Maryland!!!

In August we flew off to Maryland to visit Grandma and Grandpa M. It was really nice to have this trip to look forward to all summer and it ended up being one of my favorite weeks of the season. We hadn't been out to Maryland since Christmas of 2011 which seems crazy and it was so fun to be back. We loved being there in the summer and being able to swim in Ben's parents beautiful new pool and hot tub. The girls loved perfecting the skills they learned at swimming lessons this summer and  Rosie was brave enough to jump off the diving board. We did have one rough afternoon where Gwenie toppled out of her floatie right in front of me while I was comforting Evie and I looked down and saw her looking up at me from under the water! So scary! She was fine but my heart was racing a million miles a minute and I took her inside to snuggle her. Ben was busy getting the girls out of the pool and had to run Evie into the house to go to the bathroom. Then Rosie went and jumped off the diving board and had forgotten she wasn't wearing her floaties anymore. Luckily Auntie Cindy scooped her up right away but she had a good scare. It was too much drama for one afternoon and a good reminder of how fast things can become very dangerous. Besides that incident, it was so fun to swim and play games and sit out there and read everyday. 

I loved that Rosie and Evie were finally old enough to really play with their older cousins. They would disappear for hours at a time in intricate games of school and house. Hannah and Callie were so sweet to them. All the little girls got to go to a princess day camp for three of the mornings which they loved and then they would come home for swimming and playing and wienie roasts and movies. It was a kid dream week. We also spent a day on the river tubing and wake boarding and playing on the muddy shore. All the cousins played a very involved game of mermaids and mermen under the dock. We spent one evening out at a candy candy shop and eating dinner on the beach. Becca and Daniel blessed sweet Maebelle while we were there and it special to get to be there and get to snuggle tiny baby Max too. I'm so glad everyone ended up coming out for the week. It was so good to see everyone and be all together in a very full house.

Ben has such a fun family. There is a such a wonderful spirit in their home and I love being there.

Hawaiian Holiday

                            

The last week of June we headed off to Kauai for an adults only vacation and it was unbelievable. We had been talking about doing a trip like this for a long time and it had been a sure thing for a year... but no amount of preparation time would have made it easy for me. I had a ton of anxiety over leaving the girls, especially Gwena and agonized over whether I should bring her along with us or not. I felt really guilty about quitting nursing but knew it wouldn't be a true vacation trying to entertain a baby all day at the beach. Plus in order to get there cheaper we were driving all night to Vegas and I was dreading the travel days with my little pip.  I thought for awhile I'd take my pump along with me and try to keep up my supply but within a couple weeks of us leaving, Gwena started being less and less interested in nursing and they stopped being the sweet, quiet sessions I had been loving. So that definitely helped me make my decision to leave her and it was the right one. 

We had such an awesome time and were completely relaxed. We missed the girls but they did amazingly well and were in phenomenal hands. My awesome friend Lindsay watched them and took them to do all kinds of fun things everyday, kept them all completely happy and on a schedule, built them fabulous A-frame tents, and kept us updated on everything that was going on. We missed our girls far more than they missed us. It made us a little sad to not have them with us to play in the sand and splash in the waves. But it was a much needed break and so liberating to be able to be away and not feeling guilty or rushing back home or worried that they weren't on their best behavior. As soon as we were on the plane, I didn't worry about a thing. I regret that I spent an entire six months racked with anxiety over leaving the girls and laying awake at night writing instructions in my head to Lindsay for ridiculous things like "how to make a cheese roll-up". Everything went perfectly and it was good for all of us. I also wish I had been a little more laid back as far as spending money once we were there and let Ben eat to his hearts content. He deserved a week of complete freedom. Oh well...maybe next time. :)

Ben and I took a long lay over in Oahu on the way to Kauai and toured Pearl Harbor which was awesome and walked Waikiki beach. Once we were all together with my family we spent the week laying at the beach, reading, swimming in the ocean and pool, paddle boarding, and late night hot tubbing. We went on runs and walks on the golf course and went on a long and very muddy hike to Secret Beach on the Napali Coast where my mom almost died. We went to church and toured their awesome community garden, saw The Fault in Our Stars, watched World Cup games, and shopped around spouting horn. We ate a lot of meals at Dukes, enjoyed Puka dogs, and many orders of delicious malasadas (fried dough). 

It was so nice to just be myself and to enjoy Ben and my siblings and parents, especially my little brother and Rachel who had flown over from Texas. No nursing, no nap and bed times to keep or meals to plan or snacks to pack or anyone to take care of besides myself...in such a gorgeous setting.  It was truly blissful. 

Birthday Girls

Our beautiful Rosie and Evie turned 4 in June. We surprised them when they woke up with new bikes and a giant barbie castle with new barbies that I scored for super cheap on KSL. We had a fun party with family and friends that evening with a bounce house and kiddie pool and pizza and cake. Darling Nathan and Tami came and did balloon animals for the kids and that was a hit. The girls had an awesome time. 

They are suddenly so grown up and so different from the little babies I keep imagining them as. They will talk to you all day long and have such fun ideas and great imaginations. They play so well together and get so involved in their games that they often get mad at me when I say it's time to leave the house. They had a blast at swim lessons this summer and are now loving soccer. They absolutely adore their preschool and get to go on MWFs from 9-12pm. They still take a nap most days from 3-5pm and if they don't sleep they are very good about staying in their room and playing quietly. They are the perfect big sisters to Gwena, the perfect best friend to each other, and the perfect daughters to Ben and I. We are very, very lucky to have these two hilarious little ladies at our house. 

Rosie is our little performer. She loves to dance and sing for an audience. She LOVES to draw and color and is always making projects for other people, especially her Grandparents. She loves to draw a picture, roll it up, put an elastic around it and then put it in a plastic baggie. Lately she has also gotten into the Christmas wrapping paper to wrap up her projects for gifting. She is very hard working and focused at school. Rosie can be extremely goofy and also very dramatic. She throws big fits and makes big statements like "I will NEVER be your sister AGAIN!!!" Rosie is still a pleaser and has a big heart and wants to make people happy. She is very sensitive to other peoples feelings and hates it when people are mad or disappointed in her...which is almost never.

Favorite Color: yellow and pink
Favorite food: Cheese roll-up, strawberries
Favorite thing to do at home: make art projects for people
Favorite Place to go: to the library or the fair or the zoo
Favorite Book: Curious George
Favorite Show: Doc McStuffins
Favorite Movie: Chipmunk Adventure
Favorite animal: Bunny rabbits and unicorns
Favortie thing to do at school: Story time and art
Least favorite thing: long car rides
When Rosie grows up she wants to be: A movie star or drive an ice cream truck

Latest cute story: On the way to visit our friend Elizabeth in the hospital after having her baby boy, Rosie asked if I would come visit her when she had a baby and I said "absolutely!". I asked her if she was going to have a girl baby or a boy baby and she said: "I guess whatever Jesus decides to send me." I asked her what the babies name was going to be and she said:" mmmm....maybe Twinkle if it's a girl and if it's a boy...how about Baseball?!"

Evelyn Irene

Evie is my special girl and has been especially sweet and obedient lately. She also loves to sing and dance but never wants to do it in front of other people. Evie can be shy with other adults but if she is comfortable she will talk your ear off and is also very social with other kids. She is a princess through and through and loves to play dress up every single day and always wants someone else (Rosie) to be her prince when she's a princess, her Anna when she's Elsa, or her evil Mother Gothel when she's Rapunzel. If she can't get a playmate, she plays very well all on her own and makes up very elaborate games.  Evie can be very sneaky and a little bossy and stubborn. No one is a better snuggler than Evie girl.

Favorite color: purple and orange
Favorite food: chocolate and spaghetti
Favorite thing to do at home: watch shows and play dress up
Favorite place to go: To Grandmas house
Favorite book: Curious George
Favorite show: Sophia the First
Favorite Movie: Frozen
Favorite animal: giraffe or puppy
Favorite thing to do at school: play outside and eat snack
Least Favorite thing: getting my hair done
When Evie grows up she wants to be: A Princess

Latest cute story: On the way to Grandma's house the girls often like to count how many American flags they can find. We were looking out the window and Evie said " Ok everyone keep their eyes peeled!.... Like an orange....or even a banana. " :)