Happy 1st Birthday!

Ava and Bennett turned 1 on April 30th and we enjoyed an evening in the park with family and friends for the occasion!  I didn't think it through when I decided on chocolate cupcakes with blue frosting but they seemed to like them!  Some milestones we have reached this past year:

Ava weighs 22.6 pounds and is 30 inches long.  She has 2 teeth and will be my latest walker.  She is yet to take steps but climbs like a champ and is practicing her standing alone.  She says: mama, dada, no, Hunter (the dog) and hello consistently.  She has a temper and lets everyone know when she is mad.  She loves getting her hair done when I am doing Clara's, already a girly girl.  She loves dancing and smiling and is generally our sweet and perfect baby girl!

Bennett weighs 22.2 pounds and is 30 3/4 inches long.  He has 2 teeth and has been walking for a month and a half so he is now running.  He is a talker with mama, dada, this, Hunter, hi, hello and that consistently! He wants to be a big kid and is running after the big kids all day.  He is a sweetheart and a sensitive boy.  He doesn't sleep at night and is proving to be like Dallin in that aspect.  So, I should expect to have him sleep through the night in another 2 years!  He loves dancing too and keeps us on our toes!

We cannot believe we have 2 one year olds again!  This year has flown by but we are so blessed with these two and couldn't image our life without them!

Happy Birthday Ava and Bennett!

What do your kids wear outside when it is 99 degrees?

Dallin went outside yesterday with his snow hat and one glove. It was 99 degrees out and I told him that probably wasn't a good idea, but he said he needed them, so being the mother of the year, I let him go outside and get really hot in a snow hat!

Clara went outside with shoes, but like her mom, she took them off and walked in the dirt and rocks barefoot (on a side note, I do not walk in the sand and rocks without shoes!)

Handsome boy Bennett!

Ava loves wearing all of the big kids' costumes. She particularly like Dallin's "super duper cape" and she found a corner spot at Granee's house that is just her size. Sweet baby!

MUD!

I have a dirt pit for a back yard with some weeds and rocks. I had sent the kids outside while I loaded and packed the car for our trip to Silver City and on to Phoenix this week, when I heard the water running outside...
As I walked to the screen door, I saw Dallin and Clara with their rain boots on, making a mud hole. All of my instincts were telling me to grab the hose and the kids before the inevitable occurred, but I remembered Mason saying I was too uptight with the kids being clean and staying out of the water, so this was the result! Happy, muddy kids. I don't think their clothes will ever recover!

Easter fun

Easter was really a crazy holiday this year. The older babes finally got into the swing of things and were excited about the Easter bunny. When discussing how the Easter bunny gets into your room, Dallin was very concerned that when hopping to his house he would get hit by a car! I don't know where he gets these things. And he was also concerned for the treats being in a basket and how they wouldn't fall out, so I told him that there was a lid on the basket!
Church was wild as usual with the exception of me directing 2 musical numbers with the choir and Mason saying the closing prayer. We are thankful and grateful for Granee and the wonderful random people in the ward who will take my screaming children so I can fulfill my calling!
Happy Easter to all!

Clara and her new haircut! The picture is a bit fuzzy but she has such a pretty smile!


Ava and her eggs. She didn't care for anything inside, just the eggs!


Bennett found chocolate in his eggs and before mommy could grab it, he enjoyed it!


Dallin very intent on finding eggs. He had to open every one to see what was inside before proceeding on to the next location! Hence, Clara had the most eggs!


What we get when attempting a picture with all babes in their Easter clothes!

New picture resolution!

I hereto resolve to post at least pictures of the babes once a week. I realize that I am doing a big disservice to our BFFs and other loved ones out of town (which is mostly everyone)! So here are some pics taken quite recently! Enjoy!

Ava baby has proved to still be the sweetest baby. She crawls like a champ, walks when pushing something/anything, and still has no teeth, although when she is mad, the first thing she does is try to bite whoever is closest! We are in trouble when teeth make an appearance! She does have a temper and beware those who vex her!

Love the look here, " How do I get out of this pool?"


Sweet blue eyed baby!


Classic Ava smile!


Bennett is our newest household monster! He cries and screams most of the day. When he is not screaming, he is destroying everything and trying to walk. He took 6 steps 2 days ago. He has 2 teeth and loves to smile big with his teeth showing!

Bennett with momma (not going to be many of me on this blog!)


Toothy grin and saying "Cheese" (he really says cheese anytime I pull the camera out!)


Loves the swimming pool! He loves water!


Ava and Bennett either fighting or playing well together. Lots of hair pulling and pushing each other. It is about a 50/50 chance at what will be happening when you get these 2 together!



Clara keeps me on my toes. We are constantly butting heads throughout the day which Mason attributes to her being EXACTLY like me. I don't know about that, but she is adorable and very dramatic! We love her and all of her quirks. She is our princess every day and loves going to dance (ballet) class and tumbling class too. She loves the babies and they adore their Clara. Their faces just light up when Clara comes into the room and she is so good with them.




Dallin is Daddy through and through. He not only looks like him, he does everything Daddy does, but with his own flare! He says the funniest things on a daily basis. We do not know where he comes up with the things he says. Mostly he is a momma boy and daddy's big boy. He also enjoys tumbling class and asks everyday when he gets to go jump (they jump on the trampoline once a week!) We would be pretty bored without Dallin around!



The only picture I could muster with all 4 babes! Story of my life, all of them are going and looking in their own direction!

Okay, okay here are some pictures!

Life has been pretty busy since my last post. We had Christmas here in Carlsbad with Grandma, Uncle Justy, Aunt Helen, Uncle Taylor and Granee coming to enjoy the festivities with us. We (Mason, the four babes and I) then went to Cloudcroft, NM to stay in a cabin for the week. It was an adventure with 2 visits to the ER with Clara after burning her arm on a radiant heater in the bathroom and a day of vomiting! Never a dull moment where ever we go!
After Christmas we settled into the norm of sick babies and me running everyday sometimes twice a day. Here is an update on what the babes are up to.



(Did I mention we received a foot of snow on Christmas Eve! Yes, in the middle of the desert! Mason and the kids built their first ever snowman for all involved!)


Dallin: Has discovered his nose and er are constantly telling him to take his finger our of his nose. He also enjoys playing cowboy and bad guy and He-Man (something Mason on hooked him on!). He is always doing something and we have enjoyed him (mostly) since turning 3!



Clara: She is our princess. She has started ballet classes and loves them. We don't go anywhere (store, bed, etc.) without wearing some princess dress and accessories. She is very dramatic and often goes into character when wearing a specific dress! Mason doesn't know what to do with this girly girl!




Ava: She is still our sweetheart baby. She is so mellow and often plays on the floor alone and happily talks to herself. She just started crawling and is very deliberate at it! She continues to sleep through the night and wakes with big smiles.



Bennett: Seek and destroy child. Has 2 teeth on the bottom and has declared himself the bully of the house with toy stealing, hair pulling and climbing over anything and everyone when he wants to. He has also started pulling himself up to a standing position and received his first goose egg on his forehead this week. He does not sleep through the night and Mason has threatened to put him outside at night! He is a happy and silly baby and loves taking baths!



Mason and I have been busy with life. Mason is working on school full time and working full time and has been called as the scout master in the ward. Needless to say, we do not see him much these days. I have been grateful for Granee who has been with us during the week. More to come later, but here are the pictures of the babies for the past couple of months!

New Family Photos

Thanks Heather for a great photo shoot! Aren't my babies adorable?! I may be a bit biased. Also, first family photos we have taken with my mom in over 12 years!