March 2017

March came in and went out like a lion for us.  We were on our toes all month trying to keep up with everything. 

See we couldn't even stay awake in the car...

We did manage to get plenty of dessert though...

And made sure we got every last drop...

And rested when we could...

Tess learned new things.  Like riding a bike.

At one point we even had enough sun to pull the trampoline out.  That was a good day. 

 One of the things that kept us so busy was keeping up with Adalyn's Knowledge Bowl team.  She had practice once a week after school for the past few months and then had a competition this month. It was fun to see her and her team competing against other teams.

We also decided to have our brother in law Matt finish one of the rooms in our basement and we decided to help put up insulation one night.  And then, since we were dressed for the part, we robbed a bank. 😏😏😏

Because 2 year olds and gymnastics 😍...

Another reason we were on our toes was Adalyn's involvement in the school play Momotaro.  These kids practiced twice a week for 3 months and had 3 performances at the end of March.  They worked so hard and I was so proud to see how much they improved over the months. Addie played the part of a River spirit and she nailed her part!

Activity Days had a Daddy Daughter dance and really?  Pretty sure these two are the cutest cowboys on the block!

Then at the end of the month my sister was able to get tickets to the Women's Session of General Conference and she invited Addie and I to join her.  It was such an uplifting session and I was grateful to witness Addie listening and taking notes.

Meanwhile at home, since she wasn't old enough to join us, Quincy pulled out the Book of Mormon and began taking her own notes.  Such a sweetheart. 

Quincy is so creative and will come up with the funniest things sometimes.  Here she has turned herself into a robot with some boxes...

Helping Uncle Matt!

And then both girls had a piano recital.  We have been so fortunate to have found a piano teacher like RaeLynn.  She is patient, kind, and is teaching these girls a love of music.  They have worked so hard and progressed so much over the last 9 months.  

And when we spend so much time in the car, picking up and dropping off, we take a lot of selfies...

Phew... and thus ends March. I think we can breath now.  

February 2017

February came, and with it brought all the busyness of birthdays, Valentine's Day, sickness, and an overabundance of activities. 

Having a membership to Thanksgiving Point means that Tess has learned to love the museum a lot. And we spent quite a bit of time there this month.  

Quincy turned 7 this month!  7!!  Every year that passes I can't believe how old they get.  I have always thought of Quincy as my little buddy, but every time I turn around she is less and less the "little" girl that she is in my mind.  At this age Quincy was doing gymnastics for awhile and then decided she would rather try some other sports instead.  She started piano and really enjoys it.  She still brings joy everywhere she goes.  Her teacher at school adores her and Quincy was the first in her class to complete timed reading lists, which she was very proud of.  She loves all things fun and can be quite the tease. She loves fiercely and shows that love to others whenever she can.  

This month she gave us quite a scare. After sending her off to school with her carpool I got a text from her teacher asking where she was.  I responded that she should be in class.  I immediately called the school and they told me that she hadn't been seen that morning.  You can imagine the things that went on in my head.  I asked them to track down Addie to see if she was in school.  After they found her she told them that she had seen Quincy head toward the playground to play before the bell. Everyone went into panic mode.  Teachers were searching the school and I dropped everything and headed to the school.  (Not an easy task seeing has how I was babysitting my 2 year old nephew and I now had 2 toddlers to get into the car) Before I could get out the door the school called me back to tell me that a police officer had picked her up.  Apparently she had left her backpack in the back of the carpool and she decided to walk home to get it.  By herself. Without telling anyone.  I still rushed to the school and when I walked in Quincy looked at me like, "What's wrong?"  To her credit: She saw the problem, came up with a solution, and went to fix the problem.  I love and appreciate this about her.  After explaining what some of the consequences could be of leaving school without telling anyone, it finally clicked what she had done wrong.  

Her day started with presents and doughnuts for breakfast...

Cupcakes with her class in the middle of the day...

And then more presents and dinner at Chuck-A-Rama (her choice) with Grandpa Payne.

After Tess tagged along to Quincy's gymnastics a few times, she began asking when she could do gymnastics too.  I finally signed her up for a Mommy and Me class and it has been adorable!  I have to bribe her with fruit snacks to keep her on track sometimes but she seems to enjoy it a lot.  

My brother and sister in law wanted to take a vacation and asked if we would be willing to babysit their son, Landon, for a few days.  Of course we would!  Man this kid is such a delight!  He was so good and it was a lot of fun having him stay with us!  Tiring with 2 toddlers, but still a lot of fun!

Waking up to these 3 like...

This is the only picture I got of the fun Galentine's Party my amazing friend Carla threw!  We were pampered, fed, and enjoyed some great conversation!

Valentine's Day with my loves!  We celebrated early since Devin would be out of town on the actual day but it was such a fun night.  

 Crazy kids...

Tess wanted to pass out Valentine's to her gymnastics class.  It was so cute watching her had each kid one.  

Valentine's Day spent at the school...

Yet again, more museum trips.  This time the Dinosaur Museum...

We went to a BYU basketball game this month too...

And the girls even got to go down and dance on the court!

And then before we knew it, it was near the end of the month and this guy's birthday.  It was simple, but we love celebrating him.  He is by far the fun parent and always finds ways to make us laugh.  He works so hard in all that he does and tries to make life great for us.  We couldn't love him more.  

Negotiations of a 2 year old...

February ended and we began to look forward to warmer days.  We never miss these long winter months once they are gone!