Mother's Day

This morning I woke to breakfast in bed after a brief sleep in, complete with a handwritten note from Mike. I was gifted a box of Hot Tamales (my fav) from my oldest girl, and school crafts from the elementary kiddos which now line the mantel on the fireplace. 

After church, I fed everyone lunch and tidied the kitchen and then Mike and I took off to BC with the three youngest for a road trip. He has been wanting to check out the area around Osoyoos for a while, so we decided to make a mini vacay out of it and bring the littles along. 

They were fascinated with the views of mountains and lakes along the way. As we drove, Lily said, "I'm hungry. Candy is not going to do it anymore!". That was our cue to stop at the next town for dinner.

We stayed at base camp in Revelstoke which was self check in. We got a place with three bedrooms, three bathrooms a kitchen and livingroom. It was quite enjoyable! As Lily ran around checking everything out she exclaimed, "This is so ACE!" Something one of the big kids would say. 

Sawyer and Lily ended up sharing a room and Cooper took the last room with his play pen. It has a bed in it, so if he decides to be a stinker tonight I will just snuggle into that bed with him and let everyone else sleep (and hopefully sleep in). I'm regretting not being more prepared with granola bars or snacks for the older kids. This trip kind of snuck up on us after a busy few weeks and I didn't get as much done before hand as I'd hoped. 

 

Full Days

Today the Relief Society put on a ministering conference. We had extra kids in and out all day, landscapers working away with their machines and dogs inside barking. I was barely home long enough to put a load through the dishwasher. We had the missionaries for dinner, but no clean plates, so I had to borrow some from Mom. I picked up Camilla from the movies after dropping Hyrum's friends home late. I came home tired in the best way. Mom picked some asparagus for us and I'm so excited to enjoy asparagus season!

 

Shoulder Rides

Another night at the soccer field tonight! I am so grateful for the big kids and their eagerness to help with Cooper. Tonight it was Hyrum, lifting Coop onto his shoulders and whizzing around an empty soccer field making car noises. Big brothers are the best!

After soccer, Ollie was biking with a friend over by the ice cream truck. We all loaded up in the van and then I looked over and noticed them handing him a cone. I hadn't given him any money, so I wasn't sure what was up. His friend was laughing as they came to the van and then they told me all about it. Apparently Ollie asked, "If I can pop a wheelie on my bike, will you give me a free cone?" There was not much to do but smile and chuckle about it on the way home!

 

Sunset Walk

A little sunset walk was in order tonight when Cooper just wouldn't settle into bed. The nanking cherries were humming with bees and the lighting was perfect! Blossom season is upon us and I couldn't be happier about it!

 

Soccer Season

Soccer season has officially begun! We kicked off the evening with pizza for dinner and then everyone went their own directions. Finley, Oliver, Sawyer & Lily are all playing this year! Hyrum and Joe are both reffing this season as well and Hyrum was a linesman for Finley's game tonight. It always makes for a long night at the field with so many little soccer players, but the kids enjoy hanging out at the park when they're not playing, or cheering on their big brother!

 

Paintball Party

Hyrum wanted to do something fun to celebrate turning fourteen this year! I don't remember the last time we threw him a birthday party, but fourteen is a pretty fun reason! He gathered some friends from school and we drove them all to a paintball course for a few hours. They all had a pretty good time and loved looking at the cool paintball guns for sale before heading home. When we got back we had ice cream cake, and then the boys started a fire and hung out until late. I drove everyone home shortly before midnight since we had to get up early for highway cleanup the next day. It was a busy, fun, exhausting day!

 

Rays of Sunshine

Tonight as I sat in the nursery waiting for Cooper to fall asleep, the rays of sun dancing on the wall through the curtains called to my soul. When he had finally settled in to sleep, I tiptoed from the room, slipped on my shoes, and snuck outside to enjoy the last of the days sunshine and bird song.

Spring always has my mind and my heart battling over what needs to be done. My heart yearns to be outside beneath skies of blue, listening to the birds and pondering. My mind can't let the mess inside rest and my time is often consumed with piles of laundry and stacks of dishes. It seems there's always much to be done and not enough hours in the day to do it, so I carve out a few minutes here and there to do something that will fill my soul (like an evening walk once everyone is in bed).

Typically sunny days mean outside work gets done and windy, rain filled days draw us back inside to play catch up. It's a constant juggling act and I'm still dropping balls everywhere. 

But tending to my children's hearts, nourishing their bodies, and making time for those I love most are high on the priority list in this season of my life.

I'm grateful for the tiny rays of sunshine throughout the day that keep me pressing forward as I juggle my efforts both inside and out.

Hyrum Turns Fourteen

Today Hyrum turned 14! We celebrated last night since we were all able to be together, but we made sure to make him feel special today too! Time flies when you're having fun! He is the tender heart of our family. He's super easy going, typically a peacemaker, and does life at his own pace. He doesn't like to rush things. He loves working with his hands. He still enjoys biking and dirtbiking quite a bit! He enjoys researching everything about bikes and can tell you all kinds of things about what makes a good bike. He is athletic and musical and fun to be around. We are so proud of the young man he's growing up to be!

Happy Birthday Buddy!!

 

Lily's Gramma Quilt

Lily was gifted her Gramma quilt today! She loves the teal color and the floral backing. It fits perfectly on her bed and really adds a nice touch to her room!

What a special treasure! Thanks Gramma! xoxo

 

Naptime