Memorial Day Weekend

Last Wednesday Bill & I decided that we needed a family get away. We do most of our traveling to visit our family & thought it would be fun to do our own family vacation- we needed some quality, uninterrupted, time together. After all, we are a family of 5 now. Wow!!! We considered a few options & settled for the ever-lovely & oh-so-popular-destination of St. George, UT. We found a SPECTACULAR deal on a room there (thanks Amy), packed up & left on Friday afternoon- we enjoy spontaneity!

SATURDAY:
-Enjoyed a lazy morning, playing games & relaxing
-Spent 4 hours at the Washington Community Center pool; where we ran into my old roomie & friend Brooke, and got to visit with my aunt & cousins!

{This is how Brooklyn spent her time @ the pool- either in her seat or in my arms. I LOVE the picture above- she's so darn cute! I love her tiny features... especially those little hands!}

-Had dinner at Outback. Our first experience juggling 3 children between 2 parents, not bad for a first time.
-Watched "Benji off the Leash" in our PJ's. Don't rush out to rent it, even for $1.

SUNDAY:
-Another morning of sleeping in, we barely made it to 11 o'clock church.
-Spent some time in the visitors center at the temple.

{Notice my hand on Brooklyn's blanket. I quickly pulled it off as the photographer said 3 & then pulled it right back up.}

-Went on a L-O-N-G walk to the tabernacle & Brigham Young's summer home.

{As modern as they may seem, the colors are original.}

-Made BBQ chicken pizza (our own Pizza Factory).
-Watched 4 Scooby Doo episodes in our PJ's.

MONDAY:
-Went hiking at Zions. We did 2 beautiful hikes & ran into some Vegas friends. I forgot how incredibly serene & beautiful Zions is!! I love the red rock contrasted with the blue sky & the occasional patches of green- my idea of heaven... if only there was a large body of water thrown in there....

{Despite the beauty around us, our girls were far more interested in what was on the ground. At least half of our hiking time was spent enjoying the dirt.}

{Hike 1: Destination- Lower Emerald Pools. Doesn't that water resemble an emerald?}

{Hike 2: Destination: Weeping Rock, or Crying Rock as our girls call it.}

It was a wonderful, relaxing, rejuvenating, memory-filled weekend!

Parties

Yesterday was a day of parties. Madisen finished her first year of preschool. Miss Katherine had a party at a new park where they played fun water games & enjoyed pizza- the perfect ending to the perfect year! I can't believe that the school year is already over... where did the time go? Madisen has LOVED preschool! She is eager to learn new things & is even trying to read words.

Our ward had a nursery party yesterday. In the morning I asked Caitlyn if she wanted to stay at the park for Madisen's school party or if she wanted to go to the church to a nursery party. Her face lit up when she said, "I get to go to my own party?!" I think she repeated the phrase "My own party" at least a dozen times yesterday. She was delighted to attend an event that was planned for her.

When we arrived she was a bit timid & wanted to sing all the songs from the comfort of my lap. I didn't mind one bit! After some songs & stories the kiddos got to color on these huge papers. Caitlyn shared with her good friend McKinley. Sadly the delay on my camera didn't allow me to capture the perfect moment where they both had their feet crossed as they were concentrating on their art work.
After coloring & eating a snack, they opened the other half of the gym where there were a bunch of large toys & a few games. It was such a wonderful hour!! Thanks primary leaders for a FUN morning!

Sisters

These girls just can't get enough of their little sister! They always want to hold, kiss, look at, babysit, and help Brooklyn.

A Package & Ice Cream

Last week we received a SURPRISE package from a dear, far away friend. She crocheted this adorable sweater for Brooklyn & some matching hair bows for the all 3 girls! Isn't she amazingly talented!! The sweater fits perfectly & she (the creator) lives in Missouri-impressive!

And here they are, my little neopolatin girls: Chocolate, Strawberry, & Vanilla.

*Yesterday someone asked me if Brooklyn is strawberry blonde like Madisen. Madisen overheard & quickly answered, "No, she's chocolate & Caitlyn is vanilla."

A BIG Change

Bill & I have been unsettled with our baby's name since we brought her home. We both LOVE the name Paige, but haven't felt like it fit our little girl. It has taken us 3 WEEKS to decide to officially change it. (Yes, we are 2 of the most indecisive people you will ever meet!) After much deliberation we have decided to name her; drum-roll please..........

Brooklyn Paige

A few things about Brooklyn- 3 weeks old;
*Yes, she will have a middle name even though our other 2 do not. We just can't drop her 'original' name
*She is still a dream baby- sleeping most of the day away
*She is NOT a big fan of the car
*The binky is not a necessity to her (yet). She falls asleep with just a little bit of gentle bouncing or laying in her bed as long as she is swaddled.
*Brooklyn likes her tummy time- especially if she has a sister near to entertain her
*Last Friday she weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz.- she's already gained a full pound since she was released from the hospital

*****We have another friend who changed her daughter's name after she brought her home from the hospital..... Her 'original' name was also Paige. This was a few years ago... but what are the odds?

A surprise visit

As Grandma & Grandpa Carruth were getting ready to leave on Saturday morning, Madisen turned to me and asked, "When is Tiffany coming?" I told her that Tiff (my sister) would be coming when we have the baby blessing in a few weeks. Madisen's response was, "Oh, so she's coming on Monday."

Little did we know that Tiffany, Ryan & Caden WERE going to show up on Monday. They were spending a few days in Mesquite & decided to come visit for the afternoon. Lucky us! The girls have been asking for Caden since we last visited Utah in April.

The kids enjoyed swimming in our back yard pool while the adults chatted in the shade. Caitlyn was in a silly mood; dipping her head in the pool, but not her body, and wearing those oh-so-important-goggles.After dinner we gave Caden a turn on the swing & the girls insisted that he wanted to hold baby Paige. He sure was sweet to her! After Madisen did Aunt Tiffy's hair in her beauty shop, we had FHE & sent them on their way.
Thanks for coming!!

Our 2nd week home...

The 2nd week was just as exciting as our first week home. We had the other set of grandparents come spend a few days with us. Grandma came for the week & grandpa came for 3 days. It was such a treat to see & spend time with them! They took the girls to the park a couple of times, got ice cream cones one day, swam in our backyard pool, swam in the big pool- where grandpa got quite a workout, had a BBQ, watched X-Men, went to a baking class, grandma helped with laundry & other chores while mom got to take a nap every day!

The last night they were here, we received a big box of surprises from Aunt Christy & Uncle Bob. They sent gifts for everyone! The girls were delighted to show off their dance moves wearing the tutus that Christy made for them. They even had grandpa playing the piano so they had some music. I'm telling you that "How Firm A Foundation" makes for some great ballet moves!
Somehow we managed to take very few pictures last week, but we made sure to get one of the grandparents with the girls before they left.

An Adoring Sister

These pictures are worth a 1,000 words!

Mother's Day

What a perfect & relaxing day! Bill & the girls brought me breakfast in bed, showered me with a few things the girls picked out (fingernail polish, lip gloss & lotion), and we enjoyed a hurry-free morning. Madisen asked me to come to church to hear her sing in Sacrament meeting so I thought it was a great chance to get a picture of all the girls dressed in our Sunday best. I enjoyed an afternoon nap while they stayed at church & then we had a delicious ham dinner prepared by Bill- served on china for the special occasion.

I love these three little blessings! They make me grateful each day for the opportunity I have to be their mother! I love how unique & special they are. I have much room for improvement, but I appreciate their forgiveness of my shortcomings.

I was reading a book given to me by my wonderful, Christ-like, self-sacrificing, patient & kind mother, and wanted to share a quote that I love. I think it will be my new motto: Sometimes the best thing I can do as a mother is to remember what it was like to be a child.

{This was my favorite picture because it captures all 3 of their personalities; sweet, sleepy, & spunky.}

It's already been a week

Our sweet Paige has been in our home for 1 week & 1 day now. I can't believe how time flies!! She is definitely my easiest baby so far. I know she's still in that sleepy newborn phase, but she truly is a dream. She takes long naps, only cries if she's hungry or wants to be cuddled to sleep. She even tolerates all of the love that her sisters are showering her with. Last night she slept from 11 p.m. to 7:15 a.m. That's right.... she went 8 hours! I could NOT believe it!! I'm hoping for something similar tonight, but I'm not holding my breath.
We were lucky enough to have my mom spend 10 days with us! She was here with the girls while I was in the hospital & then left today. My sister got to come for 2 days & my dad flew in for 24 hours. I love my family & appreciate their excitement & support for the addition to our family! I was able to lay low & know that the girls were in good hands.






Here's what we got to enjoy this week:
*The girls had a few picnics at the park with grandma
*Cupcakes for FHE- love frosting them warm
*Grandma treated us to frozen yogurt
*Swimming!
*Mom got to read a whole book (Austenland by Shannon Hale)
*A birthday party for grandma
*The girls had a sleepover at the hotel when grandpa came
*And he brought these beautiful roses for mom
****The highlight of my week was being able to attend a Mother's Day lunch at Madisen's preschool. It was such a treat to watch her in her school element. She was so polite in guiding me to my seat & serving me lunch. After lunch we enjoyed a little program where the girls sang 3 songs & recited a poem. I feel lucky to be Madisen's mom! She is always thinking of others, she has the most adorable smile, is smart, friendly, and happy.

{Here is Madisen with her other red-headed friend Madison}

{The song performances were priceless!}

{Madisen's picture for the poem & the little book is a gift she gave me. Each page is filled with a kiss from her for me to redeem!}

{Halle, Mia, Madison H., Anna
Caroline, Amelia, Ashley, Madisen C.}
(I just love how they are all POSING for the camera!)

{plus Miss Katherine}

Finally, summer has officially begun! It's been in the 90's all week & we finally broke down and turned on the AC. Madisen enjoyed a little water fun in the backyard, even if it was short lived.

Home Improvements

About a month before Paige was born I decided it was time to make our home more 'user friendly'. I think they call that nesting. It was at this same time that we acquired some furniture from Bill's grandparents. Therefore, it took us a l-o-n-g time to get organized & it feels like we rearranged every room, closet, and drawer in the house! Here is the new look of our home.

*The girls now share a room & we turned the yellow room into a play room. They are LOVING the swing we got from Ikea- just like cousin Matthew & Connor's!
*I'm going to hang this picture in their closet in an effort to have them clean up after themselves.
*I love our new computer desk because it makes our kitchen feel more open & less cluttered. And the girls love having their own table for meals or crafts. (Plus we got rid of the food storage garbage can since we now have an entire closet dedicated to food storage.)
*The entry way is more inviting & it's just prettier!
*OK this area isn't quite done. I think we're going to hang a LARGE clock to the left of the huge picture and we're also going to add a small end table with a lamp between the chair & piano.
*I am enjoying the simpler look of the pillows & the taller end table.
*Bill completed a few major projects this week while I was down & being taken care of by my mom. He painted the wall behind the hutch. It ties in the drapes & painting so well! Plus the hutch stands out better. Ooooh & we are loving the table. We were especially pleased to find that we could fit 8 people at it without a leaf!
*Bill's other project of the week was the stone he added to the exterior- courtesy of the Bailey's. It's nice to have a little more character on our cookie cutter house! (And the not-so-aesthetically-pleasing flower garden that is now full of huge rocks. A cat had turned it into a litter box. It was really bothering Bill so he added the boulders hoping to deter it. So far so good.)
And there you have it.... most of our new look. The 2 bedrooms are still a work in progress, but hopefully they get completed this week.