Emme's Very First Campout

Friday Ryan took Emme on her very first camp out.

She was thrilled to eat foil dinners, cook smores, and sleep in a sleeping bag in an actual tent.


All I can say is thank goodness for father daughter camp outs!

What was I doing while Dad and Emme were off playing in the great outdoors? I spent the evening at the Arizona Diamond Back's baseball game with Braden and the twins. I think I was actually the one roughing it.

Happy Birthday Emme!

Emmry has been talking about her 5th birthday party since September 16th of last year. From the theme to the cake, it was set in her mind just like her wedding is. Her plans were to invite all her friends to our house for a heart birthday party, play heart games, do a heart craft, and have a "ginormous" heart cake from Costco. So as the big day drew closer, I became more and more worried. The games, crafts, and cake I could do, producing the friends was a bit trickier. Thankfully one of the girls from her primary class was available and we invited her over for a heart themed playdate. Emmry has already made contingency plans for next year;s party in case she still only has one friend. Thankfully we have plenty of chocolate cake to spare and share. Maybe we'll make some friends yet!

An Amendment

After the past two days, I feel it necessary to amend my previous post that absolved Chloe of any blame in our current "phase." I wonder, what exactly is the predetermined time limit for a phase? When do you move onto a chapter or a period of life? This phase I've decided has unequivocally crossed over the time limit whatever it is. We are definitely ready to move on. I'm not sure how much longer we can bare the artwork covering the walls, doors, rungs of the cribs, bodies, toys, carpet, blankets and sheets. Today the only solice I have is thinking ahead to the day when I'm able to say, "I hope you have a kid just like you." And today Chloe, I really mean it.

POOP... a four letter word

I'm not sure what happens. I put my adorable little girls to bed. They are bathed and smell like soap. They look so cute in their ducked-taped-on pajamas. They insist on wearing their swimsuit cover-ups with the ruffle on the bottom and their sun hats. To complete the adorable factor they each are wearing one black Paten leather Sunday shoe. I cover them with their blankets, then uncover them and peel back the layers to find their cute, soft bellies which I must kiss before they happily go to sleep. I recover them, making sure their babies are also covered. Ryan brings them a drink of water and we turn off the light and shut the door with a big sigh and a silent Hallelujah.

The next morning I wake to find my girls completely undressed. Chloe still has her diaper and pajama bottoms on because without Hadley's help she can't remove the duct tape. Hadley is not only naked but has redecorated her crib in poop. There are not many four letter words we say in our home, in fact none. But when the words, "Oh poop!" come out of my mouth everyone knows to make themselves scarce. No one wants to do the cleaning up.