Spring Fun

Children's Museum! Ashlyn used to always want a picture on this wave at the beginning of the museum. 

Grandpa and Nana Williams came to visit us! We had so much fun with them and are so glad they came! Here we are at Mudpies at the Fontanelle Forest.

And at our favorite zoo!

Ashlyn singing in the bathroom at Church. I was just praying that no women walked by and saw me recording with my phone in the women's bathroom. Ashlyn goes to the bathroom by herself and sometimes I go check on her.

"Larry the Leprechaun" came and visited our house on St. Patrick's day. He left some surprises for the girls.

I took the girls to the Gardens so Mom could take a nap. I always cherish those experiences.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Grandma Martinson is HERE! Ashlyn, Brinley and Claire are so spoiled with grandparents! Grandma requested we go to "California Taco's". We took Steve there when he came and Grandma was jealous she didn't get to experience it.

I can't believe how fast my little "chunkmin" is growing!  She is just so sweet.  I wish you all could see her and her personality bloom.  She has been such a good baby.  To share a bit about her:

-very patient for having to put up with her sisters who like to kiss, hug, and tickle her

-she loves one on one time with mom and dad after the girls are down for the night

- she loves to giggle

-when she giggles or smiles, she pulls up her arms to her chest

-she is a beautiful baby with the prettiest blue eyes

- she enjoys playing (grabbing/pulling) Grandma Martinson's sesame street swing gym (I don't know what to call it). 

While Ashlyn was at gymnastics, Brinley and I spent a little one on one time and I discovered how much she enjoys puzzles (Thanks Grandma Martinson).  Every time she would finish she would say with pride "I did it!"

I absolutely love Ashlyn's imagination!  After we got back from the Children's museum (that is where she painted her face), she found this jolly rancher cap and said that she was a pirate fairy.  

Please read when you are not eating...

Brinley loves to sit on the toilet!  Every time I change her diaper, she asks if she can sit on the potty.  I decided I should bring out the Minnie Potty for her to sit on for fun.  She was so excited and actually went #2.  (which isn't the first time she went potty in the toilet).  She is probably ready, but her mama isn't. haha.

I needed to clean the shower and I wanted these two to be my helpers.  They were so excited, but wore off after 5 minutes.  When we were done I told them that we could go swimming.  This is our concept of swimming in the winter.

Some of you may know that we have been doing a weight loss program with my family. Derek and I have been very motivated, changed our eating habits, and exercised daily.  It has been fun to do it as a couple and together we have lost 62 lbs. 

It has been so great for me!  I have been want to get healthier for awhile now.  I am currently taking healthy eating classes online and  enjoying what I am learning.  Derek and I plan to continue to eat well and exercise regularly

Sadly Derek and I didn't take before pictures because we weren't expecting to do as well as we did, but here are some after pictures.
I hate posting my picture

February Fun!

We have had a fun couple of weeks.  I can't believe how much my girls are getting so big, so fast.  I just love my girls so much!  I may be a little bias, but I have the cutest girls!  They are my life.  Life has been crazy with three girls, but it is worth every minute!

We went to the Children's museum where Ashlyn and I built this arch.  She did an awesome job looking for the numbers and using her strong muscles to built it!  She was so proud!

She also created her own masterpiece.

This week Brinley started sleeping in her big girl bed!  We knew the first night would be hard, but it was actually hard for Ashlyn, not Brinley!  Haha.  Ashlyn bawled and bawled. It was pretty funny!  We are accepting the fact that now she gets up with Ashlyn at 6 am. We used the baby monitor to watch her during naptime today and realized that she plays and reads books the whole time.  Poor Brinley, poor me.  Now I know why I looked forward to bedtime each night.  She is not getting enough sleep!

As I was typing the caption for the picture above, I typed "This girl is into everything." While typing it I decided that I could check on her and here she was in the sink playing with the water "doing dishes".  She is my one kid that I must keep an eye on or else. haha.  There are times that she is just so darn cute and silly that I can't get mad at her. 

Claire is such a sweetheart!  We love her!  She is so patient to put up with our little bunch. 

She discovered her hands recently and loves making funny sucking noises.

We had a tea party this weekend.  It was inspired by my mom going to her own tea party with Katie's family

 We started a new tradition in our family where we sing Scripture Power before we read as a family.  I love how much our girls love the scriptures.  I am so impressed with Ashlyn.  We are studying the Articles of Faith for family night and she taught about the First Vision in great detail.  It was a proud moment as a parent!

I had such a great Valentine's Day!  I woke up to a sweet little girl giving me this sweet card.  I am so amazed at how well she could write and draw a flower.  She is our little artist. 

For Valentine's we invited 4 couples to our house for a fun Valentine's Date Night!  We absolutely had a blast!!! We had delicious heart shaped pizzas and played some fun Valentine's Games.  The games were a lot of minute to win it games: Wives vs. Husbands.  

The picture below is one of the games where one spouse had to put on lipstick and kiss there spouse as many times as they could in 15 sec.  Then you switched roles.  Derek beat me by one kiss.  It was so much fun!

 KISS ME!!

 Our new fav is Indian Food (thanks to Scott for branching me out)! We went to this little restuarant and loved it!!!

I am trying to decide what to do for preschool for Ashlyn next year.  There is a preschool program at the zoo that we were checking out then we had to go around to the different exhibits. 

With my sewing machine that I got for Christmas, I did my first project.  The aprons turned out to be so adorable and the models help out a lot!

My mom made this darling name for Claire.  She is so talented! 

 Our fort

We enjoy going to Home Depot to do the free projects.

We enjoy our neighbors the Van De Graaffs.  We have been doing a lot of things together lately.  We enjoy going to Home Depot, Children's Museum, and Chick-Fil-A.  When we were together (I can't remember where) this lady came up to Mindy and I and asked if we ran a daycare.  Haha. I did realize that we are totally outnumbered. 2 adults and 7 kids. 

This little girl is loving her haircut!