Rae is 4!

This was a birthday week for Rae. It started with a little party with her friends on Friday, a family party on Saturday, her actual birthday on Sunday, celebrating at school on Tuesday, and this Sunday will be her birthday dinner with the Johnsons. Rae's favorite gift by far, is a pair of Hello Kitty shoes she got from Kayla and Alexa. She shows them to everyone, including complete strangers at the grocery store.

Rae at four years old is 34 lbs, 40 inches tall, and my right hand. She is always willing to help me and will almost always do what I ask of her. She loves princesses and weddings. She spends half her day dancing, and tells everyone about her dance class, even though she isn't in a dance class. She loves Sunbeams, her new teachers, and all her new friends in her class. She loves Pink Panther reruns. She loves school. She loves pizza and salad. She loves to be on the go. Rae is our sweet little angel, and we love her!

Preschool for Rae

Rae was so cute on her first day of school, and begs to go back every morning now. She loves school and learning, and probably the social aspect most of all! She also loves Miss Heidi and Miss Sicely!

For journaling purposes, I was so excited for Rae to go to school. Laynee has always been very clingy, and I was hoping some one on one time with her would help her feel more confident. I NEVER could have guess how miserable that first day of school would be for her, or me. For two hours she wailed about Rae. I tried to distract her with soda and cookies, and she wouldn't eat or drink. I tried to distract her with Grandpa, with no luck. We went to Target to distract her, but she cried on. I finally gave up and just came home to let her scream. When Rae came home, you would think that Laynee would have been happy to see her. Not so. Much of the rest of the day was spent with me trying to restrain Laynee from beating the tar out of Rae. It was a rough day, but she has gotten much better as the weeks have progressed.

Laynee is 2!

Laynee's birthday ended up being much more laid back than I had originally planned, but she LOVED it anyways. Rae had a 24 hour bug the day before Laynee's party, so when Grandma McKee offered her house to party at, I jumped at the chance. Laynee enjoyed being the center of attention, and we all loved doting on her.

At two years old, Laynee weighs in at 24.5 lbs, and is 34 inches tall. She is smart, and very sassy. When she sets her sights on something, there is no distracting her until she gets what she wants. She LOVES all sweets, but calls them all cookies. She LOVES shoes, especially if they are not her own. She has just started staying in nursery the whole time, by herself, without crying. She misses Rae like crazy while Rae is at school. She LOVES coming to snuggle with me and have me pretend she is my baby to be rocked and kissed on. She loves to be on the go, and has been known to start crying when we even turn into our complex because she isn't ready to go home. She is our tiny little Laynee bug, and we LOVE her!

Utah Trip (Take 2)

Only a few weeks after returning from our Salt Lake trip, the girls and I headed up to Southern Utah for my cousin's wedding in St. George. The wedding was beautiful, and Rae was fascinated by the ceremony. During the reception that followed, she married every boy that would agree to marry her (and even my cousin's little girl when she couldn't find a boy!). Sadly, I didn't think to bring my camera to the wedding (what is wrong with me?!?). The next day we drove up to Bryan Head ski resort. The girls had a blast just running and exploring. Rae was a huge fan of riding the ski lift, and Laynee may have been a fan if she hadn't been so set on standing up. Instead, she screamed the whole way up the lift and most of the way down too. She finally fell asleep about ten minutes before our "scenic ride" was over. We stayed in Vegas one night on our way home, where we went to Steak & Shake (best chili ever!!). I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the girls are to take on vacation, and can't wait for our next big adventure!

Utah Trip (Take 1)

This summer has been one for fun and vacationing. We were able to take a few days in July to go up and visit with the Johnson/Gurr families in the Salt Lake valley. This little trip could not have come at a better time, as we were all exhausted from moving just a few weeks prior. We stayed a few days with Aunt Lori and her family in Orem. While we were there, my girls were inseparable from her cute little Abbey. We took a day to go swimming at the Linden aquatics center, and another day to go to the Children's Museum in Salt Lake. The last night before we came home, we drove down into the canyon to stay at the Mutual Dell. It was absolutely beautiful! The girls played hard with Wyatt, Cade, and Mason. They enjoyed a taste of freedom, running and exploring everywhere. We thoroughly enjoyed being able to chat with family, and reconnect with many we haven't seen in years.