4 month checkup

Reese had her four month check up yesterday, even though she is actually 4 1/2 months old. We had an appointment scheduled for August 2nd, and I just totally forgot about it. I feel like such a dummy lately, I keep forgetting things. I was supposed to go visiting teaching the week before and totally forgot about that, I just didn't show up. I didn't even remember until two days later. And I've forgotton other things too, I don't know what's wrong with me.

Anyway, we finally got to see how much Reese weighs since I remembered her appointment this time. She weighs 14 lb 12 oz, and is 25 1/2 inches long. Her weight and head circumference were in the 50th percentile, but her height was in the 85th percentile, so she is tall! She also got shots, so she's been fussier than usual, but it really hasn't been too bad. I took these pictures a couple days ago when we were out in the backyard enjoying the nice weather.

Reese keeps trying to be a thumb-sucker, and I keep trying to get her attached to her binky instead. (So I can take away the binky eventually, you can't take away the thumb) But this is how she does it. She doesn't seem to know that she can bend her fingers and it would be a lot easier, instead she keeps her fingers out and pokes herself in the eye!

She has gotten to where she pulls everything up over her face -shirts, dresses, blankets,toys, then gets mad because something is covering her face. She pulls her blanket up over her face while she's sleeping and wakes herself up at all hours of the night, so I haven't been putting a blanket on lately.

Welcome Kalina

On our way to Bear Lake last weekend we stopped in Logan to see our friends Veneita and Bryan and their new baby Kalina. Well Bryan wasn't there, but we saw the one we came to see! Kalina was two weeks old. She was so cute and small. I felt like it was hard to hold her she was so little! They say that your own baby doesn't look big until you get them next to a newborn, and that was definitely the case! It was so hard to believe that Reese was actually that small once. She looked so big next to Kalina.

Reese didn't know what to think about this crying little baby next to her. She didn't make a sound, her eyes just got really big.

My sweet husband

Last week my sweet husband brought home these flowers for me, just for no reason. How that just brightened my day. I think I was having kind of a hard day, though I don't remember why now. Oh I think I was stressed because I was giving a lesson in Relief Society the next day and I hadn't been able to spend very much time preparing for it, and of course I was just nervous to give a lesson. What a sweetheart he is to give me flowers. I am so grateful that I am married to my best friend. He makes me smile and laugh, and just makes me happy.

Birthday Twins!

Sorry for stealing your title Tara, but it's perfect! We met our friends Dan and Tara through work and church about three or four years ago. They lived in our neighborhood before they moved to Oregon for two years. Tara called me one day to tell us that they were expecting, and I told her I was too! She was due April 10th and I was due April 1st. After Reese was born on April 2nd, we sent a picture and text to Dan and Tara telling them the news, and little did we know at the time that Tara was in labor! She had Bricey that same night. They have moved back to Utah, and we finally got together a few weeks ago (I am terrible at keeping up with the blog, so I am just now posting these pictures) We went out to dinner and them came to our house to play games. It was so fun to see the girls together and see their similarities being exactly the same age. And of course we had to have a photo shoot. They are so cute together, I can't even stand it! I love these pictures, so I am posting quite a few! We had a great time that night and hope to be able to get together again soon. Life just gets so busy!

I love Bricey's expression and her little arm on Reese's face.

I love their facial expressions and that's Reese's hand on Bricey's chin!

Holding hands.

Surprise!

This was just a pleasant little surprise we happened to catch on video. We laugh every time we watch it!

Anderson Family Reunion

We had the annual Anderson Family Reunion in July at the Lodgepole Campground near Heber City. It is my mom's side of the family. She is the second of ten siblings, and has five half-siblings. Just about everyone was there with most of their kids, so there were a lot of people! There are more than sixty grandchildren, and I am the oldest. There are quite a few great grandchildren now too. It was so fun to see everyone and catch up and see how all of the kids are growing. Some of us went on a hike to Daniel's Summit and my sister Micall showed me how to use the macro setting on my camera to take pictures of flowers. She is addicted to taking pictures of flowers, and got me hooked too. So these are some of my very first attempts at it.
All of the girls who went on the hike had to try on the cowboy hats at the Daniel's Summit Store!
Just have to add some cute pictures of Reese!

These are my cousins Andrea on the left and Shalane on the right of me. We are the three oldest grandchildren and have been close for a long time. I love them and I'm sad that we don't see each other or talk very often. It has been hard to stay in touch since we all got married, so it was so good to be able to see them both at the reunion. We all have girls of our own now!

Blake's Wedding

When Barrett came home from his mission, he lived with the Sims family until we got married. Since then, they have treated us just like family. Their son Blake got married in July in the Salt Lake Temple. We were able to go to the sealing, which was really neat. It definitely brought back many memories of our wedding. I can't believe it has been more than three years since we were married! I just wanted to post this picture from our wedding day because we had our picture taken with Reese by that same tree at the temple.

Wade got to spend some quality time with his niece. He was nice enough to watch Reese at the temple while we went to the wedding.
Connie bought these adorable orange dresses for the three baby girls. They looked so cute! Especially when they were all together.

Boating

On the 5th of July we went boating at Jordanelle. My dad took his boat, and Aunt Janna (his sister) was there with her boat. We took Reese onto Aunt Janna's boat just at the shore while we all ate lunch, then my mom took her while we went on the other boat to go on the tube. It was Reese's first time on a boat, and again, even though she didn't get in the water, she had to be wearing her bathing suit! I went on the tube with Barrett and Ryan. It was scary! I was never such a scaredy cat as I am now! Luckily Dad took it easy for me.

4th of July

For the 4th of July we went to my parents' house in Heber. Reese had her 4th of July dress on, so of course we had to take pictures. I thought her little pose in this picture was so funny.

My parents have a fire pit in their back yard with two regular size benches and this miniature one for Reese (and other future grandchildren). It's so adorable. I thought we would keep taking pictures of her on this bench as she grows up, and this was the first time!

Swimming!

Ok so Reese didn't actually go swimming, but we were at a water park in Boise, so of course we had to put her in her swimming suit for the first time! It was so cute! We did take Reese on the lazy river. I held her on top of me on a tube. She wasn't so sure about it and cried a little the first time around, but then she stopped so we went around one more time. She didn't like getting splashed with the cold water, but we didn't get splashed that often. It was nice to have a lot of Barrett's family there who volunteered to watch Reese while the two of us went on all of the waterslides together.

Our house

Our house is done! Barrett and Wade did a great job on the siding. I'm so glad that my husband is such a handyman!

Pink dress

Reese looked so cute today in this pink dress, so I thought I would take some pictures. I feel like I haven't been taking as many of her lately. She's getting chubbier cheeks, and smiling and talking more often, although she's been smiling for a while now. I love that smile, it just melts my heart!

Our house gets a facelift

BEFORE This picture was taken a few weeks ago just after we took out some big bushes that were in front of the windows.
AFTER This was taken today, still in progress, but almost done with the front.
BEFORE (One piece of siding up on the bottom right)
Barrett and Wade (Barrett's brother) hard at work. They are doing all of this themselves! I'm very impressed.
AFTER The back is done! And we have a new back door on the left.