Joy to the Olmsteads!!

I always love looking at pictures from someone else's taking:)  I come across sweet surprises like this one.  I love the look of pure love on Shawn's face.  Something I would never be able to see if it weren't for this shot.   

I love the frog legs.  I really do...when they cross their precious little feet and crunch their little legs.  Its always sad to me when that comfortable crunched position isn't comfortable to them anymore.  A whopping 6 lbs 14 oz...a small package that brings insurmountable joy.  Crazy.

Happy parents to a happy, healthy, baby girl.  SO Blessed.  Best Christmas Ever!

Melts my soul. 

Again, melts my soul.

Never another moment like this.  NOTHING can match it.

Obsessed.  Literally.  She held her a solid hour when we got home.  

Mayci's face says it all...a little confused, but in Heaven:)

Grandma's turn!

Perfect.

Made me tear.  Priceless.

These two little rugrats could NOT resist the opportunity to get outside in the first snow of the season.  Lasted about 5 minutes...but 5 minutes of bliss for them:)

Ill admit, snow is beautiful, fresh.  And with the autumn leaves pulling through as well...its breathtaking.

Hike to the Y

I am embarrassed to admit that this hike kicked my butt!  I thought...oh its just a little over a mile...big deal!  I have done plenty of hikes over 8-9 miles and thought this would be a piece of cake.  Nope!  Granted Im 30 weeks pregnant, but I thought by working out all this time would help.  I guess it did, cause I made it, but it was a good one:)  We met with Karalee, her kids, and Ginger and her family...and it was fabulous! 

Ginger and Ryan came down on Thursday night for Shawn's volleyball match and we were able to take Savannah and Spencer home with us that night.  Kids got to have a sleepover and ditch school Friday to play hard with their cousins that they don't get to see as much.  They were in complete Heaven.  I told Ginger that I am going to have to steal Spencer every now and then seeing how obsessed Evan is with him.  Neither of them have brothers, so brothers they will be:)

Love the temple down below.

I had to put this picture up to document that we all made it!  Mayci did amazing.  She hiked about 2/3 the way up and the whole way down.  Raegan did a great job, and Evan pretty much ran the whole way.  Compliments to Uncle Ryan and his pack, Mayci got a needed break on the way up, but I was more than happy to trail behind the gang with her:)  It took us over 2 hours round trip and we did sit at the Y for 45 minutes, but needless to say, everyones appetite was hungry!  We made a pit stop to the Pizza Factory with the whole gang and filled our bellies before heading home and straight to bed!  It was a great weekend, so fun I almost forgot Shawn was gone;)  

Fall Fun

We went to Gardner Village and had some fun checkin out all the crazy witches.  Kids mostly had a blast running around with all their cousins! 

This picture is amazing.

Saturday we drove down to Spingville to a pretty neat pumpkin patch...but it was more than just a pumpkin patch.  It had hazardous mazes, a petting farm, a sandbox full of dry corn instead of sand (which I thought was awesome and so did the kids) and a bunch of hay for the kids to crawl on.  Best part...it was all free...but the pumpkins.  Forget about Cornbelly's!!

Here we saw...a reindeer.  Random.  Very.  And even more random was that the deer was actually not very friendly.  We were all confused why it was there.  It actually head butted Evan of course, and after that, we kept a good distance as Raegan is demonstrating here.  

LOVE SUNDAYS!

Sunday is the best day of the week.  With Shawn's work schedule, it is the only day we get with him and we surely take advantage of it.  We take Maya out for walks while the kids ride around on their bikes, and the weather right now is amazing...not to say how B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L it is outside.  I love this picture of Mayci admiring her head-high friend:)

Makin' cookies with dad is way more fun than with mom!  I think I have taken my mom's approach to the kitchen while I was growing up...'GET OUT!'  I try to let them help but Ill admit its difficult:)  Dad lets them up on the counter, while they dip their fingers in at every stop of the blender.  We will let dad teach the culinary life-skills:)

My boy

Well, here is my boy.  He has been having a lot of '1st' lately, so I thought I would document:)  First, I must say, this is one special little guy.  He has me so wrapped around his chubby sausage finger, its not even funny.  He is my sweet, cuddly, saving grace (most the time).  I am just SO grateful to have him.  He adds so much to our family.  And he is perfect for Raegan as a best little buddy.  He does anything and everything she suggests...with excitement.  And they really are such good friends.  It makes me so happy.  He likes to tease Mayci most of the time right now, but Im hoping that changes in the near future:)

These are pictures from his first day of KINDERGARTEN.  What a stud.  We rode to and from school...scooter style...and he loved it.

I caught him with a nervous but excited smile when he sat at his spot.  He melts me.

Just monkeying around a bit before he went into class:)  

Here is another recent 'first'.  He lost his big ol' front tooth!  And Im still not sure it was supposed to come out when it did.  Its a bit early, but he knocked his mouth on the floor and came up screaming that his tooth was loose (not out of excitement!)  Then, one morning, the absurd hour of 6am rolled around and in came Evan quite upset.  He said, 'MOM!  I wanted to wiggle my tooth when I woke up...and...ITS GONE!!'  He was a bit traumatized.  We had to wake Rae up with the lights and search for it.  THANK goodness it was found...he was then able to shrill in excitement for the tooth fairy visit that was to come.  Amazing.

Last week, Shawn asked Evan if he wanted to ride his bike without training wheels and not more than 10 minutes later the kid was riding like a champ.  Another 'first' that he was thriiiilllled about.  We rode till it was dark, which was just fine because you couldn't have asked for a more beautiful fall day! You gotta love the helmet, dumb and dumber style. Perfect.

Mercy!

 Call it hormones, call it being 7 months pregnant, call it Shawn being out of town a lot this season and only being here 5 out of the last 14 days ( I only counted cause I was curious:)! ...  call it down-right exhaustion, call it being in the middle of potty training, call it dealing with really really really extra needy kids and one that spiked a fever, call it a crazy non-stop day with abnormally demanding voices from 3 different directions, call it just checking off the normal daily chores of a mom, call it all of the above combined into one day ... whatever it may be, I sat with my head in my hands at the table, and just when I thought I may burst into a million little pieces and vanish off the face of this earth, I walked into my office and lo and behold...this is what I saw out of our front window on our front porch.  Can you say...BREAKDOWN!!

Raegan was tenderly reading to my my sick little Evan with her arm so lovingly wrapped around his little shoulders.  I lost it immediately.  Mercy be had upon me.  Raegan has always been very intuitive with me.  She just KNOWS when I absolutely and most definitely need her to step up.  And this is what she does.  As tough as she is a lot of the time, it takes these most precious and priceless moments to make up for it all.  It is not this difficult everyday, but I do find myself easily overwhelmed lately.  Maybe its the thought of "wow...this...plus one!?" Or maybe its because of all I listed above?!  But, needless to say how demanding it is to be a mom,  I am so excited for this little baby girl to join us.   I am just find myself in the same place I was in when I was pregnant with Evan and Mayci...wondering, pondering, and anxiously waiting to see how it all pans out:)

And...

It always pans out to be the most joyful experience this world has to offer...and I truly know that. 

Raegan, you have saved my brain today.  Thank you my precious sweet little girl.  I love you so much. 

ITS A....

GIRL!!  Yep, as I guessed it would be all along.  I immediately looked at Evans face, and he was defeated.  Clearly distraught.  Shawn tried all he could to get him excited but he was not stoked.  He is too sweet to say much at the moment, but boy did his body language say it all.  Soon after, as we were driving home, he said...'Mom, I dont care if its a girl.  Ill play with my friends.'  I died.  He had processed it to that point...he will be ok because he will have his boy buddies.  What a great kid. 

Gosh, what a sweet little profile.  I ooooh'd and awed the whole time through this ultrasound...the tech was probably really annoyed.  It was special.  I have a more clear understanding of what a true miracle it is to hear that your baby looks healthy.  That everything looks great.  I know this perspective comes from personal and vicarious experiences, but what a real miracle it is. 

I love this shot.  Little bellybutton, legs stretching.  She was moving everywhere and it was amazing.  I love feeling every single movement she makes, but to see it was even better.  She was tucked up in a little ball with the bottom of her two little feet together, then she took this big stretch.  I love it.

Little fingers and toes...they are beautiful.

Raegan loved this one.  She is playing peek-a-boo.  Her little arms are up and her hands covering her little face. Its unbelievable, really.  To see this little living human growing inside MY belly.  Where are the words?!?!  Its the greatest gift on Earth.  I am so so so so excited for this little one to join us.  That is what I pray for, that we can have the chance to enjoy this precious little miracle here on Earth.  That I can have the chance to love, protect, and provide for this most innocent and sacred gift.  I feel so blessed.  I love her so much already. 

Cant wait to meet you baby girl.

2nd grade!

Here are my treasures.  Well...2 of them:)  Evan is walking Rae to her class
on her first day.  As you can see in Raegans body language...she was a bit anxious.  Mostly
excited.  Me too.  I won't lie and say that I was in tears.  I was so happy to see her off.  She was
made for school.  If she could go 12 hours she would.  Summer was a bit of a
challenge as it went on.  If something wasn't planned Rae would make it clear how BORED she
was.  Anyway...I loved snapping this photo.  These two are really best buds!!

And I know this comes from every mom, but really, she looks SO OLD to me
in this photo.  She is so cute.  And that smile, that face, ugh. Gives me that ol' frog in my throat.
She loves her teacher.  She heard that Mrs. Cox was 'grumpy' sometimes.  So the first thing she said when she got in the car was...'MOM...Mrs. Cox is actually really really nice!'  Made my heart happy.  I told Rae, when she said she wanted to change teachers after hearing how grumpy she was, that she just better be really really good so she isn't the one to make her grumpy!  It seemed to click ok in her head because she didn't ask again.  Thats just how we roll.  Ya get what ya get, and ya don't throw a fit!  (and im pretty sure I said that too:)

I love you Rae.  You really are growing up so fast.  And for some reason, when I think of you while you are away, I do get a little emotional...same as when I write of you.  You have taught me so much as a mom.  Unimaginable amounts of patience, a love that is unspeakable.  I dream dreams for YOU.  You have taught me to pick my battles:)  Let things go.  Embrace characteristics that others may find un-embracable (not a word Im sure). You have taught me tough love is necessary, but so is tender love.  You have made my brain work twice as hard as it ever did in school...times 1000.  You have this ability to know that when you are kind to or say hi to someone that others may not, it is something to be proud of as you tell me of each and every incident.  And each and every time you tell me those tender moments you have, the pride in my heart swells to an almost burst!  I know then that maybe I have done SOMETHING right with you:)  As my first, its been a battle of mine, wondering what I have done, or haven't done, that has damaged you permanently, as you are the product of my first time experience as a mom.  You have been brought to me built in armor of gold and I now believe that every blow you are given, you are able to take.  Maybe thats my way of feeling better about all my mistakes.  I do know that one thing has been consistent-

MY LOVE FOR YOU. 

Like I said earlier, its a love that is impossible to word.  And it will never fail, or falter.  You will always have that from me. 
Atleast you can always count on that!

last rendezvous b4 school

Just when you thought the cabin couldn't get any better...well...it did.
Dad put the yard and landsape in, and it is unbelievable.
We had so much fun playing on the grass, in the sandbox, and enjoying the veiws!

The patio and fireplace is amazing.

The sandbox.  Kids LOVED it.  Never get too hot because it is directly under the deck.
Always available to play in:)

The yard is big enough to have a full feild soccer battle.  Its awesome...so is the sunset:)

Dad, what an amazing get-a-way.  Thank you for your kind heart and unbelievable ability to share.
We love you.  And appreciate all the toys you let us use:)

This is the only shot I took of people...but a good one I must say. 
Pretty much sums up our trip.  Kids in swimsuits all day...and snackin on something good Im sure!