Friday, October 26, 2012

Chestnut Hunting

We went chestnut hunting just for kicks and giggles and the girls had so much fun! 
They enjoyed it as much as hunting eggs!
Ally gathered quietly and in the sun because she was a little cold but wouldn't put a jacket on.  She gathered about a half a bag full and then became more interested in leaves and branches.
Emmy spent an entire hour, gathering and filling her bag.  She was so funny to watch and listen to.  She ran from spot to spot and when she picked them up, she would make comments like "Ohhh...so cute!" and "How Pretty!" 
 Sami started chanting a little song while she gathered.
"Chestnuts, chestnuts, all around!  Chestnuts, chestnuts, on the ground!  Chestnuts, chestnuts, can be found!  Chestnuts, chestnuts, all around!"


 We ended up with two grocery bags and one trick or treat bag full of them!
 A couple days later, we used some of them for decoration!  The girls filled vases with the chestnuts and stuck branches in them.  Then they hung paper pumpkins, ghost ornaments, and spider and bat rings (and anything else they could find in the box of random Halloween things we have) on the branches.  Then they decorated with Halloween stickers and proudly presented their "spooky trees!"  Ally and Sami made one together.  Emmy and I worked together on the other one.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Planes, Trains, and The Beach!

Kassi's had more FIRSTS!!!
 
Her First TRAIN Ride:
Mary and I took Kassi on her first train ride to Temple Square just a couple days before Conference. 

We spent some time at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and then showed Tommy and Emmy the Conference Center where the Prophet would be speaking in just a couple days. 
 
Her first time on a PLANE:
Kassi rode the plane for the first time when we took her with us on a trip to Monterey, CA so Jeremy could go to a Law Conference a few weeks ago.  She did so good!  Both going and coming back.  She slept on the way up and sucked her binkie on the way down and was so happy the whole time!



Her first trip to the BEACH!
 She wouldn't touch the sand but she seemed content to hang in the sun!  Jeremy wouldn't put her near the water...  :)  He's such a protective Daddy.



 

ROLLING OVER!!!

 
Just excuse the high pitched baby talk.... I hate it when I do that :)

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Daddy's Girl

 Kassi LOVES her Daddy!  She lights up when he comes home every night.  She sits and smiles endlessly at him.  And he's the only one who can make her laugh without fail.  Granted, at bedtime, Kassi becomes all business and only Mom will do, but any other time, Dad is the best!
 We went to a law reception on Conference weekend.  This was Kassi's second time to Temple Square (her first time being just a few days earlier).
That (above) was Jeremy and Kassi on Saturday of the weekend, between sessions.  Below is how they looked during the last talk of the morning session on Sunday.  :)
Video:  Jeremy making Kassi laugh, coo, and show off her new-found "Happy Scream" at our hotel in Monterrey.  Too cute!  A must see!

Future Buddies!!

 It seems to me that everyone is having a girl right now!  For having originally hoped for a boy, I sure caught the wrong wave!  But I am just loving all these darling girls coming into the world!!!  Aside from her two cousins, Gracie and Michaela (born in September), Kassi has also met two little friends.  Anna (above) is Michael and Holly M.s' little gal and was born just a couple weeks after Kassi.  They met on Kassi's blessing day when Anna's daddy came to help bless Kassi.  Then there is Anya (below) who met Kassi at a law reception on conference weekend.  She was only a month old then and is the daughter of our old Cali friends who have also moved to Utah, Shane and Carrie H.  Then!  Just a few weeks ago, our neighbor had a baby girl named Ruby!  AND we have two more baby girls due in our neighborhood in December!  SO FUN!  Kassi will have so many playmates when she gets bigger!

New Discoveries!

 This little Gal is discovering new things!! 
 
She's found her thumb!
And, much to her mother's dismay, she really likes it!
 She had her first taste of water and wanted more and discovered that she can reach for and grab things!
she REALLY wanted that bottle!
AND she found her TOES!!
The second her socks come off, she grabs for her toes.
Isn't she amazing!!!

Whit, Determination, and Maturity

Ally is very sweet, beautiful, and quiet (at least quiet compared to her sisters).  She doesn't talk just for the sake of talking but speaks with a purpose.  She is a people watcher.  I think she knows a lot more about the world around her than she lets on.  The really funny thing about Ally, though, has just recently become more pronounced with her starting Kindergarten.  She has very dry sense of humor.  She is full of one-liners and always seems to have some witty response to the situation at hand.  Recently, this was the conversation that took place between Ally and her dad when she was teasing him:

Dad:  You're a turkey.
Ally:  You're a Pooh Bear!
Dad:  I'm not a pooh bear!
Ally:  Prove it.

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Kindergarten is also taking its toll on Ally's innocence, though.  She's learned that kids talk badly about others, ask to see private parts, and sometimes can be mean.  Thankfully, she knows that she is better than that.  Because of Kindergarten, she is also acting so much more grown up!  I have been walking her to the bus every day and, before she gets on, she gives me a big hug and says bye.  Yesterday, we were getting on at a spot further from home because I was picking up kids for Sami's carpool.  There were more kids at this stop than at ours so I talked it out carefully with Ally so she wouldn't get overwhelmed.  It was raining, so we sat in the car and waited for the bus.  When it came, Ally jumped out of the car and ran to get on without even looking back.  I followed and asked her if she wanted a hug and she acted like my suggesting such a thing was so embarrassing.  She gave my legs a brief squeeze and climbed on.  I was in awe of it all day yesterday and a little sad at how big she is getting. But this morning, she came in to snuggle with me like always and apologized for being so rushed yesterday.  She thought the bus was going to leave without her.  I thought it was so sweet and mature of her to apologize.  We decided that from now on, on days like that, we will get our hugs in the car.

Ally also insisted on sleeping on the top bunk like a big girl last night, instead of on the bottom bunk with Emmy...

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Today, this is what I heard come out of Ally's mouth while watching Kung Fu Panda:
 
"He is cool!!!(speaking of the bad guy)  He's beating up guys that are bigger than him--that's cool!"
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Jeremy has started something with the girls called the "tickle chair."  He has one of them lay on his lap and another sit on the other couch and answer questions.  If the one answering the questions gets the answer right, nothing happens.  If they answer wrong, the girl on Jeremy's lap gets tickled.  The girls think it's hilarious!  The first time they did it, Sami was in the Tickle Chair and Ally was answering.  Ally starting purposely answering questions wrongly so that she could watch Sami get tickled!  She didn't realize that her turn was next, though.  And for Sami, vengeance was sweet.  :)  They both went to bed chuckling that night.


Monday, October 22, 2012

The Pumpkin Patch with Grandma!

Last weekend, Jeremy and I took off for a few days and left the three girls with Grandma.  They watched tons of TV, stayed up past their bedtimes, ate way too much junk food, and had a blast!  On Saturday, Grandma took them to a pumpkin patch!  They went on a hay ride (above) out into the pumpkin field and got to pick their pumpkin right off the vine.  It was a little bit of a gloomy and chilly day, but when I asked if they had fun, I got a "Triple YES!!"
 Above:  They met a witch when they first got there!  Ally was a little nervous until it was explained that the witch was not real and just wearing a costume.  Once she had that piece of information, she loved the witch and even got her picture taken with her! 
(Ally wants to be a witch for Halloween this year.)
 
Below:  Girls with their pumpkins! 


 THANK YOU GRANDMA!!

Friday, October 5, 2012

Just because...

 ...she is exploring new things.


 ...she is such a chunk!


 ...she went nine hours between feedings the other night!
...she's so adorable!