Baby Blessing

Since we were in Utah and around our family, we decided to bless Isla. We did it in my parents backyard.  We did the blessing outside, which in hind site, was a bad idea, because the traffic was so loud. I could barely hear Trav's words. But what I did hear I loved.  

After the blessing, we partied! Food and family. You really can't ask for more in my book.

You have some very handsome uncles

This was during the prayer... hey who took this ( Rachael Charles)

She looked so sweet in her blessing dress, all three of my girls have used this dress

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Precious girl

All the amazing priesthood holders in her circle

 

Um yeah

She is gonna keep these two in line!

These are Isla's second cousins. Ava, Isla, Hannah and Corbin, all born within 4 weeks and there are two more on the way!

The peeps

What a hottie

I like her

In this picture, I think I'm contemplating eating Isla later

The first time my grandma ever saw her. I love her!

It was a good day. So grateful for the priesthood.

Charles's are in charge

Every year we take a week of time to participate in the Charles reunion. This year, it was back in Park City. Travis and I were in charge of the festivities this year. So you know that it was planned out almost a year in advance (sarcasm). We did our best and these are just a couple of the amazing things we did:

Horse back riding with a REAL cowboy and cowgirl

They were awesome. They supplied us with horse back riding

 tractor trips

oh and mustaches. 

Ya gotta have those for sure.

Thanks to Papa John for being friends with the cowboy and setting this fun adventure up

Jordanelle Resevior

 We set records on the wave runners we rented... oh wait... we didn't, but we probably would have if it weren't for this kicker

Did I mention this reunion was in June people? Oh Utah.

We had to think fast of some indoor activities, so we went to the Kamas indoor pool and swam our hearts out

A day or two later it warmed up, so we were able to check off some of the other things we had "planned."

Lagoon

Side note: We officially ruined our kids in the amusement park department. When Avery was three, she was fearless. She would go on anything and we thought we were awesome. I used to look at parents with "wussy" kids and yes, I totally judged them. Enter last October, when we took Avery to Disney land. We got cocky and took her on the "tower of terror" and Space Mountain. Avery never officially freaked out, but after the ride, she quietly asked to never go on it again. So at Lagoon, she was a no go on ANY ride. She wouldn't even go in the ghetto 3 minute haunted house ride. It was really frustrating, but it was kind of our fault. We were the parents with the wussy kids at Lagoon. I saw the parents with the cool tough kids looking at me and I knew exactly what they were thinking (or judging). Bloody! Oh and Brooklyn has always been a ride wuss, so I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. We still love our kids for the most part.

Thanks to Mama Kath for buying the Lagoon tickets, sorry my kids didn't get your monies worth on the rides! They always talk about the sky ride they rode with you though, so we got that out of it.

Then of course we had to do the Kids Olympics

It think these two have more fun than the actual kids

Here they are

We had hurdle races and corn hole tournaments

There was some cheating and tears, but for the most part, it was amazing and the "kids" loved it!

These two were the cheerleaders

I have no pictures, but we had an intense adult soccer game afterwords. Tracie Wilton was the "MVP". I was the "pansiest", as I was sucking air the whole game. Travis was the "cockiest." Wes was the "bull in the china shopiest." Kevin was the "I'm always in the right spot at the right timeiest." Kimberly was the "act like I suck at soccer, but then play awesomiest." Mike was the "hustliest." Papa John was the "stillest." And Rach was the baby "holdiest."

Picnic at the most beautiful park (but I can't remember the name of it)

We have to thank the Wilton's for this idea. It was so much fun! We played in the creek, had a corn hole tournament, wrestled with our cousins and ate a lovely picnic. 

Utah, you did it again.

We did lots of other fun things, but I can't remember them all because it was 4 months ago (blaming it on the third kid). 

I do recall one weird night when Papa John was in charge of the activities. I have a vivid memory of watching men birth children, or pretend to. Uh... yeah, you had to be there I guess.

We had so much fun and really value our time with our family

And Tracie, you were in absolutely no pictures that I had. I promise she was there, or maybe she was always in the kitchen preparing food while we were taking pictures?

Thanks for the good memories Charles clan

1st month down

The first night was a rough one, but since then, Isla has been an angel baby. Probably because she has been doing mostly this

 

Other than that, mostly eating, pooping and spitting up

She slimed Dad!

We took her to the pediatrician 3 or 4 days after she was born and she weighed 7 lbs 2 oz. She is a little below the 50th percentile for weight and a little above the 50th percentile for height. 

I decided with Isla, that I was going to throw out all the books. You know, the ones that tell you the secret about how to get your baby to be the most perfect baby. That stuff always stresses me out. So basically we are breaking all the rules. We sleep with her in our bed, and seriously, she is sleeping wonderfully at night. I feel so much more refreshed then I did with the other two girls. And when she is hungry, or acting hungry, I just feed her. I'm way less stressed and she seems happy. I usually kind of lovingly hate the baby stage because they have no routine and they can't tell me what they want, but I'm really enjoying this baby.

Grandma Tam and Grandpa Sid were here to help out the first week. They did so much to help! I couldn't have survived without them.

Both those pictures are making them out to be lazy (My mom with a TV remote and my dad sleeping) but they worked their bums off!

Her sisters were surprisingly mellow with her. They thought she was so cute, but they weren't all up in her face like I thought they would be, especially Brooklyn, she always wants to hold Isla... but usually once I let her, she is done after 5 seconds!

The second week, Grandpa John and Momo came to visit and help.

Again, what life savers they were! We are so lucky to have the best grandparents!

We have mostly been lying low. 

We also like to have a little bit of fun

She brings so much joy to our house!