Birthday Girl

Cami turned 7 this past week and I can't even believe it. Time has flown and I have this beautiful girl-not even a little girl anymore. Cami is a kiddo that is easy to love and easy to be around. She is coming into her own funny sense of humor and loves loves loves to read. She is kind to her sisters and loves to help change Jocelyn and "baby sits" while I take a fast shower (so Jocelyn doesn't climb in with me). She reads Taryn books all the time and defends her valiantly if she ever thinks anyone is teasing or being unfair to her. She is always one you can count on to be reverent in church or give a talk on the fly. I can't even brag enough about Cami but I will say she has taught me how to love on a whole new level. I can't ever kiss or hug her enough-especially since she isn't a fan of being smooched in public now. I love her all the way to heaven and back....(if you've ever read the book about the little nut brown hair.)

So Cami had a detective/spy/mystery party with friends this year and it was really fun thanks to help from the cousins, aunt, and grandma. We then had a family party the day before her birthday and then celebrated her real birthday in style too. SO she had a lot of partying going on. See below for highlights...

She's come a long way from that shell shocked baby....

She is still just as sun shiny and peaceful...usually....

Happy in all kinds of weather...and oh so cute.

Such a happy family when she joined us.

Solving the case of Nikki Heat and the blind grandma....

The detectives...007, Nikki Heat, Kate Beckett, and Cam Jansen....they needed help solving their mysteries and the kids rose to the task.

Chocolate and pink cupcakes...they were good...

Taryn helping me make the red velvet birthday cake...I've discovered siblings are happier about birthdays when they get to help with the surprises...

Cami thanking Great Grandma Jennings for the gift...what a lucky girl to have a great grandma to hug.

The magnifying glass red velvet cake (the red velvet was supposed to be a sneaky mysterious surprise)...and incidentally she made Brent's life by requesting a BBQ with the cousins for her big day. He feels she is his totally and completely now.

Opening scoobie doo and loving it....

Trying ballet again-we'll see how it goes the second time around...

Anyway, what a lucky girl to be sent to a family that loves her so so so much and what a lucky family to get to have this beautiful girl as part of it!

Dumb stuff

After a REALLY long day of girl cat fights I heard this in Cami's bedtime prayer....

"thank you for this day. Please help us have a good day tomorrow and not fight over dumb stuff like cups and chairs....."

Yes, please let's not fight over cups and chairs again and I am glad I'm not the only one who isn't really ok with the fighting.....especially over dumb stuff.....:)

This is really only funny because of how great they typically get along. They usually are great at being unselfish and compromising.

And this is why we live here...

It is January...and this is why we live here... (not really but it definitely makes life good in a lot of ways)-warm weather and good hikes within minutes of our house....

A few weeks ago we did a fun hike with my brother who was in town. Half way through that hike we saw that there was a second hike that branched off further. This weekend we went back to check out where the second trail went and it was really cool (called three ponds in Snow Canyon State Park).

Cami and Taryn have all the sudden turned into phenomenal hikers. No complaining, lots of playing and pretending, and no one asking for a piggy back ride. WAHOO!!!! Jocelyn even liked walking a little but slept in the backpack most of the time. Grandma came and was amazing with her mad hiking skills and patience hiking/eating a picnic with lots of little buddies. Thanks mom!

The last two minutes of the trail were paved and the girls decided to book it.

And play horsey...

When Grandma comes we can have a picture with everyone in it-even if only a little of Jocelyn is showing.

When we got to this point in the hike Cami said - oh look this is the rain forest trail.....yup-she's a desert dweller this one....

Sweet Dreams and fresh air...

More family pictures...notice the jackets were even off at this point....

Jocelyn showing her stuff

I was actually aiming to show Cami helping Taryn down the trail but instead it just looks like a good shot of everyones back sides....

Brent surrounded by his little ladies...what a lucky guy.

Cami lucked out enough to have Grandma as a hiking buddy.

She's done it again-turned the house upside down...

We love this sweet baby and all the mischief she gets in (we don't actually love the mischief, just the fun behind it). Lately:

Brent and Amy getting three girls ready for church. Brent walks in and says Where's Faye Faye? Amy says I thought you had her. And he says no I thought you did. We break out in search of MIA Faye...Holy COW!! She climbed on the chair and into the chalk board in all her church clothes minus her skirt...At least she didn't bite it on the very hard tile floor and at least she was very happy at her new found climbing skill...

Jocelyn loves to open and unload the file drawers and computer bags and book shelves but isn't she cute doing it? Try getting mad at that face...just try. (OK I do but not for long)

And here's to the girl who would not take a pacifier...Who was absolutely insulted and incensed when it was suggested...And who adamantly refused to suck her thumb too just to rub it in....A year later she has learned to taunt us....Just kidding (about the taunting). She found it hiding in the drawer she unloaded and was finally after a year willing to give it a try...Don't worry I hid it again fast because she is too old now anyway...

Snow!!!

Usually during Christmas break we visit Brent's family in northern Utah. A very important part of the girls Christmas trip is building snow men and sledding in Grandma and Papa's yard. This year Grandma and Papa were visiting a new cousin so we didn't end up making the trip. We did luck out however because out of no where snow busted out in St George. (It is usually way mild here-I think I have only seen snow one other time since living here, including the two years I did in high school). Of course first thing in the morning there were screams of joy and Brent and the neighbor kids made a fabulous snow man.

Jocelyn begging to be part of the melee.

Reverse order-The snowman and the kids.

Rolling the balls so big that Brent needed to assist.

The girls with their game faces on...and yes you might notice that neither of their coats actually fit...I haven't gotten them winter apparel for several years because what's the point when they literally only get to use it once?

Follow up on somethings wrong....

So after Taryn wore pants a couple of days this week (not in a row this time) again I had a conversation with her that went like this:

"Taryn I notice you've been wearing jeans a lot lately...How come?" (It has been uncharactoristically cold here and I thought maybe she had been cold.)

"My dresses don't have pockets..."

"Your dresses don't have pockets? (I was totally taken by surprise at her answer...) What do you want pockets for?"

"I need a pocket for my cell phone..." (like mom of course you should know that)

Sure enough the pink plastic toy cell phone was tucked into her pocket....