McKinley Jane and Grant Alan

Next time I update they will be TWO YEARS OLD!!! I don't know how it happened! It's been a busy summer, but we sure are ready for it to start cooling down so we can do some outdoor activities again. To escape the heat we took a day trip up to Prescott, AZ which is about 1 1/2 hours away, but 20 degrees cooler and enjoyed some park time. The most exciting change this month is that Chad got into nursing school to finish his RN! We're praying for a smooth and uneventful semester! His schedule is great, class on Friday mornings and clinicals Saturday all day. I will say that parenting has felt pretty easy up until about the last month and now I feel my patience is depleted every day by about noon...disciplining two almost-2 year olds is HARD! Thank goodness they nap well! There are times I want to just give in, but know I'm working towards a greater goal of obedient, spiritual warriors! Boy, do they know the phrase "you need to obey" well though and know we...

I've been getting a lot of questions after a facebook post I wrote saying I was selling all our baby stuff off so in the spirit of being open and honest I thought I would fill everyone in since we've always been very open about our fertility joys/struggles. After the babies were born we decided we wanted to try to have another baby right away again, figuring it would probably take awhile to get pregnant. After hearing so many people say "oh, you'll get pregnant right away after doing invitro" Chad and I both had it in our heads that it would just magically happen this time. After over a year of trying, still nothing so we went back to the fertility doctor that helped us get pregnant with Grant and McKinley. After retesting Chad they discovered his sperm count was that of someone that has had a vasectomy...essentially zero. They said our chance of conceiving were slim to none unless we did invitro again. The $30,000 price tag on that took that option away so the o...

June has been a busy month and July looks like it's shaping up to be the same way! No big updates this month. Just as I was worrying about their language they have suddenly started repeating everything I say and seem to pick up a new word everyday. Onto something else to worry about!! Eating their favorite thing in the world..blueberries!!

For the 4th of July we took advantage of one of our local resorts and enjoyed some pool time and fun with friends! The babies still go too bed too early to enjoy fireworks, but maybe one of these days they'll be able to stay up late enough! Red, white and blueberry pancakes! We had 6 kids total that came to the resort to stay! Grant wearing the shirt we made for one of my mommy group playdates!

Before flying back to Phoenix we got to take a quick stop at my brother Scott and sis-in-law Shanda's house and see the 4-H club, as my family lovingly calls them, which are my nieces and nephew Halie, Hayden, Hannah and Heidi. We got to go visit my brother at the firestation which was so neat and the babies got to play around on the firetrucks! Enjoying the nice weather before heading back to hot Phoenix! Scott and Shanda and their crew Grant checking out the inside of the firetruck..how cool! With my brother Scott

Along with meeting my new niece Taegan, I also got to meet my other new niece Brynn and see Brileigh again. Both are my brother Lee's and sis-in-law Ande's kids. I was so disappointed to find out I didn't have any pics of Brynn though! Grant kept going over and looking down the hole to see what the baby was doing! And if you notice I had to edit this pic b/c McKinley was climbing diaperless up the back of the couch!! Brileigh, McKinley and Grant Grant and McKinley helping Uncle Lee