Happy 4th Bday Leecy T

Our sweet Leecy T turned four today! I can still recall every detail of her entering this world and don't know how the time passed so quickly! She has truly blessed our lives in every way imaginable and we are so honored to be her parents. She is a wonderful big sister, an amazing daughter, a music lover, an animal expert, a movie connoisseur and so much more! She is so smart and she makes us proud every day. We love her so very much and look forward to the coming year to see what new things she will accomplish! We love watching her grow and learn and know that she will succeed in all that she does! Happy birthday baby girl! We love you forever!!!

Baby Shower

My cute visiting teachers, Natalie and Jamie, threw me a baby shower last week for the impending arrival of baby boy Moore! We played games, ate lots of yummy food, opened presents and visited. It was a wonderful evening and I appreciated so much everything the wonderful women who attended did! I recieved some really nice gifts, including clothing, diapers, blankets and more! We are excited to be able to use all of them!

Nursery

I am thrilled to be able to say that Lainey made it all the way through nursery today by herself! Val dropped her off and she made it to the end! Hooray! This was one of our big goals before the new baby got here, and we made it! Also Aleece was the spotlight child today in primary and we are so thankful that she loves it so much! She loves her teachers, the songs, everything! It was a hard transition for her to go to nursery and then her first week into Sunbeams, but she loves every second she is in primary now! We are so blessed to be a part of the gospel in these latter days and to have such wonderful programs as nursery and primary!

Oh Baby!!!

So I have decided that I can no longer feel sorry for myself in my last month of pregnancy for feeling and looking so huge. Val was kind enough to share this article with me and it blew me away! God bless this woman for what she went through! It makes me extra thankful that I have blessed with good pregnancies, and nothing out of the ordinary like this! Here is the link!



Oh baby!

Leecy T's 4th Birthday Party

Leecy T had her 4th birthday party (Sleeping Beauty themed) yesterday and it was a big hit! She was so excited for it all week and she was not disappointed! Her guests included most of her primary class from church and they all seemed to have a good time. The kids got to make a craft--a princess crown for the girls and a shield for the boys. They ate lunch, played Pin the Rose/Spinning Wheel on Aurora, opened gifts, and had cake! Aleece loved all of her wonderful gifts and had so much fun playing with her friends. We are so fortunate to live in such a wonderful community and to have the friendships we do! Here are some picture collages of yesterdays events! (Note: Click on them to enlarge!) Enjoy!



Opening presents.....

Fun activities.....

The guests!

What a great day!

Videos

Here are some videos of the girls singing. The first one is them singing "I am a child of God". This is both of their favorite songs. Obviously Aleece is a typical almost four year old as she goes from her falsetto to no singing and then back to normal. She loves to ham it up for the camera. The second video is of Lainey singing the theme song to "Indiana Jones". All you have to do is say his name or show her a picture and she chimes in with her theme song music! It is really cute and funny! Enjoy!

The incredible expanding woman.....

Well, you asked for it! Here is a picture of me at almost 37 weeks. When I saw the picture myself, I was literally speechless! How could I possibly be this big with three weeks to go??? I've looked at pictures since, of me, on the day I went into labor with Lainey, and I wasn't even close to being this huge! The funny thing is I've only gained 11 lbs so far and this little boy I know weighs at least six of those!! So how is it that I look like I am carrying twins or even triplets? You know they say the camera adds ten pounds, but I'm hoping it adds more like 50!!! :)

To the man of the house....

As we have celebrated Father's Day today, it has gotten me thinking quite a bit. I am so thankful for my own father, and the example he has been to me my whole life. He has always been there when we needed him and he has always given us his unconditional love and support. I know that because of him I looked for specific qualities in my own husband. I am so grateful to have Val in my life. He has been my rock throughout our marriage and has been the best husband and father a woman could ask for. A lot of people wonder how we ended up together, being as different as we are, but that is why is work so well together. We complement each other's personalities so well. Val is eccentric. There is no getting around it. But I wouldn't change that for anything in the world. It definitely makes our lives more exciting! :) I love that he has taught our daughters that it is okay to be unique. I wouldn't trade my Indiana Jones loving, Beatles singing, Ipod listening little girls for anything in the world! I love that he has instilled a love of the gospel in our daughters. They both love to hear stories about Joseph Smith, the Nephites, Jesus, it doesn't really matter who--they are always enthralled with whatever story he tells them. And not only that, but he can make up stories at the drop of a hat. The girls absolutely adore when he does this! I love that he has taught our daughters a love of music--not just one type of music, but a love of all music. I love that he teaches our daughters right from wrong, and that he likes to tease and be silly with them too. There are so many qualities that make him a great father--it isn't just one specific thing that makes him so wonderful. I am so grateful to have a husband who honors his priesthood and makes sure the Spirit is felt in our home. I am so grateful for him on this day and every other day and I want him to know how very much I love him. Happy Father's Day sweetie!

When I grow up....

Aleece has been asking us lately what we want to be when we grow up. At first she said she was going to be a doctor, so that she could help people, but then her Aunt Mary suggested she be an animal doctor and she thought this was the coolest idea ever! She loves animals, no matter the kind, or how nice they are! She asked me what I wanted to be and I told her I love my job as mommy and she thought about it for a second and then informed me that I could be a zookeeper when I grow up too and she has informed her Granny and Lainey bug that they can be animal nurses. Daddy gets to be a firefighter. Apparently she has her mind made up, so if any of you need any help determining what it is you are going to be when you grow up, just ask Aleece!


Madelaine has developed a new love for drawing and coloring recently. She is so content to sit with a piece of paper and a pen and draw pictures. However, she can also climb onto just about anything, so she is definitely keeping me busy this last month of pregnancy. I'm just waiting for the day I walk in to kitchen to find her on top of the refrigerator, just like in all of the old cartoons!


Val has been in school now working on his master's for the past two weeks and is actually enjoying it. He has some really nice teachers, and the classes aren't too difficult. We have been enjoying the extra time he has been able to be at home. He does so much for all of us! He has even made it possible for me to squeeze in a much needed nap sometimes in the afternoons!


I had another doctor's appointment today. Baby boy's heart rate was good, in the upper 150's and he is still measuring right on track. I'm already dilated some, so things are progressing. We will hope he decides not to make me suffer through the summer heat any past his due date! But I guess if you look at my track record, that may happen! I am enjoying my last month with just my sweet girls and trying to get some last minute projects done before baby #3 decides to make his debut. (26 days and counting!) Life is busy, but good!

The countdown is on....

I had a doctor's appointment and ultrasound yesterday and thought I would give you all a little update. We had the ultrasound (no pics, sorry!) to make sure this little man of ours is positioning himself correctly and to check his size, to ensure I can do another VBAC successfully. Good news is, he is head down already (resting right on my bladder, of course) and he already weighs 5 lbs 14 oz. I'm not sure why that number surprised me so much, I have felt all along like I was bigger this time around than I was with Madelaine. But Lainey was only 6 lb 11 oz, two days overdue and I still have 32 days to go! But we are happy to know he is a healthy, little wiggle worm. His heart rate was about 145 beats per minute, and the girls always enjoy watching the pictures on the ultrasound machine. I've had two occurrences of extreme pain waking me up night during this pregnancy. It felt as though someone had kicked me right in the right kidney, but eventually the pain dissipated--both times within a couple of hours. I mentioned this to my doc, and she said it could be muscle spasms, or perhaps kidney stones. Super. This has never happened to me with either of my prior pregnancies, so I was quite surprised, but she said it's relatively common during pregnancy. At least I know it's nothing serious. When I am pregnant at least, I feel like my mind can turn anything from a minor nothing to a serious problem! Which is funny, because I honestly have textbook pregnancies. We have been very blessed! So the countdown is on. 32 days and counting people! We can't wait to meet our son!

Our big girl!

Aleece got her ears pierced today! It was part of an early birthday present for her, and she did such a great job! She sat super still for the lady piercing her ears, and we only had a few tears. Afterwards she did say it hurt, but just a little bit. Her earrings are daisies with each of the petals being a different color. They are very cute. She had called her Granny earlier in the day and informed her that she had dreamed every day this week of getting her ears pierced. This has been something she has wanted to do, for about a year now, and she proved to us she was old enough to do it! She had to have her ears done one at a time, because there was only one woman working, but we left the final decision up to Aleece. We told her she could come back when they could do both ears at once, or have them done one at a time, and she told us she was ready to have them done individually. Today was her day. As the impending arrival of baby #3 nears I can't help but think of both of my previous pregnancies. It seems like just yesterday that I was discovering I was pregnant with Aleece. Where does the time go? She has turned into a big girl, in what seems to me, to be no time at all! Here are some pictures of Aleece's newly pierced ears. Sorry the quality isn't great, I couldn't seem to get the earrings to show up very well! I'll keep working on it!




Aleece's new earrings.


What a big girl!


Sisters! Best friends!

Block Party

We had the opportunity to attend our first block party since moving to the Memphis area today, and let me tell you, it was quite the unusual experience! The block party started at 4 pm, and running on Mormon standard time we arrived about 4:15 pm. Well, apparently Memphians run even further behind schedule than Mormons do! :) People finally started showing up at about 4:45. There was lots of food and even more beer. The alcohol was definitely flowing freely! The weather was scorching, even with multiple fans on and the kids got to play with water balloons. However, I think the thrill of the afternoon for them was playing with all of the neighborhood pets. It doesn't matter if animals are stuffed or real, our children flock to them! They love animals and always have. You'll notice in the following pictures, that there isn't one without some kind of animal! The best was Lainey befriending the neighborhood rottweiler. Mind you, I kept very close proximity, just in case, but this dog was one of the sweetest animals I have ever met. It also outweighed Madelaine by well over 100 pounds. The one picture that I missed getting was of her riding the rottweiler (Yogi). It was so cute! Aleece took more to the little black dog, I think because he reminds her of Sully! All in all, we had a good time, and actually got to know some of our neighbors. We have quite a diverse neighborhood!

So proud

I just wanted to take a minute and say how proud I am of my sweet husband. For those of you that don't already know, he is starting up a master's program next Tuesday at a university here in Memphis. He will be getting his Master's in Education as well as his Educator's License. He had to take two separate tests about a month ago. One was required to enter the master's program, the other required before he graduates from the program. He was told the second one was almost never passed the first time, and not to worry, because he could take it until he passed. Well, he has been waiting all month for his test results, and we are happy to report that he passed both tests! He studied hard for them and his hard work paid off! We are so proud of him and are glad he has the opportunity to once again further his education. He loves to learn and he loves teaching children, and so we are thrilled that he has the opportunity to do so many things he enjoys! Way to go Val! We love you!

Memorial Day recap

It's always fun to have a few days where you can sit back, relax and enjoy one another's company! This weekend we were able to do just that as we celebrated Memorial Day and we got to do lots of fun things as well. I'm a little disappointed that we forgot our regular camera, and the little camera we had with us somehow deleted all of the pictures I had before I had a chance to download them! We got to BBQ with some friends from our ward on Saturday and the girls loved being able to play with their friend Corbin. On Monday we went to this great sprinkler park! It's pretty much a playground where everything sprays water! The girls had such a fantastic time, as did we! We picniced and enjoyed the coolness of the water, especially since it was so hot that day! Later that afternoon we got to go see the new Indiana Jones movie, which we also loved! It is very reminiscent of the past Indiana Jones movies, and anyone who likes those, is sure to like this one! It was so nice to be able to spend time as a family and enjoy the day together. We are so used to celebrating holidays with lots of extended family, and being out here in TN has definitely been a challenge in that regard. We have done a lot of firsts here for our family. It's nice to be able to create our own little family traditions as well as implement the ones from our own childhoods! We still miss family like crazy though and wish as every holiday draws near, that we were all together!

Pool Princesses

We bought a little pool for the girls this week and tested it out yesterday. They loved splashing around in the water and being able to enjoy this already humid weather! The water sure makes it easier to be able to do so! Here is a quick slideshow of them!

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This and That

This is all sort of random, but I thought I would recap our week! Lainey had a doctor's appointment on Monday. We were getting her rechecked because she had 2 sets of ear infections within a month and the doc wanted to make sure they were gone for good. Luckily they are and she has put on a little more weight. She is approximately 19 lbs, which is still tiny, but she is growing and so we are happy! Aleece has been my big helper lately. With as big as I am getting it's nice to have someone who is willing to help me out when Val isn't around! She rarely complains about it and is always telling me how she can't wait for her baby brother. She has even taken to carrying around a baby doll, saying it is her brother, and she is so tender and gentle with it! She is such a good big sister! Plus, she is a good example to Lainey, because Lainey also loves babies! It's always fun to see your children's relationships grow! Val will start up his master's classes in a couple of weeks and he went to an orientation yesterday at the university. The university he is attending is a Chrisian school and he was telling us when he got home that they opened orientation with a prayer, but that it was funny, because they just closed the prayer "Thank you". Aleece was shocked by this and said, "I guess I'm going to have to visit your class and tell them it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen". I got quite a kick out of this, but it's good to know she is learning and growing in gospel principles! I love to hear her relay stories that she has heard in primary. Plus Lainey has gotten really good at saying Jesus and can point him out in any picture! The gospel is truly a blessing in our lives! The girls and I went to Val's school the other day to hear his choir perform and we were so proud of him. It's easy to see how much the students and other teachers like him, and I was impressed with his choir. They are small in number but performed well. The students love having the music program back in there school. This job has also been a blessing in our lives--Val loves going to work and it has given him some great opportunities-like going back to school. I have less than seven weeks left in this pregnancy and am getting quite anxious. I had a doctor's appointment today and we got to hear the babies heartbeat. It was between 150 and 155 and I am measuring well. We are excited to have a little boy and can't wait to see what changes he brings to our household. Being pregnant is like having your own mini heater however and this week I finally succumbed and turned on the air conditioning. I seriously felt like I was melting! :)

Pregnancy Update

Here I am at approximately 31 weeks, on Mother's Day. Remember the old post about Aleece and the song, "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly"? Well, I look like that old lady, only imagine she just swallowed a horse! :) I honestly don't remember ever getting this big with Madelaine!

Ballerina's In Training

Aunt Mary made the girls the cutest tu-tu's ever and has Leecy and Lainey dancing around the house like crazy! They love to dress up and were thrilled with their gifts. Thank you Aunt Mary for all of the time and effort you put into making them! We love them and you!!!

Being a mom...

Being a mom is my greatest joy and I could ask for no greater calling in life. My sweet husband has allowed me the opportunity to stay at home and care for our children and I am so grateful. We have been blessed with two of the sweetest little girls and anticipate greatly our first son. One of my favorite quotes, (forgive me for paraphrasing) says something to the effect of "In 100 years it won't matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, or how much money I had in the bank, only if I mattered in the life of a child." I strive every day to make a difference in my children's life and to give them the best life possible. I know I have been entrusted with them by my Father in Heaven, and I am thankful for that every single day. I am grateful to have a mom who taught me how to be the kind of mother I am today and am so grateful for all she did and continues to do for me.

On Mother's Day I was spoiled WAY too much and thought I would share some of the pics!

Home again

We had a fantastic opportunity to spend a couple of weeks with family up in Minnesota and had a fabulous time! Here are some of the highlights! Sorry if some of it is a repeat from the last post!

-We were able to do things we had never done before, despite living in MN for 2 1/2 years! This included walking the sky way throughout Minneapolis, going to the Como Zoo and having the IKEA experience!

-The Como Zoo makes the fifth zoo we have been too over the past year with Granny! We have also been to the Hogle Zoo (Salt Lake), the Minneapolis/St. Paul Zoo, the Sioux Falls Zoo, the Memphis Zoo and now the Como zoo and conservatory. We had so much fun (as always) looking at all of the animals and learning new fun facts. We now consider ourselves zoo connoisseurs!

-IKEA is now my new favorite store. It's probably a good thing we don't have one within a hundred miles of us! You can seriously get everything you need there and for ridiculously reasonable prices! Plus they have great meatballs and there lignonberry jam is delish!

-We were able to see my baby brother Trey go to prom. It was so fun to see him all dressed up! He looked so grown up! Don't let that fool you however, he is still a kid at heart! :)

-We were also able to see Trey perform in a couple of track meets. He throws the shot put and discus and is pretty much amazing! They even wrote an article about him in the local paper, entitled "Trey's Anatomy".

-We had the best time spending time with family--Granny, Grampy, Trey, Patty and Eric. The girls had so much fun, despite being sick, with all of them and we created some great memories.

-Patty and Eric, our families political fanatics, taught the girls to say Obama. We are now the proud owners of a stuffed guinea pig with that same name. Seriously, what 3 1/2 year olds support politics? Apparently ours does! :)

-We were able to talk to Elder Bubba on the phone as he left the MTC and headed to Switzerland! It was so good to hear his voice! We also got to listen to the most amazing message on my parents answering machine. This sweet woman, whom met Clay on the airplane from SLC to Chicago called to inform all of us of what an amazing young man Clayton is and how strong his spirit is and how happy he is. All things we already knew of course! :)

-The girls did get pretty sick, but we were lucky to have Granny there to help out! She is truly an angel!

-We experienced winter in what was supposed to be spring! We had 6+ inches fall one day and Aleece was certain that that meant Santa was supposed to come that night! Minnesotans have been referring to the date as February 85th and so on! They really haven't gotten a spring at all because it has been so cold!

-Madelaine learned several new words, including several names. Some of these are Granny, Grampy, Trey, Patty, Sully, sit, chocolate, jacket, blanket, and several others.

-Granny and Grampy were so good to us--they took great care of us and neither the girls nor I wanted to leave.

Here are some more pictures from our wonderful trip! We miss everyone already, but are glad we will see them again soon!!! Thanks for all of the fun!

Click on the image to enlarge! :)