I want one of these

Eliza was in heaven when a lady at the parade let her hold her puppy. It is a 8 week old pit pull puppy. Eliza just keep saying how soft and furry the puppy was and how much she wants one. 

Carli 3 months

June 29, 2012

Carli 3 months

12 lbs 3 oz

To celebrate turning 3 months old Carli slept from 10pm until 8am. Thanks Carli! 

Gretta helped me dress her in this dress from Aunt Allison Guillen. It is size 3-6 months. It's a little big, but she will grow into it:)

Carli is doing a great job of moving her arms and legs around. She is also rolling from her back to her side. She can also hold her head up and sit in her bumbo for a short amount of time. She is a great baby. She loves her older sisters, and is a good eater and sleeper. She is very sweet. She is also growing up to fast!!!

We are so glad that Carli joined our family. 

She found her thumb

Carli is enjoying more movement of her limbs as she grows older. She has been found sucking on her fist and tonight she found her thumb. I am actually excited about it because I hope she will cry less. It makes me so sad that she can't keep her binkie in her mouth. This is really a problem when I am driving because it is hard for me to hold her binkie in her mouth. It has made for some sad car rides.

Playing with Carli

The girls sure love to play with Carli! Here they are in action!!!

Carli holding her head up

Carli is getting bigger and stronger everyday. She has a few new tricks. One of which is being able to hold her head up for a little while on her own. The girls were so excited for her to try out her bumbo chair. I can't believe she is 12 weeks old! Where has the time gone. Pretty soon she is going to do more than just lay around and sleep. She is the best baby. She eats, plays for a little while and then goes back to sleep. She loves to sleep and has turned into a good eater too. 

We sure love her and are so glad she came to our family. 

Mitt Romney for President

We hopped in the car on a Tuesday night and drove about an hour up to Holland, Michigan to see the Mitt Romney "Ever Town Counts" bus campaign. It was at Omaha Beach in the Holland State Park. Coming from Southwest Michigan meant we had to drive all the way around the inner lake, not to mention the fact that I-94 was all torn up along the way. Needless to say, we got there just as the show was packing up. But, Gretchen did get this shot of the Mitt Romney bus! We have decided that if Mitt wins in November we will be there for his inauguration. I'm not sure if I will be alive the next time a Mormon is President of the USA. 

Aunt Marie and Cousin Emily's visit

Aunt Marie and Cousin Emily came for a visit. We sure had a great time. We wish they could have stayed longer. I think every family needs a teenager. Emily was so much help I wish she could have stayed all summer, but she has to grow up and go to college. 

We went to the Sarrett and saw all of the butterflies, and to Notre Dame and walked around campus, and picked Cherries with Aunt Marie. After she left we went to the beach a few times, to Chicago and also the girls played Just Dance 3 with Emily. 

We had such a fun visit! Thanks for coming and please come back soon!!!

Ada

We picked Ada up in Detroit on Thursday. We are having such a great time with her. We are so glad she is here to visit. Gretta & Eliza love having an audience and I love having help at home.  Let's hope she survives her first experience with camping next week!!!

Cherry and Strawberry picking

One of the things we love most about Southwest Michigan is Spring and early Summer is the abundance of fresh fruit to be picked from the surrounding local farms. One of the farms we went to was the local Stover's farm where we picked cherries and strawberries. We went to drastic measures to pick some of the cherries as I threw Gretta up on my shoulders to get some of the very ripe cherries high up on the trees. Gretchen was very "country" and made us a fresh strawberry pie to enjoy. We decided that it's amazing strawberries aren't double the price in the grocery store given how slow and painstaking the process is to pick them. But, there are few foods better in life than freshly picked (and ripe!) strawberries and blueberries. 

Painting

When I woke up this morning the girls had gotten out all of their painting supplies and made me some nice art work. They are getting so good at entertaining themselves. I was so proud of them. They are quite good artist too. Oh how we love summer vacation!!!!

Summer neighborhood party

Gretta, Eliza, Bri, Alana, Pato and Erick

To Celebrate that last day of school one of the neighbors , Shellie Jaques, threw a party. We had a great time at Shellie's with all of our friends. The neighborhood is full of elementary school kids and they sure had a fun time playing together. 

The party actually took place one week after school got out due to the rainy last day of school. It was a beautiful summer day and the mom's enjoyed chatting in the shade while the kids ate ice cream and played. We sure love living in our neighborhood. 

Gretta feeding Carli

One huge difference this time around with a newborn is that we have some very helpful mid-level management, namely Gretta! She has done an outstanding job in being very helpful as mommy's little helper. She's even able to feed Carli and is a very capable diaper changer. We think she'll be able to start a small babysitting business by the time she's 10. Ever the entrepreneur like her dad!

Gretta's First Testimony

Today was a proud day for Gretchen and me. Out of nowhere, Gretta told us she wanted to go up and bear her testimony after hearing one of her primary friends bear their testimony. So after a break in the speakers, Gretta and I went up to the podium and waited on the bench for our turn to speak. Gretta went first. She walked right up to the podium. She began saying, "I'd like to bear my testimony, I know the church is true, I know that Joseph was a prophet and translated the Book of Mormon, I know that Heavenly Father loves us and I know that families can be together forever". What a perfectly succinct and correct testimony! It was a very proud day for Gretchen and me. We are grateful that our efforts to teach our children the gospel are bearing fruit in a most precious way. We love you Gretta!! Love, Dad

I was so proud of Gretta today too. About 2 weeks ago we were having a conversation in the car about the Church. I asked her if she knew the Church was true and she said, "No. How would I know that?" So we talked about how you get a testimony by praying and asking Heavenly Father if the Church is true, and by the power of the Holy Ghost she would get her answer. We have  been encouraging her to say her own personal prayers too.
After she was done bearing her testimony I asked her if she had prayed about the Church and she told me," yes". She also told me she felt good when she was bearing her testimony and we discussed that is the Holy Ghost giving her answer.
I am so proud of Gretta for sharing her testimony today.
Love, Mom


Comment from Nana Carolyn:
Gretchen and Eric,
What a marvelous day for Gretta and for you as parents.  Gretchen, as a child you were blessed to have the gift to love our Heavenly Father and have always had a strong testimony.   I am sure Gretta has felt of your strong spirit.  Eric, you are a marvelous Dad.  Some of my fondest memories of you with your family are when we have FHE and read scriptures and sing together--we love you very much.
Nana

Gretta's first swim meet

Today, the world was introduced to the next swimming phenom, Gretta Noelle Fors. 

Gretta recently joined the YMCA Swim Team and was really excited to swim in her first home meet. 

We wondered if she would get nervous when the race was about to start. But, not Gretta! 

She got right up on the starting block and jumped right in.

Amazingly, she got a first place in the 2nd heat of the 6 and under freestyle race. 

Where can she go from here? 

We are encouraging Gretta to enjoy herself in the water and learn to swim better every time she gets in the water. 

The thing we've always known about Gretta since she was young is that she is definitely a fish out of water. 

We love you and are so proud of you Gretta!!