Yay for Sprinklers!

Just a fun night in the backyard fixing the sprinklers and trying to fix all this dead grass!

I love this picture! Finally both looking and real smiles! Love you kiddos, even when you drive me nuts!

Just Everyday Stuff

Just some pictures from around here. Some new favorite things to say this week: "I shut door,"

"I sorry," "mine," "eww, yuck, gwross," and two all time favorites "no" and "what happened ..." That is finished with everything. "what happened baby?" "what happened Rachel?" "what happened beep beep?" (ear thermometer) "what happened da-dong?" (ding-dong door bell)

Colt wearing Livy's old Thomas the train pajamas. He loves wearing "choo choos."

Rachel hiding from me. We are attempting to get her to stop the thumb sucking. I know it will be a long road but at least she is willing to try now. We don't carry cat around, we put the gross stuff on her thumb (the yuck), and we have a sticker chart/toy motivation. Hopefully we make progress! She has been doing better than I expected so far. Thanks Rae!

Ellie and Mom, 2 1/2 months old.

Some pictures of Ellie. Just hanging out. She's pretty good at just hanging out for a while. She likes the play mat and gets excited to be on it but hasn't tried to roll at all yet. She does twist so she can see the tv though! She sucks her thumb more now even when she is awake when she can get it in there. She is super smiley for me but still camera shy! And she loves when her brother and sister are near her. She loves to watch them.

Play date with Jamie's kids, finally. I had to document it because it had honestly been a year since we got together to play! Between last years opposite school schedules, extra curricular stuff, sickness, travel, Ellie, etc. we haven't seen each other in forever! Jamie and I are the best phone friends but it sure is nice to see my phone friend once in a while! And the kids miss each other. My girls love playing with Kylie and Savannah.

Self portraits of them riding a camel at the zoo in New York. Thanks grammy and poppy for taking us! We loved it!

The girls new favorite line "If you don't buy us this (or let us do that) we aren't going to talk to you anymore." They pulled this for the first time last week at the store and had me rolling, along with the lady in the isle with us. Now they use it a lot. If only they followed through on their threat, even for a few minutes!

New York, New York

So long, farewell. This was right before we walked out the door to the airport. See you soon guys! Thanks for such a great trip. I can believe how fast it went! We miss you down here!

It is always hard saying good bye. The older I get the bigger baby I am. I always cry when hugging my parents good bye.

Grammy and her buddy! He loved going out front on walks with Grammy and to the store all by himself!

Ellie was totally spoiled while we were there and we thought it would be hard for her to adjust once we got home and she didn't have so many people to hold her all the time but luckily we hit the jackpot and she did great adjusting!

Tucker thinking it is pretty funny to splash Alli!

Some of the boys. Just missing Zeke. Next year is going to be serious trouble when Luke and Zeke are on the move too!

Uncle Dan taking a swim!

Zeke enjoying a swing.

Addie and Colt checking their text messages together.

Oh Tucker! Not happy about these pictures. But these two...

Couldn't stop smiling and posing and trying to get each other. After a while they both just fell over too, photo shoots are tiring!

First smile I captured on film in NY! It was exciting for me!

When we first got to New York Colt was crying any time Danny came within 10 feet of him. About halfway through he got better and by the end was buddies with Dan.

For a few days Rachel's #1, Ian, was replaced by Dariel. He watches Dan sometimes so he was at the house and Rachel was following him everywhere. She wanted to dress special for him at church! He ended up babysitting the girls a few times too and did an awesome job, they loved it!

Playing dog pile with poppy at Grandma Ede's house.  Always one of the girls favorites!

Great Grandma Ede with Zeke and Ellie! Zeke spit up on Grandma and Ellie leaked through her diaper on Grandma while she had these two on her!

Pop and Zeke!

We went over Josh and Katie's beautiful new house one night while they were babysitting Crew and Jane. This was the group we had there! There was chaos but they had fun! And I think mom and dad needed the quiet at home, even if it was only for 2 hours!

Zeke comforting the ladies, arm around Ellie and holding Jane's hand!

And you know there will be more to come!

Olivia

There is lots of nursing going on around this house! Now the girls have been "nursing" their baby animals on the couch with me when I feed Ellie, or milk Ellie as Livy says. They both have a favorite that they are taking care of but Livy is way into it. She feeds her baby cheetah and changes her diaper and outfit a few times a day. She is learning how to do Ellie's diaper too now. She just wants to take care of others and make them happy. She is always giving Rachel whatever she wants just to make her happy. She also does anything Rachel asks her to: go get this for me, do me this favor, get me a snack please, wash me in the bath tub, etc. Rachel is taking advantage of her sisters kindness for sure!

Burping and nursing.

Feeding her baby named Spotty. She even has a custom collar with her name on it.

It is just crazy how different Rachel and Livy are in most things.

Here are Livy's straight forward problem solving ideas:

When asking to use scissors, "I promise I'll try not to cut my fingers off."

On seeing one of Ellie's newborn pictures posed in a basket, " Did we put her in that to take a sleep?"

When wanting to stay at Jamie's when she had to go out, "Well, why don't we just babysit McKay. You have two eyes to watch the two trouble makers and when they get in trouble you have two arms for them." Rachel added in, "You don't need to keep an eye on us, we can handle ourselves."

She learned a joke in New York from one of the babysitters and her and Rachel love to tell it over and over.

Livy: "Guess what."

Mom: "What."

Livy: "Chicken butt!"

At their preschool they start class with a prayer and Livy's teacher told me the other day that she gave a really sweet prayer. I don't know what she said but I am so proud of you Livy for doing such a great job and setting a great example!

Rachel

Rachel, Rachel oh how you make us laugh. We can't really laugh out loud or you go crying into the other room because you get embarrassed but you sure make us laugh a lot on the inside! I love you

Rachel!

Jammin' out to the primary hymn book!

Recent things out of Rachel's mouth:

Quite frequently heard around here "I'm absolutely bored."

When it rained a bit around dinner time "Oh no, what are we going to eat for dinner?" Apparently she thought the restaurants closed when it rained.

Playing with her dolls one was dressed as a bear and she said that the bear gets poison on people that is how he hurts them. Then she asked how he gets his poison on them, I said he licks them but she said "No, I think he farts it on them." Gross but funny.

In New York before going through the under pass at the beach "I'm just warning you that I might freak out in there."

Copying Poppy in New York, "If you don't watch it I'm gonna give you a knuckle sandwich."

About Grandma's Princess drawing "That Princess was a little too scary looking."

 After a few fights between the girls and lots of crying Rachel asks if we can get frozen yogurt after dinner and Eric says not after the charades that just went on here. To which Rae says "it's only yogurt dad, it's not ice cream."

She over heard me telling Eric one day that Colt got into a lot of trouble that day, to which she replied "Are we going to sell him now?"

Her third person usage:

"I have good new mom, Rae Rae went poopy!" She announces every time she goes.

"How about a big Rae Rae hug!"

After dealing with some boys doing stuff she didn't like, "What is wrong with those boys, their fathers need to teach them because there is just no reason to be mean to people."

Painted her nails by herself for the first time. She loves girly stuff and is always trying to get me to wear nicer stuff! She is always complementing people on their hair or accessories that she likes.