A fun weekend!

This past weekend was warm and sunshiny and full of fun family time. 

Abby and Jules love to play together. Juliet loves her swing and Abby loves it when she is in there because she is at the perfect height for Abby to talk to her and play with her.

On Friday night we had a little family bbq and used our new grill for the first time. As you can see Juliet was thrilled to be outside.

Abby loves to help me in any way she can. She is helping to carry the chips from the kitchen to the table. Her favorite chips are the cool ranch doritos. She can put them away faster than I can! It was a really fun little meal, we just had chips and hotdogs. Abby loved her hotdog. It was the first time that she had really had one and actually ate it. She loved being out side and playing with her bubbles she got for easter. She would start yelling "bubbles" when we would blow them.

Saturday and Sunday was Conference. It was amazing! We actually were able to pay attention to quite a bit of it. Abby thought we were continually praying. She would come in and fold her arms and bow her head. She was a little confused. Saturday night my friend Kaity came and hung out with me and the girls. We went to YoSweetness. The best fro yo place in the world. Not really because of the frozen yogurt, but more because of the name. Then we came back to the house and watched Les Mis and waited for the boys to get home. When they got back we were only part of the way through the movie, so we made Kaity's husband Derik watch the rest with us. He is not a musical kind of guy and it was pretty funny trying to convince him to like it as much we all did.

In between the sessions on Sunday we headed out to the park to get out of the house. Abby really liked it a lot. And Juliet was actually tolerant of being outside.

This sweet little girl's smile just melts my heart.

I love my little Juliet! She is just getting so big, so fast!

Abby is so lucky to have such a fun dad to play with!

It was such a nice weekend to have Kyle all to ourselves and to hear the voice of the prophets!

Easter!

Easter was so fun this year. I just love this holiday and what we are celebrating. I am so grateful for my Savior and I am so grateful to know that he lives!

Easter Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day. It really felt like spring, and that was so wonderful. 

Juliet at 3 months.

Matching Easter dresses! Juliet is still really floppy.

Abby thought it was pretty funny to have her little sister leaning on her.

She loves to snuggle her little sister.

Classic Abby face.

I love this picture of these two little girls. I hope they are always such good friends.

Another classic Abby face.

I have the hardest time trying to get pictures of Abby's face. She runs away every time I have the camera out.

So being the amazing parents that we are we pulled out the smarties and bribed her to let us to take pictures of her face.

Shoving the smarties in as fast as she can.

But I actually got some pictures so it worked.

The family Easter basket. Abby got bubbles and new crayons. She carried those crayons around all day. Kyle got cadburry cream eggs, and I got reeses eggs. The easter bunny brought some other small toys and Yahtzee for my and Kyle. Ever since we got yahtzee, Kyle has killed me just about ever single time! It drives me crazy. How can someone be so good at yahtzee?

 After church on Sunday we went over to our friends house for a delicious Easter dinner. Kaity out did herself with deviled eggs, ham, and cheesy potatoes. Super yummy! We had a little Easter egg hunt outside for Abby.

She loved carrying that basket around. It was super fun!

It was a beautiful Easter! I can't wait for next year!

Abby's First Easter Egg Hunt

A few of the moms in our ward got together this morning and had a Easter egg hunt for our little kids. Abby would not let her easter basket go. Even though it was way to big for her she has been carrying that thing around all week. 

Abby cruising over to the easter egg hunt with the other kids. 

Abby doing her funny little walk around the play ground. Even though she is so much smaller than the other little kids she wants to be right in what they are doing. It really makes me nervous sometimes, but she always seems to handle herself well. 

All of the kids together. Abby refused to stand any closer to the group. She is an individual for sure.

Abby picking up her eggs, she got a grand total of six eggs. She was having so much fun watching everyone that she was getting distracted from the main objective of picking up eggs. 

She was thrilled once she realized what was in the eggs. This is her and her friend carter going through their eggs. 

Her huge basket, with only a few eggs!

When we got home Juliet went down for a nap and it was such beautiful day that Abby and I put our patio set to good use and had a picnic. Notice the chocolate on her cheek... she was pretty much full of candy and didn't eat very much of her sandwich. 

Showing me her egg. This little girl is the sweetest little thing. She always has something funny up her sleeve to crack me up. 

** If you are wondering where Juliet is in all of this fun stuff, she was strapped to my chest during the egg hunt. She was really enjoying herself sucking on the baby bjorn and watching all of the kids. Then she passed out in carseat on the way home so she was upstairs taking an nap during lunch time. 

Estes Park - Spring Break 2013

For Kyle's spring break a couple of weeks ago we went up to the mountains to Estes Park. It is a really cool little mountain town that kind of reminded us of Sedona. We stayed in these sweet cabins with some of Kyle's dental school friends and their families. 

Our cabin was really nice. We upgraded ours and after seeing our friends cabins that didn't upgrade we were so glad we did. We spent most of our time inside our cabin with the girls so we were glad it was so nice. It snowed the first night we were there, but by the next day it was all melted and the sun was out. The problem was the freezing cold, hurricane style wind that blew the entire time! We definitely want to go back in the summer time so we can really hike around and enjoy the mountains!

Abby didn't mind getting bundled up and playing out side. Her nose and eyes would be watering but she loved every second of it. 

This is a sweet picture of the wind picking up the snow. It kind of shows you how cold it was.

Juliet does not like hats, coats, gloves, extra blankets, or being outside in general. So she wasn't crazy about going for walks in the bitter cold. 

There was a miniature golf course that was free to play at as much as you wanted. It was really convenient because it was right next to our cabin. Kyle and Abby played out there a lot, even in the wind. Abby loved hitting the balls around our cabin.

We saw all of these deer and some huge elk while exploring the main street of downtown Estes Park.

Kyle and Abby out playing mini golf. I would watch them from the window while I was in the cabin with Juliet. Abby looked so cute holding her golf club and ball and following her dad around. 

We had such a fun trip. We had dinner with one our friends one night, and then we had all of the families over for ice cream sundays at our cabin another night. It was so fun to get to know them a little bit better.Kyle played pool and foosball and I did a lot of reading and relaxing.  This was a really special trip because it is our first official Kyle and Natalee Cordner family vacation. Every other vacation we have been on since we have had Abby has been with family. This was just our little family and it was really fun. It was nice to get out of the house and go on an adventure. We love these two little girls so much. I think that this picture might be my favorite family picture yet. The girls' faces are priceless.

This is just outside the entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Forest. We wanted to just go up and drive around for a little bit, but it was $20 for a 1-7 day pass. We just wanted to be in there for 20 minutes while Juliet napped. So we stopped off at a visitors center and looked around for a little bit.

It was such a fun trip, full of good family memories. The rest of spring break was really nice too. We just relaxed and played. The day Kyle went back to school Abby was really sad. When I got her out of bed she ran into our room and yelled "daddy"! When she didn't see him she started looking around our room and bathroom saying "daddy whe aw oo?" Kyle is such a wonderful dad and husband. We are so grateful he planned such a fun trip for us! I can't wait to go back there again when it is warm and green!

3 months and 22 months

This little girl is 3 months old. How did time go by so fast? I have to admit those first 3 months are really difficult for me. You are both trying to figure each other out. This time with Juliet was especially hard because I didn't have all of my family around for support, and I still had little Abby to take care of. But we have survived it and life is getting easier and more wonderful by the day. 

Juliet, you are the sweetest little baby I have ever met. You have such a calm, sweet demeanor. You will watch me as I'm folding clothes, playing with Abby or working in the kitchen. As soon as I look at you, you break into a huge smile and start babbling at me. It always stops me in my tracks and makes my day. I introduced the bumbo the other day and you enjoyed it for a little bit. Your big sister loved you in it and always is demanding I put you in it so she can easily play with you.

My sweet Abigail. You are 22 months almost 2 years old! I can't hardly believe it. You are such a darling girl. And you adore your little sister. I am so grateful for all of the love that you have shown her. She loves watching you, and she is always smiling when you are talking to her and hugging her.

I hope that you always stick close to her like you do right now. She is going to need your feisty personality to help protect her. 

Abby, you always know how to make me laugh. Your little faces and the new words that you are learning everyday crack me up. You know that all you have to do is say "cookie" and it melts my heart so you get as many cookies as you want.

Although most of your days are spent throwing tantrums I still love to be around you.

You are beautiful little girl inside and out.

My dearest Abby and Jules,

I am so grateful for both of you. You are teaching me to be a better mother and a better person. I love being with both out you and getting to know your special spirits. Its been a big adventure and I know I have many more mountains to climb as you both grow but I know that you will be with me and supporting me. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father sent you both to me.

I love my little buddies!