Ocean Shores

So, after Maisen and family were all settled back home.  Heather and I packed up the kids in the van and we road tripped it to Ocean Shores.  I learned 3 things on this trip.

1.  I still hate road trips, even if they are less than 3 hours long.
2.  2 adults, 3 kids 4 and under, and one pre-teen (do NOT call Tristan a kid, he is a tween, or something!), does not make for a relaxing trip to the ocean
3.  Even though I super love the ocean, I super hate sand, seriously its dirty, it gets everywhere and it never goes away!

We still managed to have some good, times, the kids got to play in the sand and the ocean, we got to eat at Gallaway Bay,  go swimming, fly kites (not the stunt kite though, because Sawyer was also cutting some serious teeth and did a lot of scream-crying if I wasn't carrying her, carrying child and stunt kite flying do NOT coincide gracefully my friends).

Best of all the girls and I got to spend some quality time with Heather and Tristan and Braedon!

Tristan was so good and sweet with Harper and Sawyer, so cute!

Sand! Dirt!

getting a good picture of all 4 of them is pretty much impossible

So excited to be at the ocean! (notice the crazy kid in the back ground splashing in the freezing water? Yup... That'd be Braedon)

She just realized she was wet and sandy.

They were excited to play in the sand... I was having a slight panic attack.

Don't eat her!  I'm just kidding... its just a store, stop the craziness.

 

Is this a smile? A grimace?  I don't know!

When we got back, we got to celebrate Heather's birthday with the Robbins! Yay! Happy Birthday Heather Michelle!

Welcome Maisen Elle!

Last week was so crazy and packed full of family fun!  I'm going to do my best to blog about all of the things, so lets start off with the craziest part, shall we?

Sunday afternoon my sister Heather and her boys Tristan and Braedon arrived on their long-anticipated visit from Iowa!  Yayy!  We took it easy and just chilled that night which is good, because we had a bit of an early wake up call on Monday morning.

4:30 a.m.  I am actually sound asleep, which is crazy, I am the lightest of sleepers, but I slept right through my phone buzzing.  So Ryan wakes up with a drowsy... "Check your phone, Cherie's water broke, Eric is calling you".  Then the crazy nugget just went back to sleep. WHAT?! Stop the sleeping, wake the children, a baby is coming!!  I literally hopped out of bed, instantly awake, and prepared for the arrival of Lincoln who would be staying with us until Cherie and the baby (gender still unknown at this point) leave the hospital. 

Heather and Braedon awoke in time to see off Eric, Kennedy, Kenzie and the now laboring Cherie, wish them luck and send them off to the hospital.  Heather and I proceeded to take care of 4 kids 4 and under (Ryan went to work) for the rest of the day, with some help from Tristan.  We even took them all to Fred Meyer (I wouldn't suggest trying it).

Finally at 4:46 pm, little Maisen Elle arrived (a girl! what?!) That night I took little Lincoln to meet his sister, truth be told, he was more interested in the fun things in the hospital room than the teeny tiny adorableness that is his baby sister.  (I then took him and Kenzie and Kennedy back to my house for the night to give Eric and Cherie some alone time with the new baby, 10 people, one super small packed house... fun times!)

Welcome to the world lil Maisen, we are so excited to meet you!!

Nothing like a little 5am tea party.

We needed to keep those kids busy while waiting for the baby to arrive.

She's here!!! Maisen Elle Robbins.

The only shot I was able to get with Lincoln and Maisen.

Look at the tiny-ness!

Kennedy holding her sister for the first time.