Growing up and getting crazy!

Well, it was not enough that Kate is going to Kindergarten this year, she had to go and lose her first tooth this weekend!!!! At first I thought she knocked herself hard in the mouth, but no, she is just growing up. As usual, this milestone come before I was ready, but time must march forward! When she first lost the tooth, she says to me, " I was so brave, I should get a kitty." Thats my girl!

Unfortunately, the day before she lost her tooth, her and Lily talked Drew and I into getting this little guy. Yes, in answer to all your thoughts, I am crazy. Breastfeeding generally sucks out all my reason and good sense, and Kate and Lily seized the opportunity.

His name is Alex and he is a Corgi/Beagle mix, so his legs are only about 3 inches long. I put him next to Elise for a size comparison. We love him and are excited to have him in our family.

Elise now is practicing sitting up and getting chubby!

New Mexico 2011

In May we made our annual pilgrimage to New Mexico to visit Drew's parents. As always, we had a great time in the desert. The craziest part of our trip occurred when we were going for a walk and come up on this fellow in the yard. Not pausing to look close enough, we thought it was a rattlesnake and ran for the house (the picture was taken with a zoom.) We frantically got Animal Control to come out only to discover that our fearsome "rattler" was not only a harmless bull snake, but DEAD! Dead as can be...we definitely got a good laugh at ourselves.

Too cool for school

Our favorite New Mexico haunt has to be white sands. It is always beautiful, but this year the wind was really bad, so we didn't stay very long.

Something new this year was going to the driving range...what fun! The girls loved it and are on their way to golf greatness!

The girls with Grandma Heckert and Great Grandma Mitchell

All about Elise

Recently my pictures of Elise have been few and far between, so here is a post dedicated to our smallest jewel.

Working out in the yard at the end of April. It was beautiful weather, but windy, so she had to be bundled up quite a bit!

This MUST be for eating, isn't everything?

I am so big!! I can turn from my back to my front and from my front to my back.

Drool

Elise LOVES LOVES food.

She is an eating pro.

She will eat whatever I give her, and she expects us to share everything we are having.

This is her usual mode of transportation: the baby carrier

Not so sure about the swings

Happy girl outside

Our little lovely ladies

In April, the girls got their pictures taken (yes, again ;)) at the Riverfront, and I must say, they turned out beautiful. Elise was not in the picture-taking spirit, which is why there are so few of her.

This was her happiest moment, trying to eat the tulip.

I am such a blessed Mommy to have three beautiful daughters that will dress up and take pictures for me!

Utah and Easter

This month we had the pleasure of going out to Utah to pick up Andrew from college and celebrate Megan's birthday. After we survived a blizzard and Super strength winds throughout Kansas, the first thing we did was have an Easter egg hunt at my Aunt Alzina's with some of my cousins and their children. We had a great time! Here are Kate and Lily with Meg and Mel.

Cutie pie elise with mommy

Papa Clair and Mama "Zina" with baby Elise

We went up to Thanksgiving Point, which is about 30 minutes north of Provo to attend a tulip festival. The girls loved running around and the flowers were amazing!

We had a great time helping Megan open and enjoy her gifts.

Our last day in Utah we visited a place called Kangaroo Zoo which had lots of inflatables for the kids. The girls did a marvelous job of wearing themselves out.

We had a great time visiting our family and we can't wait to do it again...well, as long as we fly out next time!!!!