Family Campout

 These last couple of days we took the littles out west for a hike and an over-nighter. As we neared the mountains they were covered in smoke from all of the forest fires in neighboring provinces. The blue sky and sunshine was hard to find, but it eventually cleared off enough that we could enjoy the beautiful color of Abraham Lake. 

We asked my Dad to take us somewhere easy and fun and he picked the perfect place. Everyone was excited about exploring!

 

The best way to get to Allstones Creek is to walk through a culvert under the highway. The idea was exciting, but it took until the other end of the tunnel for Hyrum to get used to it!

 We wore old runners and geared up to cross the icy cold creek over and over again. 

 The whole way through the canyon I soaked in the beautiful scenery that surrounded us. I love getting out for fresh air and gorgeous views!

 Camilla was such a trooper! She loved the adventure of trying to get across the creek without getting too wet.

 Joe loved wearing his hat just like Dad and Grampa. No matter how many times I pulled it up from his eyes, he always tugged it back down so that he would have to look way up just to see the things in front of him. We all got a good chuckle out of it! Despite his tiny legs and the coolness of the water, he didn't complain even once the entire time!!

 About half way there they were getting tired of getting their feet wet and loved crossing these logs!

 Hyrum gained more and more confidence as we walked, and could eventually cross without holding someones hand.

 Finley was a delight to hike with! He is the most easy going little guy. 

 We took a little snack break half way and let Finners stretch his legs. Joseph, being the doting big brother that he is, enjoyed holding him for a few minutes.

 When the water was too deep to cross, we scaled the rocks on the edges.

 Joseph was a super determined dude and often walked without help from anyone. If he fell down he would quickly say, "Me okay!" 

 These kids love having their Daddy around!

 Finley enjoyed another break from the carrier when we finally made it to the end.

 The waterfall was exciting for the kids! 

 The whole group!

 I love this handsome guy! I love that we just grow closer together every day!

 After a little while it was time to say good-bye and hike back with our freezing children.

 Finley hitched a ride with Daddy and I carried Hyrum or Joe at the creek crossings.

 About 3/4 of the way back Grampa stopped and bent over to rest. Joseph asked what he was doing and he said, "I'm just relaxing".  Joseph let go and said, "Me relaxin' too, Gampa!"

 Despite his purple lips this guy was still the happiest camper around!

 And when we finished, everyone was still smiling! I'd call that a huge success! Once we made it back to the van we changed the kids into dry clothes and made up some lunch!

 After that we hopped on over to Crescent Falls to set up camp for the night.

 I forgot how tricky it can be to camp with a baby who just wants to roll around and practise crawling all day!

 He's so darn cute though, and happy as ever!

After a marshmallow roast, some star gazing, and some spooky stories everyone was pretty pooped. Joseph started nodding off in Daddy's arms and we decided to call it a night. 

T-I-M-E

 Somebody wise once said "Children spell love T-I-M-E". Today we didn't have any plans. Grampa spent some of the morning teaching Camilla how to play checkers. Daddy spent almost the whole day with Hyrum in the sandbox and playing catch. Joseph wandered the acreage and sat with whoever was closest to him at the time. In the late afternoon we all headed out to the choke cherry trees to pick the berries before the birds ate them all! It was a super nice, relaxing day. It was great to spend that time together. 

Summer Vacation

Our family vacation has begun! After church we loaded up the van with camping gear and bags and headed off to the Acreage for the week. Mr. Stannix hasn't been out to the Acreage in forever so we were all pretty excited! Just before we hit my hometown the mountains start to pop out behind the trees and I am filled with excitement. This time we hit my favorite place right at sunset and I just had to snap a picture of the fields and mountains brushed by the pink rays of the setting sun. 

Eight Months

 We now have an eight month old! Time is flying by so fast with this little guy! His hair is getting a bit longer and he now has three whole teeth (with another one not far behind). He has mastered rolling and gets up on his knees to rock back and forth. He is trying to pull himself up on things and is curious about his surroundings. His fine motor skills are developing and I love watching him pick up tiny pieces of food and  bring them to his mouth. He has recently learned to put himself to sleep which is totally bitter sweet. It's a lot less work at naptime and bedtime but the odd time he falls asleep in my arms or lays his head on my shoulder are now more cherished than ever. I have to laugh because it is all thanks to a spatula. I'm not sure why it is his favorite thing to nap with but it makes me chuckle every time I watch him sleep with it tucked up next to him. He seems to be growing up so quickly. I'm hoping the next thing he will master is sleeping through the night because if he's eight months old, that means I haven't had a full nights sleep in a really long time.

He gets cuter every day and is so adored. Camilla will often smooch his cheeks and say, "He's just so cute! I can't help it!" She likes to carry him around and sit with him on the couch even though he's pretty much the same size as her. She also loves to feed him his dinner while I get the table ready for our dinner. She is a great big sister. Hyrum likes to make him laugh at the dinner table and feels especially successful if he makes Finley spit out his food. Joe loves his brother and kisses his head over and over. I hardly have to remind him to be gentle while he hugs and dotes on him, but if I do he will say, "I jus kissin' him, Mom...." 

Finley is such a happy little guy full of smiles and giggles. He loves the interaction with his siblings and if he isn't in the same room as them he will often peek around a wall or the side of his highchair just to see where they are. If they laugh, he laughs. The joy he brings to our family is indescribable. I have loved watching his personality develop these last few months! He's such a great baby!

Roller-Coaster Joy

My head finally hits the pillow shortly after 10:00PM. It took everything in me to put down my book and tuck into bed for the night. While I am reading time seems to stand still and I can get lost in the pages of my book and let the worries of the day wash over me. I lie there in the dark knowing that my toddler will be at my bedside just as my eyes close begging for a hug and a snuggle to sooth his fever and sore throat. I haven't enjoyed a real nights sleep in five or six days (long enough that I've lost count) and I feel a little bitter about it. But when Joseph snuggles in next to me and I feel his warm breath on my cheek or his arm around my neck, or when Finleys chubby hands knead at my side during a late night nursing session, I remember why I keep on going. The tender feelings that accompany a hug or the touch of a baby's hand help get me through until morning.

At 5:00AM I am woken by the bathroom light and sneak out of bed to help a little boy change. I realize that I forgot to take him pee before bed and I am impressed that he made it this long. He has no more jammie bottoms in his drawer and becomes frustrated. Joseph wakes up and immediately begins coughing and fussing. I had just gotten the baby to sleep not an hour before and desperately want to keep him that way. I pick up Joe and we head down to the couch where he continues to scream and beg for a hug repeatedly for an hour while my arms are clearly wrapped around him in a hug. By now I am frustrated and wishing he would just stop before he wakes the whole house! We manage another hour of sleep on the couch and I wake up to the sound of Daddy's shoes on the floor as he tip-toes out the door to work.

And then when Joseph wakes I pour him a bowl of cheerios STAT to suppress a morning fit. He sits at the table and throws yet another "give-me-a-hug" screaming fit because he would like his yogurt first. I breath in deeply and try my hardest to maintain control. I explain that he can have his yogurt once he finishes his cheerios. While I spoon pears into the baby's mouth I hum or sing a familiar song and wait out the tantrum. It doesn't take long and soon it's like someone flicked a switch and Joseph is suddenly agreeable again. He sits back at the table holds up his chubby hand with his palm facing out and says decidedly, "No, I eat my keerios and den have a gogurt". I am happy he has finally decided to see things as I do. No yogurt until his cheerios are finished, even though they are probably soggy by now. I laugh out loud at the way Joseph makes the whole thing sound like his idea with that cute, stuffy-nosed voice of his. Two year olds truly are magnificent creatures. I continue to feed the baby spoonfuls of pureed pears while I listen to Hyrum hum away in his room as he makes his bed and gets dressed. 

Once we finish breakfast I glance around the kitchen at the dirty dishes from the night before. I decide to start my cleaning upstairs and work my way down. As I make my bed Finley fills his diaper until it's overflowing for the second day in a row. This time I managed to save the jammies. I run a shallow warm bath and Camilla volunteers to watch him while I get dressed. She rubs some soap in the palms of her hands until it gets nice and bubbly and then massages it onto his back. "This is just like what you do isn't it, Mom?" She beams up at me from the side of the tub as she rinses the bubbles away. While I pull him out and wrap him in a big white towel Camilla runs off and picks out his outfit and a new diaper without even being asked.  Meanwhile the boys race from room to room making car noises and nearly colliding at every turn. Once everyone is dressed and ready for the day we have family prayer where I thank Heavenly Father for all of our many blessings and plead for increased patience and love as I take on the day. I text Mr. Stannix and notify him that today might be a three chocolate bar day thanks to the tantrums and serious lack of sleep.

On our way to the basement I glance at the kitchen once more and take a deep breath. The dishes will wait and won't bother me as much if we are in the basement playing. After a little while Finley lies his head on the carpet with a spatula in hand and begins to fall asleep. I scoop him up and place him in his crib without a single complaint. He lets out a sigh and closes his eyes for his morning nap. I chuckle and wonder why I hadn't thought to give him a spatula earlier on in the game. Apparently teddy bears aren't his thing. 

And so goes our day. Dishes, laundry and bathrooms are among a few of the things on my to-do list and if I don't get to them there is always tomorrow! Somebody will help me make a treat for Family home evening tonight and the dishes will be stacked even higher. The requests to go to the park and bake cookies will soon begin and I am sure our day will be full to the brim with adventure. Camilla will be off to school before long, so we are enjoying these last few weeks with her at home.

Our bed time routine is gently shifting as Finley learns to fall asleep on his own and the children's needs change. It's funny how things just fall into place. As we ready for bed and I hug them tight all of the troubles from the day will be forgotten and we will start with a fresh slate in the morning. No matter how difficult or trying the day might have been it is so little compared to the grand scheme of things. I try to forget about the full bag of flour spilled on my kitchen floor, or the squares of margarine that were turned into tiny snowballs and stuck to the refrigerator door. We can always forgive and move forward and try again tomorrow. I am slowly learning and applying this. Once the children are tucked snug in their beds for the night I will crack open my book and enjoy a favorite chocolate bar or two instead of folding the mountain of laundry on my bed (that can wait for tomorrow too).

"Children are a source of joy! Not always pleasantness, and rarely easiness, but real, up-and-down, roller-coaster joy."
 -Richard and Linda Eyre

A Change of Pace

One day this week we woke up to clouds and cooler temperatures. The mornings have been chilly and the smells of Fall have started to tickle my nose. I am excited for the change of seasons, warm sweaters, canning garden goods, the smell of apple pie, and crocheting cozy slippers. After morning chores the children started bugging each other and I knew that we needed a change of pace. I declared that we were going to the play place and the children quickly put on their shoes and loaded into the van. By the time we arrived, the sun had made it's way through the clouds and I felt kind of bad wasting the day away indoors. We played for a little while and then when it got busy we took to the trails for a nice little nature walk. Everyone was thrilled to go exploring and to "get lost". We climbed the steep trails overlooking the freeway, spotted animal tracks, and listened to the different birds. As we walked their smiles widened and by the time we headed back to the van everyone was content and agreeable once again. I sure do enjoy these little nature lovers!!

Park Lovin'

 I took the kiddos for a long overdue visit to the park this week. While we were there they enjoyed a free hour long yoga session with all of the other kids at the park and a little craft. Camilla couldn't wait to join everyone for Yoga. Hyrum wasn't sure about going with Camilla but talked himself into it. I followed Joseph around and let Finley enjoy the swings and the sand. It was a very relaxing morning and everyone went away happy!

Initiation

 The kids have been taking turns getting sick. Every weekend it's someone different. This week it's Finley's turn. Mr. Stannix and I were downstairs in the kids "fort" enjoying a favorite TV show together when we heard Finley on the baby monitor. I went up and grabbed him, fed him, and then passed him to his Daddy. I was gone for maybe two minutes before I heard, "Help!" I came back to find Mr. Stannix laughing as carefully as he could so that the puke wouldn't drip anywhere else on his shirt. In our six years of parenting, Mr. Stannix has never been puked on this bad. After our tummies hurt from laughing I took the baby and sent Mr. Stannix to the shower telling him how lucky he is that he doesn't have long hair and it wasn't bananas or peaches. Oh man, I love that guy!