Three Girls and a Brother

Isn't He Cute?

2012-02-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

More Hiking

2012-01-26T07:28:00.000-05:00

Does it seem like I only post about hiking? I guess that's the only time I take pictures...we'll have to work on that.This time it was the day after Christmas.Almost the whole Dickson family was there.We missed KenziBeau.The next two pictures are great examples of the attitudes of the girls.Sometimes everyone is happy on the trail......and sometimes it's not such a good time.Truman stayed warm in the backpack.Dallyn just told me that this is when she and Carson snuck in the tree.Until next time, folks!

Sick Days

2012-01-12T07:56:00.001-05:00

We had our first time missing school last week.This girl had an ear infection and was very sad to miss school to go to the doctor. "But Mom, we're learning about snow today!"On Saturday this (she has a Hershey Kiss stuck in her cheek) girl had a high fever (104.7) so the advice nurse told us to come into Urgent Care. She didn't really have any other symptoms so she got lots of tests. When she mentioned that the back of her neck hurt and she wanted the lights off the doctor wanted us to go to the ER to check out possible meningitis. That was a scary possibility but I think I knew that she was way too cheerful to be too sick. (Except she wasn't cheerful when she got two shots of antibiotics in her legs. She cried HARD for 10 minutes or so because it hurt so bad.) We had a positive experience for our first time in the ER and they sent us home with just a mild case of pneumonia.She missed one day of preschool and now we're back to life as usual.We're very thankful that she got sick on a Saturday when Tyler was home to divide up kids. It was his birthday but we didn't have any set plans to be interrupted. And aren't those dresses from Auntie Ashley so cute! The girls call them their "jail dresses."

More Christmas 2011

2012-01-11T06:44:00.000-05:00

Thanks, Page, for taking way more (and better) pictures than I did!Pappy made breakfast for everyone when we got home from church.Love Dallyn's cute face and Everett's excitement.Santa had left a note (good thing Carson could read it to the kids!) to check the garage for one last present for each child.Pappy also got one last present!Tyler built a see saw for the backyard.We love going to Tagg's for the Christmas Feast. It's so fun to see my kids help pass out presents from Gram's tree because I used to love doing that! Merry Christmas everyone :)

Christmas Eve

2012-01-04T13:47:00.000-05:00

Bethlehem style dinner. We ate grapes, hummus, dates, grilled chicken pitas, hard boiled eggs, pomegranate, goat cheese & apple pastries (and lots more I just can't remember). No table, no chairs.Getting the shepherd ready.I guess it didn't stay on when I tied it because here is Ashley getting Brooklee ready again.Mary and Joseph.Everett makes a pretty cute wise man.Mary was so gentle with baby Jesus and she tenderly wrapped him in swaddling clothes. Unfortunately Truman really was sleeping so his understudy (a doll) took over.This cute angel got stage fright but did allow her picture to be taken at the end.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

Cousins with stockings.Opening presents.Grandmama got a buffalo skull!Adriel got makeup!And it's really too bad that these are the only pictures I have of the fun week we had with everyone home! We saw Eliza get married, went to the Natural History Museum, played Just Dance for the first time, feasted on Christmas, saw the lights at Bull Run, took family pictures, played Don't Eat Pete, went bowling, and had lots of cousin playtime!

Hiking the AT

2011-12-03T11:37:00.002-05:00

Our family loves to go on a hike. Right now I prefer to stick to little day hikes, unlike my parents who go for days at a time on the Appalachian Trail. And then there's crazy Mackenzie who will take our hiking love to a whole new level next summer. It's been fun to go in the autumn when you can kick autumn leaves as you walk. The Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend we went on a part of the trail where we could stop and see a shelter.Pappy is explaining how and why they use the "bear pole."Now the girls are pretending to sleep in the shelter.Do those girls look identical or what?Truman hikes in style.

What We've Been Up To (Between Halloween and Thanksgiving)

2011-11-30T15:29:00.001-05:00

Adriel loves the Mrs. Food Face plate from auntie Ashley.Brooklee and Dallyn wanted to wear the same thing for school so I had to document that it actually happened--they rarely dress alike. Also Brooklee loved her wavy hair.Truman mastered the two big "S's" that make life a lot more enjoyable: smiling and sleeping. The girls love to make him smile and coo and I love that he sleeps 12 hours at night, waking just once to eat.

Halloween

2011-11-29T13:23:00.000-05:00

I guess we're going back in time a little bit! My bad...Both Brooklee and Dallyn needed a bathroom break during trick-or-treating. When Dallyn, Sharon, and I came back to the house Sharon decided to stay home in case Truman woke up. As Dallyn was walking out the door she was leaving Grandma with a list of instructions. "If baby Truman wakes up just give him a paci until my mom comes home to feed him." It was cute.Halloween seems like it was a LONG time ago, but we really miss Grandma & Grandpa! And can you believe that they are going on their FIFTH mission! We miss them when their in Russia but enjoy the blessings in our family because of their service.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:36:00.000-05:00

2011-11-18T16:53:00.000-05:00

This is a really strong horse.He provides so much fun.This is what Truman thinks of it. (Notice the girls following Pappy in the background.)He still gets in on the action, somehow.

The Baby Blessing

2011-11-07T18:52:00.000-05:00

The whole family.The whole family + four grandparents.The three generations of Holmes.The doting sisters.

Speaking of Sleeping

2011-11-03T10:01:00.000-04:00

These pictures might be repetitive, but I think they're cute. This was FOUR different (and the first three were consecutive) nights. Brooklee and Dallyn were put to bed in different bunks but somehow ended up togheter.This boy's tired, too.

It's Contagious

2011-11-02T15:49:00.000-04:00

Adriel loves to hold Truman (we all do!) and one day after school they went from thisto this.I guess it's contagious because it happened to Grandpa too.

Grandparents

2011-10-28T11:52:00.001-04:00

I don't know what we would have done without these four wonderful people. Bart & Sharon have been here for TWO WEEKS. They've helped with laundry, applesauce, dishes, cooking, telling stories. I don't know how I will function without my two hour nap each day now that they're gone...And my parents were lifesavers those first couple of days. It was so nice to be worry-free at the hospital knowing that the girls were at home not missing me because they were having so much fun with Grandmama and Pappy.Grandmama always gives my babies their first bath :)

The Zoo

2011-10-15T19:32:00.000-04:00

Tyler and the girls had a lot of fun while he was off work. He went back on Wednesday and they have missed him! Truman and I enjoyed our quiet time but we're managing okay without dad around all day.

First Day of Preschool (Twins) and a Field Trip (Adriel)

2011-10-11T19:39:00.000-04:00

Brooklee and Dallyn started preschool on the very day that I went into the hospital. Good thing for a Grandmama that could take them (and remembered to take such important pictures!)It's funny how life just goes on despite the new baby. I guess that's what happens with a fourth child. Adriel had a field trip and Tyler was able to be a chaperone!And one of T-man, just for good measure.

We Went to Harris Teeter with Three Girls...

2011-10-08T08:18:00.000-04:00

...and came home with two butterfliesand Spiderman!

Now It All Makes Sense...

2011-10-07T20:00:00.000-04:00

...the fact that I was HUGE. This picture was a day before I delivered, at 41 weeks....the fact that it was my LONGEST and HARDEST labor. Curses to everyone who said that the this one would be so quick and easy....the fact that the labor pain was way more intense and just felt different....the fact that I was sicker this pregnancy than all the others.Because it's a boy!Born Monday, October 3.His name is Truman Dixon Holmes.He was born weighing 10 lbs. 8 oz.And he was 22 inches long.And he was posterior, or whatever they call it when the baby is born "sunny-side up" instead of face down. (Or in his case, kinda crooked.)He came a day before I was supposed to be induced, so I'm glad that things happened "naturally." (But part of me wonders if it would've been a little shorter with the help of pitocen...or maybe I was just spoiled by the twins' labor.)But now we're home and enjoying our new life with a baby brother!

Four years ago...

2011-09-19T15:43:00.000-04:00

...our life went from fun to crazy-fun! This year the girls chose a flip flop cake.Dallyn and Brooklee love their doll accessories and new dresses from Grandmama.Other birthday festivities included a trip to Coldstone (a first--in fact, when I told them that we were going to Coldstone there was no response...then I realized that they didn't know what that meant so I told them it was a restaurant that just sold ice cream and then the excitement came). Grandmama and Pappy took everyone ice skating for the first time while Tyler and I went to a Nationals game as an "end of project" event for Tyler's work.Pre-church photo shoot with the new dresses. Also a big thanks to Page for the cute headbands!

Kindergarten!

2011-09-09T13:14:00.000-04:00

School started last week and it's been nothing but excitement around here!The night before school started we had a special dinner with a dessert that Adriel designed herself. She drew me a picture of how she wanted the icing to be and then she applied each M&M.Waiting for the school bus like a pro.

Third Week in Utah

2011-09-01T11:39:00.000-04:00

Everything was way better since Tyler was with us! (Especially the flight home.) We started it off with a fun camping trip with all ten children in Tyler's family. I don't have the group shot, but Adriel loved one of the ropes courses (a swing).We had the coolest campfire I've ever seen.A little bit of hiking......and taking paddle boats out on this lake. It was great to be with Tyler's family!We also went to the pool again, also way better with Tyler there, and took a Sunday walk around Salem Pond.It was a great trip to Utah, hopefully we'll do it again sometime soon!

Week 2 of the Utah Trip

2011-08-25T19:52:00.000-04:00

What did we do? Now it's been too long to remember...We had a fun cousins bash, the girls fell in love with watching She-Ra, we kept going to my old gym, and played with lots of cousins. I only have pictures from our day at the dinosaur museum. $2 Tuesdays, baby -- with 50 cent ice cream cones afterwards!Brooklee learning something about science.Adriel and Dallyn work the magnets.Arielle, Jax, and Leo make electricity.I guess Adriel decided to eat her ice cream with a straw.We also spent two glorious days with Marci and kiddos in SLC.But the very best part was that at the end of the week Daddy came!

First Week in Utah

2011-07-30T15:08:00.000-04:00

Here's the recap of the beginning of our trip to Utah. We are missing Daddy but we'll get to see him in a couple of days!Why, oh why did I schedule a flight that left at 5 p.m.? These pics were taken during our 2 hour (turned 3 by a late flight) layover in Dallas. Thank goodness for a little playground but when these pics were taken it was already 9:30 p.m. (Local time--an hour later for us East Coasters.) We finally got to Grandma & Grandpa's house at 1:30 a.m. (Again, local time--this time it's really TWO hours later for us!) And only Dallyn slept AT ALL during the whole thing. Everyone else was up THE WHOLE TIME.Plugging ears as cannons went by in the 24th of July Parade.Watching movies with cousins--this newfangled thing of Netflix on TV is great!The Bean Museum. Classic.Not pictured is our night at the rodeo -- I was afraid my camera would fall down the bleachers -- or our afternoon at the pool -- I was too busy keeping track of three children -- or our visit to sammy's -- I was easily the oldest one there, when did that happen? Two more weeks left of vacation, and the best is yet to come!

Heaven in '11

2011-07-28T00:29:00.000-04:00

On our way to the Outer Banks!Lots of swimming.Lots of playing with Daddy.Lots of finding (this was a big crab).Lots of cousins.More cousins--and me trying to hide my 6 1/2 month belly.More finding.Lots of sand playing.Lots of waves.Lots of digging.Lots of playing with aunties.Lots of snacking.Lots of second cousins--like 12! Ryder is the oldest at 5 1/2.Lots of Parcheesi (start 'em young).Lots of people :) Love and miss you all!

Camping in the Backyard

2011-07-06T13:25:00.000-04:00

This past weekend the girls had a chance to sleep in the backyard with Pappy. The adults were curious to see if they would last the whole night or not. Carson & Adriel got to try it out the first night. Adriel came in around 9, as it was getting dark, saying that it was too noisy. (Since the back half of the lot is completely wooded, there is a lot of insect noise!) Carson and Pappy came in around 2 a.m., but only because Carson was coughing in his sleep. The next night Brooklee & Dallyn had their turn. Their night was cut short in the middle of the night because it started raining. When I asked Dallyn about it the next morning she said she had come back inside because she was afraid a lion was going to eat her. Sounds like she had some crazy tent-induced dreams!
Page and I were hanging out on the deck with cute baby Faye while the tent was being assembled.Think these girls are ready for a baby in our house?

Swimming on the Fourth

2011-07-05T15:44:00.000-04:00

BrookleeDallyn and her crackAdriel

Last Day of Preschool and Helping Pappy

2011-06-27T19:39:00.000-04:00

Adriel's preschool had quite the shindig for the last day. Unfortunately I didn't bring extra batteries and only got these two pictures...The water was freezing but that didn't prevent Brooklee from going in belly-first.I just love how Dallyn is mid-jump in this picture.

Having a Camp

2011-06-15T19:47:00.000-04:00

We've used the campfire in the backyard a couple of times so far this summer. The girls were pretty excited and couldn't wait for Ashley and Tim to come to "have a camp" with us.Hot dogs always taste better outside. One day, though, there was a BBQ here for the teenagers from church and the girls had already had baths. We didn't want to take them out back to get smoky so Tyler made smores inside.The girls' faces had been painted earlier that day and it appears that Brooklee had a little reaction to the paint.Adriel's hairstyle is what Tyler came up with to keep her hair unsticky.

Cute Apron!

2011-06-07T20:00:00.001-04:00

There pictures are from back in February. I don't remember what Adriel was helping me make, but I think I was waiting to take a picture of all three girls with their cute aprons. At this rate I should just post what I have...thanks Larina for making them! The aprons are darling!

The Cool Park

2011-06-06T14:26:00.000-04:00

Check out Clemyjontri Park. So cool!One highlight was having cousin Anne swing the girls in the tire swing. I LOVED the tire swing at our community pool when I was younger.
The park was built with special needs kids in mind. Actually, 1/3 of the parking spots are handicapped. Also in the bathroom there was one stall with a standard toilet and TWO handicapped stalls. It's a great place for all children. Towards the end Adriel just sat in the high-backed swing and just chilled until I got tired of pushing her.

Easter Pics

2011-06-02T17:06:00.000-04:00

I was really dreading going through those Spring Break pictures, so now that I finally did it I'm ready to do the quick posts. We went to a little Easter potluck and had an egg hunt. It rained a lot right before the hunt so everyone got very muddy :) And with the egg hunt in NC and this one the Easter bunny conveniently forgot to visit us. He knew we didn't need any more candy. Now I feel a little guilty that the kids didn't search for Easter baskets but we'll do it next year :)Apparently the only pictures I have of Adriel on Easter are after she was asleep.

Spring Break in North Carolina

2011-06-01T20:08:00.001-04:00

The girls and I drove 5 1/2 hours (and it wasn't too bad!) to meet baby Faye. We had lots of fun playing at the playground on the roof of the hospital where uncle Rico works and eating authentic BBQ, as documented by Ashley. I actually have one picture of the Easter Egg Hunt.But lots of pictures from our trip to a Moravian cookie factory. Carson and Adriel hang out in a school desk waiting for the tour to start.Everyone watches the cookie magic happen.And wait for the best part...the samples at each stop.I included this next picture not to showcase my pregnant belly but to remember what Adriel did everytime the guide asked for questions. When called on, she would hesitate a little and then say, "I really like your cookies, they're delicious" or some variation of that. It was cute, but I think the tour guide got a little tired of the repetition.We had another outing to the Lazy 5 Ranch, which was totally worth the little drive (which was extended when I missed the exit by a good 6 miles or so...whoops). We got to see so many animals and feed most of them. The wagon was pulled by real horses.Brooklee was so insistent on feeding this little horse thing. There were lots of other kids around but she weaseled her way in and stuck her bucket in his mouth. There were lots of other horses that would nip and bite the one that was getting fed, so it was hard to keep the bucket still. I was surprised that she was patient and persistent enough to do it.I wish I could've documented Carson's excitement when he saw the peacocks. He was jumping up and down with his mouth wide open. These cousins have a lot of fun together, and Ashley has a cute post with a couple of more pictures.

It was a great week...

2011-05-19T08:42:00.000-04:00

..with Ashley and Tim here. And thanks for the impromptu photo shoot!

Bunny Surprise

2011-04-09T14:05:00.000-04:00

The girls were playing outside the other day. I went out to call them in for dinner and saw the Easter Bunny in a neighbor's driverway!

The Birthday Girl

2011-03-09T15:16:00.001-05:00

This year Adriel was really big on birthday girl privileges. "The birthday girl gets to go first." "The birthday girl gets to choose the songs in the car." Naturally this lasted the week leading up to her birthday. She did have quite the birthday weeks, though, so I could see why she was confused. A couple of weeks ago Princesses on Ice was at the Verizon Center, and we were able to have her birthday party there.Then last week, on her actual birthday, we shared cake and homemade ice cream (she requested vanilla -- boring!-- so I made vanilla and mint chocolate chip) with Gram, the Tagg's, and Pappy & Grandmama.We couldn't find the camera when it was time to blow out candles (it was packed because we left the next day to visit cute baby Camille and her family) so I only have pictures of the cake. Now that she's five Adriel is looking forward to kindergarten and turning 5 1/2.Update! Pappy saved the day with this picture from his phone!

New Year's Day Hike

2011-03-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

I had forgotten that we went for a little hike on New Year's until Ashley sent these pictures.Sisters gotta hug.It was a very pleasant day when we left the house. We weren't overly concerned about bundling up. Adriel was wearing a skirt and I had asked her to bring her leggings but I didn't make it a priority to check up on her. When we got to Harper's Ferry it was pretty cold and VERY windy. She was about to stay in the car the whole time but then got the idea to put her fleece on as pants. Whatever works!Two princesses (Brooklee and Adriel as Ariel) and Dallyn the astronaut.Thanks for the pics, Ashley!

Sledding

2011-02-19T08:02:00.000-05:00

Now that's it's been 60 degrees and we've enjoyed the park and playing outside maybe I'm ready to revisit the snowstorm. One of the no-school days Grandmama took the girls sledding.Brooklee getting pulled on the sled.Love Dallyn's bug boots!This is how they sled. Grandmama lays down and one of them jump on her back!I turned around to take a picture and they were walking with their hats over their eyes!And after the reaction they got for that there was no more picture taking with eyes showing. I guess we have no pictures of Adriel because she was playing with the neighborhood kids the whole time.

What We've Been Doing in 2011

2011-01-19T12:45:00.000-05:00

We started the year off at the Aquarium for New Year's Eve.We celebrated Tyler's birthday by going swimming. He turned 30 and we have no pictures to show for it! Now we're back in the routine of normal life. (Today the girls wanted me to take pictures of them reading.)Jumping on the trampline is way more fun with 1/2 inch of ice!

Christmas Happenings

2010-12-30T15:23:00.001-05:00

Visit with Santa Christmas morningLittle Mermaid wedding dress!Now Brooklee's wearing it while she opens her coloring bookBeau & Mackenzie webcammed from ColoradoThe girls love their "cowboots". Dallyn even kept them on during her nap!

Snow!

2010-12-16T16:52:00.000-05:00

It's not a lot, but we'll take it!

Princess Birthday Party

2010-11-10T15:12:00.000-05:00

All three girls got to go to a princess birthday party (a first for Brooklee and Dallyn!) so here they are all decked out.This was the first time Adriel wrote her own name.

More Halloween Fun...

2010-11-05T18:08:00.000-04:00

I got to accompany Adriel's preschool trip to Pumpkinville. (Sidenote: A couple of weeks ago we went to the homecoming parade of my alma mater. When we got home Adriel kept talking about the "handsome man" that was there. She was so excited when she got her preschool t-shirt and he was on there!)Adriel really loved this Brahma cow and her calf. The calf did not want to be fed or touched but Adriel was so persistent that she finally got to feed it!Next we have highlights of the Trunk or Treat at church......face painting
Brooklee has worn those glasses night and day for over a week now....and "whack-a-deacon."

Free Scary Face Pancake Day!

2010-11-04T14:42:00.000-04:00

It's rare that the girls get to go to a restaurant of any kind, be it sit down or fast food. They loved IHOP and I was surprised (not really) that they ate almost all of those huge pancakes!

Three Year Portraits

2010-10-25T17:18:00.000-04:00

Dallyn

Brooklee

Kitties

2010-10-22T13:31:00.000-04:00

Yesterday the girls were outside playing kitties. Grandmama saw Adriel crawling on, and then licking, the ground so she gave everyone real kitty food.

First Day of Preschool

2010-10-21T17:35:00.000-04:00

You know when you're taking a picture and you can't figure out what to do with your hands?

"Princess" poses always work.

Or monster faces.

ABCs

2010-10-08T14:33:00.000-04:00

The abrupt ending was when Auntie Ashley came down the stairs.

Birthday Time!

2010-09-23T15:38:00.000-04:00

Brooklee and Dallyn spent the whole day saying, "We are FREE!" I can't believe that they really are three.

Weekend Trip

2010-08-27T15:57:00.000-04:00

We had a "last hurrah" to the summer this past weekend. Tyler and Ryan were buddies way-back-when and it's always fun to see him and Katrina. Adriel really liked Buddy, as well.Brooklee wasn't so sure and Dallyn had nothing to do with him.We had fun in the waves with the dolphins (almost close enough to touch!) and playing in the sand.The cutest lifeguards on the Jersey Shore.
Then we were on our way to go see Tyler's sister and her family. On the way there we stopped at Chocolate World for the fun tour.I regret that I don't have any pictures of when Grace was here, but we already miss her!

Hiking

2010-08-19T22:37:00.000-04:00

Pappy and Grandmama spend every free weekend backpacking along the Appalachian Trail. After they returned from a recent trip Adriel wanted to try on the backpack.She was like this for a good twenty minutes.Except she and Dallyn refused pictures so I had to sneak up on them.Pretty soon we'll be ready to tag along! (Right now we're settling for 14 hours in the car this weekend...should be fun!)

Dallyn's Questions

2010-08-09T14:45:00.001-04:00

Sometimes when we're driving in the car Dallyn asks a random question. Here are my favorites:
"Mom, why does we have fingers?"
"Why does the grass grow green?" Except she has trouble pronouncing the first letter, so it was more like "Why does the rass row reen?"
"Why do birds flap them wings?"

For a while the favorite FHE game was to play hide and go seek. Here is Brooklee in one of Grandmama's favorite spots.

Fire Truck and Brooklee's Bubbles

2010-07-23T15:35:00.000-04:00

The girls got to sit in a fire truck!And then a couple of days later Brooklee reached on the counter (I had been washing and freezing SIXTY pounds of blueberries and she thought she was snagging one) and burnt her fingers on the griddle.She calmed down (after two hours) and woke up the next morning with some huge blisters.That was Sunday, and 3 out of 4 of the blisters have popped, and they're actually pretty torn up now after our day at the pool.She's adapting, though, as you can see how she makes her monster face with the finger with the smallest bubble.

Storytime by Pappy

2010-07-13T15:19:00.000-04:00

One Saturday morning Pappy was taking a V8 break from his work on the basement.The grandkids pulled him away from his beverage to have him read Curious George.
Carson is smart to keep his distance.

Everything's looking up, Milhouse!

2010-07-09T15:39:00.000-04:00

Three weeks ago things went downhill.

First I lost my wallet. I went back to the library, to Walgreens, everywhere I'd been that day. No wallet.

The next day I locked us out of the car at the pool. Fortuitously I had left the windows down enough that if I stood on the cooler I could unlock it.

A couple of days after that I was heading out for a walk and locked us out of the house. I'd had the keys, but then Dallyn needed to use the bathroom before we went and I left them on the counter. Some helpful verizon employees helped me break into the house.

A couple days after that I lost my new fancy schmancy water bottle at the gym.

Not too long after that I left Tyler's nice headphones at the gym. When I went back the next day they were waiting for me at the front desk!

And just last night, after three weeks, I got two phone calls and a facebook message from someone from my church who had found my wallet. He works in the Sears security department which was the very place that I couldn't find my wallet. AND it had all the cash, credit cards, etc. still there.

There's still hope for the water bottle!

And, on an unrelated note, we went to Frying Pan Park last Saturday.

Singing in the Shower

2010-07-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

I think it's mostly Adriel singing here but later Dallyn's lyrics included, "we don't have a house...so we will find a dog house...the dog has a bone."

Brooklee Update

2010-06-15T19:39:00.000-04:00

Isn't her french braid cute?!The Lyme preliminary test came back positive. So we continue the antibiotics (and, thankfully, she now likes the medicine so it's not a struggle twice a day anymore). But then the more in-depth test came back with only 1 of the 10 bands showing Lyme indicators (and there needs to be 5). So officially she doesn't have it. But we're keeping her on the antibiotics because of the bullseye and the fact that she walked around with a stiff leg for two days. (I thought that she was over-exaggerating a skinned knee.) I'm not concerned about over-exposing her to antibiotics because this is the first time that she's ever had them (actually the first time that ANY of the kids have). So that's it. She's fine for now, and hopefully won't have any lasting effects of Lyme Disease.

Poor Brooklee

2010-06-05T18:47:00.000-04:00

It's bedtime and this girl is eating ice cream. She deserves to eat anything she wants at anytime. Since Thursday afternoon (so more than 48 hours now) she has had a temperature of 105. We went to the doctor at 11 p.m. last night and all tests (UTI, strep, ear infection, etc) all came back negative. So the verdict is either a virus or Lyme disease.I'm guessing it's Lyme. I tried to take a picture of the rash she has by her ear. It's kind of a bullseye pattern, it's hard to tell. The only symptoms are the fever and a very slight runny nose and the rash. In a couple of days we'll see what the results are on the Lyme's. But for now she can eat anything cold that she wants to make her more comfortable.

Zoo Trip and Bike Ride

2010-06-03T20:19:00.000-04:00

(Note Adriel's "princess pose".)One with Brooklee looking at the camera. (kind of.)...And one with Dallyn.But this, my friends, was the most exciting part of the weekend. THE WHOLE FAMILY WENT ON A BIKE RIDE! When I was pregnant with the second child I was excitedly looking for a bike trailer. The grocery store/library/good parks were just too far to walk, but would be an easy bike ride. I figured if we were going to have two kids 18 months apart at least we could still get out of the house...well you all know what happened next. Yeah, they don't make a bike trailer for THREE kids. So the time has finally come that Adriel can ride behind! And she did great. We only went on our street, for 3 miles, but next time we'll go on a real trail and pack a lunch and stuff. And while I still can't take all three kids I can take just Adriel while the twins are still sleeping in the morning (and my mom's home) or take the twins when Adriel is in preschool. I AM SO EXCITED!

Ashley's Birthday Weekend

2010-05-26T12:19:00.000-04:00

It was so fun to be with Ashley for her birthday. For weeks Adriel had been talking about wrapping herself up as a surprise for Ashley.The babies wanted to try, but they didn't fit as well.The next day we went hiking. The kids LOVED climbing on the rocks and throwing "boats" into the water.

Winter Quarters and Nauvoo

2010-05-14T16:29:00.000-04:00

We made it across the country! (More importantly, our van with 174,000 miles made it across the country.) It was fun to stop at two church history sites along the way. Pulling a handcart dressed in pioneer clothing at the Winter Quarters Visitor Center.Practicing letters at school in Nauvoo.We've been in the car for too long!Now on to more important things like celebrating Ashley's birthday today and Tyler starting work on Monday!

Seattle Fun!

2010-05-05T16:51:00.000-04:00

Actually this is Port Angeles.No, we did not see any vampires, nor did we have the "mushroom ravioli like Bella did on her first date with Edward!" Seattle will always be our first love :) Maybe next time we'll bring the kids.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-04-27T09:54:00.001-04:00

I turned THIRTY on Sunday and we ate crepes :)

He's DONE!

2010-04-24T13:51:00.000-04:00

Last Cousin's Bash :(

2010-04-21T08:50:00.000-04:00

[I just *found* this post that I have never posted, just saved. whoops.]

Meet Aunt Dana. She has hosted monthly cousin's bashes for all who spend college years (or more!) in Utah. When I was a freshman in 1998 she would have me over for Sunday dinner. She would always come pick me and all my roommates up at Helaman Halls. Then Rushton got off of his mission and later Ashley came out to BYU and the bashing really began. I remember when I was on my mission the first time (maybe the only time) that I felt the "pang of homesickness" was when I heard that Page and Ashley and everyone else who was in Provo then were getting together at Dana's.The kids were fascinated with Uncle Reid's chickens. Bitner was so cute carrying them around.

Brooklee's Pinwheel

2010-04-20T19:51:00.000-04:00

The House Went Up in Flames

2010-04-17T18:01:00.000-04:00

Tyler had a group project last semester to build this mini house. After it was graded he volunteered to keep it because burning it would be a fun way to teach his scouts about fire safety.

School's Out Forever!

2010-04-14T18:58:00.000-04:00

Tyler's done with classes! (Now he just has to take those pesky finals.) To celebrate we went to the Bigham Copper Mine.It was even more fun because we had Josh & Jane with us.They loved seeing the sparkly rocks at the visitor's center.And here is Brooklee pointing at the backhoe (her favorite thanks to Pappy).
Dallyn pushed every button she could find.Afterwards, just because we could, we stopped at Cabela's.Always a sign of a good time: Adriel conked out in a strange position.The countdown is on to graduation!

Standard Bathtub Request

2010-04-11T21:52:00.000-04:00

Nothing

2010-03-28T21:50:00.000-04:00

If I didn't know better I would say that the following picture is of Brooklee...it's not. I just gave B&D haircuts, can you tell?This is Brooklee, and she's wearing the sunglasses that I brought back from my weekend away.Adriel is also modeling what I brought back to her.

Playtime Fun

2010-03-08T22:15:00.000-05:00

Adriel was not sleeping during naptime and when 3:00 rolled around (the time when she is allowed out of her room) she had fashioned a "Diego backpack."And yes, that is a baby doll suffocating inside a plastic bag.

Clark Construction

2010-03-06T23:16:00.000-05:00

Tyler will be working for Clark after graduation!

This girl is FOUR!

2010-03-05T19:37:00.000-05:00

Ready to take cupcakes to preschool.Opening presents.(It will be a sad day when the $1.00 gifts are no longer satisfactory.)Homemade peppermint ice cream. Adriel's answer for everything this year was "princess." What kind of cupcakes do you want? Princess. What do you want to eat for your birthday dinner? Princess. I guess she hasn't changed much since last year.

Duck, Duck, Goose

2010-02-20T23:10:00.000-05:00

Cupcake Helpers

2010-02-19T18:10:00.000-05:00

Adriel's Haricut

2010-02-05T16:02:00.000-05:00

She's had a couple of "homemade" haircuts, but this is probably the first that actually looks decent. I guess I'll keep practicing!

Little Mothers

2010-01-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

It seems like all I hear around the house these days is, "Mother? Mother?" It always tricks me because I answer (although none of the girls call me "mother"). And then I get the response, "Not you, Mom, the *Dally* mother (or whoever)." Oh, right, it's your pretend games. It's pretty cute.

Southwest

2010-01-25T17:29:00.000-05:00

We have some credit on Southwest that needs to be used in Feb or Mar. If you are booking a flight let me know so you can use it up!

Tyler's B-Day

2010-01-14T15:40:00.000-05:00

Tyler had the bright idea of using snow in the ice cream maker since we didn't have any ice!We love this guy!

Jumpin' Jacks and New Year's Eve

2010-01-13T15:31:00.000-05:00

Just going through the last of the pictures from the holidays. I don't have any from bowling or the Bean Museum or Christmas Dinner/Talent Show with the Holmes or the Festival of Lights or going to see the horses but everything was so fun!

Christmas Day

2010-01-12T16:39:00.000-05:00

Since our kids don't know any differently we had breakfast before opening presents. Actually a lot of us had even showered by the time we gathered everyone. Adriel kept asking if we could look under the blanket to see what Santa had brough and it was finally time...around 9:30.We wanted to let the kids enjoy each present and not rush into the next one so it was fun to stretch everything to a couple of hours.Grandmama made super cute pajamas for all the grandkids!And she gave them their Halloween costumes for next year :) There was a lot of buzzing going on. And looking in the mirror.

Christmas Eve

2010-01-11T16:36:00.000-05:00

It was so fun to have my family here for Christmas break! I'm glad that we were able to host everyone (and have the bonus of not having to travel). Most of the fmaily skiied on Christmas Eve Day. When they got home we ate -- when I see these picture I think of the "Feed the Birds" song in Mary Poppins.--Played a little "ring aroung the rosie"--Read Luke 2 and used the nativity to act it out.--Opened one Christmas present. We had decorated a bunch of packing paper to use as wrapping paper so the girls had been so excited about the present that had "their" paper on it.

Hoodie Girls

2010-01-06T17:36:00.000-05:00

Brooklee and Dallyn were waiting for Adriel to finish getting dressed and they looked so cute I had to take pictures!They were just playing around and laughing.

Gingerbread Houses: The Finished Products

2009-12-20T00:35:00.000-05:00

Adriel's is on the left, she did most of it herself. I realized halfway through that she was capable of handling the icing bag. Brooklee's is in the middle and Dallyn's is on the right. Tyler helped Brooklee and, as he put it, "I basically decorated and made sure she didn't eat too much candy." Thanks to Mackenzie for doing Dallyn's also. It was really nice to have a 1:1::adult:child ratio for this project!
When the kids were in bed Tyler and I got to decorate the big one! It was a lot of fun, maybe this will be a yearly tradition! (I'm sure I'll forget what a pain it was to make the gingerbread.)

Recovery from Playing in the Snow

2009-12-16T14:44:00.000-05:00

Identical or Fraternal?

2009-12-15T16:49:00.000-05:00

I found these pics on the camera from the night we went to go see Santa. (Also known as the night that I *thought* I lost the camera.) Maybe Santa will bring me a DNA kit so we will settle the issue once and for all. (Or maybe I'll stop being a cheapskate and decide that $99 is worth knowing.)

Adriel Found the Camera!

2009-12-13T18:31:00.000-05:00

...it was in my diaper bag.

Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-12T17:49:00.001-05:00

The kids got graham cracker and we got real ones. (And the real kind is a lot of work!) Our camera is MIA--I think I lost it last weekend right after I got a super cute picture of Brooklee on Mrs. Claus's lap. So thanks to Mackenzie for all of the pics. Maybe someday I'll get a picture of all of the completed houses but for now here are pics of the process. (And excuse my crazy gym-hair.)

Thanksgiving Vacation

2009-12-10T18:15:00.000-05:00

We didn't travel anywhere for Thanksgiving so we took advantage of all of Tyler's time off of school to visit some fun places close to home:

The zoo on Wild Wednesday (free admission!) was a little bit cold. And I'm disappointed in these pictures but the kids were too busy looking at things so they wouldn't stand still for a picture! Case in point: here's a nice one of Adriel's glove.I thought Dallyn looked so cute in cowboy boots!I know Dallyn and Brooklee don't look happy but we really did have to pull them away from the playground.And these silly frog pictures are the only ones that we have from our day at the aquarium. It's fun to see how each child reacts to new situations. I usually think of Brooklee as more reserved than Dallyn and Adriel but she was the most willing to touch the stingrays and sea urchins. Although at some of the displays she would hide her face and say, "me scared."

For the Grandmas:

2009-11-27T17:09:00.000-05:00

-Grandma Holmes, these are on their way to you!
Well, not the crazy children doing the "monster face."
Just the shoe covers.Be safe, and don't slip on the ice! We love you!-Gramama Dickson, I just finished the nativity, thanks for all your work to make the patterns!

The Dentist Said...

2009-11-21T13:05:00.001-05:00

..that Adriel needs to stop sucking her thumb. So with the incentive of "Lucky Germs" cereal she has gone five days without sucking her thumb. She also has gone five days without taking an afternoon nap. If this is a trade-off I'm not sure which I'd rather have, paying for braces later or two hours without "Mom, is it wake up time yet?"

These girls still nap, thank goodness. Although sometimes there is a fair amount of "playtime" involved. Evidence: Dallyn with her shirt around her waistBrooklee with her doll's dress as a hat

In Honor of the Snowfall Sitting on My Lawn...

2009-11-15T17:40:00.000-05:00

...we remember just a few short days ago when we went to three different parks in as many days. Oh well, at least if it can't be warm year round it still is fun to play in the snow!

Look at These Big Girls Sitting at the Table!

2009-11-03T14:18:00.000-05:00

Candy Corn

2009-10-29T16:40:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday was the always a blast Cousins Bash. Somehow Brooklee and Dallyn escaped into the kitchen. I knew they were there but I was enjoying the conversation too much to go check on them. Next thing I know I see Brooklee and the stains in the front of her dress. It only took a second to realize that it was candy corn drool. That'll teach me to watch my kids better. (Sorry Dana! And yes, it all came out of her dress, and no, she wasn't crazy on the way home.)

These Bums

2009-10-23T22:13:00.000-04:00

The past couple of posts I have meant to share something monumental. As of about two weeks ago Adriel can tell these bums apart. In the past when she had something to complain about she would come running in to me and say "that baby {long pause while she thinks}". Then she'd leave and come back shortly, "that baby in the pink hit that baby in the purple."

So finally she can now tell them apart and has corrected me a time or too. She is proud to share with her cousins or friends that "Dallyn has a scarf on her forehead."

Also there have been a couple of occasions when I have misnamed a twin and they have corrected me. It's so cute to hear them say their own and each other's names!

Pumpkins!

2009-10-20T15:29:00.000-04:00

The tractor ride to the pumpkin patchNotice the sticker on Brooklee's hand? Adriel got those in the mail from Grandmama and insisted on bringing them to the pumpkin patch. She kept saying she was going to give one to the tractor driver, which she did, along with all the kids that were on the tractor with us.Brooklee finds her pumpkin. The rule was that the kids had to be able to carry their own pumpkin, mainly because we didn't want to pay for the huge ones :)We opted to paint, rather than carve, pumpkins this year. I was anticipating cute faces, but only Phillip went that route. (Well, the face he painted wasn't exactly cute...he wanted to have fangs and dripping blood.)It did start getting a little messy, especially when Brooklee got bored with the pumpkin and painted her feet instead.The painted pumpkins

Hogle Zoo

2009-10-18T10:13:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at the zoo. I was surprised to see that the gorilla thing had been updated!The highlight was going on the train, but no pictures from that because I was making sure no one fell out. Here is the whole group.And this one is even better because it was taken with Jenny's camera instead of my cell phone.

Two Year Old Portraits

2009-10-12T17:23:00.001-04:00

Brooklee
28 lbs. (73%)
35 in. (81%)Dallyn
31 lbs. (91%)
35 in. (81%)

First Day of Preschool

2009-10-12T01:15:00.001-04:00

Not surprisingly Adriel loves going to preschool. Sometimes when I ask her what she did or what she ate for snacks she responds with, "I don't want to tell you."And, of course, the silly picture.Also Tyler took this picture of Dallyn this morning and it is my new favorite of her :)

Recent Accomplishments by Tyler

2009-10-09T00:18:00.000-04:00

Chicken enchiladas. He not only took this picture but requested a blog post.Rainbow trout. Tyler loves to take the girls fishing. Sometimes he comes home with a fish and eats it for lunch. The girls just like to feed the ducks and play on the playground. He also had THREE job interviews today. It would be so nice to have a job lined up for after graduation in April. Way to go, Tyler!