We make cute girls.

Girls first camping trip

All summer long Aaron and I have wanted to go on a camping trip with our girls. One thing or another kept us from this little dream until last night. Our ward was having their camp-out so we knew it was probably our last chance of the season to go camping. And it was about 25 minute drive from our house, with a bunch of people we knew, so if it was a disaster we could leave in the middle of the night drive home, and come back in the morning.

I'm happy to report that we made it through the night, and had a really great time. The only downside was how incredibly cold it was. I am seriously not ready for summer to end. After living in Arizona for 5 yerars, it's been a while since I could say that! But driving home we noticed some leaves already changing colors, and I just tried to focus on the green. Contrast that to last year where I was squealing with delight at the first signs of fall.

The night before I had only gotten a couple hours of sleep, so I was super tired. I slept on an air mattress with Abigail. We snuggled all night for warmth. I will tell you this... it's a whole new level of uncomfortable when you're 28 weeks pregnant, on an air mattress with a one year old on your arm that's now completely asleep (both your arm and the one year old), and you have to roll over because if you've ever been pregnant you know how that goes... laying on one side for too long just doesn't work. Oh and it's freezing... and you have to pee. But you don't dare move and risk waking the little ones that just took two hours to fall asleep. So you lay there and try to just sleep. But you're tent is set up next to a brook and that soothing sound of rushing water... I mentioned the having to pee part, right? And the 28 weeks pregnant? Right. So although I didn't sleep well, it was well worth it.

Our lovely abode. Big props to my hubby for lugging this thing around, setting it up, and taking it down in the same 24 hours.

Me, with my "Abigail hat", and a friend of ours, Hannah.

It was so beautiful!

Olivia with her friend Olivia.

Olivia yelling, "MEEEEEE!" In response to my question, "Who loved camping?"

My kids were so happy. They ran around and played with friends. And got dirty. And laughed a lot. And ate smores. And sang songs. I really wish we could have stayed for a week. Maybe next time. Some things are worth the lack of sleep.

Angels above us, angels around us...

I've heard this is a phrase that was used by my husband's grandmother frequently. Today I got to experience its truthfulness.

Came home from a play date and started to make some Ramen noodles for lunch. The water was boiling on the stove and I just barely poured into two bowls when Abigail started chucking eggs out of the refrigerator. I leave the bowls on the counter, grab Abigail and tell her to stop, and no no and all that. I grab some paper towels to start cleaning when Olivia lets out a blood curling scream. I look up and she had grabbed her bowl of Ramen noodles that was still scalding hot, and had spilled it all over herself. I leave the egg mess, and run to Olivia. I strip her clothes off and put her in the sink with tepid water and a wash cloth. I leave her there, because Abigail is now trying to finish cleaning the egg mess by herself. I wipe her hands off and stick her in front of the tv while I tend to Olivia.

At first glance it looked like her hand, torso, and leg were pretty badly burned. After she was in the water, it looked better, like it was just red, with one small blister on her stomach. I put some Reliv cream on her, calmed her down, and soon the red spots were fading. The blister is already gone. That water was seriously super boiling hot, I can't believe she wasn't burned worse. And that it somehow missed her face, just such a blessing. Definitely have angels watching over my children.

And I look around at my kitchen floor that I just mopped - now covered in eggs and Ramen... and I think... seriously we're going to add another child to this equation?! Heaven help me, indeed.

Seriously I have watched this over and over... it makes me laugh every time. And lately I have been sleeping like crap so it really hits close to home. Last night and the night before I never slept for more than 45 minutes at a time. And each time I woke up it took me like an hour to fall back to sleep. Maybe I got like 2 ish hours total. The devil is totally taking over today.

Last day of summer

I think like most people who grew up on the Jersey Shore, Labor Day to me was always the official end to summer. It was usually spent closing up pools, and getting ready to start school the next day. Today in Erie, it certainly feels like summer just got up and left. Yesterday we were sweltering with 90+ degree temps. Today it's only in the low 60's, and cloudy.

September always makes me think of a new year. I know January is the real new year, but for so long life was measured from one school year to the next, I still haven't let that go. So we have been Erie for over a year now. It is crazy to me to look back on everything that happened from last August until now. We got here. I got strep throat like 2 days later. That was awful. Then not much time passed and my Poppy passed away. The next couple months after that are kind of a cloud of grief, and busyness. Olivia started dance class. We spent a lot of time in New Jersey. Aaron took like 50 million tests and got straight A's... mostly, I think.  Spring took its sweet time getting here. Oh and sometime in there I got pregnant again.

Now looking forward to this year... I'm really excited for fall. Pumpkins just make something inside me smile. I love fall festivities and I'm so excited for all that. Then winter will be here... and so will this baby boy. And life as I know it will completely change again. I'm pretty sure every time you add another person into the family everything changes. You just can't predict what it will be like. Three little babies of my own! Yikes. I really can't think past that point yet. Before winter comes we need to decide where we are going to do rotations. Then we'll know what next September is going to bring...

New Look

Just keeping things fresh around here.  :)  My Sister-in-law drew me an awesome header... and I can't figure out how to make it be my header.   :(   If anyone has any experience with that and want to help, well that'd be swell.

Also check my new link to my Erie's Okay! blog. I just got frustrated one night with the lack of decent websites. Seriously it is next to impossible to find information on the internet about things going on in Erie! Nothing is in one place, and many websites were last updated like a year ago. I'm hoping to keep this one up to date with things going on and around Erie.

Olivia's diet.

Olivia eats the healthiest of anyone in our family. She just naturally wants to eat things that are good for her. I am jealous. Sweets just aren't really her thing. Today for lunch she had a leafy green salad with tomatoes and Italian dressing, and a Greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom, but she stopped eating it when she got to the fruit. So she ate plain greek yogurt.. eww I can't even stand the smell! And she washed it all down with her reliv. It makes me feel like I did something right that she really truly enjoys eating such healthy food.



Then I look at her sister... just licking the ketchup off her fingers, and eating a piece of bread.  And I realize it's not me.