Sophia Emilee is 7

 Sophia Emilee is 7 and it's awesome.  She's awesome! Sophia is still the sweet, caring tenderhearted child that she has always been with a little sassy thrown in.  Sophia is always on the look out for her sisters and is a real help.  Even doing some supervised babysitting when mommy needs to get stuff done.

 Sophia is very artistic and colors, draws and crafts almost everyday.  Crafting and drawing are her favorite activities. Sophia did a hop-hip/jazz class this year and is now enrolled in gymnastics.  She liked dance but really likes gymnastics.

 She is now in second grade and on her third year in Spanish emersion.  She likes school and does well at math and making friends. Whenever she has free time in class, she always finds the back of a paper to draw a picture on. Most all of her school work is completed with drawing on the back.

 We went camping this year and Sophia caught a fish and help gut it! She wants to be brave but doesn't always have the nerve to do it. Gutting the fish made her daddy really proud.  

 Sophia has been working on her reading a lot this school year and has really improve.  I love when she takes the time to read to her sisters.

 We love Sophia so much and she is always blessing our life's with her good heart and kind words. 

Adeline Elizabeth is 4

Adeline Elizabeth is 4 going on 14.  She has grown so much this year and become such a loving, caring and sneaky 4 year old.  Adeline had her 4 year old well check and she was 41.75" tall (85%) and 36.5 lbs (59%).  Still really tall for her age.  People often think that she is older then she is not just for her height, but how well she communicates.

Adeline is quiet the athlete.  We played her on an older soccer team this last year because she was running over the 3 year olds in her own age group.  She also did ballet and tap dancing this past year. She has enthusiasm for life and lives it at full force with all the drama she can muster. Drama is a pretty normal thing for her.  She can make a small cut seems like her arm has been torn off by a pack of wild beasts! It makes us crazy and laugh about it too.

Adeline is creative, makes up the best stories and says the funniest things.  One day she spent 5 minutes telling me about her BigFoot encounter while we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa Olson.  "I don't like people to know about it, but I saw him through the woods.  He had one foot and was hairy.  It was kind of dark and he was far away, but I am pretty sure it was BigFoot." 

Here are a few recent ones:

 "Mom, on Turkey Giving Day we don't have to go to the store. We can just cook our turkeys to give away!" (She was talking about our chickens.  I also love that she thinks Thanksgiving is Turkey Giving Day.  It probably should be.)

Addie starts randomly signing, "the mothership is coming today so we have to clean up and get ready to go."

This year Adeline has really become much more aware of other's needs and how to put them before her own.  She has been a big help with Penelope and loves to make you feel loved and beautiful. We love her more and more everyday. 

Penelope Elsa is 1

(Catch-up Post)

Penelope Elsa (Penelle) is one year old! Man we love this girl.  She is happy, active and sooo smart.  She can out climb any of our other kids. I hope she does not climb out of her crib, but I am sure it is coming soon.  At her one year well check she was 28 inches tall and 19 lbs.  That puts her in the 12th percentile and I love that she is so little and big at the same time.

Penelope eats anything that a big girl eats, but she is also good at telling us NO if she doesn't want it.  She has 4 teeth on top and two on the bottom as well as almost all her 1st set of molars.  She loves to say "cheese" when you hold up your phone to take a picture. She also says "Dada" anytime she see Mike, hears him on the phone or in the house or sees a picture of him on the computer. This girl loves her daddy.

Penelope loves to dance!  Anytime she hears music, she will stop whatever she is doing to bust out some moves.  She hasn't started walking yet and does not seem that eager.  Crawling and climbing are working just fine for her and that is what she likes. When we try and get her to walk, she will hold her feet up off the ground so we can't set her down.  Cute little stinker. We love you like crazy!

Penelope Elsa we can't end this post without mentioning the screaming.  It is so ear piercingly loud that it literally hurts our ears.  You do it when you are happy or mad or sad or any emotion really.  I am hoping this not so cute sound will be replaced with more talking sooner rather then later. 

10 Month Old Comparison

I love that I have photos of the girls that I can do these comparisons with.  This is all the girls at about 10 months old.  I see some of both Adeline and Sophia in Penelope but one thing for sure, they all have the cutest chubby cheeks ever!

Sophia is just about to finish 1st grade and she has had a great year.  She has learned to read this year and she is excelling in Spanish and Math.  She loves to hangout with friends, make up stories, play soccer and do dance.  Last week at soccer she turned the ball around from the other end of the field and ran it down for a goal TWO times!  She is as sweet as ever and loves to make sure everyone is taken care of.

Adeline is almost finished with her first year of preschool.  Every person who meets Adeline talks about how smart, funny and quick witted she is.  She always has a comment about something and likes to help her friends and sisters whether they need help or not.  At dance, swimming lessons, church or preschool Adeline always befriends the shy kid and helps them to feel more comfortable.  She takes their hand, sits by them or offers them a turn in the activity.  It is so cute.  She really cares about other people even if she does get a little possessive of her own stuff sometimes.

Penelope is 10 months old and cute as could be.  She is crawling like crazy and wants to get every where all at once.  She gets mad when I set her on her bum instead of standing against something.  She has made a few attempts to walk but was unsuccessful since she can not even stand well yet.  She loves to eat and will eat anything you give her.  Cereal, fruit, veggies, noodles, she loves it all.  Penelope is our little snuggle bug and want lots hugs and holding.  She has four teeth now with another two coming in on top that just starting to poke through. (Four on top and two on bottom.) We love this little girl and can't get enough of her.

9 Months Old Penelle

Penelle you're nine months old now! You love to roll around on the floor, play with toys and watch baby genius on Netflix.  You are a big eater and can eat more food than your sisters! Starting on 1 April you pooped on the potty for the first time and I've done it every day since. You cut your first two bottom teeth back in March and now your first tooth on the top is coming in. 

You recently started saying mama when you wanted food or me to pick you up. You're a happy little girl and you love to just hang out and play. You especially like your baby carrier and I will often put you in it just so you will fall asleep. 

At your nine month check up you were 16 lbs. 2 oz. and 26 1/2 inches long. Both of your sisters were bigger than you but I love that you're cute and tiny. You smile all the time and you love to take baths. Your sisters adore you I just can't get enough of you. Sometimes Addie gets a little too much of you and I have to tell her to have hands off. 

Daddy and I love you a lot and you're such a sweet addition to our family. 

The Move and Now a Stay At Home Mommy

This past summer and fall was one of the most stressful and crazy few months of our life.  We had a baby, listed, showed (48 times!) and sold a house, went back to work, MIL diagnosed with Cancer, moved in to a new house, quit my job all while trying to keep our sanity.   

We replaced our new old house with an old new house. Even though the house we bought is older then Mike and I's ages combined, it is on a beautiful piece of property downtown Farmington.  It is in really great condition, it just hasn't been updated in years.  Before we moved into the house, we stayed in a hotel for a few days while we had the hardwood floors refinished on the main level. We also tore out most of the wall that was blocking off the kitchen to the dinning area. After moving in we nearly gutted the upstairs bathroom and modernized the look.

This is the before and after on the living room minus the plantation shutters that were installed in December and the area rug I got for my birthday. We love our old new house and it has been a total blessing living in our new area.  We have parks, the city pool and library so close and we have made some really great new friends.

"I have ended one chapter in my life and started another. After 12 years of working full time I have decided to change jobs and become a stay at home mommy. Of those past 12 years I have spent over 6 of them at Maverik. During my time there I learned so much, made many friends and traveled to places in the world I never imagined I would go. They took such good care of me and I will truly miss it all. Now I look forward to spending time at home with my three beautiful baby girls."

4 Month Old Penelope

4 Months old and cute as ever! You are 12 lbs and 24inches tall.  You are such a good baby and so cuddly! We can't get enough of your smiles.  You love mommy to carry you around in the baby wrap.

A day at the lake

Tara had the brilliant idea of going to play at Pineview Reservoir and since Aimee's family and my parents were there it was that much more fun!

Blessing Day

It just happened to work out that Mike's sister Aimee family, my parents and younger brother Erik all were in town at the same time so we decided to bless Penelope Elsa Beaird at our church building after church on August 17th.  Mike gave a beautiful blessing and it was so special to have so much family there for this special occasion.  Penelope, you are very loved by your family.