Some Little Things

I was just reading through the blog archive and came across some good memories (here, here, and here). I'm always amazed at how much I forget and I love reading back and remembering little things like the way Camilla said "Danx" instead of thanks, and then comparing to the way Hyrum says "Ganx" instead of thanks. It's so easy to forget those funny little words and pronunciations. So, in an effort to amuse my future self and perhaps my children, here are some little things I've jotted down the last few weeks.

Camilla is becoming quite the little actress. She loves performing scenes from movies and playing pretend. She is also absolutely a hoot to talk to! She always leaves me giggling to myself. This morning I discovered she had given herself some nice eye length bangs in the front. Mostly I was just thankful that she didn't go as short as I did when I was a kid because buzz cuts aren't pretty... She has a comedic little voice that she uses sometimes. My favorite saying of hers is, "Heeeeeeeh-LO there!" said with crazy eyes and a bit of a bounce. Another funny word is restaurant which she pronounces "rester-naut". She loves to talk and talk and talk. Just tonight I tucked her in and she talked for almost ten minutes. I don't even think she cared if I was listening or not, but every now and then I'd chime in to let her know I was listening. She cracks me up. She is a fabulous big sister though and seems so mature for her age. The problem's she solves amaze me, she amazes me...One day I was in the kitchen with the older two. Joseph was napping I think and they were creating a small rocket ship from cardboard and pipecleaners in the middle of the kitchen floor. All was quiet and then suddenly Hyrum says, "I wike nursery, but sometimes kids are mean..." In my mind I flashed forward to when they are both teenagers and able to share and help each other. Camilla thoughtfully responded (while still tinkering away on her rocketship) "Well, sometimes you just have to be nice to them still. Or when there's a new visitor, you can welcome them by smiling and being their friend." My heart burst with love! At a party the other night she told everybody, "messy is my middle name!" I had to laugh.

Hyrum still draws on everything and anything. The other day I had pen stick figures on my kitchen wall. They crack me up though because his little people look like cartoon versions of Princess Leia the way he draws the ears. I also discovered some marker on Camilla's sheets and curtains. I didn't have to ask who did it because he pretty much signed his name with his special extra wide "H". Even when I did ask him about it, he denied it 100%. All I could do was sigh and roll my eyes. Then there was one morning Mr. H told me he didn't want his breakfast, but I knew he'd want it later. He likes to change his mind, so I left it. He came back to the table a few minutes later ready to get grumpy and was stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his breakfast still where he'd left it. He still never finished it, but I felt a small sense of victory. One tantrum avoided! Today he put his noise making motor bike under water and as I type it keeps going off randomly. I also have to laugh when I vacuum and he goes, "Snuck up this Mommy!" instead of "suck". They like when I take the end off and suck up their hair. A phrase I heard often this week was, "Mommy! There's some great news!..." or "Mommy! There's some funny news!" I can't believe how well he speaks lately. He also corrects himself when he prays and tries to remember to say "Thank-you" instead of "Gank-you". He's growing up too fast!

Joseph has changed the most of the three I think. He loves to vacuum for me and often runs to the door where it's stored exclaiming "BA!". Although this week he sucked up a sock and plugged the central vac for a while! Today I couldn't get over how scrumptious his little cheeks were. I had to kiss them over and over again. He runs everywhere he goes and his energy is endless! He also climbs on E-V-E-R-Y thing. The other day he tried to climb up the stove, but the door came open, he fell on his bottom, and the oven door snapped shut. He wasn't sure what to think and hasn't tried again since. Sometimes I'll also find him dangling infront of the dishwasher or off the counter top. I quite literally pull him off the table at least 100 times a day. He is getting better at communicating, but mostly uses the word "dat!" for everything. His first "sentence" was "I-an-dat!" (I want that). If you guess right, he will often clap with excitement. He usually only asks for things food related, his tummy is a bottomless pit. He does this cute thing where he holds his arms out and twists his hands around when you're close to handing him something. He says "Up" when he wants up, and "Up" when he wants down. He doesn't much like to be carried around and will protest until you let him walk, even in a parking lot or grocery store (thank goodness for the cookie, or he might not sit in the cart!). When I fill up his cup with water I remind myself that half of it will be purposely dumped on the floor. At least he grabs a towel and wipes it up after! He loves his older siblings and interacts a lot more with them now. He says something resembling "milla" for Camilla. There was also a hilarious moment that I captured on camera when we were playing in the backyard. Joseph got his hands on a shovel and found a nice little puddle. He scooped up a shovel full of water and then carefully turned around and slowly walked over to Hyrum. I wasn't too sure what he was going to do, but when he got close enough he tried to throw it on his brother's head. I broke into giggles pretty fast. Thankfully by the time he'd made it across the yard, his shovel was empty, and Hyrum was completely oblivious to what was going on. When we were out at the Acreage, he had a hard time going to sleep. He stood at the edge of his crib wimpering "Maaaaama! Ow-T!" How could I resist? That little boy holds my heart pretty tight. Probably because he's the youngest.

I love being with these guys everyday, crazy and all! And I love that I will be able to look back on this one day and smile. I love reading back on crazy days and remembering because even the terrible seems to fade away with time, and I don't want to forget those moments that tried my patience and helped me become who I am today. Life is so, so good even when there's things being flushed down the toilet, sucked up the vacuum, thrown in the garbage, spilled, or broken. I wouldn't change what I have for anything!

The Long Drive One's

Whenever we say that we are going to Gramma and Grampa's the littles always ask if it's "the long drive one's, or the other one's". It was nice to escape the city this week and go to "the long drive one's". We stayed over night and I got to snuggle in the King bed with the littles. 

Gramma bought them new puzzles to try out. Camilla was quite pleased that she could do them almost all on her own. Hyrum enjoyed part of an afternoon doing puzzles with Great-Gramma Purdon. Such a treat!

The weather was still chilly, but Mr. H and Camilla were determined to spend some time outside. Joe is also the happiest when he's enjoying the great outdoors. They did some bubble blowing and also dug around a bit in the sandbox that Grampa built for them last Summer.

 Oh how I love my little drama queen. 

After the big kids had their fill on the quad, Grampa took Joseph for a short spin around the yard. He was almost asleep by the time they got back! They played hard and enjoyed every minute. They fell asleep just on the other side of town and I had to pretty much slap myself to stay awake for the 2 1/2 hours home. Thanks for the fun Gramma and Grampa!

Road Trippin'

Today I woke up at 5:00am and had a hard time falling back to sleep. I think I was just excited for what the day had in store. Every so often I get an itch to get out of the city and Mr. Stannix lovingly sends me to the Acreage to enjoy some time with my parents. I always hate leaving him and spending time apart, but I know it does me good in the end. This morning we ate breakfast and got our shoes on to leave before Daddy even went to work. We all left him with kisses and hugs before climbing into the van.

We had a pretty nice drive all the way out. The littles were watching a movie on the DVD player and I just kind of zoned out and let my mind go crazy. I did some planning for a few upcoming parties, pondered life, thought about what I've accomplished in my 25 years, and admired the beauty all around. It was nice to drive the highway for a few hours and just think.

 

My favorite part of the drive was the last stretch. The trees were all frosted and snow covered and glistened in the sun. I always get extra excited when I reach the stretch of highway where the mountains appear in the distance. I miss the mountains sometimes and when I see them they always make me think of home.

 

Excitement filled the air as we crossed the river and neared the Acreage. Camilla's been here so often that she practically knows the way and can tell when we are getting close. We pulled in shortly after 9:00am and enjoyed a smoothie and warm banana bread (made by great-gramma Purdon). Shortly after that Camilla and Mr. H took off with Grampa for a drive. They got spoiled with hard ice cream and some time on a farm with some cute puppies.  While they were gone I slipped into town with Joseph to visit a friend of mine and drop a gift off for her new baby boy. She was pretty much my best friend growing up and then we seemed to drift a part for a while. It was nice to catch up and it felt a lot like old times. I will always cherish the fun we had as kids quading, scoping out boys, the endless sleepovers, and sharing secrets.

 

We are here for just one more day before we make our way back to the city. The littles are looking forward to a quad ride from Grampa and some puddle jumping tomorrow! It's good to be home...

 

Mr. Stannix, if you are reading this, I love you!!

 

Twenty-Five

 Today I turned 25. It was a wonderful birthday full of wishes from friends and family. I woke up to a smooch from my sweetheart and a beautiful pair of white gold earrings. The littles then ran to their rooms and pulled pictures from under their beds that they had been saving for my birthday. Camilla's homemade card read "BE HAPEY". Loved it! My morning was filled with phone calls. My parents even sang "happy birthday" to me over the phone.

My sister popped by at lunch with fresh tulips and treats.  Mr. Stannix was able to sneak away from work a bit early and brought home the traditional ice cream cake and our favorite pizza. I loved how clean my kitchen stayed all day since I didn't have to make dinner.

It was a great day thanks to those that I love most!

Conference Weekend

 We have had a really great General Conference weekend. I love snuggling up on the couch with my family and listening to our leaders. Poor Mr. Stannix had to go in to work on Saturday (darn tax season) so I snuggled with the littles on the basement floor and we watched Conference on the computer. Hyrum snuggled right up next to me and then Joe rolled over and cuddled up to my side and fell asleep part way through. The rest of that session was blissful and quiet. The kids were so good!

 There was some really great talks in the morning session. I loved how Linda S. Reeves emphasised the importance of DAILY scripture study and prayer, and weekly Family Home Evening over having a clean house etc. I also felt that President Eyring's talk was just for me. He talked about never forcing righteousness (with our kids) because it's something that must be chosen. And that we should be living in such a way that we are SHOWING our children the joy that comes from living righteously. He also said that as we choose the right, we will find happiness....in time. I feel like the burden of the trial that our family has gone through this year can be eased by righteous living and faith, and I know that things will work out in due time. 

 The afternoon session was equally awesome. I loved W. Craig Zwick's talk. He focused on kindness and charity and having civility even when we disagree. He spoke on settling disagreements with words "firm in information, but soft in spirit". His talk was a great help to me and the things that I have been pondering.

This morning we hung out with Uncle Arland and Naomi until they left for Gramma and Grampa's. Joseph is really warming up to his uncle. He always goes over to him and says, "Oof" while pointing to the roof. He is such a little dare devil! 

Today's sessions of conference were full of great things! President Uchtdorf started off the morning with a fabulous talk on gratitude. He emphasized that being grateful during our trials helps us have a glorious life. He also mentioned that we should be grateful IN our circumstances, whatever they may be. I think sometimes it's easier to be grateful when all is well. David A. Bednar gave a great talk using an analogy of a truck with a load of wood. He asked us to assess our loads and make sure they are producing spiritual traction. Our beloved Prophet concluded the session. I loved how he said that the people we meet are those God has asked us to love. Sometimes it's hard to reach out to others, but man is it important!

We took a break for lunch in between sessions. I was hoping to keep Joseph up for a while so that he would nap through the afternoon session, but the little guy always has a hard time staying awake past 11:00am. Just as we were getting ready to go play, he started nodding off in his chair. He does this quite often, usually with noise and chaos going on around him!

The afternoon session was lovely, though I always have a hard time staying awake for all of the talks. Boyd K. Packer mentioned that knowledge of ETERNAL VALUE comes only by prayer and pondering. I also loved Michaiel John U. Teh's talk about how we spend our time. He asked us to learn to recognize when we have enough (stuff) so that we can focus more on the spiritual aspects of our lives (scripture study, prayer, temple attendance). He also counseled us to put more quality time and effort into strengthening our home and family relationships. How true this is in our world today where we can so easily be distracted by technology and devices. When Mr. Stannix and I were discussing this I mentioned how it's interesting that the word "device" has the word "vice" in it. Sometimes they can be just that, a vice, if we don't use them properly. 

I am so glad we were able to watch this conference and be uplifted! I definitely have a desire to be better and to try harder.

One Fine Day

Yup, I'd say that looks like a successful afternoon of puddle jumping!

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!

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.

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.

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.