Friday, April 27, 2012

Warmer weather has arrived...

So it has finally started to warm up around here and we are taking full advantage of it.  All three kids love to be outside, and after being stuck inside for the whole not-that-brutal-but-really-long-lasting winter, it is so refreshing to have something new to do.  They love riding bikes, swinging on the neighbors swing set, sliding, and playing in the sandbox.  It's been warm enough to play with water on a few days and they could play forever with their water table in the sandbox, or jumping on the tramp with the sprinkler going.  We even had a "car wash" one day where I brought a bucket of soapy water, some sponges, and the hose in the backyard and we washed all the carseats, Jack's high chair, the stroller, and all their bikes.  

That's how she rolls.







Mady's soccer has started back up and we have been spending our Saturday mornings cheering on the Purple Dragons.





Lagoon is now open on the weekends and we have taken full advantage.  We've got our season passes and have our new Sunday routine...church at 11:00 (Sophie's now old enough for Sunday School-the girls love it!) and then straight to Lagoon (skipping naps - oh my!).  We only stay for a couple hours at a time, which is why having the season passes is so nice.  So far our no-nap Sunday schedule has worked great, the kids are worn out and go to bed extra early at night!
Jack was totally freaked out by the rides at first, but by the end of the first day he was hooked.  Mady did such a great job taking care of him and letting him ride with her when they could. 
Bulgy the Whale is a family favorite.



No matter how many times they ride I'm always this excited watching them:)


Train ride!




He wouldn't get on this ride but loved watching his big sistas!

Uhh...I take what I can get as far as family pictures go.



And my recent instagram pics, just because I like them:)







Friday, April 20, 2012

Easter weekend in St. George

Since Sophie's birthday was on Good Friday this year so we celebrated Easter in St. George.  The girls had fun coloring eggs, going through their Easter basket loot, and of course, the egg hunt is always a hit.  In fact, my kids break out the baskets early and leave them out long after the holiday -  hiding empty easter eggs/toys/candy/whatever they feel like hunting for - creating their own "Easter egg hunts" because they think it's so fun.  















Our weekned in St. George in between Sophie's birthday and Easter morning was spent hiking in Snow Canyon, at the park, swimming both indoor and outdoor, golf for the guys, and lots of lounging.  I'm SO sad because 1/2 of my pictures were corrupt and even my husband who always come to my rescue with stuff like this couldn't do it this time:(.  



A few (small) pics from our hike at Snow Canyon.  One of my favorite things to do is hike here with the kids.

My mom is a trooper, riding scrunched between the girls all the way there and home!

We stopped at the free Scipio petting zoo for the first time both on the way to St. George and on the way home.  The kids loved it, Jack thought it was so funny that the little lambs would nibble on his fingers:)



The weekend before Cam and Joni were in town from Seattle so Colleen had an Easter egg hunt for the kiddos.


Our attempt at a cousins picture.  Seriously...this was the best one!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Sophie turns 3!


I can't believe my little Sophie bug is 3!  She is at such a fun age right now (well, despite her ability to throw a mean fit!)  Sophie is such a ham, always smiling and making us laugh.  She tells us she loves us "this big" (with arms extended as wide as possible) a hundred times a day.  She asks Mady to be her best friend more often than that and when Mady says yes she exclaims "Mommy, Mady's my best friend, YAY!"  I seriously love her little personality.  She is also quite the chatterbox, she can go on and on....and on.  Her and Jack are such good buddies, she is so soft and gentle with him, always calling him "Jackie boy" "little buddy" and saying "hi little sweatheart".

Soph still sleeps in a crib.  She can climb in and out with ease, but still waits for me to come get her in the mornings and after naps.  She is still my excellent little sleeper, and I have to wake her up from a 3 hour nap almost everyday.  She is officially potty-trained.  She loves her blanket, and will often take a break from what she's doing and says "I just need to chew on my blankie", and does literally just that.  She likes playing babies, barbies, watching Dora, playing outside, swinging, or whatever fun game Mady has come up with for the two of them.  The girl is STUBBORN.  Her attitude can change on a dime and when she's mad - she's mad, but when she's happy, she's the sweetest, funniest kid I've ever met.  Could not love her more!

Sophie is miss independent.  She wants to get dressed the moment she wakes up in the morning all by herself.  She does a good job, and usually goes with the shirt/legging/skirt combo.  When I put away her laundry I've started putting matching outfits in the drawer she always goes for, but sometimes she comes up with interesting combos...I could care less because the time/energy it saves me is great!  Every once in awhile I have to go through and take out her dirty clothes that she has stuffed back in her drawers or her pajama pants with the soggy pull-up still inside, but all things considered she does pretty good.  She is a dream child when it comes to taking orders- for example Me: "Sophie, please go get your shoes on, or can you please go get ready for bed, or clean up your room"...Soph: "Um, sure."  or "Of course!".  Little things like these make my day!

And, being 3 has its perks...no more just being drug around to all of Mady's activities.  Soph can now start tumbling this summer and dance in the fall.  She is ecstatic.  I feel like she will be my enthusiastic one who has fun doing almost anything she tries.

We had cupcakes with cousins the Sunday before her birthday and she went on a special shopping trip with Utah Grandma and her cousin Aiden to Build- A-Bear.  My parents came in town the week of her birthday and we headed to St. George for the weekend to enjoy the beautiful weather.  On the actual day, we celebrated with my parents, Ty and Sue, and our little family at the park.  No fancy schmancy stuff this year, she requested a Dora party and had so much eating cupcakes and opening presents at the park.
Birthday cupcakes at Utah Grandma and Grandpa's the weekend before her birthday.
Swimming at the Washington City Community Center on her birthday
The birthday girl!

Cupcakes and presents at the park.

Loves from Kansas City Grandma!