Pregnancy Update

We thought we'd let everyone know that Alexis's scheduled induction is set for Friday September 5th.  We are excited and the kids are too.  Only 9 days left...hurry up hurry up!

We Love to Zoom

Zooming in a BoxCarter and Anja liked riding around in this diaper box.  Oh the joy of simple things.

Crazy Little Dancers

One day Carter and Anja were showing me their crazy dance moves.  They enjoy dancing around and now every once in a while, Anja whips them out...clear out of the blue.  (please note at the end of the video, Carter and Anja say goodbye to 'Grandma'...funny to us because they have a GRAM and an OMA...but no specific Grandma.  Who is this woman they are saying goodbye to?)

Sleeping

One night I went to check on Carter, before I went to bed and found him in this position.  Did he fall asleep praying?...or did he somehow get to this position while sleeping?

We Love Peaches

Peach Picking

We went to pick peaches on 8/8/08...and we discovered that the peaches weren't quite ripe.  Regardless, we still picked 1/2 bushel.  Carter and Anja liked carrying the basket around and helping me pick the peaches off the tree.

At one point Anja worried she couldn't step over the pipe...so Carter raced to her rescue.

Anja loved showing off our peaches at the end of our trip.  (needless to say, I went back a week later and picked 2 1/2 bushels with a friend...we are still working on canning all those peaches!)

Boy Baby Names

As I was looking at blogs today, I noticed my friend had posted a request to help her and her husband pick out their baby's name.  Well...calling all help!  If anyone has any suggestions...we are happy to hear them.  Give us some names that you think are fabulous!  Boys names please...as we're having a boy...in about 28 days (hopefully sooner).

Our Prima Ballerina

Our Little Anja

I was walking through a children's store the other day and saw this ballerina outfit.  It called out to me.  After eyeing it off and on for 20 minutes, I decided that since I was once a ballerina...Anja deserved to have this outfit.  I am so happy with my purchase.

Carter's 2nd Round of Swimming Lessons

He loved splashing around in the water!  

On his last day of class, he posed for me by the pool.  His teachers thought it was hilarious!

On the last day of class, the teachers took the kids to the upper pool, where there is a diving board and diving stands.  Carter tried going off the diving board, but when he got to the end, decided against it.  (however, he was only 1 of 3 kids to even attempt it)  So he then wanted to go off the diving stand.  Once his head popped out of the water, he had a huge smile on his face and told his teachers, very quickly, he wanted to jump again!

Anja during the swimming lessons.  We'd sit in the shade at the picnic table and Anja would drink her juice and eat her lunch.  We had fun watching Carter learn how to swim.

Carter giving us a little run down on the last day of lessons.  At the end of class, they give kids a report card.  His teachers indicated that he could go on to the next level!  Tadpole 2!!  WOW!! We were very excited for Carter and pleased that he had so much fun learning to swim!!!

Animal Time

Carter and Anja enjoy playing with all their stuffed animals (mostly Anja's).  On this particular day, they took them out of the basket in Anja's room and moved them all to the couch.  They had lots of fun.

Hill Cumorah Trip

Our Family Vacation

This summer we didn't have a huge block of time...anywhere...so Clinton took 1/2 a day off and we headed up to Palmyra, New York.  We drove up, found the campsite, set up our tent, then headed off to the Hill Cumorah Pageant.  We had fun watching the pageant as a family...Carter really got into it.  Then we slept in our 3 man tent...(1 male, 1 pregnant lady, 2 toddlers)...it was awesome.  Saturday morning we got up and headed out to look at some of the church historical sites.  We saw the Palmyra Temple, the Smith Homestead, the Sacred Grove, the Book of Mormon publication site, the Priesthood Restoration Site, and I think Martin Harris's house (not really the original house though).  We loved our trip...it just took longer than expected to get home.  We had a fun family vacation!  

Carter playing in the tent.  He loved camping!

Anja walking over the air mattress.  

All four of us in front of the Smith Family house.  I think they said 11 people lived in there!  (kids and mom and dad)

Anja (eating her pretzels), Clinton, and Alexis in the Sacred Grove...Carter was sitting by a tree.

Applesauce Time

Applesauce Makers

Carter turning the handle on our apple peeler/corer/slicer.  Anja helped clean the apples for a bit and then lost interest.

Carter loved helping with the applesauce.  Once I showed him how to use our peeler, he didn't want to do it at all.  He loved helping and he really made my job go a lot faster.  When Clinton got home that day, he was excited to show him "all the applesauce we made!"

Happy 4th! (one month late)

I thought I would post the picture, even though it's a month late, of Anja, Reese, and Carter, celebrating the 4th of July together.  We had a bbq outside our apartment, then watched the concert at the medical center, and went to the nearby soccer field to watch the fireworks.  We all had a wonderful time.

This video is a clip of the kids putting stickers on the window.  Anja wasn't too interested in looking at the camera.