A Keepsake

 I was so excited for my parents to come up this weekend! My mum had finished hand stitching an adorable little quilt for Hyrum to love and enjoy and I couldn't wait to see the finished product.

Each stitch was lovingly and patiently stitched with my Mum's very own hands. It amazes me how perfect each and every white stitch looks in comparison with the other. Many hours of love were put into this quilt. She is pretty talented!

 

Hyrum loves the colors. I am sure this quilt will be special to him. What a great keepsake from his Gramma Hudkins!

He seems pretty proud of it already!

Thanks Gramma! We love you!

Spring is in the Air

Yesterday afternoon we went to run some errands. We drove around the city with our windows down taking in the fresh spring air. As we drove Camilla said, "The wind is blowing our hair! Isn't it a beautiful day Mum?" It was indeed a beautiful day. The sky was blue and the birds were singing. 

After we had finished all of our errands we made our way home. When we turned down our tree lined street Camilla said, "I love the trees, Mum. They're so big and strong. They look kind of like broccolies". It was pretty cute. 

This morning after breakfast we took advantage of the blue sky and sunshine once again. We spent a lot of the morning out on the deck blowing bubbles. We had a lot of fun! Camilla loves blowing bubbles and would probably do it all day! She snuck out onto the deck to blow some more bubbles when I went to put Hyrum for his nap this morning. I came down to a barefoot blonde sitting on the deck trying to work the bubble wand. It was a pretty cute sight to see.

Camilla loved spending the morning dancing around the deck catching and popping bubbles.

 Hyrum enjoyed his swing again and popping bubbles.

 He has a pretty nice scrape on his head from swinging at the park yesterday. 

 He's such a smiley guy! He is officially 11 months old yesterday!

 Camilla was in heaven all morning. Hyrum was all boy and kept making a run for the edges of the deck. He kept Mommy on her toes that's for sure!

I can't believe this pretty girl will be 3 years old this summer!

We will be spending our weekend enjoying General Conference with Gramma and Grampa. I am super excited to listen to our Prophet speak. I love President Monson. 

 

Chocolatey Goodness

Did I ever tell you about the time we ate pudding like we were in third grade? 

It was pretty awesome...

Happy Days Ahead

It is just passed 6:00 am when I hear Hyrum's tiny voice in his crib. The sun is not quite up yet, and the room is still lit by the streetlights outside.  Buses are heard rushing down the street in timed intervals and the birds are still sleeping. This has been my morning for the passed couple of weeks. It takes me a few minutes to fully wake myself up. I make my way to the top of the stairs and rest for a second until my feet finally wake. I go into the dimly lit room, squinting my eyes to see the excited little body all tangled up in his blankets. He greets me with a smile as his legs kick with glee. This little boy is not one to waste the day away. He gets up even before the sun! We go down the creaky stairs and heat up a morning bottle. Then we snuggle on the couch beneath the colorful blanket that my Gramma crocheted for me. I am not quite as happy as Hyrum is to be out of my warm bed. Just as he starts snuggling in we are joined by his big sister who is up just as the sun starts peeking over the roof tops. I greeted her with a good morning through gritted teeth. I did not feel like it was a good morning. Hyrum greeted his sister with big smiles and excited giggles and "ooooh's". I let him down to play on the floor with her. The longer I watched them play and giggle together the more it lightened my mood. Soon Daddy's shaver was heard in the bathroom and both kids booked it down the hallway for a "shave".  I stayed cozy on the couch and decided that instead of being the grumpy Mommy they woke up to, I would have to change my attitude. Proper good mornings were given with hugs and kisses and then we all went to the kitchen for a morning bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios (the girl's favorite).  Daddy left quickly to catch his bus after breakfast and then we began our day right with a little story from the children's Book of Mormon and a family prayer. 

I think I've come to accept the fact that Hyrum is not one to sleep in. As I watched them play all morning I couldn't help but feel gratitude. I don't like waking up at 6:00am, but I do love waking up to the sleepy smiles that I get from my children. I am so thankful that they wake up each morning excited for a new day. I feel blessed to be showered in snuggles, kisses and hugs each and every morning. I am grateful for a husband to takes time in his morning routine to brush his teeth with Camilla and give them both a "shave". I am grateful for happy kids who are healthy and full of energy each day. There's not much more that a girl could ask for. 

The Lollipop Snatcher

Mr. Stannix had to work late again tonight. We missed him at bed time. After baths were had I snuggled Hyrum up in the big green chair while he drank his bottle. I enjoyed watching him curl his little toes and rub his feet together as he snuggled in. Finally, I couldn't help myself and I gently touched and rubbed his little toes and the bottoms of his little feet. They are always so soft after bath time. He cuddled into his crib when he was finished and fell asleep. Camilla and I enjoyed banana splits and read stories before bed. I had to laugh when I walked into the living room with my banana split to join Camilla on the couch. She had taken a dish cloth that was folded on the couch and placed it carefully between her legs and placed her bowl on top so that she wouldn't spill on the couch. That's my girl, always thinking. After stories, she took a heat bag up with her to warm her up.

Daddy came home a half hour later. It wasn't long before little feet were heard coming down the stairs. We walked out of the kitchen to a petite little blonde sitting on the last step with a big smile on her face. "I'm not tired at all, Daddy," she said. He scooped her up and told her how much he missed her. She replied, "I missed you too Daddy". I stood at the kitchen, trying to hide my lollipop behind the wall. She caught me....

"Is that a loo-dee-pop, Mum?"

"Huh? Oh, Yes."

"Can I see it?" 

Her eyes lit up at the pink lollipop with yellow swirls. Daddy scored it for me the other day as a peace offering. 

"Can I lick it?"

I shared a little taste with my girl. How could I not? She was so cute. 

"Mmm. Can I HOLD it?"

Mr. Stannix and I both burst out laughing and I surrendered my lollipop to my blonde haired, blue eyed girl. 

After some cuddle time with Daddy, it was time to head back up to bed, because the sun had gone to sleep behind the roof tops. It was much too late for a little girl to be awake. After she was all tucked in, I happily finished the rest of my "loo-dee-pop".

Daddy's Fans

Tonight we took advantage of Daddy's Saturday game time and went to watch him and his friend play hockey!  We all had a good time cheering for them as they skated around the ice.

 Daddy's number is 26. We were always on the look out for his number on the ice. Hyrum sat on my lap for most of the time watching everyone skate around. 

 Once Hyrum got bored with sitting he enjoyed standing at the glass, front and center. 

Daddy even got a goal for us! I just barely saw it as I was busy chasing the little miss up and down the stairs most of the night.

 "Go Daddy Go!"

 Camilla couldn't wait for him to get out of the dressing room. She was his buddy the rest of the night, drinking from his water bottle and helping him pull his hockey bag down the sidewalk. It was pretty cute watching them both together!

Until next time!

Like His Side

Whenever I look at my kiddos I always see a bit of their Dad in 'em. I think it's because I spent so long scrap booking their Dad's baby pictures a few years ago and that sweet little face is stuck in my memory. I've noticed this a lot in Camilla and am now starting to notice these similarities with Hyrum. They both have the same tiny little nose. When my kiddos wear toques this feature is super noticeable. They both have similar foreheads and facial expressions. They both have those jolly little Stannix cheeks that pop out when they grin. And their chins are also very similar.

The only things they have from me are the sparkly blue Hudkins' eyes and the lack of hair. I do think it's a pretty cute combo though! But then again, I'm a little biased. I hope that one day they will look back and be proud of who they are and where they come from. I hope Hyrum will be proud of the fact that he has so much of his Daddy in him (and not just his stinkin' good looks either). I am very grateful that both of my kids inherited their Dad's determination and drive to succeed.  I hope that they'll always remember that anything can be accomplished with a little determination and hard work.

Literally

 Today was a pretty relaxing day with the snow and all. The kiddos found some great places to lounge around. Who knew a laundry basket could be so versatile?

This little monkey is into climbing. He will climb on anything that looks interesting and took a liking to this plastic drum today. It was the perfect sitting place for this little man.

 

When Hyrum was in the middle of drinking his bottle Camilla thought it would be funny to throw it across the room. Hyrum thought it was pretty hilarious too. The game continued for a few more minutes. Hyrum now loves throwing his bottle thanks to his big sis. 

 

Camilla got bored with being inside this afternoon and got caught beating up her little brother (who's almost as big as she is now). She went for a few time outs. The second time I sent her I told her to "march that tush over to the time out chair". And that she did, literally. As she raised her knees to march I had to turn around because I couldn't keep a straight face. She cracks me up sometimes. 

When bed time rolled around we read stories and I tucked them in. They are usually super good at being quiet and falling asleep. When I was downstairs I heard Hyrum say his sweet little, "Boo!". Then I heard Camilla's bed clinking around and Hyrum laughing hysterically. As I entered their room I found Hyrum stuck in his blankets on his stomach peeking around the dresser wearing a giant grin, and Camilla sitting up in her bed, both giggling hysterically. I'm thinking it's time to switch up the bed times.

Hands in My Pockets

While I made bread today this little boy tugged at 

my pants pocket and gave me the cutest grins ever!
(Which resulted in me getting this stuck in my head all day)

Bath Time

After dinner it's typically bath time.  Hyrum is already half naked from his messy dinner and Camilla gets bored quickly. Hyrum stands at the side of the tub as I run the water. His legs dance and he bounces up and down anxious to get into the warm water to play. His arms go up as I slip his shirt over his head. The tub feels cold on his bare tummy, but he still looks up at me and grins. Soon I hear Camilla running down the hallway. Her shirt is half off as she enters the bathroom, followed quickly by her pants and undies. Her socks make it off just before her feet hit the water it seems. They start off with some splashing and sliding. Our bathtub turns into an ocean of waves as they play and giggle together. I lay Hyrum down on one side of the tub and wet his hair, then I quickly sit him up. I squeeze some shampoo on my hand just in time to turn around and sit Hyrum back down for the gazillionth time. I rub the shampoo into his hair as he squirms around and then lay him down for a quick rinse. As I wash his hair Camilla is holding up her squirt toys, "What's this one called Mum?" Then it's Camilla's turn. She protests of course, she's not a fan of water in her ears or on her face. It takes some convincing to get her hair wet, but we talk about other things just for distraction. As I wash and rinse her hair I sit Hyrum down a couple more times so he doesn't slip. Then it's time for him to get out. I wrap him in his cozy warm towel and grab a bottle of lotion as I leave the bathroom. Camilla continues to play and splash and enjoys having the tub to herself to practice her swimming. Hyrum plays peek-a-boo from underneath the hood on the towel.  As he flashes his sweet little grin  I get so excited for bath time to come again. Camilla sets her squirt toys up on the edge of the tub and pulls the plug. She then gets herself out and finds her towel which I placed on the toilet seat earlier. Then they run naked around the house for a while until I can wrestle them into their Jammies. 

A night well spent.