January 2016

January was a great month. Kimmie & David started basketball again through the YMCA. They loved playing and we could really see improvement each week. Joshua continued swim lessons and Kate stayed busy getting into everything :) I went to Washington, DC with Cyndy to visit Felicia. We only went for a long weekend, but it was a great trip! Lots of laughs and sights seen. I love DC, so much history. I can't wait to go back again with Seth and the kids!

For Christmas Seth got me a countertop dishwasher, and converted it so it's all attached under the sink. I LOVE IT!!!

We took out the drawers that were there and made a shelf for on top that pulls out to hold towels.  

sushi dinner date while Kimmie & David play at a friends

Zoo lights

she loves to have her nails painted

Kate is TERRIFIED of going through the car wash

jammies from Grandma. The girls have matching jammies with their American Girl dolls Grandma sent them.

sweet Kimmie is growing up!

Blazers game, the other part of my Christmas present, because Seth said you can't just give an appliance as a gift:)

I like to take random pictures of them getting on the bus, they are so grown up!

Went to visit Joshua at school

tootie-taa dance.

 This one is for Uncle Scott

fun in the hotel

haircuts for the boys.

Kimmie's baptism

I wish I would have written this when it happened, because fast forward four months later and my memory card freaked out and I lost all the pictures I had on it:( So sadly, I barely have any pictures from Kimmie's amazing baptism. It was such a special day. Seth's Aunt Deborah made Kimmie the most beautiful dress for this special day. It was EXACTLY what I was picturing my sweet girl would wear. I am so proud of Kimmie for making the decision to be baptized. She is the first in my family to be baptized at the age of 8, so it was a very special day for me. All of my family came to town, along with our amazing friends, the Thayne's. We were sad Britany and Scott couldn't make it, but it's a lot harder to be as stuff when you like on the other side of the country!! (In case I haven't mentioned it before, Scott and Britany moved to Rochester, New York!) It was a great time, despite everyone catching a horrible 24 hour stomach bug. But everyone was such troopers and still had fun celebrating Kimmie's special day.

Brandon Flowers concert....we are HOOKED!!!

Aunt Deborah and Kimmie

Her big day!

Grandma and Grandpa

The people we love!!

Goodbye 2015

I am terrible at keeping up with this blog. I post most of my pictures of Instagram/Facebook, but my goal for 2016 is to use this blog as more of a journal for our family. I know I won't be good at posting regularly, so my goal is to post monthly updates.

I have to be honest, I was happy to see 2015 go. December was a month filled with expensive car problems (we had to put in a new engine in our "nice" car, the Traverse) I still get angry thinking about that! Then we had been waiting for months for Seth's boss to leave so he could take his position, and in December it finally happened. Seth took over his position while they were interviewing, but we were under the impression it was his. Unfortunately, for reasons we don't understand, they decided to give the position to a girl from a store in Texas. We were blindsided and unsure of what the next step was. Without this promotion he would have to continue working weekends and his schedule would change weekly.

I was angry and stressed, but this actually ended up being such a big blessing for us. That job was not where Seth wanted to be, and not getting the promotion forced him to look for a new job. I am happy to say he is starting a new job in just a few days!! It's salary, Monday-Friday and the best part is it's just down the street from us, so I can still have lunch with him every day:) I know, I'm spoiled! It's not the exact career he wants, but it's a step in the right direction.

Other than our crazy, stressful December, 2015 was a great year for our little family. We spent a lot of time together, went camping, saw new places, went on a great family vacation, celebrated Kimmie's baptism, lots of birthdays, welcomed a new niece, started the kids in sports again and just really enjoyed time together!

I am excited to see what 2016 holds for us, I just know it will be a great year!!!

Christmas Eve 2015

Christmas morning

Headed to church

Kate's 2 year check-up

How can our baby Kate be 2 already?!? She is such an active girl, she has no fear and has the fractured skull to prove it....did I forget to mention that?!?
On October 1st she was playing in the boys room with Joshua & Ryan. I was in my room getting ready to go for a run and everyone else was in the living room. Suddenly I heard Kate screaming. We don't know exactly what happened, but Kate was on the top bunk and fell off...or as Joshua said, she jumped off. She was pretty shaken up and we were worried she might have hurt her leg when she fell. Once Seth was able to calm her down I took her to urgent care to get checked out. She had a bump/cut on her head, we think from landing on David's basketball trophy, but other than that they said she was fine. They told me what concussion symptoms to watch for and sent us home. She was fine and never showed any problems/symptoms from the fall, except a bump on her forehead.
Three weeks later she was in for her 2 year check-up I mentioned it to the doctor because she still had a bump. At first the doctor thought it was just some built-up tissue from her body trying to heal it, but after further examination realized that she had actually fractured her skull!! I was so upset, I couldn't believe she had gone 3 weeks with a fractured skull. The doctor assured me there was nothing more I could have done, that I did everything right, but it is still hard to process. There is nothing we can do for it, they don't cast your skull, so we just wait and let her body heal on its own. It's doing really well, even though she has knocked it a few more times being adventurous. She is a fun, outgoing, crazy girl and I love it! She wants to do everything her older siblings do, even jump off the top bunk!

 Just so you know, the bunk beds are no longer up!

Weight: 31 lbs 8.5oz (95th percentile)

Height: 36 inches (95th percentile)

Head Circumference: 20.25 inches (108th percentile)

Birthday party with family

Kate's Minnie Mouse cake. I made it up as I went and am happy with how it turned out

Our baby is 2!!

The aftermath of the fall

a few days later, two black eyes. We later found out that the black eyes weren't from hitting when she landed, but were actually from trauma buildup from her head pretty much draining out her eyes. So strange!!

 3 weeks later, you can still see the scar and if you feel it, you can feel the v-shaped fracture

Silly girl:)

Kimmie 8 year well-child check

I think I'm still in denial that my baby girl is 8. How can that be??? She is growing so fast. She loves to write and draw. She loves being outside and snuggling with her baby sister. She is such a big helper and is now getting to the age where she wants to do "big girl" things, like go shopping with Mommy:) 

Weight: 76 lbs 10 oz (90th percentile)

Height: 4 ft 4.5 inches (80th percentile)

Blood pressure: 104/48

Overall: 90th percentile

David 6 year well-child check

Wow, this boy is TALL!!! Everyone at the doctor's office kept commenting on how they couldn't believe he is only 6. I can't believe my baby boy is already 6! He is tall, but more important he is healthy and happy. He loves to play with his siblings and is great at reading. He also loves video games, especially Mario Bros. He is a sweet boy and so sensitive and kind. He still has 2 heart murmurs, but they are what they call "normal murmurs". We saw a cardiologist when he was 4 and after doing some tests they said everything is fine and he should eventually "grow out of the murmur".  It does not affect him being and active, healthy boy!

Weight: 56lbs 14 oz (90th percentile)

Height: 4 ft 1 inch (95th percentile)

Blood pressure: 94/46

Overall: 75th percentile for his height to weight

8 is great!

How can my baby girl be 8 already?!? Where has the time gone? Since her birthday was on a Sunday, we spent all day Saturday celebrating. We met Cyndy & Lauryn (and Nathan, Ryan and Hannah made an apperance) at the mall to for Kimmie to get her ears pierced. This was a huge thing for her, we have told her for years that she had to wait until she was 8. She was so excited!! She did great, didn't even shed a tear. Sunday we celebrated with the Davenport family. Kimmie wanted a yellow cake, brownie, chocolate, strawberry cake. Not hard at all, right:) 

Also a very happy birthday to my sister-in-law, Britany! Her and Kimmie share the same birthday. It's the coolest thing ever to Kimmie, she loves sharing her birthday with Britany. She always talks about how her and Britany are twins in so many ways:)

Up next...Kimmie is getting baptized in 4 days!!!