Cassidy's Dance Class

At Cassidy's dance class the had a parent's share day. Lexy, Kalley, and I all got to go and see what she does. I tried and tried to bribe her to do what she was suppose to the whole time but at the end she was sitting on my lap crying. With all of the performing that she does around here we are always surprised that she won't perform when she is suppose to. These pictures are prior to her breakdown.

She has her sweet cousin Tenley in the same class. So every Wednesday Jenny and I switch off letting them play before dance class. They get along so well and so it is fun that they get to dance together.

My Big Girl!

Cassidy turned 4 on the 17th, I can't believe it. I think the first 3 1/2 years we have been going crazy with this little ball of independent energy. But see has been such a joy to have around, and it is only getting better. I love having her here with me during the day. She always comes up with the funniest things. She loves singing songs and has a dance that goes with them. If only 4 years ago I would have known that everything was going to be OK with her I would not have stressed out so much those first few weeks. She is such a blessing to our family.

She seems to all of a sudden have new found abilities. She finally buckles herself in her car seat right away and without a fuss. and she writes her name, all by herself. She cracks us up.

Camping over October Break

Sorry for not posting lately. Life has been crazy!!! My parents aged on me overnight but things seem to be back to normal now. My Mom ended up having emergency surgery and had to stay in ICU overnight. And my Dad could barely walk the length of the halls to see her because he was having so much pain in his hip. After two long weeks they seem to be better and so our family decided to do an overnighter in the mountains. It was freezing cold to us and so we had to stay in the trailer(we were able to borrow it from my parents - thank goodness) most of the time. We have never camped just our family and so it was fun to spend a little time together - just us! Kalley and Cassidy were all ready for bed and it was still light out.

It was soooo windy out that while we were there a huge tree fell over - we went to investigate and this is what we found.

There were these huge worms inside the remaining stump! It was disgusting. We also stayed busy making fairy homes. This kept Lexy busy the whole time! It was fun to look around and find things that would work. We also did a lot of rock collecting. I couldn't convince Cassidy to not pick up so many so I would have to throw some the other way while she wasn't looking.

I tried at all costs to hide me growing belly. It is amazing how quickly my body has decided to be pregnant with this one. I am 3 months pregnant looking like I am going on 5 months. Oh well !

Sick and Tired!

So I know it has been awhile since I posted last. But I have a very good reason. We are expecting a new baby. With that though there have been lots of sick and tired days. The baby is due on April 8th and so far the ultrasound shows that everything is going good. I don't think that I am as sick as I have been with the other pregnancies but Patrick thinks that I just don't remember. On most days I feel like I am managing things just fine. If I just eat when I am suppose to, I usually feel OK. I don't know if I can contribute this to a different pregnancy or a stage in life. I don't think I have the option to be sick and not cook food. I don't have the option to lay in bed and just feel sick. So here we are just trying to keep the dirty dishes out of the sink and the house under control. We just told the girls on Monday. We were waiting till the first Drs. appiontment to make sure that everything was for sure OK. They were so excited! It has been all the talk around here - Our girls kept asking when we were going to have a baby because "everyone else is". So now Lexy can't stop patting my belly (which is already growing) and they have to say goodbye to the baby before they go to school. It is an exciting time, but I have to say it has been overwhelming. I keep having dreams with babies -that aren't mine- and they aren't being taken care of. For some reason when I find the babies their diapers are never changed. Is this a sign of some fear I have? So aside from being so tired that I am in bed at 8 o'clock and gaggin everytime I brush my teeth. I think we will survive this one-we shall see!

First Day of School - 5 weeks late!

Here are Lexy and Kalley at school on the first day. I always take a picture of them by this wall so I can compare how much they have grown since the last year.
Cassidy started preschool 3 weeks later but here is her showing off her artwork from the first day.

What are we going to do?

Cassidy is already wearing clothes that are too tight and too small. She came in wearing this the other day. They are Build-a-Bear clothes and shoes!

My Baby is 8! I can hardly believe that she could be that old. She came into this world without a cry, just wide open, observing eyes- and she hasn't stopped.

Patrick and I are constantly telling her how glad we are that she came first. She is such a wonderful example for her younger sisters. She keeps us all on track. She came knowing and loving good things. Her prayers always amaze us at the things she comprehends. She is thoughtful and loving. What more could a parent want?
She had her birthday party yesterday and as she was blowing her candles out, I wondered if I had taught her all that she needed to learn. That is something I keep worrying about as she prepares for her baptism. I know that she is ready, but I don't know that I can take the credit.

We Love you Lexy! Thanks for being such a blessing!