Five

Five years ago today I married my best friend!

He's super easy to get along with.

Very understanding.

Kind hearted.

Willing to serve.

A good father.

A good provider.

And so much more.

Time flies when you're having fun!

The Funnies

Humor is inthe air around these parts lately. Maybe because we are all so excited about the big move. seriously, last night I couldn't sleep. It felt like Christmas eve. While I have a few quick minutes here are a few funnies from the last couple of days.

Mike and I had to smile as we watched Camilla and Hyrum holding hands as they skipped into the church building yesterday. It was melt-my-heart-wish-I-had-a-camera-cute.

I kept Hyrum still in Sacrament meeting by letting him hold sleeping Joe. He sat proud and tall with his cute little smirk as he cradled his chubby brother in his arms. It kept the bench reverent for a long time.

One of the top things that can be said to ruin a romantic moment, "mooooom! I need a wiiiiiiipe!"

Someone drew with permanent marker all over the hardwood floors two days before we move out. Can you guess who? Luckily, I caught it quick and managed to scrub it off with baking soda.

Hyrum wore a cow Halloween costume all afternoon.

One of the leafs of the giant cardboard box has been transformed into an indoor hammock by the littles (pictures to come).

Hyrum is afraid of Dobby the house elf from Harry Potter.

Joseph is so close to crawling! I will often find him sitting on the floor with one leg stretched our behind and one in front. He may bum scooch like his brother. His babbling is the best!

Even with boxes piled high and our house in disarray (hopefully not for much longer) the Stannix's are finding things to laugh about.

It's Been a Slice

The room off the deck is filled to the brim with boxes. I am both extremely excited and sad. The pictures of friends, family and newborns that once graced the front of my refrigerator are all packed away and I am now greeted by a very white, empty fridge when I walk into the kitchen. Pictures have been taken down, walls washed. My mind has been filled with so many memories over the last few days. I am very sad to leave this quant little house behind. We've brought two babies home to this house and crammed three children into the tiny upstairs bedroom. I almost cried last night before bed as I reminisced with Mr. Stannix on the couch.

Mr. Stannix is officially on UFE leave which means no more work until October! It was great to spend the day as a family, eating a slow and late breakfast and organizing. While everyone napped away the afternoon I made up some freezer meals to help next week go more smoothly. It's still so unreal to me that we are moving to our very own home. We're just crossing our fingers that everything goes according to plan because with all of the flooding down South, our lender's office is under water which has made them difficult to get a hold of.

Althought I am crazy excited, there are a few things I am going to miss. I am going to miss driving the tree lined streets. All of these Elm trees are my favorite, and it is especially beautiful in the Fall. I am going to miss our front yard with the big spindly tree that shades us in the Summer. I am going to miss the firepit in the backyard where so many smores were made. I am going to miss the East facing back deck that catches the warm suns rays in the morning. I am going to miss the way the sun shines through our livingroom window in the late afternoon.

I am looking forward to a spacious kitchen with room to make amazing meals and an island to knead my bread. I am looking forward to having a dishwasher to help with clean up after our family dinners. I can't wait for Mr. Stannix to put together our new table where we will gather everynight for dinner together. I am excited to decorate Camilla's bedroom and make it her own (at least until she has to share it). I am excited to have a quiet sitting room with the TV tucked away in the basement. I am super excited about the fenced backyard where I'm sure the children will put their imaginations to good use. I am excited to have more than one bathroom so that Camilla doesn't have to do her potty dance while Daddy is showering in the morning. And I can't wait for the new washer and dryer. 

It's been so great making memories in this little old house!



His Love for Hockey

Yesterday morning I woke up to little feet clunking and swishing downstairs. It took a few minutes to register before I jumped out of bed and came down to find exactly what I had suspected. Hyrum found the skates that I had packed away for the move and was happily shooting and scoring in a hockey game at the crack of dawn. Luckily the skates are dull and I was able to convince him to move from the kitchen to the carpet for his big game. This kid's love for hockey is priceless, and this get-up had to be captured.

Month Seven

Joseph,

I have been terrible at keeping up with the monthly birthday posts. Having the three of you so close together makes it tricky to get things done around here. But with your brother and sister snoozing and you snuggled in my arms, I feel compelled to record a bit about you at SEVEN months.

You have the most adorable little cheeks and I want to kiss and munch them all day long.

Your giggles are so contagious.

You love tangling those chubby fingers of yours in my hair. Sometimes I love it, and other times it drives me bonkers.

You still wake up a lot at night. As soon as we move into the new house we will definitely be working on that. A part of me has gotten used to functioning like a zombie each day, but a part of me can't wait for more sleep. I will probably miss sitting up with you at night enjoying the stillness of your streetlight lit bedroom and listening to all of my children breathing quietly.

You love stroller rides and sit forward with excitement as you take in the world around you.

You love to swing at the park.

You are a big eater and love everything. Your big sister loves to feed you and takes such good care of you. You can now drink your bottles independantly, but still prefer to nurse.

You have two bottom teeth that have almost fully grown in.

You are becoming more mobile and stretching your limits. Often this results in a face plant, but I feel like crawling is just around the corner. For now you scour the living room floor for left over crumbs, shreds of paper or any other microscopic objects you can grasp with those chubby little hands. 

Your new found mobility makes you trouble with a capital "T", in a good way. You hardly like to sit still anymore and Sundays are a gong show again.  You love using your voice at church which means we get to spend a lot of time in the halls.

You talk a lot and have learned some great little sounds. Your siblings like to have conversations with you.

Your hair is growing in and I adore your fuzzy blonde head.

You hate your carseat. Everytime I try to sit you in it, you arch your back and buckle your knees. But I like that you're a little bit feisty.

You adore spending time with your older siblings and often hold their hands in the car. 

You bring so much joy to our little family. And we wouldn't trade you for anything, the good and the bad.

Love,
Mom

The Brothers Snuggle

Sometimes I wish I could freeze time just so I can soak up every last bit of the moment. Daddy needed a ride to work this morning and I had to laugh when we found ourselves awake before the children. I quickly packed his lunch while he got ready and then went up to wake the sleepy heads.

Camilla looked at me, then rolled over and went back to sleep while I moved her limp legs into some pants. Hyrum started stirring and happily wobbled over to kiss me good morning. We joined Daddy in our room and watched him tie his tie. Joseph was sound asleep beneath our duvet with his arms outstretched. He had joined us around six this morning.

Hyrum sweetly kissed Joseph on the hand and then climbed the edge of our bed like it was a mountain to be conquered. He snuggled up close to him, careful not to wake him. He put his face close enough to Joe's that his eyelashes almost brushed Joe's cheeks as he blinked. They both were so still and so quiet. Mike and I could have watched them all morning if we didn't have to go. It was such a sweet little moment. Before we had to end it, I grabbed Mike's cell phone to snap a picture. Those two brothers melt my heart, and moments like that are priceless.

Hyrum cracks me up so much. Today we were in the middle of washing walls and he asked for cookie. When I told him that there was none left, he grabbed my hand and said, "You gotta make some more cookies, Mom!" Like it was a crime that the jar was empty. His deep little man voice made me smile. So we made some "nickerdoodles" a little too close to lunch time, and then ate them. It helped brighten the cloudy day.

Crash and Burn

I've been trying to keep the kids up in the afternoon so that they go to bed a little easier.

The result has been a lot of this...



Father's Day

My life has been filled with so many great examples of righteous fathers. I wanted to take a few minutes on this special day to wish them a very happy father's day! I'm not sure if my Dad knows how influential he's been in my life. I married the man I did because of the example I had growing up. I am grateful that my Dad is a worthy priesthood holder, who is sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit. One of my favorite things to do with my Dad growing up was to drive with him, especially as a teenager when I was struggling with friendships, boys and future goals. His listening ear, wisdom, and words of advice and encouragement kept me going during those hard times. I am so glad that I can always count on him for advice and help. I love ya Dad!

Today my heart is also full of gratitude for my own husband, the father of my littles. I love him dearly and am so grateful for all that he does for us! He has adapted so well to fatherhood. I love watching him with our children. I had been struggling giving Joseph his bottles of formula all week and he just would take them. Finally, the other night I gave the bottle and the baby to Mike. He patiently rocked Joseph as he fed him his bottle. I love watching him nurture our children. He is such a loving father and I couldn't have asked for anyone better!



HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Weekend Dates

I am a total believer in the importance of going on dates even after you've been married. It's been a little tricky to squeeze these in with such a young family, but we make a point of at least doing something monthly, even if it's just catching a movie at the theater in my hometown when we go out to visit the Acreage. We kind of jam packed the weekend with dates. This morning Mr. Stannix and I went Canoeing for a few hours at Rundel. Even though it was the smallest pond ever, it was still fun to spend the morning with my main man laughing and learning to trust his steering techniques. It has been soooo long since I've been in a canoe and I was a little scared at first. I also like being in control and we had a lot of awesome steering wars. It felt good to hang out on the pond (even though it was threatening rain and the wind never stopped) and laugh together. And when I pulled my camera out of my trustee plastic ziploc, you should have seen the look on his face! Yup, I'm crazy.

We spent the afternoon with Mike's brother Andrew, Christina and her Mom. It was fun to visit and see them. It had been far too long! After dinner we took off to the theater to catch the new Superman movie. It was good, but would have been even better if I didn't have to close my eyes for half of it. Me and 3D don't do well together. I'm excited to watch it again snuggled next to Mr. Stannix in the comfort of our own living room. Joe now takes bottles of formula, which makes me feel like a new lady. It was nice to be able to leave him twice today and not have to worry about pumping or if he will be hungry. The kiddos had a great evening with Uncle Mike and Auntie Chris. They must've tuckered them out because they were fast asleep when I went up to check on them. I planted a long gentle kiss on each of their heads and pulled their covers up snug before going to bed myself. I sure do love when I get to spend a few hours away, it makes me appreciate the time I have with them so much more. It also makes me appreciate my husband a lot more! I had so much fun with him today!

 

These Little Moments

It was another one of those days full of moments that I don't want to forget. And for the sake of my terrible memory I took note of them all day just so I could record them here to smile at later. Camilla joined us at somepoint in the middle of the night and with the way she sleeps all sprawled out in our double bed, I decided I'd get a better sleep if I hopped out. I woke up in Camilla's bed this morning with Joe snuggled next to me. I peeked an eye open when Camilla snuck down the creaky stairs with her cute little bed head. A few minutes later Hyrum ran across the room and jumped on our bed with his Daddy. They sat on the edge of the bed together facing the window. The morning light shon through Hyrums blonde hair as he snuggled in close to his Daddy excitedly chatting away. It was the cutest moment.

After breakfast was all cleared up I made up a batch of Daddy's favorite cookies. The children snuck a bunch off each pan, as usual. It made me smile. Sometimes all a day needs is a few warm cookies to make it better.

Before lunch we took off to the river valley. The wind was picking up and I could see the clouds building, but we chanced it anyway. On our way home it poured, just like our last adventure. This time I came prepared with an umbrella. Camilla skipped behind me, umbrella in hand. When the rain picked up I held it so we could both be covered. She decided to keep dancing along behind me, sticking her tongue out for raindrops. Her hair was all wet and dripping and her eyes looked extra blue. She was full of laughter and enjoying every moment.

In the late afternoon just as I was taking buns out of the oven, Hyrum came in to get a drink from the water cooler. As he pulled his cup down off the table it slipped and spilled all over the floor. Recognizing it as an accident I bit my tongue and passed him a towel to wipe it up. He responded enthusiastically and instead of wiping it up right away he began pretending to slip and fall. As he said "whoa-oooa-o" and wiggled his little body around I couldn't help but grin ear to ear and let out a laugh. Man, that kid makes me smile. He would wiggle his arms up and down with just his pointer sticking out. He eventually wiped most of it up (probably with his pants) and then joined us in theliving room.

We looked forward with excitement to Daddy coming home from work and met him on the front lawn. I love seeing their eyes light up as soon as their Daddy peeks out from behind the tree down the walk. They are so glad when Daddy comes home.

Tonight as I tucked in Camilla she asked me to lay with her and scratch her back, like she does most nights. So I layed next to her and we whispered together. I told her all of the things that made me glad today, her sharing with her brother, helping me with Joe, singing. When I asked her what she was thinking about I saw her toy giraffe pop up from where she was playing with it. "I was just wondering where my giraffes mommy was," she replied. I smiled to myself, wondering if she had even heard any of the things she had done that day that brought a smile to my face. Then she said, "Were you in-pointed in me when I didn't share my puppy with Hyrum?" Oh man, my heart melted. I love that girl! So thoughtful, even when she seems to be worried about something else.