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Mike has been eagerly awaiting 8:00am this morning to find out if he passed his big UFE exam that he wrote in September. After waking up at 5:00am and eating some pancakes and a fruit smoothie, the time finally came to fire up the computer and check for his number on the list. It was such a relief to scroll down and FIND IT! I am so so proud of him for all of his hard work and dedication. As we drove to the office this morning for all of the hoopla that goes on there, he turned to me and said, "Well Hun, we're set for life!" I am so grateful for his dedication to both family and career. 

I honestly never doubted him, he worked so hard!

Joe's Favorite Pal

It's not often I get pictures of Mr. Stannix these days. Tonight I captured this little gem before bed and had to blog about these two. Joe loves when Daddy comes home and will often wait at the door and peek out the window calling "Daaa-Daaa" or "Daaa-Deeee" over and over again with excitement. Today when Daddy came home someone yelled, "Daddy's home!" and Joe came toddling through the kitchen as fast as he could yelling screeching "Daaa!" It's safe to say this boy loves his Daddy very much! Daddy has tucked the kiddos in quite frequently lately with me being away at Young Women's and Volleyball a few nights a week. He and Joe have a cute little bed time routine that works like a charm. I am so grateful for such a loving husband and father for my children. I love seeing him play with the children and make them laugh and giggle!

Crazy, Lazy Days

Winter can be so much fun and on the warmer days the kids love playing in the backyard! Mr. Stannix has been hard at work and has also had the vehicle for quite a while since he's out of the office. Sometimes being couped up at home can make ya a little crazy! That's definitely our day today! Since we've been home a lot I took out the big boy undies again and took the plunge into potty training. It always goes good for the first few days and then suddenly he wants his diapers again and can't even be bribed with chocolate chips. I'm not about to push things though, he will be ready soon enough.

I also adored Joseph's little giggles today. He has become so much fun! I love the way he interacts with everyone and I love watching him toddle around the house with one sock on and one sock off. 

 

I can't believe how big he is getting!

Best Friends

So, it's late and I should probably be in bed. Mr. Stannix is sitting beside me on the couch reading his favorite book and after showing him some pictures from this morning, I just had to blog them. Sunday's are always crazy days. A few weeks ago we sat in Sacrament meeting with quiet children and listened to the talks and sang all of the songs. Today wasn't one of those days. I ended up out in the lobby with a baby on my hip, a two year old crying and tears running down my cheeks. Sometimes life is hard with three little people. But then tonight I looked back at some pictures I snapped of Hyrum and Camilla and all of the bad things from today seemed to slip away and be forgotten. Somedays, amidst all of the fighting and arguing those two do, I find myself constantly reminding them that they are "best friends". And then days like today, it just melts my heart to see them enjoying one anothers company and telling me that they are "best friends" while they hold hands and pose willingly for pictures.

When I look at this picture of the two of them, all I can think is How in the world did they get SO BIG! I miss that little girl who used to show me where her eyes, nose, ears and whiskers were, but I love the beautiful little girl she has grown into. I miss my snuggly baby boy, but I love the handsome little man he's becoming.

These two have been loads of fun lately and there are a few moments from this week that need to be documented. I have recently discovered the joy that little boys get out of wrestling. Luckily Mr. H has an older sister who doesn't mind being a little rough and tumble. The other day I watched them giggle and wrestle for quite a while in the basement, falling over, rolling over each other, and laughing hysterically. It brough back memories of when my siblings and I used to wrestle or tickle each other until we were laughing so hard we couldn't breath. We also made Daddy's favorite Gingersnap cookies the other day. Both of the children pulled a chair up to the back side of the island to help me roll and dip the cookies in sugar. Camilla is great at rolling and she explained to Hyrum that it was his job to take them after they'd been covered in sugar and put them onto the plate. She's such a great little explainer. This afternoon in particular, they were getting along great. Every few cookies Camilla would lean over to her brother and wrap her arms around him, or kiss him on the cheek and tell him how much she loved him. It was a total heart melter. Then Hyrum would say "Ganx Camilla! I wuv you too!" And though it took us way longer than it should have to roll those cookies, it was worth every minute to see them working together and increasing their love for one another. Today after church they enjoyed some crackers and cheese on the kitchen floor while I prepared a late lunch. Hyrum sweetly broke his already tiny piece of cheese in half and shared it with his sister.

I am glad they understand the act of sharing and showing love. It is so great to see them getting along so well with each other. By the end of the day my heart was just bursting with love for both of them! I'm so grateful for the privelege it is to be their mother and watch them grow. Although, sometimes I think they should slow down just a little so that I can enjoy them for just a bit longer!

Start to Finish

I started out my day giving my blondie a hair cut...

He was pretty excited about the clippers!

And he looked pretty handsome and grown-up when I finished!

I finished my day by sharing a banana milkshake with Joe.

The Night From...

Last night was no fun at all. I got home from volleyball and grocery shopping at just after 10:30pm. I crawled into bed as soon as I could, but shortly after I fell asleep a little boy came to our bedside. I pulled him in and gave him a quick cuddle. He was coughing pretty good, so I decided to keep him in our bed so that Joe would hopefully stay asleep. After giving him a glass of water, I went across the hall and crawled in with Camilla. My cough was the worst it's been this week. I muffled the sounds in a blanket. A little while later, just as my cough was subsiding and my eyes closing, Joe woke up screaming. We walked the floor downstairs for a bit, had some snuggles and then back to bed he went. He woke up again after not too long, and then again and again. Camilla came downstairs thinking it was morning time at around 3:00 am. I sent her back to bed with a hug. At 4:00 am I just couldn't handle Joe anymore. Poor Mike even got out of bed to help. I usually try to let him sleep so he's well rested for work.  After a lot of adjusting positions and tears I just let Joe work things out in his crib. It didn't take long before all was quiet again...until I heard someone walking around outside Camilla's door. I just didn't get out of bed soon enough. Hyrum had already barged into his room and Joseph was awake once again. I went back downstairs for the millionth time until Joseph calmed down again. I was finally able to grab a bit of sleep before everyone woke up at 6:00 am. Luckily they have all been fairly well behaved this morning. But naps will be had by one and all this afternoon! We also may be having ichiban noodles for dinner.

Snapshots

 The littles have been so good at entertaining themselves today! 

 I have been busy creating, cleaning and trying to keep up with the house work.

Sometimes I like to neglect my house work and just hang out with the kiddos.

Hyrum spent the morning clunking around the house in my giant winter boots.

It kept him busy for quite a while!

While I made lunch Camilla whizzed in and out of the kitchen with Joseph giggling away on the blanket. 

The only pictures I could get of them were a blurry, but still adorable.

I love Joseph's little nose wrinkled grins!

He has a pretty awesome big sister.

And I am pretty much in love with these baby toes!

Let's Eat Cake

Cowboy Land

This morning Camilla asked me where our water comes from. I explained to her all about the water pipes and where we get our water. She thought for a moments and then asked, "Mom, in cowboy land do they get their water from those pokey things? You know..." She had me puzzled for a second and then I helped her out, "A cactus?" She excitedly replied, "Yeah! Cactus! Do they get their water from those?" Love this girls imagination.

Joseph Turns One

Today is sweet baby Joe's first birthday. I keep wondering to myself where that whole year went! I still remember the sweet moment when we welcomed him into our little family. He came out with chunky little cheeks and a furrow in his brow. He is by far the most serious Stannix baby to date. His little looks would always make us laugh, full of such concern and soberness. We named him after both his Great-Grandpa's, Joseph Stannix and Allen Hudkins. Both very strong names and quite fitting for such a serious little boy. The first night in the hospital is one I will never forget because he cried the whole time. I cherished the quiet moments where I could just snuggle him and watch his sweet little face while he slept. 

The first couple of months proved difficult. He was constantly hungry and hard to console, but we still adored him! His older siblings couldn't get enough of kissing his soft little cheeks and holding him with help from Mom and Dad. We all looked forward to celebrating Christmas with a new baby around. There is something about having a newborn at Christmas time that turned my thoughts toward Mary and baby Jesus and really helped bring the Christmas Spirit into the home. 

As Joseph grew he became easier to deal with at nights. Because he didn't learn to sleep through the night until he was ten months old, those became our special times together. It seems that things became easier for me when I decided to change my attitude about the circumstance. With two other siblings competing for Mom time, it's sometimes tricky to give the one on one that I'd like. I cherished our night time feedings and having him sleep on my chest to squeeze in a few extra winks of sleep.

Over this last year I have watched his little smiles go from toothless to full of little baby teeth. He has become an absolute joy to mother and I adore squeezing his rolls and smooching his cheeks. His personality is different than each of his older siblings and I love his unique way of discovering and doing things. His newest favorite thing to do is to walk while carrying something heavy like a pillow or bucket of blocks. He loves a challenge and exploring his surroundings. It has been such a privilege to be his mamma and watch him grow into the cutesy little boy that he has become.

Happy first birthday Mr. Joe!

Love,

-Mom