Growing Up

My girls have decided to grow up on me. Finley started Kindergarten this year and couldn't be more excited about it. She goes to Old Mill Elementary about a mile from our house. I wish that it was more then 2 1/2 hours a day but none the less she gets up and looks forward to going. Since she was going to go to big girls school we let her choose a new backpack and a few new items of clothing. The bag she chose was not frilly, girly or had some disney character on it (thank heavens). Instead she decided she wanted a sporty bag and the reason for the color? Because it's the color of her dad's race jersey's. Maybe I have a tomboy on my hands? The first week has gone well. We've got new routines down and I'll admit I like having a schedule and something more to keep the girls occupied. 

Eliza also started her first year of Preschool today. I say that because it works out that my kids have 1-3 years of preschool before kindergarten. You may think I'm crazy for it, but it's been good for them and with me working everyday it keeps us all sane. Eliza's school is only one day a week but she rambled all the way home about what they did and how they sit down and fold their arms and legs. She loves that they do a lot of singing. Of course she has her very own backpack and after seeing her cousin's (who has the same one) she wanted one just like it. 

Waycee, well she just sleeps and hangs out as we run from school to school, work, and other activities. Luckily she is a calm baby amidst all the chaos. I neither cried nor jumped for joy as my little ones each went to their first day of school. I just smile and enjoy the change. I love to hear them tell me all about their days. Oh the journey's they are beginning. 

What girl doesn't like getting pretty flowers for big events? 

PC Point 2 Point

For the past few years on Labor Day weekend Brian has done the Park City Point 2 Point Race. You ride 78 miles while gaining 14,000 vertical feet of climbing all in trying to beat the cut off time of like 7 pm. Hello, that is asking you to do this in under 12 hours! This is not a normal man's race and this year proved to be no different. The day started at 4:30 am as Bri and a few of the guys got up to eat and prep. At 5 am the thunderstorms rolled in and by 5:30 it was a complete downpour! The race was delayed an hour and a section was removed. But yes it still went on. The weather was off and on cold / hot, windy, rainy and by the time he finished another round of crazy thunderstorms came in. I'm so proud of him for sticking it out, luckily having no mechanical issues and beating his time of last year. With a finish time of 7 hours and placing 2nd in his group I'd say the day was a success. I wish that I could say we got to see him a lot and cheer him on but on these big endurance races, that's not how it goes. The girls and I packed up and hung out at the Park City Resort feed zone and for the 2 mins we saw him, his chain got lubed, we switched out his camel pack, said good job and keep up the fast legs. That was it until we saw him 2 1/2 hours later at the finish. The girl's enjoy going to races and love to cheer on their dad. 

Waiting so patiently for their dad. Don't worry, Waycee was there too. she was hanging out in the hippie wrap on my chest. 

It's hard to tell, but Bri is the rider just to the right of the white flag. I'm so glad he invested in a bright helmet, it made it easier trying to spot him. Not too mention, dealing with 3 kids I was lucky to get any pictures.

Standing in the cold and rain to tell their dad good job!

The rain didn't stop these two from running and playing. 

Way to go Bri! So proud of you and admire your grit.

Tradition

I have to share this little tradition for my girls. My grandma, their great grandma, is from Germany and still has family that lives over there. For each of my girls now we've been sent a little cutlery set and I love it. My grandma receives it from Germany, re-wraps it in a brown box, and has a separate card in there from her translating the card and gifts from her family overseas. I love it! This is one of those things that as long as I live I will cherish and make sure my girls remember. 

This is the outside of the box. All three sets are the same brand.

The inside treasure.

These are all three sets we have acquired. From left to right it is Finley's, Eliza's, and Waycee's. I love that they are similar but just slightly different. Something that will for sure go in my girl's hope chests. 

Our walks

We've tried to walk around the neighborhood in the evenings to wear the girls out before bed. It's been a little tough with all the smoke in the air lately. This is how our last one went, Eliza carrying her bike home after half way because she thought it was easier then riding it. What a nut. 

Paddle boarding at the Tetons

A few weekends ago we went to Bondurant / Jackson with some good friends of ours. We decided to be adventurous and take our Paddle Boards up to Jenny Lake in Jackson. First of all the weekend was great! Saturday we spent the day walking around the square, driving out to Kelly to find the buffalo (which to our surprise this was the first time we didn't see them!), and then on to Jenny Lake to spend the afternoon Paddle Boarding. The lake was amazingly clear and not too cold. The girls were on the board with Brian right away and Waycee and I enjoyed watching them and looking at the scenery. Don't worry, I got my turn on the board too. I wish I would have got pictures of how clear the water was. It really was a picture perfect afternoon. Again I must state that Bondurant and Jackson are my favorite places to go! And now that we've added this little activity to it makes it even cooler. It was a little strange not having Brian haul a bike up there and disappear for hours on it. Instead he has found his new hobby. Fly fishing. Yep, morning and evening he could be found out back of the barn at the river. He's getting the hang of it and I'm sure this will be a reoccurring activity up there. Oh and I can't forget to mention that we may have found some of the best bacon cheeseburger's since Billy's Burger's closed. Its this little hide away bar / restaurant on the outside of Jackson. The name is The Bird. If you have time to go to their site and read the menu it's quite entertaining. They really do have the best burgers and fries!

Watching everyone on the lake.

I mean really, could you have a rougher view? You can't see it in this picture, but the Grand is just to the left.

I love that she is discovering her hands and more so, she has to have her blanket all the time.

Our spread on the rocky beach shore of Jenny Lake. 

Yep, that's the reaction I get when I say look at me and smile. 

Waycee Jane's Blessing Day

Waycee was blessed on August 5, 2012. It was a beautiful day filled with excitement and anticipation. I had planned the night before that I'd wake up promptly at 7 am, have time to shower and get ready, prep the rest of the food, get the girl's dressed and ready (including hair done cute), and get the star of the day ready. Of course we woke up at 8:05 am and the pressure was on to get everyone and everything ready. Because Waycee's dress was so long I had to wait to put it on at the church so by 8:40 we were out the door and to the church. We were joined by family and friends and Brian did a wonderful job of blessing our littlest sunshine. After church we came back to our house and thanks to my mother in law and sister in law there was very tasty breakfast casserole and homemade cinnamon rolls. The company and weather was perfect. We made it through the day and as luck would have it, I have very active girl's who would not sit still for anything, and feeling a little overwhelmed, no pictures of that day. It's a good thing a few days prior my sister in law took a few pictures of Waycee and her beautiful dress. 

I do have to share my excitement of her dress. I searched and searched  looking for the right dress. I could have used Finley's or Eliza's but want each girl to have her own so that someday they could use it for their little girl's. I found a few that were beautiful but just didn't seem to fit her personality. Then late one night when I was starting to feel I wouldn't find it, I found it! I had decided to try looking on Etsy. I had found a few that were so pretty but the price tag was not so pretty. That's when I found this 1940's German christening dress. It was perfect, and more so was the price! I snatched it up without question. When it arrived it had a few minor flaws, but being from the 1940's and having such hand made detail I wasn't too surprised. My mother in law helped me fix those flaws and she even washed and pressed it for me. I think she could sense how nervous I was to do it myself. It turned out amazing and I couldn't have been more excited about it. 

I have decided that my precious little bug does not like photo sessions. Both times I've wanted to get some tender pictures she is fussy and wants her binkie the whole time. Still love her though. Thanks again to family and friends for coming and for their help. The day turned out wonderful. 

Because

Because I believe you can never have too many photos of your kids and because there were just too many cute ones I had to put them all on. 

My sweet friend Stephanie came and took photos of Waycee and the girls a few weeks ago, and I'm in love with all the pictures. She does such a good job and I love the natural style that she portrays. I know there are a bunch of photos to scan through, but honestly I couldn't help myself. 

I've come to the conclusion that it's not the newborns that are hard work, it's the two year old. Now I'm not saying newborns aren't work and the lack of sleep you have to deal with isn't easy, but it's the chasing of the two year old, trying to keep her entertained, keeping up with the never ending energy, and free-willed personality that is a challenge. Plus lets not forget trying to balance three kids, home, and work.  Being a mom of three for a month now has been a learning experience. Yes I know my 2 1/2 year old still needs to be potty trained, and trying to get the baby on a schedule are feats of their own. We are adjusting and getting routines going. Finley is a great big help to me and loves to hold and feed Waycee. She is also very protective of her. I do think that it will be nice to have school start to keep her occupied and back to structured learning which she loves. Fin's loved doing swim lessons and playing outside. Eliza has kept me on my toes by all of a sudden deciding she wants to hold Waycee all the time. She loves her little sister, sometimes a little too much, luckily I haven't caught her trying to get her out of the crib or pick her up by herself, but I'm sure that time will come. She's constantly on the go. I love being a mom. Sometimes I wish I could focus more on it then all the other distractions life brings. It has been an adjustment, but apart from being on zone defense and planning to get ready to go anywhere a little earlier its been easier then going from one to two kids. And I won't lie, I'm looking forward to a full nights sleep again. I must mention though, Brian has been a champ with it all. He even takes the early morning feeding which means we each can get a decent amount of sleep in. The two older girls have thought of him more like a playmate these past few weeks (and months) and I love the daddy daughter time they get to have. Having three girls means there is more drama, a little bit of attitude, lots of pink and frilly things, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. These little ones bring joy that I couldn't have imagined.