What we've been up to...

I guess it's time to update!

We've not been up to a whole lot, but there are a few things that have happened lately.

Jackson was super hungry all the time, so I started him on rice cereal.

Here's his first bite

 Ethan lost another tooth!

 (and the top front two are so close to coming in)

We celebrated the 4th of July all wearing red!

 (Jackson gets wide eyed when he sees the flash of the camera, hence the crazy eyes. But this was the best picture.)

We went to temple square with my family and Emma acted crazy when I wanted to take her picture!

 (She CRACKS me UP!)

Emma turned 3!!!

 She blew out the candles, but got a little too close and burned her upper lip. Luckily it didn't hurt her too bad, it just scared her and you can see it on her face in this picture.

 Jackson really wanted some milk apparently...

 For birthdays all the kids get a new shirt so everyone gets a present on every birthday.

Here are the kids in their new birthday shirts.

 I blow up a pack of balloons for the birthday person too. Emma got all pink balloons.

 Emma picked, with a little help from me and steering her away from McDonald's or Wendy's, for her birthday dinner, Pizza Pie Cafe. Mmmm, I'll lunch there with anyone, just say the word!

 Emma turned into a fairy princess when her present from Grandma and Grandpa Herrington arrived. She LOVES it and it looks so dang cute on her!

This little man makes me so happy. His smily is contageous and I can't seem to get enough of him.

Here he is enjoying a Scooby cracker! He loves 'em!

In other goings on...

I'm potty training Emma so she can go to Miss Janae's preschool next month. She is stubborn and doesn't want to try to go all the time and will put up a fight until I tell her I need to try too...I hope she catches on soon. I feel like a bad mom seeing kids younger than her already potty trained. What's wrong with me that I can't get my kids potty trained? I know she'll catch on and she won't start kindergarten in diapers, it's just that I know she will be much happier when she's in underwear all the time and not a wet diaper.

Ethan claims he's not exctied for 1st grade. I think he's going to love it. I always loved new school years, new adventures, and new friends. I think he's going to miss his best buddy from kindergarten who is moving. He's reading well and loving it. He's been participating in the library reading program this summer. He reads so much a week, and goes to a class where he gets to be with other kids and have stories read to them and then they make a craft relating to a story they read. It's good for him and the crafts are fun and cute and the best thing...it's all FREE! We will be signing him up again next summer!

Jackson is gaining weight and chunking out and I love it. He laughs just a few giggles for me, but Ethan can really get him laughing. My kids have always laughed better when kids made them laugh than when an adult tried to make them laugh. He goes to nursery with me on those Sundays that Mike can't take him (I go in and sing with the nursery kids) and does great. All the leaders want to hold him and he doesn't seem to mind at all. I'm hoping that the stranger anxiety doesn't set in with him. He's so social and makes everyone smile. I had two people ask me last Sunday if he was always as happy as he was at the time. I got to say YES!

Mike is working hard and loves his job and his calling. Though it's time consuming, the blessings out number the sacrifice.

I'm trying to stay sane and keep my kids happy until school starts. I'm looking forward to getting out and walking Emma to preschool or biking her with her and Jackson in my bike trailer. I'd bike more now, but Jackson isn't sitting up as well as he needs to be to sit up in the trailer. I miss getting out but can't stand how hot it is these days and my swim suit is still a little too snug on my "mommy tummy." My AC is working great and keeping us cool.

I'm excited for summer to be over, but I'm not at the same time....