Sunday Hike

We really like to take Sunday drives, especially now that we are in a new place and the weather is nice. This Sunday we had Stake Conference and so we had a little more time in the afternoon than we usually do so we decided to take a little walk in the mountains. The girls were so excited to be in nature that they were practically running up the mountain.

Kennedy soon found out that running up a mountian is hard work, so she opted to ride for a while. It was a beautiful walk. We saw lots of butterflies, birds and even spooked a few deer. The girls were running at one point, and not 20 yards in front of them four deer jumped up and ran up the mountain. They thought that was so cool. Kennedy wanted to chase them up the mountain and catch them.

Tori has a pair of Austin's old binoculars. They aren't the greatest, but she loves them. While we were walking we saw tons of deer tracks and every time that she saw one she would stop and point it out to Austin then pull up her binos and scan the mountain. She would then inform us that the deer wasn't there anymore and keep on walking. It was so cute, I couldn't stop smiling. And she did this dozens of times. She really looks up to her Daddy and tries so hard to impress him. I think it is adorable.

Sidewalk chalk

Right now Austin is working the night shift. So he leaves the house around 6:30 p.m. The girls just love being able to wave goodbye to him and so lately we have been going outside when he leaves. Then they want to stay outside because we are finally having nice weather. Tori is content just riding her bike, but Kennedy likes to change things up. Lately she is really into drawing on the sidewalk.
The only thing is, #1 I have to be involved, okay, that is fine, but #2 the whole sidewalk and driveway have to be covered in chalk before it is okay for us to go inside. This takes a lot of time and creativity. She doesn't want us to draw the same thing over and over again, in fact, she doesn't even like me to draw the same things two days in a row. I am really running out of ideas. It has been really fun though. We have come up with some fun pictures.
Last night I wrote everyone's names (REALLY BIG to take up space) and Kennedy decided to copy me. She already knows how to write her name and Tori's name, but she also added Dad and Mom. It is really light in this picture, but I thought she did a GREAT job.
(and the little thing she is drawing does not have a name, she just thought it looked COOL!)

No Training Wheels

One day Tori came home from preschool and announced to Austin that she was going to ride her bike without training wheels and he needed to take them off right then. This came as quite a surprise, because Tori is a bit a a chicken in things of this nature. He told her that this might require to to fall on the pavement and get a little scrapped up, but she was determined.

She did surprisingly well the very first time. Since then she has been out on the bike whenever Dad is home (and awake at a normal time) and the weather is nice. So only a few times. But she is getting so much better every time down the street. Yesterday Austin said that it may only be a couple of weeks until she can do it on her own. I think that for most kids it wouldn't take that long, but I just don't think that my pregnant self could go running up and down the street with her right now. Wouldn't be pretty.

Kennedy is also loving the bike riding. She wants to ride right alongside Tori, although Tori's legs allow her to go a little faster. Kennedy may soon be riding without training wheels too.

Baby News

Just wanted to update that Austin has done a couple more Ultrasounds on me, and it is definitely a BOY!! We are excited.

Tori has really taken a big leap in her reading. We started to find really good books that not only interested her but were at her reading level. Now when she is not outside playing she is walking around the house with her nose stuck in a book. I love it. She really is enjoying reading now that the stories make sense.

This is Kennedy's idea of listening to Tori read. Actually, I think that Tori was making a game out of not letting her see the pictures because they ended up on the floor wrestling and giggling.

I am so sorry that I am so bad at this. I really do try to be good and keep things up to date, but it is hopeless!! Last time I made it really cute, only to realize a few days, maybe weeks later, that all my fellow bloggers had been removed and LOST!!! It makes me so mad. I was just trying to make it look nice, now I lost all my friends blog sites!