Gracie Laughing

No one can make Gracie laugh like her sister Madi.

They are good friends...

Dayton Beach California

We enjoyed swimming in the pool, playing in the sand, collecting shells and just hanging out! We felt so glad to have been invited.

Our trip to California! Aunt Julie and Uncle Dave invited us to join them at their beach house in Dayton Beach California. They invited us to ride in their jet. So fun...Gracie's first plane ride.

MadiLynn my BABY has started Kindergarten. It is incredible to me that she is old enough to be in school already. I have mixed feelings. Grateful she has a chance to enjoy school, but sad because I will miss her. She is very excited to go. Her teacher is Mrs M. and she goes to AM kindergarten from 8:30-11:15. She will be taken to 1st grade reading and math group on Tues and Thurs. I am glad the teacher is going to work to help her continue to learn instead of wait for other kids to catch up to her abilities. I hope she will love school as much as I did.

Chase started 3rd grade. We got accepted to Hawthorn Academy on 90 s and 22oo W. Chases teacher is Mrs Foiles. He choose to wear his white shirt and tan shorts, although he didn't have much of an option since the school requires a uniform. We are excited he is growing and are anxious for him to start learning again!

da da da da

We went to watch Chase play baseball the other day. On the drive home around 10pm when most babies would be sleeping our little Gracie repeated over and over

" da da da da".

Chase and Madi were just as excited as we were. Now that she knows Dad's name we are all grilling her on our own names. Madi keeps repeating her name, Chase his, and of coarse I think she needs to say my name next.

I guess only time will tell!

Chase's Helpful Invention

Well, Madi had a long talk the other day with her brother. She was a little bit upset because she is ALWAYS the one who doesn't have any toilet paper. She told him he needs to start getting toilet paper because she is ALWAYS stuck in the bathroom. (Truth be told she really always is...)It was quite a funny conversation. Even funnier was the invention that Chase made for Madi to help fix the problem. Now she can wear the TP Belt and never have to be stuck in the restroom again!

Swimming Lessons

We have been taking swimming lessons for the last two weeks with some of our cousins. Ethan, Cole and Chase were in level 3 together. Sadi, Madi, and Dax were in level 1. I was amazed at how much my kids learned in such a short time. In a "Little Bill" cartoon, the character Little Bill takes swim lessons. He learns to swim like a guppy. Madi often referred to her advancing abilities as learning to swim like a guppy. She floats on her back without any help, bob's very well, and swims under water ice cream scoops like a pro. I am so pleased with her. Chase had great dives off the starting block, and beat all the kids in almost every race, in every stroke. He is such a graceful swimmer, it is fun to watch. The pool asked him to be a part of their swim team. I think he would be a great addition, but I am not sure how he can do baseball, swimming, scouts, school, tumbling, and guitar. Hmmm. We'lll have to think about that one. (I am secretely grateful that that is what I get to worry about. Kids with so many abilities, it's hard to find time to develop them. Thanks to their fathers genes...and our Heavenly Father's blessings).

Please no Peas...

Your face says it all. "I do NOT like peas". All you wanted was your sippy cup and quick. Poor girl, the sad thing is we are going to eat peas and only peas every night for the next 14 days. Torture. Hopefully you will acquire a taste for them. It didn't work for your brother and sister, but maybe you will enjoy them someday.

Big Bed

We cannot believe our little Gracie is 1/2 today. Life goes by too fast. It is amazing how much she has grown. She is now sitting up by herself, starting to grasp tiny things with her little fingers, and rolls to her tummy really well. She weighs 14 pounds and is 24 inches long. Our new cousin needs the crattle, so she is going to start sleeping in her own crib. Mommy still checks on her a million times during the night, but for the most part Gracie goes to bed at 8ish, eats at midnight and 4ish, and wakes smiling at 8:30. She has also started cereal and loves water out of a sipper cup.

Scout Camp

I remember thinking when Chase was a baby (and we only had one baby) that wow what a great year...full of "firsts". But every year it seems like I am thinking that. Chase's first bike ride, Chase's first trip. Well this year Chase got to go to Scout camp for the first time. I was lucky and became the assistant to the scout master just before camp, so I got to go. Gracie got to go too, but I am not so sure she would say she was lucky. The first day was Super Hero Camp, and the second day was Jurassic Journey. Chase liked the second day better because it involved lots of rocks. Sling shot a rock, find a crystal rock, dig in the dirt for rocks. He loved rocks when he was 2 and still does now that he is 8. I was surprised how much stuff they actually did. They also did some fun things without rocks. One of my favorites was a race where they put together sprinkler pipes and joints. They raced in teams to connect the pipes from point A to point B. The team who could run water down the pipe without leaks, was the winner. They also did obstacle courses, skits, shot bb guns (Gracie and I stayed FAR AWAY), bow and arrow, sling shots and one of Chase's favorites...the stores. I had to remind myself I was there as a scouting assistant not a Mom. Many times I wanted to say...let's not do that, or you are getting your outfit dirty, or don't buy that it's just JUNK. But I refrained... Chase cannot wait until next year. He thinks we should have Scout camp more than just once a year.

Summer Campout

We ventured into the great outdoors this weekend with my sister Jennifer and her family. We drove up late Friday night. Basically leaving us enought time to pitch our tent, and eat a batch of delicious home made scones that we smelled rising in the back seat for the 1 1/2 drive up the canyon. On Saturday our Grandma and Grandpa Carn joined us as well as Great Aunt Lisa and old grandma grandpa (my Mom's parents). Going on walks with our dog Tiger, and Lisa's dog Pepper were some Madi's most enjoyable times. Chase liked playing catch and hacky sack with Jake as well as hours of cards. It was Gracie's first venture into the wild and she did really well. She loves being outside so I wasn't surprised. Although nursing was an adventure in itself. I need a comfy chair, not an air matress for nursing in the early am. Sitting around the campfire was my favorite, as well as eating until I felt like I needed to explode. We always bring up so much yummy treats

Chase at Lake Powell

Chase catching air off the wake

Chase wake boarded outside the wake for the first time.

Madi at Lake Powell

Madi had fun on the tub and knee boarding for the First Time!

Gracie at Lake Powell

Gracie's first Lake Powell trip

"Keeping up with the times"

I use to pay for things by signing a check, until my sisters convinced me that debit cards are how people pay for things. I decided to try and "keep up with the times."

I use to journal with a pen and notebook, until now my sisters have shown me people use a webpage to type their history. So...here goes...My first attempt at journaling and "keeping up with the times."