A Summer Job

I know one day my girls will thank Warren and I. This summer we decided to give the girls a job. Their job was to pick weeds around Warren's office. Sometimes it would take 2 hours, sometimes 30 minutes. Our little tradition was to go out to eat, pick weeds, and than the girls would treat themselves to cookie dough from Daddy's office.


Kaylee helped Warren a lot this summer. She would go and help him fertilize, pick weeds, stain the concrete, etc. She earned a lot of money this summer and is excited to get it in a couple of days. She is desperately wanting a fancy dollhouse that she can build herself, put up wallpaper, install carpet, paint, and get furniture. She has been working really hard!!

The girls are now experts at distinguishing between a normal plant and an obnoxious weed.

The Countdown is ON

In this picture, I am 30 weeks along...I am now 34 weeks and the count down is definitely on. I have now been in the hospital for about a week with some complications because of placenta previa. The doctor keeps telling me lets try and make it to 36 weeks and see. I will hopefully be released in the next couple of days, but I will be on bedrest. Here are 10 things I have learned while being in the hospital for the past week:
1) I am actually a pretty picky eater...but I guess anyone would be if they had to eat hospital food and one quick question, why do they fry everything in a hospital and why can't I get a REAL green salad?
2) I am one lucky girl - I have a wonderful husband who is worried about me, his little baby boy, and his 3 little girls. I have wonderful friends that didn't even hesitate to help!! They have brought food, watched my girls, helped clean my house, brought me magazines, things to do, food (that is good!!), gum, lotion, candy, my girls to give me extra snuggles, phone calls, etc
3) During the day, there is a nothing but junk on TV. But, the story lines of "Law and Order" make it very hard to change the channel. I get sucked in!! I also know a little too much about what is going on in the political world and the world in general. That is not necessarily a bad thing, BUT too much information kind of stresses me out.
4) I do not like IVs, especially when they have been in my arm for 3 days and the needle bends when it hits a vein. OUCH!!
5) I am so grateful for modern day medicine, ultrasounds,etc. My little boy is doing great and mom is being taken care of.
6) I can sure talk!! The nurses come in and let me talk to them for 30 minutes at time. I talk to the nutrition ladies that bring me food, the cleaning ladies, the RN that came to take my blood (it was supposed to last like 2 minutes and she ended up being here for 1 hour...no joke)
7) I sure do love being a MOM!!
8) I actually like those random pumping things that they put on my legs to prevent clots.
9) My gray patch right in the front of my head is getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger....and there is nothing I can do!! Trying to get over this one...
10) Festive socks and booties on your feet can bring happiness when that is the only thing you can wear to bring some color to your wardrobe of a hospital gain.

I could go and on. The major thing I have realized is Heavenly Father has prepared me all along for this moment. All along I have a had a feeling that this little one might come early, I would probably have a c-section, and would be a put on some sort of bedrest near the end. I know that this prompting has made this entire situation a lot easier. I know my little boy is being watched over and I am feeling very comforted during this time. How could I not be grateful!!

Summer Moments

Some of my favorite moments from summer.

Nicole is happiest outside...no matter the weather

Taylor is my vegetable girl...she won't eat cinnamon rolls, but she will eat her fresh veggies (especially from the garden)

The basement was finished in the early summer and the girls had multiple slumber parties. They watched movies, did hair, and had tons of room to play.

Nicole and water...no need to explain

Kaylee is always ready to practice a ballet move.

Taylor can make the funniest faces

Sisterly Love...I just love it and brings pure joy to me

We were at the pool everyday this summer. Ironically, I think I got in the pool 2 times.

This summer was unusually hot. By the end of summer, the girls swimsuits were faded, stretched, and well-worn.

Love this toothless smile.

No matter the temperature, Taylor loves feetie jammies. She never stays under her covers and is such a restless sleeper. I am so surprised she hasn't fallen off her bed. If you notice, Taylor's knees are completely bent because she is wearing jammies for a 2 year old. She found them in the old clothes box and doesn't want to let them go.

Love that smile...

"Mom, can I jump in?"

Nothing like relaxing in the shade in the warm sun

Nicole is always ready for fun...

Kaylee loves to help Taylor swim...

Summer fun can be so exhausting...

Loves for mom!! I love the picture of Warren in the background...

Ready to ski in the cold, smooth water

This helmet is HUGE and Taylor is filthy dirty

Kaylee can get giggling so hard she has to hit her head to stop laughing. I love when she cracks herself up.

It's a good thing these 2 girls love Coco so much...

Loves for Daddy!!

Broken arm and still smiling

Kaylee to the rescue!!

Love these BIG BROWN EYES

Is this a sign of the future...

Nicole can fall asleep anywhere and is always ready for a smile.

Aren't these people beautiful?!

Over the summer, my grandparents came from California to see my parents one more time before they left on their mission. Grandma and Grandpa Mortensen (or GG and GG as my kids call them) are wonderful people. I think they are handsome, classy, and just plain awesome people. My grandpa is a retired principal and my grandma is a retired Kindergarten teacher. My girls LOVE them. My grandparents are always ready to teach my children and hear all their silly stories. They are so patient and just love to be around their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I remember as a young girl thinking my grandma was so beautiful. I loved her hair, smile, blue eyes and caring personality. I wanted to look just like her and be just like her. My grandma and grandpa were always so proud of anything we would accomplish. They are still very supportive. I loved their house in California with the fruit trees. I remember Grandma working in the garden wearing either her hat or bandanna. If we saw snails, she would tell us to "step on the snails." I am sad I don't get to see them as much as I would like too, but it makes me cherish the rare times I still see them. Seriously...they are awesome!!

Dance of the Unicorns

Kaylee entered her first piano competition!! Her teacher named off a few competitions. She stressed one in particular and Kaylee jumped at the the chance. It was a "Composition Competition." I don't think she really understood what it included, but it was a great opportunity for Kaylee. I knew what she was getting into, but kept a big smile on my face.

Kaylee has a ton of songs in her head and loves to compose. I always have to remind her to practice the songs she is learning before just playing whatever. It is interesting to hear her practice because she starts practicing her "required" stuff and than something in the song triggers another thought. She than begins to start playing something else that she is just making up. She has a great ear and it is fun to hear the songs she makes up.

For the competition, she wrote a very minor sounding song entitled "Dance of the Unicorns." She had to do everything!! Luckily, her piano teacher is wonderful and gave her steps to complete along this journey. She first thought of a melody and I helped her write the main notes down on a piece of paper. She had 5 melodies she liked and than chose 2 to incorporate into her song.

Kaylee and I spent numerous hours transferring what she was playing onto music sheet paper. Kaylee than figured out the length and type of notes, dynamics, key signatures, etc. It was fun to watch her brain work and try to get from one sound to another.

The entire thing ended up being 3 pages with a few key changes, time changes, etc. If I do say so myself...it is pretty impressive.

The day she turned it in was a HUGE relief. She earned a new purple soft blanket and smelly bath soap -Sweet Pea (her favorite) for just completing the song. What an accomplishment!!

Here is her sweet song, in her own handwriting. This is the 5th and final copy!! We will see what happens. It is now in the hands of the judges.

Kaylee is imagining what she will do with the prize money...