Mesquite 2012

We made our first jump in the pool for the year!!  

Both the girls were like little fish and loved it.

What has Kinley been up to?......

She's almost 11 months and getting so big/smart.  

The Big News with Kinley is...... SHE'S WALKING!!!

-I can't keep up with both of my girls, they definitely have me tired by the end of the day, oh wait by 2 o'clock.  It's so hard to not snuggle up to them during nap time (okay sometimes I give in and do:))

-Kinley still takes 2 naps a day

-She's done well with whole milk

-She's a tease that's for sure.  She knows how to get anyone to giggle.

-She has mastered the "dada" and "mama"

- She has her two lower teeth and top.

-Her favorite food is.... probably Mac N' Cheese/everything

-She loves when Chloe plays with her and plays peek-a-boo

-She loves rocks... I can't keep them out of her mouth.  

(Don't worry she hasn't swallowed one yet, that I know of)

-She loves to get in my pots and pans drawer and bang them and make lots of noise.

-Kinley is more of a mama's girl.  She has become very attached since I've been home from school, which is totally okay with me.

-Kinley's eyes look like they'll be hazel.  

-She still has the olive/brown skin which we are all super jealous about and it is only getting darker with summer.

Kinley's first pigtails!!

Kinley found the cupboards and realized it's fun to go explore and hide.

We jumped the gun and got Kinley her carseat.  

She's really enjoying being forward facing.

First time down the slide by herself

She's still trying to get used to wearing shoes now that she can walk.

Kinley is the BEST eater.  She's not picky at all and I am loving it!!  

Yes, she is always smiling.... got to love it!!

When Kinley was trying to figure out the walking thing she realized that she was sick of crawling and resorted to this bear crawl.  Pretty cute if you ask me!

Maybe the reason we're going through so much chalk is because Kinley keeps getting a hold of it!!

What has Chloe been up to?.....

I can't believe how big Chloe is getting.  I love how I can actually have a conversation with her.  She is doing super well with speaking and it makes life so much easier.  

**The best news with Chloe is that..... SHE'S POTTY TRAINED!!!**

-She loves, LOVES, LOVES riding her bike.  

-She is such a good reader.  Sometimes when it gets quiet I hesitate and think, oh no... what is she into now???  I search the house frantically just to find her on the couch reading her books.  If we're not outside then we are inside reading books.  She's super smart!!  

-Her favorite book is, Goldie Locks and the Three Bears aka Chloe and the Three Bears.  She loves to fill in the blank when you read and she always gets the right word (well.... 80% of the time:))

-It's so fun to watch her and Kinley play.  Kinley is now big enough that they can wrestle each other and I don't worry too much.  She helps me so much around the house.

-She loves her play-doh

-Still working on Colors and shapes.  (Everything is Pink or Red/Circle or square)

-Still a picky eater.  She loves her jam sandwiches, pancakes, apples and chocolate milk.

Riding the lawn mower with daddy.  

*When I can't find her during the day she's usually in the garage sitting on the lawn mower.  I ask her what she's doing and she says she's waiting for daddy for a ride.  I love how they are creating their little rituals that only "they" get to do together.  

Chloe loves her friend Lei "Ani"

They had fun eating cupcakes and making Mother's Day Cards.  

Ani is our neighbor and is moving, Chloe is going to be so sad.

Chloe is such an outdoors girl.  

She'd live outside if she could.  So we definitely take advantage of the sun as much as possible.

Chloe also loves playing with her friends Jeter and Kamree

Between bubbles and sidewalk chalk we might need to stock up for the summer.... we can't keep them stocked.

And once again daddy and daughter have their routine nap & watching golf on Sundays after church.  They have done this since Chloe came home from the hospital:)

EASTER

2012

Chloe and Kinley the week of Easter.

They are becoming more and more fun each day!!!

My good friend Julie has an Easter Egg Hunt at her house each year.

It was fun to go and have a child that "kind of" got the idea.

Chloe was more into the slide than the eggs.

Kinley on the other hand was just excited to sit and relax on the grass.

Thanks Julie for a fun time for the kiddos and yummy treats!!

Easter Weekend in Delta

It's kind of nice having a Holiday during tax season. It's an excuse/reason that Chase HAS to leave the office. It's also Chase's favorite holiday so that makes it that much easier!!

Chloe really got into dying the Easter Eggs!!

Kinley on the other hand was just enjoying having own space.

All the cousins except Kinley enjoying their suckers.

After dying Easter Eggs we went and visited the baby lambs.

Chloe was so excited to help Susan feed a bottle to the baby lamb.

Next was the Sand Dunes

Since Chase was little the Christensens either went to the sand dunes for Easter or Lake Mead. So it was fun to head to the dunes and play with the family.

Meghann and Kinley

The girls would love to get to the top so they could roll their eggs they painted earlier

down the sand hill.

Kinley was just enjoying all the dirt.

It was such nice weather.... we were covered in sand!!!

Easter Morning

The girls got spoiled by the Easter Bunny but they were more excited to just have Chase to themselves.

Kinley enjoyed the Easter Egg Hunt, anything to put in her mouth!

Chloe was happy to have help from dad to find the eggs.

Happy Easter!!!

TEXAS

(Houston)

here we come!!!

With tax season going on and not seeing much of Chase he flew us out to Texas to visit my sister. I hadn't seen my sister in 1 1/2 years which means she's only seen Chloe one time and never seen Kinley. I also have never seen her new baby that was born in December. It worked out perfect that we flew in the day before her birthday.

Audrey and I have always lived away from each other since she got married when I was in 5th grade. I could only imagine how cool it would be to have a sister live close by. Since I've become a mother she's become a phone call I make several times a day. She is such a great person that deserves the best in everything.

I was very fortunate that my mom was able to come too.... don't know what I would have done in the airports with my two girls.

The plane hadn't taken off yet... Kinley was excited (like she always is)

and Chloe was almost to the bored point.

Chloe was so excited to see green when we got there. We left Cedar in 30 degrees and arrived to Texas in the mid 70's. I love how she was smelling the flowers first thing.

Trying out one of the Nathaniel's many fun toys.

She loved the teeter-totter with Marinda.

Picking strawberries with Clarissa.

While the others picked strawberries the others were catching up with hugs

from Grandma and Kinley!

Chloe's excited to be wearing clothes for warmer weather

and to be heading to the park!!

Kinley isn't sure what's going but... she's just enjoying all the new faces!

Loving the swings like usual!

Chloe and Nathaniel had this thing for finding the dandelions so they could blow them.

Smelling more pretty flowers.

On our way to the park again with ALL (Brent was back with grandma) of the kids!!

Clarissa, Chloe and Elisabeth

Yes, my girls were a little exhausted at times

from all the fun stuff going on around them.... can you tell?

Chloe was determined to figure out the scooter before we left.

CHEESE!!!! How many kids can you pack on grandma's lap....

they forgot two but it's okay:)

Kinley trying out the new sunglasses. Thank goodness big sis wasn't looking or she wouldn't have been so willing to share.

Before we left I thought to myself that Chloe and Nathaniel would become the best of friends from the get-go. WELL..... not so much. I didn't put into consideration that Chloe was in a different environment and Nathaniel wasn't used to sharing with someone else close to his age. -There were many, Many times I thought are you two for real.... please just get along, your cousins.

-Then there was the moment when they were each sitting by grandma one on both sides and they kept fighting back and forth saying, "My Grandma." and then the other one says, "NO, My Grandma." Finally Grandma interrupted and said, "I am both of your Grandmas, okay?" Then my sweet little Chloe very quietly bends over grandmas lap and whispers, "My Grandma." Yes it just kept going on the rest of the trip. My mom still laughs about it when we bring it up.

- But then there's the moment when you see them so excitedly find each other after church and hold hands the whole way to the car. Yes, I had to double take... but it was pretty cute.

-Then there's the moments like the picture above when Chloe says goodbye to her cousin in the car. Little does she know that Nathaniel has the biggest heart full of so much love. He may not have a perfect heart but it definitely is field with nothing but love for those around him. He brings so much light to those he comes in contact with. When we were at church it was so fun to see him run up to those familiar faces and wrap his arms around them. Heavenly Father definitely has a plan for this little boy and for right now I would say it is sharing the Love/Light of Christ!!!

We love you Nathaniel!!!

-This trip was so much fun. We were able to be more relaxed and stay close to home. We made lots of yummy treats/meals thanks to pinterest. We found a favorite new Mexican restaurant (we went 2x, yes we ate a lot of food). Had a fun "Pamper the girls day." Got the whole family caught up with haircuts, etc. Grandma got to see all the girls at their dance classes. Spoil Audrey and take her shopping and much more. My mom and I decided that this will have to become an annual trip, and I am totally okay with that.

Thanks again Aud, hope to see you sometime this fall/winter. If not we'll see you next spring!!!

Back on the Airplane......

Well, mom and Kinley did really good. They had their little naps and treats. Chloe on the other hand was done. Half way through our flight home Chloe says to me, "Mommy, no more plane.... Chloe all done." I thought how cute, but then I realized the next portion of the flight was going to feel like an eternity. Yes, we went to the bathroom I think 5 times. Thank goodness we had patient people by us. Chloe also had the perfect timing- on the landing with the flight there and home she fell asleep in my arms and I got to carry her dead weight through both airports. That's when I was really glad I had my mom to carry Kinley and the car seat!!