Top 5 - June 2016

Payton Millie

 4 Years

1 - Payton had her first birthday party with friends this year.  She was so excited to invite all of her friends and the day of the party she asked me every five minutes when it was going to be time to go the park for her party.

2 - Payton has cycled through 3 different names she wants to be called now instead of Payton.  First it was "Kissa" then "Kenna" and finally she has been set on "Lucy" for a week now.  Everywhere we go she tells them that is her name.  She is pretty adamant about it.

3 -   She finally LOVES swimming.  She will go in all by herself and swim around as long as she has a floaty.  But seriously....that is a HUGE accomplishment for her.  This summer will be a water filled summer for her.

4 - We took her to see The Little Mermaid musical on her birthday and during the Ursula song she told me to stand up and ask Ursula nicely to stop singing because she is singing mean things. 

5 - Payton is very lovable.  People seem to gravitate towards her.  She has an infectious energy and is very expressive.  When we went to her doctor's checkup, he spent 10 extra minutes just talking to her and asked me if it was okay if he took her on a tour of the office.  He wanted to show her off to his wife who was painting murals on the walls of the rooms.  I love seeing her be LOVED by so many people.

Cooper Seth

14 Months

1 - He has learned how to blow kisses and wave and it is the most adorable thing ever.  

2 - He can't say very many words but he sure is good at communicating what he wants.  All he needs is his finger to point and his cute grunting noise.   

3 - He can stand up all by himself now without climbing up on anything.  He has taken one step but I think it was on accident because it hasn't happened in a few days.  But he loves to walk everywhere as long as he is holding on to my finger.  Tyler thinks he won't walk until he is 16 months old, but I'm pretty sure it will be sooner.

4 - This boy is SILLY.  He loves to laugh and make people laugh (especially Payton).  

5 - He has a special love for anything animal.  100% of the time he will bring me any book with an animal to read him.  If I read him a truck book or car book or train book he shuts the book and gets off my lap to get an animal book.  

Spring is Here

Easter this year was a lot of fun.  This is the very first Easter Sunday picture that I have ever taken with my kids.  We took it after church and I made Tyler get back in his church clothes but we finally took one.

Easter morning.

Payton insisted on changing into her Easter dress before she started the easter egg hunt.

Cooper helping daddy build a dresser.  Cutest thing ever.

I've lived in Utah for about 10 years now and this is the very first year I've been to the tulip festival.  It was so pretty.  

Payton's new obsession is taking pictures with my phone.  I came out from my room and she had found our family camera and took this picture of me.  Not bad for a 3 year old right?

So I decided to take a picture of her taking a picture of me.

Her are some more of her work.

She even figured out how to change it to black and white.

Enjoying the sun..

This is the only picture I took on our first hike of the season.  Of course no one is looking but me. Payton was afraid a fly was going to land on her and Cooper was concerned.

Cooper turns 1

On Cooper's birthday Tyler was out of town and Cooper was sick to top it off so after birthday pancakes we spent the day cuddled up on the couch.

A few weekends later we celebrated with a day at the zoo and a little dinner and dessert celebration with family.

He loved pointing at every animal he saw.

This is how Cooper looks 80% of the time.  Thumb in mouth and hand playing with his hair.  It is so adorable.

And....he demolished it.  Every last bite.

Happy Birthday Cooper.  We sure love you.

Top 5 - April 2016

Payton Millie

 3 Years 10 Months

1 - This girl LOVES to take pictures.  I always seem to "lose" my phone only to find it later with a ton of random new photos on it.  We went to the Tulip Festival and she took so many pictures.  I think I'm going to get her a small little digital camera for her birthday.

2- We bought Payton a balance bike for her for Christmas in 2014.  She didn't really take to it and for al long time only wanted to ride her scooter around, but this month she has risen her bike almost every sunny day we have had.  She is getting so fast and she lifts both feet up and can balance really well.  This seriously was the best invention ever.  No more training wheels fiasco....well hopefully.  

3 - I've got to be really careful with what songs are on the radio when we are driving in the car because she remembers EVERY word of the songs she hears.  

4 - Payton loves to draw pictures and she insists on using a pen.  Not crayons, not colored pencils but a pen.  She draws the most intricate pictures and she spends about 20 minutes on one picture.  She is definitely a perfectionist.  

5 - As of late Payton has started eating really really well.  She will choose a bowl of carrots over a fruit snack.  What?!?  She love to go over and "help" grandma with her garden.   More like eat grandma's garden.  She will pull out carrots and radishes and wipe them off so she can eat them right there.  She also pulls off leaves of her lettuce plants and just eats it plain.  She is my little vegetarian.  Cooper on the other hand.....

Cooper Seth

12 Months

1 - This boy can EAT.  But I can count on maybe two hands the things he will eat.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, toast, cheese, yogurt, peas, raspberries, blackberries, smoothies and chex cereal.   I sneak veggies in anything I can.  I even sneak avocados into his yogurt.

2 - Cooper has 4 teeth all the way in and 3 more on their way.  

3 - He loves to wave, clap his hands, splash in the tub, dance and point at EVERYTHING.  Anytime he gets upset or sad I know that as long as I start singing the wheels on the bus everything will be okay.  

4 - I can finally say confidently that he sleeps through the night.  It was 11 hard months of not sleeping, but now he sleeps like a champ.  He take two really good naps during the day and sleeps from 7:30-7:30 or 8.  It is glorious.

5 - While driving in the car Payton and Cooper think it is hilarious to scream back and forth at each other.  Unfortunately now Cooper does it randomly by himself.  Specifically at church.  During sacrament.  It's awesome.