In My Kitchen

We woke up to clouds today. I am certain there is snow moving in from the West. The dark skies out my kitchen window made me want to curl up with a crochet project or bake something yummy for the littles. Oliver cooed at me from his bassinet while Hyrum and I mixed up some pumpkin muffins on this rather chilly afternoon. 

When Oliver started to fuss, Hyrum hopped off the counter and went to the rescue. He held his baby brother while I filled the muffin tins and cleaned up the kitchen. While Hyrum smooshed his cheeks into Oliver's he laughed. 

I quietly smiled at his long, dark eye-lashes and his genuine smile. A genuine Hyrum smile is hard to come by sometimes. He is such an old soul, that little Hyrum of mine. 

I love it when he gets really into a moment and can't help but flash that handsome smile of his.

There was a lot of happiness in my kitchen today....

Oliver's Blessing Day

Oliver was given a name and a blessing today at church.  We felt so blessed to have family visit this weekend to celebrate with us! I quietly woke him shortly before we had to leave and dressed him in his little white blessing outfit. I grabbed his special white blanket made by the delicate hands of his great-grandmother and placed him in the middle for a picture. He smiled and cooed at me while I stood above him capturing his sweet face, and then we made a mad dash for the car to ensure we were there nice and early.

 Like his brothers and sister before him he was held by his Daddy in a circle of priesthood holders. Each placed a strong hand under his tiny little body, while his Daddy gave him a special blessing.  He was blessed that his body would be healthy and strong. He was blessed with a keen, observant mind. He was told that as he watched Camilla he would feel an increased measure of love for her and that his thirst for knowledge and understanding would come from her. He was told that as he read the Book of Mormon he would have spiritual power against temptation. He was blessed with a desire to receive the priesthood. Daddy felt inspired to tell him of a blessing he received from Heavenly Father in the pre-earth life where he was promised that the priesthood would continue in his line forever. He was counseled to learn from his mother, that he would gain a love of music. Also, he was blessed with the spirit of discernment, the ability to understand his divine potential, and a desire to serve and show love to fellow man.

As the day progressed my eyes stung with tears of gratitude for all of our family (& close friends) that journeyed from near and far to share this special day with us! We felt so much love and support and enjoyed an afternoon of visiting (and some intense games of nertz). I am also super grateful for a wonderful sister and sister-in-law who have mad photography skills and helped capture a lot of our day!

Our Hero

Mike has had a lot on the go lately and I so cherish the time that we get to spend together. 

Everybody shouts his name with excitement when he arrives home from work. 

And even when he's tired, he makes time for the kids.

The other night I came down to him with a baby in one hand and a book in the other as he read to the older kids before bed. 

He's kind of a hero around here!

Remembrance Day

Today was the school's Remembrance Day ceremony. I swapped babysitting with a friend so that we could attend our kid's assemblies with ease. 

Camilla was excited to sing in the junior choir this year! She proudly put on her outfit and poppy before heading off to school.

I brought Hyrum along with me because I figured he was old enough to hear more about Remembrance Day. I want to instill in him a love for our country and the freedoms we enjoy. He took some pictures of the artwork while we waited.

Thanks for the picture Mr. G!!

I waved to an excited little girl as she walked in and spent the next few minutes searching for her in the choir. She sang with a nice wide mouth and lots of energy. I am so proud of her!!

The boys napped while we drove into the city to take advantage of a yarn sale at Michael's. Ollie needed to nurse before heading home and Finley sweetly asked to hold him before I buckled him back in. They are almost the same size!!

Oliver: 2 Months

 Mister Ollie is two months old today and I am head over heels in love with him! My heart flutters with joy whenever he looks at me with those baby blues. He has grown a second chin and put on a few extra leg rolls which just makes him all the more lovable. When I pick him up I can't help but squish his cheeks and kiss him over and over.  He brings me so much joy!

We've been getting a lot of dimpled grins and baby coo's lately which the kids adore. They are always asking to hold him and it's so fun watching the joy spread across their faces when he smooshes his cheeks into theirs or grabs their fingers. Oliver has found a nice little place in our family and he is always being kissed, talked to, or cuddled. I love that he's never ignored and that the kids notice him. The other morning Hyrum looked at Oliver in his baby seat and couldn't believe how big he was! In his eyes, Oliver is pretty much the same size as Finley. It made me chuckle. Finley's favorite thing to say to him over and over is, "Hi, Baby!" Sometimes if he's crying he will say, " 'ts otay Oller!"
 

This kid sleeps like a champ! He is doing four to six hour stretches at night and almost always has a crazy long afternoon nap. We have really gotten into a groove around here and life feels so much better when I can get good chunks of sleep. Now if he couldn't just teach his big brother to sleep through the night I'd be laughing!

And I couldn't resist throwing this picture in here! This boy is such a goof-ball and I can't wait to watch him grow into his big personality!

Happy two months Ollie boy!

Unseasonably Warm

 The weather has been unseasonably warm! It's November and we are still wearing t-shirts outside! This afternoon my little monkey's took to the trampoline for some brotherly bonding. I went out and watched them pile on top of each other over and over and giggle their heads off. The breeze was warm and the sun felt wonderful! I have been making them play outside as much as they can before the snow flies and we have to be cooped up a little more often. It was such a lovely afternoon with these guys! Boys are so fun!

Piggyback Rides

This morning while I was on the phone, rocking the baby and appeasing Joe's complaints....Hyrum ran by with Finley propped up on his back. They were both giggling away! The ride would end with Hyrum throwing him onto the couch, and then Fin would stand up and climb right back on again. It was nerve wracking to watch. I kept thinking Hyrum would trip over toys and both of them would fall, or that Finley would let go and Hyrum wouldn't be able to catch him. While I was listening on the phone I would whisper "please walk" over and over again. Eventually I just let them be. They were having so much fun and no one was getting hurt. Having four boys is certainly chaotic some days, but today I caught a glimps of the fierce love these brothers have for each other and it made my mamma heart smile!

Visiting Nana

We had a great visit with Nana this weekend! She gathered the Stannix side together for a nice brunch. Mike's Uncle and Aunt got to meet Oliver for the first time.

And Uncle Mike gave the boys endless piggy-back rides. They love playing with their great-uncle!

The kids were super cranky mid afternoon thanks to a midnight bed time and early morning. I knew they needed naps so we buckled them in and went for a drive. Finley and Joe passed out before we even left and the other two weren't far behind. When Camilla woke up she did her best Robin Williams impression and the first words out of her mouth were, "Ten thousand yeeeeeears....gives ya such a crick in the NECK!" It made me laugh so much. I love that girl and her humour.

Nana's new place backs onto the ravine with a trail just outside her door. The kids kept asking when we could go on a walk into the "spooky forest" and were thrilled when we went out late Saturday afternoon to explore.

While the chicken cooked in the oven we went out to enjoy the last bit of sunlight!

The kids love getting off the beaten path to explore on their own. Daddy went up this giant hill with them and they were thrilled with the view at the top!

I sure love this handsome guy!!

Hyrum collected sticks along the way and used them as swords. He is all boy!!

I got to walk along side my big girl on the way home. I can't believe how mature she is getting. I love listening to her talk and having conversations with her. She keeps telling me that all she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth!

Date Night

 We are up in Edmonton visiting Nana & friends for the weekend. Tonight after we tucked the kids into bed we went out on a double date with our favorite couple! Since moving away from Edmonton a year ago we have averaged a visit with the Wolsey's almost once a month! Tonight we went to Moxies for some appetizers and dessert! 

Oliver smiled and cooed at Jessica for quite a while! We laughed at the fact that we weren't allowed to get a pitcher of water, so they just kept bringing us glass after glass. 

 The waitress forgot to put our food order in, so we had a pretty long wait. Then she came back to the table and let us know that dessert was on them. I ordered the dessert trio because I couldn't decided which one I wanted. They were all delish!

We finished off the night visiting at their home. We are so grateful for great friends and uplifting conversation! It was so wonderful to see these guys again!

Sunshine in my Soul

It's been a rough couple of weeks! This whole post-partum thing is hard some times. I've never really struggled like this after any of my other babies, but this time, with so much on my plate and so many littles needing me I am having a hard time staying on top of things. I can spend a whole afternoon doing dishes, only to have the counter full of them again shortly after dinner. I can wash all of our clothes, only to have the basket fill up again before the day is through....

These last few days I've given up on house work. Instead I spent my days curled up in my favorite chair reading a novel while listening to the children argue and grump while they worked off their Halloween candy. I chose to ignore it, and let them work it out. I needed some Mommy time to recharge my batteries and feel normal again. I read over half of my novel in just one afternoon while the dishes sat on the counter and the toys scattered all over the basement. It was exactly what I needed!

I finished the last little bit this morning, and then took the boys to play at the park for the afternoon. The weather has been amazing for this time of the year and I want to make sure we soak up as much of this sunshine and fresh air as we can before Winter hits.

I am super grateful for Mike's patience and love as I struggle to find myself again and get into routine. Ollies dimpled grins are also a huge help when the days get tough! I am so so blessed.