We're BACK with some photos

Can you believe it's been soooo long?

June was SUPER busy for us.
Halle and Payton did 2 weeks of swimming lessons. It was kind of tedious driving the 45 min each way for a 30 minute lesson but they LOVED it!
I went on a trip to Seattle and shopped til I dropped.
I had a 4D ultrasound done and got a peek at our little sweet pea, which was amazing!
We went down to Twin to see my family for the weekend and had a blast! The kids loved swimming in the hotel pool, bottle feeding the calf, everyone got to sit on a horse, and collecting chicken eggs at my Aunt and Uncles. We had a great birthday party for my grandparents and had a great time catching up.

I forgot to mention our new ride...That's right, our new family vehicle is a....
12 passenger van! Our Town and Country was too small to fit 5 kids in carseats and I didn't want to get a Suburban or anything like it because then we'd be climbing over seats to buckle and unbuckle. We drove the van down to Twin and it went well, access to everyone is nice!

We decided to spend this week home having some down time. But in actuality it has been me playing catch-up on laundry and housework :D

This weekend we plan on celebrating the 4th by attending our local parade and maybe a BBQ with the inlaws and a dip in a pool followed by fireworks.

My favorite 4D ultrasound picture

Halle on the horse assisted by Aunt Deb and Uncle Shawn

Payton and her chicken egg

Sofia feeding the goats

Parker loving Sallie

Parker and the calf

Vacation Highs and Lows

We arrived in Seattle yesterday after a painless drive. We found our hotel with hardly any effort and settled in. The girls went to bed without much fuss and we woke up this morning STOKED to go to the Zoo! There was a 40% chance of rain and it is 8 pm and still no rain! GREAT! We went to the zoo this morning and had a FAB time! We saw a tiny baby gorilla swinging on a small branch right in front of the window, a beautiful Jaguar curled up sleeping on the opposite side of the glass, you could touch it if the glass wasn't there! We saw elephants and spiders, hippos and got to feed birds! We all stayed awake and walked for 3 entire hours! The day couldn't be all perfect though... At the end we stopped while Brian stepped away for a minute, the girls and I were leaning against a rock talking about what was next. Halle decided that she didn't want to do whatever we were doing next, started screaming and ran like a bullet shot from a gun away from me into a crowd. WHAT DID MY MOM BRAIN DO? First I yelled her name then left the other two, unwatched and untethered and ran after Halle...STUPID I know that now, well she ran into the men's bathroom to find Brian, there she was standing in there with him...Sorry to any of those others I burst in on looking for her :)
I was SO angry I couldn't talk to her, I couldn't look at her...my heart was pounding and there was Dad just smiling and laughing..I guess that was the best he could do to keep me calm...
We came back to the hotel and went to bed STRAIGHT AWAY!

After nap we went to a nearby Mall...I guess only in my part of the world would there be food at a mall. At this mall there was 1 food stand and no tables to eat at...I felt like a fish out of water...more like a speck of dirt on a clean car! I cant stand next to a Prada sunglasses hut and not feel weird!
We still have one day of vacation left and Brian has promised me a trip to the local outlet mall...he saw how weird I felt and wants to make me feel better :)
We are EXCITED to see Aunt Holly tomorrow!

A funny note to leave you here with tonight is this:
Halle was jumping on the bed, I told her not to because it was a hide a bed and it would bite her :) but when she was supposed to be sleeping we hear this HUGE noise and sure enough the bed "ate her" she screamed, "MAMA MAMA MAMA, HELP ME HELP ME I BE EATED" I walked in there and she was stuck between the mattress and the cushions. HAHAHAHAHA

Gushy Stuff

I enjoyed a very peaceful/reflective holiday weekend getaway.
My DEAR husband kept the girls and I took off to the BIG city and stayed the night and spent the next day shopping shopping and SHOPPING!

While I was out I went to the movies for the first time in a LONG time and saw Prince Caspian which I LOVED!

The end song is The Call by Regina Spektor and the first verse hit me HARD! It reminds me of our entrance into adoption, and as our 4th is looming it makes it all SO MUCH MORE REAL.

It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
’Til it was a battle cry

Anyway while I was out I thought of this verse over and over again and really just found a peace in knowing and feeling and hearing...LALALA

Enough with the gushy stuff:
SO all kinds of sales going on I got the girls all kinds of summer clothes and when I got home Halle said, "Mama what did you bring me?" I said, "GUESS?" she said, "A NEW DRESS, HOORAY!" I did bring her a few new dresses I got for cheap at The Childrens Place but was sad to discover they didnt fit correctly, she didnt care she wore it and twirled and said, "What a pretty dress." She loves it when I go shopping because she loves to play dress up and try on everything I get for her :)

Post Vacation Depression

Nothing big really happens here in this small town so when something is going on-like a vacation-frazzles me and stresses me out! The packing and then traveling was SO exciting and our trip was great but coming home and unpacking is kind of dismal, plus it is still snowing, and I just hate this feeling! Leaving all of my family behind, coming home to days of just myself and the girls, missing everyone and everything :(

SO I love vacation, because I have my husband all to myself and the mood is one of excitement, even when they are cranky there is always something worth looking forward too!

AYE AYE AYE

Returning from vacation

Sorry it's been so long!
We have been on vacation-a wonderful and tragic trip in that we spent some GREAT time with my family, a GREAT time with old friends and GREAT time as a family swimming, shopping, and feeding the ducks!
Tragic because I did not get to see a dear friend I wanted to due to a work emergency we couldn't stay for the plans I had already made.

I've been taking pictures with a new small camera but no editing software so I'll post later.

Halle has been doing some funny things lately, saying things that are out of this world.
She gets into trouble talking about her bottom and to get around this now by calling it a "tail". Halle: "Mom my tail hurts."
Me: "You have a tail?"
Halle: "yes, it's right here(pointing to her bottom)"
Me: "A tail? What is it made of?"
Halle: "It's red and here (pointing again)"
Me: "Oh"