Keelie's birthday

Today is Keelie's 4th birthday! We had her party on Saturday with about 13 little 3 and 4 year olds. There were alot of kids but it was so fun. We borrowed my grandparents bounce house and figured thats what they would do most of the time. We did try to play a few games but their attention spans are too short and they would just run back to the bounce house. But I was fine with that, less for me to do! Then today, her birthday, we went to the gym (which btw she asks to go there everyday, she likes it there, so I didn't feel bad getting in a workout before we did anything else). Then we took her cousin Kate with us to mall to play and go to the puppy store. Now we are back at home and while Hadlie is napping I am going to paint her nails and give her some extra attention. Then tonight we'll probably get Barro's for dinner (her favorite), and then all her grandparents are coming over for cake and ice cream!

Opening presents


the group eating cupcakes

blowing out candles

jumping so high in the bounce house

I hope Keelie has a great birthday. She is such a sweet, sweet girl. Seriously. Most people don't get to see her sweet, fun personality because she is so shy. But she has such a good sense of humor and loves to have fun. She is still scared of everything, the vacuum, animals, adults, etc. But I think she is getting braver. Instead of running out the room screaming and crying when I vacuum, she just goes to her room until i'm done. Keelie is also super smart. She has always loved learning, which she gets from Joe, not me. She has amazed me by starting to read at the age of three and has such a good memory. She is my little cuddle bug and we cuddle on the couch every night before she goes to bed. I wish she would just stop growing up already!

My sweet girls

So Hadlie hasn't been feeling very well the last few days. Which means she wants to be held alot. Its hard to get stuff done while holding her so I asked to Keelie to hold her for me a few times. She is so sweet and willing to hold Hadlie whenever I ask. Keelie is such a good big sister. How sweet are they!

Speaking of Hadlie, I have been meaning to do an 18 month update on her. She started nursery (woo hoo!). She cries when we drop her off, but is fine soon after that. I don't think that will last long. She will be begging to go in a few weeks. I have been sitting here for a few minutes thinking of how to describe Hadlie's personality. Its hard. She can be the sweetest, funnest little girl ever, but she is also the most stubborn little stinker. She absolutely adores Keelie and copies everything she does. Then the next minute she is clawing her and ripping her hair out. I think Keelie said it best when she said (about Hadlie), she wants what she wants! And she does! And if she doesn't get it she will let you know, loudly! Hadlie is also very smart. She talks pretty well and is starting to say phrases. She is obsessed with puzzles. I don't know what it is with my girls and puzzles but they both love them. Keelie started doing puzzles at an early age too.

Here are Hadlies stats

weight- 24lbs 50%

height- 33 in. 75%

head- 18 1/2 75%

Keelie's dance recital

Keelie had her very first dance recital on Saturday. It was so stinkin cute! I didn't know if she would actually do it cuz she is so shy, but she did! Her movements were very small but I could tell she knew what to do. She loves dance and her teacher Miss Beverly. She also loves that her cousin Kate is in her class and she has made many more friends. I am so proud of Keelie!

Kate and Keelie (grandma Nedra brought them both flowers, they loved it!)

This is the best picture I got of the performance. Keelie is right in the middle. They are mermaids.

Thanksgiving

The Zollingers made the long drive from Texas for Thanksgiving this year. We had lots of fun going to the zoo, shopping, and playing with all the cousins. Keelie followed her cousin Bryce around the whole time laughing at everything he said. I'm sure he loved that. And little Aubree loved Hadlie. She tried to hold her and gave her about a thousand kisses.
My mom had all the grandkids sleep over on Thanksgiving. She gave them their Christmas jammies a little early so they could all wear them. So cute!

Keelie's jammies came with matching ones for her doll.

Pics from the zoo

Keelie was too scared to ride on the carousel so I talked her into just sitting on the bench

We had so much fun and are sad the Zollingers couldn't stay longer. Can't wait to see them next summer!

halloween

My girls had a blast this Halloween. And I had a blast knowing my girls were having a blast. I am mad at myself for not taking more pictures. I didn't even have my camera with me when we were trick or treating. Keelie and Kate were so cute holding hands and calling eachother tinkerbell and Annalise. I wish I would have gotten a picture of it. Then there was Hadlie who tried her hardest to keep up with the girls. We would carry her in between houses then she would run up to the door. We tried to hold her pumpkin for her so she could go faster but she had a death grip on the thing and wouldn't let anyone touch it. The girls had fun and got way to much candy and I can't stop eating it!

Cute girls!

More cousins. Notice Keelie isn't in the picture. She was too scared of her cousin Ty, the one in the black costume (i don't know exactly what he is).

Hadlie zonked out on the way home.

Pretty princesses

There was a huge baby boom in our ward around the time Hadlie was born. 9 babies, in fact. Hadlie was the first, born in May, and the youngest was born in September, I think. We all get together for lunch every couple months and let them play. 2 of them have moved but still come to play. This is a picture of 8 of them oldest to youngest. They were all in their halloween costumes but this was taken at the end before we left. Hads got food all over hers so that is why she is naked. Good luck to their future primary teachers!

Pumpkin patch

We went with my family to the pumpkin patch at Dewitt farms on Saturday. I didn't even know it existed until my mom told us about it. It is down in Lehi off of Gilbert road. The kids all had fun. I think the adults would have had more fun if it wasn't so hot and dusty!

Kendal and Keelie. They had like six of these in a row pulled by a small tractor. I think this was Keelies favorite thing there.

Keelie wouldn't go on the pony rides b/c she is scared of everything, but I talked her into just sitting on this pony for a picture, and she could wear the pink cowgirl hat. She freaked out when the pony lifted its head up.

Cute

Keelie, Hadlie, Carver and Kendal. We took a hay ride down to the pumpkins and let them pick a small $2 pumpkin. I am too cheap to get one of the big ones.

California

We haven't been on a real vacation in years and this year we were able to go on two! Texas in July and then we just got back from California for October Break. Joes sister Dyan and her husband Ryan signed up to listen to a time share thing and got a smokin' deal on a resort in Newport Beach. So their family of 5, our family of 4, and Joes other sister Karrie and her family of 5 (minus Jeremy), all stayed in a 2 bedroom suite together. It was super nice, it had a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, 2 bathrooms, and much more. All we did was go to the beach for 4 days, but it was heaven.

Keelie and Hadlie. It was impossible to get both of them smiling at the same time

the girls-Keelie, Abby, Kate, Annie, Hads, Hannah

All the kids-Jake, Jack, Hannah, Rocko, Abby, Annie, Kate, Keelie, Hads

Keelie buried in the sand

Joe boogie boarding

tough guys

This hole kept Hadlie contained for awhile. She eventually figured how to get out.

Annie, Kate and Keelie digging in the sand

The whole gang

My poor baby

Yesterday the girls were jumping on my bed and Hadlie fell and hit her face on the footboard of our bed. She has a pretty good gash right next to her eye. This was about a half hour after it happened. Joe ran to the store and bought some super glue and we closed it up! I didn't get a picture of it today but it is alot more bruised and swollen. Poor baby girl! Its times like these that we wished the Platts still lived here so we could have taken her to Jeremy and he could have patched her up for us.

Speaking of the Platts, we made a last minute trip up to Prescott Valley on Saturday to visit Joes sister Karrie and her family that just moved up there a few weeks ago. This picture is at Watson Lake. It was fun but we had to stand in the water or else the ants would attack us. There were seriously like a million ants.

A few weeks ago we drove up Tonto Natural Bridge with the Grovers, a family in our ward. We didn't take a ton of pictures because we were just there not to long ago with my sisters family. But this time Joe and Travis took Keelie and Carson farther back under the bridge. This is a cute picture of Keelie and Carson.

Keelie started dance class a few weeks ago. She seems to love it except she won't ever show me anything she learns. She also loves that her cousin Kate is in her class! How cute is she in her leotard and tights!

Reading

This is mostly for my records, but I also wanted to brag about my Keelie Jo a little bit. I try not to brag about my girls to much on here (cuz I know its annoying) unless its their birthday or a special occasion. I think this counts as a special occasion. And if you can't brag about your kids on your own blog, where can you, right? But anyways, I just wanted to have it recorded that Keelie has started to read and she is only 3 years old! She has known her letters and their sounds for awhile now, and can write most of them. The other day she started sounding out the word TAN (there is a tanning salon next to my gym). So the last few days I have been working with her on other 3 letter words, and she is doing so well. She has always surprised me with how fast she catches on to things. And lucky for her she is so smart cuz I am not the best teacher!
This is just a list of the words we were working on yesterday

Texas

We just got back from a super fun trip to Frisco, Texas to visit my sister Stephanie and her family. We did tons of fun stuff, but I will just do a quick summary or this could get really long.
We got there Sat. evening., then went to church Sunday morning.
Monday we went to a childrens museum in Dallas that the kids loved. Then me and Joe and my brother Nate went to the JFK 6th Floor Museum just a few miles away.
Tuesday morning I got to go to my sisters cycle class that she teaches at the gym and got an awesome workout. Then we went swimming at the Frisco Athletic Center. It has a fun kids area, a lazy river, slides, etc.
Wednesday we drove into Oklahoma and went to the wild animal park. It was awesome, you drive your car through and the animals come up to your windows and you can feed them.
Thursday I got to go to my sisters class again, then we took the kids to the dollar movies and saw Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. That afternoon we took the older kids to the beach area at Lewisville Lake. We had fun swimming and building sandcastles.
Friday morning I was able to run to Sam Moon and get myself a new purse/diaperbag before we left on our long drive home.
At the museum

Joe sitting on the grassy knoll outside the JFK museum

There were x's on the road where JFK was shot and Joe stood on it and took a picture of the window from where the shot came.

I snapped one quick picture at the pool before we left.
Keelie, Maci, and Bryce

At the beach

The wild animal park.

the ugliest animal i've ever seen

the ostriches were so pesky. we couldn't get rid of them

for some reason the giraffes were behind the fence. good thing they have long necks!

I think this is the only family shot we got the whole time.

Summer so far

We have had the best summer so far. And we haven't really even gone on vacation yet. We just pretty much relax and go swimming everyday. I'm lucky because Joe is just teaching the morning session of summer school, so I have him home early every afternoon.
Kendal had her birthday party on the 4th of July. It was a princess party so Keelie got to wear her Cinderella dress. They decorated crowns and instead of pin the tail on the donkey they put lipstick on and had to kiss a frog. Keelie insisted on putting the lipstick on herself.



They made a huge slip n slide with a tarp that pretty much covered the whole backyard. These pictures aren't the best but they show the slip n slide pretty good.

This is Hadlie flying across the slide.

These are just some random pictures i've taken lately. We were in the car and Hads couldn't find her pacifier so she improvised by sucking on her big toe. And no, her feet were not clean at all.

Just a picture of my cute girls in their jammies going to bed late again.