Our beautiful girls!

The girls had their pictures taken this month by our good friend Alyona Oborn. She's a great photographer and Emily's very favorite trampoline coach. We just love her! I am so in love with these pictures! This isn't all of them but I thought I'd put a few of my favorites.

 

Our summer vacation

We had such a fun summer vacation this year! It was busy but laid back...perfect for us!  We started off in Boise visiting my sister, Paddy. I had only been to Boise once before and Geoff had been there twice, so this was like a new adventure for us. The girls were so excited to sleep at Aunt Paddy's house. The first night we went to the Movie Under the Stars at the park. It was so much fun! There was free face painting and games and a DJ was playing music. Emily was in heaven with the music and couldn't stop dancing. So funny! We watched Hotel Transylvania and ate pizza and popcorn. Definitely the perfect start to our fun vacation! 

 The next day we went to the zoo. Sophie was in HEAVEN! I'm said to report that the favorite thing there was the fake dinosaurs. Really?!? Yep! Everytime we saw one they would have to stop and see it. Crazy girls! Sophie loved all the animals but was upset that she couldn't pet them.

 After the zoo, we were able to stop and walk around the Boise Temple grounds. It's a beautiful temple and I really wish we could've done a session while we were there. Maybe next time.

The next day we took the girls to the aquarium. Abby has been obsessed with octopus' lately so we were excited to show her one in real like. The favorite thing here was the tiny drinking fountains. (I think I need to get my girls out in the world a little more!) They also loved the jelly fish and the sting rays. Paddy bribed Emily with a prize if she touched the string ray. It took a lot of coaxing, but she did it and was so proud of herself.

 Next up was the Simplot cabin in Hagerman. I think it's so awesome that Simplot provides cabins (I think they have 4 or 5 all around Idaho) for their employees to enjoy. A few people tried to explain how the cabin looked, but was a shock it was when we saw the beautiful waterfall right in the backyard! This was definitely my favorite part of our vacation because we just relaxed! Geoff's parents joined us, too. The girls were so happy to have Grandma and Grandpa Meredith all to themselves. We played pool, croquet, fished, the girls rode their scooters, and we just hung out. I loved every minute of it and we're determined to make this a yearly event. It was hard coming home and getting back to our normal life again.

 

 



Sophie turns 2

 It's so hard to believe that my baby girl is already 2 years old! I still remember driving to the hospital to have her, wondering how on earth I was going to handle 3 young kids! Well, 2 years have past and I still haven't figured out how to handle these 3 girls!

Our little Sophie has been quite the addition to our family. She keeps us all on our toes. I've never had a little one that climbs so much and isn't afraid of anything. She is quick to give us kisses and loves and then throws the best of tantrums to next second. She is talking so well and knows so many words. Everyday she learns some new word or phrase. I love this age!

 We didn't have a big party for Sophie this year. Just some family, a few presents, and cupcakes. It was perfect. Books were the theme this year and she was in heaven. She also loved her bubble lawn mower and has trouble sharing it.

 

 She wasn't too sure about blowing out the candle. She didn't even enjoy her cupcake very much. I think she would've been happier with a big bowl of popcorn all to herself.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIE JANE!! We love you so much!!



A great week!

 This week has been a good week.



I had a birthday on Monday. Birthdays just aren't very exciting anymore.....maybe it's the whole "getting older" thing. Geoff and the girls made it nice with beautiful flowers, words of love, and good food. Emily promised me for my birthday she would do "all my work" for me and vacuumed the living room a few times. I got a "Happy Birfday Momma!" and a love from Abby. And even more loves from Sophie.   

One of my very dearest friends gave me a gift card to Amazon so I could order my very first set of Project Life. I have been DYING to get it but just couldn't justify spending the money on something that really isn't a necessity. I was so excited when it arrived on Wednesday! I can't wait to get started on it.....if only I could find a few minutes of quiet...

 

Poor Emily wasn't feeling well on Wednesday and had to come home early from gymnastics and miss school on Thursday. Every now and then she gets terrible stomach aches, no appetite, and a slight fever. After a few days of laying around, she's back to normal.

 

I got three of our 72 hours kits done!! This is a huge accomplishment for me! I have been fretting about emergency preparedness for quite some time. We have decided to make it one of our main focuses as a family this year. The thought of being prepared is so overwhelming to me. I read and read and study for days, get overwhelmed and not know where to begin, and give up. So it's really nice to have it started.....since starting something is usually the hardest part for me. Now we are motivated and will hopefully keep going and move forward with it.

 

 This is one of Emily's latest drawings. She is really starting to get into it and I think she has a pretty good talent for it!! We were pretty impressed with this one! She had to take a picture of it with her model. :)

 Oh little Sophie. I don't even know where to begin with this gal! She can drive me so crazy and then the next minute melt my heart. I love this lady so much! She has really started talking alot lately which has been fun. She has mastered the "dirty look" which makes us laugh every time.

 This has been a big week for Abby. I am proud to say that she is potty trained!! (Well, except for nighttime.) This was our second round of potty training. The first time she started doing really well and then got sick. I kept asking her if she was ready to sit on the potty and the answer was always no. (Sometimes she would even trick me and say yes and then say "Abby tricked mommy!") Tuesday morning she announced that she was going to sit on the potty today so we didn't hesitate. She's only had a few accidents. I am so proud of her! I think she looks so cute in her "wonda-weah"!!! That first day we had to bribe her with M&M's, stickers, and money. Whatever works, right? Love her!

 Emily is growing and getting smarter before our eyes. It amazes me how much she has learned in kindergarten. I am so glad that she loves to go to school. Her latest phrase is "Why do I always have to be right?". Not my favorite thing to come out of her mouth. She's a sassy one, that's for sure, but man, I love this girl! She is always quick to give a love and offer a compliment. She is still going to gymnastics and loves it. Her first competition is in February and she's super excited. When I asked her if she wanted to compete she said, "Why? Everyone already knows I'm a star!" I don't know what to do with this girl!



Life lately

I have really been neglecting our little blog! What can I say? Life has been busy, as usual. Here’s a quick run-down of what our little family has been up to:

*Emily turned the big 0-5. She thinks she’s pretty big stuff! She graduated from preschool and is all ready for kindergarten to start. She’s super bummed that she has to wait all summer. She is still in gymnastics and loves every minute of it. Her favorite things are the trampoline and tumbling…..she does not like the beams or bars!! I’m amazed at how well she has done in just a year! She has tried a back handspring all by herself! Hopefully buy the end of the summer she’ll be confident enough to do them without any fear.

*Abby turned 2 in March. I’m pretty sure a switch was flipped the minute she turned two, cause man can she throw a good tantrum! She’s pretty darn sweet though, and always keeps us laughing. Last month, after a follow up with her ENT, we discovered that she has Congenital Subglottic Stenosis….on top of her Laryngeal Cleft, narrow airway, and kidney reflux. She will need to have a surgery soon so the dr can measure her cricoid cartilage and possibly have to widen it. On top of all of that, she has a terrible ringworm rash and a staph infection that she got from taking amoxicillin. She’s doing a lot better now and will hopefully stay healthy long enough to get her surgery done this summer.

*It’s so hard to believe that our sweet little Sophie is going to be 1 next month!! This year has flown by!! She is such a sweet baby and loves to cuddle all the time. She has been crawling for about a month and is into everything! She can say “da-da”, “ma-ma”, and “wasss-at?” About a month ago she was very sick with croup. She was having so much trouble getting enough air and started going blue, so we got her into the dr. Her oxygen averaged at 81 and her heart rate was 207! Scary! She was diagnosed with Reactive Airway Disease (asthma) and will need an inhaler for who knows how long. She is such a happy baby and has brought such a sweet feeling into our home.

*Geoff and I have just been trying to get through each day. The goal is to end the day with a smile….but that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes just finishing the day knowing that we all survived, is enough. Geoff amazedsme, though. He works hard and never complains! He always tries to have a positive attitude and is willing is jump in and help with whatever needs to be done. I love that man! I wish I could be more like him! I’m not gonna lie….life has been tough. Really tough. Dealing with Abby’s (and now Sophie’s) health problems has kinda knocked the wind out of me. It’s been hard dealing with people’s opinions and judgements. We’ve lost close relationships because we’ve been brave enough to stand up for our little family. But I know that that’s what is important right now. Not what my neighbor thinks, or someone from my ward thinks, or even what a family member thinks.  What matters, is what I think. What Geoff’s thinks. And what my beautiful daughters think. And most importantly, what my Heavenly Father thinks. I know that we are doing the very best that we can with the circumstances we have been given. And that’s what’s most important. Life really is good! We are happy and everything seems to work itself out. Here’s some quotes that have really touched me lately and helped me get through those hard days:

"It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." - Gordon B. Hinckley

 “Only you know your circumstances, your energy level, the needs of your children, and the emotional demands of your other obligations. Be wise during intensive seasons of your life. Cherish your agency, and don’t give it away casually. Don’t compare yourself to others — nearly always this will make you despondent. Don’t accept somebody else’s interpretation of how you should be spending your time. Make the best decision you can and then evaluate it to see how it works.” ~Chieko N. Okazaki

3am

Yep, it's 3am. 3:00 in the morning. That can only mean one thing. Sickness has come to our house. I am sick. Emily and Abby are sick and getting worse by the minute. Thankfully Geoff and Sophie have been spared so far. To say that I'm scared would be the understatement of the century. I am so worried about Abby and how things are going to go with her. I have been praying and praying that her airway stays open enough for her to get the amount of air that she needs. She is watching Rio and drinking ice water and laying on her favorite fluffy pillow as I type. Please say a little prayer for her!

Sunday

We have a tradition on Sundays. We never miss it. Ever. Every single Sunday, we pop popcorn. Lately, we've been watching a movie, too. Tonight we watched Rio. I remember doing this when I was a little girl, too. In fact, my parents still have popcorn every Sunday night. And it can't be the cheater microwave popcorn! It's gotta be the real stuff with real butter!
Now, if only Geoff could join us. He's at work. But don't worry, I sent the cheater stuff with him so he can kind of join in on the tradition.