Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2014

We went to my Dad & Melissa's for Thanksgiving this year. Melissa is such a great hostess and cook and the food was so yummy & the table so cute!! 

Lexi and Mimi have a special bond...they just love each other.  (Bottom left pic) Which I think is especially so cute since I think Lexi looks a lot like her Great Grandma (who just turned 89!). I love to watch them together!

Ty was only a few weeks old and it was his first time out of the house (besides Dr appts). He, like most newborns, slept most of the time and didn't make a peep. 

 Gpa T, Mimi & Ty

The kids had fun playing with moon sand after dinner and we all wrote in a Gratitude Journal that Melissa started for Thanksgiving. Fun times and so nice to have this little crew of ours all here. 

So much to be grateful for!!!!!

Baby #4

* This is  a looong post. And boring to anyone but me! In the off chance that anyone even comes across this, no worries about reading it. The only reason I am still even bothering with this blog is to journal some things that otherwise never would be written down...

2013 was a stressful year to say the least! After my sudden fainting episode late July & debilitating health issues to follow for months, without a ton of resolution as to what was going on, I was so ready to leave that year behind and move on for good with 2014. By January I FINALLY had begun to feel normal again. I could walk up the stairs minus heart palpitations & without feeling as though I had just run a marathon. I could walk across the room & not experience the worst vertigo I ever knew was possible & the chest pain that I had had on and off was completely gone. And the fuzzy cloudy feeling I had hovering in my head since the day I passed out finally lifted. I was SO grateful to  feel as though I was going to be okay again, because truthfully,  for a while there, my hope was really running thin.  Although incredibly grateful to be feeling back to normal, I continued to stress for weeks into the new year because of all things, I really felt like we should have another baby, and soon. I wondered how in the world I could ever even consider pregnancy after what my body had just been through & I knew it would be pretty controversial considering that pregnancy is so hard on your heart. (Not that I really care what others think but I just didn't want to deal with the raised eyebrows & questions & I knew there would be plenty.)  Ever since Parker was born  though I had felt like we had another little boy up there. This was awesome news because I had always wanted 2 & 2, but after what I had just experienced, the thought of carrying another baby really stressed me out. A lot. I didn't want to be irresponsible and compromise my new-found health which in reality was still in question.  The cardiologist basically reprimanded me for even asking about my ability to have another baby, but my general physician that I had begun seeing regularly finally gave me the okay in the beginning of 2014.  But I knew what I really needed to feel confident  was to feel that peace that can come through sincere prayer. After weeks of praying to know if my body could handle this , that although I had known for a long time that it needed to happen, I needed to KNOW that in so doing I would be okay. That I wouldn't cause a bigger health risk to myself. I received the strong impression that all was going to be well and that my health would be protected. I was filled with the confidence that I needed from a reassuring Father in Heaven that my body would be able to handle this pregnancy and deliver our little boy to us. Chris needed a little convincing since he was concerned about my ability as well, but he soon felt it too.  Very soon after(mid Feb), this happened:

I didn't know what to expect with this pregnancy. I was extremely cautious and even though I knew & had faith that in the end all would be fine, I wasn't sure of the nine months leading up to that point. I think I fully expected something scary to happen with my heart. But there was nothing.  No heart palpitations. No shortness of breath, even going up the stairs. For that not to occur after having it for months with no sure explanation, was very much a confirmation to me that myself and this little being inside of me were being watched out for. As time went on and things continued to go well, I was filled with so much gratitude. I feel like I've always been watched out for, in every situation going back to my childhood, and this was once again confirmation that I have a loving Savior who is there for me and watches over me. That I can pray to him and receive direction in my life and answers to my prayers. So grateful for that knowledge. It's something I cannot deny as I have witnessed His hand in my life, time and time again. 

I felt I didn't need an ultrasound to tell us, but at 20 weeks it was confirmed that we were having a BOY and we were of course soooo excited. We brought all three kiddos with us to the ultrasound and Parker couldn't stop beaming at the news. I was so, so grateful to be able to give him the gift of a brother!

I felt ridiculous doing some of these selfies, but I really wanted this pregnancy to be at least somewhat documented! I gained a total of 25 lbs and weighed 122 just before I delivered (bottom right pic is the morning I had him). While this was my hardest pregnancy, I couldn't complain of the superficial, temporary inconveniences that were placed on this body of mine. And besides the usual horrible morning sickness that went on for about 24 weeks,  I had some very strange, unexpected things come up this time! I had a crazy rash pop up in August that lasted seven weeks, covering my upper chest and legs with the itchiest scabs & red dots you've ever seen. They were like terrible bug bites all over me. They weren't just a few- they were all over!!! In fact, they appeared not long after our Midway vacay and Chris and I had to wonder if I had bed bugs or scabies. (Ewwwwwwww!) I got very little sleep for about two months because they would itch like nothing I've experienced. After some blood testing to make sure they weren't anything serious, they finally mysteriously went away but it was an interesting turn of events mid pregnancy. Also, starting just after our Cali trip at only 11 weeks, I began to sprout very, very painful veins all over the backs of my legs. I had never ever had veins - varicose or superficial, happen with any prior pregnancies. I had to laugh through the pain they caused (not to mention their hideous appearance) because they were so bad there was nothing else I could do but laugh at them (really, they were pretty awful and sometimes I'm pretty sure I cried).  My doctor was perplexed at why they came on so early, as this is much more common to happen later on in pregnancy & they were a pretty extreme case, covering the (only) back of both legs. He kept an eye on them for blood clots and even had an ultrasound on my legs when they first came on. They were like nothing I'd ever seen! I truly looked as though I had been beaten black and blue back there, and worst of all, they were sooooo painful. All summer long, being on my feet very long was excruciating because of them.  They were so bad I had to turn in my shorts for compression tights. I went out and bought some maxi dresses to keep them covered but I even got them down into my ankles!  Not so awesome in 90 degree temps underneath jeggings! Needless to say, I spent a lot of time inside this summer!

My legs! So gross, I know! But also so unbelievable that it's worth the embarrassment of the pictures. Those are the back of my legs (kind of looks like the front) and these pics aren't even when they were at their worst. Crazy, right?! Especially since I had never had a vein pop up anywhere in my life! Amazingly, now, post-baby, they are gone! I might have a little discoloration in a couple of places, but really nothing. Amazing & incredibly lucky after how bad they were! 

Like my previous two pregnancies, I began early preterm contractions and dilating as a result of them. By 33 weeks I was dilated to a 3 and 90% effaced. I was so uncomfortable for those last few months but with three other kiddos there is no choice but to go about regular life so I just did my best to slow down when a lot of contractions would start up.  I was always a little stressed that I might end up having this baby at home or in the car. I counted on my water breaking again like it did with Lexi (& I soooo wanted it to - once I hit the 37 week mark that is!). I was sure it had to happen but even dilated to a 4 by 35 weeks... the weeks ticked by and to mine and my Dr's astonishment, I made it to my induction date, November 6th - 39 weeks. I went in early that morning 6:30ish and I was dilated to a 5 1/2. Chris' parents met us at the hospital to take the other kiddos for us. I was  started on a tiny bit of pitocin & was quickly at a 10. My blessed epidural had just fully kicked in and in just a few pushes (3!) our little Tyler Michael entered the world! Is it weird to say that I love giving birth?! I have been sooooo lucky to have four amazing deliveries. You always hear horror birth stories (well so Parker's might have been more "horror-like" - pushing for 3 1/2 hours- typical first - but I still loved it!), but honestly, mine have all been so great! Super lucky! Such an incredible experience!!!

And here he is! So perfect! So thankful!!!

6 lbs, 5 oz 

(our second smallest baby - Lexi being the smallest at 6 even)

Cute even crying. :) First bath. 

Oooh I just love him!!

Later that day, Chris' parents brought the kiddos back to meet their new brother. They all seemed pretty happy about him. And they were pretty happy about staying at Gma and Gpa Hansen's house for a few nights too. So thankful for them for taking such good care of our little people!

These girls are so sweet with their new baby Ty!

Going home from the hospital. Check out those loooooong fingers!!! Gets them from his Chris. His arms are super long too. Maybe he'll be tall???

Honestly, adding this little guy to our family has been a really smooth and natural transition. The kids love him to pieces. Chris loves him and I just can't get enough of him. I wasn't sure how having a baby again with three other kiddos would go - I was pretty nervous to be honest, but it's been great. Don't get me wrong, I'm so exhausted, which means I'm a little "cray" at times, but I'm so, SO grateful that this little guy made it safely to our family! He is a joy and I am just trying to soak in every bit of his tininess, because I know how fleeting these moments are. 

Four kids. 

Four amazing kids. 

This is what it's all about!

 So very blessed. So very thankful. 

What else is there to say? :)

Lexi is THREE

LEXI GIRL!!!

This little firecracker turned THREE in October! I can't believe it! She is getting so big so fast. She is such a fun little piece of our family and we are super blessed that she's ours! She keeps us laughing and provides us so much entertainment, light, and fun in our home!

Here are a few things about Miss Lex: 

She is independent (like her big sis) but also loves to be around others. She is my constant little shadow and I'll miss her when she starts preschool next year! 

She may be tiny but that doesn't stop her. She carries around a light collapsible stool and sets it wherever she needs to so that she can be up high and in on the action. It's pretty darn cute!

She is very outgoing. She has the cutest little voice and isn't afraid to use it. We were in TJ Max a few months back and I was a little mortified when a cute girl (maybe in her late 20's)  with a short hair cut came up the aisle and Lexi said as loud as she could, "Mom is that a GIRL or a BOY?". Uggghhh yikes. I calmly explained that she was a very cute girl with a short haircut and that girls can have short hair too. She persisted by asking again and again, "Are you SURE?", "I'm not so sure, Mom. How do you KNOW?". SOOO embarrassing with the girl four feet away and clearly hearing every bit of the convo! Lexi keeps me on my toes by putting me in these predicaments in public places all the time. :) When we visit the doctor (which we do often with her) he cracks up because she answers his questions so matter of fact and grown up, and likes to answer the questions that he's actually directing at me.

Lexi has a high pain tolerance. She can fall flat on her face and she just gets up and keeps going, and later we'll see that she actually got a black eye from it. She's been sick ALOT this last year, and she just takes it like a champ. I know she's miserable but she'll comfort me and say, "It's okay, Mom. I don't feel good. But I'm okay." When she had pneumonia this last July and was breathing super hard and heavy with a mask on her as she was getting a breathing treatment at the hospital, with the most miserable look on her face, she proceeded to sing, "When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling, sad...." Just an example of such a sweet girl with such a good attitude!

She's been such a trooper! This last year she came down with pneumonia FIVE times & was diagnosed with illness-induced asthma. She gets terribly sick from the smallest cold that would cause the rest of us just to sniffle and sneeze for a few days. For her, it turns into major respiratory issues. She does not have asthma otherwise, it just comes on in this form as a result of the littlest germ. I had no idea before this last year, but there are many forms of asthma, and this is the most serious kind. It's actually pretty scary because it can be life threatening. So most of this last  year we had to keep her from playing with other kids her age and kept her from going to nursery at church. Also going to public places like movies, playlands, the TP museum, etc are out for a while. Especially with cold and flu season here.  And having other kiddos over - even if they are playing with P & E stresses me out because of the potential germs they might be bringing into our home.  It's just not worth the risk of her ending up in the hospital. She's become an expert at breathing treatments and she takes meds every day to hopefully help ward off the germs causing serious issues. She did pretty good on it this Fall, but over Christmas break she got hit with pneumonia again (& ended up giving Ty RSV).It's been a fun month. ;) 

Lex loves to sing, dance and perform. Basically she just loves to be the center of attention at all times!

She is a cuddle bug and loves to read a story and be rocked for a few minutes before bed & nap time. 

She sucks her thumb like her big sister, while stroking her eyelashes and eyebrows with her opposite hand. 

She still sleeps in her crib. She figured out how to get out about  a year ago, but after doing it several times and then hurting herself, she hasn't done it much since. Life is much easier with your toddler in a crib... so we just keep going with it! We're planning to get she and Emmie new beds soon, so that won't be the case for too much longer. :)

She still takes a nap every afternoon. Usually from 1-1:30ish to 3-3:30ish. She actually likes her naps and is (usually) happy to go down for them. Bless her! It has to be super quiet for her to stay asleep...so the rest of the house goes on "quiet time" lockdown and anyone who dares make noise (if the older kids are home they play in the basement during this time), knows that it's not going to be pretty. So just a sidenote, don't bother us during these times. ;)

Lexi loves to be outside, play Memory (she's good!) and the game Spot It. She loves to hang out with her big brother and sister when they aren't teasing her, she does the cutest skip with her hands on her hips, is such a great student as Emmie will "teach" her school and dance choreography and loves to dress up. She always has a smile and a hug to share and I just love the way she says "weshterday" (yesterday) so much that I never correct her. 

She loves strawberries, raspberries, carrots, her "shakey" (chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast with milk that was introduced by the endocrinologist when she wasn't growing), mac n cheese, pizza, cottage cheese, grilled cheese, turkey sandwiches, pickles, PB & honey, beans, smoothies, squeezies, eggs, pancakes, chicken, potatoes (any form), rice, tacos, manicotti, soups.... she's a pretty good eater. Probably my most well-rounded eater.

Her Birthday Morning!!!

She wanted to go to Thanksgiving Point Farm to celebrate her big day, just like last year. We figured it would be pretty germ safe so her wish was granted! :)

Love this little Peanut so much! I wish I could just freeze her at this age. So full of spunk and joy... we just adore her so much!!!!

First Day of School!

First Day of School 2014

Parker loooves school and was so excited to start!  I was so grateful that he had landed a really great teacher, Mrs. Gardner, and she really has turned out to be so awesome! It was pouring rain that morning... & I was definitely waaay more nervous than he was that day! Not for any great reason except that like any parent I just wanted him to be in a great class where he could really thrive this year. And he is! So thankful! He has loved this year so far and has really great kids in his class!! Some of his favorite friends in there are Kedric, Josh, & Britton. He loves to play four square at recess (& is obsessed with bringing his own ball from home for it) and trading Pokemon cards. It's a thing around here. :)

Kindergarten started a week later....

And this Little Miss set off like she was ready to conquer the world. She was soooo confident, even though she knew absolutely no one that would be in her class. That sort of thing doesn't phase Miss Independent and she easily makes new friends. She goes in the afternoons and it works out perfect for us since Chris often doesn't go to work until 1. This way, he gets to spend more time with her. Emmie got a brand new teacher (to this school anyway), Mrs. Reckling, and she too has turned out great! Emmie is loving school and has made some really cute little friends in her class. Ashley, Alex, and Brielle are a few of her besties in there. I was able to help out on Fridays for the first two months of the school year before having Ty, and it was so fun getting to know the kids in her class and she even seemed to really like having me there. :) That probably won't last forever and so I try and soak up these days of my kids not being embarrassed of me yet. :)

So glad to live down the street from an awesome school & so grateful these two are having awesome experiences this year!!!

Emmie

Emmie turned SIX in August!!!

This sweet girl is such a blessing in our family. She is, for the most part, so easy going and easy to please. She is so much like how I was growing up - a true middle child- somewhat off in her own world and super independent. With an older brother who over the years has demanded a lot of attention, and then a baby sis that came when she was three, Emmie has been such a content little girl who can entertain herself for hours. I regret that sometimes it's easy to not give her the attention she deserves because of this and with other siblings who require more time than she does.

 Here are a few of the many things I love about Emmie: 

She loves to laugh. She has such a bright, beautiful smile and her dimples melt my heart. She has such a kind heart and is sensitive to the feelings of others. She is a peacemaker (a role she has grown into) and wants to be a friend to everyone. Her independence makes it easy for her to adapt to new situations. She didn't bat an eyelash this year as she began a Kindergarten class in which she knew none of the kids. She has grown to love her classmates and teacher and loves going to school. She wants to be a teacher herself when she grows up. She spends hours playing school with Lexi as her student. I used to do this same thing but with my cat. :)

Emmie loves gymnastics, her dance class, playing with friends, and riding her new hot pink bike she got for her birthday. She learned to ride minus the training wheels this year and even though her first casualty came soon after imprinting a scar on her chin, she remains fearless to ride as fast as her skinny little legs will take her. She is for sure our dreamer girl and listening is not her forte. We have found that she looooves to visit La La Land. ;)  She loves art and is so thoughtful - always making cards for people. She is doing a great job with reading and sounds things out on her own and will write her own sentences without even asking how to spell things. I've noticed lately that she has great memorization skills. She loves to sing and has been begging to play the violin. This scares me since I don't play and I don't know how I would help her practice, but to give her a little test try she got a little toy violin for Christmas. Maybe she'll start classes this next year! She's also interested in playing the piano... we just have to purchase one first!

She loves to plan and put on little shows with her sister for which she always does the choreography. She has a peculiar love for BYU (ha - peculiar because I just don't share the enthusiasm for the team) that makes me laugh because she gets waaaay more excited about going to a BYU football game or tailgate than her brother does. Emmie also likes to swim, loooooves Cowabunga Bay, she prides herself in loving meat (something her brother turns his nose up at), loves to play outside and has such a fun, carefree attitude about her. She really looked forward to the arrival of her new baby brother Ty and has been such a great help and big sister to him!

We love this cute girl so much and are so grateful she's ours!!!

Summer Sunday Fun Day

 Love a summer Sunday & love this little fam of mine!!!

This girl is such a character! Lots of personality for such a tiny one! Love her and the pizzazz she brings to our little fam!!!

Parker's Baptism

This cute boy was baptized on August 1st, 2014!

That morning he opened a new set of scriptures and a soccer case to carry them in. He loves to take them to church on Sunday and always makes sure he has them!

Chris & Parker... 

{Chris was on a kick of not cutting his (usually buzzed) hair!}

Special day for a special kid!!! 

The Grandparents!!! 

Plus Parker's next door neighbor buddies, Cole and Connor

The baptism was bright and early at 9 a.m. Grandpa Hansen did a great job speaking on the Holy Ghost. 

 Our fam of 5 1/2....
I look sick... and exhausted... & I was! 

The whole crew! So grateful for all these people who love our Parker!! 

Afterwards, we went back to our house for breakfast pastries and one of Parker's favorites... smoothies!

Parker

Well, I am obviously super duper behind so I am just going to try and post some of the most important happenings since July. And there have been A LOT of big, important events, like this little man turning 8! 

EIGHT!

These last eight years have been the craziest, yet most fulfilling and meaningful years of my life. We just adore this blonde haired, blue eyed boy so much! 

"Parker", "Parks", "Parker P", "Parky", "Parky Pants"....he is such an awesome kid! Here's a few things that stand out about him: (& I'm not going to hold back my bragging rights - esp since I think that the 2 people who actually read this will be forgiving!;) It's for my own record..)

* Parker has been blessed with a quick and sharp mind. He sure keeps us on our toes because of his ever churning little brain and constant need to seek out new data. He is always spouting off some new found fact that he has read or heard somewhere. For example, this morning he informed me that if you were to cut a ball of hail (from the sky) in half, that it would look like an onion inside. Not something that I personally ever wondered about, but a fact that his little mind needed to know. :) I know that every parent thinks their child, especially probably first born, is brilliant... but spend a little time with him and you come to realize that he's the real deal. I'm not just an over-proud mama. He really is so sharp  and I swear he retains every piece of information that comes his way. From sun up to sun down he is relaying some sort of tid-bit about earth science and all sorts of forces of the universe. I'm not going to lie, much of it is over my head & facts that I don't attempt to comprehend. Such a lucky boy to be able to comprehend so much at such a young age! Needless to say, he LOVES school and thankfully completing his homework is done with ease and not the battles that I hear about from other parents. This kid just loves to learn & I hope that he continues to always thirst for knowledge. I may not be able to keep up at his pace, but I think he's awesome for it. ;)

* Parker LOVES his friends!! He is always asking to have a new one come over and the best thing about where we live is that our street is FULL of little boys all within 3 years of each other and they all just go outside and play for hours.  I would have to say that candy and friends are two of the most important things to Parker! (I'm sure those are tops for most kids, right?)

* Parker is (for the most part) reliable. I can tell him to be back at a certain time, and he will be back. I can tell him not to go somewhere, and he listens. I'm so glad that he tries to be obedient, and that I can trust him. 

*Out of all my kids, Parker probably requires the most attention. Not gonna say it's a bad or good thing, but it's just part of his personality. He WILL act out if he doesn't get enough. Quality time with Chris is especially important to him. 

* Reading. This last spring, Parker really developed a love for reading. At 7 years old, he read the first three Harry Potter books (by himself) within just a couple of weeks, and has read a LOT of chapter books since then, including the first three "Series of Unfortunate Events" books, a bunch of the Roald Dahl books, Diary of a Whimpy Kid series, the newest Brandon Mull series, all the Shel Silverstein books... just to name a few. He reads just about anything he can get his hands on. We can't always keep up in supplying books at his demand! We recently ran a little dry and so Chris started him on those huge Calvin and Hobbes books and he's almost read three of them cover to cover. We let him read in bed at night until 8:15 on school nights so that is when he gets most of his reading time in. 

*Parker loves soccer, Disneyland, Star Wars, riding his bike, four square at recess, swimming (can't quite swim by himself yet though), loves to play games, has a current obsession with Pokemon, loooooves tacos (chicken or ground turkey) but otherwise has to be coerced to eat meat (except for bacon), fruits and veggies are his favorite foods (weird I know), his favorite color recently turned from red to blue, he is a caring big brother but like all brothers teases his sisters at times, adores his new brother Ty, he sings at the top of his lungs during his nightly shower, is the slowest eater on planet earth, loves his 2nd grade teacher, & is enjoying cub scouts which he started earlier this year. Parker is a sensitive kid. Words of affirmation are one of his love languages, so unkind words (from his peers) cuts him deeper than I think it would other kids. This makes me worry about his confidence a little at times because there are always bullies out there, and I just hope we can give him the tools to be confident and kind no matter what, and let things roll off his back rather than internalize and be weighed down by careless kids. (Look at me analyze him!) 

We are truly blessed to have this little guy in our family and I'm excited to continue to watch him grow and excel. He has so much potential for good and I'm excited to watch what he does with it!

Park City & Midway Get Away

After our trip to Disneyland, we weren't planning any other trips for the year.... but by July, I was really itching to get out of the house. Anyone who has three kids 7 and under knows how quickly your house can go from spotless (literally) to total destruction. Like 10 minutes!  And as hard as I try to put on blinders and look past the messes, it really, really drives me nuts. Therefore I am CONSTANTLY cleaning- knowing that if I don't I will have a major breakdown if I just "let it go" for a few hours. The funny thing is, even with all my cleaning, my house is never fully clean! {I've decided in order to attain that, that I'd have to tie my kids up.} I heard someone say once that cleaning your house with kids in it is like brushing your teeth while eating oreos. SO TRUE!  Anyways, I just really needed to get out and be able to focus on my fam without the beckoning of constant, never-ending monotonous chores. So I talked Chris into going to Midway and Park City for a few days and I'm telling you it was the BEST mini vacay ever! I found a great deal through Groupon to stay at the Homestead and it was just what I needed & I think we all loved it!

We started off in Park City (spent the first night there) and had the best day up at the Park City Mountain Resort! We rode the ski lift up and did a little hiking at the top of the mountain and the views were just awesome! My legs have had some major issues in this pregnancy (another post) so it was pretty mild hiking but still so fun and so so beautiful up there.  Later, the older kids and Chris rode the Alpine Slide while Lex rode the carousel, we had lunch while listening to a band and ate ice cream while taking in the gorgeous surroundings. I just love being in the mountains - it was such a fun day!! 

Off to the Homestead....

This "hotel" was awesome! It's actually a big collection of buildings /homes built in the early 1900's and the grounds are just gorgeous!! We stayed in the bunkhouse which inside wasn't all that great to be honest, but the grounds, swimming pool, & awesome on-site restaurant all more than made up for it! Parker and Emmie had their own bunk beds (basically built into a closet) but they thought it was the greatest thing and although there were 2 queen beds in the room, Lex slept in her pack n play, so we had a good amount of room, including a balcony. We will stay there again for sure! 

The Grounds! They were so SO pretty! We felt like we had the place to ourselves!!!

SWIMMING! 

The pools were a total hit! Worth staying there just for them. 

They have two large pools, one outside and one in. The one indoors gets the warmest water from a natural on site crater. It was awesome! The kids were in heaven! One of my favorite things was one of their on-site restaurants, Fanny's (says the pregnant girl). It was SUCH great food and each time we ate there (probably 4-5 times?) we ate out on the balcony overlooking a big pond with ducks and a beautiful golf course. Talk about picturesque! Chris brought us our breakfast from there to the pool one morning. Ahhhh, now that's the life of a prego girl! He's a good husband. :)

Chris' cute grandparents lived in Midway for something like 25 years, so he has lots of fond memories up there & it's really just a special place to him.. They still owned their home there for the first few years of our marriage so I have memories of spending time up there with Chris' fam myself. It is just such a majestic, serene mountain town and so fun to be up there again. He took us on a hike in "Cascade Springs" which is something he used to do as a kid. It was such a cute little place with bridges and streams and waterfalls...I'm sure we'll be doing that again sometime!

The night before we had to head back home, we rode the Heber Valley Railroad. It was sold out and jam packed full and crazy hot (no AC) but it was a lot of fun. I haven't done that since I was a kid so I was excited to take our kids on it. We sang songs & had snacks and enjoyed the ride and the scenery. The girls did some karaoke to "Let it Go" and it was really so cute!

The next morning we headed over to the pool for one last swim before check out time. I didn't want to go but Chris had to be back to work that afternoon by 2, so we said our goodbyes to Midway and piled in the car for our 45 minute drive back to reality, refreshed and renewed. Ahhhhh...a nice last minute get away can do a lot of good for your soul. And sanity. Loved it. Can't wait to go again!

End of the school year and Part 1 of our Summer Fun

SCHOOL'S OUT 2014

Parker had a great First Grade year! His teacher was a stern one and definitely one of the more unpopular ones in the school (she's a yeller & not exactly " nice") but thankfully he made it through okay! The kid just loves learning and takes so much pride in school and his friends there that he was still able to make it a good experience. I could say a lot more about that but I'll leave it there. :) I have to say however that I am soooo relieved that this year for 2nd he got a really really great teacher that everyone loves- especially Parker. Phew! He deserved it after last year! :)

Here he is front and center at the annual year end Dance Festival that the elementary school puts on. It's one of my very favorite activities that they do all year! All the grades get up and perform their very own dance to popular music from the year. His was western themed (ahhh I can't remember the song) and it was super cute! This is actually a pic of the finale with the whole school. I guess his teacher made them all tuck in the their shirts once they got to school. This made me giggle the whole time because his pants looks so high... and I would have put a belt on him had I known tucking was going to be the protocol...but oh well!  

New cousins arrived just days apart late in May. Will and Liv! Soooo happy to have more cousins and our only Utah based ones! They put P, E, and L's total cousin tally at 6. Eric and Cindy's three in TX, Cousin Jack of Cali, and these two new cuties! We love them!!!

Chris was working on Memorial Day so it was just the kiddos and I who trekked to Holladay to see my Grandpa and Michael and then onto Mt Calvary Cemetery above the Avenues in Salt Lake to visit my Grandma and Grandpa Westwood and have a picnic lunch. We would have driven to Midway for Grandpa L but I wasn't up to the long drive being prego and without Chris. Plus you can bet I would have gotten lost! We talked about Atticus a lot on our drive...I truly hate that my kids don't have him here to play with. I love it when they talk about him though and their Uncle Michael and I am grateful to know that with some patience we'll see them again. 

AND SUMMER ARRIVED!!!! I am so SO happy to report that we had a really fun summer 2014. I felt so guilty last summer getting so sick near the end of July and felt like my kids totally got gypped on their summer fun with me being down and out for several months. It was so awful I hate even thinking back to it... Anyways, I was really worried that being prego this year would also put a damper on things but my body has been such a trooper and I am grateful that it allowed us to play away! Here is a glimpse of  Part 1 of our summer fun: 

 June...

FATHER'S DAY!!!!

My kiddos love their Dad!!!

June 24th - our Anniversary! We've been married a loooooooooong time... and it has flown by so quick. I'm grateful I get to grow old with this guy! We got a sitter - yes - a sitter and actually went out without kids. It's such a rare happening (I think it's happened a total of 3 times all of 2014 and it's now October) that we forget what sitting and actually having a conversation without whiny crazy kids to tend to is like. We went to Toucanos (I think?) - a Brazillian restaurant at Gateway in SL and then walked around Temple Square for a bit. Such a fun evening! Our kids are a nightmare to put to bed so we try and spare the sitter of that deed if at all possible and go as early as we can. Just less stress all around for everyone. Parker took this pic of us on the swings after our date. On a sidenote, months after this night happened, I had taken that necklace out to wear, and Lexi (2) said, "Mom, this is the necklace you wore when Landry babysat us!". I was so impressed that she had remembered that little detail from months before!

Back to June...A few nights later, we had Landry babysit AGAIN (I know - two times in one week - total record for us!!!) while we went to the Sandy Amphitheater for a "Date Night with Matt Townsend". Matt is  a relationship expert - and such a great, FUNNY speaker - I just love him. He is sometimes on TV and the radio...anyways, my Dad and Melissa were so sweet to buy us tickets and we went with them and Melissa's two cute daughters and their spouses. We met first at the park for a gourmet picnic (seriously!) that Melissa made us and then went over to the amphitheater. The music group Voice Male also performed and were really good and really funny too. SUCH a fun night! And a late one.... unfortunately for our sitter, she had to put the kids to bed....and it was, for her a nightmare. Parker was so naughty she had to call me....and then they wouldn't go to bed... agh! That, mixed with the total of our two nights out that week equaling close to $80 in babysitting fees, pretty much sum up why we never get to go on dates! We'd be broke! And we realize that family have their own lives and things to do on the weekends... so we hate to impose on them unless it's really necessary or they choose a night themselves that works well for them. 

Fourth of July! 

Lex was SO sick in the days leading up to the holiday. She got pneumonia again from a little cold that turned into breathing issues... same story again and again! She started some heavy steroids however the day before and by the actual day she was doing much better. I never would have taken her out, but we were "helping" with our Ward bike parade and breakfast, so I didn't want to cop out of it...I just tried to keep her away from other kids and she didn't participate in the parade. 

The kiddos love the bike parade so much. We're glad to live in such an awesome neighborhood! Lex and I stayed home with her germs that night and Chris took the older kiddos to party and do firework with the Hansens. 

SWIM LESSONS. 

I kind of hate them, I have to say! They are so time consuming (with P and E in different classes we had to go 2 different times a day) and take up weeks of our summer. And after FOUR years of them you'd think my kids could swim, but nope... it's like relearning it every. stinkin'. summer! It drives me crazy! I have definitely learned not to start them super early because it's just such a waste - you think they're doing awesome and then they just forget! Emmie could swim better at 2 than P could that year at 4. She was really good! But by the next year...gone! Unless you're always at the pool, which we're NOT - esp this summer - then it's just a waste. Totally my opinion.:) On a brighter note, my kids LOVE them! So I guess maybe  there's some value there...

THE MOUNTAINS

We took advantage this summer of living so close to the canyon in beautiful Utah and went up on a number of occasions for tin foil dinners. I love a good campfire and being in the mountains - and so do our kiddos! Way fun family time for us!

THANKSGIVING POINT... what can I say? We love this place! We took full advantage this summer of visiting the Farm, the museums, and picnicking and walking through the beautiful gardens there. I didn't take too many pics but we were there frequently and LOVE our family time there!

This last few years we have done the UT County Parade of Homes. The parade lasts for several weeks and we just love going!!! There are so many homes to see we don't usually see them all, but try and go to  several each day a few days a week....with kids that's how ya gotta roll! So fun to be inspired by the decorating and designs of these awesome homes. It's fun to dream a little, right?! 

Last of all for this post, I took this little cutie in for a Dr appt to talk about where she was at with her growth. We were maybe going to need to start growth hormone therapy beginning in the Fall, depending on where she was at, and I wanted to kind of know which direction we were headed with the baby coming and all at that same time. I am a total planner and need these things laid out in my head for mental preparation if at all possible, lol! :) We were super happy to find that she had grown 4 inches in height in 9 months, taking her up onto the chart to the 12th %ile. She was much lower for weight though with like 1% but the height was a huge improvement! Still such a peanut but hey, it's not all bad being a petite girl - I know all about that! :) So the Dr said she's still not out of the woods, but for now, we are delaying any sort of therapy. We were so relieved!!!