"Chile Kids"

 Today the littles woke excited to pick up Grampa from the airport. He's been in Chile for a few weeks with my brother checking out my brother's mission area. They had a wonderful time! Joe frequently talks about his Grampa to friends and strangers at the grocery store. One friend asked, "Where's your Grampa?" Without skipping a beat Joe replied with a shrug, "He's eatin' Chile..." 

 This afternoon Grampa started a pretty epic water fight with the boys. I got a kick out of watching Finley's face as he sprayed his big brothers. They were good sports and ran in for more over and over again. I think they liked hearing their little brother laugh just as much as the rest of us!

 While the three of them played in a freshly filled pool we enjoyed a slush and a chat in the shade. It was fun to hear about their experiences in Chile and compare them to my experience in Costa Rica. I always love hearing about other cultures!

 

 Just before Grampa left he gifted the kids with these adorable little ponchos. They loved them so much they even wore them to bed! After putting his on, Hyrum said, "If we get on a plane with these on and fly to Chile, they're gunna think we're Chile kids!" A laugh escaped me. These little blue-eyed gringo's would stick out like sore thumbs. It's so fun seeing into their minds sometimes. Oh, how they must see the world!

Finley cuddled up and said "cheese" again. I couldn't help myself. Thanks so much for the gifts Grampa!

Plumber Mum

I have spent the last few days trying to fix our kitchen sink on and off. The poor kids have gotten neglected a teensy bit as far as quality time goes. If they needed anything they would come find me, cross legged on the floor taking apart the pipes under the sink. All of the plumbers I called couldn't make it out until next week and I was going crazy without my sink! Today a good neighbor offered to borrow us his plumbers snake. Mr. Stannix tried it a few times, and then had to run to a meeting. I'd come this far and I wasn't about to give up no matter how much my body ached from hauling buckets of non-draining water out of the sink. I snaked it three more times, pouring boiling water down in between each. I finally cleared the blockage by some miracle in the late afternoon and might have jumped up and down a few times in the kitchen. The kids could also be found jumping for joy, they had their mommy back! We ordered pizza and spent the rest of the day at a nearby park to celebrate!

Steady and Sure

 Life has been steady in the Stannix home lately. This week was a tough Mommy week and I often fell asleep feeling inadequate and frustrated with how things were going. Watching the boys bike in the yard while Finley napped today brought joy back into my heart. Hyrum loves helping his brother learn to ride his two wheeler and does it with such patience and love. Hyrum would push the bike up to the top of the little hill and then tell Joseph the best way to get on, which foot to put where. After reassuring Joe that he would never let go, he would carefully grip the handle bars and run along side his little brother down the hill. As he ran, he cheered him on, and then let go for just a few seconds at the bottom to help Joe learn to stop and put his foot down. Once he hopped off his bike they would both jump up and down excitedly and give high fives. They did this for a good half an hour, and I loved every moment. 

There are days where I struggle being a stay at home Mommy, but these little moments help ground me, and remind me why I wanted to do this gig in the first place. I do this for the hugs, the "I love you's", the bed time stories, the hilarious conversations, the learning experiences I get to witness, and the atmosphere I get to create in our home. 

This afternoon Hyrum came up to me while I fiddled with the pipes under the sink and told me he wanted to fly to the sun. I explained to him that it would be much too hot to land on the sun, so he changed his mind and decided he'd like to go to the moon instead. "But not when it's small, " he said, "just when it's round so I can land better." I smiled and explained that the moon is always round, even though it doesn't always look like that in the sky. More questions followed and we had a great time learning together! 

I am so grateful that I get to be home with my littles all day, even though it's hard. I love teaching them and learning with them. I love when I get a glimps into their giant imaginations. I love hearing their thoughts and watching the wheels turn as they process new information. And the look on each of their faces as they came down that hill will be etched in my mind forever.

A Cloudy Monday

 When I looked out the window this morning the clouds were dark and the trees were bent as their leaves danced in the wind. The little ones stayed snug in their beds just a little bit longer than usual thanks to the cooler weather, and I was the first one in the kitchen. They filled their tummies with pancakes and then we got ready for our day. After Camilla left the boys and I tried out a new playdough recipe.

 It was soft and wonderful! The boys played all morning long with their cars and cookie cutters.

 Finley climbed his way onto a chair and planted himself right in the middle of the table where he giggled and played right alongside his brothers.

 There is something about a cloudy day that awakes within me a desire to bake. 

While the boys happily played I made up 2 1/2 dozen pumpkin muffins, four loaves of whole wheat bread, a pail of rhubarb slush, and some beef barley soup. It was the most productive morning I've had in a long time, and it felt good. Our house smelled amazing!

I put my feet up for a little while in the late afternoon. While I was lying on the couch the baby started to tumble around. Camilla quickly came over and giggled as she felt it kick. Hyrum wanted a turn next and couldn't hide his little smirk. They sat around me for the next little while taking turns feeling baby. A sweet moment I will treasure always. Then they skipped off and let their imaginations run wild until dinner. I snuck upstairs and started some tomato herb bread to go with our soup. We enjoyed it for dinner hot out of the oven, smothered in butter. All in all, a pretty productive day I'd say!

Motherhood: Reaching Divinity

To the Mother of my children:

A few years ago we attended a social event together.  During the event we met and talked with many different couples and in the course of our conversations the question "What do you do"? frequently came up.  Many of the women had expressed to us impressive career or educational achievements which I found out from later conversations left you feeling inferior as you answered, "I'm a stay at home mom".

I'm grateful we live in a time where society encourages women to contribute more than ever before!  However, I fear that somehow whether, lost in translation, or completely left out, society has forgotten that of all the contributions that women can make, motherhood excellest them all (Proverbs 31:29).  I have spent a significant portion of my life striving for educational and professional milestones which have been a source of security and blessings to our family, but the work I do pales in significance to the work you do, for the work you are engaged in is divine!

When I watch you with our children these questions I heard not long ago come to mind:

"How is it that a human being can love a child so deeply that you willingly give up a major portion of your freedom for it? How can mortal love be so strong that you voluntarily subject yourself to responsibility, vulnerability, anxiety, and heartache and just keep coming back for more of the same? What kind of mortal love can make you feel, once you have a child, that your life is never, ever your own again? Maternal love has to be divine. There is no other explanation for it. What mothers do is an essential element of Christ’s work. Knowing that should be enough to tell us the impact of such love will range between unbearable and transcendent, over and over again, until with the safety and salvation of the very last child on earth, we can [then] say with Jesus, ‘[Father!] I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." - Jeffrey R. Holland

I sometimes look at the small world you have created for our children and smile at how beautiful you have made it for them.  You have given our children the most important thing they will ever take with them in this life, the love of their mother!

As the years have passed I see now the confidence in your response to that question we were repeatedly asked during that social event many years ago.  The work you are engaged in has brought beauty, wisdom, virtue, glory and honor upon your countenance.  Surely your children and husband will call you blessed because many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all!

I love you and hope today and every day you feel God's gratitude for your service to Him as a Mother, because you certainly have mine!

Love,

The Father of your children

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!