I'm so glad when daddy comes home

To celebrate Eli coming home, we went out to dinner. The restaurant was half way between home and the airport, so we met Eli there. I told Aubree where we were going and that I needed to do her hair. Aubs, being my daughter, decided she needed to do it herself. She brushed her hair and ran her fingers through it the way I do to get rid of all the lose ones. You never know what kids are going to pick up. She walked into her room with a purpose, pointed to a bow and then told me exactly were to put it. Then she did her make-up and of course put on her deodorant. As I was getting ready I put on a necklace so can you guess what Aubree needed to finish off her look. Right before we left home, I asked her to put her shoes on. She grabbed her flip flops so she could be like me. It was sweet to see that she really cared about wanting to look good for daddy.

This is Hayley waiting for daddy, doing what she does best. She also was glad to see daddy, but a lot less high strung about it.

While the dads away the girls will play

Eli was recently out of town and us girls were left to our own devices to stay busy. One night I was getting Aubree ready for bed and I turned to look at Hayley. She had rolled to her side and put herself to sleep. How sweet, the princess is sleeping!

As previously posted, Aubree loves to help cook. So, while dad was gone, we baked 'mom style.' I bought pre-made sugar cookie dough (I know, Necia would have made it, but, whatever). It was funny to watch her line the sugar cookie dough squares up in a row and then poke her finger into it. I don't know what it was for, but all I know is the cookies she didn't poke with her finger weren't as well rounded, but were slightly square. I guess she really knows what she is doing. They turned out to be some of the softest cookies I think I have ever made.About a week before Hayley was born, we got the swing and bouncy chair clean and ready for the new baby. Little did we know that Aubree would love them so much. (She HATED them as a baby). One day Aubree sat down and asked me if Hayley could sit in the one next to her, I love this sisterly love.
This next picture is really an Ode to Trey. When he was little, he liked to dip his potato chips in ketchup. Now, Aubs has started to do it. A lot of people have told me how much Aubree is like Trey but I thought it was just the looks, guess I was wrong.

Hey good lookin whatcha got cookin...

Aubree has really taken a liking to helping out in the kitchen, there is just one catch... she has to wear the oven mitt. Here she is outside helping Eli grill and she had to have the mitt on.

Even after they were done she needed the mitt on until we were ready to eat. She definitely has an opinion all of her own.

Cowboy Up

After living in So. Cal for 4+ years and only visiting a hand full of museums it has been so great this Summer to go out and visit them with friends. This trip was to the Gene Autry Museum, the movie cowboy. We had so much fun, the kids loved being blue screened into a movie....

They also had great dress-ups which all the kids partook of
Outside they had a stagecoach which the kids loved and Holly was such a good sport to crawl in it with them
I just love this photo because the kids said cheese, just my camera wasn't fast enough. We had a lot of fun visiting the open range in the middle of L.A.

She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me.....

Hayley has really started cooing and when she does Aubree has started to ask, " what is she saying?" I say, "I don't know, what is she saying?" To which Aubree replies, " that she loves me", with a huge smile on her face. Isn't sisterly love great.
P.S isn't their daddy cute!

I could have danced all night....

This is my cute brother, Trey and Hope, his dance partner. They are quite the ballroom dancers, they compete in Latin. We are so proud and excited for them, two weeks ago they competed at BYU and took 1st place. And this last week end they took 6th in Vegas. This is a huge accomplishment and very much deserved for all the hard work they put into practicing.

All Smiles

Hayley sure enjoyed her time in Utah:


One of the kids favorite past times was holding her:(the picture of Colin holding her is on my mom's camera)

Teach me the secret of man's red fire

The Last night we were in Utah Papa and Gran had a surprise for the kids, we were going to make smores in the back yard. The kids were so excited to help build the fire,


but they were not so excited to wait until the fire turned into ambers, so Gran entertained them by having them sing

They all did pretty good, but I had no idea how stressful it is to be the parent around fire. Aubree tried one bite and ran off to play when she came back for another smore she grabbed a fresh marshmallow and some cookies took a bite and then handed it to me. How cute she has no idea that its better cooked.

Even though the kids lost interest fast I love roasted marshmallows, thanks papa.

Abby Road, eat your heart out

I know that it's not exactly like the beatles photo, but this one is better. We had just finished eating dinner for my Aunt Laine's birthday and I thought it was so cute.

Kangaroo Zoo

In Pleasant Grove there is a very fun placed the Kangaroo Zoo, it is full of blow up toys. I being the great mom I am, decided to take Aubree down the biggest slide first. She wanted to go down it because her cousins were, I should have known better because she got scared and didn't want to go down any other slides with me.
My sister however has some type of magical powers and she can get Aubree to do stuff she won't do for me and be happy about it. This is how Necia saved the day again, she got Aubree to do some of the smaller slides and have a lot of fun doing it. Thanks Aunt Necia.

I wanna be like you..

One day I was getting ready for the day and Aubree and Ian walked into the bathroom, Aubree of course, as we all know loves to put her make up on. At my moms, she has a container full of all the free samples that come when it's Clinique Bonus Time (LOVE IT), Aubree knows where it is and gets it out her self. Aubree decided that she and Ian needed to play makeup, this is how it started.....

And this is how it ended....


I think they look pretty good. It was a little hard to get the lip stick of Ian's face.

Necia was thrilled as I am sure Brett is as well.

Side note: A couple of days later Necia walked into the bathroom and they were trying to do it again, needless to say we had to lock the bathroom door. I wonder who taught them to do this??

Cookies and milk please

This is a tradition that was started when we were in Utah for a month right after Hayley was born, due to Eli's travel schedule. Every night after bath time and getting their pj's on the kids would belly up to the bar and have Oreo's and milk with Papa.

I think it says a lot about a person how you eat your Oreo's. Aubree being my child loves to dunk the cookies in the milk. Colin and Ian pull the cookies apart and eat the white stuff first then the black part and then take a drink of milk. My cute brother just eats the white part as to not make a mess with the dark. The strange thing about the way Aubree eats her cookies is if she dunks and then drops the cookie on the counter it looks like a normal cookie, until you pick it up and its so gross and soggy, weird how that works. Oh well, love those cookies.

Side note: I can remember being at my dad's parents house having cookies and milk when I was little. It must be a genetic thing.

Motor Boat, Motor Boat...

Gran and Papa being the great grandparents they are bought a pool for the kids to play in. Let me tell you that that was the best money spent that week, the kids were in it every day. One day they even convinced Uncle Trey to swim in the pool with them. Who could resist there cute faces? You would have got in too if they would have asked you.

Three is company too

Aubree had so much fun in Utah, she loves being with her cousins Colin(right) and Ian (left). The three of them were inseparables for the week we were there, Aubree can't wait for Christmas.

Pizookie

Here is a picture of one of my favorite things...

THE PIZOOKIE!

Due to the fact that Tisha was in town (though everyday can be a pizookie day) we went to BJ's for a girls night out. Dinner was good but dessert was better. The opportunity to go out and play wouldn't have been possible with out my wonderful sweetie Eli. Thanks Honey!

Monkey's

Before we went to Utah we went to the park with our friends the Fors. There are a lot of fun things about the Fors, but one of the funnest is that Aubree and Gretta have been friends since Aubree was born due to the fact that they were next to each other in the NICU. Eliza and Hayley were also born 2 weeks apart. This is Aubree and Gretta being dare devils at the park, I am sure this is something their dad's taught them.

Running behind

We are back from Utah, and I need to post about all the fun we had. I promise I will get to it asap.