family night turkey fun

The girls loved our family night last night.  We made turkey bags using their footprints and handprints (thanks for the idea, Megan).  They thought this was so funny! We put some yummy cookies in the bags and took them to our neighbors and home and visiting teaching families. The girls absolutely love to drop things off for people.  Heidi made sure to tell everyone, "Happy Firstgiving".  Yes, she still calls it Firstgiving.  At what point do I tell her it's Thanksgiving?  It's so cute that I don't have the heart to correct her.  I love that my girls are at ages where they love family night.  It is always so much fun to have that time together.  I hope they continue to love Monday nights for many more years to come.  Have I mentioned how much we are loving our girls at these ages?

family pictures

 Before winter hit we had our family pictures taken.  I didn't really want to do them this year because I don't like how I look right now, but I can't use that as an excuse, especially since the rest of my family looks great!  I have had 3 kids in just under four years and I am trying to not be so hard myself, but it's not easy.  Either way, these pictures have nothing to do with me anyway.  They are a reflection of a wonderful time in our lives. We are loving this phase of life!

 Sorry for the picture overload, I like so many of them for different reasons. Plus, I wanted to make sure I had them documented in the blog book.

 I love Heidi's position in this one and I love that all three girls are looking at the camera.

 This one is probably my favorite.  I absolutely love Savanna in this one.  It is so rare to have a picture of her looking at the camera with a natural smile, and oh how cute she is.  I just wish Caimbree's hands were down.

 Love this one of my big girl.

 Savanna wasn't so sure about the tire swing, but at least she wasn't screaming and I love that you can see her blue eyes.

 Oh my goodness.  I love my girls so much my heart could burst.

 I like Savanna in this one too.

 I don't think Jeff and I have had any pictures of the two of us since we have had kids.  I still can't believe we have 3 kids.  I remember thinking we would be lucky to have one.  We are blessed.

 Jeff wasn't crazy about this pose, but I actually really like it.

 I still don't know how I managed to snag this guy.  Why he has stood by me all these years in spite of all of my flaws I will never know.  Such an amazing husband and father.

 Savanna wouldn't keep her tongue in her mouth for whatever reason.  Love those blue eyes and curly hair.

 Heidi looks so grown up here.  I look at her all the time lately and wonder who took my baby.

 I love this one of Savanna too.  She thought this chair was pretty cool.  Wish we could have gotten a smile out of her before she wanted to wander on to something else.

 Caimbree was a little trooper.  She was happy the whole time but when it came time for her individual pictures it started to get cold and she was tired.  Love how her eyes pop in this picture.

 I'm actually kind of glad she had to be held for her pictures, because it is very rare that I am in pictures and I love that I have these of me with her at this sweet stage that is going by way too quickly.

 Caimbree loves to have her little cheeks kissed over and over again.  At least we got a little smile in spite of the colder air.

I love being a wife and a mother!  I'm older than I want to be and my body isn't what I want it to be, but I wouldn't trade the life I have for anything.  I have 3 happy, healthy girls and a hardworking, loving, faithful husband--what more could I really ask for?  I love my family!

five months

 Happy five months to our sweet little Caimbree!  Time is flying way too quickly. Caimbree is an absolute joy and I honestly can't even remember what life was like before we had her.  Funny how that happens.

*Still eating only breastmilk.  She seems satisfied and I am in no hurry to start solid food.  I'm hoping to wait at least one more month.
*Caimbree is pretty mellow as long as she isn't tired or hungry.
*She loves to be held and talked to.
*Loves to laugh.  Laughs the hardest when she is tickled and when she is surprised.  Jeff has been loving this phase and gets her giggling every night.
*When she starts laughing the girls tend to stop what they are doing and rush over to watch their little sister laugh.
*Has a loud voice.
*Generally goes to sleep around 7:30.  Sometimes she needs a binky around 2 and then is up about 5.  Sometimes she wakes up around 4, eats and goes back to sleep until about 6:30.  She's definitely doing better than she was a month ago.
*Not a real consistent napper and I usually just let her nap in the swing.  I really want to get her set up in a room and start working on a schedule, but we have been struggling to decide how we want to rearrange rooms and whether to move Savanna to her big bed yet.  Usually she takes a couple short naps in the morning and a longer afternoon nap.
*Getting close to rolling from back to tummy.  Hasn't rolled from tummy to back in quite some time.
*Loves to play with her hands and has recently discovered her feet.  Cutest phase ever.
*Doesn't like to be a room alone.  If Heidi and Savanna leave a room and it gets quiet, Caimbree gets upset.
*Still will only take the hospital binky.  I don't know if she will ever take another one or give up a binky all together, but I sure don't like the hospital binky.
*I've caught her sucking her thumb a few times, but never for long periods of time.
*Loves to grab things...especially shirts, hair, and blankets.
*Really doesn't like to be on her tummy.
*Mostly wearing 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers.
*Absolutely adored by her sisters.
*Coos a lot.
*We cannot stop kissing her chubby little cheeks.  We love those cheeks!
*Eyes are still a lighter blue so I am thinking they won't turn brown.
*Seems pretty sociable and doesn't seem to mind new people around.
*She loves her bouncy seat, especially when it's next to the treadmill when I'm running.
*Likes to sit in the bumbo and watch me cook and likes to sit in it on the table during dinner.
*Loves to be cuddled.
*I think she looks like me, at least from the pictures I remember seeing of myself and definitely looks more like Heidi than Savanna when I compare pictures.
*Definitely has the least amount of hair!
*Hates bows and has been known to convince her dad to take them off...he is the only one willing to show sympathy.
*Starting to spin all around on the floor.
*Not crazy about the exersaucer yet.

 We just adore our sweet little Caimbree!  What a treat she has been!  I wish they stayed little just a while longer.

We love you, Caimbree Rae!

primary program

 Today was the Heidi's primary program.  We have been looking forward to the program for quite sometime.  The primary theme this year was Families are Forever.  Heidi's part was, "I love my family because they let me play."  While she repeated this over and over for two weeks straight, when she got to the microphone she said, "I love my family because they love me."  I guess she changed her mind.

 Not only did Heidi have a little speaking part, but she sang a solo.  Yes, a solo.  Heidi.  A solo.  There was a time I didn't think she would ever step foot in the primary room without me, but there she stood (the smallest Sunbeam) at the microphone and sang, "I Will Follow God's Plan".  She did amazing!!  Her memory is incredible and she loves to sing so she learns songs so quickly.

 Savanna was excited to see Heidi sing and while she would have liked to have Heidi next to her, I think she enjoyed having grandma and all the church bag stuff to herself!

 Getting a picture of these three is a nearly impossible task.   A certain two year old is not keen on pictures and by the time I finally get them all in one place, it takes the camera too long to focus to actually get all three of the looking at the camera and happy.  You will just have to take my word for it that they are all adorable.

Jeff's parents came up to support to Heidi and I am so grateful that they drove up to see her sing!  It made her even more excited about her part and I am so grateful when we have more people to show support and love our kids in all the little things.  I know they will always remember the support they feel in all their special moments, big and small.

We are so grateful to the wonderful teachers and leaders who have helped Heidi learn the gospel.  It is so incredible to have support when trying to teach your kids about the Savior, because I am coming to realize it is a huge responsibility.  We love our family and we are so grateful for the promise that families can be together forever!

tree house museum

 Since the girls were feeling much better we decided to run a few errands in Ogden on Saturday.  We stopped at the children's tree house museum right by the temple.  We weren't sure what to expect, but it was a lot of fun and the girls had a blast.  It was a cute museum with connections to literature.  Heidi and Savanna both said the horses were their favorite part.  I'm glad we decided to stop and do something fun for the girls.

 Caimbree was a little trooper, as always.  She loves to be out and about.

 Watching these two play together all day made me realize how grateful I am that they have each other and that they are close enough to enjoy playing together.  

 Heidi built a little birdhouse with dad.  

 They had little schoolhouse area set up like the old days.  Of course I loved this part, but so did the girls, especially Heidi.  I wouldn't be surprised at all if she goes into education one day.

 Heidi loved pretending to be a student and wanted me to tell he things to write on her board.

 Savanna was more interested in climbing up the window and trying to get out...she may not take the educator route ;).

 Playing kitchen at the giant tea pot table in the Great Britain room.

 Putting on a play in the Germany room.

 Heidi for president.

Of course Heidi was thrilled with the doctor area and couldn't believe her luck they had a real x-ray station.  We all had a fun time and are glad we decided to stop!

on the mend

Heidi attempting to save Savanna from bedtime
so they could continue playing legos together.

 The last week and a half or so have not been very delightful in our house.  Heidi got sick right before Halloween.  We thought she had strep, she refused the test (as in kicking the nurse and screaming at the top of her lungs.)  The doctor said her throat looked really bad and had a fever so she was going to give her an antibiotic that would clear it up if it was strep.  Heidi is a very difficult sick patient because we never really know how sick she is because she tends to be a bit on the dramatic side.  She was still complaining about her throat and then right after Halloween she was up all night with a horribly stuffy nose.  I figured she didn't even have strep since a stuffy nose is usually not a symptom.  Anyway, she went from a nasty nose to a horrible cough and still a fever.  Her antibiotic was a 5 day thing and after that was over, she still had a fever.  Finally on day 6 of a fever I took her in again.  They gave her the antibiotic shot because I guess the one they gave her before was for respiratory or something.  Either way, it cleared it out but the cough is still hanging on.  Well, a day later Savanna got it and of course had a horrible nose and her fever wouldn't break either.  The doctor put her on antibiotic and the fever finally broke but now we are dealing with horrific diaper rash and still wiping her nose a lot.  The worst thing that happened was that Caimbree got it.  It was horrible to see a baby so small with a fever.  Her poor little eyes were just dripping and she just looked sick and sad. When her fever hit 101 I took her to Urgent Care after Jeff got home.  She had a horrible ear infection.  Thankfully they gave her the shot, which as such a blessing because I couldn't even get her to figure out how to swallow Tylenol.  It kicked in pretty quickly and she seems back to her happy self except for an occasional nose wipe.  It was a really hard time for me...seeing my poor babies sick, feeling helpless, and then of course, next to no sleep.  However, all I kept thinking was we are so blessed to have the Urgent Care in our town.  My life was ten times harder before it came.  I am so blessed they gave Caimbree a shot and that it worked to get rid of her fever.  We are so blessed she healed so quickly and didn't end up with anything worse.  I am so blessed that with all the snot I have been wiping, and for as many times as I have been hacked on and sneezed on, I through some miracle did not get sick (knock on wood). Jeff didn't fare quite so well, but at least his was a mild cold, not anything like what the girl's had.  It was a difficult week and a half, but we are over the worst of it and for that, I am feeling very, very happy!

savanna at two

 I still can't believe we have had Savanna for two years!

Height: 32 inches--10%

Weight: 22 lbs--5%

Savanna has to be one of the funniest little two year olds around.  We love her happy, independent, loving, hilarious personality so much.  She brings so much laughter and joy to our home and I cannot imagine not having her in our family.  

*Savanna is the biggest tease I have ever met.  She is always looking to do just about anything to get a laugh.

*If you tell Savanna not to do something, it's a guarantee she will do it.  If you tell her something is hot, she will touch it just to see for herself.  

*We love her growly giggle.

*She will say the opposite of whatever you say.  "Savanna, it's hot."  To which she will reply, "Cold."  

*She loves to say things to get a reaction out of you.  "Savanna, who has a birthday today?"  "Grandpa."  "How old are you today?"  "Grandpa."  After she responds like this, she will get a grin and a twinkle in her eye.

*She makes the funniest faces, especially when she's surprised or cold.

*Savanna usually communicates with one word, but she is so expressive with her body and face.  It is so funny when she is trying to tell you something or remind you about something.  

*Savanna's speech is getting a lot better.  She will say just about anything and she is finally starting to put the ending sounds on words.  She still isn't combining words yet.

*Absolutely LOVES to be read to!  HOORAY! We read a lot these days.  She has books that she can't get enough of.  Her favorites include Peek-a-who, Old Hat, New Hat, Silly Sally, Five Little Monkeys, Curious George, and Fancy Nancy.

*Loves to color.

*Appears to at least write with her left hand, not sure if she will do everything with her left hand, or be ambidextrous like me.

*Knows her colors.

*Starting to show a little interest in letters, but I haven't been able to really get her to recognize any consistently.

*Does every single thing Heidi does and is very, very rarely without Heidi.

*Her eyes are still blue, but I have a feeling they might turn green in the next few years.

*Her hair is almost down to her mid-back, but it curls up so much when it dries, you would never know.  I don't know if she will keep her cute curls, but she has some pretty tight little ringlets.

*Loves to spin around and get dizzy.

*Love to dance, especially when we turn on the "It's Showtime!" music.

*Loves to be thrown in the air and play wild with her daddy.

*Loves to climb on furniture, counters, chairs, people, pretty much anything anything and everything.

*If you ask her what her name is, she generally says, "Heidi." 

*Super excitable.

*Great eater...except for vegetables.  I try to sneak them in bites, but she always finds the hidden item and quickly spits it out.

*Always the first one to notice if someone is sad and rushes to try to make them feel better.

*Every time she walks past me or Jeff she swats our butt then runs off laughing.  

*When we go for walks, she wants to walk.  She runs off in front of us then stops and bends over peeking at us through her legs.  When we catch up she starts laughing and takes off to do it again.  She isn't crazy about being put in the stroller or wagon.

*Loves to be outside.

*Goes to bed around 7:30 and is up about 6.  She takes about a 2-2.5 hour nap at 12:30/1.

*Sleeps horribly if we aren't at home.
*Noisy sleeper.
*Hopelessly addicted to her binky. She gets it to sleep and gets it when we put her in the tub and for bedtime routine.  She hides them and I have to take one during the day from time to time.
*Tries to have Heidi rescue her when it's nap or bed time.
*Has been known to wake Caimbree up.
*Constantly trying to get in Caimbree's swing and bouncy seat...really just tries to push every limit.  She just can't help herself it seems.
 *Likes to play legos.
*Likes to empty things and fill them back up.
*Major sweet tooth.
*Calls her sunglasses "goggles".
*Makes it very difficult to get a picture of her.
*Always wants to talk on my phone but never says anything and typically just hangs up and then starts crying that no one is talking to her.
*Loves her blanket and carries it around the house.
*Terrified of spiders, flies, and thunder.
*Just fine without me as long as Heidi is with her. Actually, I think it's Heidi she is actually crying for if Heidi and I have to go somewhere.
*When Heidi goes to preschool, she cries for Heidi the entire two hours.
*Very independent.
*Puts shoes on and off all day long.
*When she wakes up in the morning or after a nap, she is usually really happy and prefers to have some time to just play in her bed for awhile before I get her.
*Plugs her ears when Caimbree cries.

Wearing her goggles while eating a piece of toast one morning.  

We love our happy Savanna!

We love watching her grow and

explore the world.

We can't wait to see what the

next year will bring!