Train Museum

We only get a quick fall break from school--a four day weekend. I asked the kids what they wanted to do and Greyden begged to have a lazy, movie-watching day. So we spent Thursday at home watching movies, playing on the iPad, eating snacks and doing all the things I never let them do. On Friday, my mom treated us to a fun day at the train museum. It was a perfect fall day and wonderful to be outside.

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Vanessa is 6 months old! She truly is our little angel baby. She brightens up our whole world. This has been the fastest six months because she is such a gem. Don't get me wrong... having a baby is exhausting and I am barely hanging on most days. But she eases the burden with her grin that lights up the room and her sweetness. She is just a special little spirit that Heavenly Father sent to us.

Look at this face!

She LOVES being around people whether it is me or the other kids. I notice the days that Grey & Elise are both in school all day, she gets kind of cranky and bored. She really likes observing all the commotion. Plus they adore her and love to hold her and play with her. She is spoiled rotten by all of us. She still sleeps in our room because she is so quiet and only wakes up once (sometimes not at all). And knowing she is our last, I am savoring it and really enjoying the snuggles--although I don't bring her into bed until 5 or 6 am.

She is rolling really well onto her stomach and can roll back onto her back but doesn't realize it. So she will get stuck there and get mad. It has been going on a little too long.... She just started sitting up barely. I don't trust leaving her there but she is really strong. She loves to suck on her thumb. It really is precious--although sometimes she forgets about it and gets so mad. She will start sucking on it when she is tired or hungry. She also puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. She will suck on your shirt, your toes or anything she can find. If I bring her into the bathroom while I shower, I often find her rolled over and sucking on the tag of our bath mat (yuck). She wakes up smiling and cooing!

She has been a fantastic sleeper since day 1 and we are so grateful for that. I really don't think I would have survived it if it weren't for that. Four kids is a lot.

She is strong and healthy! Dr office stats: 26.5 in long (79%) and 15 lb 9 oz (43%) with head size 16.5 (35%).

I started her on food. First foods: Oatmeal, Peas, Butternut Squash. So far so good! She is messy but loves eating.

Vanessa is truly a gift in our home. So lucky to have her in our family.

FUN RUN

The kids' elementary school does a fun run where they block off the street between our school and another school nearby. We wait for the other school kids to run to ours, then yell some chants, run back to their school all together, yell some more chants, then we run back to our school. It is really cute and fun. I wasn't able to go last year because I was teaching a class. So I was thrilled that I could do it this year with them. It is such a great school.

Elise with the two kindergarten classes

 Grey & Elise before the race--he did not want me to take a picture obviously

 Cole & Elise holding hands running & melting my heart

No fun event is complete without the following: Cole having a meltdown on the way to the car and all the way home 

Updated Pictures

I packed up all the kids by myself one evening to take pictures for updated pics as well as for Grey's baptism pictures. Let's just say we bought a couple dozen Krispy Kreme donuts afterwards and I ate most of them--it was slightly crazy wrangling them.

Exhibit A:

 Elise kept trying to "pose." Where does she get her poses from?

 Cole's awesome smile! It does make me smile too.

 Naughty boy...

They are still pretty cute though...

I also just got back their fall school pictures. Why do school pictures make them look SO much older?

Elise - Kindergarten

Greyden: 2nd grade

 And Grey's fall football pic

Fall Mountain Escape

We played hooky from school and work once afternoon to catch some leaves up at Kenosha Pass. We packed a picnic lunch, picked up the kids from school and drove up the winding road. It was absolutely perfect. The leaves were absolutely unreal and the weather was perfect. Jared & I kept asking ourselves why we don't do that more often (play hooky!). We felt so relaxed and all it took was a few hours. This will definitely be a yearly tradition.

I apologize in advance for the picture overload. It was too gorgeous.

This boy of mine

I am in the middle of potty training him which is going well except for his stubborn personality. He likes to cry and tell me no every time I ask him to sit on the potty. He definitely knows what he is doing but I can tell he likes to be difficult. I am trying to figure out ways to trick him so he thinks it is up to him. Also he is fighting his naps which is fine by me if he gives it up. But he will sit in his room and fall asleep super late in the day somewhere and then won't wake up no matter how hard I try. Which in turn makes him stay up until 10 or 11 at night when I just want to sleep!!! Man I love this boy--but these past few days have put me a little on edge! 

Labor Day Hike

We spent Labor Day weekend up in the mountains and went on one of my favorite (kid friendly) hikes up there. It is the Mayflower Gulch hike. You hike straight up a jeep trail and end up in an incredible vista with old log houses. It is stunning. And my kids were rock stars. Cole hiked almost the entire time (a quick piggy back on the way down). And Vanessa slept on Jared on the way up, woke up at the top and slept the whole way down. It started raining and thundering right as we were getting to the bottom. We escaped a storm right in time as we jumped in the car while the clouds let loose! Hiking is one of my favorite family activities. Its FREE and we get to be active and be out in beautiful nature. Nothing better than that...