The Spaulding Zoo

Delicious

2010-06-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

The other day, when we were driving home, we saw a couple calves close to the fence by the road we were driving on. I pointed them out to the kids and pulled over so we could see them up close. McKinley said, "Oh! They're so delicious!" She has probably heard people say that to describe something cute or say that a baby (like Canyon) was so cute they could eat him up. She was obviously not really talking about eating them, but I had to keep myself from laughing since we actually do eat cows.

Time with Daddy

2010-05-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as we sat down to eat breakfast as a family, Sage said excitedly, "Yeah! It's Mother's Day, so we get to spend time with Daddy!" I guess she was just evening out the score.;)

"I Love Mommy!"

2010-05-08T10:44:00.001-07:00

It's Saturday, so Roy is home and was playing with River. He picked him up by his feet and was tickling him. River was laughing and having a great time. Roy said, "I love River!" as he set him down and River said, "I love Mommy!"

Professional Haircuts

2010-03-29T10:59:00.001-07:00

I took the kids to get their hair cut at a real salon on Thursday. I have been the only one to cut their hair up to this point, but we had a coupon for a free kid's cut, so I decided to make it a special outing for all.

The man who owns the salon was super nice to the kids. He even washed the girls' hair! The girls felt like little princesses I think with all the special attention. River stayed pretty still for his cut and then wanted to play in the hair that was on the floor while the girls got their hair cut. It's pretty gross to think about, but I guess if you're a kid, it may seem like a soft sand box.

The Little Ski Instructor

2010-03-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

McKinley is skiing right now with her Grandma Spaulding and two of her cousins (Sara, 10 and Heather, 6 1/2). This is their second trip up the mountain together since Sara and Heather have been here. When they went on Friday, Heather was skiing for her first time. According to Grandma, McKinley did all the teaching. She taught her the wedge (pizza) to slow herself down and straight (french fries) for going faster. Apparently, she covered everything from arm positions to wide turns and cutting across the mountain so they wouldn't go so fast. McKinley was skiing in front and having Heather follow her tracks just like we've done with her. It made me so proud to think of her as a little ski instructor. I wish I could've seen it!

Sage and River were very disappointed that they didn't get to go, but it would've been too much for Jeanne to take Sage with the other three. I could've gone to help, but since we only have one set of skis and boots for River and Sage to share, I would've been stuck with one of the kids at the bottom of the slopes anyway. It would've been a lot of work for not much play. Since the ski season is about over, they may have to wait until next year.

Wow! It's Been Forever!

2010-03-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have been neglecting my blog for so long that everything has changed. Our family picture was taken in the hospital less than 24 hours after having River. Now we're going to have another boy in about 2 months. I guess it's time for some updates.

Roy has gone full time in his private practice and is the best MFT and Play Therapist around if you ask me. ;) He's currently serving as the Treasurer for the ID Association for MFTs and is one of 2 reps from our state at a training conference in Washington DC. He's having a great time there and learning some valuable things to help his pracice as well as the association.

McKinley is a great reader! She's one of the youngest in her 1st grade class (since she doesn't turn 7 until July), but she's the fastest reader. She loves to read and is disappointed several nights to have to interrupt a chapter book to go to bed. She loves riding her bike and rollerblading and loves to be with her younger siblings. She'll be a big help I'm sure when we have our baby.

Sage, age 4, is starting to read as well and loves preschool. She is quite the independent girl -- hardly ever letting me do her hair or help with anything. She loves to surprise family members by making their beds, cleaning a floor, or putting laundry away. She's a real sweetheart and wants to be just like her big sister. Anything McKinley does, Sage does too for the most part. They love to be together . . . I hope that continues. She also loves to dance and is very graceful; we need to get her into a class.

River, 2, is growing in his independence as well. He no longer wants my help in getting dressed in the morning, but wants to be with me and help me a lot still. Yesterday, when I asked who his best friend is (expecting him to say Jake), he said, "Mommy". He loves cars, trains, and sports. He often throws things to make a basket -- toys into their bins, food or washcloths in the sink, clothes into the washer or dryer, etc. -- and says, "Nice throw." He has a fun personality.

The night before St. Patrick's Day, McKinley was choosing her clothes for the holiday and was explaining the rules of the day to Sage (you have to wear green or you get pinched and if you wear red, you get kissed). McKinley was not content wearing a shirt with green on it, but wanted it to be all green. Sage on the other hand wanted to wear no green and wear red because she wanted to be "pinched and kissed". Boy are we in trouble!

I love being a mom! It's always something new . . . except of course the laundry, dishes, and other chores that I can never seem to get caught up with. Life on the whole is good.

Free Photo Books

2009-01-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

I have gotten into making photo books since there have been a few free offers lately on different sites. I made one through Snapfish and just finished one through artscow.com. I loved artscow! There were so many options. Of course, with any new site, it takes a little experimenting to figure out how to do everything, but I think it's worth it to get such great deals.

Happy Birthday Sage!

2008-11-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

Sage turned 3 years old yesterday! I can hardly believe how fast those years have gone! She just wrote her name really well today on a picture she drew of herself. The S is backward, but other than that, it looked really good. I was totally impressed.
I took the kids to my parents house for a few hours yesterday while I went into Roy's office to learn how to bill insurance companies since I'll be doing his billing for his private practice. The girls always have fun at their grandparents' homes. It was fun to see them interact with my parents when I came back. At their request, my dad was telling sillly stories of when the girls were born and all the funny made-up names that he said we were going to name them. He had them giggling like crazy! It was so cute!
We had chocolate chip pumpkin bread and ice cream to celebrate her birthday, but we're having her real family party on Sunday.
The day before her birthday, Grandma Jeanne took the girls to Build-a-Bear since she and Al left town yesterday morning. She chose a pink teddy bear, which she named Sunshine. I have cute pictures to post, but I'll have to post them later.
We're so lucky to have both sets of grandparents so close! They're great!!!

Cleaning Party

2008-08-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

I told the girls they needed to clean their room before getting anything else out to play. McKinley decided to have a cleaning party and invited me to come. When I went to the door, she told me I couldn't come in . . . I had to pay first! That is one smart girl if you ask me. She earns a little money while getting help cleaning!

The Little Grown-up

2008-08-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Sunday after McKinley's birthday, we took a little stroll to deliver cookies to some of our friends and neighbors. I had been roller blading most mornings at that time, pushing the kids in the jogger (McKinley would usually ride her bike). She got roller blades for her birthday --(Thanks Trina and Gary:) -- and loves to practice, so she decided she would push her doll in her stroller while I pushed the younger two kids in mine. She looked so cute and acted so grown up! When we got to one of the houses, I told her I was just going to go up to the door since the driveway was a hill and I'd be right back. She said, "Okay Mom; I'll just stay here and watch the kids." I thought it was so cute that she said that and wanted to share the adorable comment, but she got embarassed and didn't even want me to tell her daddy. I debated writing about it on the blog, since she wouldn't want anyone to hear the story. I almost didn't blog about it, but I am afraid I will forget about it before I get it written in her private journal. She is growing up so fast and is so nurturing and loving toward her brother and sister (most of the time). She'll make a great mom someday! By the end of our jaunt, all three of them were exhausted!
Also, soon after her birthday, Sage opened the front door and almost went out. McKinley stopped her and said, "No Sage. You have to have a grown-up. You need to wait for Mom or me to go with you." A few minutes later, I heard her singing, "I'm five. I'm a grown-up now." over and over again. I'm pretty sure she was thinking of a song her great Uncle Michael sang to her when he was in town recently, which says, "I'm five, I'm five; I'm a big girl now I'm five."

When I Was Four

2008-07-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

McKinley turned five years old on Monday! It was a fun and busy day since several of Roy's family members were in town. In the evening, McKinley sat on a little baby push-along bike/walker and said, "I'm kinda too big for this. When I was four, I used to sit on this and scoot around sometimes." I thought it was hillarious. It took effort to keep from laughing out loud. :)

Little Puzzler

2008-06-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sage is following in her big sister's footsteps. They both love puzzles and do very well with them, but Sage amazed me today when she put a 25-piece puzzle together all by herself! She's 2 1/2 and this was a box with pieces in it and no outline on a board to help. It took her a while, but she patiently turned pieces around and tried them in a few places until she found the right spot. I was so proud of her! I would post a picture, but I didn't have the digital camera. I did however take a picture with a film camera, but it will take a while to get them developed.

Roley Poley River

2008-06-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you who were around when McKinley was a baby . . . Do you think River is on his way to her chunk statis?

It seems to me that no baby could be quite as chubby as McKinley was. He seems so much more solid, but River does have about three chins and some rubber band lines on his arms and legs. He's just so cute if you ask me.

Cute McKinley Stories

2008-05-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

McKinley and Sage say and do cute things all the time. Unfortunately, I haven't been the best at recording them. There were a few days in February that I wrote down some cute things that McKinley said to or about River. These stories are kind of old now, but I wanted to record these before they get lost. I wrote on the back of a pad of construction paper that was handy at the time.

2/6/08
McKinley was holding River in her lap on the floor, singing a made-up tune:
I love your legs cuz they kick, kick, kick.
I love your arms cuz they move up and down.

I love your (?) cuz they don't do anything.

I love your ears cuz they hear.
I love your eyes cuz they see.
I love your teeth -- you don't have any teeth.
I love your whole body cuz it can rock.
Cuz everything can matter -- like dancing!
I love you!

2/9/08
McKinley to River: "So . . . What are we going to do together -- just you and me? Play a game?

2/11/08
McKinley picked River up when he started crying and I was in the middle of trying to make dinner or something in the kitchen.
Me: "Thank you for calming River down."
McKinley: "No problem. It's just a little stand up and rockin. I could do this all the time when he cries . . .(a few seconds later) . . . That's enough holding for now." (River is pretty heavy)

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

2008-05-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago on a Wednesday (when Roy doesn't have to work during the day), we went to the park down the street to take advantage of the perfect kite-flying conditions. We had been busy doing other things during the day so we didn't leave ourselves as much time as we would've liked. We were having such a good time, we stayed a little longer than we should've. Roy tends to time things extremely close and had to rush to work without eating, but amazingly made it there in time. It was a fun family activity.

Preparing Our Garden

2008-05-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Last year, we tried planting a garden and put a lot into it (we even brought in more soil) but it didn't do well at all. This year, Roy set it up a little differently and it has already been doing much better.

Roy tilled the ground and made it really soft and rich. The kids love playing in the parts we haven't planted yet. Roy is really determined to make it work this year.

You've all heard of making snow angels. Well, this is a dirtier version -- dirt angels.

River is getting so big and has a smile on his face most of the time.

Thanks Erin!

2008-05-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been over a month since I last posted and I miss sharing events with everyone! Since I haven't been blogging, I haven't been on the computer much and therefore haven't been checking everyone else's blogs. Thanks to Erin and her suggestion to try Photobucket, I'm ready to start again. I need to figure out how to do slide shows and everything since there will be a ton of pics I want to share. :) We'll see how I do. I don't have a lot of time right now, but I'll post soon. Thanks a bunch Erin!

Hot Dog

2008-04-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

After church today, the girls wanted hot dogs for lunch. I always cut the hot dogs in half lengthwise before placing them on the buns. Since Sage never eats a whole one, I cut hers in fourths (once crosswise and once lengthwise). I asked her if I could have one. She told me I could, so I ate one of the fourths. As I put the last little bite in my mouth and started chewing, she scouled and said, "hey". McKinley responded, "Well, you can't have it now." (pause) Actually you could, but you'd have to wait for her to poop -- but you wouldn't want it then."

River's Blessing

2008-03-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

Roy blessed River in church this past Sunday. He did a great job and we were grateful for the support of both of our families! We had a great weekend for the most part. The only negative was a result of Teton's disappearance. Luckily, we found him today at the nearest animal shelter, about 20 minutes or so from our house. I can't upload any pictures as I've already exceeded my photo upload quota. I'll post pictures again when I figure out how to archive my blog thus far.

Temple and Valentines

2008-02-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

River had a doctor's appointment in Boise Thursday, so we took advantage of the day in Boise. We visited my Grandma, my parents, and stopped and walked around the Boise Temple. It was a beautiful day, so we just couldn't pass by without stopping. River was asleep and had sore legs from the three immunization shots he'd recieved at his appointment. I just let him stay asleep, but I got some cute pictures of the girls.

Valentine's Day came too quickly for us this year and we didn't get the kids' presents made in time for their daddy. I bought the stuff to do it in January, but planned on doing the project early February. Time flew and we just gave it to him this morning. It was not just a one day project since we had to let the molds dry and then paint them, but it was fun. The girls were so excited to give them to Daddy, we wrapped them last night while they were still damp from the paint.

Making Pinatas

2008-02-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

Grandma Spaulding tries to do something once a week with her grandkids that live close by. Last Tuesday, they made pinatas, which she'll let them decorate another day. Hunter didn't want much to do with it at first, but ended up enjoying himself. McKinley had a great time, but went to play with Hunter after a little while. Sage, however, had the longest attention span of the three. She could've done this for hours. She was the first and last one at the table working on hers and was so focused! River was just plain happy.:) Thanks for the fun, Grandma!

Swimming in the Tub

2008-02-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I let the kids go "swimming" in our bathtub. Sage has been talking about going swimming for a long time and we haven't done it, so they put swimming suits on and splashed around. I put River in a swim diaper so he could join them. He loved it! He kicked his little legs, splashed with his arms, and smiled so big. I was holding his head most of the time, but I did manage to let go long enough to catch this happy expression. The girls loved having him in there with them. "Swimming" just wouldn't have been complete without all of them. :)

Snow is Falling All Around

2008-02-05T07:19:00.001-08:00

We've gotten so much snow lately! The mountian close to us where we go skiing got 4 feet last week. I'm not sure how much we've had in the valley, but it's more than they've had here in years!
Our Stake President even cancelled church Sunday. How often does that happen? I think he must be a California transplant. :)

We took advantage of the snow this weekend to go sledding. Although we don't have actual sleds or big hills close by, we didn't let that stop us. We went to Roy's parents' house and tied one of our kayaks to the back of Grandma and Grandpa's 4 wheeler. Grandpa drove us all around the fields surrounding their house.
We even got high centered a couple times going over big snow drifts. Sage had fun at first I think, but didn't last the whole time. She ended up riding on the 4 wheeler for the second half.
Roy started out on the innertube, holding on to the rope attached behind the kayak while I rode on the back of the kayak with the girls.
Later, Grandma rode on the back with McKinley while I rode on the innertube. While I was riding, I kept having to lift up my behind to keep it from dragging. My body kept having to go straighter so I was practically lying flat. I kept yelling to Roy (now on the 4 wheeler with Sage) to ask him if I was losing air. It wasn't long before I was just dragging the deflated tube with me while I slid on my rear end. I have to say, it didn't make me feel too good to think that I was the one who popped the tube. :/ It was rather funny though. Roy and I then took each other on a little more wild ride. We all had a good time. River slept through the whole thing, which was nice.

When we were nice and warm inside, Sage took to her favorite banana chair. She ran as fast as she could to knock it over and roll off. This was her favorite part of our snow day I think.

Skiing

2008-02-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

McKinley learned to ski last winter and was anxious to hit the slopes! She went skiing over Christmas break too, but unfortunately, I wasn't there to take pictures. She did three runs before calling it quits so Sage could take a turn. We forgot the Edgy Wedgy to keep the ski tips together, which wasn't a problem for McKinley, but we worried a little bit about Sage.

Sage skiied last year in the backpack, but this year she said she wanted to do it by herself. Sage was so bundled up and the ski boots were too big (they're the same ones McKinley uses). She reminded me of the little boy in A Christmas Story ("I can't put my arms down!"). Most of you are probably familiar with that movie -- it's a classic as far as I'm concerned. :) Roy had to keep grabbing her harness to help her trek through the snow. Having skis on her feet was a new and exciting experience. She smiled and giggled, but couldn't move very well on flat ground without her Daddy's help. He finally picked her up in his arms and carried her to the lift.

She struggled a little bit at first standing up on her own. She kept leaning forward and relying on her Dad to keep her up. At first, I wondered if Roy was going to have to hold her up the whole way down the mountain. That was not the case. It didn't take long before she started allowing Roy to lengthen his hold on the straps. She did a great job by the end even without anything to keep her ski tips together. She's a natural just like McKinley! :)

Roy's mom was kind enough to come skiing with us and take turns with the kids. Truth be told, she only got to ski about an hour of the time we were there. She was so great to let Roy and I ski with the girls and with each other. When we finished skiing and were packing up for the day to hurry back for Roy's evening of clients, I rushed out to get a picture of River on his first trip to a ski lodge. He was asleep when I picked him up and put this bunting on him.

Obviously it didn't affect him too much to be put against a few skis or tree trunk in the snow since he kept on sleeping! :)

Husband Tag

2008-01-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

Husband tag...
I was tagged by Becky (my sister-in-law)...

What is his name? Roy

How long have you been married? 6 1/2 years (7 in August)

How long did you date? 6 months

How old is he? 33

Who eats more sweets? About the same (I have a definate sweet tooth and I munch through the day, but he makes up for it at night. :)

Who said I love you first? He did.

Who is taller? He is.

Who can sing better? Definately me, not that I'm great ;)

Who is smarter? He is.

Who does the laundry? I do, with the exception of a load of garage rags, riding or snow gear every now and then.

Who pays the bills? I do.

Who sleeps on the right side? He does (if you're standing at the foot of the bed).

Who mows the lawn? Roy does more than I do, but his schedule is very hectic and I don't mind doing it when I can. That was before our third child, so we'll see if I continue every once in a while. :)

Who cooks dinner? I do most of the time. He enjoys doing it every now and then, but he's only home for dinner on the weekends, which is when we're getting a bunch of other things done too.

Who drives? Mostly Roy. I prefer not to when I have the choice, but on long trips, we take turns.

Who is more stubborn? It's a toss-up.

Who kissed who first? He kissed me.

Who asked who out first? He asked me.

Who proposed? He did.

Who has more siblings? He does (6 for him, 5 for me).

Who wears the pants? Roy, but I can get my way if it's important enough to me.

I tag Anna Knotts and all my other friends who haven't done this yet

First Pig Tails

2008-01-25T20:56:00.000-08:00

Not the best pics, but this was the first time Sage wore all her hair up in pig tails.

Just an updated photo of our sweet boy.

Sam, You Made The Pants Too Long!

2008-01-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

Roy's sister and brother-in-law (Trina and Gary) sent Roy a birthday present that came in the mail on Wednesday. They had wrapped the present in a pair of Gary's old jeans. McKinley tried them on and wore them around the house for a little while. We thought they looked just a little too big, but she thought they fit just right. ;)

The title of this post actually refers to a story from my teenage years. My sisters will surely know what I'm referring to, but for the rest of you I'll briefly explain.

Anyone who knows my mom well, knows she has an endless repertoire of songs in her mind. There is truly one for EVERY occasion. One might even question if she made several of them up on the spot because there's just no way there would actually be a song about THAT! (Whatever "that" was at the time).

When two of my sisters and I (or it might have just been my younger sister and I) were getting ready to go to Girl's Camp one year, my mom pulled out a bunch of old jeans that we wouldn't care about if something happened to them. Sarah tried on a pair that was so long, they extended quite a bit past her feet. My mom broke out singing "You made the coat and vest fit the best. You made the lining nice and strong; but SAM, you made the pants too long . . . " We were rolling on the floor we were laughing so hard! We have since learned all the words and could sing along with her. She sure was a fun mom to have around and still is! The songs and dances will hopefully never end!

Loud Visitors

2008-01-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

Early last week, city workers came to clean out the street drains by our house. The girls were thrilled to see a big truck and are always curious about any large truck or machinery. They obviously thought it was much too loud.

River Smiling

2008-01-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

River has been a smiley guy from the beginning, but it wasn't until Tuesday that I caught a smile on film. He's such a chubby little baby now. It's fun that he smiles in response to play now. I'll have to have Roy help me get a better picture of him smiling. This one was taken at an awkward angle. He was in his bouncy seat on our kitchen island while I mopped the floor.

Building a Snow Girl

2008-01-12T22:28:00.000-08:00

I think the pictures tell the story pretty well. We all had a good time helping to build this snowgirl. McKinley was disappointed by the non-colorful scarf, but at least we had a pink hat to put on her. :) We actually did this on Wednesday. I'm just behind on my posts.

River: One Month

2008-01-12T08:53:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very good about posting lately because for a while we thought our hard drive crashed. I was very grateful when Roy took some things apart and fixed our computer. Luckily the hard drive was fine and we didn't lose any pictures or data and I now have access to the internet once again. :)

River is one month old today. I can't believe it's been that long already! Time flies and he is getting so big! We have all been enjoying River. He is such a happy boy and loves his sisters.

McKinley's Bed

2008-01-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Roy finished one of the beds for the bunk beds on Saturday. He let McKinley help paint the side supports for the bed, which she thought was just awesome. This first one will be hers and Sage will get the next one. The bed is totally solid and looks really nice. I'm glad Roy likes to build stuff and that he does such a good job! :)

Happy Birthday Roy!

2008-01-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to our favorite husband/dad in the world! You are a carpenter, a climbing gym, a ski instructor, a story-teller, a tickle monster, a camping buddy, a teacher, a builder of snowmen, a hiker, an example, a counselor, an entertainer, and a friend. :) We are so glad that you do so many adventurous things and are so playful! You make our home a fun and happy place. You work hard to provide for our family and we appreciate all you do for us! We wouldn't trade you for the world! We love you so much!!!

Expressive Girls

2007-12-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

I went to take a picture of Sage on Sunday and she started to make faces at me. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and it turned into a photo shoot. I would ask her to show me certain expressions and she performed like a professional model. :) Show me: upset, happy, surprised, sad, questioning -- (oh really?), and mad. She's quite the expressive one.

I tried to do the same with McKinley, but she had her own ideas of what to do. She wanted to show me excited, silly, baby, flower (she's growing/blooming), reindeer, and tree. They're quite the characters. :)

The Ugliest Christmas Sweater

2007-12-17T18:15:00.000-08:00

Saturday night we went to Roy's work party. Everyone was encouraged to wear an ugly Christmas sweater for a contest. Roy went to D.I. and bought this sweater, embroidered with little birds. It was just too plain, so he also bought garland and some ornaments to add to it. He took those things, along with his brilliant idea, to his mom to help him make it. Luckily, his mom is a talented seamstress and worked with him to create this beautiful masterpiece. As you can see, there really wasn't much competition. Who could really compete with this?

Our Little Elves

2007-12-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

After seeing my sister Kris' elf dance, McKinley and Sage couldn't get enough of watching it , so Kris made one for them. Needless to say, they LOVED watching themselves dance around on the computer!

Sleepy Heads

2007-12-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

McKinley is perfectly content to sit and hold River for as long as we'll let her. She has the Boppy pillow around her waist and River fits right in, so she doesn't have to worry about trying to keep his head up. Yesterday, she fell asleep with River while she was holding him on the couch.

Welcome River!

2007-12-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

River Carson Spaulding was born at 10:18 pm Wednesday night. He weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and is 21 inches long. Though he doesn't have much hair, we think it's more than either McKinley or Sage had, and it looks like it will be dark and curly. Deciding on a name was a difficult task since it's what he'll be for the rest of his life. We've used a family name (to remind them of their great heritage) and a nature name (to remind them to enjoy the beauties of nature and all that God has created) with each of our children. Their names have a lot of significance to us and hopefully will mean a lot to each of them someday. We chose the name Carson because that is Roy's middle name. The name River requires a lot more explaination. When we first told the girls we were going to have a baby, McKinley said that if it was a girl, we should name her Sparkly and if it was a boy, we should name him River. I thought that was pretty cool that she would chose such an appropriate name for a boy that fits our naming pattern and it makes her feel really good that she got to help name him. Of course that's not the only reason for his name. Roy was a raft tour guide in Alaska several years ago and got pretty involved in white water kayaking. He taught me to kayak when we were dating and rivers have been a big part of our life together. The most significant meaning of River's name to me comes from rivers themselves. Not only are they beautiful and sometimes tranquil, but they're also strong and powerful. A river can bring life to its surroundings and doesn't let the hard, jagged stones (trials in life) weigh it down. It takes whatever is thrown into it's path and moves on, taking the rough stones and making them smooth. Rivers can also provide a means for fun, excitement, and adventure in ways that can unite people, as has been the case with our family.
My Mom brought McKinley and Sage into the hospital to see us and they both LOVE River! Sage wanted to hold him right away, but McKinley needed a little time to observe before she was ready. Neither one of the girls can seem to get enough of River! They aren't acting jealous yet, so that's good. They are both just wanting to play Mommy and will be huge helpers I'm sure!;)
We came home from the hospital last night after a very positive experience there. We didn't even stay 24 hours after delivery, but we were ready to get back to our girls and our own bed. :)

I'm Waiting!

2007-12-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

My due date is three days away and I don't want to go over! I was hoping to have this baby early so his birthday would not be so close to Christmas. I have been trying all the natural methods of inducing labor, but nothing seems to work. I even took Teton on a walk on Sunday morning. . . That was a bad idea! I came home frustrated beyond belief after wrestling with him the whole time. It felt like I was having one long contraction while exerting all my muscles, but to no avail. I just felt sore, emotional, and lucky to have not fallen flat on my face and belly. Oh, well. I guess he'll come when he's ready, but I sure hope it's sooner rather than later. (sigh)

Happy Birthday Matt!

2007-12-07T07:26:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday to my favorite oldest brother, Matt! I have to say I don't know anyone more patient and loving. We're anxious to find out what you decide about moving out here, Matt. We'd love to have you if that would be best for you and your family! No pressure. . . We love you, Matt! We'll support whatever you and Suzanne decide.:) We hope you get to relax a little bit and celebrate this great day! We'll be thinking about you.

Santa

2007-12-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

We went to the mall to see Santa today. McKinley loved him! He was very kind and obviously has a real beard. Neither of the girls were afraid of him or anything, but McKinley ran back to give him a quick hug when they got off his lap. :) When I asked McKinley if he was the real Santa or one of Santa's helpers, she said he was the real one.
This is quite a different reaction than she had last year. Christmas Eve, we were getting ready to put her to bed and told her she had to go to sleep so Santa could come and leave her presents. Roy took her to the computer to see a web site that tracked Santa's route through the world. McKinley got really worried and said she didn't want to trap Santa. When we explained that we weren't going to trap him; we were just seeing where he was, she started worrying about him coming into our house (like he was a burgler or something). She started crying and said she didn't want Santa to come anymore -- even if he left presents for her. I don't think we have to worry about that kind of response this year.

My Painting

2007-12-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

This is a painting I finished today of the last rapid of a section on the American River that Roy and I kayaked with 2 of his siblings. Roy signed me up for a painting class for my birthday. I have been working on this painting each Wednesday for several weeks and today was the last day of the class. Since I have no place to paint at home and seeing as I could have this baby any day, I knew I had to finish the painting today. I would like to have done a few more things to the painting, but I hurried through and at least it's done and I won't have to worry about an unfinished painting after the baby comes. :)

Daring Little Jumpers

2007-12-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

We have quite the jumpers in our home! When we were at my parents' house, McKinley was jumping from the top of the second half of the split stairs to her dad, standing at the bottom. You can't really tell in this picture, but it was quite a distance! Luckily, Sage didn't have a desire to follow in McKinley's flight path for this activity. She was happy to play a game of catch from the top of the stairs and had an impressive throwing arm if you ask me. :)
The kids' room is in the process of being transformed to make room for all three of them. Roy has not yet finished building the bunk beds he's been working on. At this point, I'll be happy when one bed is done so we have room under the bed for some things. We just got a second matress, which we put under McKinley's matress on the floor for now. McKinley has been jumping from the top of the toy box (stacked on top of the under-the-bed box) to her matress, but now it's much more bouncy and fun. Sage has not been able to do it by herself until the other night when Roy encouraged her to try. Maybe I'm just a little too careful, but Roy sat on the floor ready to catch her just in case, and she did just great! She didn't have room to spare (as she landed on the edge of the bed) and bounced forward onto her face after landing on all fours each time, but she loved it!
McKinley was all about the tricks she could do in the air. Is anyone surprised? She was turning around, jumping over her daddy's head, jumping with her eyes closed, and anything else she could think to try. I should have had the video camera going. At any rate, I think we have a little dare devil on our hands.

End of November

2007-12-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted, so these are kind of random. I just wanted to remember these cute little things the girls do on a fairly regular basis. They made waffles one morning, taking turns putting ingredients in and using the hand mixer.
This next picture shows McKinley cutting celery sticks for dinner with a small sharp knife (always supervised). Yes, she's in her pajamas and had been wearing them all day. They were passed down from one of my friend's daughters the night before and McKinley loves them! I think she would wear them every day if I let her and if I never had to wash them. ;) Sage is cutting a banana with a butter knife. Most of her banana made it into her mouth rather than the little bowl I provided her with. It's really what I expected. They love to cut and are very careful.
Matt and Suzanne were in town last weekend with Lydia, so those of us who live here, got together at Gramma and Grampa Hansen's for dinner. The kids always love to play together. Matt has a job opportunity here, which would be great to have more family around, but he would be giving up a lot with his career dreams and what he loves to do. They have a tough decision ahead of them and we wish them the best whatever they choose. :)
Roy went with his friend, Scott, to cut down a couple trees in the mountains last Saturday. I haven't seen the one Scott chose, but ours is pretty cute. McKinley and Sage helped me get out some of the Christmas things while Daddy was gone. We actually just the stockings out and the train that goes around the tree. We listened to Christmas music on line and had a good time.

Favorite Activities

2007-11-26T18:06:00.000-08:00

This hoola hoop that the kids are standing in is bent out of shape, but the kids don't care. It has become thier rocket ship. They climb inside and race around the house in it, taking turns being the astronaut captain in control. I love thier imaginations!

McKinley and Sage love to pull all the cushions off the couch and jump into the pile. They've gotten pretty creative with their jumping. It's fun to see how Sage tries to copy all of McKinley's tricks (spinning in the air, jumping sideways, diving, doing summersaults, etc.). Our living room -- the first thing you see from the front door -- doesn't always look perfect, but the kids have fun.

Treading Thin

2007-11-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

I left McKinley and Sage with my parents today while I went to an appointment with my midwife in Boise. The girls love to go to their house and Sage always goes straight for the wooden duck in my dad's office. It's funny that this would be such a beloved toy since it's really just a decoration and there are plenty of other toys to play with. Sage usually just takes the duck and plays with it, but apparently, today she felt the need to replace it with something else. My dad said that after taking the duck, she returned a minute later with this silver knight and carefully placed it on the shelf, moving it back and forth until she was satisfied it was in just the right spot. We had a good laugh.

After loading the kids and myself into our mini van, my mom noticed my front tire was low and wondered if we needed to air it up immediately before driving back to Nampa or if I could wait until a more convenient time. I was wanting to get home for Sage's nap. My dad came out to give his opinion and noticed the belt showing through the tire and was afraid we'd end up blowing it. I knew the tires were wearing thin because I had to have a flat repaired a couple months ago and they said they couldn't legally put the tire back on our vehicle because the tire didn't have enough tread. They were nice enough to put a used tire on for free to get us through until we could replace all four. I guess we'd put it off a little too long as you can see. We were lucky we didn't blow a tire.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

We went to my parents' house for Thanksgiving this year. It was a small group consisting of my parents, my dad's mom, and our little family. Though there were few of us there, we were not lacking any food. We had a delicious smorgasbord! My parents went all out with very little contributed from us.
I feel very grateful that our kids get to know one of their great-grandmas and both sets of grandparents. It's nice living close to family.

The kids entertained themselves with Grampa's wooden duck (always a favorite), the doctor's kit, and other various toys. I worked on coloring file folder games for the girls and we all watched the movie Ratatouille. It was a great day!
McKinley wanted to type her name and a few others. She did hers in the sentence above and these are others that she typed: Sage, baby.

An Eventful Day

2007-11-21T20:36:00.001-08:00

First thing this morning, the girls got started making Thanksgiving cards for grandparents and their dad. They got so involved drawing and gluing fabric scraps on their cards that it kept both of them busy while I made dough for the rolls we'll have tomorrow. As much as I love to have them help me, I have to say it was very nice to make the dough by myself. It's a lot faster and less messy that way. Their cards turned out so cute too! I was proud of them.
After lunch, I gave McKinley and Sage each a piece of dough to make their own monkey bread while I made the dinner rolls. It's kind of a tradition that they enjoy when I make rolls. Since they would only get one clump of dough (enough for a small loaf pan), they made it last. They pounded, rolled, cut, dipped the dough in butter and cinnamon sugar, and put it in the pan. One might think that would be enough, but they squished it all up after that and did it again. McKinley ended up with monkey bread made of tiny pieces and Sage had a cinnamon swirl loaf. My floor needs a good mopping now, but they had so much fun.

They were proud of themselves when they got to share the finished product with their friends who came over (ages 2, 3, & 4) while their parents went Christmas shopping. It was a full and active house, but we all had a good time.

With every busy day, it seems there has to be some fiasco for me. Today, it involved Teton. I freaked out the other night when I saw a mouse run into our garage. I put some mouse bait blocks in a couple places that I thought were safely out sight and talked to the girls about what I had done and told them not to try to get to them. I didn't have this talk with Teton and since he's hardly ever in the garage, I didn't think it would be an issue. Maybe I just wasn't thinking (sigh). Roy was in the garage working on the bunk beds that he's building for the girls and had Teton out there with him. Teton stuck his nose between the wall and the freezer and was able to get the poison. Roy had to rush him to the vet to get him to vomit the poison out. I, of course, feel very bad about the whole situation (to say the very least) and hope we don't see any negative effects from it. It's a painful lesson to learn, but I won't be using anything like that again!

I'm looking forward to a nice, semi-relaxing day with family tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Swimming with Grandma

2007-11-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

We went swimming at Givens Hot Springs yesterday with Grandma Spaulding. Both girls jumped off the side of the pool a ton of times. Sage got a little too comfortable doing it and ran around McKinley to jump in by herself (where I wasn't waiting to catch her). It didn't take long to get to her, but it was enough to scare us. Sage was more apprehensive after that; she loved being in the pool as long as she didn't go under the water. For the rest of the time Sage felt the need to hold onto me -- even in the pool that she could walk around in. McKinley had no fear and couldn't get enough time in the water! We had a lot of fun and feel blessed to be so close to loving grandparents!

Teton: our mountainous puppy

2007-11-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

My friend, Nikki, just shared a story on her blog about their 120 pound St. Bernard pup. While our puppy is just a light-weight (88 pounds) compared to hers, I could relate to the feelings of weakness when trying to control such a strong animal. I realized then that I haven't even mentioned him in our blog, so I figured it's probably time. Although I weigh more than Teton (our Retriever/Lab puppy), my muscles can't compete -- shocker, I know. I can no longer take him for walks with the girls as he is the one who ends up walking us.

Last night when Roy got home from work, he brought Teton into the house and practiced some tricks with him. (Roy is 6'2" so you have a reference for Teton's size). He's a good puppy, despite his hyperactivity, but he'll be a very good dog someday.

We have another good little puppy around. Sage pretends to be a cat or dog frequently and is very good at retrieving. :)

Tea and Birthday Parties

2007-11-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

A few mornings ago, McKinley and Sage hosted a tea party with Roy and I as their guests. They were so careful pouring the "tea" (it was really water) and handling the fragile little cups and saucers. They were perfect little hostesses and we had a most delightful time. :)

I've had requests from my sisters to show them the cakes I made for Sage's birthday. My mom started a tradition when we were young that my siblings and I have tried to continue. She would ask us what we wanted for our cake and made the most amazing creations according to what we asked. She made Cabbage Patch Doll cakes that looked just like our own dolls, standing doll cakes, a basketball that was a perfect sphere, cars, and more without ever using cake molds. I wouldn't even attempt some of what she did. I just showed Sage some pictures of cut-up cakes that I found on line and had her choose what she wanted. She chose the duck, so I also made a duck pond to go along with it. They're not spectacular, but I enjoyed making them.

Last night, we celebrated Sage's birthday at Roy's parents' house. It was very nice of them to let us use their home since ours is a bit too small for all the people we had over. We ate spaghetti, had cake and ice cream, and opened presents. Sage's reaction was priceless when she blew out the candles and we all cheered. She was so proud of herself and really seemed to love the attention. I wish I'd gotten a picture of her face at that moment, but I wasn't fast enough. She also loved opening the presents and wanted to play with each thing as soon as she got into the package. I think one new thing would've made her happy.

Music and Movement

2007-11-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

I take the girls to Music and Movement at the Kuna Library each Thursday. This past week, we took one of McKinley's friends, Hannah with us, and met their friends big Sage and Jada there (pictured). We sing songs, use props, and move around the room. The kids love it! Story time is right after that and then they do a craft. This past week, they read books about our country and then made these cute eagles out of paper bags. Sage, McKinley, and Hannah ran around with their eagles, moving them up and down as if they were flying and said, "caw, caw." The eagles

sounded more like crows to me, but they sure had fun with them. By the time we get home, it's time for lunch and Sage's nap. Sage was so tired, and had put these sunglasses on all by herself on the ride home. For some reason, she always puts them on upside down. I couldn't resist taking a picture.

I had to laugh

2007-11-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

Last night, as I was getting the kids ready for bed, I noticed Sage standing on the toilet holding a mirror with a handle. You may just think she would be looking at herself, but she was actually practicing her mad face. It made me laugh. Roy had recently commented on her faces and had said he wished we could get pictures of all of them. I guess it made her curious. :)
On a totally separate note, I have kind of lost my brain since I've been pregnant. It happens every time. My mind just looses the capacity to think or something. Well, one of the kids' cups got stuck in the sink yesterday. It was just the perfect size to block the opening and I couldn't get it out to save my life. When Roy came home, he separated the disposal part under the sink and pulled out the cup, full of water. He then dumped the water into the sink, which was now open underneath, so the water came right through. Apparently, I'm not the only one suffering from "pregnant brain". I laughed so hard -- I couldn't stop. Those of you who really know me, know that when I get laughing, I keep thinking about how funny it was and continue laughing about it well after the moment has passed. This was one such time.

What a difference a day makes

2007-11-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

It's so funny to me how monumental birthdays are when kids are young. I forgot to mention this in my last post, so since this is kind of my journal, I thought I'd better add this little story before I forget. The night before Sage's birthday, I asked the girls whose birthday would be tomorrow. Sage said, "me" enthusiastically and McKinley spoke excitedly about how Sage would be 2 and would be able to say more words. I tried to explain that things like that don't change over night and it would still take time for Sage to talk really well. The next morning, Sage woke up to the sound of the garbage truck and ran out of her room, pointing toward the front of the house yelling "truck"! The girls love seeing the garbage truck. Anyway, McKinley started asking her to say all kinds of words. She would say, "Can you say baby doll?" or any number of other words, and would praise Sage when she repeated what she had said. It was so cute! Sage was so proud of herself too.

Happy 2nd BIrthday Sage!

2007-11-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Sage turned two. I can't believe how fast those years have gone! Since Roy works long hours and has to commute to Boise, we got an early start on the birthday celebration. We had german pancakes for breakfast and then Sage opened presents before Roy left at 9:00. (It was an extra long day for him).

We packed the activities into the day after that, starting with a visit to their Great Grandma Hansen. We don't get to see her as much as we should, so that was a treat. We certainly love her.

From there, we went to Chuck E. Cheese's and then to Roy's work to meet him for lunch between his meetings. We went to a nearby park and had delicious peanut butter sandwiches. :) Gourmet -- I know. We played in the leaves for a while and really wore the kids out. It was really fun and I was glad we got to spend that time with Roy since he doesn't get home at night until around 10:00.

We stopped by Gramma Lydia and Grampa Warren's and had a little sherbet. When asked how old she is, Sage replies by saying 2, while holding up one finger on each hand -- it's so cute. Grandma and Grandpa Spaulding weren't home, so we didn't get to stop by there, but Grandma came by in the evening to wish Sage a happy birthday. We are so lucky to live close to grandparents and are grateful for all they do!

We'll have a family party for Sage on Sunday, but we got to do some fun things on her actual birthday. I'm sure she won't remember this birthday very long, but I will. It was a good day!

Reading together

2007-11-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

McKinley was such a cute little teacher one night last week. She was reading a book to Sage about babies (parts of the body, things to eat, pets, toys, etc.). When they were reading about parts of the body, Sage would point as she repeated the word. She's trying to point to her back in this picture. It was one of those moments that just made me smile and be glad I am a mom. I hope they'll always be so loving and kind to each other.

Check-up and Halloween

2007-11-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Monday, we all got to go to my check-up as a family to see how the baby is growing. The girls had so much fun with the little twisty stool while we waited in the room! They took turns spinning each other around and then gave their dolls turns. Their dolls would fly off when they'd spin the stool fast, which they thought was so funny. When we listened to the baby's heart, Margie (my midwife) asked the girls if it sounded like a horse galloping. McKinley laughed and said there isn't a horse in there, but Sage looked so confused!

Roy had to go to work from there, but the girls and I stopped by my parent's house to let them trick-or-treat at Gramma Lydia's and Grampa Warren's. Sage hated having her hood up and kept trying to take her costume off.

The girls ended up wearing completely different costumes for Halloween. McKinley ended up being some kind of princess and Sage was a ladybug. We got together with my friend Maaike, whose husband was out of town, to trick-or-treat at a nearby high school. Her girls are about the same age as ours and have fun playing together a lot. For those of you who have heard McKinley talk about her friend "big Sage", this is her.

We did have a trunk-or-treat that we went to briefly, which Grandma Jeanne came to, all dressed up as a clown, and passed out candy while we went around. It was very nice of her to come and I wish I'd remembered to take a picture of her with the kids.

McKinley and Sage loved passing out the candy and pencils when the kids came to the door. Roy dressed up in the mask we got in Italy. His favorite thing was scaring the bigger kids that came trick-or-treating. Some of the kids thought he was just a prop sitting by the door. Then when they would turn to leave, he would move toward them to see what a big scream he could get. I have to say he scared some of the kids pretty good!

Sunday Family Fun

2007-10-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a fun-filled family day. The girls often like to match, so we usually have their colors coordinated on Sunday if we can. This time, they even had matching hair. :)

When I was getting the girls ready, McKinley asked me if she would get to go up and sing in church. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by that question! I think that Primary Program last week was a big turning point for her. She even got excited about being asked to say the prayer in Primary next week -- something she would've dreaded a week ago.

Since Roy doesn't get home from work until after 10:00 most nights during the week, we try to make good use of our weekends as a family. We got together with some friends of ours (the Jarvis family) to carve pumpkins. McKinley really got into it! She helped hollow hers out and even carved some of the hair all by herself! She stuck to it for about an hour or so before she finally decided to go play with the other kids. I helped Sage with hers. She was more interested in looking at the final project than she was in the actual process.
Roy carved the pirate with an earring. When Sage looked at it all lit up, she said, "E-E", which translated means monkey. We laughed so hard. Roy thinks it must be that the earring looks like an ear. While I agree with that, I also think that the wide grin with the exposed teeth play a part. It was funny at any rate.

Roy took the kids to bed as wheelbarrows. Both of them loved it and did very well. I was impressed by their arm strength.

Chuck E. Cheese and Date Night

2007-10-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Chuck E. Cheese's on Saturday was a success. McKinley's friend, Michael (pictured), and his older brother came with us for the fun. Sage was terrified of the giant mouse and kept burying her face in my shoulder when we tried to take this picture, but she loved the rides and games.

Look out

Michael Jordan!

McKinley's tongue came out every time she threw the ball -- she even made some baskets.

Later Saturday night, Roy and I got to go out on a date -- a rare treat. We went to the Haunted World, which was an outdoor haunted woods-type thing. They went all out from costumes and make-up to props and even change in ground firmness! We hadn't been to a haunted house of any kind since before we were married and it was a lot of fun.

Firsts

2007-10-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

Both girls have been busy with all kinds of firsts.

Sage filled her whole potty chart and we'll be going to Chuck E Cheese's to celebrate today. I wish I could say she's fully potty trained, but she does a good job going in the potty when she wants to.

It will also be a trip to celebrate McKinley's participation in the Primary Program on Sunday. Hooray for both!

Sage got dressed in her pajamas all by herself Thursday night! She dresses herself frequently in pants, shirts, and dresses, but doesn't usually try these sleepers. She was determined and even got both arms in and zipped it up all by herself!

McKinley is very independent as well. She has tied her shoes in the past, but it hasn't been tight enough for me not to have to redo it. Thursday, however, she was determined and kept trying until she got it just right. Doesn't her shoe look impressively good? She was so excited to have done it so well and so was I. Apparently I was a little too excited and at first, she wasn't going to let me take a picture. She told me she doesn't like it when I get so excited when she does something new, so I guess I'll have to work on toning down my enthusiasm. Only after I agreed to work on staying calm, did she strike this adorable pose and let me take a picture.

Sage loves to play Operation, but usually just likes to make it buzz. This time, however, she used the pinchers to actually retrieve several of the pieces from the guy. She was such a careful little surgeon!

McKinley and Sage both love horses and love to ride around on pretend ones. McKinley uses this surgical tubing thing to jump rope and does it very well for her age, I might add. But in this picture, they were both mounted on their horse and were riding around the house on it having a great time! They were laughing so hard and took turns being in front.

Grateful

2007-10-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

I had the unfortunate opportunity to attend the funeral of a four-month-old baby in my ward today. As sad as it was, it was very uplifting spiritually. It was also a good reminder of how lucky I am to have such beautiful, healthy children -- including the one I'm carrying now. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is such a blessing in our lives! I can't imagine what one would do in a situation like my friend's, if they didn't have the comforting knowledge of an eternal family.

On a much lighter note . . . McKinley participated in the Primary Program in church on Sunday for the very first time. She has been too scared to go up with the other kids all of the other times the Primary has sung and frankly didn't want to go still. We bribed her with a promised family activity wherever she wanted to go, but it wasn't enough. We got one of her friends to come and get her, hoping she would go willingly if she had her closest friend to go up with her. That helped some, but even then, she had to be handed off to her teacher (by her dad).

Once she was there, she did a great job. She held up a picture of the D.C. temple for her part, which had special meaning for me since that was the temple picture my parents gave me when I turned 8 and also my temple on my mission. She sang all the songs and did such a good job! Sage was busy moving around between Roy and me, but would occasionally stop and find McKinley, point her out, and wave enthusiastically with a big smile on her face. We were all so proud of McKinley for this great accomplishment -- especially knowing how hard it was for her to be in front of so many people! I have to admit it made me a bit teary . . . maybe it's because I'm pregnant. :)

Sage has been talking a lot lately. She still signs quite a bit, but her signs are usually accompanied by words now. She and McKinley are the best of friends and are often seen with their arms around each other, reading books together, or playing with their baby dolls. They are so cute together! This is a picture of them with their little cousin, Jackson (Roy's brother Richard's baby for those of you who don't know Jack). I can hardly wait to see how they'll be with their little brother. I'm sure they'll want to help a lot if they aren't too jealous of the time he takes away from them at the beginning. I'm sure they'll be great big sisters! :)

Thanks Sarah!

2007-10-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

This is just to say thanks to my beautiful little sister who started this blog for me. Sarah, you're fabulous and we all love you!

Crystal

2007-10-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody. This is McKinley and Sage. We thought mommy could use a push in the right direction, so we've taken it upon ourselves to create this blogspot for her. I love everybody and wanted the title of this post to be Crystal. ;) I have an obedience chart and I'm doing AWESOME!! I'm getting so big and my hair is really long. I'm getting good at winking and I like to go to my friends house and watch movies. Sage's favorite colors are pink and blue. She loves her baby dolls. Mommy looks like an alien because her tummy is big. She looks pretty and she's going to have 6 or 7 kids.

(Sage has informed us that their little brother is in her tummy...not her mommy's tummy...her tummy. Shocking news to all of us. ;) This was typed by my favorite Aunt, Sarah. She typed what I was saying for the most part.)