Mr. Grant

Man I sure do love this kid. When he is cute, he is CUTE. Same when he's rotten....he sure knows how to be a stubborn lil' thing.

He loves preschool and is always kind and friendly to the teachers and classmates. He loves to draw and write. He came home one day with this family picture. I just laugh everytime I see it. The lines are David's forehead are spot on!

 He has really enjoyed riding his bike, which makes family walks much more enjoyable. Not that I didn't' love pushing the girls in the stroller with one hand, Grant dangling off the front, and me carrying his scooter in the other. Really, that was fun:) He is happiest when he's outside playing with friends and always says "hi" to people we pass by. He is a good example and reminder to me to be more friendly.

Currently he still loves trains, the wii, and learning about the human body. He likes to talk about bones and the heart the most. I love it.

He is a great big brother and warmly greets them every morning. He likes to play with them and teach them new things he has learned. I feel so blessed to have these three.

Some of my favorite things he has said the last few months.

"My brain keeps telling me to laugh at funny things."

"Mom, can I eat those things that look like band-aids?" (fritos)

This will only make sense to Mormons, "first you go in the bathroom, then the closet, and then the church swimming pool. That's where you get bathatized."

Lately he's been asking if he can join "hi-yate" (karate). I can see why he'd assume that's what it's called.

Anyway, I sure love this smart, caring big boy of mine.

Tatum and Kate turn 1!!!

Man I stink at blogging! Probably because I'm loving up on my babes all day. These girls (and sometimes Grant) are the sweetest things and I truly thank Heavenly Father every day for them. What sweet little blessings they are to our family.

They turned one on Feb 15 and we were lucky enough to have my parents in town to help celebrate. We went out to In-n-Out that night and then had a little neighborhood party the following afternoon. It just so happened to be an all boy party....let's hope that trend doesn't continue:)

Tatum has about 7 teeth and Kate has about 9. It's hard to really tell since they both like to bite anytime you get close.

 It's funny to me how these girls go in phases, one week Tatum will be clingy or hungry or grumpy, then the next it will be Kate. I'm just glad they don't act naughty at the same time. We can't really claim one as "active" or "smart" or anything, because they both kind of take turns.

                           Kate and the pinata....I guess she wanted to bust it open? Btw, having a birthday the day after v-day is brilliant, all that discounted pink and red candy!

                                                  Maybe they wanted vanilla?

                                                                    Kate

                                                                   Tatum

                                                                   Tatum

 Currently, Tatum loves to play with phones. It's as if she can smell one a mile away. She also likes to dance and listen to music. Oh and she loves to chew on paper and cardboard. She weighs 18.1 lbs and is 28 1/4 inches tall.

Kate likes to carry things around in her mouth, smile all the time, and cruise along furniture. There is a cabinet in the office area that she likes to go hide and play in. She weighs 18.1.5 lbs and is 27 3/4 inches tall. So, pretty identical to me;) 

Only a few months behind....

So we did in fact celebrate Christmas. Is it possible that life goes on even if you don't blog about it? Well it does. We had a great holiday and so far 2014 has been just as great.

Last year Grant was obsessed with Charlie Brown and we were hoping this year would be the same. Instead he was crazy about The Polar "Expressk". There were a few mornings I'd come in and find the kids all lined up in a train waiting for breakfast. He loves bossing his sisters around and nominating who gets to be the conductor or the caboose.

We decided to drive home this year. We don't really live near an airport so driving is easier....or is it? The way there we may or may not have said the following statements "we're never driving home again.", "we're done having kids." Honestly the kids weren't that bad it's just a long drive and even longer when we have to trade off watching kids in the car while the other one runs in the gas station or whatever. We're totally outnumbered and sometimes that's tricky. Once we were in Craig it was great though. It's fun spending time with family and so convenient to visit both sides of our families.

                                          Isn't Kate the cutest trying to be a big girl?

                     Who needs toys when you can just crawl and hide under the piano?

          The girls (especially Tatum) have some crazy long hairs, so we took advantage of that:)

We ended up staying a few days longer than our siblings and it was perfect for us to spend extra time with just our parents. We also decided to drive through St. George and stay with my brother's family on the way there and back. SO much easier than trying to stay at a hotel. We had a fun time with them. Someday we'll live close by family right???

life with twins

I think every mother of little ones can agree that the phrase "you've got your hands full." has got to be the most annoying sentence ever. Yes, I do but it's not like I have that many kids. Living in California is quite amusing too. Most people have a nanny, yes a nanny, for two children. They can't grasp the idea that I stay home with ALL my children. I do enjoy it though. Tatum and Kate have proved to be the happiest babies around. We are truly blessed to have such "easy" girls. I know it won't always be that way but these last 9 months (are they really that old?) have been such a wonderful, and fun experience.

There are so many worries with raising daughters, especially when they might compete with each other. I just hope they can love each other and always be close friends. I worried that one would be a little more advanced, and I'm sure it might come to that someday, but for now they each have their strengths. Tatum learned to roll, smile, and clap first. Kate has learned to scoot, babble and sprout teeth first. They each have their "fussy" periods and thankfully they really aren't at the same time. I'm glad that they each go through "happy/sad" times and that it isn't just one girl that is constantly needing my attention. 

To be completely honest the hardest part is just taking extra steps everywhere. Pick one up from the crib, put her in the playroom, get the other one out of the crib, put her in the playroom. Put her in the highchair, put her in the highchair. Buckle in carseat, take out to the car, buckle in carseat, take out to car. I tell David that I am literally just taking care of kids all day....the basic feeding, changing, bathing takes a long time. Grant tries to help where he can and I really appreciate it. These kids adore each other. I love it, I sometimes feel like my heart is going to just burst right open when I watch them interact.

sheesh....I'm going crazy with the blog today.....

Basically anyone on instagram or facebook has seen these pics. Gotta make sure every square inch of the world has access to my pictures right?

Grant did a round of swimming lessons this summer. He really enjoyed it and is excited to start up again in a few weeks.

I love how much he enjoys the beach. His little imagination runs wild there. He likes to "spy" on seashells, so his binoculars are a must. 

These glasses went from this....

to this. He thinks he's so smart with them. It's hard to take him seriously when he's going cross eyed while talking to you. 

Bersday celebration

Can you tell the girls are sleeping right now? I probably should be cleaning or getting dinner ready....I know that David loves it when he gets home from work and then he starts cooking dinner. I'm sure that's his favorite. This blog has been pushed aside for way too long though.

The end of June I celebrated my birthday. It was fun but just reminded me that I am an adult now and I had those typical questions about what I have/have not done in my life. I feel really happy and grateful for my life and family but there is always room for improvement. I want to really enjoy my life and not just go through the motions of motherhood and being a wife. This is silly but I decided to make a bucket list if you will. I turn 30 next year and I've heard of "30 things before 30" but that seemed too easy, 100 didn't seem to flow soooo next up "300 things before 30". Well, that is proving to be quite a stretch. I'm still finishing up writing the list but it ranges from small things (cut me some slack 300 is a big number) such as "have __________ family over for dinner" or "bake a cheesecake for David" to "visit ____ museums in San Fran." I'm excited. I think it will help me push myself to try new things and also just enjoy the simple pleasures of my little family and our situation.

We were able to spend my birthday with BYU friends. Grant willingly picked out my cake and pinata. How generous of him.

growing babes

These girls are just growing right before my eyes. I can't handle it. They are in a fun and easy stage and I just want them to stay small and sweet forever....they are absolute gems.

This last month they've both really grown. They are rolling, not a ton but they still do it every now and then. They are super smiley and are laughing. I think every mother can agree that that is the best sound in the world. They are quick to smile but they tire easily of the same "blowing bubbles" or silly noises we make to try to get a laugh. Grant had certain toys or tickles that always guaranteed a laugh but they are a little harder to please.

Tatum likes to suck her thumb and Kate prefers her pacifier. I have them in the same crib but I'm wondering if I should split them up now that they are rolling. It's cute to see them sleeping together but there have been cases where they kick each other or one hogs the crib and the other is curled in the corner. The things you never worry about with just one baby right?

look at them just gabbin' about boys. Actually I am nervous about them liking the same boy when they get older. Silly, I know, but it's true.

Sweet Tatum 

Baby Kate