Carly is 3 weeks old

Today is Carly's 3-week birthday. We have loved having her in our family. Jill, Hanna and Lucy still love to hold her. They do a great job keeping her happy, although sometimes they want to pick her up when she is asleep or in her happy place so I try to get them to just leave her alone for a few minutes. The other day I put Carly down to change the laundry and she was screaming. When I came back she wasn't crying anymore and Lucy was sitting next to her holding her hand.

So many people have been so kind and generous since Carly was born. We have been given 10 blankets, 17 outfits, 4 burp cloths, and a towel. We have also had 8 meals brought in plus 3 desserts. I love any meal I don't have to cook.

Carly is a pretty happy baby. She only wakes up once in the night, which is really good for a newborn. She does like to be held alot of the day but she is also happy in her swing.
I guess we will keep her.

We will bless her on June 1.

Lucy and Carly hanging out in the boppy.

Jill, Rodeo Queen

Although we swore our girls weren't going to be rodeo queens, Jill tried out for the Lewiston Rodeo queen contest. Our friends (the Bodilys) run it and convinced Jill to come. She had to ride her horse in the pattern and answer a few questions from the judges. She was the first princess to go and was very nervous about that. Even though her hat fell off before her first circle, she did a great job in the pattern, dodging the mud puddles in the middle of the arena.

There were four girls who tried out in her age group, and she was awarded first attendant. She got a bracelet and a halter and lead rope. She gets to ride in the grand entry at the Lewiston rodeo on July 3 & 4, chase the steers and calves during the rodeo, and ride in the parade. She was the only contestant not in glitter, but she still got chosen. She was very excited.

Mother's Day

The 4 great reasons I get to celebrate Mother's Day.

My husband and kids have put a lot of effort into celebrating Mother's Day today. They made breakfast for me (crepes with fresh strawberries and blackberries and real whipped cream and also bacon). They had my place set with queen dress-ups for me to wear - a crown, a cape, a shawl, but they didn't make me wear the princess dress.

I opened cards from Jill and Hanna that they made it school in art. They were little paper flowers that opened when you set them in water. I also opened a gift from the whole family - a new cowgirl watch. They all went shopping on Friday night, and it was really a test for Lucy to keep a secret that long.

Then when we got to church, Jill went and sat on the stand. She was one of the speakers in Sacrament Meeting, but she had been asked to keep it a secret. Austin helped her write her talk last night. They told me they were working on a Mother's Day project. Her talk was called Because of a Mother. She did such a great job. The ward gave CDs to the mothers with instrumental hymn music.

After church, Lucy handed me a card she had made in nursery and said, "Happy Birthday Mom!"

Austin made steak, rice, a vegetable tray, and a zippy drink for dinner.

First Blog Post

We are joining the blogging world. It is the popular thing to do, and it is fun to read about other people's families. Plus it is a good way to keep a journal/scrapbook of your family. So I guess I will join the club.

A little overview of our crew: Our family is full of girls along with a great Dad. Jill, Hanna, Lucy and Carly are our crew of cowgirls and basketball players. Austin is a vice principal at an 8th/9th grade school. I am gratefully a stay-at-home Mom so I can be with my kids, make cookies for them, and help at the school. Austin and I have been married 11 1/2 years.