Swimming Lessons

If you've ever been swimming with McKinley then you learn one thing real quick: she is crazy in the water! She really believes she can swim and has no fear. It's a bad combination that leads to a lot of chasing, running and saving on the parts of Robbie and myself.

So, this year we put her in swimming lessons. She just started last week and has done a great job. She puts her face in the water, jumps from the side, kicks and moves her arms in a manner similar to a free style swim (with someone holding her of course), she's learning to float on her back and also do the arm motions for the back stroke. Obviously she's only 3, but I think she's doing really great for her age.

My biggest problem at swimming lessons is keeping Molly out of the pool! And yes, this day I did take her in her pajamas hoping that just MAYBE she'd fall asleep there or on the way home. I was wrong!

Family Pictures

We finally had new family pictures taken this week. Embarrassingly enough, the last ones we had taken were when McKinley was 6 months old. So, ya, if you do the math...that was just over two-and-a-half years ago!

We went into a place called FotoFly (www.fotofly.com) and I really liked how they turned out. Of course the day pictures came were crazy. McKinley had a fever of 102 and Molly was refusing to take a nap before hand. Our clothes didn't go together quite as I had hoped and Molly's hair was insane! All in all though, I think they turned out well. Here are a few of my favorites:

There are so many others that I really loved. I think I won't let two-and-a-half years go by before the next ones!

What Have We Been Doing?

A little bit of everything! We've been to South Jordan Days, a triathlon, 3 baby blessings (a niece and two nephews, a family reunion, the lady bug release, bowling, the zoo (more than once), the aquarium, a few birthday parties, fireworks, a carnival, a bounce house, Cherry Hill, the Aquarium, the doctor several times and Bear Lake. Robbie and I also celebrated our 8th anniversary and saw Harry Potter.
Everyone is growing and changing around here lately. Robbie has taken to calling Molly "Evil Kenevil" because she is so wild and adventurous. She crawls, she climbs, she cruises, she eats like crazy and she has no fear. She is also cuddly, really loves her mom, smiles all of the time and follows her big sister to the best of her ability.
McKinley has decided that making up words is the coolest thing ever. She's also learned all of the words to a few Taylor Swift songs and the Lazy Song. She picks up on music so fast. She likes to teach things to Molly and still prefers her Dad.
Life has been busy, but I'll post something fun soon, I just need to find the time! :)

McKinley Turned 3!

How did this happen so fast? How did my sweet little baby go from being so small to being so big!

On May 6th, McKinley turned 3 and she is so excited to be three. McKinley is doing a lot of fun stuff lately. She's learning to ride a bike, she can do most letters with their appropriate sound. She spells her name, she loves play dough and puzzles and Candy Land. She talks all the time and sings even more than that. Robbie and I joke that her life is a musical! She's a great big sister and loves to tell jokes. She recently found an imaginary friend too. His name is Brother and he only appears when we are in the car. He apparently tells the funniest jokes and often she accidentally kicks him in the head and has to apologize. She has such as imagination. She still loves the water and recently she decided she's old enough to take showers instead of baths.

These are some pictures from McKinley's actually birthday. We gave her a big cupcake and let her open all of her presents, she had a great time.
The next day we had a birthday party with all the family that is here it town, it was so great of everyone to come, she had a blast with everybody at the party! McKinley wanted a "Woody" birthday party, so first we made alien cupcakes like the aliens from the movie.

Then we played pin the Badge on Woody/Put the Symbol on Buzz.
We opened presents next and I'm happy to report that McKinley didn't throw any of her presents to the side this year like she did with the clothes last year. :)

Here are the girls getting ready for the cake to come out.

Blowing out the candles!

Molly was a great sport through all of the festivities and even wore one of McKinley's birthday presents for the pictures. Doesn't she look cute in a little crown.

Happy Birthday McKinley we love you!

Easter 2011

We had a great Easter at our house. We dyed eggs, we hunted for eggs (several times), we got to see the Easter bunny. We also read the story that is detailed in Matthew and John about the week before the Savior's resurrection. We read each day on the day it happened. I like doing it, it makes me really think of what Easter is about. McKinley was a little tired of it by the end of it, but Robbie and I thoroughly enjoyed. I think next year the Sunday before Easter, I'll do the Easter Egg story that goes through the Crucifixion and resurrection as well. Overall, the with all the festivities, the week leading up to Easter and Easter itself was a lot of fun! Here are some pictures of our little ladies.

Here we are at the Easter Egg hunt in South Jordan Park:

Dying Eggs at home:

McKinley learned a song at school about Peter Cottontail, so she decided that was the Easter Bunny's name. She was so funny Easter morning, she was running from egg to egg, she was really great at finding the eggs by herself this year. Thanks Peter Cottontail for the fun!

And last but not least, we took pictures in the girls Easter Dresses. The funny thing is, McKinley didn't want to stand up, so this is the best one we got!

4 Months Old

***No, blogger won't let me fix the spacing on the list :( ***

She's really almost 5 months old now, but I've fallen behind and wanted to make sure I got this post in. The thing I love most about all of the checkups for babies is when you get to hear all of their little measurements. So, here are my sweet little Molly's stats: Height: Exactly 2 feet tall! That's the 50% for girls her age. Weight: 13 pounds, 8.9 ounces. That's the 43% for girls her age.

We just love our sweet little Molly. Here are some things we've learned about her:

1. She LOVES books. It seems to be a common theme at our house to love books, but she's totally enthralled. Some she particularly enjoys are the Hickory Dickory Dock book, Big Red Barn, Peter the Rabbit and she LOVES all the colors when we read Pinkalicious to her and McKinley.

2. She pretty much put anything she can get her hands on into her mouth.

3. She continues to love rolling and recently has figured out it can get her places!

4. Her vibrating zebra is basically her favorite toy.

5. She really enjoys laying in McKinley's bed with her.

We really love our sweet little Molly and watching how she learns new things all the time!

Haircut

McKinley got her haircut this weekend and it's just too cute not to post a picture!

Also, I've been working to get her room finished just the way I wanted and I think I finally did (well almost finished). Oh yes, and no, I did not clean her room before I took the pictures, so you get to see it just the way it always is!