Summer Vacation Begins!

Last week school officially let out for the summer.....FINALLY!  Our district had a late start this past year so we went longer into June.  I'm glad to have my girls home with me but it's been quite the challenge to worry each day about how to keep them entertained.  I had very high hopes that we would find ways to not be bored, but I am proven wrong each day.  So far they have spent lots of time outside on their bikes and scooters.....

Made a trip to the library......

And worked on some arts and crafts.  This is a little basket that Emma made out of some scrapbook paper.

The exciting news is that Samantha has removed the training wheels off of her bike and is learning to ride with just two wheels.  She is doing so great and picked it up immediately.

The only struggle she has had has been with making turns.  So we decided that taking her to the track at the elementary school would be beneficial because of the natural turns.  The first time we went she rode a mile and a half!  We went last night for Family Home Evening and she did another mile.  Hooray!

The girls were pretty dramatic in this picture....they were a bit overheated from lots of riding.

Here are a couple of videos that we took of Samantha:

Only about nine more weeks of summer to go!

Daddy Daughter Dance

Now that Emma is eight years old she is able to attend Activity Days at church every other week.  It's something she looks forward to doing and all the girls get to help plan which activities they would like to do.  There are 13 little girls in her group and the one thing they all really wanted to do was hold a Daddy Daughter dance.  Officially it was called the Daddy Daughter Dessert Date Dance!  This dance was something that Emma was highly anticipating for weeks!  The only glitch was that Daddy had to be out of town all week for work at the Police Academy.  This was very disappointing for Emma and Mark.  We thought about having Emma's Grampa or one of her uncles come and take her as an "adopted" daddy, but that really didn't feel the same.  So, on a whim, Mark called ahead of time to the Director of the Academy and explained our predicament.  Fortunately, the Director is a family man himself and had no problem with allowing Mark to leave a day early in order to be back in time to accompany his daughter to the dance.  Hooray!  The day before all the girls got together and made banana cream and chocolate cream pies to serve and also helped out getting the decorations organized.  Emma got all dressed up the night of and looked absolutely adorable!

Daddy made it home in time to go with Emma.  There was no way he was going to miss his first Daddy Daughter dance.  They had a wonderful time together dancing and being with friends.  Hooray for all the daddys who brought their daughters.  It was a very special night for everyone.

Easter and Birthday Weekend!

This year Samantha's birthday fell on Easter Sunday!  What a double treat for her.  So, we decided to get together with all the family in Hermiston for an Easter egg hunt and birthday celebrations.  We really had a wonderful time with everyone and thankfully it was spectacular weather!  We started off our day with a hike at the butte in town.  Even the little kids came along.  This was our group before starting off!

We all made it to the top and the cousins were VERY proud of themselves!  It was a really neat view overlooking the city.  Even Jordan and Eliza made it to the top, even though they aren't pictured here.  Jordan is three and his mama is extremely pregnant so it took them a little longer than the rest.

Here is Daddy with his best girls feeling very confidant on their accomplishment!

I love this picture - we found a spot for all the kiddos to sit and they all saw Gramma and Grampa at the bottom waving to them.  The kids yelled and hollered lots of "YAHOOS!" since it is a favorite saying of Gramma's.

Even Miss Lillie enjoyed herself and was very well behaved on Mommy's back!

Here is aunt Hollie posing with the kids.  We had so much fun making it to the top that nobody wanted to go back down.

However, the good part about making it back down the mountain was that we could all go back to Uncle Jon's house for a fabulous Easter egg hunt!  There were so many eggs to find - Emma was quick to get going!

Lillian took her time.  She found one egg and was quite content to play with that one egg - especially because it was in the dirt and rocks.  Who doesn't love playing in the dirt?

Here is all the kids filled up on sugar and fun and having a great time!  We are only missing Luke and Katie in Arizona.  Wish that they could have been there with us to join in on the festivities.

Of course, it was also Sam's birthday but the week before also included Kennidy's 9th birthday and Aunt Hollie's birthday.  (We won't share with everyone how old she is).  There was TONS of yummy desserts and all the birthday girls blew out their candles perfectly.

Happy 6th Birthday Sammy!  We can't believe how much you have grown!

We came home that night and colored Easter eggs for the Easter bunny to come and hide for us the next morning.  The girls were very creative.

Unfortunately, Mom forgot to take pictures on Easter.  I suppose I was too caught up in the festivities.  The Easter Bunny brought them new scooters which they absolutely adore!  They have spent so much time outside getting exercise and enjoying themselves.  We also had a birthday dinner for Samantha and opened presents.  Of course she was spoiled rotten from everybody.  It really was a perfect weekend and we loved being with our family!

Weekend Update

It was a really nice weekend for our family and we have lots to share with you!  We were super busy but we also had some wonderful time together and we are grateful.  Our weekend started off with our big ultrasound that we have waited and waited for.  The news came back that we are expecting our third daughter!  Everything looked really good and we just couldn't be happier.  I thought the girls were going to be disappointed to not be getting a little brother, but they are just as tickled to have a little sister.  We got some really fantastic pictures so kudos to the nice ultrasound tech who help us.

Isn't this little hand just the most perfect hand you have ever seen?  I feel like she was waving to us. :)

We were fortune to have Gramma and Grampa come to La Grande for the day.  They accompanied us to the hospital for the ultrasound and kept the girls company while we were busy in Radiology.  They spent the entire day with us and we had so much fun visiting, doing Easter crafts, and making cookies.  My mom even brought lunch and dinner for us so what a relief to not have to worry about cooking for a day!!!!

On Saturday we started off by heading to the local "Arts for All" in town.  Each year the Arts Commission has a day where you can come and do all kinds of arts and crafts for free.  We missed it last spring so the girls have been waiting and waiting for it to come around again.  They were able to get their faces painted which were super cute.  Sam had a shooting star and Emma had a butterfly.

They each did about five or six crafts but one of their favorites was the tin art craft.  They used the little hammers and nails to make their own pretty pictures on some tin board.  Their Dad would have been proud of their ability to use a hammer and the pictures turned out great.

Afterwards we went to lunch to a local pizza and games restaurant.  It is one of the girls' favorite places to eat.  Unfortunately I didn't think to bring the camera with me to catch a picture.  After being home for a while and resting our full tummies, we went through baby stuff!  Mark and I thought that we had donated all of our baby things last year when we didn't think we would have any more children but we came across a large tub that was just full of baby clothes!  What a relief!  The girls were anxious to help sort through the different sizes and decide which things we could keep and which things were just a little too used.  Mark did three loads of laundry that night to get everything washed up and ready to be put away in the baby's room.  We had clothes all over the living room!

It was so fun being together and being able to spend some quality time with one another.  We feel so blessed that we have another child coming to our beautiful family but also very blessed to have the two daughters that we have as well as our extended family who are so supportive.  We love and miss you all and hope that you feel involved with us even though you are far away!

Baby Update

I realized this morning that I haven't included much about my pregnancy on our blog so I thought I would give an update to everyone.  As of today, I am 19 weeks along and the past couple of weeks have been pretty stressful for our family.  Two weeks ago I went in for my four month check up and happened to have very high blood pressure.  The doctor took it several times and each time it was high.  So.... this meant that some lab work needed to be done (which I am NOT a fan of) and that I needed to have my blood pressure checked each day so that it could be monitored and recorded.   Of course, I followed the doctor's orders and completed my lab orders and went to Safeway each day to check my blood pressure.  This became exhausting after a few days and so I decided that I would go out and purchase my own blood pressure machine.  I thought it was going to be a great investment but when I returned to the doctor a week later, turns out that my machine wasn't callaborated as closely to the doctor's blood pressure cuff so my readings were off.  Darn!

In the meantime, Dr. Whitaker also suggested that I have an appointment with the chiropractor to help with some headaches that I had been having.  I went to my appointment and then had an enjoyable conference weekend.  Unfortunately by Sunday afternoon I began having difficulty keeping food down and by Monday morning had a MIGRAINE!  The migraine was accompanied by vomiting and although I went to see the chiropractor again that afternoon, it did little to alleviate my severe headache and I was still unable to keep food down.  Tuesday was a bit better for the headache but was still throwing up.  I saw my OB that day and because I hadn't had any nourishment for three days, she diagnosed me as being very dehydrated.  So..... this meant that I needed to spend a few hours up at Labor and Delivery having an IV with some good fluids given to me.  Although my headache was somewhat better, I was still pretty miserable on Tuesday night and unable to sleep but by Wednesday morning I was much better.  I saw the chiropractor two more times during the week and as of today I am feeling pretty good which makes me grateful.  The other good thing is that my blood pressure seems to have calmed down a bit for the time being and doesn't need to be treated.

Pregnancy has never been easy for me.  I have been ill with all three of my children but this particular pregnancy has been especially difficult and I find myself having a hard time being positive and excited about the coming months.  I keep hoping that each day will bring added energy and less pain.  I know that I am driving my husband looney with my endless complaining but thankfully he is a trooper and does so much for me.  On a lighter note, last night I could really feel this little one kicking away and moving around - even Mark could feel it when he put his hand on my tummy. 

We have a milestone coming this Friday - we will have our ultrasound to find out what we are having and we just can't wait!  The girls are hoping for a little brother so badly but will be very happy with a little sister, too.  We'll let you all know just as soon as we can!  Thanks to a wonderful family and great friends who have been so supportive and added extra prayers on our behalf!

A New 'Do

This morning Emma went to the salon to have her hair cut.  That in and of itself isn't very exciting but today we were cutting it short - something new and a little more grown up.  Emma has had long hair for most of her life but we were looking for a style that would allow for a little more independence and a lot less tangles!  She was pretty nervous when we arrived at the salon.  BEFORE:

and AFTER!

Her wonderful stylist, Emily, thought that there was enough hair to put into a ponytail and have it cut off to be donated to "Locks of Love" which we were very happy to do.  The new style is adorable and a great improvement!

Happy Birthday Mark!

Mark celebrated his 42nd birthday on the 3rd of this month.  We tried to make it a special day for him but he had to work and I wasn't feeling well with my morning sickness so I'm afraid it didn't have the feeling of excitement that we were hoping for.  But we did have a surprise birthday breakfast and then went out to his favorite restaurant for dinner.  We came home for some yummy dessert and gifts.  So even though it wasn't a grand and exciting day, we did have a little fun and were able to show how much we love him and how thankful we are for all that he does for our family!  Here's to a great year ahead!

Mini Mounties

On Valentine's weekend, Samantha was able to participate in a little dance camp put on by the dance team at the University here in La Grande.  They were called the "Mini Mounties."  She spent three hours learning how to dance and do cheers and then at the university basketball game that night, she performed with the rest of the little girls!  She had so much fun!  Unfortunately, Emma came down with a flu bug the night before and wasn't able to participate which was very upsetting.  Mark took a couple of videos - Samantha is in the middle with thet long brown hair.  Good job Sam!!!!

Our News

I realize that it has been since January 1st since I last blogged about the Perry Family.  It's been a long couple of months for us.  Mark was gone to Minnesota for two weeks after his dad passed away.  The girls and I were at home by ourselves and not really doing very much.  Then Mark had to be gone for another week for some work business.  The weather has been cold, we had some colds and flu bugs, and I have been feeling a little depressed about turning 34 in January!   Needless to say, things have been rather quiet in our household and we haven't had much to blog about.  However, spring is around the corner and we are anxious to get out and do things and enjoy being with each other.  Plus.....we are expecting our third baby!  After Christmas we were completely shocked to discover that we were pregnant!  We tried for a few years and had very prayerfully come to accept that Heavenly Father had blessed us with two beautiful daughters and that was enough.  There were a lot of tears but eventually we felt peace with our happy family of four.  What we have learned is that our plan was not THE plan for us and we have been blessed yet again!  Unfortunately, the morning sickness has been hard to overcome and I am feeling ill almost 24 hours a day.  I have missed a lot of church, a lot of playdates and other activities which I hate to do.  I am optimistic, though, and hoping that things will be back to normal in a few short weeks!  So, here's to more blogging and more updates from our family to yours!

Passing

Today, instead of celebrating the New Year, our family is mourning the passing of Mark's father, Bob.  He died early this morning in Minnesota.  I have learned that no matter how hard you try to prepare yourself for something like this, it doesn't mean that you feel the effects of it any less.  If there's anything that I could share about him in the ten years that I have been his daughter-in-law, it's that he deeply loved his family.  He spent his whole life caring for others, from his mentally handicapped sister, to his widowed mother, to his dear wife and five children.  He worked extremely hard farming and taking care of his family.  He and Maxine were married for over 50 years.

One of the things that brought him immense happiness was being around horses.  He grew up on a ranch working with animals and even at the age of 80 years old, he still knew how to work a horse and he had great fun doing it!  This picture was taken a few years ago at a family reunion and it's one of the best memories that I have of him.  He was so tickled to be up on a horse again!

Bob was a wonderful listener, very wise, and he always had time for his kids and grandkids.  Mark speaks often of the special visits he and his dad would have while they were out working together.  They would talk about life, history, the Gospel, and SPORTS!  He loved the Twins and Vikings but despised the Yankees (and who can blame him for that).  He was also a scriptorian and he knew the Bible and Book of Mormon better than anyone I have ever known.  Our family is not the same without him and he will be profoundly missed.  However, we know that there is a grand reunion in heaven today as he is reunited with his parents, all of his siblings, and a granddaughter - all of whom he loved so much.  We love you Dad and Grampa!

Merry Christmas 2010

It was another wonderful Christmas for the Perry family!  It was quiet, peaceful, and there was lots of love to go around!  As always, Santa Claus was really able to make the girls happy.

Gramma Terrie made us a Family Home Evening board which we really love.  As you can see, the girls are still a bit sleepy when this picture was taken.

Samantha has had a Pillow Pet at the top of her Christmas list since this summer.  She wrote many letters asking for her very own Pillow Pet and Santa came through and brought her one!  I love this picture because of Emma's reaction!  She just couldn't believe it!

Sam really hasn't put her pet down since Christmas morning.  It is a penguin and she has named him Topper.

The girls love Disney movies so Santa brought them the Scene It? DVD game.  They have played it several times a day since Christmas morning.

Emma absolutely loves a series of books entitled "Children Just Like Me."  The books take children from all over the world and talk about their customs, their languages, their dress, etc.  She is very intrigued by learning about other cultures so when she saw this new book from Santa she was thrilled!

Of course, there were a couple of American Girl movies for the American Girl lover....Miss Emma!

On Christmas Eve Emma lost a tooth!  She had wiggled it for weeks and it came out just in time to have a visit from Santa AND the Tooth Fairy!  How exciting!  The next morning she and I were wrestling a little bit and we heard something hit the floor.  I took a closer look and low and behold....another tooth had come out!  So the Tooth Fairy came two days in a row and she has very few teeth left in her top row. :)

Of course the girls are a little down about having to wait for an entire year until Christmas comes around again, but we feel especially blessed this year for our little family and for this special season.  We hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday as well!

The Nativity

One of the churches here in La Grande puts on a Living Nativity each year at Christmas time.  They recreate the city of Bethlehem and the town is invited to come in and see what life was like two thousand years ago when Christ was born.  They have the wise men, the shepherds, and Mary and Joseph as well.  Plus there are little shops to see, like the candle maker, the weaver, the fish market, etc.  We always look forward to going.  This year we went with our good friends, the McIlmoil family, and we had a great time together.

Here we are with one of the Three Wise Men and their camel.

Samantha was very interested in Mary and Joseph's donkey.  She enjoyed petting him.

 Here is Emma with her little friend Ryder petting the donkey.  They had so much fun.

The weather was very cold and snowy, but the girls were troopers and really had a nice time.  It was a wonderful way to feel the true spirit of Christmas.

School Christmas Concerts

It wouldn't be the Christmas season without a couple of school music concerts to attend!  This year was Samantha's first school concert.  Since the kindergarteners attend their own school in La Grande, they had their own program, too.  Sam was so excited to sing with her class and did a wonderful job.  She is a very natural performer and loves being in front of people.  Her video is of the tried and true S-A-N-T-A song.

Emma's school program just happened to coincide with a special visit from her cousins, Ashley and McKay, who were driving through La Grande on their way to Tacoma, Washington.  They spent the night with us and were eager to see Emma's concert.  She had a new dress to wear which her Gramma Maxine made for her and she was the prettiest in the room!  Her class sang some really lovely songs and althoug she was nervous, she ended up enjoying herself.

Emma also had a speaking role in one of her songs.  She introduced "Feliz Navidad" to the audience.

"Well Done" to both girls.  They make their parents very proud!

Special Day

Emma turned eight years old over the weekend!  I can't believe how quickly time has flown by and how grown up she is.  I am not ready to be the mother of an eight year old! :)  We had a grand celebration with lots of family - first a birthday party on Friday night with cake and ice cream and PRESENTS!  The one thing she has been asking for this past year was an American Girl doll - her aunts and uncles made her wish come true and she was absolutely thrilled!

On Saturday we held her baptism and it was a very special experience.  Her daddy baptized her and her family all participated in the service and showed so much support.  She was pretty nervous about having lots of attention on her, but she got through it with a few tears and lots of hugs and kisses.

After the baptism we spent the day at the church with all our family playing games and making crafts and eating lots of good food.  The girls had the best time with their cousins and they were also able to come to church with us the next day before heading back to their own homes.  It was a perfect weekend!  We are so proud of Emma and the young lady she has become!  We love her very much!