Before and After

 At the beginning of first grade Kennedy told me that she didn't want to cut her hair until the end and take a before and after picture. So the first picture of her is the first day of school. The middle picture is on picture day a few months into the year and then the last pic we took today, two days after first grade was over. Her hair has grown quite a bit and man I think she has changed a ton.

Here are pics of Sophie on her picture day and then her today. The outfits the girls have on are from our Memorial weekend shopping, so darn cute! We wen into the Gap and Kennedy asked for the phone and called Mike (who is in Moab on a guys mountain biking trip) and told him "Dad they are having great sales at the Gap, can I get some summer clothes." Scary that she already has him wrapped around her finger.

Smiles and Laughs

I love the stage that Finn is in right now. He is 3 months old and smiling a ton and finally giggling a bit. He is very ticklish.  Below is a little snipit of him laughing.  We sure love our little guy!

House

 We really love our new house. We've been in it for about 4-5 months and it feels like it fits us really well.  I've been decorating each room slowly and Mike has been working on the outside and finishing the basement.  It is fun to have little projects to do around the house. We have rented for so long I love to have a place to make our own and to be able to make changes and pull out all of our stuff that has been in storage forever.  

 I thought I would take pictures of the outside now that our bushes and trees are in bloom and our grass is somewhat growing back.  Mike spent several weekends mulching the yard and it looks a lot nicer and smells heavenly! I love that smell!  

 I am hoping to get a couple of pots to put under those two long windows preferably black.  

 The backyard has really filled in and it looks so nice.  

 I can't wait to get some patio furniture for the back so we can sit outside and enjoy the yard.

 Not really loving this landscape situation...kinda pointless. Eventually we will move this and get a trampoline or play structure for the backyard or both, there is a lot of side yard that's kinda wasted.

 This little path leads to a cement slab that we aren't exactly sure what it was used for, maybe a hot tub? I think I want to put a sandbox there or a playhouse for the kids.

 The following are some collages of the different rooms in our house that are somewhat decorated.  Above is our master bedroom.  I want to paint the side tables white and do some pictures of the kids or mike and I above our bed or on one of the blank walls.  

 Here is the kitchen. Eventually I'd like to paint the cabinets white because I love white kitchens.  We have a black table with black chairs and stools.  And the botanical prints are framed I just haven't hung them up yet.

 This is the girls bathroom upstairs. it is blue, pink and green.  

 This is Sophie's bedroom. I love the navy and pink. She has a fun little window seat and shelves on both sides.  She also has a secret play area inside her closet.

 This is Kennedy's room, we stole the colors from her cousin Sydney.  She also has a window seat and the little door there goes into a small play area that is filled with blankets and pillows where she hides away with the ipad.

This is the living room.  Not much more to say about that.  Still waiting to get new couches, side tables and a coffee table but we want to wait until the basement is finished before we do any of that. I am working on a few things to decorate the mantle to the fireplace.  Fun Fun!

What Ken's been up to.

 Kennedy has been one busy little girl.  In gymnastics she was asked to join the USGA competition group, she is now part of the CARA group. So after she finishes with her current group she will start up with the other team. The gym owner came up to Mike and told him that she catches onto things quickly and that she really wanted to push her more.  So she is currently working with both groups which means that she is at the gym Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-8 and then Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-8 and then we usually do open gym for a few hours on Friday so Sophie can run around and Kennedy can work on the things that she needs to work on.  The first day she was in the more advanced group she learned a new trick, I posted the video at the end of this post.  She has her first competition this Saturday, we are so excited for her and so amazed at how hard she works and how much she loves it. Sad thing is that Sophie misses her so much now that she is literally gone all the time that she cries when we drop her off at school and asks every night if she can sleep in Kennedy's bed so that when she comes home from gymnastics she can be with her.  

 I got to go on Kennedy's field trip to the Zoo a few weeks ago. It was so fun to spend some time with her and to see how she acts around her classmates. It is so hilarious! This is her friend Lexi and apparently they want you to call them?

Ken had a 50's day at school and so she wore the skirt that was actually mine when I was in elementary. So cute!

Sophie's 4th Bday

 Our sweet little Sophie turned 4 on April 30th.  It was an all princess occasion and she was the cutest, most grateful little birthday girl ever!  

 The dress she is wearing is from my mom and it has been on Sophie's body at any point other than church or school.  My mom only left the top of the front of the original dress on and did the rest herself.  Those disney dresses always rip and aren't incredibly full or fun to twirl in so in comes my incredible mom and her expert sewing skills.  It is so cute and Sophie absolutely loves it!

 I put up some pictures of Soph with her birthday decorations, my brother Peter has taken the cutest pics of her. The pictures he has taken of all of us are all over our house.

 Sophie has the best reactions when she opens presents, she is so excited and so darn cute.

 She got a little bike which Mike left the pedals and training wheels off of hoping to simulate the balance bikes out there. Instead it simulates a bike that sits in the garage and doesn't get ridden.  Grrrr.

 Such a happy girl!

And in the best news of all Sophie is finally potty trained!  Seriously at 4?  Good grief. I have been potty training this kid for literally 6 months. She just had no interest.  Finally when we watched my friends cute kids she was inspired and hasn't had an accident since.  

We really love our little Sophie. She is so sweet and really hilarious.  She loves her big sister Kennedy and wants to follow her around everywhere and do everything she does.  She loves to hug and cuddle and is a really physical kid.  She wants you to wrestle all the time or tickle.  She is incredibly friendly and tells everyone at the store that she is Sophie, she's 4 and you can be her best friend.  She sings ALL THE TIME and loves to listen to music in the car REALLY loud just like her mom.  She is already obsessed with boys and tells me all the time she wants to kiss this boy or that boy in her preschool class.  Sophie is so sweet with her little brother and helps me with him all the time, she also likes to note EVERY single time I change his diaper that he has a little peanut in there :)

I absolutely love this girl!

Help from my friends...

My brother and sister in law are trying to adopt twin baby girls. It is $40,000 to do so. As you can imagine they are doing all they can to raise the money. If you are interested in donated to them you can do so by going to their website.  Thanks so much!!!!!

Also, my sweet friend has a team for March of Dimes and is looking or donations for the walk. You can donate to their team here. 

Finn

 Finn is about 2 1/2 months old now and I can't believe what a sweet little personality he already has.  He is so smiley and such a little ham. Mike and I have been amazed at what a little talker he is.  

 Couldn't you just eat that little boy right up? Oh my goodness I am so in love with him!