While we were out

Yes, I am avoiding my blog so I can pretend I am still on a blissful and relaxing vacation. But, the reality is we've been back home for a week, so I guess I can acknowledge I am back in the trenches, plugging away at work, taking care of kids and having to actually cook and clean (a little). 

Someday soon I'll share pictures of our trip, but for now enjoy pictures that Mimi and Coco (Daniel's mom and sister Courtney) took while they stayed at our house and watched the girls. They deserve medals for taking care of the girls for 8 whole days. They jam -packed the week with a ton of activities and the girls loved it. 

Awesome face

Love Ron and Lani's deck

 Cousin Jack's toys are so much better than ours

 Movie night

 Labor Day activity was the Highland Splash Pad

 Mimi let Sadie help in the kitchen and she has not stopped talking about it. We made some oatmeal fudge bars the other day and it took us 2 hours since this is all I heard from the Sadie the whole time, "Let me do it." "Let ME do it." "Let me doooo it." "Let me do it!!!!" "Mom! Let me do it." (All of these said in various forms of whine)

Chocolate blueberry pancakes?!? Totally spoiled

 Just our cute Lou

Provo Beach Resort carousel

Our favorite toy store- Blickenstaff's

Partaking in the Nielson tradition of afternoon Sonic drinks

 Sister love

 Park time

BYU campus visit

Creamery on 9th- of course Sadie's ice cream was pink

 Sundance

Gymnastics open gym

Side note: Elise got hand, foot and mouth disease a few days before we left. It wasn't too bad. She had a fever one day and a few days later she started getting bumps all over, which turned into scabs on her face, which looked pretty gross. The picture above is at church the day after we left and the one underneath is the day before we came back. You can see her face finally cleared up. 

Coco and Mimi- thank you, thank you thank you thank you. It was so nice to not have to worry about our kids one bit. We could completely relax on our trip. Grandmothers (and aunts) are amazing!

Holland's First Birthday

We celebrated sweet Hollands first birthday on August 23rd. She is one very loved and missed little girl. 

I didn't think Sadie would actually let the balloons go, since balloons are one of her favorite things, but she did. And she did so enthusiastically. She yelled "bye balloons! Have fun with Holland!"

Later on that day Daniel and I went to the temple to kickoff our goal of keeping an eternal perspective about our family. 

End of Summer

The month of August has been good to us. A trip back East, lots of popsicles, sunshine, and friends. 

*Eating disgusting sugar-free fudgsicles that I bought by accident

*About 2 minutes after this picture Sadie pooped. In her swim suit. And she wasn't wearing a swim diaper. Highlight of my parenting career!

*Lots of playing with the Sullivans

*Oh and some fighting mixed in there too

*Climbing between the small kiddie pool and the bigger kiddie pool filled with cookie cutters

*We love the Lindon pool. Cannot say enough good things about it. The Cottles met us there for 2 hours before they drove home to Portland a few weeks ago.

*Sadie and Briz have a hilarious relationship. Either giving each other dirty looks or hugging

*Nick wiping out on the flo-rider

*Watching garbage trucks is the best

*An attempt to get the girls in their matching headbands. Love the Louie belly

*Playdate with Jenna

*The girls were being very affectionate and actually posed for a picture.

*Evening stroll

*Quinn Sullivan and Lou. Giving fives

*Highland splash pad

*Playing with strings that caused lots of drama

*Sadie looks 7 years old in this picture. What the?

*Dancing at the Lindon pool with second cousins Miles and Elly

*Making messes

PS- Took the girls to their 3-year and 15-month check-ups. Both are tall (between 80th and 90th percentiles) and average weight (50th-60th percentiles). 

PPS- Sadie is now potty trained. Hallelujah!

Silly Geese

On Sunday I dressed the girls up in matching outfits (one of my favorite things to do). They are funny.