Hull's Gulch

 I got sent home early from work yesterday so we decided to head to the foothills to hike with the girls.  It was a gorgeous day and we didn't want to waste it inside!  Hull's Gulch is about a 20-25 minute drive away just outside of Boise. 

 I used to take Hannah hiking here when it was just her so I knew the trails were stroller friendly.  Only problem was that what I once remembered as a simple little loop turned out to be an almost 3 mile loop!  Woops!  The girls started off running, but by the end Brooke was asking for "Hugs please!" just so we would pick her up and carry her lol!

 Hiking with the girls is always a treat!  They find enjoyment in the things we adults tend to ignore... 

 One of my favorite things about this hike is that every once in a while, downtown peaks out in between the foothills.  So beautiful!

• Birds were singing everywhere and the girls were trying to find them in the trees!

 I say this over and over....  But Taylor really is the happiest baby ever!

 2 out of 4 smiling and in the picture... pretty good if you ask me! ;)

 We came across an interpretive center that had some pretty rad artwork!

 We took the girls a little farther than we had intended...  but they were rock stars and did awesome!  If you live in the area and would like a source for family friendly hikes...  Here is the link!  I suggest you get outside and enjoy this beautiful state we live in!  There are so many places to explore!

http://ridgetorivers.cityofboise.org/HikesAndRides/FamilyFriendlyHikes/index.aspx

Yep.... still happy after 3 miles and a very bumpy ride!

6 Months Already!?!?!?!?

It's ok...  I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor too!  Where have the last 6months gone??  I just can't believe that Taylor is already 6months old!  Incredible how fast the time goes.  Especially when you want it to slow down!  Since Taylor is our last, I am specifically keen of the idea of her taking as long as she needs to grow!  It seems with Hannah we looked forward to her reaching every milestone as quickly as possible, Aspen and Brooke's first year just flew by simply because there was two!  Now that Taylor is here, I personally, am ready for her to take her time! :)

Today we went for her 6month exam.  Taylor is currently 15lbs 8oz (44%) 25 1/2in (33%-Thank you Coots genes!) and her head is 16 1/2 cm (42%)  Today is the first signs of "stranger danger" that Taylor has shown.  When Dr.Aguilar started to check her out, she stuck out her bottom lip as far as it could go and her eyes began to well up with tears...  not typical Taylor behavior :)  In the picture above you can see her feelings were still hurt after receiving 4 immunizations today!  But it didn't take long to turn that frown upside down into a giant Taylor smile! 

 Taylor has brought so much joy to our lives.  It's impossible to imagine our day to day without her.  She is still a Mamma's girl around the clock except.....  when John walks through the door every day.  If he does not pick her up first thing her little heart breaks and she begins to sob a very specific cry.  It is in that moment that she is definitely a Daddy's girl.  As a matter of fact, they all are!  As Hannah calls it, when John comes home he becomes "Girl Trapped!"  Haha!   

Taylor still has no teeth and very very little hair!  She has a personality that can attract anyone!  Lots of smiles, lots of laughs, and tons of patience!  Taylor coos and goos... and likes to spit slobber as much as she can.  This girl lives in her bibs!  She is rolling around and spins to different positions as she desires.  She loves Hannah, Aspen, and Brooke....  they entertain her around the clock!  Taylor is still only nursing, but we plan to introduce some foods here soon since she literally grabs the spoon out of your mouth and places it into hers!  Grabs everything in site and everything goes straight to her mouth for investigation!  Taylor is right on track and ahead in some areas!    So much fun she is!  Such a blessing to have her in our lives!

Today Hannah is in school, but she assured me when she got home she would take care of Aspen and Brooke if Taylor was fussy from her shots.  Hannah is such a little Mommy!  The twins didn't mind Taylor's shots either since they were rewarded for their good behavior!  As we left they kept yelling... "Tank you Docker!" (Thank you Doctor!)  It was very sweet!

A Day at the Zoo

A very warm spring has arrived and we are loving it! 

 Zoo Boise is always a quick and fun getaway

 Although our load has gotten a little heavier and it is a bit of a workout to go now, haha!

 Our little monkey's were most excited to see the monkeys, but we got to see all kinds of animals on our trip...

 Specifically this adorable turtle.  She was so sweet!

We had a great day at the zoo today....  A nice day of family fun in the sun!  Rosey cheeks and tired girls by early afternoon!  Love it that summer has arrived full force and we can embrace it running! :)

Powerwashing fun

 Our playset has been way overdue for some refinishing :) With all of this summer weather so soon, we decided to take advantage of it!  Best part is, the powerwasher doubles as a sprinkler!  And we all know that sprinklers = fun!!!

 Look at those sweet chubby cheeks and that bald head!  Don't they make you want to squeeze her!  Taylor is such a chubby baby, it is the best!  And so intrigued by everything her sisters do!  If she wasn't inhibited by the inability to crawl or walk, I know Taylor would be right there with the girls... no hesitation at all!

 Tons of smiles and lots of laughter!

 Can it really be work when it's so much fun???

I think not! ;)

Happy Birthday "Grandmom"!

 The girls have affectionately labeled Grandma as "Grandmom" (Pronounced: Grandmum) :)  It sounds adorable when they say it too!  Anyways... Today we celebrated "Grandmum's" birthday from afar!  Thank goodness for technology and thank goodness for skype! Happy Birthday Mom!  We love you! 

 

Skype really is incredible for the girls to keep in touch with family and friends.  Free too!  Cheaper than a phone call and we get to see you in person!  So if you decide to give it a try, let us know!  We'll be waiting on the other end to visit with you!

Clean Teeth for Everyone!

 We figured it was about time to take the twins to the dentist for the first time.  Hannah has always gone, and the twins should have probably been going but....  The thought of attempting to convince the twins they should cooperate at the dentist when they were younger was a bit too much to handle. :)  Now that they are older, they rocked the dentist, no tears or fears involved!

 We prepared by pretending to go to the dentist at home prior to the appointment.  I think this worked to our benefit as Aspen and Brooke behaved as though they had been to the dentist 100 times before.  I also think it helps that we went to a pediatric dentist.  All of the staff seem to be "kid people" and we have ALWAYS had a good experience here.  (On a side note... if you practice going to the dentist at home, make sure you practice both closing and opening your mouth.  We kind of overkilled the opening of the mouth and when it came time to close their mouths over the suction straw... A and B would just open wider. Ha... ha!)

 I can only wish the dentist were this fun when I was younger!  There are televisions in the ceilings and the kids have headphones on.  I think all 3 girls could have stayed there all day! 

 Taylor rocked the dentist appointment as well.  True to her personality she patiently waited for her sisters to finish their appointments before she demanded any attention.  She is such a great baby!  I am so thankful for her personality!  She has made the transition to 4 kids seem so easy.  Such a sweet baby with a beautiful smile!

All 3 girls were cavity free!  Woo! Hoo!  Hannah does such a great job brushing her teeth and John helps Aspen and Brooke every night to do the same!  Looks like they are all brushing the right way!  Hannah has her 6yr molars in and so they put sealant on them.  Oh the exciting things they do at the dentist these days!  So glad we found a dentist that is such a positive experience for the girls!  In 6 months I'm sure we won't have any complaints when we have to go!

Easter 2012!

 With 4 beautiful girls and 3 having heads full of hair, we find that it takes a little longer on Sunday mornings to get ready....  Especially when they all want curls!

 I have to admit our girls with curls looked absolutely beautiful!  Here Hannah and Aspen stake out the backyard looking for eggs that were set out for our after church hunt!

 BLESSED!  Need I say more?  We are absolutely blessed as a family.  4 beautiful healthy girls who are the best!  It was such a great morning spending Easter at church celebrating the true reason we celebrate Easter! 

 When we arrived, we were greeted by an Easter bunny!  I absolutely love Brooke's expression in this picture!  She was SO excited that she had just hugged the Easter bunny and was sharing the excitement with her older sister!  They all are so special and their relationship as sisters is incredible to watch as it grows everyday.  They are full of love overflowing! 

 After church we arrived home and the girls opened their Easter baskets.  Taylor mostly ate hers as you can tell by the pink stained face since the dye came off after it was wet with slobber! :)

 Such a sweet girl Taylor is!  She is full of smiles and joy and so fun to be around.  She absolutely loves her sisters and the entertainment they bring.

 Hunting eggs in this family is not for the timid...  The girls flew around the yard in record time! 

 Only slowed down by the curiosity of what was actually in the eggs!

As we headed to the backyard to hunt for eggs, John and I explained to Hannah that she needed to look for the hidden eggs and leave the easy eggs, out in the open, for Aspen and Brooke.  After a minute or two, I watched as Hannah passed up egg after egg looking really hard to find eggs that were hidden.  I then turned to look in Aspen and Brooke's baskets, they were full of eggs.  When I looked in Hannah's basket, there were maybe 6 or 7 eggs. 

My heart was again filled with joy as I watched Hannah push aside her own wants and desires to allow her sisters to come out ahead.  Every day John and I have to work on cultivating a relationship between the girls.  They definitely argue, they definitely disagree... sometimes they are so alike they can't stand it.  But at the end of the day we teach them that they need to love each other and be kind.  Most importantly we need to SHOW them how to love each other.  It is in the moments described above that I know it is working. 

My dear sweet Hannah, pushed her desires aside without a single complaint even though her sisters were filling their baskets while hers remained empty.  It was for that reason that John and I set her free to grab any and all eggs she could see....  it was in that moment that it was all over and Hannah dominated that hunt! 

What a great example you are Hannah Grace.  Mom and Dad are so grateful for you and the heart God has given you that overflows with kindness and compassion for others.  You are so special and Aspen, Brooke, and Taylor are very lucky to have you as a big sister! 

We've been egged!

 We woke up to quite a surprise this morning!  I originally thought someone snuck some sort of political sign in our yard but was pleasantly surprised when I saw an array of colorful eggs everywhere!  Someone egged our yard last night! 

 Everyone was so excited so we all ran outside just to figure out it was still FREEZING!  :)  So we headed back in to get dressed before we went out to collect our eggs!

 The girls quickly figured out the eggs were filled with lots of goodies! 

 Taylor was still trying to figure out what all of the excitement was about so early in the morning!

 A couple of our neighbors were leaving for work, and probably thought we were a little nuts and a little early with our Easter egg hunt lol!

 This sign is the only evidence left behind! :)

 There were A LOT of eggs!

Our very first egging!  Much more fun then waking up to wet toilet paper :)  A great way to start our day!  I still can't wipe the smiles off of the girls faces!  Thank you to whoever egged us!  Such a great idea and you have filled our home with Joy today!