Family Hike in the {San Tans}

It's finally cooling down!  After church and naps we took the girls for a little stroll through the San Tan mountains that are next door to our  house.  We were only out for about 45 minutes but it was the perfect little evening.  Sure love this crew.

Halloween Night

Halloween this year was great!  We all met at my folks house for hot dogs before heading off to trick or treat.  The cousins all had so much fun together and they totally scored on candy.  

 

our attempts at a group shot:

Halloween {Trunk or Treat}

 Halloween week was during Ivy's surgery and sickness, so it was a pretty hectic few weeks for us.  We didn't want to skip our ward trunk or treat though, so I took these three beauties and Clint stayed with Ivy.  Sage chose to be a mermaid again this year, Charlotte was Queen Elsa, and Emery was the cutest bumble bee I have ever seen.  Like, ever.

 

S & C Literature Parade

 Each year the girls' school puts on a "Literature Parade", in lieu of dressing up in Halloween costumes.  The kiddos dress like their favorite book character and parade around carrying said book.  The girls loved it and I was grateful to be able to go see them, buuuuut for someone who is not crafty, is super cheap, and is somewhat of a procrastinator, this blows.  So, we had two Fancy Nancy characters.  Because, you know, we have lots of fancy dress up clothes.  Done and Done.

 

 These two chicks were so well behaved waiting for and watching the parade.

Sage

 I LOVE seeing the progress Sage is making at school.  Yes, she is still struggling to keep up with the rest of her class, but to me-she is doing so amazing.  Reading has started to click with her and she is so good at it!  I love finding little notes she writes for me all over the house. 
Top left pic:  her pet rock she designed for a rock project
Top right pic:  "On my voyage to America I would need food I would want to have Mom." 
Bottom left pic: "for Christmas I want a bubble bracelet and a bubble necklace and a frozen doll and dress that is white and that is sparkly and a hello kitty book"
Bottom right pic:  "remember to give me something because of my spelling test"

 Sage also started soccer!  She cried and pretty much refused to participate the first day.  I was out there practicing with her team, holding her hand.  It was awesome!  haha....After her pal Ginny got in town and joined her on the field the following week, she was a changed person.  They pretty much hold hands on the field the whole time.  Her team has 11 players, 8 of which are boys.  And they are 1st-3rd graders, and she is the youngest by far.  They have all played before and are very aggressive on the field, so she is pretty timid and just runs around looking lost most of the time.  It's super cute.  I will do a better job of finding a team more fit for her next year.

 Thankfully this field is at a school with an awesome park, so the other gals stay busy playing.

Charlotte plays {SOCCER!}

 Our first season of soccer!  

We have been looking forward to this for some time now.  After a few tears on her first day of practice, she has decided she LOVES it.  It's quite comical to watch these little five year olds on the field.  I thought I would dread spending my Saturdays at the soccer field, but I absolutely love it.  I love cheering them on and getting all excited when they make a goal.  I'm pretty sure I'll be banned from their sporting events when they get older.  Her team is awesome.  It's a bunch of cuties from our ward and we meet at our church building for practices.  We get annihilated at pretty much every game, but the girls sure don't know or care.  They are just happy to play!  It's so fun.

 I can't not take a few pictures of this baby.

the {Littles}

 Shari has started calling my little two "The Littles", and the big to "The Bigs".  It seems to have stuck, and I like it.  My littles are doing great.  Ivy is back to her happy happy self.  Smiling all day and walking around like a champ.  I pick her up and squeeze her about a thousand times a day because I feel like my baby is turning into a toddler way too fast.  It is devastating to me!  She has almost all her teeth.  At least it seems like it.  She's got four top and bottom, along with two top and bottom molars.  She seems to be teething all the friggin time.

 

Emery is my little side kick.  She loves to make and drink our green smoothie together each day after the girls are at school, and only occasionally spills it all over the place.  She has started to fight nap time, which I refuse to give in on.  I need at least an hour of quiet time during the day or I'm pretty sure I'd cry.  She stays in Sage and Charlotte's room (where she  naps) and plays quietly, but then is super crabby by early evening.  I don't get why kids don't just enjoy naps.  I sure would.  She is growing taller and taller every day.  My tallest by a long shot at this age.  She has started to say "I can't, I'm too sick", any time I ask her to do something.  Another new phrase that is amazing that she says all the time--"I'm so sorry mom".  She whips that puppy out anytime she does something she knows she isn't supposed to.  I can't really get mad when she is immediate with that, now can I?  She turns three next week and the freaks me out!  I love my little Em.