Snow Day

All of the buses in our school division were cancelled today due to the extreme cold. With the Arctic air rolling through Alberta we are getting wind chills between -40 and -50! My Dad pulled out all of the extension cords yesterday afternoon and kindly plugged the vehicles in so that they would start today. 

I for one am happy to have my littles home with me for the day. Sometimes we all need a break in routine to catch our breath and make it through. And when the windows all have an inch of ice on them, I'd just rather stay home!

The acts of kindness are in full force around here and love is in the air! Bed making seems to be the most preferred service, but I am sure they will branch out soon. 

Despite the bitter cold, the sun made an appearance this afternoon just in time to warm Sawyer while he napped. I am always amazed at the warmth and power that the sun has! As I stood their admiring his cheeks and wrinkled fingers I couldn't help but want like five more of him. 

After lots of googling, I finally came across an easy artisan sour dough bread recipe and decided to give it a go. I mixed up the dough last night before bed and put it in the oven mid-afternoon. It turned out much better than my last failed attempt and I was pretty pleased! Shortly after pulling it out of the oven I got a text from the kids bus drivers notifying me that the buses are cancelled for tomorrow too. While a part of me is relieved, I can't help but wonder what on earth we will do tomorrow to keep ourselves occupied while we are stuck inside.

The Sabbath

 We are still adjusting to this whole two hour church thing. Finley has decided he strongly dislikes church and is super uncooperative the entire time. Ollie is super busy and the baby always needs nursing as soon as he wakes it seems. I spend a lot of Sacrament meeting tripping over feet as I make my way out with one child after another. Sometimes Mr. Stannix and I meet each other as we pace the halls, one with an impossible preschooler and I with the baby, and we roll our eyes. 

 We enjoyed the little bit we did get out of testimony meeting today though. Hyrum asked if he could go up in front of the whole congregation and share his testimony. It was short and sweet and right to the point and my heart was touched by his words. He knows his Savior loves him, and he knows that families are forever. 

I brought out the kindness jar tonight for family home evening and we talked about what it means to be kind and ways that we can serve each other in our home. The littles will be filling the jar with chocolate hearts this month (one heart per act of kindness).

The jar is such a simple thing, but it really helps fill our home with extra love and reminds the children to be a little bit more kind.

In the Negatives

It's a cold one! The boys insisted on sledding for a bit this morning despite the temperature being -21 this morning. I went out briefly to snap some pictures and got a brain freeze!

Welcome February

 We are kicking off February with a professional development day (a fancy name for no school). Everyone was pretty excited to throw routine out and enjoy some extra time together. 

 I made a double batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies which were enjoyed with warm caramel steamers. They are always best right out of the oven when the chocolate chips are still warm and melt in your mouth. The hint of nutmeg and cinnamon is really what makes them amazing though!

Hyrum had an extra friend here and they were in and out all day long. The weather wasn't the warmest, but they made the best of it and bundled up. I love the little hill we have next to the house. It's the perfect size for a little bit of fun (especially with the bike jump at the bottom). Whenever they were cold they would come in and warm up with a nerf battle or movie. It was a day well spent!

Love & Forgiveness

This little boy always begs to sleep in my bed...

I love him.

 I also love the little boy that wrote this in his journal tonight after we had a big blowout.
Families teach us so much about love and forgiveness.

To My Hearts Content

 Today was a beautiful Winter day! When I put Sawyer down for his morning nap his bare toes poked out from under the blanket and I couldn't help but smile. I know they should have socks on them given the temperature outside, but I hadn't quite gotten around to that yet. Instead, I gently covered them with the blanket as he let out a sleepy sigh.

The rest of the morning was quite busy as I made four loaves of bread, a dozen garlic cheese knots, and a pan of cinnamon buns. Once the cheese knots were cooled I put away three of them for school lunches and before I knew it the rest of the pan had been devoured. The cinnamon buns lasted until the big kids got home from school and the bread went into the freezer to be used throughout the week. 

As much as I love just being home, it was nice to get out of the house for piano lessons. The older kids have lessons one right after each other, so while we were waiting we walked across to the school park to burn some energy and enjoy some fresh air. The sun was just dipping behind the mountains in the distance (I love that the kids can see the mountains from their playground). The littles played until their fingers were froze and then we made our way back to the van just as the second child was coming out from lessons.

With Mr. Stannix working late again, I put the littles to bed and then snuggled under a blanket on the couch and read to my hearts content. While I love a good book in hand, I decided to give ebooks a go. They are easier to hold while nursing and I don't need a light to read in the middle of the night. I laughed to myself as I ate chocolate chips from a plastic cup (because treats are in short supply around here unfortunately). Once Sawyers belly was full of warm milk he nestled in and fell asleep. I read and read while time escaped me. It does one good to enjoy a little bit of tranquility now and again. 

New Pants

 There is not much that is new or noteworthy around here, except for Sawyers new pants.

I've been eyeing these grow-with-me pants for a while now and when my friend posted a picture of some new fabrics she just got in, I knew I had to order a pair!

I usually don't spend money on baby clothes, but I felt justified with these because I am supporting a local mompreneur AND because these pants will fit this kid for nine months. 

They are so soft and comfy and Sawyer loved chillin' in them all day long! The mountains, animal tracks, and trees printed on them make me happy.

A Special Day

 Today was a pretty special day! We got to visit the kids at school for family literacy day, hit up DQ with Daddy for a lunch date, and celebrate a very important birthday with my mom! The weather was incredible and we all enjoyed the sunshine and warmth.

 I finally boxed up the newborn clothes and took out the next size up so that we could enjoy the warm fleecy outfits for a little bit longer. Having most of our boys in the Fall/Winter has made reusing baby clothes extra easy as we have all the right sizes in all the right seasons. Sawyer looked pretty cute in his fleece plaid sweater today and it kept him so warm and cozy! 

 Daddy was able to come to the school for family literacy day. He read over the lunch hour in Hyrum's class and I read with Joe in his class. Once we finished up at the school we drove to DQ to enjoy a special date with Fin. We love having Daddy working close by!

 I am slowly getting over my fear of chickens and actually enjoyed walking out to the coop to check eggs today. I thought I'd give my mom a bit of a break on her special day (and she was at the quilt store).

 Sawyer was able to get some fresh air and sunshine today too! It was seriously so lovely out!

My mom is also looking pretty great for her age! I hope I grow up to be just like her. She scored this awesome "cake" from the fabric store for free because it was her birthday today. Love you mom!

Sawyer: Two Months

Our sweet little Sawyer is two months old today! I wish I could freeze time and enjoy him for longer at this stage. He is such a dreamy baby! He loves snuggles, grinning at his Mom and Dad and taking in the noise of five older siblings. He spends the majority of his time right now sleeping and I suspect he is going through a growth spurt! While he goes for an extra long morning nap, I am able to keep up with everything that needs doing around the house.

He sleeps the best right in the middle of the living room amidst screaming and playing and a tantrum throwing two-year-old. I will often catch him grinning in his sleep and wonder what he's dreaming about. I love it when he wakes up and stretches his tiny body as I lift him from his bassinet. He arches his back and sticks out his little bum and it is the cutest thing ever. His little hands love to hold on to things and will often grasp my shirt while he nurses.

When he's awake he hardly sits still. His legs are always pumping and moving and his arms are flailing everywhere. He gets so excited when his older siblings come and talk to him! His hair is growing back in and his features are more defined. At first I wasn't sure who he resembled, but now he is definitely looking like a Stannix!

Dance with Me

These January days are slow and steady. With the fresh snow and frost these past few days I've especially enjoyed staying cozy and warm inside the house. We've been listening to music, dancing in the kitchen and doing lots of baking!

Oliver wandered into the kitchen this afternoon just as I was pulling some sour dough biscuits off the pan. One of his favorite songs started playing and he wrapped his arms around my leg and begged, "Mom, peas dance wif me?" It was the cutest thing! And so, we danced, for quite a while together while the biscuits cooled and made our tummies rumble. 

Naptime filled our home with a few needed moments of peace and pondering. Oliver snuggled in bed with the covers pulled up to his ears while Sawyer lay beside me with a tummy full of milk.

The biscuits that were supposed to be for dinner along with our homemade chicken soup didn't quite make it that long!

While Sawyer napped I snuck out of the house to snap a few pictures of the little boys who enjoyed an hour outside playing in the snow and drinking in the crisp Winter air. 

I caught a breathtaking view of the sun setting just before we sat down to our warm bowls of soup and it filled my soul with joy and contentment. We are so blessed to live here!