Weekend Recovery

Sitting on the couch for 3 days, was quite difficult for me!
I have the best family!!!

They made it more enjoyable with their great company!The girls colored and created the coolest fort!

Kate was quite the entertainer.
She made her own marching band to keep me entertained,
hitting spoons together and singing away!

J did all of the dishes all weekend, and even spent 3 hours cleaning the carpets.

Ella loved helping keep the house clean.

Kate and Ella organized the pantry for me!

When it was all over...
we had a pink pizza party to celebrate healthy baby girl #4!
You are already so LOVED!!!

Being down all weekend wasn't so bad with so much love and company!
Thank you wonderful family!

HEALTHY Baby Girl

HEALTHY Baby Girl!!!

Life can change so fast!
Last Wednesday we received a phone call from my Doctor, that the AFP blood test I had taken a week before came back positive. This means the baby has an increased risk for down syndrome.
There is about a 5% chance of a false positive. We began praying for a false positive test!!!

Thursday, we spent the day at the University of Utah Hospital. First, they did an ultrasound. Then we met with a Genetic Counselor, who went over the results. Everything in the ultrasound looked good, with the exception that the femur bone looked a bit short (another sign of down syndrome). After a couple hours of counseling, we decided to do an amniocentesis. I was so nervous!!! So nervous!!! The thought of having a needle poked into my stomach was so scary to me. The risk of miscarriage is also an issue for 72 hours following the procedure.

For the past 3 days I have been resting from the amnio. It was the longest weekend of our lives!
We have been awaiting the test results from the FISH Amniocentesis, which is 99.9% accurate!
The results came back this morning that our baby Girl is HEALTHY!!!
No sign of down syndrome or any other chromosome abnormality in this diagnostic test!

Thank you everyone for helping with our girls, all of the meals,
and most of all for all of the prayers!
We have felt the prayers and love of so many of you!
We have also felt our Heavenly Father's love, and are
so grateful for this healthy baby girl!!!
We continue to hope and pray for the best!

Johnny Appleseed

Kate Appleseed wearing a cooking pot on her head,

just like Johnny Appleseed!

Ella loved cutting the apples for our applesauce!

Today at Ms Mommy's Preschool, we talked about Johnny Appleseed.
Abby was our guest speaker and she taught us everything she knows about him.
His real name was John Chapman.
He walked barefoot, and wore only a paper bag and a tin pot on his head, which he used for cooking. He carried apple seeds in his pockets and walked all over the country dropping apple seeds. In honor of Johhny Appleseed, we made applesauce.

Then...we packed up a dozen apple seeds,
and planted them in our front yard!
Watch them grow!

Memory Grove

Abigail Jane

Kathryn Lauren

Ella Elizabeth

Our 3 happy girls!

Our family of 5~!

One of our family traditions is to get our family picture taken professionally every Fall.
This was our 11th year in a row!
The weather was perfect and the girls were so good this year!
Here are a few pictures we took with our own camera, while we were waiting for the photographer to come!

Fruit Galore

Raspberries, peaches, and strawberries....yum!

This past week was a week of fruit storage. My good friend Melissa and I spent a day making yummy freezer jam. After I had made enough, I pureed, froze and did everything else I good with the 2 cases of peaches, 6 cases of raspberries, and strawberries.

So far...the strawberry peach jam is the family favorite!

Ultrasound

I love Dr Macy. She always has me wait until my 20 week ultrasound to
find out the sex of our babies...which means 19 more days!
October 4th is our Ultrasound day!

Votes:
Abby would like either one, a boy or a girl.
Kate would like a baby sister.
Ella would like a baby brother, named Goldilocks (oh no!)
James would like a baby boy.
Lori would like a healthy baby!

Today at my appointment it took a really long time for Dr. Macy
to find the heartbeat. It was a bit alarming. We did finally get to hear it.
She thinks I have an Anterior Placenta. Hopefully, everything will continue to be alright!

Ella's Lipstick Birthday

Ella's Lipstick Birthday!

(Age 3 going on 16)

Ella is a girly girl! So when she decided she wanted a lipstick Birthday party...
well everything came together naturally!.
First, we went to get Ella's hair done. She chose her favorite
pink car and movie to watch!

Second, we went to the nail salon!
Pedicures and manicures!

Kate was happy to join in the fun!
For Ella's special Birthday lunch, she wanted to go to lunch with Dad!
We went to The Spaghetti Factory, and Ella loved eating on the trolley!

Next, present time!
Ella loved all of her presents!
After school we had a Birthday party with cousins John and Will.
We played games, rode bikes and....
enjoyed a doughnut tower!
Tonight we had an extended family party at the park!
The kids loved having time to play, and play some more!Finally, we ended the night with Ella's lipstick cake,
complete with 3 sticks of lipstick...
and more presents!

Ella, we hope you had a wonderful Birthday!
We love your confident energy!
We are so glad that you are apart of our family!
(Now go back and count how many times Ella
changed her clothes today!
No wonder I can't keep up on the laundry!)

New Ward = New Callings

We are excited to get to know the people in our new ward! After just 3 weeks in church, we were given callings. James is over Cub Scouts! He will do awesome working with the boys, and I am primary teacher substitute!

As for me, my dream calling! The last 3 wards we have been in were as follows:
University Student Ward = Primary Presidency
Draper Ward = RS Presidency - Secretary
Previous Bountiful Ward = RS Presidency - 2nd Counselor
Being a primary teacher substitute sounds like the perfect calling for me!!! Awesome! I helped out in 2 different classes last Sunday! I love the kids. I love being in Primary!

As for James, he has been in Elder's Quorum Presidency's for the past 10 years. In all 3 wards we have been in! He is also happy for a change! He will work well with the boys!

Birthday Babes Plasma Cars

Birthday Babes

Kate and Ella and their new plasma cars!

Tonight Grammy and Papa J gave Kate and Ella plasma cars for their Birthdays!
At our house Sunday night is Game night, Friday night is date night....Kate asked if from now on Saturday night could be Bike Night! I love it!
We have the perfect driveway for lots of fun!

My life as a Taxi Driver

I knew I would get to this point in my life....I just didn't realize it would be so quickly!
I am a taxi driver! I spend more time in the car than I ever wished possible!
Dancing lessons (times 3 girls), gymnastics, Kindermusik (times 3 girls), Waterford school (all the way in Salt Lake), the Elementary School (10 times a week)...then the dr's appointments, dentist appointments, play dates and more!
SIMPLIFY!!!
I am now apart of 4 different carpools, and Abby is walking home from school several times a week with her friends! Hopefully I can change my job title back to Mom instead of Taxi Driver!

The Driving Range

We hit a bucket of balls at the driving range!
We had a lot of fun!

Uncle B, Papa J, Uncle Dan
Abby

Kate
Ella

Minature Golf

Ella
The Miniature Golf Wonder!

Ella was the winner!
Ella got a hole in 1....3 times....on 3 separate holes!
Way to go Ella!!! We still don't know how you did it!!!

Ashley, Lori & Grammy

Cute Baby Sophia and Uncle Dan

Happy Birthday Mommy Allo

Happy 93rd Birthday Mommy Allo!

It has become a wonderful family tradition to celebrate Mommy Allo's Birthday on Labor Day.
It is our privilege to celebrate her wonderful life! Each year we do something different and fun! This year we had a picnic, played volleyball, and went golfing.
It was fun to spend the day together!

All the Derrick Men...in their intense game of volleyball!

It is our hope that our girls will remember all of the fun
Labor Day Birthday parties for Pappy and Mommy Allo!
This was the first Birthday party without Pappy!
We definitely missed him! We still talk about Pappy's last Birthday, with Pappy hitting the pinata at age 94 with his cane! We love you Mommy Allo and Pappy!

Family Picture

Our family in

September 2010:
Abby & Kate: Wearing the shirts we made
(twins - matching shirts and hair!)
Ella: Always in a dress, with a purse, and a lipstick.
Lori: 15 weeks pregnant
James: Keeping up with a house full of girls...and doing it well!

Abby Jane

I love seeing the creative work Abby brings home from school.
She had to make a web describing herself.

Under love to do....
Abby wrote walk, work on the computer, swim and bike.

Under can do....
Abby wrote dance, draw, play, sleep.

School.... By Abby

Subtraction I love,

Counting is fun,

Halls I walk through,

Oak Hills is my school,

Orange is my color,

Lines are long!

By Abby Derrick
2nd Grade