huge jetted tub, especially after I added a little too much of the bubble baths! (oops) The girls showed up at 10:00 for swimming and fun. We had opened presents, had some lunch, and cake and ice cream and then more swimming. I thought the girls would be ready to go earlier but I was very wrong! We had to drag the little sunburnt fish out of the water at 3:30! I think Macy had a pretty fun day. Thanks for making it so much fun Trevi Jones, Shea        Allie and Ash Hanseen and Madison Brown. And of course Macy's sidekick Kate.:)

Utah...

We get to go up to Utah this weekend! And I'm so excited! The girls have been counting down the days and wishing that everyday was the day we got to go see their grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles  and cousins. We are going up to see my sweet little niece Claire, be sealed to my brother Ty and my sister in law Kenia Ann. We will also be there for her blessing. I am so happy to be able to make it up there for such a happy time and special occasion. It will be a short trip but well worth it I'm sure! Pictures to follow...

End of school Highlights

The end of the school year always brings excitement for me. It still brings back memories of all the feelings I had as a child when summer was approaching. This year we had a few more additions to the already excitement that was going on around here. Here are some of our highlights!

Kate is the "lead" in the kindergarten play...

Mrs. Frog.

 Kate didn't even tell me she was the lead. A few days before the play she is going over the whole scene with me and I realize she is the main character! I was so excited that my my quiet little Katers was picked to be up front on stage and wasn't scared at all! (she definitely didn't get that from her mother!) She did such a great job and knew her part perfectly...which was a lot! Great job Katers!!

 Kylie and Kate...kindergarten graduates and b.f.f.'s.:)

 We love Mrs. Williams. Such a great kindergarten teacher. We're gonna miss her!

Macy's first piano recital.

Just two weeks after starting piano lessons, Macy was in her first recital. She was extremely nervous but did a great job and is loving piano. We were so proud of her!

Macy's dance recital at the Smiths Center. 

"Footloose"

Our little ballerina. She is quite the poser.

It was beautiful and amazing in the Smith Center. Macy did such an awesome job. She was front and center the majority of the dance. She is loving ballet and is doing great!

St. George

These posts may be a little out of chronological order...which may drive me nuts but I'm not sure how to change them around and after posting some of what we did over the summer, I realized that there were some things I hadn't put on here yet that I want to have and remember the fun memories with my kids. So out of order but a good one none the less...

St. George with the Hanseens.

We decided to make Memorial weekend a little getaway with our good friends the Hanseens. We headed up to St. George where we enjoyed some good food, swimming, hiking and playing at the splash pad and carousel. We also got to see some family when we stopped in at the Jibsons and went to church and then enjoyed some swimming in their new pool. All together it was a really fun, low key weekend. We love St. George!

       Drew in Heaven. Driving a firetruck all by himself. I think I need one of these at our house!:)

                           The famous Pizza, Pasta Factory spot.  Love these three little kiddos.

     Hanging out at Uncle Ron and Aunt Janet's on Sunday. The girls HAD to try out the pool!

                                                        I could get use to this view.

 Besties. These girls always have so much fun together.

 Love my girls. And even more, I love how much they love each other.

 We went on a fun hike up Red Cliff canyon. There was a little stream along part of the path and at the end was a pool of water that some of them (Tye, Ashlan and Allie) braved and slid/jumped into.

 We made it!

 Hangin at the water park.

 Oh how I love this little face.

 Drew and Elise engaged in some conversation.

The gang at the end of the day.

More Than Words Can Say

This little man stole my heart the minute he was born and just continues to make my life better everyday I have with him. There's no doubt I love my girls just as much but there is something about a relationship between a mother and her little boy. I can't even put into words the way I feel about this little guy. Of course he has his moments and I think I might loose it, but 95% of the time he makes me smile or laugh. I would just like to list some of the things I love about Drew.
1. His smile. Drew's big alligator smile covers his face and lights up the room. You can't look at him with his big huge smile without smiling.
2. His huge personality. Drew has had a sense of humor and a funny personality as long as I can remember. Since his first laughs, I could tell that he was going to be a lot of fun. I didn't realize that that little bundle (that wasn't so little) would bring so much joy to those around him. He has been a tease to his sisters, a jokester with his dad and a little ham for his mom since his personality started to show through at about 6 months. Drew will sometimes do things that make him seem so much older than the almost 2 year old he is. From the way he jokes around and teases his sisters to the sneaky little things he gets away with with mom, I am constantly amazed at this little man.
3. His soft side. Even though he is total boy, Drew has a soft side. He can be a little tender sweet heart, something I didn't know was possible for a little boy at such a young age. When Drew wraps his little arms around my neck and holds on like he's never gonna let go...my heart melts. I feel like I could stay like that for the rest of my life and I take every second of it in. I hope and pray that he stays the sweet little boy that he has been. Sometimes I will kneeling down and he will come up behind me and just hug me or get right in my face and kiss me for a long time. He has recently started to take care of some of his sisters dollies on occasion. He is so sweet and tender to them. Covering them with a blanket or laying them down with a binkie. Drew loves to carry around a school picture of Macy and one of Kate. A few days ago I caught him kissing "Katies" picture. Once again...melt my heart. Oh I love him!
4. His little noise. Drew is a man of many sounds. Number one being the constant hum/groan he makes when driving his trucks (which is 85% of the day). He also makes this noise when pretending to read and when he is really enjoying his food! Drew started making this noise when he was really little and was looking at books. I have gotten so use to it that I don't notice it as much but others always do and get a good laugh.
5. His love of cars/trucks. I love the complete turn-around from the baby dollies and pink to the trucks, balls and scoot toys. I love watching Drew play with his cars everyday and never get tired of it. I often smile to myself as I'm putting away his perfectly lined trucks or finding them in my purse. Yep, I have an all boy boy!
There are so many things I love about Drew. Even the little things that make me smile. Here are a few more.
His little cowlicks that stick up like a little chick. His love of his binkie that makes him seem like my baby for a little bit longer. His love for his sisters that adore him right back. His chubby cheeks. I love going into his room to get him from his nap and his little grin that peaks out from under his binkie. His love of airplanes and helicopters in the sky. His birthmark(s).
The list really could go on and on. There is so much I love about this little boy. But it's almost more than I can even put into words. Here are some of my favorite pictures .