Even Heroes Sleep

Lately Hyrum has been running around the house being "SUPERRRRR HYMUM!!!!".

It's super cute.

He does stuff like save lost bunnies, rescue things for his sister and run super fast.

The other day I tucked him into bed for his nap

and came up to find him like this...

So I did what any Mother would do..

Snapped a picture and then took off that handsome little mask to let my baby sleep.

Sweet dreams bud!

Just Keep Swimming

I went to use the bathroom this morning and this is what I found...

Good thing I just cleaned that toilet earlier!

Hyrum was already long gone and shut the door when he left.

I couldn't even get mad, I just laughed, a lot.

Then called a friend to give her a laugh.

Double Trouble

I love my boys, but I can't seem to take my eye off them without something happening. Hyrum is one of the most curious little boys I have ever met. He's always coloring, dumping, spilling, marking, running water, washing, unplugging and figuring. Just the other day our second full bottle of shampoo got dumped into the tub, never mind the tubes of toothpaste and mascara. The newest obsession for Camilla and Hyrum is playing with Lady Bugs. Our backyard has an abundance of them and they find at least five a day. Sometimes they put them in little containers and bring them in the house. The other day Hyrum napped with his lady bug container in his bed. They are harmless, so I really don't mind. Today while I was kneading the dough for our italian cheese bread, Hyrum reached up to the counter (man he's getting tall!) and dumped a whole cup of flour onto the floor. I only just finished scrubbing it on my hands and knees!  He immediately went to work drawing and playing in it. Joseph quickly made his way over to join in the fun. It looks like I'm in trouble when Joe gets walking!

It's a good thing they're cute!

Pre-Wash

The other day I opened up the dishwasher and everything was still dripping with water.

Weird.

I shrugged and unloaded it anyways, only to discover after that the soap dispenser was still full.

Looks like it only reached it's pre-wash cycle.

I guess I now know why...

Matchy Matchy

It's a big job getting three littles ready and out the door for church on your own, but we did it. I made the boys some matching ties with some left over scraps my Mom had while I was at the Acreage. They turned out pretty cute, although Joe will have to grow into his. I tried snapping a nice picture of them before church, but Hyrum was in such a goofy mood so this was the best we could do!



I've had so many thoughts and emotions swimming through my head today. Last night I watched the General Relief Society broadcast with my sister. It's such a priveledge to be apart of one of the largest womens organizations in the world. I loved the talks and thoughts that were shared. I also taught Young Womens today. My lesson was on being in the world but not of the world. I asked the girls to share some of the worlds standards and some of the Lord's standards. One of the girls said that the world pretty much doesn't have any standards now days. In preparing my lesson I realized how important it is to give our children a strong foundation so that when we send them out into the world they won't be afraid to stand up for what they believe in. 

I took the children to a new park around here last night before dinner. They needed to burn some energy and I needed some fresh air. The Fall weather was perfectly crisp and the sun was just getting ready to set. I felt so much joy as I watched Joseph from a distance, playing in the sand (and eating it mind you) with the sun glistening through his blonde whisps of hair. I reminisced as I watched Camilla navigate the big kid equipment all by herself and run around trying to make new friends. I smiled as I observed Hyrum playing in a big car, making sound effects with his mouth and steering like it was the real deal. I then watched Camilla go up to a little group of kids and ask if she could join in their game. They told her she couldn't right now because they were doing something cool and she wasn't allowed. My heart totally sank! She walked away and came closer towards me and sat in the wheel for the firetruck. She acted like she wasn't sad, but I could totally see through her "playing it cool" as she sank into the wheel and forced a tiny smile. I almost cried. I wanted so badly to do something or say something to those kids, but one of life's hard lessons to learn is that it isn't always fair. I then watched this little group of kids who were not much older than Camilla snickering about the other's around them and saying crude things. I was suddenly glad that my little girl wasn't playing with them. It was totally a hard Mamma moment. Of all of the places I want my children to feel loved and included, our home is at the top of that list. I never want to do anything to degrade my children or make them feel like they aren't loved at home. It is such a sacred duty and calling to be a parent and I pray every morning that I can fulfil it to the best of my ability.

I thought about this incident lots as I taught the Young Women. At the end of the lesson I presented each of them with a little handout with a special quote.

"At times you may feel lonely because you don't fit in with the crowd. Be grateful that your righteous life molds you so you don't fit in where you don't belong. This is a period of personal testing that will be replaced in time by true friends and greater happiness."

~Richard G. Scott

When I was in highschool I struggled big time with feeling alone. Although I seemed to have friends I just felt like I never really fit in. I was never a part of the parties or things they did on the weekends and had a hard time joining in their conversations on regular school days. One night after feeling particularily lonely for a long time, I stumbled across that quote and it became a huge comfort for me. I kept it on my mirror and eventually had it memorized. I testified to the girls that although things may be hard now, they will get better. I have the best friends I could ever imagine and still keep in touch with close friends from highschool. And there is no greater happiness than the joy that I have received from having a temple marriage and building an eternal family with my best friend. My greatest happiness comes from spending time with my husband and children. I couldn't have imagined being this happy way back in highschool and am so grateful for the Gospel and that simple little quote for pulling me through.

Anyways, on a happier note, church was super good and smooth considering I was solo. I sat with some dear friends who were able to lend a hand when it was needed. At one point Hyrum decided he didn't want to wear his shoes anymore. When he took them off he left a pile of sand on the bench, even after dumping them out last night when we got home from the park. When it was time to leave half the bench was covered in sand. Where was he hiding it all? In his diaper? Behind his ears? I had to smile. He is oh so boy! We are all looking forward to picking up Daddy tonight at the airport.

The Sweet Spot

Although Joseph is not fond of sleeping during the night, he sure loves his naps!

Back in the Groove

We are home.

I have done a good few loads of laundry.

The house has been decorated for Autumn (thanks my sis).

Rooms are tidied.

Children are excited to play with their "old" toys.

And we had a fabulous breakfast as per Hyrum's request.

I think we're gettin' the hang of this thing again.

Sardines

The littles and I headed home from the Acreage today. It was so great to spend almost a full week with my parents getting caught up, relaxing, enjoying fresh air, learning some canning techniques and just plain loving life. Here are some of the things we are going to miss including fresh eggs, fresh picked strawberries, limitless quad rides (going to the forest with Grampa), being in the kitchen with my mamma and listening to the children enjoy life.

 

 



Thankfully they slept pretty much the whole drive home for me. Two and a half hours can be a long time with grumpy children. At one point I glanced back at them in my rearview mirror and chuckled to myself. They were like little sardines smooshed together again in the backseat of our little old car. Camilla was most excited to get home because she said she forgot what our home looked like. The first thing she wanted to do was see her bed and make sure her teddies were okay. I suppose two weeks away from home can seem like an eternity to a four year old. Now I just hope we can all survive until Daddy gets home on Sunday!

Getting Along

Dear Mr. Stannix,

Just thought I'd quickly write and let you know how we are getting along.

Fall has quickly come and our days are brisk and cool.

The children don't mind though!

They have been busy helping in the garden and collecting eggs each day.

We started off our morning with a quad ride around the Acreage in the crisp air.

Hyrum practically spends his entire day sitting on that thing and

waiting for someone to take him on a ride.

Everything smelled delightful, but after a few rounds we were cold!

Now that the weather has changed I am looking forward to

making our children some new Fall hats.

 

 

In the late morning Hyrum helped Gramma with the carrots.

She heard him say, "I spray you Gramma" and before she could turn around he soaked her pants.

He's such a character.

Mom and I spent the afternoon canning.

We pickled some carrots and did up some jam the day before.

In the middle of canning I looked out the kitchen window and my heart melted.

Hyrum and Camilla were walking across the yard hand in hand.

Those little moments make all of the fighting from this morning just melt away.

 

 

It was so great to see these two getting along so well!

We miss you like crazy, and hope you're enjoying your time.

 

I Missed This

It's amazing how much you miss the simple pleasures of life when you are on vacation. It was such a nice break, especially on the sleep end of things, but I missed bathing my babies. Tonight I gushed over Joseph as he quietly played and splashed in the tub. When the water became cool I pulled the plug and snuggled him up in one of Gramma's white towels. He smelled so good and I couldn't get enough of kissing those chubby cheeks of his.

These pictures remind me of something that happened a couple of weeks ago. It was one of those funny moments in motherhood that I might want to remember and laugh about later. It all began when I heard Joseph cry in his crib just as I was getting ready for bed. I slowly pushed open his cracked door and picked him up only to discover he was pretty smelly. Everyone else was asleep, so I quietly opened the closet and grabbed a diaper. We crept down the stairs and into the bathroom to change him. Just as I got his bottom all cleaned up, I realized that I grabbed a swim diaper instead of a real diaper. Joe was still half asleep, eyes closed, humming to himself and blowing spit bubbles. I figured I could run up stairs and make the switch before he moved. I came downstairs to discover him sitting, grinning, in a puddle on the floor. Before I could grab him he crawled towards the door through it all. Yuck. I completely stripped him down and ran a quick bath in the sink to rinse him off. Then I had to dry him and go upstairs to find some new jammies. It was quite the ordeal for eleven at night. But still funny.