A Picture of Health

I already mentioned that Valerie had her 2 month check-up last week. This week it was time for Sierra and Ally's annual check-ups. All three girls are a picture of health according to Dr. Welch. Praise the Lord! Sierra is topping the charts for height and weight in her age group. Ally is just above average. They were both quite nervous to begin with, but were very relieved to know that neither one was getting shots this time. Yippee! Don't they look cute in their gowns?

Poor Valerie after her first round of shots.

Sierra and Ally waiting for the Dr. to come in for their check-ups.
(Ally kept this face for the entire visit!!!)

Stanley, ID

Last weekend we made our annual pilgrimage to Stanley for the Sawtooth Mountain Mama Arts & Craft Fair. Time at the fair itself was rather limited, but we did stop long enough to enjoy some good Dutch oven cooking and some bluegrass music. The rest of the afternoon was spent at Stanley Lake. Sierra and Grandpa fished from the canoe for a while and came back with a nice rainbow trout. (Marc had to shuttle Ally back in the kayak because she lost interest rather quickly.) It was a lot of driving for a short get-away, but the view of those beautiful mountains always makes it worth the effort! Next year we will just have to plan a camping trip so that we can enjoy several days in the Sawtooths again.

Susie's having a...

Boy! Boy! Boy!

Well, just one....but I'M SO EXCITED!!! Now I can start shopping for this and this and this. Yipee!

Two Months! *Updated*

Can it be?!

Valerie Joy is two months old today.

Valerie's first trip to Krispy Kreme!

This little girl has turned into quite a chub-chub this month. Besides adding the pounds, she is developing quite a personality. Her blue eyes and toothless grin are a lethal combination. They almost make us forget about the late night parties that she likes to have. We're trying hard to change things, but she likes to go to bed between 11 and midnight! Valerie is a sweet little baby and already she is growing up way too fast.

**Update: I just got back from taking Valerie to her two month check-up. Here are the "fish facts," as my brother likes to call them:

Weight: 11 lbs. 3 oz. (65%)

Height: 22.375 inches (25%)

I told you she was a chunky monkey! Short and chubby like her Mommy. Dr. Welch said that she looks like a perfectly healthy little girl...but we already knew that!

A Festive Fourth

Miss Sparkly celebrated the Fourth in style...

thanks to the Craggs family.

We went out to the airstrip to watch Uncle Chuck and Aunt Missy skydive in the morning.

I love Ally's "girlfriend pose."

We had a big Cook/Streeter BBQ outside Chuck and Missy's apartment along the banks of the Boise River. The cute headbands were a gift from my sweet friend Kelly.

Sierra poses on the deck where we waited to watch the Morrison Park fireworks.

Throughout the show, Sierra kept asking me to take a picture...TAKE A PICTURE! This one is for her. And YES! Valerie slept through the whole thing, so I was able to watch the beautiful display with my wonderful extended family.

Ladybug is FIVE

I'm a couple of days late on this post, but Sierra Elise turned 5 this week! We are so proud of the young lady that she is becoming. Her heart is so sensitive. She is very obedient and loving. And although she is shy by nature, she has ventured out to try new things this last year. (She even enjoyed going to VBS all by herself this week!) We are excited and scared about the months ahead when she will start going to school and become even more independent.

The girls had a birthday party last week, but on her actual birthDAY we took the family to our local water park for the day. The weather was perfect and Valerie cooperated beautifully by napping almost the entire time that we were there! Sierra mustered up the courage to try some new slides and discovered that she LOVED them. The lazy river is still probably her favorite thing, but she did ride Mammoth Caves with me and came our smiling...sorta. It was a very fun day for her.

This one was from the photo shoot with Uncle Chuck last month.
Sierra's fake smile at her Littlest Pet Shop party.

Taking a short break at the water park on Thursday.

Cherry Pickin'

Today we visited the town of Emmett for the first time. It's just a half-hour drive from our house. The town is hosting its 75th annual Cherry Festival this week. We went early in the day so we missed most of the action...music, carnival rides, crowds, etc. It was nice just to walk around and visit the vendors and see the sights. On the way out of town we stopped at a beautiful little orchard and let the girls pick some cherries of their own to bring home. We ended up with 11 pounds in a half-hour! (And probably an equal amount in each belly.) As I type this post, the washer is busy removing cherry juice from the girl's little sun dresses. We all had a wonderful time and I'm sure that we will make this a tradition for our family from now on.