August 28, 2009

QUICK CHICK



Why do I feel like I was just taking pictures of Emma doing this same thing? Is it possible that Abby is growing up too fast??!! I feel like putting the brakes on a bit because this little girl is so fast and into everything these days. She went from being our quiet little mellow baby to our energetic and loud toddler. Ever since she started walking she also started talking A LOT MORE. Of course most of it is babble but she does copy what we say. I will forever be baffled at why children just love to pull all the toilet paper off the roll. I am just glad she didn't pull off the entire roll. After a quick picture I promptly told her "uh uh" (I save the no's for dangerous things) and sent her out of the bathroom so I could clean up the mess. I have a hard time not smiling and laughing a little bit because it is kind of cute.

The older kids got another lecture about keeping the bathroom doors closed and I finally had to break down and go buy child proof locks for a couple of cabinets in the kitchen and our bathroom. Oh, the joys of toddlerhood!

Soccer Beginnings

It's soccer season again and both of the boys are playing again this year. Andrew is returning to his team, The Ratpits, with his best friend Noah and Noah's dad as their coach. Peter is on an all Dupont team this year and the kids are really good. Both boys have enjoyed their first week of practices and Andrew's team even set up a scrimmage with another team. Too funny that I captured both boys running with the ball with their tongues half way out. I guess it must be a concentration thing...kind of funny!

I realized after watching both boys that they are quite fast. They both seem to have the game down a little better than last year. Peter is just a little speed demon and is one tough little guy. During his practice he got knocked around quite a bit because he is so much smaller than all the other players, but he was quick to get up and keep playing. Afterwards he came up to me and said, "Mom, did you see how I got punched in the face but I just kept playing. It didn't really hurt that much." He was so proud of the fact that he was tough.




Andrew's team is really good again this year. They completely dominated against the other team during the scrimmage. Andrew was running all over the field and even scored three goals. He is learning to move to the open spaces and look for other players to pass the ball to. He has much to improve on but has come a long way from last year. His greatest excitement is being able to drink gatorade during the games. I won't let him drink it any other time.

I am so excited to see how much the boys will improve this season. This year will be so much easier for me as I won't have to tote around a newborn...just two toddlers!!









August 27, 2009

No More Braces



17 months and 12 days and we are officially BRACES FREE!! To say that I am happy is an understatement. Was it worth all the pain and sacrifice...DEFINITELY! I can't believe how straight my teeth are now. I am constantly looking in the mirror and saying, "Who is that!" Just as it was so foreign to get my braces put on last year it is now foreign to me to see my teeth looking so bald. Now I don't have to worry about growing old with those nasty crooked teeth. Unfortunately I still have some more oral procedures to endure this next year...two more gum grafts. That was one of the major reasons for getting braces. I have really weak gums and I have already undergone one of three gum grafts on my lower gums. My kids have told me that I look so much better without braces....DUH! I am so thankful to my family and especially to Mike for putting up with the braces and still loving me and kissing me all along!

August 20, 2009

Seven Peaks

Our last little adventure in Utah was spent visiting the Seven Peaks waterpark. Ever since going to the Great Wolf Lodge back home the kids have been asking when we were going to go back and ride the waterslides. This was the first time they experienced an outdoor waterpark. All three of the older kids got to go on the big kid waterslides, the tube slides, and the wave pool. The really big kid slides like the extremely steep straight shot slides were closed anyways and so we didn't have to worry about telling them they couldn't ride those because they weren't tall enough. Abby enjoyed the kiddie play area and went on a tiny slide with me. She wasn't thrilled with the end because the little drop meant her head went under a little. I quickly learned to hold her up so that she did not go under. Emma quickly gained the confidence to ride that slide all by herself. Overall we enjoyed the wave pool the best. If only we could have brought our own food into the park it would have been that much better. It was such a hassle to have to go to the picnic area at the entrance to the park to eat our own food. Yes, we are cheap and didn't want to pay to eat the park's not so good food. Atleast the kids enjoyed themselves in the water and we got to enjoy their excitment and sweet smiles of pure joy!

August 19, 2009

World's Largest Dinosaur Exhibit

We have many dinosaur fans in this house but by far the biggest fan is our Peter. He has loved dinosaurs from the time he could play with them. When we told him that we were going to the biggest dinosaur exhibit in the world his already big eyes got even bigger. The dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point in Utah exceeded all our expectations. The true to size dinosaur skeleton figures were enough to capture our attention and make us open our mouths in awe. The exhibit had so many fun hands on things that the kids were excited about. There was one room with a big curvy sand table that extended from one end of the room to the other. There was water and sand and pretend dinosaurs to play with. It was cool but I am a little happy that they choose not to play there. Sand and water indoors are rarely a good combination with kids. There was another area with a big scale that measured how big you were compared with some of the dinosaurs. At the end of the exhibit the kids enjoyed being paeleontologists digging for bones. This was their favorite part of the exhibit and we probably spent more time in this room than any other. Grandma spoiled them at the end by buying them some tiny dinosaur figures and a soft purple dinosaur for Abby. They were so excited that they played with those the rest of the day. You can always count on Grandma to doing something so special!

August 17, 2009

The Alpine Slides at Park City

Park City is such a fun place to visit. The much anticipated Alpine Slides were so much fun. The chair lift was a bit slow but we still enjoyed the ride watching people as they were coming down the slides. It was also fun to see the people that were on the zip line. This was Emma's first time on a chair lift. She was so excited to go on the slide with me...she likes it fast! The entire way down she was cheering with excitement. Andrew went down the slides on his own and the first ride down he was a little timid. By the second and third time down he finally started riding it faster. They all had a blast. While I waited at the bottom of the slide I took Abby on the merry-go-round and she was a little unsure what to make of it. By the end I think I saw a smile.


There was a new ride that wasn't there the last time we were here. They added the Alpine Coaster which is like a mini roller coaster ride. It is connected to a track but you still have a lever to control the speed. It was the most exhilirating ride ever. Peter and I rode together while Mike rode with Andrew. The entire way up Peter kept telling me that he wanted to go fast. When we reached the top I pushed the lever 90% of the way forward and we shot down so fast. He just kept screaming, "This is the best day of my life" as we rode all the way to the bottom. It's too bad this was the most expensive ride because we could have all done that a dozen more times. YIPEE!!

Joyous 11th Anniversary

This year really felt like our 10th year Anniversary. Last year we had a brand new baby and so our 10 year was spent just eating a fabulous dinner. We spent a good week earlier in the year when I was pregnant in Hawaii enjoying the sun and each other while Mike attended an ENT Conference. There is such a huge difference for me, though, when I have my body to myself and am not attached to a little one. This year we were fortunate to have my parents watch the kids after our little adventure with the Alpine Slides so that Mike and I could stay the night up in Park City. We stayed at a brand new resort called Dakota. New resorts mean good deals! Before heading over to the resort we did some major shopping at the outlets. We got some Mrs. Fields cookies and went to all of our favorite stores just having fun picking things out for each other. I never thought shopping with Mike could be so much fun. He was actually excited to find things for me that looked good on me...go figure! We both made it out with a few much needed things. We spent the rest of the night at our beautiful resort eating a fabulous dinner at the Spruce Restaurant and then lounged in the spa under the stars. Our time together just couldn't have been better. Everyone needs at least a night away every once in awhile!

August 16, 2009

Bridal Veil Falls

I remember right after Mike and I got married coming up to Provo Canyon and taking pictures on a beautiful fall day. We took pictures on the very path we took today to walk up to Bridaveil Falls. Only when we were there it was a gravel path. Now it is paved and really nice. We took the kids for a walk up to see the falls and told them stories of us when we were newly married. The boys were so excited to get their feet wet at the bottom of the falls. Their adventure side came out as they climbed over the rocks to see how far up they could go. Emma played a little in the water but was more interested in getting her hands wet and making hand prints on the path. Abby just loves the water and so having her feet in the water did wonders for her. The Falls really are spectacular and it was such a nice warm day so we all enjoyed the coolness the water brought. I even got my feet wet and was a little shocked with how cold the water truly was!

Finally Walking

We have been patiently waiting for little Abby to start walking but she has been too content with crawling that the occasionally standing has been good enough for her. Everytime I am with my mom she is always motivated to help me with the kids and their milestones. She was a huge help in potty training Emma and was now determined to help Abby finally start walking. What can I say...she is a miracle worker. After taking a walk up Provo Canyon we stopped at a park to play. It was there that she took her first couple of steps. She was holding on to the slide and then took a few steps over to the jungle gym bars. We were so surprised. She only did it one other time but at least it was a start. When we got back to my parents place we kept encouraging her and within a day or two she was on her feet walking all over the place. HOORAY! We are so happy to see her cute little waddle walk! It is so much fun!

August 11, 2009

Big Sister . Little Sister

I was at the store the other day and found these adorable pajamas for the girls. Emma was so excited to wear them so in the middle of the day we got on our pj's and wore them all day long. My girls are so different from each other and yet so very much the same. They are both silly, energetic, and happy. They love to read books and play with their toys. As I see them play and read together I can't help but feel grateful to have two little girls. They are full of laughter, life, and so much JOY!






August 8, 2009

Saturday Dress Up

This fine Saturday morning while Mike was working we decided to have a relaxing but fun time playing dress up. The boys were drawn to some of their previous Halloween costumes and Emma grabbed her favorite Cinderella dress. We put Abby in the only costume we thought would fit her and she became the pink fairy. Batman and the Knight battled and the Princess just spun around looking beautiful. Our little fairy wasn't quite sure what to do but she looked cute anyways. I love it when my kids play pretend. They are so good at make believe that it makes me want to join in the fun every time.








I am so thankful to my wonderful and talented cousin who started her own dress up company many years ago. She is the one who has supplied me with the majority of my girl dress ups and a good third of my boy dress ups. When Abby was born she sent each of the kids a couple of costumes. Now it looks like her company will be spreading to a couple of Costco stores. Way to go Jenny! To check out her products, click HERE!

August 7, 2009

Curly Q


I keep wishing that Abby's hair would grow a little bit faster. I just love the little curls that she does have. Today she woke up with the cutest little curl on the top of her head. It just stood straight and proud all day long. I just love Abby's little curls. They fit her personality so well. Although I know it will take quite some time for that full head of hair to braid and put ponytails in, I can be content as I enjoy the cute little curls on the top of her head.

August 6, 2009

Silly Girls


My girls are quite the comic relief in our house lately. Abby finally found her belly button and is constantly climbing onto and into everything including the dishwasher door. I walked out of the kitchen for a few minutes and when I returned she was just sitting there playing. She is also known to crawl up onto Emma's toddler bed and play. Good thing she can get down by herself. Abby is getting more comfortable on her feet and will stand up all on her own without holding on to anything but is still timid when it comes to walking. She has taken a few steps though and I know it won't be too much longer until she is a walking machine.


Our little miss Emma continues to make us all smile with her silly ways. The other day I went to check and see if she was getting dressed for the day and this is what I found. Funny thing is Peter did this same thing when he was her age. She is a hoot that one!




August 5, 2009

Abby . 13 months old


loves to take baths

doesn't like bows in her hair

loves to look at books

curious about things that make noise

gets into everything

will tolerate sitting in the grass (finally)

can stand up by herself

walks along the furniture

loves milk and fruit

favorite video is Baby Bach

still takes two naps

has 12 teeth

loves pat-a-cake

weights 18 1/2 lbs

August 4, 2009

Lemonade Anyone


For about a week Andrew has been talking about setting up a lemonade stand outside our house. I think he saw someone in the neighborhood doing it at some point this summer and got the idea stuck in this head. I think every child gets excited about selling lemonade. Today he finally decided he was going to have his very own lemonade stand. He got out the lemonade and made it all by himself. Then he made his signs and asked for help with the small card table and chairs. I was a little worried that he wouldn't have many customers so we all bought a lemonade from him to start out. Boy was I shocked at the random people who drove by or walked by that bought lemonade from Andrew. The kids from across the street came over and another kid from school rode by on his bike and bought 6 lemonades. Andrew was beside himself and if we had let me he would have sold lemonade until dark. In the end he made $4.40. He paid Peter and Emma each 50 cents for being good helpers and proceeded to pocket the rest. More than anything it was just fun to watch his excitement.

August 1, 2009

Mt. Adams Summit

So two years have passed since we climbed and summited Mt. Rainier at 14,410 ft. Mike has wanted to climb Mt. Adams ever since and it was this summer or never since we are moving next June. We didn't have that much time to prepare and train for this mountain but relied on our good cardiovascular shape from training for the Half Marathon and our previous experience climbing to get us through this awesome adventure. After saying goodbye to our family we headed out for a couple of last minute items for our trip...the biggest of which was boots for me to rent. Since I only had low top boots I needed something sturdier. The only problem is that since my feet are so small it is hard to find my size. After a couple of stores and two hours later we finally ended up doing the unthinkable and buying a new pair of good hiking boots. It is usually taboo to hike in new boots but seeing as it was my only option I had to take it. We left for Mt. Adams in the afternoon and got to the trailhead right before dark. The four hour drive didn't seem that bad and I really enjoyed driving along the Columbia River. We passed Multnomah Falls and it was gorgeous. I wish we could have stopped to see them longer. As we were ready to head over the bridge back into Washington across the Columbia River we realized the bridge was a toll and we literally didn't have a penny. We didn't even think about bringing cash and we only had our credit cards. We had to turn around because we didn't have the 75 cents to pass (so pathetic I know) and as we were turning around pass the toll booth on the other side the people inside the booth stopped us to tell us we could go because the people behind us coming through had paid for us. It may seem a small thing but to us it was a miracle. Lesson learned: carry emergency cash in the car!


The view of Mt. Adams from the base was spectacular and a bit overwhelming. It seemed weird to think that we would actually be climbing all the way to the top. We drove the last mile up on a really bad and windy dirt road to the trailhead where we would be sleeping for the night. Our friends the Bakers made it shortly after us. After repacking our packs we went to sleep early in preparation for our early start time.

We woke up at 4:00am and ended up leaving by 5:00am. We weren't walking in the dark for very long before we could see the sun! We were hiking for almost two hours when we came across our first steep ascent across a little snowfield and up some bolders. The climbers ahead of us told us that the route was not easy and to maybe try walking up the snowfield a ways before climbing up the bolders. We thought we might try that and quickly realized that the snow was still quite frozen. This made it more difficult to walk up without crampons on. Without having to get our crampons on we slowly and carefully side stepped it up the snowfield to a point where we could scramble up and above the set of bolders. We made it without getting hurt and a little upset that we didn't stick to the trail but instead listened to the fools ahead of us. Unfortunately this is where we got separated from our friends. We both had walkie talkies so that we could communicate in case we got separated. We decided to keep hiking figuring that they would catch up when we stopped to rest. We never did meet up again on the mountain but stayed in touch as much as we could. Luckily we put some time into studying the topo map of the mountain ahead of time and the different elevation changes. We had a time schedule that we were trying to follow in order to get to the top and make it down before it was too late in the afternoon and keeping in mind we still had a four hour drive when we got back to the bottom. About half way up the mountain at a place called Lunch Counter, we ran into a really nice couple who offered to let us use their water filter to fill up our jugs. We were so grateful and later realized that we wouldn't have made it without that refill. Mike ended up drinking 6 galloons of water and I drank 2-3 gallons of water on our hike. After passing Lunch Counter we stopped to eat some lunch and rest before our toughest part of the climb...Suksdorf Ridge. This ridge is a really steep 2000 ft ascent. It reminded us of summit day on Mt. Rainier with how steep it was. There were many who were wearing their crampons but the boot paths were so good that we opted to keep going without crampons. As we were climbing we were passed by many who had already made it to the summit and were making their way down the mountain. Most people hike to Lunch Counter and camp overnight and then summit from there the next morning. I was a little jealous to see them glissading down the mountain. I knew it would be my turn soon enough.











We finally made it to the false summit at Piker's Peak. There we met a scout troop who were headed down the mountain. It was so amazing to see the swarms of butterflies here at the peak. They look like little black dots in our pictures because they were flying so quickly. I was surprised to see that they followed us all the way to the top. We were pushing it for time but were so close to the summit (only 800 ft left) so we decided to keep going. We made it to the summit at 12,276 ft around 2:30pm and stayed there for about 20 minutes. It was well worth the 9 hour trek to the top. We had the most gorgeous view of Mt. Rainier and it was surprisingly warm at the top. We hiked in shorts and a long sleeve shirt. At the top I only had to add another long sleeve shirt...WOW. What a difference the weather was from Mt. Rainier. After signing the log and getting a few photos on the shack and in front of Mt. Rainier we speedily made our way down the mountain.










After we got back down to Piker's Peak we got our snow pants and windstopper jackets on in preparation for the long awaited glissading back down to Lunch Counter. This was by far the funnest part of our day. We descended down the 2000 ft ridge in 10 minutes when it took us almost 2 hours to climb. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! The rest of the hike down was tiring and by the time we got back to the trailhead we were beyond exhausted. The worst part was the four hour drive home. I was so relieved when we finally did get home safely, take a shower, and jump into our cozy bed! Another climb completed and so many more to go! Until next time!!!





This was the sunset on our drive home. It was spectacular!