Yup, I'd say that looks like a successful afternoon of puddle jumping!
Friday, April 4, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Frozen
Today we went to my cousins to enjoy a Frozen party! The fun began at the door where the littles smashed small toys out of ice cubes. My cousin always has awesome ideas and rocks at hosting parties. We also enjoyed a few activities including snowman building! We had lots of volunteers to be Olaf!
Do you wanna build a snowman?
Then we all went downstairs to watch the movie! The attention spans were pretty good, and I had to chuckle when all of the girls were up playing and only a few boys remained watching. My littles had a blast though! Always fun to be with cousins and make new friends!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Hanging Around
Uncle Arland is staying with us until he and his sweetheart get married next month!
The littles have enjoyed having him here.
This morning Hyrum especially loved "hanging around" with him.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Kinda Crazy
We've had a nice busy day so far!
I think I've pulled Joseph off the table about 100 times...
This is not unusual.
We squeezed in some grocery shopping before lunch.
I always love 10% off day!
I feared the day when Hyrum would want to walk at the grocery store.
It seems we've made a pretty smooth transition.
Camilla picked bubble gum for her treat at the end.
I've got dough rising on the counter to be made into bread and cinnamon buns.
Dinner is in the slow cooker and smelling delicious.
The littles are using their funny pretend play voices and getting along.
And Joseph woke up happy and ready to get his climbing on.
Monday, March 31, 2014
For My Daughters
My mind has been pondering, my hands have been busy, and my heart has been heavy all weekend. My dear husband has had a very emotional wife for a few days now and treated me so kindly, always saying what I need to hear and hugging me tight when the tears fall. On Saturday evening I had the opportunity to attend the General Women's Meeting. Lots of the things said in that meeting were just for me! I loved that Sister Wixom talked about how our journey on the path is personal, just for us. I love that Sister Burton emphasized that we all have something to give and that keeping our covenants is the best way to strengthen our homes. I loved President Eyring's talk on trusting in the Lord and learning that our trials/tests/hardships were chosen specifically for each of us. And I most especially loved the video presentation!
Yesterday in Sunday school we talked about how the standards of the church are unchanging and how the standards of the world are ever changing. I am always grateful for the standards and values which I have. They help me be happy and live a Christ centered life and I hold them close to my heart. I cherish the covenants that I have made which have put me on the path to return to my loving Heavenly Father again someday. Because of my strong belief in these things, my heart is sometimes made heavy by the choices of others or the things that are happening in the world today.
Last night I found myself crying to my husband, "I was born in the wrong time!" Sometimes I feel very left out (this might seem confusing because I'm not going into details). But one very important thing that I gained from that Women's broadcast was unity and assurance that I am not the only one who maybe feels like they were born in the wrong time period. It isn't easy living in a world where motherhood is undervalued and sometimes frowned upon. These things are near and dear to my heart and it hurts me to think of the way the majority of the world views motherhood and homemaking. I've been feeling very "old fashioned" and alone lately. This is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and sometimes I feel like I didn't prepare myself well enough for it. It's almost impossible to prepare yourself without experiencing the sleepless nights, the amount of selflessness it requires, the working on zero sleep, the emotional strain, and the endless love it takes. But I am thankful that I prepared spiritually for this job. I am grateful for the time I could spend as a young, single adult studying my scriptures, learning about the amazing women and mothers. I am glad that I had time to be a visiting teacher and learn to serve others selflessly. And I am glad for the feeling, deep within my soul, that confirms to me that there is no calling more noble than being a mother.
I guess I'm writing this mostly for my daughters. I want them to know that they are beloved daughters of a Heavenly Father. I want them to know that motherhood is a special calling, even when the world thinks it's not. I want them to know the importance of womanhood, grace and charity. I want them to remember to be tender, when the women of the world seem harsh. I want to instill in them a love for homemaking, education, and teaching. I want them to know how much I love my Savior and how much I value the covenants that I have made in my life. I want them to remember the sacred nature of the Sacrament and take the time to ponder the atonement. And I want them to know that being a part of the largest women's organization in the world is a great privilege. I hope they will always learn from the great women with whom they associate and enjoy their time in the Relief Society organization as they grow. These are the things that are near and dear to my heart, and the things that I hope I can teach my daughters as they grow into mothers.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Days Gone By
It's Friday again. These weeks go by so quickly that I can hardly remember which day we are on. We had a few fun afternoons this week going through some family videos. The kids have been talking a lot about our old house and how much they miss this n' that about it. Seeing Hyrum's long hair and hearing his little voice and funny pronunciation made me grateful that we have at least a few funny moments captured on video, but also made me realize how quickly we can forget stages. Day to day life becomes the norm and I sometimes get used to them just the way they are. It's hard to describe. I guess we just grow with our kids and gradually all of those sleepless nights, funny toddler words, and mischievous moments get lost in our memories. I want so badly to capture those things, to be able to write descriptively enough that I can almost smell those clean fresh clothes when I dress the children. I want to be able to read back and almost feel their chubby fingers touch my skin long after they are grown. I spent a bit of time this week jotting down those sorts of things so that I could attempt to write about them in greater detail before they are erased from my memory.
Joseph is growing like crazy! He is turning into quite the toddler and his features are maturing. I took a picture of him while he bathed in the kitchen sink the other morning and he looked like a giant in that little sink. It made me realize just how quickly he is growing and changing. This whole week he has slept in until passed 7:00am (which is pretty much unheard of for him). He starts his day full of energy and then slows down around lunch. He frequently falls asleep in his highchair in the midst of chaos and crazy older siblings. He prefers to nap from 11:00am on which makes for long afternoons spent playing and a very tired boy at dinner. If I am ever on the computer he will do something like jump dangerously on the couch or play with the DVD player to get me up. Then he will run over and try to steal my computer chair away. He's pretty goofy and quite the mastermind! He is really starting to express himself and his vocabulary is coming along nicely. He loves to drop stuff and exclaim, "Uh-Ohhhhh!" This week he has started pointing at things and saying, "Dat, dat!" or "I-an-dat!" He also says "Hot" anytime he is near the oven or sees me cooking. He is the biggest eater I've ever had. I can't decide if he is right or left handed yet because he holds his utensil with his left hand and then shovels in the food with his free right hand. He eats his food until it's gone and often asks for seconds! He loves music and can really feel the beat. If he is strapped in somewhere when the music plays he will swing his foot or shake his head. He loves to dance while holding his big sisters hands, it's something special they share. I love the way he smells like fresh laundry when I hug him and I extra love smooching the soft skin on the back of his neck and running my fingers through his long, thin hair. He likes to go to bed between 6:30 and 7:00pm and always sleeps with his knees tucked beneath his tummy and his face buried in his blankets or hands.
Hyrum is a sweet little boy (when he wants to be). He doesn't like to be told what to do, especially when it comes to the potty. But if you make suggestions or give him two choices to pick from he is almost always happy to oblige. I often have to ask him 100 times to go pee after seeing him march around the house (that's his potty dance) with his knees pretty much coming to his chin every time. He likes to practise his listening skills and repeat everything Camilla tells him in question form. "Oh, to the airport?" "Oh, an idea?" The other day he wasn't feeling well and when I asked him what was wrong he told me, "My fingers are cwanky..." It made me laugh. He loves his sister. While we were watching Camilla at her swim lessons I noticed he was looking sad. He had kind of a pouty lip and his head was down. I asked what was wrong and he responded, "I miss Camilla, Mommy..." Those two are quite the pair and it makes my heart swell to see how much they love each other. He still calls Joseph "Joe-Fed". It cracks me up. This week I've also been reminded that he is my snuggly one. He still needs snuggles and still climbs on my lap or asks to be cuddled. "Mommy, can you cuddow me?" Ah! It melts my heart! If I've learned anything this week, it's that every kid loves a good cuddle once in a while. His speech is hilarious. He calls a skittle a "ksittle" and Spider-man "Psider-man" and a picture a "Psichure". Cheese whiz is "Cheese Wheeze" (which is hilarious) and he calls the bathroom fan the "Ghost Light". He has pretty much given up his afternoon naps. When the toy room is clean he will run circles around the cleared carpet and beg to be chased! He always asks me to lay with him for a while at bed time. I was a stickler about that with Camilla, but Hyrum's little voice always sucks me in (or perhaps motherhood has given me experience). He loves when I scratch his arms at bedtime or pinch them lightly. He's quick to fall asleep, especially when I draw on his face or play with his hair. And he will always tuck his arms behind his head and twitch to let you know he's really asleep. I cherish those few minutes at bed time where it's just the two of us and he whispers, "I love you, Mommy" while I snuggle him. He still visits our bed a couple of nights each week, but someone told me that won't last forever (obviously) either, so I pick my battles.
Camilla is full of laughter and loves games. She likes to throw snowballs at me and giggle at my reaction. She has a game for everything including dinner. The other day she played where she would take one bit and then one sip of water. She explained it all to me and then asked, "Does that sound fun?" She is also crazy observant! She discovered a funny thing about spoons while admiring her reflection in one. If you look at yourself in the front of a spoon, you will be upside down, but if you look at yourself on the back of a spoon, you will be right side up. In my whole life I've never thought about that, or noticed. She is still plugging away at her piano and some basic math. We are currently working on subtraction and perfecting writing our numbers. She loves to chop things up for me. The other day she chopped the celery for the soup while Hyrum peeled the carrots. While they were working hard, I thought I'd take the opportunity to throw in a load of laundry. As I'm heading downstairs Camilla says, "Don't worry Mom, we like helping! You can just do all of the easy jobs because you're sick and I don't want your fingers getting too tired or anything!". She's such a big helper and has unloaded the dishwasher a couple of times this week without being asked. Her stuffed animals are very important to her and there's still hardly any room for her in the bed at night. She left her special "Hugh" at Gramma and Grampa's last time we were out and had to Skype him to make sure he was enjoying his time there. She comes up with the funniest names. So far we have Matilda (a duck), Deedee (a giraffe), Cody (her favorite husky dog), Hugh (cody's baby dog), Gerald Cuthbert (the panda), Turwillabee (the turtle) and others. Today she asked for some cuddles to warm up in the cold basement. I loved holding her close, all wrapped up in a blanket while she put her head on my shoulder. I couldn't help but smooch her cheeks (even though I figured she's getting a little old ). So many memories came back as she nestled her little body into mine. I have loved the extra cuddle time this week!
Joseph is growing like crazy! He is turning into quite the toddler and his features are maturing. I took a picture of him while he bathed in the kitchen sink the other morning and he looked like a giant in that little sink. It made me realize just how quickly he is growing and changing. This whole week he has slept in until passed 7:00am (which is pretty much unheard of for him). He starts his day full of energy and then slows down around lunch. He frequently falls asleep in his highchair in the midst of chaos and crazy older siblings. He prefers to nap from 11:00am on which makes for long afternoons spent playing and a very tired boy at dinner. If I am ever on the computer he will do something like jump dangerously on the couch or play with the DVD player to get me up. Then he will run over and try to steal my computer chair away. He's pretty goofy and quite the mastermind! He is really starting to express himself and his vocabulary is coming along nicely. He loves to drop stuff and exclaim, "Uh-Ohhhhh!" This week he has started pointing at things and saying, "Dat, dat!" or "I-an-dat!" He also says "Hot" anytime he is near the oven or sees me cooking. He is the biggest eater I've ever had. I can't decide if he is right or left handed yet because he holds his utensil with his left hand and then shovels in the food with his free right hand. He eats his food until it's gone and often asks for seconds! He loves music and can really feel the beat. If he is strapped in somewhere when the music plays he will swing his foot or shake his head. He loves to dance while holding his big sisters hands, it's something special they share. I love the way he smells like fresh laundry when I hug him and I extra love smooching the soft skin on the back of his neck and running my fingers through his long, thin hair. He likes to go to bed between 6:30 and 7:00pm and always sleeps with his knees tucked beneath his tummy and his face buried in his blankets or hands.
Hyrum is a sweet little boy (when he wants to be). He doesn't like to be told what to do, especially when it comes to the potty. But if you make suggestions or give him two choices to pick from he is almost always happy to oblige. I often have to ask him 100 times to go pee after seeing him march around the house (that's his potty dance) with his knees pretty much coming to his chin every time. He likes to practise his listening skills and repeat everything Camilla tells him in question form. "Oh, to the airport?" "Oh, an idea?" The other day he wasn't feeling well and when I asked him what was wrong he told me, "My fingers are cwanky..." It made me laugh. He loves his sister. While we were watching Camilla at her swim lessons I noticed he was looking sad. He had kind of a pouty lip and his head was down. I asked what was wrong and he responded, "I miss Camilla, Mommy..." Those two are quite the pair and it makes my heart swell to see how much they love each other. He still calls Joseph "Joe-Fed". It cracks me up. This week I've also been reminded that he is my snuggly one. He still needs snuggles and still climbs on my lap or asks to be cuddled. "Mommy, can you cuddow me?" Ah! It melts my heart! If I've learned anything this week, it's that every kid loves a good cuddle once in a while. His speech is hilarious. He calls a skittle a "ksittle" and Spider-man "Psider-man" and a picture a "Psichure". Cheese whiz is "Cheese Wheeze" (which is hilarious) and he calls the bathroom fan the "Ghost Light". He has pretty much given up his afternoon naps. When the toy room is clean he will run circles around the cleared carpet and beg to be chased! He always asks me to lay with him for a while at bed time. I was a stickler about that with Camilla, but Hyrum's little voice always sucks me in (or perhaps motherhood has given me experience). He loves when I scratch his arms at bedtime or pinch them lightly. He's quick to fall asleep, especially when I draw on his face or play with his hair. And he will always tuck his arms behind his head and twitch to let you know he's really asleep. I cherish those few minutes at bed time where it's just the two of us and he whispers, "I love you, Mommy" while I snuggle him. He still visits our bed a couple of nights each week, but someone told me that won't last forever (obviously) either, so I pick my battles.
Camilla is full of laughter and loves games. She likes to throw snowballs at me and giggle at my reaction. She has a game for everything including dinner. The other day she played where she would take one bit and then one sip of water. She explained it all to me and then asked, "Does that sound fun?" She is also crazy observant! She discovered a funny thing about spoons while admiring her reflection in one. If you look at yourself in the front of a spoon, you will be upside down, but if you look at yourself on the back of a spoon, you will be right side up. In my whole life I've never thought about that, or noticed. She is still plugging away at her piano and some basic math. We are currently working on subtraction and perfecting writing our numbers. She loves to chop things up for me. The other day she chopped the celery for the soup while Hyrum peeled the carrots. While they were working hard, I thought I'd take the opportunity to throw in a load of laundry. As I'm heading downstairs Camilla says, "Don't worry Mom, we like helping! You can just do all of the easy jobs because you're sick and I don't want your fingers getting too tired or anything!". She's such a big helper and has unloaded the dishwasher a couple of times this week without being asked. Her stuffed animals are very important to her and there's still hardly any room for her in the bed at night. She left her special "Hugh" at Gramma and Grampa's last time we were out and had to Skype him to make sure he was enjoying his time there. She comes up with the funniest names. So far we have Matilda (a duck), Deedee (a giraffe), Cody (her favorite husky dog), Hugh (cody's baby dog), Gerald Cuthbert (the panda), Turwillabee (the turtle) and others. Today she asked for some cuddles to warm up in the cold basement. I loved holding her close, all wrapped up in a blanket while she put her head on my shoulder. I couldn't help but smooch her cheeks (even though I figured she's getting a little old ). So many memories came back as she nestled her little body into mine. I have loved the extra cuddle time this week!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
The Family Journal
I have checked the mail a gazillion times this week and today I finally got what I've been waiting for! I ordered volume II of last years blog book a little while ago and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Each book seems to have it's own little quirks and this one is no exception. For some reason the background on the front cover didn't stretch all the way to the edges, and I'm sure there's a spelling mistake or two. We have quite the collection of blog books now and I look forward to organizing the next one in July!
After we got back from our walk to the mail box, we decided to soak up some sunshine in the backyard. Despite the serious look on Joe's face, he really enjoys the outdoors and would stay out all day if he could! I can't wait until Summer when we can spend all our time outside!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
My Little Picasso's
This morning we woke up to snow again. I enjoyed an early morning chat with my Mamma where she reminded me that a little spilled water on my floor is nothing to get upset over (it's the weather I tell you!). After I got off the phone, I took a deep breath and taped some paper to the wall so that we could spend the rest of the morning creating a giant masterpiece. I love the crayola finger paints because they are 100% washable. My walls and floors weren't hurt in the least bit, and the littles had so much fun just being left to it!
We started out with a nice blank piece of paper. Joseph loved getting messy! I often think of Ms. Frizzle off the magic school bus, "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" That attitude is pretty much a must when you have children.
And boy did they love it!
I just took a step back, ignored the blue paint on my baseboards and watched their excited eyes.
We had some serious moments. I love that face!
Lots of concentration!
And a little bit of fun!
Mr. H couldn't resist squishing and paint between his fingers!
He's all about exploring things by touch and feel.
Love these littles of mine!
Joe enjoyed a bath in the sink while we finished up!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Life Size
Camilla and Mr. H spent the morning making a life sized version of themselves. I traced their bodies on a big roll of paper and let them color and cut it out. Camilla painted her finger nails and colored her shirt the exact same as the one she was wearing. Hyrum wanted his to be a super hero with his favorite color shirt. It was a fun way to teach them about their bodies and give them a sense of self identity. Camilla loved it! She's such a funny girl lately. This morning she paid Hyrum 10 cents to make her bed! She's pretty resourceful when she wants to be!
Friday, March 21, 2014
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