We're Having A...

Baby Girl!!

We can't believe it! Baby 4 is actually a girl! :-) We're so excited!! She looks absolutely perfect- has a profile like her brothers, and was VERY wiggly throughout the entire appointment. YAY!!

What's it gonna be?!

I am SO excited right now!!
Boy or Girl? Boy or Girl?

Today at 2:30 or so, I will know what this little baby is! I had the day all planned for "speed-mode"- you know, where you fill your day really full so it goes more quickly- well, I'm currently revamping that plan, because we woke up with....can you guess....MORE SNOW! :-) So Logan's school is canceled again (this is getting ridiculous!), and that leaves me an entire morning to fill. Luckily the boys slept in until 8:30, so that's been helpful, and they both need baths...so that'll fill some time... :-)

Either way, check back this evening if you're interested in what we're having- I'll post as soon as I've picked up the kiddies and made it home!

Also, for those of you with young ones, this is a great website I came across for learning games: www.starfall.com :-) Logan LOVES it!

MORE SNOW!

What's that Tyler? ANOTHER SNOW DAY?! Well, turn that frown upside down my dear- I have LOTS of fun things planned. I was not about to let one more snow day go by without a plan. Here's some of what we did!
This is one of the best games ever invented. Hungry Hippos kept the boys laughing for EVER!
Puzzles are always a great indoor activity- and when you haven't done one in a while it seems like brand new! :-)

And last but not least, Logan HAD to play outside for at least a little while! I bundled him up even more than usual, and the poor guy couldn't quite put his arms down by his sides. :-) He did really like his "Optimus Prime" face mask though.

Luckily the snow was still there in the morning, so Tyler and Logan could both taking advantage of the cross-country sledding weather. (For those of you who don't know, cross-country sledding is when you hop in a sled on extremely flat ground and beg someone to pull you around.) I am fairly positive that the chosen position is that of 'rider' and not 'sled-dog' though the boys were having so much fun it was worth it to be sled-dog for a little while. Luckily I talked them into swinging after a while with the promise that I'd push. They both had a blast- Logan jumping out and flying into the powder and Tyler riding on the 'big kid' swing! We had a great time!

Now....what to plan for the next snow day.... let's hope I have a while to think of a plan! :-) Happy Winter!

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!!

This is the most gorgeous picture I took in Hawaii. I made James wait for a bit so I could catch the perfect wave rolling in. I think I did! :-) I'm posting this not because I have hit the jackpot and am off for a quick getaway to Oahu, but because I have MAJOR CABIN FEVER!!!

We were supposed to have Logan's Valentines party at preschool today...rescheduled for the second time...but school was canceled AGAIN because of the snow. (I think James was more upset that we weren't getting our money's worth for this month of school than Logan was about not having the party again ha ha). Not really sure why the city doesn't buy a couple more snowplows...but either way that leaves us to find entertainment within the confines of our home.

Now I love our home- don't get me wrong- and I've actually gotten quite a bit done today- cleaning and the usual, but also breaks for puzzles, the cookie matching game, and a rousing game of Hungry Hippos among other things. The thing is...I LOVE the sunshine. I love being outside. I love being warm and going on walks and laying in green grass watching the clouds. I do think there's a time for snow- if I'm snowboarding, or sledding, or building a snowman- but I've learned that I prefer to visit snow rather than live in it.

If I could choose any place to jet off to right now? It'd be a beach- a caribbean beach- with warm water, white sand, a gentle breeze, lush vegetation here and there, and a tropical smoothie. Mmmmm Good thing I have such a great imagination!! :-) That'll hopefully keep me going through the next...let's hope no more than two months... of this snow!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! This video is from this morning- you can see Ty with his toast. The boys had been racing around the couch, stopped to take a breather, and of course froze when they saw the camera. :-) Logan and Tyler had both been running up and saying, 'I'm fast' each time they'd go around (Ty sounded more like, "I bass"), but as you'll see- when on camera Ty refused to perform. ha ha ha What's new?!

And in honor of V-Day, a quick tribute to my honey- I am SUCH a lucky girl!! Thanks James for your patience (pregnancy is tough on me, but I can only imagine what it is for him! ha ha), your many "I love you"s throughout the day, and your adorable laugh. You make life so fun- xoxoxo!

Our day started bright and early with Logan bringing James a heart-shaped cookie in bed. :-) The boys and I made them yesterday and they are REALLY chewy! Then I made James and the boys fried eggs and toast with 'heart-shaped' sausages for breakfast. (Truthfully the novelty quickly wore off and Ty had a banana, applesauce, and toast, while Logan had cereal and a bite of his heart-shaped cookie!) ha ha ha Oh well- the thought counted I suppose! The boys had a great time signing Valentines Tuesday, but sadly Logan's school party was cancelled because of the snow. Hopefully they reschedule! :-) I'm having trouble uploading pics right now, so I'll have to post again later. Just know we're thinking of each of you!! Happy Valentines Day! xoxo

Cherish Every Moment

Today is the day we celebrate that Families Are Forever. Two years ago today we realized that this is not just a cute phrase, but a truth that we will cling to for the rest of our lives. We KNOW our family will be together again. We know Luke is near our family often, but we're so grateful to know in heaven we will actually hold him. Knowing our family is sealed for eternity brings more peace than I can describe. Today I'm posting some moments I cherish with each of my men. :-) Go hug your kiddies, tell them how much you love them, and give your honey a kiss that reminds him how much he means to you as well. You'll be glad you did! :-) I always am.

Some of my favorite memories:

* This picture of James & Luke. Luke LOVED his Daddy. Whenever James was around, you knew Luke must be nearby- and he was most likely laughing.

* Luke & Logan pulling every key off our brand new laptop- not fun at the time, but is now one of my favorites!

*Dancing with my boys. James is SO much fun to dance with. Whether country swing or being dipped in the kitchen when I'm being particularly crabby- I can't help but crack a huge smile and thank my Father in Heaven for blessing me with such an amazing man. Spinning with the little ones while I'm cooking dinner is fabulous, too.

The boys LOVE dogs. I searched until I found a free one- Jake: our mutt with three good legs that has selective hearing and loves to bolt. As much as I'd love to send Jake to another family, I know I never could because all my boys love him SO much. It really is cute to watch them play.

*Monster faces by Luke. Angry faces by Logan (he is the most expressive kid!).
"Muscles" by Tyler. (Check out the video below).




Logan & Luke- When the kid in nursery stole Logan's book, so Luke came running and stole it back. The kid hit Luke, so Logan knocked him over. They always had each other's back. :-)

Listening to my boys learn to talk. Logan & Luke (or as they would say, "Duh Duh" and "Doot.") Tyler's words: Guck (Luke) and Gugey (Logey), and of course "Daddy" (which means 'caregiver'- he refuses to call me Mommy!)

*Logan sleeping in Tyler's room so he won't be lonely. Or when he leaves the room Ty's in, he'll ask me to keep an eye on Ty for him until he gets back. How cute is that?

*Logan LOVES to sing. For a while there I think I was hearing "Jingle Bells" somewhere around eighty times a day. Not just one verse, either, mind you- we got to hear the WHOLE song.

* Logan trying to convince me that Optimus Prime (a transformer) is a fabulous name for the new baby. And according to him, it works for both a boy or a girl. When I told him I'd have to think about it, he gave me another option: Jet Fire. I'm not sure if I'm convinced about either. :-)

*Tyler dancing. (Scroll down if you haven't seen the video).

*Tyler loves to take a bath. If he hears you start the water, he is on the way saying "Baff" over and over! :-)

*Tyler jumping. He either lifts one leg and one arm really high, or he stands on the bottom stair, puts his toes on the very edge, points them down, and lets them slip off. He LOVES it!

And of course James- the cannonball in the hot tub when we first went out, the thoughtful gifts he comes up with for every occasion, the way he laughs, the letters he writes, when he laughs at my jokes that I think are hilarous, the way he plays with the boys. (There are so many more moments that I'll just keep to myself when it comes to my main squeeze ha ha! :-)

Anyway- thanks for listening, and don't forget! Go hug your babies & kiss your honeys!!

You've GOT to be kidding me

Ok folks, so I've (Cari) never been super-huge into politics, but I have actually been watching the campaign updates every night for the past months- it's quite addicting! Today I was SO sad to see that the one candidate I felt to be honest as well as an excellent economic leader has actually left the race. (The economic thing is proven- check out the difference between his state's budget trouble prior to his taking office and then again a year and a half later when their state was actually out of major debt and in the black...). Yes, you may know who I'm talking about- Mitt Romney has dropped out of the race. I don't know why we as the American people aren't more concerned with having an honest person running our country. I think I'm writing him in on my ballot anyway. He ran a really good race, and I was proud of the way he handled himself regardless of some of the more....shall we say "political" candidates.

Ty Prepares for V-Day

This is Ty listening to music on the TV and working on his moves. We aren't sure where he got them, but we're gonna have to keep an eye on him around the ladies. :-) Hope you all have a great Valentines Day!