tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90755480170118656612024-03-13T17:45:56.963-07:00Life With FingerprintsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.comBlogger1789125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-10596785874350509942016-10-10T15:42:00.001-07:002016-10-10T15:42:35.299-07:00BLOG HAS MOVED...I've blogged on the blogger platform for 9 years and it was finally time for a change. Keep updated on the blog at our new location on the wordpress platform, <a href="www.lifewithfingerprints.com">www.lifewithfingerprints.com</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-13742637776144549652016-09-01T23:03:00.001-07:002016-09-01T23:03:58.806-07:00Pool party...While we were in Utah this summer we met up with our Wisconsin friends for an evening pool party. It takes a few minutes for the kids to warm up to each other again, the older they grow, longer the warming up takes. But then they're inseparable again, just like when they were young. Everyone has a buddy their age. <br />
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The house we went to swim at was our friends parent's house and it was more than just a pool. When the kids were done swimming they could roast mallows at the fire pit, play some basketball/tennis or go visit the horses. It might as well be considered a resort!<br />
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I'm not a big animal fan, but these horses were beautiful. Perhaps it was the sun set casting a warm light on their shiny hair. Or perhaps it was the perfectly manicured stables that were nice enough I wouldn't mind living in them. Either way, the boys enjoyed their time admiring and feeding the horses. <br />
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We definitely scored in the friend department when we moved to Wisconsin. Grateful we're able to keep tabs on each other over the years. <br />
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<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160625-DSC_2388.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160625-DSC_2388.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-48834827131949873882016-08-31T22:25:00.001-07:002016-08-31T22:25:39.691-07:00Switcheroo...Just before school started, we worked to get everyone settled in their new sleeping spaces. Bennett moved into Hunter's room which he was painfully excited about, Hunter on the other hand not so much. Hunter hasn't ever shared a room and he was less than excited at the prospect of someone touching his legos! <br />
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Cannon moved from the crib downstairs into a big boy bed upstairs. And Briggs graduated from the portable crib in the laundry room to the room with a full-size crib. It was quite the process to get everyone moved around. <br />
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And since we were moving everyone around, it seemed like a good time to clean out closets and purge some junk. Every room looked like this:<br />
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Piles of clothing that fit. Piles that were too small and needed to be passed down. Piles that need to donated.<br />
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And while we were moving rooms around, I figured it was time to replace the old twin bed and move the twin bed I made for Hallie a few years back into Cannon's new room since she upgraded to a queen size bed. It was a lot of moving!<br />
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And we got everyone squared away just in time for school. The first day of school Bennett and Hunter both rushed off and didn't make their beds. That night I reminded them that their beds are to be made every morning before they leave their room. Three weeks have since passed and I was just telling Steve, they've been rockstars and have only missed making their beds one time. <br />
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I may have spoke too soon. <br />
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Last night I went to tuck them in later than usual and I found Bennett sleeping on top of his made bed. Hunter shared with me that Bennett has been sleeping like that every night so he doesn't have to make his bed! Sneaky kid!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-339219966634764712016-08-30T23:19:00.000-07:002016-08-30T23:19:28.769-07:00Summer Vacation...final leg...Idaho, again...While we were in Idaho, I made a comment to Hallie that I wanted to show her where I went to school, nothing was planned but I threw out the idea. Hallie, with the help of Hunter and Steve created a plan. Without my knowledge, they worked on a super secret scavenger hunt for me to visit my old stompin' grounds around the small town I grew up in. Have I mentioned how small the town is? It's pretty small so even seeing several places in town only takes minutes! They had me stumped on a couple clues and their creativity was top notch. <br />
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The start of our hiking spot to go find treasures.<br />
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When I was younger I used to ride my bike down to the library on a weekly basis. Although the library has been torn down and rebuilt since then and the creepy cat they used to let roam among the books is no longer living. <br />
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We picked up a scotch n' soda and fries at the A&W, where I worked when I was in high school. <br />
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And we landed at the "Dome" - our high school gymnasium. There aren't many gyms that can top this in the coolness factor. A lot of hours were spent in that place!<br />
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Don't be fooled by this picture. These two hated each other. Any chance they could get, they were stealing toys, pushing or wrestling one another to the ground. We tried to keep them separated which proved to be harder than expected and minutes before my sister and her son left for the airport to head home I snapped this picture. Years from now we'll tell them just how much they fought and we won't have any pictures to prove it. I'll pull out this picture and they'll think I'm a liar! And funny enough they both appear to be sporting Christmas jammies in July.<br />
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We made a visit to my happy place in McCall. The lake, the boats, the weather - I soaked it in. Although the water was a little too cold for my Arizona blood children. They want warmer pool water, not cold lake water!<br />
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The night before we left, we kidnapped the older kids after they had already gone to bed to enjoy one last late night treat with Grandma. Kids love all surprises no matter how small and these two thought this was just about the coolest thing. <br />
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As we made the drive home, we stopped for lunch and enjoyed Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls. The perfect pit stop to stretch some legs. <br />
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Can't thank these two enough for putting up with us. Hopefully we're welcome back next summer.<br />
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And that concludes our month long road trip - props to anyone who got through all those pictures over so many posts!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-54531091584678597242016-08-29T22:57:00.002-07:002016-08-29T22:57:38.595-07:00Summer Vacation...Final Leg...Idaho...Our final stretch in our month long summer vacation road trip was to my parents house. In years past, this stop has been a little bit longer which has given me time to do a couple projects such as cleaning out their garage, building in closet shelving or having my dad help build a table that he so lovingly helped me attach to the top of my car for the drive down!<br />
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This year the stay was a little shorter. We had time to play with cousins, see a couple friends and enjoy the beauty of Idaho. With 5 kids we travel with Thule on the roof so it would be difficult to bring a project home anyway!<br />
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First things first - my parents are amazing to let us stay with them every summer. I know it's not easy to have people stay with you for any period of time and 5 children makes it a little chaotic. My parents might even say really chaotic. They turn their lives upside down to accommodate us and I love our time with them. Chaos and all.<br />
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Hunter's highlight of the trip sadly has no pictures to prove it even happened. He went on a camping trip with his cousin, my brother, my dad and some of the local scouts. I heard stories of fishing and rain and fishing and treats and more fishing. Sounds like a total downer to me, but he was in heaven. <br />
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Hunter's second favorite part of the trip - time at my brother's house where he practiced his archery skills. <br />
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When he wasn't hunting or fishing, he was collecting treasures from the mountains and rivers - mostly shell casings. Not surprising, we were in Idaho.<br />
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Bennett's favorite spot was on the four wheeler or the little motorcycle my brother has. My brother was a good sport as he took him round and round and round some more around his property. <br />
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We went to many parks - the favorite being the "Death Park", kindly coined by my sister-in-law who grew up going to this same park and all the original playground equipment is still in tact. You know all the equipment that has since been removed from every park in America because their too dangerous; long metal slides that burn you all the way down, fast metal merry-go-rounds, large metal monkey bars and teeter totters taller than me. I'm shocked we walked away from that park with only minor injuries after going to it so many times!<br />
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Not surprising - we were able to fit in a couple games of spikeball and frisbee golf. <br />
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I'm pretty sure his face looked like this for two weeks!<br />
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To be continued...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-79721724350987443062016-08-29T00:00:00.001-07:002016-08-29T00:00:34.243-07:0025 weeks...It was a rough week. It started with an eye infection on Sunday morning that seemed to come out of nowhere. After two days, it had spread to the other eye and he was unpleasant to say the least. <br />
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If he was searching for extra snuggles, he got them. He was held and loved on despite the green gunk coming from his eyes!<br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160826-DSC_5491-Edit.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160826-DSC_5491-Edit.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-11047079384689355102016-08-25T23:28:00.000-07:002016-08-25T23:28:30.337-07:00Empty pink bins...They say you never know for sure that you're done having kids, but chances are you know in your heart when you're done and both Steve and I felt that with Briggs.<br />
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We also let the kids know that this baby with be the caboose to our family. Which is why Hallie more than anything was hoping for a sister, she knew it was her last chance. Her disappointment was visible and it was heartbreaking to see her having a hard time. Shortly after we found out another boy would be joining the family, I made it a goal to go through the bins of girls clothes we had stored in the attic. I had been hanging on to this clothing since Hallie was a baby. Never did it cross my mind, in my young and naive state, that Hallie would be my only daughter. Obviously, I wouldn't have held on to that clothing for that long had I known otherwise. <br />
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I went through bin after bin of clothing and aside from a few special pieces, I donated the contents.<br />
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One afternoon, Hallie came into the laundry room and saw me drowning in pink clothing. She recognized some of it from pictures we have of her wearing the clothing. This is how our conversation went down: <br />
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Hallie: What are you doing?<br />
Kara: Just going through this clothing so we can give it to someone who needs it.<br />
Hallie: But what if we need it?<br />
Kara: Oh honey, we're not going to need any of this for a boy.<br />
Hallie: But what if we have another baby?<br />
Kara: I don't think that's going to happen, and even if we did - chances are it would be a boy too!<br />
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She looked around the room and left. I started talking to her as she walked away and I could tell she didn't hear me. I went to find her and found the bathroom door shut. When she walked out a minute later, her eyes were red and swollen. <br />
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We talked. The fact that this baby was a boy cut her deep and she was having a hard time accepting the fact that she would never have a sister. I asked what would make her feel better. She asked if she could go through the clothing with me and keep some of the clothing to give to her daughter someday. It was a great idea.<br />
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I probably went through 7 or 8 bins of clothing before Briggs was born, knowing very well there was more in the attic I hadn't touched. <br />
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This week, I completed the task. I went through the last 5 bins of girls clothing. And out of 5 bins - this is what I kept: <br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160819-DSC_5358.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160819-DSC_5358.jpg"/><br />
A couple dresses I made and a few other pieces that Hallie can remember wearing. There were moments of nostalgia as I touched each piece checking for stains before being donated. I could picture Hallie in almost every single item of clothing and we've got more than enough pictures as evidence. It was quite therapeutic for both of us to sift and sort and talk. And now we're done. <br />
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We kept a little, we donated a lot. I now have stacks of empty pink bins and a lot more attic space that needs to be used!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-9625081963254473732016-08-24T23:02:00.000-07:002016-08-24T23:02:43.795-07:00Childhood...He's at the age where being out on the tube doesn't look nearly as fun as sitting behind the wheel. <br />
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Every now and again he would look over my way and grin ear to ear - so proud of his work as the driver. Childhood is too short.<br />
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<i>Nikon D750 | Lens 24-120 mm | Aperature 4.0 | Shutter 200 | ISO 320</i><br />
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It must be something with this age because I have a picture of Hunter at the wheel and Bennett at the wheel as this exact age and not a single picture of them older in this same position. <br />
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They're learning young!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-90596880840414086352016-08-22T23:48:00.000-07:002016-08-22T23:48:26.112-07:00Our Milwaukee house...Have you ever moved from a home and then wished you could see it one more time to see what it looked like? When Steve and I visited Milwaukee a few years back we drove by our old house. From the outside it looked the exact same, except the pear tree we had planted in the front was much bigger. I was mustering up the courage to knock on the door to see if we could take a look when one of our old neighbors informed us they were out of town for the weekend. Part of me was bummed, and part of me was relieved, I wasn't sure I actually wanted to see what she had changed. I wanted it to live on in my memory just as we left it. <br />
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I was surprised this week when Zillow informed me of the house going up for sale, coming up on 6 years after we sold it. My curiosity got the better of me and I found myself excitedly waiting for the pictures to load. <br />
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The first picture loaded and it looked like nothing had changed from when we left it. The entry was still painted red, the curtains we left still hung on the windows, the walls still painted stripes using flat/gloss paint and the clock and shelf we left in an alcove were still adorning the wall. <br />
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The kitchen was the same as well including the curtains. Our bedroom. The bathroom. Hunter's room. The basement. Paint, curtains, everything...it was the same. It was the weirdest feeling seeing our exact house years later. Even the leather sectional we sold with the house was still there. After going through the whole slideshow, we realized they painted two rooms - Hallie's room and the bathroom downstairs. Thats it. The rest of the house was just as we had left it. <br />
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I actually enjoyed seeing the inside again. I can't imagine someone moving into a house and not changing more than two paint colors, but that's me. In fact I look at that house and think how different I'd to it today. That house is where I learned how to renovate and my love for building started to take shape. <br />
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I'm sure the next time I see that house posted for sale it will look vastly different!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-52461298018134869952016-08-21T23:45:00.000-07:002016-08-21T23:45:15.820-07:0024 weeks...I feel like starting solids with babies is a necessary evil. In fact it ranks low on things I enjoy doing - pretty close to potty training. But we're doing it and I know 4 months from now it will be much better. <br />
<br />
Until then, I put a spoon in his mouth and only a 1/3 stays in his mouth, the rest dribbles down his chin. Which I scoop off and feed him again, but this time only a 1/4 stays in his mouth. The whole time I'm holding his hands so I can get the spoon close to his mouth and as I go to reload the spoon with more rice cereal, he blows raspberries with the biggest smile on his face. The first time it was pretty cute and funny. And even the second time it was pretty entertaining as he surprised himself when food splattered on his face. After that it just created more mess to clean up and less food that he actually consumed. But I am nothing if not persistent!<br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160811-DSC_5296-Edit.jpg~original" border="0" alt="weekly photo project"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-49952366746017795302016-08-18T22:54:00.000-07:002016-08-18T22:54:01.307-07:00Birth Announcement...I designed these a while back. It took me some time to actually get them printed. Once they were printed they sat on my desk for way too long. I finally got most of them out just before we left for the summer, with a few stragglers still sitting on my desk. That my friends is the difference between the first child and the fifth child!<br />
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<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014006/Briggs%20announcement.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Birth Announcement design with hand lettering"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014006/Briggs%20announcement%20back.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Birth Announcement design with hand lettering"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-89643898301913712032016-08-17T23:29:00.001-07:002016-08-17T23:29:30.644-07:00Summer vacation...leg 2...RexburgAfter our week in Utah, we moved on to Idaho. Steve's parents have a house in Rexburg from when they served a mission there. If they were in the country, they would spend their summer there - but they're in Africa, so we enjoyed the home for them!<br />
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Rexburg is where Steve and I met, fell in love, earned diplomas and brought home our first child. Although 8 months out of the year, the weather leaves much to be desired - there's 4 months of beautiful weather and that's when we went to visit. We took the kids on campus and showed them around. We had made arrangements to visit some people we knew and we were surprised to run into several more people who we never thought in a million years we'd run into. It's a small world!<br />
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My family joined us in Rexburg for a pseudo reunion - we threw it out to the family that we would be staying at the house and invited anyone to join us if they were available. Everyone except one brother-in-law made plans to be there and we had ourselves a good time.<br />
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We celebrated my birthday the day after we arrived. Steve got up in the wee hours of the morning to make a run to walmart to gather supplies. He decorated the kitchen, supplied the birthday bucket and even made me a cake. <br />
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</center>Being in Rexburg over Independence day was quite the treat - small towns know how to throw a party. The trick was trying to find activities that were suitable for the tweens, the baby/little kids and the pregnant lady. I think we kept everyone entertained. <br />
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We went to the local rodeo one evening and enjoyed the show. However, it always makes me a little nervous when I see kids on the other side of the fence competing. This is how we all looked at times:<br />
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We went and explored a civil defense cave. Even after reading the plaque at the opening, I'm still not entirely sure what the caves were used for, if they were used at all. However, if during the cold war there was ever a nuclear threat, this place was where you wanted to be. <br />
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We traveled in to the depths of the cave with flashlights in hand and coats on our backs. <br />
There was some difficult terrain, but mostly uneven terrain and yet we had three two year olds handle it like champs. <br />
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We went to the carousel, the splash pad, the water park, visited the temple, spent hours playing spikeball and stayed up late into the night playing games. <br />
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And I would've thought 4 1/2 days together would've been plenty of time, but we could've stayed longer - there were still things on our list we didn't make it to. Yellowstone - we're coming for you next year!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-12288077492350672842016-08-16T23:29:00.000-07:002016-08-16T23:29:08.738-07:00Independence day...We spent fourth of July in Idaho - it's becoming a tradition. I may not get to see my side of the family on major holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, but we've got the fourth of July with them and I love it more and more each year. <br />
<br />
My love for color coordinated clothing, bbq and fireworks runs deep and I love celebrating our country's independence. It's a feel good day. <br />
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My extended family gathered in Rexburg this year and we enjoyed the small town, yet lengthy parade that the town put on. They threw out buckets of candy and otter pops and some kind and loving dentist threw toothbrushes. Surprisingly, the toothbrush was a hit with my kids. We had lofty plans for an afternoon in the park (which we observed was way too crowded for our comfort) which turned into an afternoon at the house where kids could take naps and we could play spikeball. <br />
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We also had lofty plans to go to Idaho Falls to see one of the largest firework shows...but it was really windy and would possibly be cancelled. It too would be crowded and we would all be stuck in traffic driving back late with tired kids. We saved ourselves the headache and instead went to the local firework stand and bought a large box of things we could light on fire! <br />
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We sat on the driveway, bundled in sweatshirts and blankets and watched our own little show. Never in a million years could we wear a sweatshirt on Independence day in Arizona! It was perhaps a little too chilly for my liking, but then again I believe my blood has thinned since moving here!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-81320283536863806302016-08-15T22:49:00.000-07:002016-08-15T22:49:58.271-07:0023 weeks...He's not sure what to do now that all his entertainers have left for school. Now it's just boring ol' mom and a somewhat interested Cannon. However, he is sleeping a little bit better now that the house is quiet. I tried taking the swaddle away completely and it resulted in days of no rest for both of us. So he's swaddled again, one arm in and one arm out. It's just enough for him to be able to pull the pacifier out and not be able to put it back in!<br />
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<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160811-DSC_5305-Edit_1.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160811-DSC_5305-Edit_1.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-41846229706727067312016-08-14T23:11:00.001-07:002016-08-14T23:11:58.569-07:00Summer Vacation...Leg 1...UtahWe spent a month this summer living out of suitcases, spending a lot of time in the car visiting family and friends. Little kids in the car for that long isn't ideal and we made it work with a couple creative solutions with different modes of transportation.<br />
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Our first leg was spent in Utah. In the past, Utah has been a pitstop on the way to Idaho. Lunch, gas and some time stretching our legs, an overnight stay if we were lucky. This year, we made a week of it. Steve has two sisters there and my brother just so happen to move there the day we got there. We stayed with Steve's sister where we laid low for the majority of the time with sick kiddos. No fun at all. But the older kids were able to play with their cousins which is fun even if you don't leave the house much. <br />
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Our third day there, Hallie had a collision at the splash pad with another girl which resulted in her tooth breaking...<a href="http://www.lifewithfingerprints.com/2014/06/dental-emergency.html">again</a>. In case you're counting, this has happened more times than I would like to count. Every time we go to the dentist they tell us the same thing - its a large chunk, she'll probably have a problem with it until she's old enough to get veneers and cover the tooth all together. Awesome. Luckily my sister-in-law knew a kind and loving dentist who got Hallie in quickly and saved the day. <br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160624-DSC_2144-2.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160625-DSC_2198-2.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
We spent our days playing with cousins and we were up late into the night after the kids were in bed at my brother's new house helping them move in. (sadly not a single picture with them) We were running on fumes for many days!<br />
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By the last night we were there, the two youngest were starting to feel a little better and we ventured out to Temple square in downtown SLC. Which just so happens to be the area that both Julie and I got engaged. Although Steve and I were also married there so we love to go visit and bore our kids with our anything-but-average love story! :)<br />
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We visited the free church museum which had great exhibits for kids to enjoy. We toured the old tabernacle and the conference center. And rode the elevator to top of the Joseph Smith building for the ultimate view. With an evening like that how can you not top it off with a walk to City Creek mall for some Chick-fil-a. It's a toss up as to whether the nuggets or the elevator were the highlight!<br />
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Later that night we were getting the kids ready for bed and packing up a few things to leave the next morning and Hunter came into the room. "I really liked tonight." We asked a few questions including what his favorite part was, "All of it. I really just liked everything we did tonight. Thanks." That summed up our last night. There wasn't crying. There wasn't fighting. The weather was mild and we were with family we love. It was peaceful. <br />
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<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2424-2.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2426.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2429.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2430-2.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
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<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2444-2.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2466.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2468.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2473.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2488.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2498-2.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2513.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2522.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2523.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/August%202016/20160627-DSC_2571.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Summer Vacation Utah"/><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-31226138412089907412016-08-11T22:32:00.003-07:002016-08-11T22:32:46.638-07:00First day of school...part 2...A few more pictures from our first day of school - with our annual visitors. Having cousins over might be the highlight of the day for the kids! <br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5049.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5090.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5131.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5054.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5081.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5129.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5072.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5148.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5106.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5158.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4805.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4944.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4843.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5008.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4964.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school photos"/><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-70755323396458248312016-08-10T22:40:00.000-07:002016-08-10T22:40:10.616-07:00First day of school...Today was the first day of school and it was successful on all accounts. The forecast called for rain and the kids were nervous that recess would be cancelled. How bummed would a kindergartener be to show up to his first day of school and feel as though he was tricked with everyone talking of recess with no recess in sight!? Luckily, the rain held out.<br />
<br />
When they returned home, there was talk of nice teachers, new friends, fun bus rides and good lunches. They unanimously agreed they would all go back tomorrow. Just what I was hoping to hear. I think the only one who struggled today was Cannon. I can't even count how many times he asked for "HallieHunterBennett" said very quickly so all the names blended together. He kept asking about them over and over again today in swim lessons and the teacher finally asked me what he was saying. To say he missed his buddies today would be an understatement! <br />
<br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4818.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4819.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4918.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4931.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4860.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4880.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4914.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_4980.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
Here's each kid with their neighborhood/bus riding friends. The friends they end up having a picture with year after year.<br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5034.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5016.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160810-DSC_5025.jpg~original" border="0" alt="First day of school"/><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-83456147305511533422016-08-09T23:08:00.000-07:002016-08-09T23:08:02.763-07:00Back to School Dinner...I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that my kids start school tomorrow. I haven't even gone through all our summer photos yet, and now I'm taking back-to-school photos. And even though it seems way too early - they're ready and I'm ready. Bennett is the most outwardly excited about starting kindergarten and yet he's also the one showing the most concern and reluctance for what's just around the corner. We've talked and talked and talked some more about what he should expect. The older kids have told him what to expect and yet you can see it in his eyes, he's still a little skeptical. The thought of eating lunch at school is more excitement than he can handle, it's worrying about where the bathroom is at and whether or not his teacher is going to be nice that are making him a tad nervous. <br />
<br />
Tonight we had our annual back-to-school dinner. This year's theme is "Bee" Smart, which as we discussed tonight covers a lot of ground. It's more than just doing well in school. It's making smart decisions when with friends. It's being smart with their money as they find independence in spending their cash. It's being smart in how they spend their time. We had a great discussion over dinner (as much as you can when you have a baby and a two-year-old in the room) and the rest of the night kept building the anticipation for tomorrow. <br />
<br />
Props to Hallie today - she was my wing girl in the whole operation. I'm pretty sure next sure she's going to do the whole dinner and do it better than me!<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160809-DSC_4764.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Back to school dinner; bee themed"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160809-DSC_4771.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Back to school dinner; bee themed"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160809-DSC_4754.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Back to school dinner; bee themed"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160809-DSC_4785.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Back to school dinner; bee themed"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160809-DSC_4781.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Back to school dinner; bee themed"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160809-DSC_4775.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Back to school dinner; bee themed"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160809-DSC_4789.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Back to school dinner; bee themed"/><br />
<br />
See our previous back to school dinners <a href="http://www.lifewithfingerprints.com/2015/08/back-to-school-dinner.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.lifewithfingerprints.com/2014/08/back-to-school-dinner-2014.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.lifewithfingerprints.com/2013/08/back-to-school-dinner.html">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-58111731539228751192016-08-08T23:58:00.000-07:002016-08-08T23:58:01.733-07:0022 weeks...Briggs had his first experience with the lake last week. Which means he had his first experience with a lifejacket. I've yet to have a baby who is happy and comfortable in a life jacket - why can't they develop a better design?! He was a good sport though and the motion of the boat even put him to sleep in my sister-in-laws arms for a bit. <br />
<br />
He was at the doctor last for a well-check. At 5 months old, he's 13 lbs and 26 inches - long and lean. He's about too long for all his 3-6 month clothing, yet they're all baggy around the middle. We're also transitioning away from the swaddle for sleeping. Some days I think it's a good idea, other days not so much! <br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160803-DSC_4646-Edit.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160803-DSC_4646-Edit.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-4934031465751012422016-08-08T00:01:00.000-07:002016-08-08T00:01:15.071-07:0019 weeks...20 weeks...Still playing catch up on editing his weekly photos. Weeks 19 and 20 was our last week in Idaho and our first week back in Arizona. He traveled like a champ for the 6 hour drive to Utah (as long as Steve or myself was sitting in the back of the car next to him) and then he had his second plane ride as we flew home and Steve drove with the older kids. <br />
<br />
The adjustment coming home was far better than the adjustment of us leaving for vacation. He's settling in nicely. <br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160720-DSC_4165-Edit.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160720-DSC_4165-Edit.jpg"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160727-DSC_4288-Edit.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160727-DSC_4288-Edit.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-16918040449277442542016-08-05T08:51:00.000-07:002016-08-05T08:51:54.890-07:00Happy weekend...We we're out of town for over a month. <br />
<br />
We came home for a few days before we had family show up for a week.<br />
<br />
Steve had a shoulder procedure yesterday to repair some tendons and break up calcium build-up.<br />
<br />
Which is perfect timing considering the olympics start tonight and Steve's got a low profile week ahead of him.<br />
<br />
And school starts next week.<br />
<br />
Which means this is one of our first and last weekends that we're home for the summer without visitors and I'm not sure my kids know what to do without their cousins.<br />
<br />
And to top it off it's monsoon season which means we've been greeted by rain several days this week and the weekend is looking gray as well. But at least our evenings look like this:<br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160802-DSC_4564.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160802-DSC_4564.jpg"/><br />
Happy Weekend. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-18426608645941703882016-08-04T00:33:00.000-07:002016-08-04T00:33:33.806-07:00Insulation is really important...When we first moved into this house, we had an energy audit performed. We were told they would tell us the inefficiencies in the home which would allow us to fix them and save on our energy bills. It was kind of a sham and really the people came in and told us we needed to buy new air conditioning units because they were old (Information we already had) and conveniently they also installed the units. It wasn't overly helpful.<br />
<br />
After moving in, summer rolled around and we noticed our daughter's room was almost 10 degrees warmer than other areas of the house. We did the best we could to remedy the problem with the information we had. Three years later, it was still the hottest room in the house and we called an insulation company to come in an assess the situation. They concluded we didn't have nearly enough insulation in the attic, so they made the needed change. We waited almost two months to see if we noticed a change - no luck. We had them back out to reassess. One wall in particular, an exterior wall, showed a very high thermal reading. They agreed to blow in new insulation if we ripped out the drywall and removed the old insulation. <br />
<br />
Late one night last week, Steve and I got busy cutting a strip of drywall out across the entire length of the room. You can imagine our surprise and frustration when we realized there wasn't insulation in the wall. An east facing exterior wall in Arizona without insulation. What?! I'm not sure how that was not noticed by the builder, the inspector or even the ENERGY AUDIT! <br />
<center><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160729-DSC_4341.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Blown-in Insulation"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160729-DSC_4344.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Blown-in Insulation"/><br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160729-DSC_4346.jpg~original" border="0" alt="Blown-in Insulation"/><br />
</center>Needless to say, we've taken care of the problem. We've had the insulation blown in. The drywall is now reinstalled, taped, mudded and textured. All that's left is some primer and paint. But if I have to buy new paint - shouldn't I just paint the whole room?! And if that's the case, wouldn't it be best to refresh the color?! Decisions, decisions! <br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-12248559320222042352016-08-03T00:10:00.002-07:002016-08-03T00:10:27.392-07:0019 weeks...He learned a few tricks while he was in Idaho. One afternoon while playing with him on the floor, he rolled from his stomach to his back. I didn't quite see the action so I figured one of the kids rolled him over. So I put him back on his stomach and he quickly rolled back over. We played this game over and over again. At first he surprised himself. After that he was surprised by how excited we all were with him rolling over. The next day he was on his back and he rolled to his stomach. Within two days we went from stationary and safe to mobile and unpredictable. <br />
<br />
As much as I love the rolling stage, it's the beginning of the safety freak out mode. They no longer stay in one spot and little toys have to be picked up. He can no longer hang out on the bed or couch. But the plus side is he'll start rolling over to sleep on his stomach. Fingers crossed it improves his sleeping after our vacation sleeping blunder. <br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160713-DSC_3788-Edit.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160713-DSC_3788-Edit.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-79125199316850458642016-07-29T00:17:00.001-07:002016-07-29T00:17:20.815-07:0018 weeks...Briggs turned 4 months old on week 2 of our vacation. Eleven hours in the car. He went to his first family reunion. Met a lot of his cousins and aunts and uncles for the first time. Went to college. Explored a cave. Enjoyed his first rodeo and parade and many, many fireworks. <br />
<br />
Week 2 of vacation was the steady decline in his sleeping schedule. Each day he slept less and less and before long he was waking a couple times at night. Not the direction we wanted to go in the sleep department. <br />
<br />
As far as size is concerned, he's long and lean and looks more like Bennett each day.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160705-DSC_3679-Edit.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160705-DSC_3679-Edit.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075548017011865661.post-46446617581150409782016-07-28T00:36:00.001-07:002016-07-28T00:36:02.207-07:0017 weeks...It's time for me to play catch up on his weekly photos. I took the photos every Wednesday while we were out of town and I'm just getting around to uploading them. <br />
<br />
A couple weeks back, Briggs took his first plane ride. Steve thought it better to make the long drive without the two youngest kids. So I hopped a $44 plane ride up to Utah where Steve picked us up as he drove through. It worked better than I had imagined and Steve was happy with a somewhat quiet car for the 11 hour drive. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq298/karapothier/Kara%20Pothier%20Album%20June%202014/20160628-DSC_2652-Edit.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 20160628-DSC_2652-Edit.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08797823476081587612noreply@blogger.com0