High Adventure with the Teachers!

Cade's church calling is an advisor to the teachers quorum so he got the opportunity to plan and go on High Adventure with them! A week long scouting/camping/man time. It was a lot of work to plan but he had a great time getting to know those boys. They went down to Lake Powell area and did a lot of kayaking, swimming, boating, camping, etc. Cade loves his calling and always puts 100% into whatever the Lord needs him to do.

I on the other hand had all 4 girls to myself for 6 days. Luckily I went to my moms for 3 of those days...a saving grace. We had fun going to the Strawberry Day's carnival, doing swimming lessons, and hanging out at Gma and Gpa Bleak's house. I don't remember the last time I wasn't able to talk to Cade for several days in a row (poor reception) or if I have even done that in the last 9 years, but I sure missed him!!

Lucy is Six Months Old!

Our sweet Lucy is growing up fast! It's crazy that we've just put away the bassinet, bouncer, and play mat when it feels like we just got them out. As I am writing this, Lucy is actually now 7 months old. But at her 6 month appointment she weighed 15.6 pounds and was 33% for weight, 93% for height and 75% for head circumference. She is now army crawling all over the place and is SO happy to be able to get around and explore everything. As I am working on the blog, she crawled over to me, under the table and started tickling my feet. I absolutely LOVE this stage. Six to 12 months is so much fun. They learn and change so fast and it's so fun to see.

Lucy is very loved by her older three sisters. They often fight over who get to hold her, talk to her and just be around her. It's hard sharing Lucy between them all :). She is also very patient with having three older sisters that like to be in her face all the time. Lucy just discovered Penny and just giggles at her all the time. She still has a very sweet temperament and is really easy-going. However, she still is not a fan of her car seat, but she does better now that she can interact with her sisters in the back seat. She also does not sleep through the night yet. Probably my fault since I don't let her cry it out but still feed her. She only gets up one time in between 3 and 5 and goes back to sleep. But acts STARVING during that feeding so I'm not ready to make her give it up.

We love our sweet girl and her fun personality that is starting to show. Lu Lu, Lucy, Lucy Lu, baby boo, we love you so much.

These are pics of her today at 7 months now:

She is closing one eye in the bright sun, just like I ALWAYS did (and still sometimes do)...

Married for 9 years!

Cade and I have been married for 9 years now. So crazy! Every year we like to talk about what has happened that past year (favorite memories). I am actually horrible at remembering things, but I try and cAde is really good at it :). But here are some favorite things from our 9 years of marriage:

Living in Mrs. Penrod's dark, wood basement without a shower (we call her Mrs. P)

Living in Sir. Gene's basement (Grandpa Gene as our girls now know him)

Cade and I graduating from BYU

Cade getting his master's degree in Accounting

Over 8 years of working at Fishbowl Inventory in sales

Buying our first home in Apple Grove in Pleasant Grove

Four beautiful girls joined our family

Buying our second home just on the other side in PG

Amazing vacations and creating family memories 

And so much more (I've blogged about most things since Emma was born)

Life is so wonderful with Cade. He wants nothing more than to make me and his 4 girls happy. But most of all he wants to make his Heavenly Father happy. He is one of the hardest workers I know, most service-minded people I know, and wants to do what he can to excel in every area of life. Life balance is definitely tricky with 4 kids, but he does an exceptional job. I have LOVED being married to him for 9 years and all the memories we've made. I can't wait to see when we celebrate our 29th and 39th and 49th anniversaries :).

This year we celebrated just two weeks early in the Nauvoo temple. It was a wonderful experience.

4th of July Tradition Intercepted...

Well, we have gone down to Prescott for the 4th of July 9 of the last 10 years in a row. We were originally planning on going down again, but we had just traveled a couple weeks earlier for Grandma's funeral. And let's just say that Lucy is NOT a fan of her car seat!! Had we not just traveled two weeks earlier we would have driven down again. But we convinced Grandma and Grandpa Close to drive up north to visit us! 

It was SUCH a wonderful week! The only two downers were the hot air balloon launch didn't happen because of weather and Emma got a fever on day two of fun. But the rest of the week was great. 

Monday was the 4th and it started at 5:30 am!!  I've been wanting to go to the hot air balloon show with my girls ever since I heard about it and was SO excited that I actually woke up our family at 5:30 am to do it. But weather was not in our favor. So just before 7 we went to stakeout our claim for the Provo parade. Stephanie had already found a spot before us so we sat with their family! The girls loved the parade- lots of "princesses" (royalty) and giant balloons of different characters were their favorite. 

After that we all went home for family naps! Then we woke up and got ready for a BBQ in which my parents and Boose and Jor Jor came to. We ate good food and played Ladder Ball. Then around 9:00 we went in the cul-de-sac to light off fireworks with our neighbors. It was good times!! 

The next day we spent a lot of time up American Fork canyon. I LOVE the canyon, have I mentioned that before?? We brought up sack lunches, fire wood and s'more stuff, the hammock and buckets and shovels- the usual. We loved showing grandma and gramdpa the beautiful canyon and trees in our own backyard. I love seeing my little princesses try and stay away from bugs and dirt in the outdoors. It's pretty hysterical! Emma got over her fear of dirt long ago and now loves to make slides out of the mountains :). 

Wednesday was also such a fun day! It was Cade's birthday and Grandpa took us up Provo canyon to go shooting! I love shooting and Cade's dad was definitely excited to take us! I'm pretty much becoming a pro...haha I wish. 

We took Gma and Gpa to "the beach"! We have a pond just a few min north of our house that has a roped off area for kids to play in. The "sand" is really just tiny rocks, but it's still a fun little gem right close to our house. Grandma and I spent time talking and having water gun fights. It was probably one of my favorite moments of the whole week. I sure love her and the amazing person she is and chooses to be. 

Thursday I honestly can't remember now what we did...hmmm. My memory fails me. But the whole week was just awesome doing whatever we wanted with Grandma and Grandpa Close! We love them!

Princess Performing Camp

Emma and Reese did a performing camp for an entire week and at the end of the week got to perform for their parents/families. It was so cute and I LOVED seeing Reese perform because I've had lots of opportunities to see Emma but not Reese yet. They got to dress up like princesses every day and learned lots of songs that they sung and danced to. They love to perform so it was the perfect activity to do.