Happy 1st Birthday to Clara!

How did she grow up so fast? Where is my baby? Well, she is still my baby and will be for a long time, I'm sure! To make up for the sad realization that my baby is one, we went all out for little Miss Clara's birthday. It was so much fun!

Me and my beautiful sweet girls...

The preschoolers! All of these girls are the same age and have so much fun together. Can you tell that London and Karoline had dance pictures today?

The party consisted of adults chatting away while the kids played and played. We had a pinata which was a huge hit...pun not intended...and then the kids got on the tramp...

Sam, Roman, Capri, and Danny-these kids have a blast together and I can see some long-term friendships happening...

We opened presents and Clara was loving it! She was obsessed with the tissue paper and wrapping mostly, but all of the attention she was getting was an added bonus!

Some of the guests-we had both sets of grandparents, our families, and the Ross' come, but here are just a few...

We love Grandma...

and Grammy!

The only thing Clara loved more than wrapping presents and getting all of the attention, was the cake. She devoured it!

She did, however, take a moment to give Daddy loves.

The party fell on the perfect spring day so we were outside for most of it, which was wonderful. I did, however, decorate inside where people got their food and it turned out to be so cute! The theme was "You Are My Sunshine" (her favorite song-even the kids know to sing it to her when she gets upset) and everything was decorated in pink, yellow, and orange. I love doing this kind of stuff, even when it gets to be over-the-top and a bit stressful...I have a problem. ;)

We had pizza (easy!), salad, fruit, and the most delicious strawberry lime and lemon cupcakes you can imagine thanks to my incredibly talented neighbor. YUMMY! 

I sure love this girl. She is happy, happy, happy, and she truly is our little ray of sunshine...

Clara at 9-12 mos:

Clara is the magic baby. She is so happy, so easy, so content. She is still my very best cuddler and I melt every time. Even better, the second you give her a blanket, she sticks her fat little thumb in her mouth and lays into your chest and there is nothing better-NOTHING! New tricks include "loves" where she leans in to you so you can cuddle, "so big," waving with her princess wave, and her newest is blowing kisses. That last one is also my favorite. To see her squishy chubby hand up to her mouth and then to see her smile after she "kisses" is beyond adorable. Clara must be a performer because she loves to do her tricks for people and then just waits for their reaction. She will keep her arms up until everyone around her says "So Big!" and claps. She then claps for herself and then starts with another trick. If someone isn't clapping, she will look right at them and waits-so funny! 

She started to cruise with her army crawl but is now transitioning to a real crawl…it's about time. She also likes to get on her hands and stick her bum straight up into downward dog. She is nowhere near walking along furniture but she does pull herself up so lowering the crib was necessary. I love her facial expression once she finally gets herself up. It's like, "Wow! I made it! Such a different view up here and I like it!"

Still our Little Miss Chub Chub, here are her stats for her 10 month appt:

To Grandma's House (or Condo) We Will Go

Tucker was out of town again so it was the perfect excuse to go to Grandma's House! Cody was gone as well so Cheri came along for the fun!

There was a lot of scootering and we loved taking them to the nearby park:

We made the best discovery this trip-a new children's museum! It did not disappoint! It was so much fun and my kids could have stayed for hours.
Even Clara was a fan:

It was a mini city in there and the kids were going nut running from the farm to the plane, car shop, store, theater, and more!
The plane was a favorite..

But I think the girls enjoyed the theater the very most! They sang, danced, and Karoline loved being the host...

We still had plenty of time at the pool. It was a great time as usual!

Clara loved her new "hat!"

This boy and his squirt gun...so happy!

Another great trip for the St. George books!

Easter

We got home from St. George late the night before Easter. That meant Tucker and I had to pull everything together in a flash that night and the following morning!

The kids woke up and were so excited to go hunting for their baskets. They are so cute and help each other out when needed. They also loved that even baby Clara got a basket.

Still in their jammies with all of their Easter loot!

We then went to church and I was in charge of sharing time. I dug out a lesson that I had when I was a Beehive on Easter Sunday many years ago. I had kept it knowing I would use it someday and here I was. It consisted of a dozen eggs, each with a special item enclosed, that told the story of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. The kids loved it...even when I started to cry.
Look at these beautiful children in their Easter Sunday best, oh how I love them!

After church, all of my family came over for a ridiculously big Easter Egg Hunt in the backyard. I got a bunch of it on video, but not too many pictures. We did, however, get an awesome picture of my parents and all the grandkids...

And I had to get a picture of Clara and her biggest fan, Elizabeth, both in their cute pink gingham!

Such a great day. I love the reminder of what our gospel is all about. Makes me love my family and my Savior even more.

Spring Break

It was Spring Break and time to head down south for some serious sun! The pool never felt so good, and the time away with our family and great friends was absolutely ideal. Tucker was traveling for work, but my awesome dad came down with me. He is truly the best. We stayed at "St. George," aka my parents condo, and we had a few days of just us. Tucker came down Friday night and then the Ross' and Sariah came over on Saturday. We also found a great Easter Egg Hunt to do that morning. It was a packed weekend full of swimming, tennis, relaxing, carousel riding, biking, playing, and chasing after candy. Life is good in St. George.

Day 1 at the pool and the water felt amazing. After a long winter, swimming in a perfectly heated pool in 85 degree weather is the best!

The twins got some snorkel gear and all of the kids are obsessed with it now!

#1 Grandpa right here-swimming in the pool with his grandkids!

I brought the Burley down along with the kids' bikes. It was so much fun! There are the greatest biking trails along the river less than a mile from the condo. I was so proud of the twins-they kept up no problem!

 After dinner we had to ride the carousel-such a nice way to end the evening...

Clara's first ride!

Not a great picture, but I love their faces of joy and excitement!

Me and my kiddos. I can't describe how much joy I have being a mother to these four. I love them to pieces, te

The girls with their bags of candy. This was such a fun event for Easter weekend.

Daddy is here! Hip Hip Hooray!

I love this picture showing how much these girls love their daddy-so happy to have him here and in the pool.

Sarah, Capri and Karoline-cutest girls at the pool!

Roman loves his daddy and being on a trip means that he gets time with his favorite person 24/7.

We have another water baby!

The moms, Sariah, Annelise and I.

Capri took over the noodles! The kids loved having friends to play with because, let's be honest, mom and dad get boring after awhile. With the extra friends around, the kids lasted for hours in the pool.

My parents got a kiddie pool for little Clara to play in. She loved it! Sarah joined her to splash around-she just loves her!

A new favorite tradition is to eat at 25 Main and then head over to the Main Street Park for a ride on the carousel. Love this family of mine!

This boy laughs and I melt.

Karoline thought she should have a turn in the backpack-she may be a bit too big?

Why do we go to St. George so often? We love it! We love the uninterrupted family time where we don't a care in the world. It's good for the kids and even better for mom and dad!

March Memories

March was good to us. I took the girls to Disney On Ice, held a baby shower for Cheri, watched Capri perform, went to the park, and finished up ski lessons. Busy as always, but good...
Disney On Ice
Cheri, Annelise and I decided to take the girls to Disney On Ice. It was right around Karoline's birthday so it was a great excuse to something extra special. Susie, Isla and Drew joined in on the fun as well. The girls were so excited! They were excited to dress up, go out on the town, and, of course, to see the show. We met up at California Pizza Kitchen and then walked over to the Energy Solutions Arena. On our way, the girls were holding hands, skipping and singing the whole way. It was the cutest thing ever. We had such a great time watching the show, eating cotton candy and popcorn, and enjoying this perfect date night with our girls.

Cheri's Shower
Whenever a friend of ours is having a baby, we plan a small "shower." Really it's just a reason to get together, eat yummy food, chat about anything and everything baby, and give needed baby items, usually diapers. Annelise and Katie, however, always have something amazing the sewed or knitted themselves. It's probably one of my favorite parts of the shower, just seeing what they have created! I planned Cheri's and it turned out to be so much fun! We ate at Zupa's for dinner and then went to my house for dessert. I failed miserably in taking pictures but this is what I did get:
Our honored mother-to-be Cheri!

Cheri loves German Chocolate Cake and our friend Eliza makes the best. I got her recipe and gave it a try...I think it turned out...

Here are the sandals that Katie made for baby girl Ford...to die for.

Capri's Performance:

Capri's Peep group performed at a dance competition and they looked fabulous! I absolutely beam with pride as I watch Capri dance. She is such a beautiful ballerina and she doesn't even know it. The best part is seeing how much she loves it. As shy as Capri is, she is such a performer on stage.

My mom was so nice to come as it was a very long day...I don't think we are the "competition type!"

Me and my girl...

My kiddos loving the park:
So happy to see some nice weather! We know it will snow again, but we will hit the park while we can!

Keith's Night
Keith was inducted into the Utah Tennis Hall of Fame! Incredible! We got to attend his induction ceremony held at the Cottonwood Country Club. Tiffany and Tyler flew in for the special night and it was worth the trip. I learned so much about Keith's tennis career and it was truly impressive!

Clara's Cuteness in the Tub
Clara loves the tub, absolutely loves it! As soon as I bring her into the bathroom, she stands up to the faucet and waits for me to start filling up the tub. Once she gets it, she splashes, rolls onto her tummy, splashes some more, and plays with her toys. I can't resist the pinching of that bum...

That's a wrap for March!