GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN... and daddy was there too!

So Saturday morning, I woke up and decided I wanted to do something fun... something out of the ordinary, something on a day which we had NO plans.  I was thinking, "Well we live in VEGAS... let's go downtown, maybe do Circus Circus, the AdventureDome, go see the Lions at MGM, hit the M&M factory, get some lunch and be home for naps."  So I give my plan to Matthew, who one ups me!  "Let's go up to St. George!"  I think it's a bad joke, "Hmmm, where to Las Vegans go to vacation... Utah."  :)  Haha.  Anyway, we packed up our Traverse and traversed ourselves out of NV, through AZ and to UT.

Surprisingly, it's a quick drive.  Our family theme song played on the radio, yes GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN is the family theme song (sorry dear to out us...) when Cyndi Lauper comes on we all get very excited!!!

So we're driving, and Kylie's fascinated with rocks... she's fascinated with science in general (so not my child) and she wants to be a scientist.  She even gives them names, not like Betty or John, but calls them by their scientific name... I don't even know or remember what she calls them, but she's a smartie.  So we stopped the car and got out and took pictures of the canyon.

 Hop, skip, and a jump away and we were in St. George.  We went to the Wildlife Museum, which was fun.  Not the highlight for Matthew and I, but when I ask the girls what their favorite part of the day was... they say the animals... so I'm glad we went!

 This one was on purpose, someone is in denial about his bald spot.  He doesn't seem to think it exists.  His response to this picture when he reads the blog is that his hair is cut short.  Ummm, yeah... so next picture :)

 It's a bit dark, every so often the lights go out and you hear thunder... but they are standing in front of a waterfall. 

 Up we go....

 They had a little kiddy area, for the girls to climb and touch stuff which was fun for them.

 So we finished with the Museum and went to lunch... we parked, got out of the car and yes... this is what kids from Las Vegas do when they see grass.  We have rocks, concrete, and a pool in our backyard.  Grass is foreign to us.

 Oh, did I forget to mention where we went for lunch?!?!?  Holy cow, this was worth the drive alone.  And secretly, this was Matthew and my favorite part of the whole day!!!!  CRACKER BARREL, surprisingly there aren't any in Vegas.

I mean, do you see those desserts!?!?  I'm pouring hot carmelly goodness onto mine.  Notice Kadyn's face, she's just as excited as I am intent to get it perfect!  Yeah, best part about the day....

Then, we went to the St. George Temple.  We've passed it so many times on the road from here to Salt Lake, but we've never stopped.

 We went into the Visitor's Center, which was lots of fun.  The girls enjoyed it, we saw a nice movie, and they took home cotton and Kylie got a special white rock from Elder Sheffeld.  She LOVES it, apparently it's gypsum which was used in building the Temple.

 Beautiful day, gorgeous weather to be on Temple Grounds.

 And we learned that upon completion of building the Temple, President Brigham Young was not satisfied with the tower and dome on the very top.  He thought it looked too much like a government building, but the Saints were so excited to have a Temple he didn't push for them to rebuild it.  A few months I think after he died, a lightning bolt struck the very top... only the top, and the Saints had to reconstruct it.  They did it making it taller and less "squatty" the way Brigham Young had preferred... interesting :)

After that, we hit Deseret Book (since they all closed here in Vegas) and got the girls new scripture bags.  Then we went to the outlets but found the 3 younger girls all asleep when we pulled in.  So I ran into Down East (fun fun!!!) and we decided to head home since it was getting dark.

SUCH a fun day!!!!  It was so fun to pick up and just go.  Amazing how we had no plans, no clue what the day would hold for us, and it was such a fun day that I know the girls will remember... and look forward to the next time we say, "Hey... wanna spend the day (and maybe even night) in St. George!!!?!" :) 

Kloey's Blessing

On September 19th, we blessed Kloey.

It was really great because our Bishop let us do it on the same day as the Primary Program so that worked out wonderful.  Matthew's parents were able to fly out for the weekend and visit! :)

 Kloey's dress was the dress all my girls wore for their blessings, which was actually the dress I wore when I was 2 months old and baptized into the lutheran church.  Oh, and I do have the pink dress with the white flower for Kloey also.  You should see my girls' closets, it's AWESOME!  I probably have 50 different matching outfits for all 4 of them!!!!  Yes, it's called obsessive complusive.  I know, their clothes is my weakness....

 The whole group... thanks Dudley for taking our picture! :)
Gotta give a shout out to my mom- standing right next to me... she's lost nearly 100 pounds.  Yes, one hundred as in 1-0-0.  How amazing, and on top of that... no surgery, no fad diets, no secrets... just regularly eating healthy and she's kept it off.  So proud of her, she looks great! 

 This has got to be my favorite picture from the weekend, sorry Grandpa don't be mad! :)  Kloey LOVED Grandpa's squishy, comfy tummy.  She slept on him for hours and hours.  It was precious!

Finger crossed Grandma and Grandpa come back out again soon.  Our weekend went by so fast, we're hopeful to get them out here for a Disney trip before Christmas.

Kadyn's 2nd Birthday!

Yeah, so I'm behind... what can you do!?!?!

The end of the summer has turned into whirlwind rush for us, many things going on and lots to do.  We start August with Kloey and Matthew's birthdays... we gear up for fall with our last minute school shopping and have our first days of school... just to have Kacey, Yaya, and Kadyn's birthday all within the first 2 weeks of Sept.  I'm still recovering from new schedules with homework and girl scouts (did I mention that somehow I became an assistant leader- thank goodness Missy knows what's going on!!), not to mention the start of PTA, the end of Matthew's fiscal year (loooooong late nights) plus he started school back up which means he's not home until 10:30 pm on Thursday nights... it's a crazy life!  But our sweet little Kadyn turned 2 on the 14th of September!  Had to document her special day...

 I think this is actually the Sunday prior to the Tuesday of Kadyn's birthday, but it was cute nonetheless... Kloey's having a bit of a fit.  4th child, she'll get over it :)

 So on Kadyn's birthday, she got a bunch of fun presents including a Pluto pup, she adores Pluto!

 This is the point in the year when Matthew spends his evenings putting up and taking down birthday decorations!  Kadyn got a pretty crown to wear all day on her birthday, new tradition and I think it's going to stick.  Can't get the picture to be the right way.  Honestly, too much effort to figure it out, so tilt your head.  We ask her how old she is and she says, "2" and puts up both pointer fingers to make two. 

 Happy Girl!

 This HAS GOT to be my most favorite birthday picture ever, you go girl... blow your heart out!

This is also the point in the year where we are so tired of birthday cake, my efforts are slacking... but she's at that great age where if it has icing, she's thrilled.  It's a simple life, but a good life! :)
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Kadyn, our little firecracker!  She is the most lovable, precious, cutest little bug ever... she has an amazing vocabulary.  She's speaking in complete sentences that actually make sense.  Look out Kylie and Kacey, because she can full on tattle on you- WITH details!  She can count past 10, not sure where to exactly... it changes.  She knows her colors, knows the alphabet... yeah, she's only two!  I'd like to take the credit... I don't sleep at night, getting her preschool lessons prepared... BUT it's all she's absorbed from her sisters.  She looks to them and really thinks she's a big girl too!  She's a singer, always singing some random song that we've never heard of before.  AND from what we can tell, she's left-handed which we think is kinda special... none of us are lefties.
But does she have an attitude.  She folds her arms, scrunches her eyebrows and pouts... cutest thing EVER!  I should discipline her but it's so dang cute.  Kadyn has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger, no matter how terrible two's she's being he always finds the patience for her to get her out of her mood.  (if only he had that skill with all of them, but for her it works)  He hides around the corner in the house and jumps out at her, she loves it!!!  She's got the most infectious laugh, and when she does you can't help but smile at her.  Love her soft curls, love her long eyelashes, love her rose colored cheeks, love the way she says: "I no go to Nursery, I no like it, I stay witch you..."  LOVE that little bug!!!

Kacey's 4th Birthday!

She looks sweet enough, right?!?! 

 

WRONG! :) 

 She is by far our most dramatic, most demanding, most difficult daughter... like by leaps and bounds compared to her other sisters.  BUT that's who she is, she didn't sleep a wink until she was 18 months old.  Cried for a good year, straight... wouldn't take a bottle (I bought and tried every single one).  It was her labor that the epidural wore off, and the nurses were pushing on my stomach to get her out quickly.  But it's all what makes her HER and we love her for it!!!   

However I must say, there is no one on this earth who loves me more than this child.  She's a Mommy's girl for sure, she'd walk the ends of the earth with me... barefoot, on hot coals, just so she could be with me.  If I was kidnapped and everyone gave up searching for me, she'd keep looking. 

Kacey is a great big sister, loves her little Kloey and said throughout my pregnancy that Kloey would be her favorite.  She's amazingly smart, something very natural.  She observes and absorbs everything... she's always had such great verbal and communication skills.  I remember being at her 12 month appt, and the dr told me to have her do something.  So she listened to him and just did it... and he looked at me and said, "did she understand me?"  Yup.  She's a smart little cookie, sometimes a little too smart... and she has me wrapped around her finger... and what's bad is she knows it.

****

Her Birthday Decorations, equipped with every necessary princess balloon.

Her yellow (favorite color) birthday cake, with sprinkles and little chocolate chips.

We had a pizza party this afternoon, followed by her cake and presents!

Blowing out the candles!!!

Apparently Kadyn was helping her blow too, I wish I got that on camera!!!

And let's face it, at this age... it's all about the presents!

*****

Sunday Morning Pictures

Kloey's screaming, Kadyn's not even looking drinking her sippy cup, Kylie has no front teeth (top or bottom)... but Kacey is as happy as a clam!

The Pineapple Princesses!

See the crown, yes she had it on all through church!!!

Kylie's First Day of FIRST Grade!

My little sweet pea!

And the day has come, as my mom came over and says... "I remember when I could fit her tiny little head in my palm..."

Ugh, as if I wasn't having a hard enough time already!  I've been up since 4:15 this morning.  My mind's been racing.  What if she needs me?  What if something happens?  What if she misses me?  Okay, more likely-- what if I miss her???

As I was making her lunch this morning, I began to cry.  I'm not sure what upset me more... that she'll be in school ALL day and needs a lunch OR that she can actually read the note I packed in her lunch.  Where has the time gone???

And this is her happy as anything to walk on in.  Matthew's got the camera, I was trying to hold her hand... she was ready to play on the playground... which brings me to a hilarious story:

Kylie was playing, having a great time.  Matthew noticed some boys telling her something and not letting her go down the slide.  Matthew walked over there, asked Kylie what they said.  They told her that was the 3rd grade slide and she couldn't go down.  Well, no... Matthew was not having that.  He told them and Kylie that she could go down which ever slide she wanted!  He then made Kylie go down the slide... lo and behold, I call my friend later that morning... that really is the big kids slide... for 3rd graders and up.  Matthew's like, "whatever, small little midgets... how'd they know she's not in the 3rd grade..."  Yeah, this is from the same man who when I said a boy gave her an indian burn, Matthew said give him one back and don't stop until he cries... YIKES, right??!?  The teenage years should be fun.

And off she goes... Matthew and I got back into the car, and this instance shows how different we are.  I said to him that I hoped she was okay.  And he looked at me and said, "why wouldn't she be okay?"  He's probably more spot on than I am.  Ugh, so hard to let them go!!!

********

I did pull my PTA rank and headed in during her lunch shift.  She was great, having a blast, sitting by friends, loving life.  I asked if there was anything she needed me for, if she was okay or if she wanted me to stay... she gave me a kiss, said she was great and hurried to eat her lunch so she could go to recess. 

Sunday Morning Pictures

AND... our first official family of 6 picture!!!

I look at this picture and it's like, WOW, since when do we have so many kids?!?! :)  It's just funny, I know we have 4 kids... but then I see this picture this morning, and I'm just like, geez there's alot of us!!!  Love it :)

Now one of all the girls:

Now one of all the girls, including me:

And we can't forget Daddy, the one who survives our household of 5 females!!!:

If you can tell, Kadyn has a lollipop in her mouth.  Sometimes it just makes life a little happier... I understand, sometimes I need peanut butter m&m's for breakfast, so whatever works!

Sunday Morning Pictures

All 4 Girls!

It's the best we could do... And yes, before I get the comments, I know they don't match completely.  The color/prints don't match, but their identical styles of the same dress--- sometimes that's the best I can do when I'm shopping.  Kylie grew like 3 inches since May.  Consequently, some of her dresses in our collection of 3's are a wee bit short!!!

Kadyn was in a bit of a mood.  She's having a tough time going to Nursery (this was taken after church).  I've been in Nursery since she was 15 months, next month she'll be 2... she only knows Nursery with ME in it.  So she's having a rough time, although a wonderful friend of mine is bound and determined to get her there and happy before I get to church with Kloey.  (love her!)

Love her hair, she's so precious!

And her first black eye. 

She fell on/in Kacey's bed yesterday while we were doing some bedroom rearranging.  I wasn't there, so I'm not entirely sure how it all happened.  Poor thing.  It's not swollen shut, I was telling her to close her eyes so I could get it's full effect. 

Kloey Elisa Boyd

August 2, 2010

12:48 pm

6 pounds, 3 ounces (same as Kylie and Kadyn!)

18 inches

***

Sorry, it has taken a while to post these.  It has been a hectic week to say the least.  I did not anticipate a c-section to be as painful and as difficult as it was, I was optimistic and positive about it all... however, I learned fairly quickly that it was not going to be cake... it still isn't.  Anyway, here are some pictures.

***

Matthew right before they rolled me in.

It was all pretty fast, I just remember feeling like it was hard to breathe.  And I was tilted, oddly to the left.  I felt like a pinball machine.  Matthew asked later if I smelled the burnt skin smell.  I did not, thankfully so.

Matthew cutting Kloey's cord.

Kloey's first bath.  Matthew went to the Nursery with her, but from what he tells me... she had some major lungs!!!

The funniest part was when my parents came with the girls later Monday afternoon.  Matthew, as a good son in law, wrapped Kloey up and walked over to my mom to hand off the baby.  My dad intercepted the hand off like you would not believe, hilarious! My mom was annoyed, but my dad was just thrilled to be holding Baby Kloey.

Quick Family Shot

Kylie

Kacey

Kadyn

*****

AND Matthew's birthday!!!

We came home on Wednesday, Matthew's 33rd birthday.  I felt badly for him, we had a card and Nike gift card to give him... but we really spent the day in the hospital.  Where he spent a majority of his day helping me go to the bathroom and even just walk.  We did manage to get him a little cake and sing! :)  We'll have to make it up to him next year.

Happy Group!

More pictures to come, it's been a long week.  Kloey's sleeping good, she's a really peaceful baby.  I'm not myself really, the pain meds are screwing me up.  Kadyn's adjusting to not being the baby, but it's hard because I can't hold her or lift her.  So she spends a majority of the day with a lollipop.  The older girls are in love with their littlest sister, and they'll sit and stare at her for hours.  Matthew's been home helping to balance life, running into work periodically to keep up on things.  My parents are in and out of our house constantly (I think they are babysitting me, which I need) making sure everyone's okay and giving everyone the love and attention they need at any given moment.  We're really blessed to have an awesome church ward here, yummy dinners are coming in every night for the next 2 weeks -- and have since we've been home.  Lots of phone calls checking in, we're here... just getting used to the new dynamics of life!

Kindergarten Graduation

Kylie had her Kindergarten Graduation today, and I was not missing it for the world.  There's nothing worse than an Italian mother- well maybe an Italian grandmother- but there was nobody or nothing stopping me from attending!  And it was AMAZING!

Kylie had her own very long speaking part.

(Thank you Yaya for working with her on it while we were in the hospital)

She did wonderful, spoke loudly... there were some big words and the speech was super long... she was incredible.  I was crying my eyes out!

I'm so grateful for such an awesome teacher, Ms. Messerli.  She has so many students- all at different achieving levels, yet she knows each one and I felt that she continually gave Kylie the attention and challenges that Kylie needed to thrive.

She'll be Kacey's teacher in 2011.  Kadyn's 2 years after that, and Kloey... you get the point.

I worked closely with Ms. Messerli throughout the year, in the classroom and through my PTA stuff.  We've become good friends, and she had my back.... I had the best seat in the house!  Love this woman, she called while I was in the hospital and made arrangements with my mom so that I'd be comfortable while sitting at the graduation- that she knew I'd be attending... and she called Matthew last night to verify it all- making sure we knew all the ins and outs.  I got there early for my front and center seat, as you see, with my name "MOMMY BOYD" waiting for me.

Everyone with their diplomas!

Kloey Update

We are doing well, my fluid increased (?) oddly enough.  I'm not quite sure how that's happened- life hasn't given us a break and we just seem to be constantly on the go... rest and relaxation aren't in our vocabulary... but fortunately enough, Kloey's amniotic fluid DOUBLED and moved up to be in the low end of the normal range. 

I had my last dr appt today.  Kloey is still breech, with a slim to no chance of nose diving into the correct position!  I have a c-section scheduled 1 week from today- on Monday, August 2nd at 12:30 pm... we can't wait to see our little baby girl!  More info next week!!!