Costco

We recently renewed our Costco card after a long stint of being without one. Since then I think I've been twice. I got all ambitious today and decided to take all FIVE kids to Costco. It was chaos right from the get-go. When we pulled up someone else was getting out of their truck beside us just as I opened the van door for everyone to pile out. He decided to wait in his truck until we were all out which meant I had to make everyone hustle. I turned around to thank the kind soul for waiting only to discover that I knew him from church! The kids skipped across the muddy, puddled parking lot and into the front doors. The dear man ended up having to wait once again as I loaded everyone into or onto the cart and fumbled around my wallet for my costco card. I waved him by because I knew we'd be a while! 

With Ollie sitting in the seat, Fin standing on the end and the boys hopping on and off the sides, we made our way to the baking section to start our grand tour. "Can we have cookies?" they ask. "No, we're getting hot dogs at the end remember?" We made our way around the busy aisles with our extra large and extra full cart. They spotted a sample table just as I rounded the aisle to the meat section. "But MOM! SAMPLES!" they all protest. "Yes, I'll turn around as soon as I grab what I need from this aisle." We lucked into trying a bunch of different things as we weaved our way up and down the aisles. Mango juice, yogurt, popcorn.... The samples really make the trip to Costco just a tiny bit more bearable. 

As we made our way to the checkout we were greeted by the longest lines I've ever seen. All of the cashiers were on and each had at least ten people in line. We pulled into the shortest one we could find and waited....and waited. Finley started hanging off the end of the cart almost bumping into the sweet lady in front of us. When Joe wasn't pushing everyone's buttons he was folding himself in half to fit underneath the cart. Before long the baby was screaming and I started a game of "pat-a-cake" to keep him relatively quiet. Finley started making dinosaur noises from the end of the cart and Hyrum kept getting in everyone else's space and adding to the nose. After all of the fighting, poking, yelling, and baby screaming we finally made it through the checkout. 

I had promised the kids we would grab some hot dogs on our way out for Dinner, since Daddy was working late.  One look at the hot dog line-up and I was kicking myself for even mentioning it. I took Ollie out of the cart since those have to stay out of the line. Camilla and Fin hung out next to it to keep an eye on things. Hyrum stood nicely next me in line while Ollie wailed on my hip. Joe ran back and forth giggling like a mad man making me regret my decision even more. 

We managed to find an empty table to cram into and eat. With the baby still on my hip I managed to get ketchup and mustard on every hot dog and bring them drinks. Just as I was about to stuff my face with another bite so as not to prolong our stay, a friend walked over to say hi. Things finished off relatively smoothly considering how busy it was. After I finished loading groceries and kids into the van I shut my door and let out a deep breath of relief. I probably won't be back for another couple of months (or at least until I forget about this visit). 

I finished off my day enjoying a cup of tea with a hint of peanut butter (because sometimes I use the same knife when I make PB&honey sandwiches). 

Exhausted

This is exactly how I'm feeling after the Holidays....

First Hair Cut

Our new years day wasn't overly exciting. It was cold, and we all just wanted to snuggle up and relax. In the late morning I finally decided that it was time to cut Ollie's hair. I trimmed the back and a little bit around the ears. I am going to miss his little curls when his hair is wet. He looks so grown up now! 

Year in Review

Our family has had another wonderful year. It's been filled with baby snuggles, crafting, baking, playing, swimming, milestones, hiking, adventuring, sand between our toes, fresh sea air, bonding, music, birthdays, heartache, love, joy and reflection. We have made so many wonderful memories together and overcome trials and hardships. We have grown and stretched and come out better for it at years end.

We are looking forward to 2018 and the memories we will share! 

Farewell 2017, it's been a slice!

Fin's Tractor

Today we took the kids to the store to spend their Christmas money. Each of them wandered around the toy aisles in search of the perfect thing that was within their budget. I followed Finley as he checked out monster trucks, pushed buttons on fire engines, and investigated the cars. The older three grabbed our attention for a few minutes and as we were deciding what they should get I looked up to see Finley walk out from four aisles over awkwardly carrying a box half his size with a smile from ear to ear. "I'm getting a tractor," he said decidedly. I couldn't help but smile at how darn cute the whole thing was. We all followed him to the shelf where he got it from to double check the price and when it was officially okayed he heaved the heavy box up and over the edge of the cart. He hung onto the cart and patiently waited for the rest of the kids to pick their toys and beamed as we went through the checkout. His tractor was a prized toy all afternoon and he never let it out of his sight. It was parked right under his chair at dinner time, just to be on the safe side. I love seeing his sweet personality showing more and more each day!

Gathering

Ollie had a successful first night in his toddler bed! He woke twice, but went back to sleep and slept until after 8:00am. When I didn't hear him wake, I slowly opened his door to find him grinning in the middle of his room. He was so happy!

It's so nice to be out of school for a little while, even if the weather refuses to cooperate. We've been enjoying the slow paced mornings, break from routine, and catching up on sleep! This morning everyone woke up happy. I was greeted with an arm full of hugs and "I love you's". 

Hyrum read a book at the table while Ollie fed himself a bowl of porridge. A lot of it ended up down the front of his jammies, but he was so happy to feed himself. 

While I tidied the upstairs bedroom a few of the kids gathered around Oliver's new bed and listened to Camilla read stories.  They giggled at her goofy voices and ate up every minute of it. Watching them brought me so much joy. 

At naptime I spent two hours sitting in the hall with a book waiting for Oliver to fall asleep. He got out of bed over a dozen times and refused to give in! After shushing the kids and sending them downstairs over and over again, my dear girl took one look at my face and came back a few minutes later with a stuffy behind her back. "Can I try, mamma?" She walked into that room and had him asleep in 60 seconds flat. She told me the secret to her success was to rub his leg gently until he falls asleep. I told her I'd give that a try next time. Everyone needs a Camilla!

Big Boy Bed

We spontaneously decided to switch Ollie to his toddler bed! This afternoon we lugged the bed upstairs and took apart the crib. It was definitely bittersweet. Oliver was thrilled with his new bed and squealed with delight as I put the sheets and blankets on. I was having a harder time with the whole ordeal as this will be the longest stint that our crib has had without having to be set up and ready for another babe. He lied on every inch of it as his sister read him stories. Bed time went relatively smooth, all things considered. He is now officially a big boy!

New Quilt

We got a package in the mail this month! Ollie was super excited to get his new quilt from Gramma. It was sewn and hand stitched with love. We've enjoyed snuggling under it and reading books on it. 

Thanks Gramma!

Christmas Day

After the Christmas Eve festivities, the littles decided to sleep in. I was awake before Ollie even started fussing in the crib this morning. We tip-toed down the long hallway and into the gathering area where we were greeted by the faint smell of the wood stove.

We opened the door, stirred the coals, and blew on the orange embers just like we did every morning. Joe joined us just as the flames started blazing. We sat in relative silence until the other three joined us, and then they dove into their stockings. Great-gramma and Great-grampa, excited to have littles about at Christmas time, hurried quickly out to witness the joy of present opening. We sent the littles to wake the others and then started opening gifts.

We had a smaller Christmas this year since our experience was part of the gift. It was so nice not opening so many gifts and enjoying each others company more. Mike and I didn't get gifts for each other this year and both agreed it was one of the best Christmas experiences yet. I loved the short time spent snuggled next to each other watching our littles enjoy their few new toys and whispering "I love you's" into each other's ear.

 

Gramma spent a lot of  the day tucked near the stove snuggling with puppies and visiting with the great-grands. It was so special to have them there with us!

 

Camilla was tickled with her new outfit and doll from Uncle Chris. She spent the day brushing her hair into pig tails, high-pony tails, or beautiful curls.

This girl of ours is getting so grown up!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, eating left-overs when hungry, and venturing outside for short stints of sledding and exploring. So many people worked hard to make this weekend possible, and it was so enjoyed. The children are already begging to return to the cabin and I know they will treasure the memories they made there!

Christmas Letter 2017

Dear Family and Friends,

It's that time of year again! As we approach Christmas and think about the birth of our Savior I am always filled with such peace despite the trials and stress that comes with everyday life. We are grateful for this time of year to reflect and contemplate and focus on our blessings.

We had a busy year and time flew by! The kids are growing so fast and we savor the little moments we share with them. Camilla turned eight in July and made the choice to be baptized. It was wonderful to gather with family and close friends to enjoy her special day! In the Fall we took her on a special trip down to Salt Lake for General Conference. It was a nice weekend with just the three of us and we enjoyed the spirit that we felt as we explored Temple Square. She continues to love grade three and is doing well in school. She sings in the junior choir and has a phenomenal teacher. She enjoys the kids in the neighborhood and is such a social girl!

Hyrum turned six in April. He is in a grade one/two split and loves his teacher! He is a quick learner and loves to read and write. He retains so much and loves to tell me what he learns each day. He is a joy to be around and a great example to his friends. He loves roller blading, playing baseball with dad in the backyard and biking around the neighborhood with his friends.

Joseph turned five in November and is loving kindergarten with Mom. He is a fast learner and loves to be engaged. He is thoughtful and busy and really enjoys working with his hands. He likes to bake cookies with Mom and play games with Finley. He rides a two-wheeler like a pro and does great on long hikes.

Finley turned three last week and is absolutely hilarious to be around. He has a great sense of humor and a heart full of love. He will often say "I love you" randomly throughout the day and likes to give hugs and kisses. He learns a lot from His older siblings and loves to learn right alongside Joe.

Oliver turned one in September! It's crazy how fast that year went by. He walks and climbs and never stops. Mom gets tired chasing him around the house, off of furniture, and out of her kitchen drawers. He is such a happy baby and brings us so much joy! He became quite a good traveler this summer and loved sleeping in a tent.

The highlight of our year was spending four weeks with Daddy touring around the countryside. We hit up the Cardston temple, drove through Glacier national park, toured the space needle in Seattle and spent a week tenting by the ocean in Tofino. We challenged a few mountain hikes and discovered how strong our kids are! It was impressive to watch them make it to a lake or mountain top. We camped for three weeks and the kids loved it! It will be an adventure we will always remember.

We have so much gratitude in our hearts and feel so blessed to have seen and done the things that we did this Summer. We are grateful for our church callings working with the young men and primary children. Mike keeps pretty busy with work, church and family responsibilities. Addie feels blessed to be at home with the children and loves to bake, crochet and make our house a home.

We feel blessed to spend Christmas with our family in such a beautiful place! It's been an adventure that our kids will never forget.

We are grateful for the challenges we faced together this year and for the hope that our Savior gives us. May we all remember the reason for the season as we celebrate and share time with friends and family.