4 years

Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. If you don't start with that, what are you going to end up with? Fall head over heels. I say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back. And how do you find him? Forget your head and listen to your heart. Because, the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try. Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived.

-Meet Joe Black

4 years ago today, we were sealed for time and all eternity. Best decision of my life. I knew from the first time I prayed about him, that he was the one I was supposed to marry. Chris makes me a better person in every way. He completes me, strengthens me, and believes in me. He's one in a million and I'm so grateful each day to be his wife. These 4 years have been hard, but the best 4 years of my life. He's proof that fairy tales do come true. He's made and continues to make all my dreams come true. Thank You babe for your patience, for your faith and for being the best husband ever. I love you more than you'll ever know.

sibling love

One of my favorite things is watching these two play together. Especially with Mason walking now and me spending so much time with McKinley..they've grown really close. I can't imagine life without siblings..so I'm really grateful that they have each other. As hard as it is on me to have them so close in age, it's worth it watch them become best friends. They adore each other and they adore McKinley...and I especially adore them.

helping him up the step onto the concrete

wagon time

last few days with Chris

We'll start with this sweetheart:

precious McKinley chillin in the bouncer outside while we playHe can never lay down without getting attacked:)Bedtime stories with DaddyPool time at Shawn and Tosha's

saying we miss him would be the biggest understatement ever...

July 6, 2011

We arrived at EIRMC at 6am on July 6, 2011 for an induction for McKinley. We didn't want to risk Chris not being here for her birth, so we decided to have it scheduled. They hooked me up to the iv's, and then started pitocin around 7:30-8am. Dr. Hall broke my water around 8:30..and then they increased the pitocin every half hour. At 11am I was given a pain med since the contractions were so intense..and the anesthesiologist was suppose to be busy for another half hour. He came in 5 minutes later and I was out from the other pain med and the epidural. I slept for about 45 minutes and when they came back I was at a 9 and ready to start pushing. 6 pushes later, and McKinley was born at 12:36pm. I felt a lot of pain this time, so I don't know what really happened with all the pain meds, but everything went great. I thoroughly enjoyed my time alone at the hospital this time, knowing it was the only time I was going to get any sleep in the next 6 months. It was and has been a whirlwind of emotions, with Chris being gone, having a baby..trying to adjust to 3 being so close, etc. But nothing can describe what you feel as a mother, giving birth and then holding those sweet angels and making eye contact with them. It's amazing. I love this little girl so much, and I absolutely cherish holding her as much as I can, knowing they grow up so fast.

awesome hospital pictures..I was so out of it, but it's the only one we have as a family.

leaving the hospital

It's been crazy being home, especially with Chris gone - but thank goodness for family to help take Mason and Addy off my hands. It's been taking a lot longer to recover and to feel like myself again this time around..but I think it's because I was barely getting back on my feet after having Mason when we got the shocker that I was pregnant again. But were slowly adjusting...it'll be a lot easier to figure out a routine when we're all together with Chris again - with our own house, job offer etc. We're almost there though!! As hard as it is..we are so blessed and I love watching the kids learn to interact with each other and see their automatic connections with each other.

Fireworks!

After the parade, we went home and took a nap. Then went into Chris's parent's house for a picnic and home to relaxed until we went into the fireworks. The kids did great despite being kept up so late and not getting their regular naps.

cuddle-time waiting for the fireworks.Their faces were priceless when that first boom went off.

4th of July Parade

The Parade deserved a post all of it's own, because of all the pictures we took! It was SO much fun this year. Addy was at a perfect age to enjoy it, and we had our best friends in town to watch with us. Jared and Lynette came up with their 2 girls which are the same ages as our 2. Brooklyn is a month older than Addy..and Lily is 2 months older than Mason. It's always a blast when the kids get to play.

They played ring-around-the-rosies until the parade started.Played with the ants..Me 2 days before I had McKinley..and teeny tiny Lynette.One of my favorite pictures ever..the fire truck blared it's horn and scared Mason, so Addy comforted him for a few minutes. She was so excited when she saw the tiger..but not so excited when it got close.

Driggs

Friday the 1st, Chris flew in for the week. It was so adorable watching Mason take some of his first steps to Chris when he saw him. I had acupuncture done that day, thinking it would for sure put me in labor that weekend. It actually did the opposite and slowed down a lot of the pain I'd been having for a couple weeks. The next day, my Dad told us about some of the celebrations they were doing up in Driggs for the 4th. It sounded kinda fun, so we loaded up the kids and went up for a few hours. Addy was able to watch the pig races and jump on some of the big blow up toys . Then we just relaxed up on the hill and ate some snacks. It was a day of no naps, so the kids were exhausted. We had fun though and the drive is so gorgeous!