Swinging Away

We have been blessed with some pretty great weather this soccer season! While Ollie is at practice, we usually hang out at the school park to keep everyone happy. Today Lily and I doubled on a swing ride. Listening to her giggle as her tummy tickled was my very favourite thing.

 

Shifting Seasons

The sun is shining but the wind is howling! The morning brought us on a walk up to the garden to check out the buds that are starting to pop. I am so looking forward to blossom season. We found Grampa up in the garden checking things out as well.

Moments like this remind me how grateful I am to share this with my parents. Our littles are blessed daily by their tender, loving care and attention.

Lily loved feeling the sunshine on her face and inquiring about every bush in the garden with a scrunchy nosed curiosity. She's growing up so fast!

She doesn't do "formal" naps anymore, but sometimes she crashes on the couch and soaks up the afternoon sun pouring through the windows. And when she does, I can't help but pause and admire the way her lashes rest on her cheeks while her chest slowly moves up and down. 

Soccer season also began again tonight, and Ollie is so pumped about it!! He's on a team with one his best friends from school and couldn't be happier about it. The big boys aren't playing this year, so we won't be at the field for hours on end two nights a week. It's the perfect amount of time for the kids to play at the park or play basketball with friends, and so far the weather has been quite agreeable! 

 

Swimming Lessons

 Today Lily and Sawyer started swimming lessons! For the next eight weeks you will find us at the pool on Monday mornings enjoying the water. Lily and I are doing a parent Tot class and Sawyer is in his own class right after us. 

She was pretty excited about it!

The afternoon brought more chicky snuggles. I love that having animals teaches them to be gentle and loving towards living things. Lily has been so good with them and is constantly begging me to take a chicky out of the box so that she can play with it.

They run around my livingroom rug (and sometimes poop) but it sure brings the littles a lot of joy!

Life Lately

It has been getting warmer outside and it is so welcome. Tonight after the littles were in bed, I cracked the windows and listened to the frog song as I read on the couch. It's been a stressful few weeks with tax season and prepping Mike's new office for the move over and organizing our home. Among the chaos is still swimming lessons, and sporting events, and music festivals...Some days I run from Dawn to Dusk. I'm always exhausted!

We are almost done with renovation stuff, just a few scraps of drywall to fix up, some window jamb extensions, a bit of electrical, stucco, and some deck stairs. Soon we will be into gardening and landscaping season, while also prepping for our Nauvoo trip and volunteering on the Band Parents board. It feels like a lot sometimes, but how can we make a difference in the world if all we do is sit at home together. I am glad my kids are out shining their lights and building their talents. I happily support their dreams and desires!

Soccer starts on Tuesday this week. It's just Ollie this year, so we won't be spending hours at the soccer field twice a week. This weekend we have a basketball tournament, stake conference and some highway cleanup. I still need to get some things ready for our flight to Toronto with Joe and Fin in eight days. We will begin our trip there seeing some sights and then drive across the border to Palmyra to visit some church history sites. Usually we take our children to conference when they turn eight but with Covid and temple square being renovated, it hasn't worked out for the last few years, so this is what we came up with instead! The boys are super pumped.

After celebrating Hyrum's birthday last night, we took a drive to pick up some new baby chicks! Right now they are living in a large box in our house and the littles were pretty excited to play with them before church this morning.

Sawyer and Lily have been pretty gentle with them! I'm not sure if either of them remember our baby chicks from last year, so they are both pretty excited.

I'm mostly excited about the blue eggs I'm going to get as these are Americana babies. We have some pure bread Wheaton Americanas and some mixed Americanas that will lay either blue or green eggs for us. 

They're all so stinkin' cute right now!

Hyrum turns Twelve

Happy TWELFTH birthday to this incredible kid! Hyrum is a kind, quiet soul who always strives to do what's right. He works hard and plays hard. He has many hobbies and interests and likes to teach himself things. He always takes time to hang out with Sonny and play fetch. He's mastering a few pieces on the piano and loves to jam on his guitar. He's a friend to those around him and generally a peacemaker in our home. We are sure glad he's ours! Happy birthday big guy! 

A Quiet Friday

Today we had a pretty quiet Friday filled with Banana chocolate chip muffins and afternoon naps! 

These are my favorite kind of days, especially after all of the running we do during the week!

The house was still and warm and filled with the aroma of baking when the children got home from school.

 

Kiwanis Festival

Last year Camilla played her violin at Kiwanis, and this year she chose to do a piano piece. She has been practicing hard to memorize the notes and dynamics and feel of the German Dance piece she chose. She totally rocked it and I was so glad I could bring her in and watch her perform. She is a girl of many talents and it has been a joy watching her use and develop these talents!

 

Mary & Martha

Last week I found myself pondering the story of Mary and Martha. I thought about how easy it is to be caught up in the cares of keeping a home, tending to responsibilities, and checking off the never ending to-do list. In our fast paced world, it can be hard to set aside time for what truly matters most.

As I taught the children this story, my eyes welled with tears while we read the gentle rebuke from the Savior. "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Martha was trying to be a good host and serve the Lord to the best of her abilities. I can imagine her tidying up and preparing food for the Saviour. How often I feel like Martha, careful and troubled about many things. In all of the necessary, mundane daily work, I sometimes forget to stop and take time to sit at Jesus' feet as Mary did and to focus on those things that matter most.

As I fell asleep and contemplated the happenings of the day I realized that along with reading scriptures and praying, I worship at His feet when I take time to shepherd my children and turn their hearts to Him. I worship at His feet when I take time to listen and understand the needs of my family instead of focusing on the dinner dishes. I worship at his feet when I take time to read bedtime stories or snuggle a child to sleep instead of checking off my to-do list.

When I realize what really matters in life, I feel His presence more easily. My heart is filled with joy when I "choose that good part" and focus on the teachings of the Saviour. When I set time aside in my day to read His word and serve others, I can feel the power that has in my life, no matter what the day brings.

 

Swimming Lessons

We've spent many a Monday morning at the swimming pool over the last little while. Lily and I do a parent tot class and then Sawyer gets to go on his own to swimming lessons while we watch. They both love swimming so much!!

 

Sunday Snapshots

Still documenting this girl quite often as she is growing up so fast! Her vocabulary is insane for her age, and we can do lovely piggy tails in her hair!