Beat the Heat

Oh, how we are loving this weather! I think we need a bigger pool though...

Welcoming May

The month of May has come in gentle and soft. We wake early in the morning to birds singing outside our windows, and newly popped flowers on our trees. As we drive around I relish in the beautiful blossoms and the bright colored flowers that now decorate our little town. Last week a friend stopped by with a beautiful bouquet of flowers out of the blue. It totally made my day! I love having fresh flowers on my table. Even on the toughest days, they make me smile when I walk by. This is going to be a good month, I can feel it!

Mr. Fix-it

 Today my dear husband finally got some free time, and he decided to use it to install the new dishwasher! We hauled the old, smelly, drippy one out that had been sitting in my kitchen for the past few weeks and put in this fancy new one. We learned a lot doing it, but saved a lot of money! I am so glad that I have a husband who is willing to learn and try things. 

 Of course our most curious little had to investigate while we ran a practise cycle.

 My kitchen hasn't been this clean in weeks!!

A Fifth Birthday

 Five years ago today I became a Mommy to the sweetest little boy. He came to our family with a gentle, quiet nature. He was my best sleeper lasting long stretches at night. He loved cuddling and touch. He adored his big sister, and she adored him back. He fit perfectly into our family and has grown to be an awesome big brother. These last five years he has been the peacemaker. He has always had a strong desire to do right, and a tender heart. 

 I spent some time today going through baby pictures. I showed him most of them and he gave a shy smile. It always amazes me how fast the time goes. This little baby is now a big five year old, bursting with dreams, desires, and energy. He loves to learn and create and build. We are pretty proud of him!

 All day today he kept telling me, "I'm just gunna sit in this chair and think about what my present might be!" It would last a few minutes, and then he'd run off and play with his brothers. Camilla had a hard time keeping her gift a secret and ALMOST said what it was as he was unwrapping it. It was pretty cute.

 She got him a spiderman coloring book with stickers and activities. Such a thoughtful girl. 

 Joe got him a set of markers to use on his book.

 We picked up his gift back in February when we found ourselves at the mall with no kids. Every boy needs a good mitt to play catch with his Daddy! He was so pleased with it that he wore it to bed.

 After picking out his cake flavor and icing color he asked if he could help make it too! We had a lot of fun in the kitchen, and everyone got to taste some icing after school. 

 He also picked out a number "5" sparkler and was pretty excited when it got lit!

 And with one big breath he blew out all five of those candles.

I couldn't help snapping a picture of this cute card that his sister made for him. He is definitely big, and handsome, and great! It was so fun to celebrate his birthday with him tonight!

Twenty Weeks

I have made it to this point in a pregnancy a grand total of six times, and I always look forward to the ultrasound day with great anticipation. My sister made the early morning drive to watch our littles while Mr. Stannix and I escaped to the city for a date at the ultrasound clinic. The place was so great and Mike was even allowed to come in at the same time as me instead of having to wait. While the tech did the exam we got to watch a big screen. I couldn't help but grin when she first began and I could see baby's hands moving around. She went on to explain as she took pictures of the heart chambers, pointing out the good, healthy things. 

She got some great shots of the feet and counted all ten toes for us. She patiently waited for baby to open it's hands and counted all of the fingers. She got an amazing view of the leg and foot. It was so neat to have it all explained as she scanned. In all of my pregnancies, I'd never had a tech do this and it was wonderful. And then as we walked out we were handed a picture and I had to laugh. Out of all the cute profile shots she took, we got this one. Still neat though.

This pregnancy is flying by just like all the rest! My days are filled with taking care of four other littles and I sometimes forget I'm even pregnant! My belly is just starting to get big enough to be in the way, and baby has been pretty active the last couple of weeks. I always try to take a few quiet moments throughout my day to sit still enough to feel the baby and do a quick kick count. I am so grateful for a healthy pregnancy and a strong body that is able to take care of other children while growing this tiny person. We are looking forward to September!!

When it Rains

This weekend we were blessed with some much needed rain. I cracked open all of our windows and let the fresh, crisp air fill our home. As we slept we listened to the rain while our curtains danced in the wind. I was out of bed every hour from 3:00am onward soothing a teething babe and arguing over food with my three year old. At 5:00am I gave up and the three of us had an early breakfast at the kitchen table. The hardwood floor was cold on my bare feet as I tip-toed around the kitchen making food. While they quietly ate I wiped up the floor. Yesterday we discovered our dishwasher has been dripping water for the last week even though it hasn't been running. It's now sitting in the middle of my kitchen with a cookie sheet underneath it to catch the drip. It had overflowed over night and this morning I was greeted with another nice puddle. Since I had nothing better to do I started a sink full of dishes. It didn't take long before the older two joined us for breakfast. They were quick to do their morning routines and had plenty of play time before school. 

Despite the fact that I had prayed fervently that morning to be the mother I dream of being, my patience was put to the test all morning. The boys fought worse than ever and Camilla woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I had to run to the store, so I decided to drop Camilla at school on our way. She asked to bring her umbrella, but I quickly said "no". I thought of the hassle it would be for her at school, and I was frazzled from the mornings events. When we got to school I looked in my rear-view mirror to find miss Camilla choking back tears. "EVERY one has an umbrella today...." she explained in a quiet voice. My heart broke and I wished I hadn't been so quick to respond earlier. I wished more than ever that I could just keep her home for the day and hug her. We had a quick hug in the van and smoothed things over before she left for the day. As we drove away I cried, feeling like the worst mother in the world! 

As soon as we arrived home the boys resumed their morning of arguing. It drove me nuts to see them treat each other so terrible. After one of them hit the other for the fiftieth time that morning I lost it. I knelt down to their level and choked back tears while bringing them close together, "If you want to hit him, then hit him!" They both looked at me, stunned. Of course neither wanted to hit the other (even though they just had moments before). They hugged and made up and I fell onto Camilla's bed with the door shut and had a good cry. 

Just as the boys got settled into a show, the power went out. It was getting close to lunch time, so we rigged up something that didn't need cooking. The day just kept getting better!

I ran Joe to a birthday party and came home to take advantage of the time. After a few minutes of being home I noticed Finley looking around and gulping down his spit quicker than usual. I recognized the signs and ran him to the toilet. He missed, leaving me with a big puddle of puke to clean up. He was completely fine after, so I'm not sure what made him sick. I spent the next little while giving that bathroom a once over while Hyrum enjoyed some quiet time. 

I then took some time for myself and printed out a favorite quote. I framed it and hung it in our bathroom as a little reminder each day that Heavenly Father knows me, my hopes and dreams, and what I'm going through. I've been feeling lonely lately, and this quote added a measure of happiness to my day that I needed. 

We then ran to pick up Joe, stopped to do some errands, and rushed home to meet Camilla off her bus. After a quick snack we headed into the city to buy a new dishwasher. We found a really nice one, and although big purchases are stressful for me, I'm grateful that we are able to get one. We went home and enjoyed a nice family meal at DQ and topped off the evening with ice cream. The children went to bed happy and well.

 I spent a lot of my day trying to figure out how to separate the stresses of life from my mothering. A dear friend reminded me that those two things are nearly impossible to separate. There are many days filled with joy, and then there are days like these. Tough, soul searching days, where many tears are shed and I find myself stretched to capacity. I reached out to my support system. Sometimes just a phone call, a quick cry with someone listening, a sympathetic word, and some good advice is all I need to keep pushing forward. And I was so grateful today for good friends.

Sunday Snooze

Wishing I could curl up along side my little buddy this afternoon.

We've all got a bad case of the yawns.

Early Bird

I think every day this week my kids have gotten up ten minutes earlier then the last. This morning we were up just as the sky was turning a dark shade of pink. After laying on the couch feeling sorry for myself (and tired) I decided that I could use all this extra time to try and be productive. Before the older two were even awake I had bread dough rising on the counter.

They all requested pancakes for breakfast, and since we had all the time in the world I obliged. Once their tummies were full, Camilla packed up her backpack and got herself ready for the bus NICE and early. We waved her off and then I stuck the bread in the oven. While it baked Finley threw a nice little screaming fit. He hasn't been sleeping well thanks to his molars coming in and he's had a couple off days. I was finally able to distract him with a snack and then I noticed him rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. We had to meet some friends at the park, but I knew he needed a nap.

 I put him on my back in a double hammock wrap (his favorite by far) and he fell asleep within minutes. We were able to take warm cinnamon buns to the park to share, and he was able to get his snooze in.

 With the wind and cloud cover the boys opted to stay inside for a while once we got home. While the big boys played, Finley found a nice cozy patch of carpet and fell asleep again. I have a feeling it's going to be a slow day!

Best Buds

The days have been long this week! I found myself checking the clock multiple times today and it always ended up being much earlier than I hoped it was. I guess that's what happens when you get an early start to the day! Now that the sun is up sooner, the littles are waking earlier. The upside is that they are all pretty tired when bed time rolls around thanks to long afternoons outside. 

Hyrum often tells me, "Mom, Fin and I are best buds!" Today I loved watching the two of them play together. He held his little brothers hand and walked around the yard. They sat and giggled in the chairs together. They bounced on the trampoline. When I went out to check on them I found them chilling in the lawn chairs. Finley has recently learned how to fold his arms and he thinks it's a hilarious thing to do. He thought it was even better when his big brother started to copy him! 

There's been many an evening this week where I've found myself craving a slush. Yesterday the boys helped me make up my Mom's rhubarb slush. They were all pleased as punch when I suggested a glass full after lunch today. I have a feeling this is going to help pregnant me get through the Summer a lot easier!

Swimming Lessons

I signed the littles up for swimming lessons way back in January. We've been waiting and waiting for this month to arrive! When I double checked the times a couple of days before I noticed that the boys weren't registered in any classes even though my receipt showed that I had payed. I got in contact with the pool and they worked it all out for me. They ended up getting another instructor and creating a whole new class for the boys. They pretty much get private lessons every week. It's been nice to see Joseph improving so much. The first lesson he screamed and cried for most of it and would not put more than his big toe in the water. I was kind of surprised! I thought for sure he'd be my crazy fish. Now he is bravely doing back floats and gets into the big pool without hesitation. 

Camilla ended up with double lessons since her school lessons started this month too. She is loving it! She swam all on her own the other day and told me "it was incredible!" I love that I was able to get all three of them in lessons at the same time. Finley hangs out on my back in the wrap for the half hour. It works out well!