Discovery Canyon

 This morning we took our sunburns to Discovery Canyon for some more fun in the sun. It was a tough call, but the littles had been looking forward to this for a few days so Mr. Stannix and I pretended not to be exhausted and loaded everyone in the van bright and early to meet up with friends.

There was so many people already at 10am, and I'm pretty sure we got one of the last parking spaces. The littles were all eager to rent tubes and ride the lazy river.

After locating our group of friends, we secured some tubes and let the kids go nutts. For the most part the older three were unsupervised and enjoyed riding down the river over and over again with friends! 

Finley went for the first ride with his Dad...

And then got brave enough to ride on his own (while I walked right beside him just to make sure he didn't drown).

And just when I didn't think it could get any busier, it did! I could not believe how many people were there! We ended up running into some old friends out of the blue and had fun catching up.

We stayed way longer than we originally planned upon showing up because everyone was having so much fun. The littles were so exhausted that they slept pretty much the whole way home! We drove out past a long line of parked cars on the road and bid the crowds farewell.

After dinner I happened upon this sight and my heart about burst. These littles are so lucky to have Mike as their Dad.

Crystal Clear

This morning after I finished nursing Sawyer, I noticed an orange glow through the blinds and had to sneak into the living room to enjoy the view. It was shortly after 5:00am when I finally crawled back into bed, only to be woke by Mr. Rooster shortly after. Knowing that today was going to be gorgeous, we made plans to head to the lake for the entire day. We packed boat snacks and water and put dinner in the crock pot. 

I couldn't believe how clear the lake looked when we arrived! It was breathtaking!

Instead of going to the boat launch, I took half of the kids to the beach area and waited for Mr. Stannix and Grampa to unload the boat. We set up chairs and claimed a picnic table so that my Mum and Sister and some friends would know where to meet us.

As we took the boat around the lake I was in awe at how gorgeous everything was! Boating is so much more enjoyable when the water is smooth and clear.

With smooth water like this, we didn't tube for long! We anchored big red close to shore and then swam around for a bit to get used to the water. We all took turns either knee boarding or water skiing. It was pretty awesome! 

I was super pregnant last Summer and unable to do all of these fun things, so it was nice to enjoy a little bit of time behind the boat this year!

Mr. Stannix and my Dad each took turns on the skis. 

Sawyer was such a good sport to hang out on the boat all day with us!

Near the end, the kids started getting brave and doing crazy things on the tube. They weren't scared of falling off anymore and built human pyramids and hung off the edges and such.

Eventually it was time to head to the beach to meet up with my Sister, Mom and friends for dinner. We all enjoyed beef on a bun, beans and salad in the shade as the wind picked up. The boys took the boat for one last spin before we all headed home for the evening. I think I will always remember the crystal clear water and beauty of today!

Potential

"If I were Satan and wanted to destroy a society, I think I would stage a full blown blitz on its women. I would keep them so distraught and distracted that they would never find the calming strength and serenity for which their sex has always been known. He has effectively done that, catching us in the crunch of trying to be superhuman instead of realistically striving to reach our individual purpose and unique God-given potential within such diversity."

~Patricia Holland

Read the rest of the talk HERE

Saturday Evening

Today was so wonderful! The kids played LEGO for over ten hours and got along so well! They created a whole house with bedrooms and a garage and homemade motor bikes. They also made a ninja school with desks and a fun teacher. They used their imaginations all day! 

Part way through the afternoon my feet kept sticking to the floor and I couldn't quite figure out why. After a little while I discovered Caramel Sundae syrup drops all over the kitchen. Some of the boys like to sneak into the fridge and pour the Caramel sauce into their mouths. No body is fessing up, but there is some telling smirks on two boys in particular. I guess I'll never know!

After all of the kids were in bed I finished up a baby blanket I started a few months ago. I went outside for a few minutes of quiet and snapped some pictures in the golden light. It was such a lovely night, I could have stayed out there all night!

Slinging on a Friday

Just slinging on a rainy Friday!

Sunrise

As I nursed the baby at 5:00am I couldn't help but notice the pink glow behind the curtains. When he fell asleep again I placed him in his crib and tip-toed out to the bay window. It's been a while since I've seen the sun rise.

I drank it in and then crawled back into my warm bed for another half hour of sleep.

We were blessed with some delicious haskaps and strawberries from the garden today. The littles ate them while I was washing and there wasn't many left at days end.

We finished off the day with homemade biscuits and warm soup!

The Perfect Day

Today was so perfect. 

We enjoyed watering the Greenhouse with Grampa...

Sweet baby snuggles...

Long afternoon naps...

And watching Summer storms go around the lake as we played.

Peace

The adjustement to Summer has taken a little while over here. While I'm not one for strict routines, it has taken us a few weeks to get into a good rhythm. Nap times are a bit different now that the whole crew is home full time. The house is always loud and noisy. Someone is always fighting with someone else. I'm constantly thinking of things to dispel boredom and keep busy boys occupied. The messes are never ending and it's always hard to find a balance between work and play. And lately there's been more tough days and burnt dinners than I'd like to admit. Then there's those thoughts of not being good enough, and not having enough time for everyone that are constantly creeping into the back of my mind. As a mother there are some days where I have to force myself to find joy in the journey and then there are other days when I'm full of faith and trust and able to see things more clearly. And if all else fails I peek in on a napping child for a few moments of peace and quiet. 

Summer Lovin'

Today was a wonderful day! We had lots of yard work to get done and then the children spent a good hour playing in the sprinkler! 

When I take time to slow down and watch them play I can't help but feel grateful for the life we've been able to create over this last year. The children are happy and fulfilled and growing.

At nap time Ollie draped his frozen arm over my neck as he yawned and drifted off to sleep after a full morning of jumping through the sprinkler. I was sweaty hot from weeding the garden, so it felt so good! 

Our chicks have gotten so big and we are looking forward to when they start laying soon!

Daddy and Ollie spent the late afternoon mowing the lawn as a storm blew in from the West. 

They finished just as the clouds opened and started pouring rain. 

Hyrum spent a good chunk of the afternoon constructing a robot out of Lego. He transforms from a robot to a rocket and it's pretty cool!

After tucking Sawyer in for the night I snuggled with the little boys until they fell asleep. The older three quietly scooted chairs to the window to watch the lightening storm. As I listened to Ollie's deep, sleepy breaths I heard them whispering and quietly shouting "Ooo!" and "Ah!" after each lightening strike. I lay their contently for a little while before finally tucking in the last of the littles.

Dinner on the Lake

There is something about the stillness of an early morning that I enjoy, even after being up all night with a baby. I woke to the sweetest baby grins and the children talking over a pile of Lego in the living room. Oliver ended up spilling his whole cup of juice all over the floor which resulted in a sticky floor and sticky feet. The dog snuck the babies breakfast of scrambled eggs and ended up moping in the morning sun after being caught. Ollie spent all day telling me that he could do "every stuff". He is starting to articulate his words so well and is sounding so grown up lately! As the children enjoyed their slush on the deck this afternoon a few of them started fighting. Ollie quickly jumped in with a solution,"Well be a wittle NICER!" It quickly diffused the situation as we all burst into giggles at the cuteness of it all. 

We headed out to the lake for the late afternoon and got in a few good rides despite the wind.

When the boys got in their hair was spiked straight up and wind blown. They always joke that they look like Bruce Wayne when this happens and in their best Batman impersonations they say, "Hi! I'm Batman." 

We enjoyed dinner on the boat in the middle of the lake. Tuna sandwiches and a big bowl full of berries did the trick!

It's always great to be on the lake together!

The children are growing up before my eyes and I wish I could freeze time!