Siena is Six!!!!

Guest post by Mommy:

Can it be?  My oldest is SIX?  Between that number and the fact that she's in kindergarten, I think I really have to accept that she is becoming a full blown kid.  She doesn't need me for much other than permission and reassurance.  It's crazy.

I have almost no idea how to appropriately celebrate this girl.  I've been blessed with an energetic, but obedient daughter.  I'm racking my brain trying to think of what has changed about her this year.

-She is in kindergarten now which means she is reading beginner books.
-She can write all her letters and is spending a lot of time trying to write her own words.
-She loves to tell stories.
-Her chores changed to doing her own laundry with help.  She puts it in the washer and then I have it ready for her to fold and put away after school.  She's quite good at it.
-She can keep long term goals in mind.  We are saving for Disneyland again and she will pick putting money in the bank over buying a toy.
-Her swimming skills are phenomenal.  She can swim down to the bottom of pools.
-She is also very brave when it comes to kneeboarding/bellyboarding.  She understands how to let go of the rope and wait for the boat to come back and get her.
-She still asks permission to do most things. (Go outside, get a drink, play in the playroom, get out a game.) It's great.
-She is still a very cheerful person and I'm sure her teacher will tell me that she loves to talk.
-She and Cara can play for HOURS together.  It's great.

There are so many other things that she is talented at.  She is just such a pleasure to have in our family.  Siena and I can have bad days.  We can make each other cry, but I am grateful for the ball of happiness that she is.

A wedding and a phone!

Last weekend we made our last trip up north before we add a member to the family.   At least we think.  We haven't PLANNED anything anyway.  We went up because one of Daddy's oldest friends was getting married! Just before leaving though, Mommy got in line and waited for a brand new iPhone 5S. Yes she really did.  She loves it.  Her phone was the old iPhone 4 and it was limping along with cracks.  This one is much better.  

We went to the zoo and stopped by the pet adoption event going on.  Slight mistake.  Turns out the Preslars really really really miss their big dog, Alex who has been gone for several years.

Then we played at the splash pad in the zoo and got just wet enough to remember that fall started the next day!

Mommy and Daddy enjoyed going to a temple sealing together.

Daddy got to see A LOT  of old friends and he loved it.

We snuck in some time with Oma and Apa and a lot of people I didn't know that apparently belong to Apa's family!

Mommy and Daddy snuck away to party with Daddy's friends and apparently a dinosaur!

This is the groom..does he look happy?

Daddy and Josh have been friends forever.
Separated by years and states, they still dress alike.

Ooops....

So in her pregnancy haze, Mommy didn't notice that she forgot to blog about our trip to SLC at the beginning of September!  We went up just two weeks after we had come back from our final Seven Peaks trip!

Our cousin, Romney, got baptized!  We HAD to go back up for that, right?

We, OF COURSE, went to the zoo and what do you know?  It rained again!

It was a delightfully wet, quick trip up to SLC for a fun family filled event.

Kokopelli Tri

We had a long day of spectating on Saturday.  Daddy and Grandpa both did the Kokopelli Tri.  Daddy did the longer Olympic distance again and Grandpa did the sprint distance.  

Grandpa actually made it on to the podium for his excellent racing!  We were so proud!!

A Word on Pregnancy....

Guest Post by Mommy:

I am into the 30s!! 30 weeks of pregnancy that is.  I'm half way to 31 weeks.  The countdown will now begin to drive me crazy.  I don't handle the end very well.  It's not that I'm uncomfortable.  It's not that I'm tired.  It's that I lack control of the situation.  I don't get to say "and my baby will be born at this day at this hour."

I also don't get to really control how big my belly gets.  I don't remember freaking out about this with the other two.  It has been over four years.  Maybe I've just forgotten.  However, I'm pretty sure I'm more insecure with this pregnancy.  I'm pretty sure I'm bigger.  I've been asked if I'm having twins (never had that before.)  I get shocked looks that I'm not due until November and it all makes me want to cry.  And then on the flip side, I do get people who proclaim that I am tiny and I look so cute and November seems like a perfectly reasonable due date.  Gah!  Part of it has to do with the fact that I am measuring slightly big at my appointments, but truthfully I'm still within range.  And you know what? I have no idea if I measured big with my other two or just perfectly on.  I DON'T REMEMBER.  I didn't write it down.  Should I be worried?  Am I eating way too much?  I'm still teaching fitness classes for crying out loud!  See?  Control issues and insecurity.

I will say that I do love being pregnant.  I love feeling the little girl inside my belly kick and push and shove and roll over.  In a weird twist, my carpal tunnel has improved dramatically.  My swelling is minimal.  I can sleep a solid 8 hours.  I just need to let go of the body image thing.  I have 9 more weeks to master it.  Hopefully no more than 9 weeks.  Fingers crossed.

Lovely bathroom at Hogle Zoo!

Throwback....it's only been 6 months...

Remember how my aunt got married? Way back in March?  We were the flower girls and we loved it, but Mommy chose to enjoy the day and not take a SINGLE picture of us.  She is finally getting around to getting the pictures from Grandma and Grandpa!

Kneeboarding

Last week we went to the lake with Grandma and Grandpa.  We enjoyed great water and hardly anybody else on the water.  Mommy was a little bummed that all she could do was get in and get wet occasionally.  But the big news was that I kneeboarded all by myself!  Truthfully, I was belly boarding.  I never actually got up on my knees but I loved it! You can tell by the wake that Grandpa kept going faster and faster.  I didn't want to stop!!

Cara didn't even get in the water this trip I don't think.  We loved sitting up at the front though and feeling the wind in our faces!!

Labor Day Weekend

We spent Labor Day weekend in various pools and had a lot of fun!!  We made sure to make it to City Pool on Saturday since it's the end of their season.  The weather looked kind of iffy with lots of clouds on the horizon which made for the perfect day.  There was hardly ANYBODY at the pool!!  We got in 100 rides on the HydroTube! 34 times each for Daddy and me and then 16 times for Cara and Mommy.  In fact, Mommy and Cara didn't originally buy passes because Mommy thought Cara wouldn't like it.  Boy was she wrong.  I also jumped off the diving board probably 20 times.  It was awesome.

And then on Monday, we went to Veyo for a couple of hours.  We took Lexi. She didn't like Uncle Pete that much.  

And how could we forget our afternoon hike on Sunday with Grandpa?  We found quick mud and large puddles and big spider webs.

Growing Belly

Well Mommy just headed into the last stretch of her pregnancy.  The third "trimester" whatever that means.  I don't remember what Mommy looks like without a big belly!  I keep telling her that someday her belly will look like mine again!