Mothers day/Brinleys Graduation

Here are a few pictures of what we have been up too the past couple months.

8 months prego! Feeling very ready!

 Mothers Day morning breakfast. Greg always does such a good job making this a special day for me! I woke up to a yummy french toast breakfast. On the table when I came down, there was beautiful flowers and three sweet cards from Julianne, Brinley and Greg. The girls had also gone to the dollar store the night before and picked me out some gifts. Brinley gave me a staue of a dolphin and Julianne gave me a candle. So sweet!

 Getting excited to become a mother of three very soon!

 My dear friends that live by me gave me a shower to help welcome out first baby boy! It was so sweet of them!

 Some of the people there: Tiffany, Diana, April, Cynthia, Marie of course taking the picture!

 This was such a proud day for me and Greg! Brinley graduating pre school! She was so cute as she walked into the room, waving her little hand with a very shy look on her face. (I don't get to see that side of her too often.)

 Brinley up on the stage singing. Sitting by her best friend at school, Elenore.

 Brinley in her classroom with her friends

 Brinley and Julianne

 All of us together.

 So happy for my little graduate! Can't believe how big she is getting! LOVE HER!

 First swim of the season with our good friends the Lee's

Welcome Summer 2013!

Julianne's 3rd Birthday!

Our sweet Julianne turned three a few weeks ago. She has been SO excited for her birthday since Brinley's back in March. Whenever we go to a store or any place with something she wants she always says "I can have that for my birthday Mom."

I decided to give her a little friend party. She was so cute about it and was so thrilled to have everyone come!

Right before her party!

Eating outside!

 More friends on the wall!

 Opening presents.

 After the party we went to a Mexican restaurant. When we got home, while we were getting jammies on, we heard some quacking outside. The girls looked out and saw two ducks in our front yard and had to go play with them!

 Then it was time for presents!

 She got a bunch of clothes, some movies, and this princess hair kit. She LOVES it!

 I get my hair done at least 5 times a day!

We are so in LOVE with this little sweetheart!

Some fun things that Julianne is doing right now.

She loves to play outside with her friends! Lucky for her there is always someone to play with.

She says the funniest things! Most of it doesn't make any sense at all! The other day she came up to me so seriously and said "Mom, when I was seven I was two." Okay....

One time she came up to me and gave me a great big hug for no reason at all and said "Thank you for all of your help." I have no idea where she comes up with this stuff. 

She LOVES to dance and play dress up! She is in a dress 90% of the day and wearing high heels. She loves pretending she is a princess and all the time comes up to me and says "Mom will you marry me" that means  "dance with me" to her. 

She is a good sister. If ever we have to discipline Brinley, (which is rare ;) ha ha,) she will get so mad at Greg and I and say "Don't be mean to my SISTER." or "Mom no she dosen't have to go to time out!!" It's pretty funny. 

On the way to my brothers house a few weeks ago, we showed the girls "Freaky Friday" the newer one. Well, it is now Julianne's favorite show and she wants to watch it 3 times a day! 

Last but not least, she really is the sweetest thing in the world! For the most part she is so easy going and I can take her ANYWHERE and not worry about her not obeying! She just is an angel and we LOVE having her in our home! Happy Birthday Julianne!

Nauvoo

We took a nice little weekend trip to the historical church sites of Nauvoo. It was a lot of fun and the girls liked it too. We did as many tours as could in the short time we were there. Here are some pictures of the highlights.

The girls and I with a rope that we made.

Taking a carriage ride in the woods.

 The girls and Greg petting the horses "Bill and Bob" after the ride

 Of  course the highlight of the trip for Brinley, and what she talks about the most, is this little bunny she found on the side of a trail. If you look really close you can see it the bush behind them.

 The beautiful temple

 Statue of Joseph Smith and Hyrum.

 We just had to get a picture of this Bull that Brinley saw.

 At the brickyard tour.

 Joseph Smith Mansion

 Carthage Jail

 I loved Nauvoo! I told Greg that when we're older I wouldn't mind serving a mission there. He was all for it until he found out that all the senior couples have to perform in a play that they put on for the visitors. I guess I still have some time to convince him that it wouldn't be so bad!

A Glorious Weekend!

Magical things can happen when grandparents come to visit.
When my parents came a few weeks ago I was awoken to the sound of a glass falling to our tile floor ( thankfully not breaking) one morning. I looked at the clock and it was unusually early for the kids to be awake. So Greg and I went downstairs, only to find that Brinley was up and dressed, trying to unload the dishwasher all by herself. When I asked her "what are you doing up so early?" she responded "I wanted to surprise you with all of my chores being done before you woke up." I went up stairs and sure enough her bed was made and the room was clean.
The next morning I woke up to Julianne crying and whining. When I went to check on her she was being dragged out of her bed still sound asleep towards the hall because Brinley wanted to make both her bed and Julianne's bed before any of us woke up. I guess Julianne still sleeping was cramping her plans.
What triggered this sudden burst of obedience? Grandma and Grandpa were downstairs and she wanted to impress them.

Last week Greg's parents came to town, again more magic!
I have been trying with all my heart to get Julianne interested in potty training. It's one of the major "to do's" on my list before the baby comes. Well, back in January I decided to give it a go cold turkey and took away all diapers and only had her wear big girls. I told myself I was just going to "see how it went" for three days. To make a long story short in the middle of the third day, after not ONE successful potty in the toilet, laundry piled high, and my carpet being covered in carpet cleaner. I brought back out the diapers, convinced Julianne  would be the first person ever, never to become potty trained. She just wanted NOTHING to do with it.

Well, the first morning Grandma Carole was here I was getting ready in the bathroom and Julianne came in with her diaper in hand, from the night before, and said "I'm NEVER wearing these again!!" and threw the diaper in the garbage. I thought oh yeah we will just see about that.
Grandma put big girl panties on her and she didn't have one accident the whole day!
(As far as an update goes, she's had a few accidents since then and we are still working on her going #2, but for the most part is still doing wonderful and waking up dry every morning!)

Brinley, for the past month, was asking to have her training wheels taken off her bike. Well, after only a day of Papa being her teacher, she was riding a two wheeler with ease! Now she rides her bike everywhere! She loves it and it was so fun to see her do it all by herself for the first time! I was amazed!

                                     

These crazy girls!