Big Girl Bed

July 4th weekend we changed Kylee's crib into a "big girl bed" as she has been so desperately asking us to do for months. I had actually been wanting to wait until she was 3 because I figured if she's not trying to climb out and she's still sleeping good at night why change a good thing?!


We put Tyler into a toddler bed when he was 2 but that was because we needed the crib for Kylee. Things went great when we made the switch with Tyler but Kylee is a lot more...energetic than Tyler so I wasn't eager to change things up so quickly with her. Her nap taking was minimal at best (about once a week-despite my efforts to give her one every day) and I knew that if I put her in a bed she could get out of at will, I could kiss those naps goodbye for good!


Finally we gave in because she wanted to sleep "in a bed like Tyler" SOOOO bad! And she has totally surprised us with how great she has done!!! She naps every.single.day. and hasn't tried once to get out of her bed and play with toys. She still sits in her bed in the morning and calls for us over and over till we come in and tell her she can get out of bed. We're working on that because that was the main reason we wanted to put her in a bed she could get out of! So every night we tell her, "kylee, in the morning when you wake up you can just get out of your bed all by yourself. Don't call for us to come get you, just come in our room." :) Her little independent personality is loving this and we love that she did so great!

4th of July

Our 4th of JULY was AWESOME!!!


We hosted a neighborhood party at our house (well for a few blocks in our NH) and there was a GREAT turn-out! At one point I counted 50 people in our little front yard! ha ha- it was so fun and we met a lot of neighbors we hadn't introduced ourselves to before!


About a week before the party my friend, Tess, helped me pass out these invitations to the neighbors since she knew a lot more people than I did.
Tied up and ready to go they looked like this...


Once you untie the ribbon, the popsicle sticks make an American flag that give the details of the party.


I found the idea here, and painted the sticks white, white/blue...

...and red/blue and red.


Then I lined them all up to make their individual flags and used star stickers on the blue paint. After I added the party information they looked like this!:


Tie them all together with ribbon and you're good to go!


The kids LOVE to paint with me anytime I'm outside painting! I love watching the difference between them as they create things. Tyler is always very methodical and patient and makes sure that every last white space has been filled in on the paper-with minimal overlapping. Kylee like to paint the same spot over and over with different color paints until there's a hole in her paper from so much paint. She LOVES color and wants to use every color available. Tyler pretty much sticks to 2-3 colors on one page.


We had 2 grills going with BBQ chicken, burgers and hot dogs and everyone brought a side dish or dessert to share-yummy yummy food!!


Here are a couple fun and easy things I did to make our party really "pop"! (get it?...like fireworks go pop :)-ha ha I know I know)....

I made these quick and easy patriotic utensil holders with scrapbook paper and sticker stars from Michaels...


The kids thought these ring pop treats were fun! (idea from here)!


Fun, patriotic drink-idea found here! (I dipped the rim of the cup in lemon juice and then dipped the cup in the pop rocks. The drink is cranberry juice mixed with Fresca.)


Strawberry flags (strawberries dipped in white chocolate and then dipped in blue sugar crystals)


After dinner and a yummy cookie cake dessert...


...the kids were ready to do sparklers (or sprinklers if you talk to Kylee)






When it got dark enough to do fireworks I passed out firework watching treats (idea from here). Twizzlers for the adults...


...and the ring pops for the kids!


I LOOOOVVVVEEE fireworks!!!! And now that UT approved the kind that can actually go in the air, I have to say, we put on a pretty good show! (we may or may not have had some "fun" and/or homemade fireworks too...just sayin' next year you should probably come to Logan! :) )


And what party would be complete without the potato gun?!?! Bobby (and a few other men) happily provided the entertainment between sparklers at dusk and the fireworks at dark!


Can't wait till next 4th of July...you will come celebrate with us won't you?! :)

Meeting Baby Bailey!

Even though Bailey surprised all of us with her grand entrance 2 weeks early, and I was lucky enough to be there and meet her so soon after she was born, we had already planned a week long family vacation down to St. George the week after Alisa was due. And just because I had already kissed, held, loved on and ooooodled over baby Bailey didn't mean we couldn't go back so the rest of the family could do the same! (Okay really just Kylee...and me :) )

And boy did she! She could not get enough of "baby baywee" and was peeking looks at her every chance she got.




She was smitten!


The rest of our week included:

swimming in Grandma's pool.


(quick pop rocks snack!)


Going to see Cars 2 (BOO-not impressed! Tyler thought it was OK but Kylee was bored out of her mind)


This was the *happiest* picture we got in front of Mater...Oh my Kylee, what do I do with you?! She was not happy she wasn't going to be in the picture by herself.


Holding Bailey every chance I got. I LOVE LOVE LOVE when they just snuggle up and fall right to sleep...oooohhhh I just love her!


Receiving some surprise gifts from Grandma! She's the best! :)




More sleeping and loving :) (please note her sweet little grip on my shirt-that's one of my favorite things about little newborns!)


Reading books...




Playing (aka racing) trucks and cars ALL over grandmas kitchen/dining/living room.


PEDICURES thanks to mom!!!! (anyone else hating how fantastic Alisa looks 3 weeks after having a baby?!)


Alisa and I with the same shoes, same color polish, and almost identical design... ha ha love her! :)


And OF COURSE the Splash Park! Wouldn't be a summer trip to St. George without it! (Bobby took all of these using all sorts of different settings on our camera...)










(yep they're mostly of Kylee...Tyler and Nate were busy playing at the park)




Bailey and Uncle Bobby. Are you sure you're not ready for #3 babe?! Newborn baby looks pretty good on you ;)


And {literally} right as we were walking out the door to head back home, I finished up this little project Bobby and I had been working on while we were there for Alena! Kinda wish I woulda taken it home for myself! :)


And now I'm having baby bailey withdrawls :(. Hopefully we'll be able to go back down in a couple weeks for her baby blessing!!