"Seriously, you just don't get any sweeter than this..."

Many mornings Emily can sleep in until 8 AM if I let her...of course, with school this isn't possible. Therefore, most every morning, I have to wake Emily up so we can all take Carolyn to school. This morning I went into Em's room and started picking my sleeping baby up...as I lifted her out of her crib, even before her eyes opened - she smiled a big huge smile and then opened her beautiful blue eyes to greet the day. And I just thought, "Seriously, you just don't get any sweeter than this." She is such a sweetheart. A smiling sweetheart.

After that, I thought about how I think I have three girls that just can't get any sweeter. We obviously have our meltdowns and sass moments, but - I think my girls are incredibly sweet. After I had gotten a smiling half-asleep Emily out of her crib, this same morning as Carolyn left for school she began giving everyone her hugs and kisses as she always does. When it was my turn, our hug was weak so I said, "Carolyn, I need a better hug than that." To that she replied, "I'll give you a good hug any time."

Then, tonight as I was putting Angela to bed I gave Angela her goodnight kiss in which she responded, "I need a better kiss, mom!" So I gave my little Ang-ba-nang another kiss and she exclaimed, "I love you too much!" - something that Angela tells me ALL of the time. I just love it. I love my three sweet girls!

I also love my mornings with Angela and Emily. I just can't even put into words how much my mornings with Ang mean to me. A typical morning after we drop Carolyn off for school is we come home together and do starfall.com together as I feed Emily. Then, we eat our oatmeal together and chat. Then (Emily usually plays independently really well at this time so I can really focus on Ang) we go upstairs and have preschool together and then reading time together. I love love love it.

This week I have finally started making Angela her OWN phase books. She has been asking for them for awhile now...she loves Carolyn's so I am excited she finally has her own. My phase books are books I make personalized for my kids...they include lots of pictures of themselves, their family members, and friends...or whatever (animals they loves, princesses they love - anything that gets them excited about the book). Carolyn loved learning to read with her phase books and so far Angela is inlove with hers, too. I find it a wonderful way to teach kids how to read. This "R" book is all about one of her best friends, Rowan, and includes pictures of Rowan and her. I'm making phase one books right now for Angela with all the letters in the alphabet. We'll first focus on those and learn the letters and sounds really well. Then move on to phase two books with one word in them with pictures to cordinate (their favorite pictures are usually pictures I put in the books of them with someone or something). Then, phase three books have an easy phrase/sentence and so forth. Anyways - I love our phase books.

She's Got it!

A couple of weeks ago, Andrew taught this sweet girl how to ride a two-wheeler. Andrew and I thought it would take some time for Carolyn to learn, but - man - did she prove us wrong. She got it on her first time out! She's still mastering turning and stopping, but she's amazed us at how quickly she picked this up. Go Carolyn!

2011 Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

Last year we started a tradition of going to an amazing pumpkin patch - Rock Creek Farm! The girls have been so excited to go back to the farm...and look at this ginormous pumpkin we brought home! We were happy about our find! Okay, and I just love Angela. I love how when I tell her to smile for the camera she tilts her head to the side and gives a closed mouth smile...just makes me want to eat her up - she's way too cute for me!

Again, Angela. Oh my goodness, what a cutie :)
The farm has free jump houses and inflated slides...and this year we went during the day on a Friday so we practically had the place to ourselves.
Andrew is such an amazing dad...I can never get over how amazing I think he is...he is always so fun...he didn't hesitate at all and was in the jump houses, going down the slides with the girls, playing tag and hide-and-seek in the corn mazes. He's so awesome!

The petting farm...

The piggies there are my favorite...so cute.





Corn maze...
Carolyn had so much fun feeding all the animals and Angela loved petting the ponies.





I love this picture...such cute sisters.

Family Slumber Party!

Andrew had the brilliant idea to have a family slumber party...huge success! We brought down mattresses, pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals down to the family room and all of us (except Em - she'll join in when a little older) slept together snuggling! So fun!! Our next slumber party is scheduled for Carolyn's winter break - the girls are excited to have a fire going in the fireplace for that one. Here the fam is snuggling and watching a movie before going to bed.

The set up :)

Love This Girl...

I am inlove with this sideways closed-mouth-smile Angela likes to give to the camera...

This girl is such a sweety. She loves to help out and loves to be sweet. As an example, just today she did two things that show how this girls loves to be sweet. First, while at the park Carolyn decided on the way back to the car that her legs were too tired to walk to the park so she sat down in the grass...Angela and I were several yards ahead of her and almost to the car. When Angela saw and heard that Carolyn was tired - she ran over to her and said, "I can't carry you, but I can hold your hand to the car." WHAT A SWEETY! Another example from today, we were on a bike ride (well, Ang was riding the scooter, Carolyn was on a bike, and I was pushing EM in the stroller). Carolyn was having difficulty getting her bike through a rocky road we were on...so, Angela said, "I'll help you, Carolyn" ....so, for the entire time we were on the rocky road, Angela would go push Carolyn on her bike and then run back to her scooter and catch up...then she would do it again and again. I love my sweety.

First Snowfall of the Season

Oh, that first snowfall of the winter...what a day we've been all waiting for....

The first snowfall of the season means we get to blast "The First Snowfall" by the Carpenters...run around in the snow...and make paper snowflakes (next year I need to make sure to have hot chocolate in the house because that part didn't happen this time around). I love snow as long as I don't have to drive in it...and I'm done with snow once Christmas is over. But, today, it was a perfect day for a snowfall ;)
The first snowfall happen to fall on this little girls' 8 month day :) We love this little happy girl. She just loves to be talked to...her whole face will light up and smile and her happy hands will go crazy if someone starts talking to her...our sweet little social butterfly. She is getting even better at crawling (doesn't have it perfectly down yet - but has a little army/scooting crawl thing going on). We love our little Ems!
Making paper snowflakes...

I love this babe's adorable laugh :) She is very ticklish...esp. on the neck.
Our great friends, the Vickerys (aka Prince Micah's family) happen to be over on the first snowfall. It was fun to have them to celebrate.

Our Fall Utah Trip!

We had soooo much fun on a little quick Utah trip! We went jet skiing.... (Andrew is such a dork)

The big event was the big BYU football game. Luckily, we came away with a win against Utah State (although it was a sadly close game - but a fun one to be at...for everyone except for Emily - she hasn't been "trained" with loud sports crowds yet :)







We got to sit by my dad and silly monkey (aka Richy)

We played lots of fun games....
Playing in Ponka and Nana's backyard....





We always try to hit the Bean Museum every time we go out to Utah...



Acting like the animals...



Emily practicing her BYU cheerleading stand for the games :)
...And fun at Grandpa and Grandma's house! Here I am with Michelley's sweet baby girl, Jules. I was so excited to meet her!
Grandpa and Ems...

Scary Olive Hands...
Aunt Banana and Emy