Random Pictures and an Update

Everyone here is doing well for the most part.  You can definitely tell it is getting close to summer-the bandaid usage has increased 10 fold! 
Emma is still loving school. This morning we went to moms and muffins at her school and she showed me one of her projects.  It was titled "how to eat an oreo cookie" Her first step was to get homogenized milk and pour it into a glass!  She is constantly reading, even during meals apparently!  She is excited for a field trip this week to the maryland science center in baltimore.
Leah is doing well in school but is very excited for graduation the beginning of June.  This last week we attended kindergarten orientation and she is sad she has to wait all the way until august to go to Emma's school with her.
Becca continues to keep me entertained while her sisters are away.  Her vocabulary continues to expand. She likes to say "it was awesome" when you ask about an experience and likes to call her sister crazy when they are crying or upset. I think she lives in a magical world because dirty things are poisoned and she is constantly flying around the house in her fairy princess dress and magic wand calling her self a fairy godmother and rescuing me from evil skeletons she says.
Alicia is growing super fast.  She likes to blow bubbles and suck on her toes.  She loves it when her sisters play with her.
Grant and I are just trying to keep up with all these crazy ladies and hoping and praying for news on the job search.  Here are some pictures!

A few belated easter egg hunt pictures

The girls dressed up as queens and taking pictures of each other

A late night photo session with Alicia

My wonderful lunch dates a week ago!

Becca fell asleep playing the kindle

Alicia fell asleep with her whole hand in her mouth

Emma's war wounds from the school playground

Alicia sleeping with her foot in midair

Easter and Palmyra Trip

Here are some recent pictures from all our Easter activities and our trip to Palmyra. Everyone is doing well and trying to be happy despite being miserable from allergies. Spring has definitely arrived!

Ableskivers and Cherry trees

This last week was kinda crazy.  Felt super busy but not sure why.  We did go and see the cherry trees downtown, which was beautiful!  We also enjoyed ableskivers as per family tradition on conference Sunday.  Here are some pictures!

Always happy and smiling!

Sister time!

Becca eating her "circle waffles"

Alicia enjoying herself while we ate albeskivers

Cuddling on the couch

Hugs at the Jefferson Memorial

View of the Washington monument from the steps of the Jefferson memorial

Alicia enjoyed sleeping through the whole experience

Landscape of the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin

Alicia's Blessing Day

This past sunday Alicia received her name and blessing during sacrament meeting.  The blessing was beautiful.  She was told she is a beloved daughter of God, she can learn much from her older sisters and one day she will marry in the temple.  She was an angel during the blessing and didn't even cry, in fact Grant said she smiled at everyone.  When they announced she was going to be blessed I handed her to Grant and there was an audible sigh from the congregation and ah's when they saw her after.  All in all it was a nice day topped off with a great talk by Grant on grace.  The only thing that would have made it even better would have been family to share it with.  Here are some pictures.  They aren't the greatest but at least everyone is in them!

With her hat on, just for Grandma Claudia!

Customary family picture on blessing day.

Just a random picture of me, Alicia, and Emma (with her owl chapstick!)

Becca helping Grant get his lunch ready, thought it was funny him walking around with her like this!

March update

A quick update while half the children are sleeping...
Things are going well for us, although we are still waiting on spring to arrive.  It is snowing. Again.  Oh well spring will come eventually and then we will be complaining it is too hot and humid!
The girls are all doing well.  Emma continues to love school and is enthralled in magic tree house books.  She can read one in an afternoon so we are making frequent hold requests and trips to the library.  Leah likes school too as long as she gets to play with the crown at school.  Not sure what it is probably a crown, but it determines if she has a good day or not at school she says.  She has rediscovered her cowboy boots and wears them everywhere and is so excited for soccer to start she wore her shin guards to school today!  Becca has decided the number 4 is her favorite and that means we read 4 stories and sing 4 songs at bedtime.  She also has to have 4 chicken nuggets and 4 ponytails in her hair.  You have to make sure you show her and count them all or she will get very upset if she doesn't think it is 4!  Although last night singing songs I showed her 4 fingers and then named the 4 songs and she pointed to my thumb and said all of the fingers, so maybe she will be requesting 5 of things soon! Alicia is growing super fast. I think they grow up quicker with each one that we have.  She had her 2 month check up and weighed 10lbs. 14 oz and was 23 inches long.  She is 50% for weight and 75th for height.  If they kept track of foot size she would be in the 90% I think. I have never had a baby grow out of jammies because her feet were too long!
Grant continues to work on research and writing papers and looking for jobs in his "spare" time that really isn't spare.  I continue to try and keep everyone going although the months of sleep deprivation seem to be catching up with me.  It is getting harder and harder to wake up in the middle of the night!  I am enjoying getting back to doing things that have been neglected the past 11 months or so.  I kinda feel like myself again thank goodness!
Here are some pictures.  We did get a nice sunny day and grant took the 3 older girls to the park to play.

Isn't it great having 3 older sisters to dress you up!

an attempt at a first st. patricks day picture, but she was uninterested.  Also her outfit looks much more green in person, well teal at least!

So today is yet another snow day.  Not quite as bad as a week or so ago but probably 6plus inches so everyone is home.  I don't mind another 3 day weekend! Not much is going on lately, just trying to get a new routine going with the addition to the family.  We did get papa murphy's pizza last week for the first time since moving here.  The closest one is about a half an hour away.  The girls say it tastes even better in Maryland than in Utah.  Grant has been busy with scout stuff, I am taking care of girlies all day, but I did go to Relief Society meeting last week and learned how to make crochet baby booties for preemies.  If I had know it could be that easy I would have attempted long ago!  Emma is happy at school and continues to excel in every area, especially writing.  Everytime I talk to her teacher she brags about how wonderful Emma does writing.  Leah is happy at preschool and brings home lots of fun crafts and continues to work on recognizing all the letters of the alphabet so we can start working on learning to read.  Becca continues to talk and talk and talk.  Even Leah's friend that came to visit commented that Becca sure says momma alot.  When she doesn't know what something is called she comes up with her own name for it such as grants tie is now a sunday scarf and tights are sock pants.  She has also started labeling colors with more description so instead of blue or pink it is light blue or dark pink for examples.  Alicia is 6 weeks old and made it through her first 3 hours of church-she slept the whole time! She is growing so quickly and loves to be talked to and look around.  She even surprised us and prefers to go to sleep on her own than being rocked or walked around which is good since she is the 4th!

Tummy time!

Becca wanted to do tummy times just like Alicia

Emma wanted a picture with Alicia....

so then Becca did too.....

And Leah too!