Plein-air Painting saturday!

Yesterday, we went up the Nebo scenic loop above Payson for a drive. Dad wanted to do some landscape painting as did mom so we planned on having the girls watch a movie in the van whilst we painted. But they wanted in on the painting action too, so it was a family painting day, with the exception of Amy hanging out in the van for about an hour or so. It was a beautiful day and the trees were lovely. It was nice to do something together after a couple of weeks of hard work and tough schedules. It was such a thrill to see the girls with their little easels and paints working hard the whole time.

The results! Clockwise from the top left: Mom's trees, (painted rocks by Natalie and Emily), two paintings by Emily, two paintings by Natalie, and dad's aspen grove.

Idaho

Up and away to Idaho! We went up to Nampa to visit Jared and Jen and see their new baby before they have to move far away. It was a great visit and we loved every minute. It was sad to leave and know that was the last time we would visit them in Nampa. But we got a free trampoline out of the trip! Thanks Uncle Jared!

Amy and Talmage hanging out

Emily holding Talmage

Who's that good-lookin' aunt holding the new baby?

Storytime and "Purplicious"

The two who started it all.

Grandma came over after we returned, and a friend brought her little bunny over. (That's what Emily is holding)

Amy

It's fun having three little girls in our home. Amy is growing like something that grows real fast. And her sisters love to take care of her. Amy is almost six months old now and has her first two teeth. She loves to roll around on the floor and put everything she can get her hands on into her mouth. We like to call her "Velcro" because if anything gets near her, she grabs onto it. Amy is the most pleasant baby, always smiling. She sleeps the best out of the three, and we are very thankful for that. We love our little Amy!

got milk?

Random doings

It's been about six months since we've posted anything, and we've been busy. Since Amy was born, we've had three birthdays, Natalie finished Kindergarten, and there were countless activities. It's been quite a ride and it's hard to believe it's almost July. Posted then are a bunch of random pictures with descriptions of our goings-on.

Chillin' watching the computer. Bed potatoes.

Gardening with Grandad Parker up in Wyoming. Natalie is a great helper in the garden. She loves to plant things and help take care of the plants. Still chilly, summer took a while to arrive.

Mary's 32 Birthday, so we had a Jimmer party for her with the fam. Even got a Jimmer jersey. How awesome is that? She totally got Jimmered.

Joe graduated from BYU and we got to go see him.

Easter was fun with many different Easter Egg hunts. The girls really enjoyed all the festivities around Easter time.

A daddy-daughter date at a BYU rugby game. Natalie enjoyed the game but mainly I think because there was popcorn and M&Ms.

We had fun with Grandma Pratt at the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point. Pretty flowers and pretty girls.

Natalie turned six this year and celebrated by having a few friends over. Natalie loves cooking and wanted to go to a bakery, so we went to Ream's and toured their bakery. The girls even got to watch the lady frost her cake for her.

Janetta and Zak and The Parker grandparents made the trip down twice for Natalie's birthday and Emily's birthday.

When it finally got warm we went for a hike up the canyon. We took our bug nets and caught lots of butterflies. It was great to got out and the girls actually enjoyed the hike.

Its nice to be home

As nice as the hospital was, it sure is nice to be home. The girls are loving their new sister and are very helpful getting diapers, wipes, & binkies. They especially love holding her. When the neighbor asked Emily if the new baby smells good, she replied that the baby poops all day long. That seems about right. I forgot how fast they go through diapers as newborns. At least I know something's going in her though. I've been really worried about my milk not coming in with this delivery. I've never had to supplement before and I've been frustrated with having no milk this time. She is a hungry girl that's for sure so right now I am doing both. Hopefully it'll get better.

We've had a lot of help from family and friends and we can't thank you enough! Thank you all for the meals, babysitting, rides, and gifts! We hope we can return the favors. You are all great.

She's here!

After a long day, little Aimee is finally here. 8 lbs. 7 oz. 19.5" born at 9:38 pm MST. Both Mom and baby are doing great. Some pictures from the day and a video.

Happy Halloween

October flew by this year, but that's not always a bad thing when your belly is as big as a ball. We had a good month and here are some of the highlights:

Camping with Grandpa in Duschene included a star show at night and a beautiful sunrise in the morning. It was really good to talk to Grandpa and we had a good time. Natalie couldn't have squealed any more squirming around in her sleeping bag and Emily was thrilled that there were beetles all over. She even snuck one home in our cooler box. Surprise for Mom!

One of our favorite things is playing in the October leaves at a nearby church yard! Also, during conference weekend we went to a pumpkin patch with Grandma and Grandpa Parker. Besides all the puncture weeds, it was fun for everyone to pick out their very own pumpkin and then carve it later for Halloween. I mostly love eating the roasted pumpkin seeds & pumpkin treats!


These two pictures were taken at our pumpkin pancake brunch. The kids get to turn their pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns and then enjoy eating them up. I think I want to keep this a tradition for every year! It was yummy fun! Kelsey can attest to that with her cheesie grin.


And, of course, the famous trunk or treat. Since it was raining, we just stayed inside the gym and went around the tables. The girls loved it and got a good amount of goodies. The first thing Emily said in the morning following was "trick or treat candy" with so much excitement in her voice. It made me laugh how much she is a fan! It also made me laugh that some people didn't understand my costume. C'mon guys.... think real real hard. You can do it. he he he