Here we go...

I've guilted myself for the longest time about not being better about keeping a journal. I have to say, since kids, the attempts have been pretty non-extinent. SO, instead of feeling the burden any longer, I have decided to join the hundreds of "bloggers" out there in hopes this will be a better (and easier!) way to keep up with all my friends and family, and most importantly, keep up with the journaling of our family! So many things happen daily, weekly, monthly that I always think, "I should write that down," but never quite get to. I feel guilty for not being a better mom in writing all the cute and silly things my girls do. This hopefully will provide me the means to do that with. So, bare with me... I may post things often, and I may not post things often enough. But, I hope you enjoy keeping up with our family and the important, unimportant and silly things that go on daily.

I'd love to go back and share all the highs (not quite all the lows!) over the past five years, but I'll spare you all the pages and pages of writings and pictures. Instead, we'll start with this year. Here goes...

The new year started off great with a last-minute opportunity to go to Hawaii with my sister and her family. We jumped on the opportunity kids and all! We spent a GREAT week on the island of Oahu. The girls were real troopers and we actually loved having them with us the whole time. They loved playing on the beach and with their cousins.

Kennedy even surprised us all when she picked out an oyster and it contained not one but TWO light pink pearls! Daddy couldn't resist having them made into earrings that we'll hold onto when she turns 16!

Here are some more favorite pictures from our trip...

We had an even better treat instore for us when we returned home- Kennedy got potty-trained! We had been trying for a while, but nothing seemed to work. Those of you with kids this age know the challenges of potty-training, so this in itself is definitely blog-worthy! When we returned home the next day, I told Kennedy that we "accidentally left" all her diapers in Hawaii and she now had to wear "big girl panties." It totally worked! Who would have thought?! She's had no problems ever since. What a relief to have that done with.

In March we celebrated Kennedy's 3rd birthday at Super Jump Party Zone. It's a indoor inflatable party zone that my two older brothers opened up together. The party was, of course, a princess theme and even Cinderella herself came for a visit!

In June, Jake and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. We joined our good friends Allen and Karina for a short jont up to Victoria, BC- minus any kids! I have to say we had such a good time! It was the first time Jake and I have left the girls for any length of time. We knew they were in good hands, so we were able to relax and have lots of fun shopping, siteseeing and "being totally irresponsible" again.

We also celebrated Pieper's first birthday on June 8th! The first year always goes by so quickly. Pieper is quite the opposite of Kennedy. She's extremely social and always on the move. She's got a fiesty little spirit and definitely knows what her likes and dislikes are. She's a picky, picky eater, opting only for "meat and potatoe" kind of food. She ills fruits and vegetables much to her mom's disliking. She loves to dance to music, carry rags around to suck on, look at books and immitate her sister. She's also quite the petite little thing. At one year she weighed in at 18 lbs. 3 oz. About the 15% for her age. BUT, don't underestimate her because of her size. She's smart as a whip and already knows how to "put on the drama."

In July, we traveled to Stevensville, Montana for the Wilton Family Reunion (my mom's side). We had a blast! Needless to say, it was a very authentic Montana adventure with horseback riding, tractor pulling, chicken lasooing and even a greased-pig chase. Yes, Jake couldn't resist the 135 lb. aggressive pig, so he jumped in the cage with our brother-in-law for some good ol' greasy fun! It was great to see all our family and meet all the new babies and family members for the first time. The family is definitely growing by leaps and bounds! We were even surprised with a homemade 100 ft. waterslide that my uncle and his sons built. Ever the courageous Kennedy (ha, ha, ha!), even went down it by herself- of course after a little daddy prodding and pushing! She was a bit scared going down, but once she reached the bottom she looked up at us all and gave a big wave and screached, "I did it, mommy!" Way to go, Kennedy!

Shortly after returning home from Montana, with family in town, we had two annual events planned. The guys (meaning my dad, husband, brothers and brother-in-law) went deep-sea fishing and while they were gone, us "women" and the kids had our annual Cousin's Camp at grandma's house. This has become a favorite with all the children as they all get to stay the night together at grandma's house. It's great fun as we always have a fun theme and plan the activities, food, etc. around it. This year was a Western - Pioneer theme. We had the kids make their own butter for dinner that night and kept a very authentic western meal with homemade biscuits, hotdogs and of course.... a little macaroni and cheese! The kids had fun swimming, sleeping outside and searching for their picture scavenger hunt.

As you can see, we've had a pretty fun year so far. We hope you've all enjoyed catching up on our family "happenings" and will want to come back and check on us often. I promise- the next ones won't be as lengthy! :)