Sunny Saturday

Today we enjoyed a nice relaxing Saturday together as a family! We started the morning with some french toast, strawberries and homemade syrup. We had no commitments, no where to be, no schedule, and I loved it! Daddy got to spend the day at home and the littles pretty much followed him around all day. 

When Daddy went out to mow the lawn, these three sat and watched from the step. I love the way their personalities are just bursting in this picture. I love how grown up Joe is getting. He's such a chill guy. I adore him. And Miss Camilla is such a proud big sister!

We finally figured out how to work the underground sprinklers and enjoyed cooling off in them a couple times throughout the afternoon. Daddy and Finley made a run for it and I loved listening to them laugh together.

I think it's going to be a fun Summer!

These two totally melt my heart! 

Mid afternoon we found ourselves with five extra neighbor kids in our yard. They all enjoyed jumping on the trampoline, dipping their feet in the kiddie pool and catching ants. Mike and I sat out in the shade watching them all play. I have a feeling our Summer afternoons are going to be full of friends! It was such a relaxing day, and the weather couldn't have been better. After the littles went to sleep Mike and I sat in the yard and talked until it got too cold. It was so great to spend that time together!

Laughter & Love

Today I got to have all of my littles home with me. We have had some rough nights with teething, restless sleeps, and bad dreams. My little girl came to our bedside in the middle of the night needing comfort after a bad dream and snuggled in next to me. Her hair, still in a messy bun from the day before tickled at my nose as she fell asleep wrapped in my arms. I am so glad that my children come to me for comfort and I gladly let them jump in our bed in the middle of the night whenever they need it. She woke happy and content and before long my bed was full of littles still rubbing sleep from their eyes. They each got tickles from Daddy before he got ready to go to work, and then we made our way to the kitchen for breakfast. I can't help but smile at Finley as he skips into the kitchen on his tippy-toes as giggles bubble up from his little belly. Mornings like these are cherished and tucked in my back pocket for later.

Since we weren't in any rush to get to school or catch a bus, we took it easy. I loved not having to look at the time as we ate and got ready for the day. Once everything was tidy and beds were made we took a drive to explore a new park. I am always amazed at how much my children teach me each day. I loved watching them interact and show love all morning. The older two took charge of Finley and held his hand as we walked around the water to the park. Joseph wrapped his chubby hand around mine and grinned up at me to tell me how much he loved me.

And the joy on their faces as they explored was unforgettable. I wished I could capture every moment, each smile. I wished I could photograph the sparkle in Camilla's eyes as she made her way across the monkey bars. I wished I could get a close up of Hyrum's grin as he swung high on the swings. I wanted to get a shot of Joseph's eyebrows as he told me a rather expressive story about the fun bumpy slide.

Before long, it was time to leave. Although we had a free day, we did have an appointment to make at the eye doctors. Everyone got their eyes checked and did amazing! No glasses this year!

The rest of our afternoon was spent around home. After lunch the games of pretend began and they were all in their own little world. They went back and forth to the park a couple of times and hung out with some neighborhood kids. I got some time to myself while Finley napped to sit and think. I enjoyed my cup of apple juice from the kitchen table while keeping an eye on my growing children at the park. 

In the late afternoon we took blankets out to the yard and admired the beauty around us. It was a perfect day with blue skies and a slight breeze. It was fun to just lay out on the lawn with them and listen to their stories and insights and questions. Life is so exciting when you're a kid! Everything is new and fun.

We finished off the night making homemade pizza's. Daddy got home a bit early and helped with the toppings. Our kitchen was filled with laughter and love, just the way I like it. Being a Momma is not always easy, but days like this make it worth it!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

I love any excuse to celebrate! Today was a super busy day with babysitting and bread making, but I still managed to pull off some Mexican food for dinner. I made up some Mexican Cream Cheese Chicken in the crockpot, and a batch of homemade tortilla's. We wrapped the chicken up with some guacamole, rice, and grated cheese. I always forget how filling these wraps can be! They are so much tastier than store bought, and always worth the extra time! I rolled them out with Finley stuck to my leg and Joseph munching crackers on the counter next to me. Now we get to eat left overs for the next three days!

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.