San Antonio

The second weekend in October we were able to join some friends for a trip to San Antonio. Marriott has a really nice resort that we stayed at last October with the same friends. We may have started a little October tradition... :) It was perfect timing because Andy had been thinking about going on a little family weekend trip and it's good we did it back in October, because life has been pretty busy since. When we first checked in to the resort there was an animal association there with endangered and unique animals to show us. I think they had about a dozen different animals, amongst them were a sloth and a porcupine. They let us all touch the blue-tongued skink:

It was a pretty interesting demonstration. We also got to see a hissing cockroach and were informed that the last thing you want to do when a cockroach is in your house is smash it. As soon as you do that the cockroach sends out pheromones to the other cockroaches that let them know they are in danger and it's time to make babies. So, we were informed to just pick up the cockroach, give it some love, and put it outside. Luckily we haven't had any cockroach incidents in our house recently to make that decision.... :)

The girls and Andy then enjoyed the water park at the resort. It was a bit cool, since it had been raining on and off all day, but they still enjoyed the slides, the pools, and the lazy river. Andy enjoyed the bigger slides (he wasn't able to convince Rachel to join him this time).

Snuggling is the best thing to do when you need to get warm from a chilly swim:

We also enjoyed bowling when the weather wasn't as cooperative. Well, Rachel enjoyed bowling and...

Audrey enjoyed listening to Allie's MP3 player:Rachel has so much fun with Jace:

We were able to get adjoining rooms. And since the kids were all tired enough Saturday night we were able to get all them all asleep in one room while the adults enjoyed playing games in the other room. It was a fun weekend with family and friends!

Big Belly

I hit the 28 week mark yesterday and last week I entered the third trimester. The dreaded last one... But so far I'm feeling pretty good. Some days are better than others, but overall I'm very blessed. When I went to the doctor about 2 weeks ago I got to see our little guy once again. He's doing well. He was 2 pounds, 3 ounces. His head was measuring 2 weeks ahead and his legs were a little behind... He's in the 59th percentile. So, just above average. I had another appointment today - we're on the every 2 week schedule. Craziness! And even though my belly is massive, I've only gained 13 pounds. So, I may be able to stick close to my normal 20 pounds... We'll see! I'm still enjoying my cycling class - I usually go 3 times a week. I passed my glucose test, which I was grateful for. I didn't want to have to torture myself with the 3-hour test... We still haven't talked names seriously and we still have lots of decisions to make. I need to figure out the nursery... The girls are getting anxious for their little brother to arrive. I'm glad I have Christmas to help them understand when he'll come - some time after Christmas. I'm also glad we waited as long as we did to tell them I was pregnant. Otherwise, this would be a long road for them... Rachel and Audrey both enjoy seeing my belly and trying to feel his little kicks and punches. We know that the next 12 or so weeks are going to fly by!

Not to steal Rachel's thunder...

...but Audrey surprised us this morning when she said Rachel's part for the Primary Program. Audrey does mix up one word, but for a 2 year-old she does a pretty good job! We've been practicing a lot and Rachel had just said her part to me. Then Audrey very casually (as she was laying on the floor and coloring) said the part as well. So, we grabbed the camera and had her say it again and I love the sweetness of her voice:

Andy was able to watch Rachel practice today in church and she did a great job, so we're excited for the fabulous job she'll do next week! And Audrey will be ready to join the ranks next year... :)

The Simple Things

I love how my girls can remind me to enjoy the simple things in life. Yesterday I received a package in the mail that had bubble wrap. The girls spent at least 10 minutes jumping and running over the bubble wrap until every bubble was popped. It's such a simple thing, but it brought smiles and laughter to all us. I'm grateful for them and the way they help me enjoy life! :)

September Fun

We had some fun family activities in September. One Saturday evening after dinner we decided to go golfing. I had a coupon and we had never been to Fun Tiki, so we decided to give it a try. I wasn't all that impressed... I've seen cuter miniature golf courses, but the girls didn't seem to mind the lack of creativity on. They're ready to go:

Making faces like the tiki man:

As you can see they didn't have much for decorations - tiki men and rocks... The girls liked the tiki men though. :)

It was a mild evening, so it was perfect for a little outdoor fun. The girls really enjoy miniature golfing. Then a few Fridays later we decided to go bowling. I had a groupon that was going to expire and Andy got home around 4 PM that Friday. So, we took advantage of the bowling alley not being busy and not having too many smokers yet. The groupon was actually for 2 adults for 2 hours, but the man was nice enough and said he just didn't see the kids. :) So, the 4 of us played for about an hour. Audrey was so thrilled each time she would knock some pins down:

Rachel was excited to have Buddy Bear tag along. She was sent home with Buddy Bear from school. Before returning him to school on Monday we wrote a little journal entry of what Buddy Bear had done with us that weekend. So, it worked out well that we went bowling.

Both of the girls finished one entire game and enjoyed themselves. Rachel is a pretty good bowler for being 5 years old. It was nice to have Andy around in September to be able to enjoy some family outings. We're in the middle of a busy October right now, so I'm always glad that we store up on family time when we can.

Summer Fun

This summer we continued with our tradition of spending a lot of time at the neighborhood pools. And this summer we branched out quite a bit and went to pools that we had never been to before. We had always stuck with the kiddie pool, which is still an enjoyable one but as Rachel mastered swimming she wanted to go to some of the deeper pools. And of course Audrey has absolutely no fear of the water, so the deeper pools were fun for her as well (just a little more stressful for mom).

As summer was coming to a close I realized that I hadn't taken any pictures all summer long at the pool. We were just always too busy playing to worry about dragging the camera and getting some pictures. So, over Labor Day weekend I made sure to take my camera. The girls and I went to the kiddie pool on Saturday (Andy was out of town) and I was able to grab a few pictures of them. I love how they would play together at the pool and be entertained doing the simplest things. Here's a picture of them playing with stackable cups and the watering can:

The slides are always a fun option as well:

On Monday we headed to one of the deeper pools that actually became Rachel's favorite this past summer. It was a hard one to go to very often because it didn't open up until 11 AM on weekdays. Which makes for very little swim time before lunch and naps need to be had. But next year the 11 AM opening will probably work out perfectly with a baby hopefully taking 2-3 naps a day. Anyhow, Andy was back home and we enjoyed the pool as a family. Once we got in the water, I didn't take any more pictures. The girls especially enjoy having their daddy throw them in this particular pool. As you can tell from the pictures you get to see their swimsuits all faded, well-used, and stretched out. That's what happens when you go to the pool at least 3 times a week...

We love how whether or not we make plans with friends, we always seem to run into friends at the pool. On Labor Day we ended up spending time with two other families. The girls (especially Rachel) love when there are friends to play with.

Rachel mastered swimming this year. Her swim teacher has tried to encourage me to put Rachel in swim team next year, but I don't know if we will. It's a huge time commitment, I'll have a new baby, you have to sit out in the heat, and Rachel's not really interested. She loves to swim, but she has no desire to compete. So, we'll see.... Maybe we'll hold off until the next year. We get enough swim time as it is for her to keep up her skills. Who knows, maybe by May she'll be interested. It will be fun to put Audrey in swim lessons next year and see how she does. I'm thinking by the end of next year we'll have two swimmers, unless Audrey grows fearful of the water over the winter... Hopefully that won't happen!

We are excited for next summer. Our HOA is currently putting in a whole new swim facility that will have a lazy river, inner-tube water slide, splash pad, and plenty of pool to play in. So, I'm sure next summer we'll have lots of fun at the pool as usual! The pools make the hot Texas summers bearable. :)

My Little Helper

Most days I really enjoy how much my girls are willing to help. There are some times that I would rather just get done what I need to get done, but most of the time I do enjoy their help. I REALLY enjoy Rachel's help. Her help is REALLY helpful. She loves to help me make dinner (as pictured below), load the dishwasher, carry in the groceries, sweep the floor, fold clothes, and put away clean clothes. She's also good at helping Audrey with certain tasks. It will be fun to see how she's able to help when her little brother arrives...

My Little Entertainer

We have definitely had to adjust to Rachel starting school this year. There are some days that by 8:30 AM Audrey is asking to go pick Rachel up from school. But other days fly by and we stay busy. I am trying to soak up as much as I can the next couple of months. Audrey gets me one-one-one until January, so I'm trying to give her my attention. It doesn't always happen. Bathrooms do need to be cleaned every once in awhile and laundry does pile up. I am lucky that Audrey is a pretty good independent player. She just carries on conversations with her dolls and her phone and whatever else she may be playing with. There is definitely one time every day that we have one-on-one conversations and fun, which is lunch time. Here's a fun video of Audrey putting chop sticks to use (her idea) and I have to admit she handles them better than I do:

Utah 2011

This year we decided to make our trip to Utah in the summer. It had been awhile since we had been able to enjoy Utah in the summer and now that traveling around the holidays will be difficult, our planning worked out well. We flew to Utah on July 29th, which was an adventure in and of itself. We decided to take them up on the offer of each receiving $400 vouchers ($1600 total) to take a later flight. We ended up having to transfer to another Houston airport and our second flight was delayed, but we each roughly earned about $50 an hour. Not bad! From the time we left our home until we got to Utah, it was like we had traveled from Amsterdam. Fun stuff! But now we get to enjoy the luxury of a trip up to Utah next June without any flying cost. No complaints here!

So, we got in really late (I think it was technically July 30th by then). Amy and Nathan were kind enough to stay up and gather us at the airport. When we arrived in Utah none of the Smiths knew I was pregnant. I was almost 17 weeks along at that point. Andy wanted to wait and surprise them. He really wanted someone to say something. But of course, that's kind of awkward, so by Saturday night we announced with the help of Isaac. Once we announced several commented on how they had been suspicious, but not brave enough to say anything. We had just told the girls on Thursday night and I was very surprised that they didn't spill the beans. Although Rachel did tell Natalie on Saturday afternoon, which confirmed Craig's suspicions... Anyhow, fun times!

On Saturday we decided to go down to Provo to Seven Peaks. We had fun in the sun! After lots of water fun we headed to Natalie and Craig's place to celebrate Craig's birthday. Here's a picture of Chase, Rachel, Isaac, and Audrey at Seven Peaks:

Aunt Amy reading a book to Audrey:We unfortunately didn't get to spend much time with Amy. She had to head back to Denver on Sunday due to starting a new job on Monday. It was good to see her while we did and for her to be willing to make the long drive to see us briefly. On Sunday the fun continued. Here's Presley and Rachel enjoying some dessert:

Sunday evening we decided to take a drive out to Herriman to see the "Up" house. We were only planning on checking out the outside of the house, but we lucked out by being able to go inside as well. The inside was exactly like it is in the movie. As we had a chance to talk to the builder, he said he probably watched the first 20 minutes of the movie 100 times. The details were pretty amazing. And of course Rachel was thrilled since she is quite familiar with the "Up" movie. Carl was even on the doorstep and the girls took a picture with him:

The day before there had actually been balloons coming out of the chimney, just like the movie but unfortunately a storm rolled in on Sunday. A picture of us in front of the house:

On Monday Andy completed some projects around his parents' house. While he was working away I was able to meet up with a friend from Amsterdam who happened to still be in Utah on home leave. It was so much fun to see Allison. And Tally and Rachel picked up right where they left off...

On Wednesday we headed to Thanksgiving Point. Julie and Natalie had the day off, so most of the cousins got to spend the day together (Isaac had already started school). We grabbed a few pictures of the little cousins all together (Rachel -5, Presley - 3, Chase & Audrey - 2):

We got up close and personal with the cows:
Enjoyed pony rides:
Enjoyed a wagon ride:
Got pretty brave about feeding the goats (and other animals):

On Thursday we loaded up the trailer and went camping with Papa and Grandma up near Kamas. The girls were so excited to be able to sleep in the trailer and go camping. Thursday was spent getting ready to go and getting settled in into our campground. We must have been too busy having fun to take many pictures on our camping trip. On Friday Julie, Nathan, Presley, and Brinley came up to spend the day with us. We took advantage of the pool at the campground. The girls really enjoyed the pool until we were told they had to wear life jackets (it didn't matter that Rachel could swim). Unfortunately the life jackets made it more difficult for Rachel to be able to swim and the girls didn't last much longer. Here are some pictures of them having fun before the life jackets:

Friday night we did s'mores. Although our girls were really just interested in the marshmallows and then the chocolate on its own. Silly girls!

I think they were watching the ashes:

Saturday we headed back to South Jordan. That evening we went over to Julie and Kelly's. Papa took the girls for 4-wheeler rides in the backyard. We decided they would be just as pleased with that set-up and we didn't have to travel 45 minutes to ride them... The girls enjoyed their 4-wheeler rides.

They also both enjoyed the trampoline. I love this picture Andy caught of Audrey:We went miniature golfing that evening as well. We sure did pack it in! :) Rachel did really well and she even got a hole-in-one a few times. Here she is holding up 1 finger:

When Andy got a hole-in-one Rachel insisted on taking a picture of him:

Audrey and Rachel with their Uncle Nate:

On Monday we headed to downtown Salt Lake. We had plans to do Temple Square and then the fountains at The Gateway. We enjoyed Temple Square and here are some pictures we took:

We then grabbed some lunch at a little cafe. Unfortunately while eating there we think Audrey had an allergic reaction to something she ate. We aren't sure what, because none of us had peanut products in our food... So, after that episode we headed back to South Jordan. Since then we have learned to carry around single doses of Benadryl. Of course we haven't had anything happen since, but it's best to be prepared. I had the EpiPen, but the allergic reaction she had wasn't severe enough to utilize that... Fun stuff!

Monday night we hung out at Julie's again. The girls had fun dressing up. We have a picture of Rachel in this same dance costume when she was about 3. Fun memories!

Monday night (with the assistance of Julie) Amy announced she was expecting by speaker phone. It was fun to be there when she announced. For a little bit there were three of us pregnant - Natalie in her 3rd trimester, me in my 2nd, and Amy in her 1st. Lots of new grand babies for the Smiths! :) That evening we also attempted to go to a splash pad, since The Gateway hadn't worked out. Unfortunately by the time we got there it was shut off for the day. The girls enjoyed playing on the playground though:

Audrey was making us all laugh as she would explain how to do this again and again and again to whomever would listen:

Tuesday we ran a few errands. We seem to always need to stock up on some Church items and it's much easier to do that in Utah. We then headed to Wheeler Farm and the girls had fun feeding the ducks:

We visited Grandpa and Grandma Mills as well. We had seen them a few other times, but wanted to get one last chance to see them and say good-bye. And then on Wednesday morning we flew home. Our time in Utah is always cherished and always goes by too quickly. I think we are going to carry on the tradition of visiting in the summer. It's nice to get to enjoy some nice summer weather and there's always plenty to do. The girls love playing with their cousins, being spoiled by their aunts and uncles, and enjoying quality time with their grandparents. So, most likely we'll head up next June before our airplane tickets vouchers expire!