Daines Desk

Top Gun

2012-02-19T22:10:00.001-08:00

Day of Sweethearts

2012-02-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Love these guys.

Grandpa Davis was here...

2012-02-12T16:32:00.001-08:00

2012-02-09T13:38:00.001-08:00

Which sister? Pick one, this still applies.

If the truck or Blythe could talk

2012-02-09T10:47:00.001-08:00

They would tell Abby about her birthday present.

Too many diet cokes...

2012-02-07T11:04:00.001-08:00

Look what it made Candy do. (I was so embarrassed to take this picture...)

What Steven Thinks

2012-02-05T17:39:00.001-08:00

Is it green and low in calories?

2012-02-01T10:16:00.001-08:00

Abby will eat it. I see this everyday and love it everytime.

Memory Monday

2012-01-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

These curls saved this boy several times.

I miss them, I don't think they will ever come back.

Love you buddy.

Memory Monday

2012-01-23T09:46:00.001-08:00

Our first little girl, Babbers.

You taught us how to take care of a baby girl, and still do every day.

You are one high maintenance broad, but we love you for it!

You read my mind....

2012-01-15T18:52:00.001-08:00

Thanks Cooper, let's do this more often!

Look What I Found...

2012-01-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how little she was and how big she's gotten!

27

2012-01-11T10:47:00.001-08:00

My sister and I switch kids every other week and somehow my kid free day ended being on my birthday. It was so strange. I literally didn't know what to do with myself.
It was such a great day that was capped with some sort of salted caramel something that was beyond amazing. Thanks to everyone for helping me have such a great day!

I'm A Birthday Dork

2012-01-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

Just when you think, "I'm getting older, I'm becoming wiser, perhaps more distinguished.", your older sister sends you an email to remind you that you are still a huge goob.

Here are the Maile girls reenacting my blowing out the candles last night with a spit laugh.

Enjoy

Birthday

2012-01-07T18:44:00.001-08:00

My sister Candy and I have 1 day separating our birthday. As long as I can remember we have celebrated together. I LOVE IT. It's always hard for me to have attention directly on me, so sharing suits me perfectly. This year to start the crazies, Ginny threw us a girls night party at her house. We were supposed to pose for a candle picture, but looking at Candy's posed face made me lose it. Better yet, I did a spit laugh and blew the candles our. Yummy!
Happy Birthday to us!

Shoes

2012-01-05T10:51:00.001-08:00

I keep telling Steven that he's in for it. This girl loves shoes way too much. I've seen shoe addictions in action, they run rampant through my family. (You know who you are...)

Memory Monday

2012-01-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

This picture is a few years old, but it makes me miss my sisters so much! I am so lucky to have a few that live close, but those that don't I always think of.

(P.S. I heart Candy's hair)

Coops

2011-12-31T21:05:00.000-08:00

I think one of the biggest surprises I've faced as a parent deals with the cyclical nature of each child's behavior and challenges. Some days you can think, "We are doing great. We are on top of things, being polite and loving." And then there are the days when you think, "There has to be something new that I need to try."

Lately Cooper is lazily swimming in one of the most beautiful EASY fazes. He can be a bundle of energy and curiosity (remember the toilet post?), and he is a big kid. Sometimes he doesn't know his own strength and his head is truly a rock. Watch out when you're tickling him, he might break your nose. He is so sweet to his sisters and they in turn follow him around all day.

Steven sent this picture to me that he took this summer. It was one of those moments when you realize that sooner rather then later, these kids are going to be making their own choices and striving to fulfill their own dreams. It makes me want to work that much harder to show them that anything is possible and that including the Spirit in your life allows us all to live the lives we were meant to live.

Happy New Year, let us all strive to achieve our dreams this year.

The flu

2011-12-30T11:41:00.001-08:00

We have all had it this week. I had forgotten how awful it is. The only upside is that the babies are so lovey.
This little girl literally went from bubbly back to sleepy, snuggly baby. Love her.
Huge kudos to Steven who went through it first and has kept us all going, laundry and all. Way to go babe.

Harses Harses Harses

2011-12-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

We love harses around here. We have pictures of them, childhood and adulthood memories of them, and sincere wishes to pass our love of them to our children. We decided that this was the year. When I was in the eighth grade, some very beloved family friends gave us a filly for Christmas. When she was little she truly looked like a calf and we all had a few laughs at her expense. Now she is an amazing horse, both for children and adults. My younger sister and I spent some considerable time getting her to be the horse that she is, and we are so proud of the reliable mare that she has become.

A few years ago we decided to stop boarding her here in Coeur d'Alene because she wasn't getting enough attention and exercise due to our pregnant/busy conditions throughout the family. But since children are getting older and husbands hopefully a bit less allergic, Santa brought Cooper the horse back for Christmas.

Christmas we told the children that Santa had brought them a surprise and we went to our new boarding location in Hayden Lake. It's open and big and beautiful, plus it has numerous other horses for riding and education. We couldn't have been happier, and neither could the kids.

I love this shot because it truly shows how much each person in this family loves these darn kids. 3 photographers, a baby holder, a horse leader, and two side walkers. Can't get much more surrounded then this!

Well, as you can see, Blythe didn't enjoy her turn all that much. I think it was mostly because I had to rip her out of her Aunt Ginny's arms to put her on the horse, and she had to stare at Aunt Liz the whole time she was there. She loves those two Aunties a bit too much, so it truly was salt in an open wound.

This was Abby's turn. When we pulled into the ranch we saw Grandpa Davis first. He was wearing all red and Abby said, "What a surprise, Grandpa is Santa!"

I was so pleased that Abby had such wonderful reaction, she has been talking about horses forever, and I was so glad to see that she loved them in person.

Is something special happening here? Cooper rode as if he had been doing it every single day and that we were all making a big old fuss for nothing. I couldn't have been more pleased.

And Blythe recovered. (Only because I told her Ginny and Liz were coming over for pizza)

Here's to Harses!

Smiles in Front, Smiles in Back

2011-12-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas was so stinkin' fun this year.

We had so many fun blessings and surprises, and I felt like this picture summed everything up.

Smiles in the front, and even more smiles behind the scenes.

Merry Christmas!

Uncles

2011-12-21T11:19:00.001-08:00

The other night we headed over to Liberty Lake for some Daines family caroling. It was such a fun time, but by far the best part was watching my kids with their Aunts and Uncles. They are getting past their reservations and I love it. When Cooper saw this picture of he and Tyler together he said,"Mom, it's me and, and, and, and Uncle Tiger! Followed by a very small, "Rawr".
Yay for family!

Grandparents Christmas

2011-12-19T16:50:00.001-08:00

This year my mom and dad took some precious time out of their busy schedules to invite each family over for hot chocolate, cookies, and some adorable Christmas reading time. I was so absorbed in the cuteness of the whole thing, I only took these pictures. The kids are wearing the glasses that mom was wearing when she greeted us.
Merry Christmas Grandma and Grandpa!!

Baby Cousins

2011-12-18T20:39:00.001-08:00

I present...the frustration of trying to capture a quick picture of adorable, chubby baby cousins with your iPhone. Thought that counts?

Naptime

2011-12-15T10:22:00.001-08:00

Cooper apparently spent his naptime reducing the number of gifts Santa will be bringing him.

Toilet Miracle

2011-12-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

So, a few days ago while I was putting away laundry upstairs (this piece of information is important because it proves my theory that laundry sucks and doing it only causes problems..)

I was putting away laundry and Sammy came upstairs to tell me that Cooper had gotten him all wet, and through some intense questioning I learned that Cooper's older cousin Sammy had taught him and his younger cousin Annie to flush things down the toilet. To make matters even more inappropriate they had been flushing our Little People Nativity down the toilet.

So, the plumber was called and he patiently took our toilet off and manage to pry all of these guys out of the toilet. (That's 9 toys total that got stuck and didn't get in the main line. Miracle.) While he was pulling them out Abby cried out, "There's Christmas in our toilet!" Which is a true testament that there is good in every event, and also that you can find the spirit of Christmas anywhere.

Huge thanks to Scott for rushing right over and teaching the kids such a huge lesson.

Hurray for other people with kids who have done this before!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-08T06:31:00.000-08:00

We had a truly amazing Thanksgiving this year. We headed out to Hayden Lake in the beginning of November to hang out there for a while. We were so lucky to be settled and toasty before we got hit with a big snowstorm. It was so beautiful to watch the snow fall over the lake and onto the water. Family who came out to hang out with me that day weren't quite so lucky when trying to get out of the steep driveway, but it was amazing anyway!

After a few weeks, the Davis family came out for Thanksgiving. It was such a throwback to be able to all hangout before the holiday and then to be back together super early for breakfast in jammies. We had so much fun the night before staying up and having treats while Kami cooked for hours. Early the next morning we watched the parade and had breakfast while the younger kids played horse and cowboy. It was almost a little too ideal, but the occasional injury took care of that.

Throughout the day people came and went to other family dinners. We headed to the Daines family dinner which was amazing. There were a few hiccups along the way, including Cooper spilling orange soda twice, once on his Grandma Daines. And I can't forget to mention that Abby fell out of her chair and hit her head on the ground, really hard. We kept her with us for quite a while after that one In the end the food was all cooked, people were happy, and it was maybe the most perfect Thanksgiving I've ever participated in. The only problem was that our Javier's decided to go to Hawaii right in the the middle of the whole thing! We missed them a great deal but we concede that James's family should get a holiday or two! We missed them.

I asked Kaci to take pictures in the morning, and then forgot about my still camera the rest of the day. So, we have morning/breakfast pictures...enjoy!

The only picture we have of Blythe the whole day, so typical of her right now. 100 miles an hour everywhere.

Mason read scriptures for us that morning, and was hands down the best helper we had all day. Kids, food, chores...he's your man!

The night before I taught the tweens a cup rhythm game that we used to play at girls camp. It kept them entertained and made a ton of noise, much to the chagrin of their parents and my own. But come on, I remember being told to be quiet all the time, that's when you know you are having fun!

What the.

Our little Liz was such a trooper and a huge helper, pregnant and all.

What an amazing Thanksgiving. It was so fun to all be together.

Abigail

2011-11-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

We love our little Abby. She is our little parrot and such a sweet piece of our family. It dawned on me the other day that Blythe is about the age that Abby was when she got her first pair of glasses. I couldn't believe how little she was, she seemed so much older. We took Ab to the eye doctor last week and they told us that her eyes are improving. It was such great news and we were so happy for her to progress. But even though her future without glasses is very far away, I found myself wondering what her little face would look like without her super cute specs. She's adorable either way, but I sure do love seeing her little glasses and cheeks.

Baby Blythe's Parachute Dress

2011-11-25T13:22:00.001-08:00

Every girl in our family has had their pictures taken in this dress at age 1, from my mom down to Baby Blythe. The dress is made from a World War 2 parachute, and it's getting so fragile. We are so lucky to have such a fun family tradition and also to have our favorite photographer willing to snap a few pics of our kids. (Thanks again Randi!)

The Linder

2011-11-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

For years and years my wonderful mother has used her expertise to strengthen other people's companies, making them extremely successful. Finally she is branching out on her own and allowing people to see how extremely talented she is. I was so proud to go watch her speak at the Spokane Convention Center. We brought along a few of the quiet grandkids to see...

Abby really was thrilled, but this part of the day happened to be during nap time....way to go Mom!

I'm Back Part 2

2011-11-20T19:11:00.003-08:00

(Favorite moment of the night, Cooper stood in front of my Dad's truck and used the force to turn the lights on and off. So cute!)

I'm back!

Where did that bossiness come from?

2011-09-29T15:00:00.001-07:00

(Don't answer that)
Our little girl is impossible to take a great picture of. No matter what, there is always a glare off of her glasses. Turns out this girl is very bossy. I love every second of it. She holds her own with her big brother. This is the closest I could get to showing you her bossy face. Love this girl!

What would we do without Hippo?

2011-09-27T23:48:00.001-07:00

This little stuffed animal experiences everything with us. He often ends up trying to go to church with us and has even tried to get in the bathtub a few times. Here he is eating breakfast with us. Gotta love this guy, he never complains!

Naptimes

2011-09-24T17:57:00.001-07:00

Today was one if those glorious days when all 3 kids took naps at exactly the same time. It almost never happens anymore, mostly because of this guy. But, miraculously, today was the day.

Lucky kids

2011-09-13T09:56:00.001-07:00

We had the most amazing summer, which I will try to post about a bit later. But for now, I think this picture incapsulates the tone of our summer. Swimsuits, sun, and cousins. Lucky kids.

I am back!

2011-09-12T17:58:00.001-07:00

A Little Post For My Trooper of a Husband

2011-04-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

This was the beginning. What started out as a cough turned into pneumonia and passing out in our kitchen and a full fledged ER visit.

But, somehow through all of it, he was still Steven. He managed to make the house brighter and keep us all looking forward with positive hearts.

Thanks to everyone who offered support in their own ways. From child care to understanding bosses, I'm so glad we are through the woods and we wouldn't have made it there without your support.

I Found The Easter Bunny

2011-04-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

We had such a great Easter, but the most fun part was that Blythe is now smiling with her little Easter Bunny teeth.

Happy Easter!

Go Home....

2011-04-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Every morning, without fail, Cooper says, "Mommy, Chammy?" Which means, where's Sammy? I want to play with him, hit him, and probably run over one of my sisters with him."

I always tell Cooper, he's at home.

Now, whenever Coop is in trouble or bored he says, "Mommy, I go home..."

He wants to be wherever those Javier's are...apparently wherever they are is home.

Thanks for making anywhere seem like home Javier's!

Nook

2011-04-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Around here, Milk is king. When Cooper first started to talk, one of his first words was "Nook", which in fact means Milk. So, it sort of stuck and I know we are damaging him, but we have started to refer to it as Nook, and now Abby thinks that Milk is actually Nook. One day I actually spelled it out loud to Steven as N-O-O-K. How embarrasing.

So, Coop's no fool. He loves to have a bit of the white gold as he goes to sleep. He REALLY loves it if he has exhausted all of his other come-out-of-his-room options. So, tonight as we were coming up the stairs he said, "Mommy, Nook?" To which I replied, "No." Then he said, "Mommy, Rawer?" (Water) Again I replied, "No." Then he said, "Brawberry Milk?" I replied, "Cooper, you don't even like Strawberry Milk!" And he said in a jokey voice," How about...Nook?"

He's no fool.

Cowgirl

2011-03-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Abby at her and Coop's joint bday party. That was super fun, and I can blog more about that later...

She is opening a rocking horse Bullseye that we thought she would love. She does love it, but it turns out that it is pretty short. Don't worry, she and Cooper still ride it, even though you can see the little plastic joints straining every time they are on it. Then a little someone else wanted a turn...

3 Years Old

2011-03-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

This guy turned 3 last week. I can't believe that we have a 3 year old. All of the sudden we are a family with kids, not babies.

He's 3.

He's huge.

He's loving.

He's brawny.

He's smart.

He's amazing. We love you Cooper.

Apps

2011-03-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

I don't mean for this to come across as any sort of product placement here on the blog, but it is truly something that I have loved lately.

For Valentine's Day, Steven got me my very own Iphone. I loved it. It came home from the store so shiny and sleek, I didn't think I was ever going to let anyone else touch it. Then, I watched my sister having her kids play preschool games on her phone. I dipped my toe in the pool with a Thomas the Train app. Cooper quickly figured it out on his own, and my jaw was literally on the floor as I watched him work the phone on his own. It was amazing. Since then, I've added so many fun apps, apps about matching, colors, letters and words.

Since Cooper and Abby have both been using the phone, I have been astounded to see their progress. Their verbal skills, color recognition, and even social skills have jumped ahead by leaps and bounds. Thank you, thank you to all those App creators out there.

2011-03-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

I realize that as time has passed, I've gotten less witty and introspective here on the blog. I feel like the busier I get, the happier I am to have captured cute moments with the kids that remind me of things. Take the picture below for example.

We really love our Baby B. She is steady, chubby, and somehow always smells delicious. She is our best eater, and will eat almost anything you put in front of her. She will love on anyone, and doesn't mind being tripped on. She is such a breath of fresh air here at our house, and we can't imagine what we would have done without her.

Princess Victoria

2011-03-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

This little girl is such an old soul. Lately she's been coming down to hang out one and one. I love it. She is so patient with all my kids who are so much younger then her, and I love hearing the tales of what happens down at her house.

Plus, she is getting so pretty. She has lost her little baby face and has somehow turned into a girl. I remember when she was born, I couldn't believe how much I instantly loved her. Not a whole bunch has changed. Love you Tori.

Happy Birthday Dear Abby.

2011-03-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

Abby turned two last week. So, it became official. For all of this week and all of next week, we have two two year olds. It's awesome!

Just For Fun

2011-03-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

To Jackie:

This little girl was born on your birthday. And lately, she has come to resemble someone I know...see how she can't see when she's smiling?

It's you!

The Nature of Things

2011-02-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's Day, Steven ended up being in Vegas for some training. I wanted him to feel to connected to what we were doing to celebrate here at home, so I valiantly tried to get a picture of all 3 kids in their Valentine's Day jammies. Here is what I got. (I put the niceish one first so that you wouldn't be hoping that one of the other ones was supposed to be nice...)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Baby B

2011-02-16T12:37:00.000-08:00

This little girl has been such a breath of fresh air for our family.

But, our fresh air is getting louder. A lot louder. And it's getting quite a bit heavier. We love every minute of it.

Blythe

2011-02-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Almost every morning this girl wakes up at about 5 or so for her first bottle. Usually that means that Steven goes and gets her, then feeds her between us in our bed. When I wake up eventually I wake up to her big chubby face about 4 inches from mine. She's gotten a bit grabby so that wake up is a bit more abrupt then it used to be, but I swear it's still the best way to wake up.

Thanks Babe!

Apparently It's Only An Issue For Me

2011-01-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

Steven has been traveling a bit, so yesterday when he was home I took the opportunity to run out and get everything from diapers to blueberries. When I got back Steven met me at the car to unload and informed me that the kids were playing in the backyard. It was strangely warm enough, and I was so excited that they were at least temporarily out of the house. I came to the backdoor to look out at them.

I've seen worse, but I do admit, this much dirt by the door is a red flag.

Who can send a boy outside and not have them be dirty? I wasn't so worried when I saw this.

When I saw this I began to worry. He has a bucket full of dirt? And he's feeling creative with it? Yikes.

I knew it before I saw it. She didn't seem to mind, and she actually was standing still under the bucket for her dirt shower.

The whole time I was washing and washing trying to get that dirt out of her hair, the rest of my family was looking at me like, "What's the problem?" I guess it's my issue!

P.S. Don't let the picture fool you. The whole time this one was explaining in exquisite detail how much she doesn't like teething...

Abigail

2011-01-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

I am SO in love with this girl today. Sometimes she just steals my heart.

Today is one of those days.

Marsha

2011-01-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

I love this picture. Recently I was going through some letters from when Steven and I were first married. I was so impressed looking back at how sweet Steven's mother was to me, the newbie. She has always been so loving, and this picture shows exactly the relationship they have.

When Baby Blythe was born, she took her sweet time in the delivery room. So, by the time she was born, Steven basically passed out. Here you can see him feeling a bit sheepish, and his mom taking care of him. I loved it. He struggled so badly that my sister Candy actually had to cut the cord because they wouldn't let Steven hold scissors. It was a great day.

Thanks Marsha for being such a great mom and Grandma.

Pictures From Steven's Phone

2011-01-10T16:53:00.001-08:00

Our newest blog series, pictures I found on Steven's phone...

Gotta love a dad who loves to take pictures!

Ode To Daddy

2011-01-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

We were so lucky that Steven was able to be with us so much during the Holiday's. The kids are trying to adjust to him being gone again, they miss him. There are some days that he is gone before they wake up and home after they go to bed. I feel so lucky that I get to be with them everyday. I never thought about how hard that must be for dad's. I love this picture because you can tell that Steven had been wrestling with Cooper (hence the cheeks), and I couldn't get Abby to leave his side.

Thanks for being such a great dad Steven.

Oh Boy.

2011-01-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

The other day Ginny and I were having a conversation and we both stopped and said, "What's that noise?"

Here it is. Apparently a snack was needed. This little guy is boy through and through. If there is a way to get into trouble he'll find it. Not maliciously, he just finds trouble. Oh Boy.

Grandparent Jammies

2011-01-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa Daines gave us some fun jammies for Christmas, so we tried to capture the fun. I realize there is a toilet in the background, but it was the best doorway for the jumper. Just try your best to ignore it!

My life in a nutshell.

It Looked A lot Like Christmas

2011-01-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

Here's the story from top to bottom.

We woke up the two older kids on Christmas morning, and they were amazing. We had so much fun opening presents with Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie and Uncle. We're so lucky to have Grandparents who will bring some of their presents and participate with our Christmas morning. It so contributes the feelings of Christmas morning that I remember.

Cooper was in love with his stocking Pringles and dollar toys. He had so much fun opening lots of little things, I'm going to do that forever!

He loved his firetruck. It was too cliche not to get. He slept with the truck on Christmas day, and continues to sleep with it next to his bed.

Baby Abby managed to break her glasses the night before Christmas Eve
at 4:45. Translation-too late to do anything about it before the super long Christmas weekend. Our biggest gift to her was continuing to tape/band aid/superglue her glasses until her new ones came. It was such a challenge because I knew she was struggling to see each day, it was tough. But all is well now. Babs is in love with anything stuffed right now, so we got her the biggest stuffed animal we could find. In one of the pictures you can see her sleeping with it, those are her pink boots in the bottom.

After present opening, we had family come for breakfast, and we had a blast.

Merry Belated Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-30T09:26:00.000-08:00

These were the best of the group. Gotta love 3 kids under 2 years old!

The Beginning of the Christmas Pictures

2010-12-29T12:49:00.000-08:00

The never ending parade begins now!

Loving Snow

2010-12-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

These two are totally snow babies...just like their Mom!

Days of Our Lives

2010-12-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our life right now. I feel like sometimes life feels like it goes so slow during the times that are super hard, and then it goes way too fast during the times that are fun. Things around here are moving so fast, through the thick and the thin. I can't believe how fast our children are growing and progressing. I can't believe the direction our lives are going, I feel so grateful.

As we were putting the Christmas Tree up together the other night, I realized that at that moment our house smelled like poopy diapers and Christmas. It was the perfect example for my life right now. Right now is the best time of our lives, and of course there is the occasional poopy diaper moment, but overall, the smell we smell is one of evergreen.

Baby B

2010-12-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

This little girl has really taught our home about being cheerful.

We feel so lucky to have her special spirit in our home.

Love you Baby B!

Bringing Up Baby Abby

2010-12-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

Introducing the not so new, but newly important member of our family.

Baby. (The Stuffed Zebra)

Lately Abby has been mimicking Blythe and I with her Zebra. It is really cute sometimes, when she's kissing it over and over and hugging it. But then when she reprimands it with a stern voice and pointed finger, it's a little more embarrassing then I'd like to admit. She has been having so much fun with it, and it's been adorable to watch.

So cute. Love these girls!

The True Hobbit

2010-12-01T23:36:00.000-08:00

We've been trying to think of new ways to get Cooper to go to sleep peacefully. Steven landed on the best one, and I am so in love with it. Steven read Cooper The Hobbit every night. He lays on his floor and reads until Coop falls asleep.

It's so comforting to hear him read softly, and the picture is even more amazing.

Love You Boys.

2010-11-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

You're an amazing Dad.

We love you!

2010-11-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

Don't Mind If I Do.

Congrats Sheldon!

2010-11-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Sheldon's football team got to accept their trophy during the halftime of the Coeur d'Alene/ Lake City game. We were so proud of Sheldon and had such a blast!

Candy and I decided to take our boys with us, it was beyond fun. Cooper didn't talk, laugh, dance or peel his eyes off the game the entire time. As you can see here, he also wasn't interested in taking a picture.

Congrats Sheldon!

Halloween Catch-Up

2010-11-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

We were happy to host a pumpkin carving night this year, during which we didn't carve a pumpkin, or take any pictures of our children. But, other family carved, and we took pictures of them...

We headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Daines house for some fun trick or treating. Steven was dressed up as a smurf for work. Took a little time for Abby to get used to that idea...but it was pretty funny. Coop was a dinosaur and Abby and Blythe were BYU cheerleaders. (One scholarly and the other not paying very much attention to her fitness regime)

I guess this is what you get when a smurf kisses a baby. A nose print.

We went trick or treating with the Davis side, and had a blast. Cooper ran amuck most of the night, and Abby wouldn't let anyone help her hold her candy bucket, even though I'm pretty sure it weighed a little more then her.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Babe.

Each day with you is special.

Love you

Blythe (Again?!)

2010-10-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Blythe, I knew that it was a different from my pregnancy with Abby, but really similar to my pregnancy with Cooper. When I was pregnant with Cooper he just kinda rolled around all the time. (Except for when his foot was stuck in my rib) With Abby I felt like I had a teeny tiny boxer in my tummy. I felt like she was always throwing punches in there. So, when I was pregnant with Blythe it was easy to feel the rolling, and I thought she just might be built more like Cooper.

And she is. We took her in for her 2 month checkup yesterday, and she's off the charts for height and in the 97th percentile for her weight. In fact she's double her birth weight, weighing almost 14 pounds. Even though she is amazingly cute and pudgy the best part about Blythe is that she is ALWAYS happy. She is peaceful and calm, and she loves everyone who locks eyes with her.

Sometimes I feel so lucky to be there Mom, but lately I just feel lucky that we get to be together all the time.

Parachute Dress

2010-10-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post these pictures of our Abby in the family parachute dress. I think I talked about it before, but this dress was made from a World War 2 parachute and every girl in our family from my mom down has had pictures taken in it, and here are Abby's.

I couldn't resist posting this one. We don't see Abby's crossed eyes anymore, and I couldn't resist this walk down memory lane. How cute.

Love you Abby.

(Huge Thanks Randi!)

2010-10-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

These two are just too ridiculous lately.

Ever since Abby got her glasses she can't stop kissing people, and her brother hasn't been able to dodge that bullet...

She's Pretty Chill

2010-10-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

Blythe fell asleep while Auntie was ready stories to the other kids...

Baby Blythe

2010-10-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

This little girl is in one of my favorite stages. She's still a little baby, but she's beginning to talk a lot, and she's smiling like crazy.

Best of all, she's consistently sleeping through the night.

Love you Baby B!

The Unveiling...

2010-10-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

Presenting our little Babber's in glasses!

We are so excited for her, she's totally loving them.

For a few months now, in public Abby would go cross eyed when someone would talk to her that she wasn't really familiar with. Then, more and more she started to do it at home, so we took her to the eye doctor. Turns out, she's extremely far-sighted, so interacting with strangers was hard for her since she couldn't focus on their faces.

When we went to pick her glasses up, Candy and I headed to Costco directly after, and she was saying hi to everyone over and over again. She is like a whole new baby. With the glasses I'm suddenly reminded that she is still very much a baby. She is doing such a good job keeping them on (strapping them on helped too..) but we are beyond proud of her.

(Editors note...I recognize they are crooked in every picture...

I've become resolved that I think it's just the way they fit her head!)

Congratulations Babbs!

2010-09-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

He's not sleeping.

Naps? You must be crazy.

The other night, mid-diaper change Steven stepped out of the room to grab him some jammies, and while Steve was gone, Cooper ran to his room and grabbed his pillow and blanket and set up camp next to our bed. He acted like he sleeps there all the time, I don't know what got into him. Slumber party anyone? (Remember...he doesn't sleep!)

Spirit of Adventure

2010-09-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

The other day I encountered some of my nephews playing together, and I couldn't help but smile. I love remembering the days when we truly thought we were capable of anything. Capable of our bikes going Mach speed and needing goggles, building teepees from tarps, building hideouts that truly would stand the test of time.

I realized after I took this picture that even though our dreams may change over time, we can still dream just as big. Our lives and understandings change, but that doesn't mean that our ability to dream should.

Low Picture Quality, High Kid Quality

2010-09-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

This picture didn't quite make it into the other post, but I couldn't resist it.

If you look really close you can see that they are both laughing.

My mom always said that Heavenly Father sends certains kids at certain times on purpose. I completely agree.

The Cutest 2 Month Old Girl In Our House

2010-09-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

This girl is too much fun. She's always cheerful, a great sleeper, and best of all, she puts up with way too much crazy around here. I wanted to capture some of her first smiles, which she is very generous with lately...here they are.

Mid-photo shoot this guy poked his head in to see what was going on. Then, unprovoked he did this.

My heart squeezed a bit and I thought, "This boy is almost grown up!"
And then he sat next to me and did this.
I think I've got a bit more time.
(To say the least!)

2010-09-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Some days I actually feel like Mr. Incredible is my life-saver.

I love you Pixar!

Breaks My Heart, In A Good Way

2010-09-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun opportunities and experiences when I was young, but the ones I remember fondest were my experiences that involved horses. Even though I was part of a family of ten, my parents figured out a way for me to get to have horses. Looking back, I have no idea how they did it.

I have so many fun memories with our horses, mostly involving my sisters. From 4-H to trail riding with the sheriff's posse and even driving the draft horse teams. I loved each moment. When I was young I was such an introvert that my horse was just about the only living thing I talked to outside of my family. When we had to put him down while I was in high school, something in my heart shut. I had horse experiences after he left, but they were never the same.

After we first got married I was surprised to learn that Steven loved horses. He's always joked around about having horses and maybe some property and I've always laughed and thought, maybe...

Then we went to the fair. We walked through the draft horse barn and I watched my children (and my husband) connect with these amazing animals. As I watched them I felt my heart open just a little bit more. As I watched each of their faces change I realized that this might be one of those things that isn't my choice. It's amazing to see the instant love that they each had.

It breaks my heart, in a good way.

How Much Trouble Are You Worth?

2010-09-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

This little girl is definitely a hand-full.

She is so funny, but she is so much work. We've struggled through so many things together, and just when I think we've conquered something...we always end back up at square one. From the first few days of Abby's life, we've struggled with her skin. She scratches, it's dry, lotion burns it...you name it, we've dealt with it. I'd thought we were passed it, but we're back in the thick of her issues. As we speak she's in the tub soaking, one of the only places where she will relax.

Abby figured out when she was really young how to cross her eyes, but she's doing it so much now that we're going to have to go get that checked out...my opinion about her eyes changes almost weekly. Days will go by and she won't cross them, but then we go to church or out with different people, and she crosses them the whole time. Eye doctor, here we come.

Abby loves to talk. Her verbal skills have increased Cooper's. I love hearing her say new words, her little voice is so cute.

Babs is not sleeping well lately. It feels like every nap and night is a struggle. Blythe sleeps through the night better then Abby does.

But, when the moments come where she turns to me and smiles (and usually raises her eyebrows) all those things are forgotten, and I remember that she is a little baby girl. One day I'll have forgotten these struggles and we'll be on to bigger and more complicated ones. I'm learning to appreciate these baby moments. (I'm chanting that in my head... over and over...)

We love our little Babby.

A Little Bit of Proud Bragging

2010-09-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that everyone thinks that they married the perfect guy, but I can actually say that I did.

For the past few months, things haven't been easy for Steven. He's been facing struggles everyday. But somehow, he still manages to be an amazing example. For a few months he'd told me about someone at work asking him questions about the gospel, and how it brightened his day each time. Then one day he called me to tell me that she and her husband were getting baptized, and that she had asked him to baptize her. The baptism was amazing.

The next day Steven babysat so I could go to the adult session of Stake Conference. Imagine my surprise when the Mission Presidents wife spoke about member missionaries and then preceded to tell the story about Steven and the woman at his work. Apparently one of the missionaries at the baptism was going home that night, and told the President and his wife all about it.

I was so proud of Steven for being exactly who he is everyday. He is such an example to me and everyone around him. How lucky I am to have married someone who is an amazing husband, father, and Priesthood holder.

Love you Babe.

Princess Victoria

2010-09-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

Tori has been the most amazing helper with Baby Blythe...love you Tori.

These Stinky Kids

2010-08-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

These stinky kids are doing amazing!

Cooper amazes me everyday. Sometimes he makes it very clear that he is two, but sometimes I feel like he knows things before I can tell him. Since we brought baby Blythe home, his verbal skills have completely taken off. He definitely thinks he is in charge of his younger sisters. Blythe doesn't seem to mind too much, but Abby might feel differently.

Our little Babby definitely keeps us on our toes. Her increasing verbal skills seem to mirror Coopers. Someone once told us that Irish twins often come up with their own languages, and I would say that that is true for ours. Abby loves to kiss her sister ALL the time, even if she can only get to her feet.

Our little Blythe is a month old today! She is such a sweet, peaceful spirit.

She is starting to be more and more aware of whoever is holding her. She looks right at us, something her sister really did too. We feel so lucky that our children share such affection for each other...even if it is fleeting sometimes!

Love you guys!

Loving This Girl

2010-08-14T10:04:00.001-07:00

Could she be any better?

Grateful

2010-08-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Whenever we have a baby, I always find myself feeling grateful.

These two babies have welcomed their sister with open arms. What an amazing blessing! They are so helpful, and they have behaved beautifully.

I'm also grateful that Steven took pictures of them somewhere other then our kitchen....that seems to be the only place I manage to take pictures.

Thanks Steven. Thanks Babies...

Futures

2010-08-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

The other night we had a few cousins come to take a look at Blythe. It was so fun to watch these sweet girls (and boy...I didn't forget you Miles!) be so excited about the new baby. As I watched them I couldn't help but think,

"Please think she's this fun when she's nipping at your heels when you have boyfriends at the lake or Please don't murder her when she is being more then annoying when you are much older and don't have time for the nonsense.

Then I realized something.

Sometimes it's then ones who loved you when you were annoying that love you the best when you're older.

It's amazing.

You're in good hands Blythe.

This Little Girl...

2010-07-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

Slept through the night last night!

Thanks Blythe!

Our New Girl One

2010-07-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Sunday before we went in to have Blythe I ended up sitting next to Tim at church. At one point I put a hand on my stomach to feel her kicking, and Tim said to me, "Is he hurting you a lot in there?" To which I responded, "No, she's just moving around..."

He looked at me with a shocked face, and not very quietly said, "It's a girl one?! I thought it was a boy!" And then he made a real grouchy face.

It's good to know that even though he wanted a boy, he'll still love a little girl.

Blythe K Daines

2010-07-23T11:35:00.001-07:00

On Monday evening Blythe came to join us! I haven't had much time to update anything, but here are a few pictures. I'll update more in a little bit.

She is the sweetest, calmest, most adorable baby! We love her so much and we are so glad she's here!

Cooper and Abby have been so sweet and loving, we couldn't have asked for a better transition from a family of four to five. We feel so blessed.

A Little Too Independent

2010-07-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Lately, Cooper has been getting more and more independent. The other day we discovered that he had a splinter in his foot. After he watched me struggle to get it out for about 10 minutes, he took matters into his own hands.

What an amazing boy.

We love you Coop!

The Time Has Come...

2010-06-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

The time has come for our blog to go private...so if you'd like to be included please send me your email address. You can email me at cassiedaines@gmail.com.

I'm going to be closing it by Sunday.

Thanks!

Holding My Breath

2010-05-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

These two have been BEYOND fun lately.

They eat well, sleep well, and everything in between.

This boy is so lovey lately, full of hugs and concern for his sister.

The girl is just a funny. She loves to copy her brother and roam around like a crazy person.

I love these guys!

This face ( by the way ) is the "You told me I could have a treat face"

I ask him to say treat for pictures because he makes the funniest face with his lips, so after every picture he thinks he deserves a starburst....

Aloof

2010-05-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Who is this girl?

She is full of attitude lately. She's not necessarily disobedient, she's just got opinions.

I love it.

Helping?

2010-05-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

You can only pull on the hose so many times until you get noticed...

2010-05-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Whenever I pull my camera out, I'm never quite sure what I'm going to capture. I find that I take most of the pictures of the kids when they are in the tub or eating. (Translation:CONTAINED)

So, I was uploading pictures the other day and came upon this series. What the.

We love this guy so much. My ideas of parenting have evolved so much since he was born. I really thought I knew what I was doing, but my perspective has changed so much. I'm so grateful for the gentle influence of the gospel. Everyday I learn something new through my children. Even though they are mostly goofs.

Makes me wonder sometimes.

What else will change my perspective about other things I think I know?

I love learning more about the kids each day.

The scary thing is, it makes me learn more about myself.

Hungry Fella?

2010-04-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have the Javier children staying with us for a few days last week. One of the days I made lunch while all the children were watching a movie. I stepped into the other room to take a phone call, and came back to this. Cooper had moved from stool to stool and eaten at least a little of each sandwich. He was happy to show me the progress he made...although I have to say that it seemed the other kids were less excited.

I Do Love A Puzzle...

2010-04-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

The other day I introduced this puzzle to Cooper. He loved it, and I was so happy. I love puzzles. They are totally addicting to me, and I have spent many a night up doing puzzles instead of sleeping.

As I watched him I realized, Cooper himself is a huge puzzle. Before I actually became a parent I thought that every parent knew what "type" of child they had. Quiet or loud, good or bad...but I was totally wrong. Each kid is a huge puzzle. Some days Coop is quiet and peaceful, snuggly and loving. And some days he's aggressive and physical, crying and disobedient. And some days he's all of them wrapped into one. I've finally learned to take each emotion at a time, and not try to put him in a box.

We are all puzzles, but I swear this guys has missing pieces!