Yellowstone

For our family trip this year, we decided that we would be adventurous, so we reserved a campground, packed up our car (and fit everything amazingly enough), and headed to Yellowstone National Park. I was really excited because I've never been there, and I'd heard so much about it. We were entranced by the beauty of the place, amazed by the many different wonders of nature that we saw, and absolutely loved seeing so many different kinds of animals. We can't wait to go back there in a few years once our kids are a bit older and do even more things with them!
This is how our trip started
And this is how it ended
Kailey was a perfect angel in the car as usual. Reading, coloring, and sleeping!
Old Faithful. We were lucky and got there just a few minutes before it erupted.
Kailey attending a Ranger Program about the geysers at Yellowstone
One of the many hot springs there
The Fountain Paint Pots Trail
Another Geyser erupting


How Maddie spent every hike we went on. Thank you again Megan for letting us borrow the backpack! It was a lifesaver!

Buffalo--we saw several hundred!
Our Campsite
Maddie in the tent
Roasting hot dogs
The view right by our tent

Maddie and Kailey going on their own little hike
By the lake

One Year Old!

At one year:
20 pounds 9 ounces
29 inches tall
Blonde Hair
Greenish-Brownish-Grayish eyes
Two teeth officially in
Two cutting through
Taking a few steps, crawling faster than I've ever seen any baby crawl
Climbs EVERYTHING. Today she somehow even made it onto our couch--yikes!
Favorite word is "ow", but also loves to yell "mama" and follow me around.
Favorite Food is any veggie except peas. Does not like oranges, bananas, or pears. The list grows longer every day. She is a picky eater just like Daddy.
Likes to copy everything we do, especially loves mimicking facial expressions.
Adores big sister, much to Kailey's annoyance sometimes when she is tired of being followed and sharing her toys
Loves to give kisses and snuggle
Loves to sit and read books
Generally very sweet tempered and happy
Loved so much by her entire family. We are so lucky to have her!
We went to the zoo on Saturday for her birthday
When it was time to open presents, she crawled to the window and sat and stared at her crazy family for awhile
Then decided to check out the pile of presents
Unwrapping presents was tough
But Kailey was glad to help
Then it was time for some cupcakes her first sugary treat!
Caught off guard by the camera. I think she was still trying to figure out what was going on!
What is this curious food?
Yummy frosting
Mmmm Cake
That was Yummy!

Utah Trip

Last month the girls and I decided to take an impromptu visit to Utah when we found out that my family was doing the Annual Easter Egg Hunt the weekend after Easter due to General Conference. I was really excited that my girls would be able to participate, so we packed up the car and off we went. Poor Chad had to stay in California and work for the week, and while he missed us, I bet he enjoyed catching up on some much needed sleep while were were gone.
We had a blast staying with family for a few days. Kailey loved playing with her cousins, and Maddie enjoyed being around so many kids to chase and having a cousin her very own age to play with.
On Friday, Grampy got out the egg dye and the kids loved dyeing a few dozen eggs together with him. On Saturday we went to Fillmore for the hunt. We had a blast. Maddie absolutely adored playing with Sarah and we didn't even see Kailey or the cousins her age as they happily played together the whole time. Owyn, Kaden, Kailey and Laura are all going to be in kindergarten next year, so they are the perfect age to entertain one another!
Dyeing eggs with Grampy
Kailey takes her egg hunting very seriously

Look at that cute little Kellan
Maddie's first egg hunt
MMMM Yummy
Playing with Sarah

Madeline

Eleven months old! Can you believe it? We certainly can't. How easy it is to forget just how fast the first year flies by! So many things have changed since I last posted about Maddie. We finally have a tooth! Its a bit lonely now, but at least two others are trying to come in. They've been "trying" to break through for awhile now with no luck though, so who knows when we will be able to say that she has teeth. Despite the fact that she must be uncomfortable from it, she has remained our happy little Maddie May.
The past few weeks, her personality has really started to come through. She is turning out to be a little stinker and getting into all sorts of trouble. Now that we put a gate at the bottom of the stairs, I no longer have to chase her away from them every five seconds, but she still is obsessed with trying to get into bathrooms, electrical outlets (she figured out how to get the plug covers out of the sockets), and crawling under and into the tiniest spaces. The other day she got herself stuck underneath her crib and couldn't get back out.
Whenever I tell her not to do something, she just heads towards it even faster, giggling all the way. Or she'll shake her head yes at me when I tell her no, no. She loves to growl. She'll crawl around the house growling at her toys, and loves to growl at her sister and parents. Its hilarious!
She adores her big sister, following her wherever she goes and trying to play with all of the big girl toys. As much as it drives her crazy sometimes, Kailey is really good about entertaining Maddie and loves to sit her on her lap and read to her. It always melts my heart to see them interact.
We don't have a walking 11 month old, which surprises me a little because Maddie has done everything else so early. She took a few steps a couple days ago, but I think she has realized that crawling is faster at this point, and she is always in such a hurry to get where she is going, she doesn't want to take the time to slowly walk there.
Finally, she loves to snuggle and give kisses. She usually doesn't snuggle for long, but whenever we ask her for a kiss, she is willing to give us a big sloppy baby kiss. Nothing gets better than that!
I know she has a runny nose in this picture due to her teething, but you can see her first tooth!

Kailey

Kailey is getting so big. I am finally coming to terms with the fact that my baby is going to be going to kindergarten in the fall, and every day I am amazed by how smart she is.
She is very ambitious. She has a dream to be a paleontologist when she grows up. A few months ago she was going to be a "working mom" and be a mommy and a paleontologist, but recently that changed. We were walking to the park the other day when she informed me that she is never going to be a mommy. Of course I asked her why and this was her response: "Because children are naughty." It was hilarious.
She also went on the Tower of Terror at California Adventure a few weeks back, and it has fast become her favorite ride. Now we get to ride that almost every time we go, and she tells everyone she meets that she went on it. What a little daredevil she is.
Kailey has a very big imagination. Every day she pretends to be someone/something new. The other day she was a puppy, and we were driving in the car and she told me that she couldn't wait to go home and have a bone for lunch. Today we were being mice. Every time I talked to her, she made me talk in a high pitched voice, and would correct me if I forgot.
She is really into drawing at her new desk, coloring and writing me notes. She loves to leave little letters and notes to us around the house, or make cards for us and hang them on our door. The other day she was being naughty and had to go to her room and a little while later she walked in, handed me a piece of paper, then walked out again without speaking to me. On the paper she had written "I am mad." I just had to laugh at that.
We just love our little girl so much and we are so lucky to have her in our lives! She is absolutely adored by her baby sister, and brings so many blessings into our home with her vivacious personality.

Christmas in California

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. Kailey was so much fun making sure that we left carrots out for the reindeer on Christmas Eve and helping Maddie open her Christmas presents. Maddie had the most fun with the wrapping paper rather than the toys she got.

Ward Christmas Party--Kailey is afraid of Santa, so I had to hold her to get her in the picture
All dressed up

Christmas Eve pictures
At the temple
Me with my sweet little girl
Hanging out in new Christmas jammies (Chad picked Maddie's out. He obviously needs a little boy someday).
Christmas morning
Kailey's new tent and flashlight. She sleeps in it almost every night.
Maddie playing with the paper. Her favorite part of Christmas
Kailey's new "Cera"
The Loot

Halloween

So a few months late, but better late than never right? My New Years Resolution was to be better at updating this. So far, not so good since this is my first update almost a month into the new year. Oh well, I guess we'll just keep trying.
Maddie was a darling little elephant for her very first Halloween and Kailey was a Disney Princess for the very first time. She made a beautiful little Belle and we had a blast at the trunk or treat and with our friends.
Pumpkin carving (and eating)
Posing before getting in their costumes

All ready!!!