{7.23.18 - 7.29.18}

I love this! Haha! She is out! (Alya) 

Lyla is such a hoot! Her vest over her pajamas, her crazy messy morning hair and her big blue eye balls she stuck into her mask just crack me up!! // I love a freshly bathed baby!  

I think of all his siblings Eli looks the most like Alya. I also think Eli is a miniature version of Matthew. 

I can't help but smile when I see him smile. // We were invited up to some friend's property to camp for the day and their neighbors set up a zipline. All the kids went on it!! It was so great! This was the easiest way to pack Axel back and forth after he was harnessed in! 

Our 2nd annual 24th of July camping trip was so great! All our friends came to us this year because we didn't want to pile our whole family in our truck and drive that far with one of the kids in the front seat! I'm so grateful they were willing to come so far!  

Dad set up his hammock this year and got lots of quality time with each of the kids! (Left: Alya Right: Lyla) 

I'm very grateful all the moms have tricks up their sleeves to keep these kids entertained! They colored, they went exploring, the found bullets, they played in their treehouse, they went on a scavenger hunt, etc. etc. I think they had a blast!!

Almost all the girls (minus Gracie, Ainslee and Marlee) Left to right: Riley, Alexa, Beckett, Lyla, Alya, Annalynn 

We had a very successful dessert night! Haha! // I love their friendship!  

Everyone but myself and Eli went fishing one afternoon. It was pretty nice to have the camp all to myself for a couple of hours! Eli nursed/slept the whole time so it was very quiet and peaceful for me! And each of the kids were able to reel in a fish, which they all loved!  

One of the many games the Bair's entertained the kids with! // I brought a bunch of embroidery floss and was pleasantly surprised at how popular the friendship bracelets were! I think each of the kids ended up with at least one of them!  

I can't say enough how grateful I am for the friends that we have! I love when we can get all together and catch up on our lives...especially when we get to enjoy our beautiful mountains and have no distractions! But I think I love even more watching how much fun our kids have together! I hope these are friendships that will last through the ages!

This is Alya on the zipline. She was so scared but so brave! After this she did go again and liked it better the second time! 

This is Lyla on the zipline. I think she was nervous but I think she loved it! She also went a second time. 

Axel LOVED the zipline. As soon as he saw our friend Shane go down he knew he wanted to try it! I thought we would have to try putting him in the Moby wrap and sending him with Matthew or something like that, but he went on his own and he thought it was the greatest thing!! He also went a second time!

{7.16.18 - 7.22.18}

How cute are they!?  

I took the kids to their first drive-in movie! We saw Incredibles II and had a blast! I think we will definitely be going back...hopefully next year! 

He is beautiful!  

I love this sweet boy! 

We took a walk one evening and stopped to play in the sprinklers at the elementary school! The kids were soaked and it was the greatest! 

I love this sweet brown-eyed boy! 

My friend took this picture of me and Eli. I can't get over that squishy face!

{7.9.18 - 7.15.18}

I had to empty his toybox into his crib for naptime. So funny! Axel loves to snuggle in his favorite blanket and he's very specific about how it's wrapped around him and then we sing "Rock-A-By-Baby" "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Goodnight Sweetheart" in that order, every time I lay him down to go to sleep. I remember when he used to head-butt me while we snuggled...it hurt but it was so cute! I might almost miss it. 

Crystal and Jeni came to visit and the girls were so excited for them to get to our house that they went out and sat on the lawn for about fifteen minutes until their car pulled up. // Axel drives his tractor and plays in the mud while the girls are in swim lessons. He looked at this picture and said "Eeww! Messy!" 

The girls have been quite the little fish this year thanks to their swim lessons! 

Axel's favorite place at the pool is the slide.  

We had so much fun with Jeni and Crystal today! The girls spent the whole day in their swimsuits! 

Eli's safe place is right here on the counter near Mom! And I'm not gonna lie, this view is pretty great! 

They love him so much! I hope he starts to enjoy them loving on him soon.  

Eli had his two month check-up this week! 

Messy face!! After we camped over the fourth we left our trailer up the canyon, so the kids and I went up one afternoon. It took Axel all of five minutes to get this dirty! // I know this is super weird, but I have a strange obsession with the back of my babies heads when they are able to hold it up better. I don't know why, I really can't explain it, but I just think their skinny little necks and poky-out ears sticking out of that round, practically bald head is adorable!! 

He's so sweet! 

The girls last day of swim lessons was a party day. They both conquered their fears and went down the slide by themselves! I was so proud of them! 

They have to take this level of swim lessons again next year because they struggled with the back floats and front floats, and basically just getting their faces wet was torture. Here is Lyla practicing her back float, though! She did so good!!

{7.2.18 - 7.8.18}

7.4.18     Eli and I really took a turn this month. Right after he turned one month he smiled at me and it was exactly what we needed for each other. He is kind of a high maintenance little guy but I think it's just because he wants to just go. He's happiest when I am holding him while I'm working around the house and kids are playing around us. If he can sense that his siblings have access to him he doesn't like me to lay him down, but if the bigger kids are all distracted (an no where in sight) he loves to lay and kick. He has already moved into mostly three month clothes, can you believe it!? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He's almost exactly where Axel was at this age. He weights 12.5 pounds and is 24.25 inches long. We love this smiley little guy!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! 

My smiley little man sportin' his patriotic outfit Tia bought him! // He has been all smiles this month! 

We took the kids camping up the canyon and had so much fun! It was GREAT to get out of town for a bit as a family! I always love our little adventures! 

My sweet Lyla...always picking flowers, and finding rocks and bullets and any other "collectable" she can find! // Lyla tried to be a tree because so a bird would land on her! 

Gathering bullets! 

I don't know how he does it, because I'm sure it would just about kill me, but Axel loves to crawl around pushing his truck all over the place. I get sore just watching him! // I love his blue eyes and messy hair...and face! 

I still can't believe there are four of them. Aren't they great! 

Poor Alya was so squished! It was hilarious! 

If only he napped like this without being held at home! Haha! 

He does like to be held all the time. // I love it when these three get along! When they wrestle like this I worry that it's going to end badly, but they had so much fun together. Being in the mountains is the best!  

Have you ever seen baby blue pinecones!? I thought they were pretty cool! 

These girls are such great big sisters! Alya // Lyla

 I have so much love for this family of mine! 

We love our visits to Otter Creek!

{11.21.16 - 11.27.16}

Axel is getting pretty good at balancing himself. He loves when he gets to sit propped up, in his Bumbo chair, or on pillows, or even on Mo! 

Doggy pile piggy back on Daddy! 

Everyone loves holding the baby! But who can blame them...or rather, us! It's usually Alya that wants to sit and hold Axel, but this time it was Lyla! 

Happy Thanksgiving from my three little turkeys! The girls thought it was the best thing ever for me to paint their feet for the turkey bodies!

Lyla and Grandpa. Someone actually managed to get her to sit for a few minutes!  

Great Grandma Barnes! She never thinks my kids like her...hopefully Axel showed her how loved she is! // My beautiful Lyla. 

It's tradition to go Christmas tree hunting after Thanksgiving! The girls had a blast! I think their favorite part (besides the snowball fight with Dad afterwards) was trying to shake all the snow off the trees that were just their size!