Puppy Love

The kids sure love having this girl around!! She puts up with a lot from the three littlest boys. We love her spunk and playfulness! We've almost got her potty trained (hooray!) and she fits in well with our crazy crew!

Happiness Is

 Today was our first Tuesday in a long time with no obligations or commitments. I am not one for scheduling a lot of things for the children while they are small. I like our life to be simple with lots of time to just be together. I spent a lot of my time in the kitchen with my little helpers at my feet. They have the whole house to play in, a basement full of toys, but they prefer to be close by and today I wasn't about to complain. While I baked there were children hiding in the pantry smooshing their faces against the glass to make me laugh, a child snuggling the puppy at my feet and the baby squirming on the floor. 

When the first pan of cookies came out of the oven I hardly had time to take a picture of them before they were all gone. While the music played, the toddler danced and the timer counted down until the next pan would be ready I reviewed some reading material with Hyrum at the table. We used flash cards to make funny sentences and laughed together. He has really taken a liking to reading and it makes me so happy to see him learning! Between words he would stuff his warm cookie into his mouth and giggle. It made me wish that I could be a kid again.

After lunch a pair of lemons were sitting on my counter begging to be used. Hyrum mixed together the ingredients for lemon bread while I nursed Ollie to sleep. He was happy to crack all of the eggs and we got to talk a little bit about math. "You've got one egg in there already, and you need four. How many more eggs do you need to crack?" He carefully placed the loaf pans into the oven and I set the timer. I went downstairs and gave the little boys fresh cloth diapers and then Finley crawled up on my lap and let out a sigh of contentment. I snuggled him into my shoulder and brought him up to his bed for naptime. He woke to fresh lemon bread and sunshine.

In the early afternoon the skies cleared and the sun came out. After almost four days of constant snow it was much welcomed! Despite the chilly temperatures Finley came waltzing into the nursery with one snow boot and his diapered bottom begging to go into the yard and play. All of the boys suited up in their snow gear and headed out to enjoy the fresh snow!

As I watched them play the bird house caught my eye. It looked like such a cozy little home with all of the snow on top, and I couldn't help but smile and wish for the same cozy feelings to be present in our own home. The big boys headed off to play on the big snow mountains at the park while Finley and I opted to warm up in front of the fire. He played a game of Tug with Reese before we wandered upstairs for a cup of hot chocolate. Camilla came home just as I was putting the kettle on and opted to stay home and join us for hot chocolate instead of playing with her brothers at the park. She went ahead and changed the music to her favorite songs and gave me a wink while I grabbed her a few cookies from the cookie jar.

The boys came home fighting and then seconds later they were both laughing hysterically over something. Boys are so peculiar sometimes. I opted for roast beef sandwiches for dinner because it was easy and let the children have some extra free time to play since Daddy was heading to young men's early. The boys started talking about how fun it was to play "tackle" with Daddy yesterday and then Joseph begged me to play tackle with them after I finished my sandwich. We all went down to the basement and they cleared a spot to wrestle. It was hardly fair since it was four against one. I was on the floor with Finley kissing me all over my face and the older three tickling me to death! It's been a long time since I've laughed that hard. They thought it was hilarious and I loved every second.

While the boys were bathing a friend stopped by with some delicious pizza buns and cinnamon rolls. It felt so nice to be thought of and helped me feel a little less lonely! It's so nice to know that people care.

After baths and ice cream we finished our evening with family prayers and I tucked them in for the night. I snuggled on Joseph's bed while the little boys fell asleep. Reese cuddled up to my feet as I nursed and before long I had sung them all off to dreamland (including the dog).

And now here I sit with my legs tucked up in my nighty listening to the hum of the dishwasher and the clicking of the keys as I type. I sent our tired Daddy off to bed early after a long day at work and an evening with the youth. I have just finished doing the nightly rounds where I pull the covers back up to the children's chins and give them one last kiss. They have all been asleep for a couple of hours now and are hopefully dreaming good dreams. 

In a few minutes I will be tucking into bed with extra gratitude in my heart. When Mr. Stannix came home he apologized for the hard day that I must have had (with him being so busy and no one else here to help with the children). Usually, days like this are difficult, but today I was able to give a half smile and pull out my camera to show him all of the joy that I tried to capture today with my lens. Life can be hard, but there is always good to find, sometimes it just takes a little extra effort.

Holding On

Today the road report was red all the way into the city, so Mr. Stannix decided to work from home! We all love having Daddy around. He drove his girl to school this morning and took her out for lunch in the afternoon. When he finished his work he helped Hyrum build his log cabin from Christmas and I got lots of extra hugs and smooches throughout the day. It felt good to have most of my family home under one roof on a Monday! The snow hasn't let up much and Mike shoveled twice today! 

I played the piano for a little while after Camilla left for school. Oliver cooed in his seat next to my bench while Finley and Reese fought over a pair of socks behind me. Soon Fin climbed up on the bench where the puppy couldn't reach him and sat so still while my fingers danced across the ivory keys. It felt good to play again, to release emotion into my music, to feel something.

This afternoon Oliver fell asleep in my arms and all I wanted to do was hold him and stare like I used to when he was a newborn. He will be five months old pretty soon and I can't help but wish time would slow down. I admired his long lashes, his button nose, his chubby cheeks and pink lips. While we rocked the snow continued to fall outside. I soaked up the moment as best I could before placing him gently in his crib and quietly closing his door.

The Necessity of Trials

 The children have been working really hard to fill the jar full of chocolate hearts and acts of kindness. The other day I asked Joseph to take out the recycling (since it's on his chore chart) and he very politely replied, "Thanks, but no thanks Mom". As I sat in the mothers lounge today at church I got thinking about that little moment and when Heavenly Father gives us trials I sometimes feel like saying, "Thanks Heavenly Father, but no thanks." 

I know that trials are a necessary part of life and without them there would be no growth. I am grateful for the opportunities that I've had to be stretched and pushed throughout my life. I know that Heavenly Father doesn't give us anything we can't handle with a little bit of faith, perspective, and perseverance.

After learning of the recent passing of a mother of four that we are acquainted with I couldn't help but feel like all of my trials are so insignificant in comparison to what this family is going through right now.  It has caused me to reflect a lot on how precious time is and how I can make every moment count. It has given me a deeper desire to hold my children close and cherish each day with them.

Whenever my children complain about something I've asked them to do that is difficult, I encourage them by saying, "You can do hard things!" I'd like to think that when we are passing through trials of our own, Heavenly Father is close by, cheering us on, and whispering in our ears, "You can do hard things!" How grateful I am for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge and strength that it gives me to press forward each day with optimism and hope!

First Food

Daddy fed Oliver his first taste of rice cereal tonight! He gobbled it up and made the funniest faces. He mostly liked it, though his facial expressions might say differently. It was quite funny to watch and left the children giggling at the dinner table. Daddy was happy to feed him! 

Love at Home

 We woke this morning to a thin blanket of fresh snow. After breakfast we grabbed two big blankets and huddled around the heat vent as we did our morning scripture study. The children's feet were quickly warmed by the hot air from the furnace and they happily sat and listened to me read. After a rough night with a sick babe it was a welcomed moment of peace and contentment. No body wanted to move for morning prayers, so we said them right there with our toes still touching the vent (very reverently of course). Then it was a giant group hug before we sent Camilla off to school. 

As the snow gently swirled to the ground outside, I baked a few loaves of lemon bread, started some bread dough, and put together a few freezer meals. I have decided that Winter is for baking (but anybody who knows me knows that I bake no matter the season, it's my happy place). The children love to climb up on the counter top or nearest chair and help! If you were to ask Mr. Stannix he would tell you how much I love to make a mess in the kitchen. And if you were to see the stacks of pots, pans, mixing bowls, and baking dishes on my counter at this moment, you would believe him.

After I got the little boys to sleep yesterday the older three helped me welcome February with our traditional heart sugar cookies! Camilla had the day off school randomly and I enjoyed having her home! The cooler weather brought snow and there is something magical about baking with flakes of snow swirling around outside your window. The warm oven made our home feel cozy and the children's smiles lit up the room. I enjoyed watching them laugh and giggle together at the little round table while they iced and sprinkled the cookies. I couldn't help but hope these memories will stick with them forever. I hope that they remember me baking with them in the kitchen (and not yelling at them to clean their rooms).

On Monday night in FHE we introduced our traditional jar of love. In the past we used buttons to fill up the jar. Each time I caught the kids doing an act of kindness or something that contributes positively to the feeling in our home I would let them add a button. But if I caught them doing something that wasn't very nice I would take a button out. Once it was full we would go for ice cream (or something like that). I debated giving them their own jars to fill this time, but then changed my mind because we all contribute to the feeling in our home, and it's fun to see the progress we are making together. This year we are filling it with heart shaped chocolates and when it gets to the top they get to eat it.  They all take this jar quite seriously and it brings a miraculous transformation to the feeling in our home. I know they are just kids, and I always allow room to say "I am sorry" if they want the button or chocolate put back. We learn a lot about the way we should treat others as we think about ways we can serve our family members. I love hearing that someone's bed was anonymously made or a chore was done without having to be asked. The feeling in our home is significantly more pleasant as everyone contributes positively and brings their best attitudes. I love the little moments where our home feels like a little piece of heaven here on earth.

"May our families and homes be filled with love: love of each other, love of the gospel, love of our fellowman, and love of our Savior. As a result, heaven will be a little closer here on earth."

-Thomas S. Monson

 "Love at Home"

Mount Everest

My kids don't need to travel far to become accomplished mountain climbers because we have our very own Mount Everest right in the middle of our living room! Tonight I will be watching Netflix, eating chocolate, and trying to get to the bottom of this pile of laundry....sigh....Folding laundry is not my favorite thing (as you can tell). Friday nights are pretty exciting around here!!

Mommy Moments

This morning all of my littles were up by 5:00am! Of the six hours I could have spent in my bed last night I was up at least that many times between three boys. Not only were they up early, but they weren't very agreeable. The boys had ten arguments before Camilla even left for school. They spent a half an hour trying to figure out how to play a game and when I called Camilla up to practice her violin before school she wasn't too happy with me. 

Later in the morning as we got ready to leave for Joe's chiropractor appointment, Finley was asking to wear his favorite jacket. It was still covered in barf, so I slid a warm wool sweater (that used to be Mike's) on him instead and he proceeded to scream in protest all the way to the chiropractor. One thing I'm learning about Finley is that he has favorites. He threw a fit last night before bed when I took off his favorite shirt and put his jammies on. I took my camera along and hoped that the scenic drive would cheer me up. As we drove I admired the pretty frost covered trees. I thought if I could snag a few pictures of my crazy toddler after the appointment I might feel a bit better about life. Sometimes slowing down and seeing life through my camera lens has a way of putting things back into focus and growing my love. 

Finley gave me the best nose wrinkles and toothy grins. He started wiggling around and as I adjusted my stance I slipped on some ice. In an effort to save my camera I ended up smashing my elbow and my knee on the ice. While I cried in the middle of the dirt road, Finley laughed his head off which just made me want to cry more.  "Otay Mom?" he said as he placed his chubby toddler hand on my back. That boy has a talent for driving me batty and melting my heart all at the same time. I collected myself, snapped a few more pictures and called it a morning!

Before we left for swimming in the afternoon I set out some art canvases and paints for our return. I had hoped to keep them busy while I tried to find my counter top under all of the dishes and make dinner. They were so excited to get started on their works of art when we got home. Finley was quick to finish and needed a bath because he preferred to paint himself over his canvas. Just as I began organizing the kitchen I heard him call for me from the tub. He stood terrified with brown floaties on all sides. Yes, I have awesome luck. I disinfected bath toys, disinfected the tub, and ran him a fresh warm bath while dinner nearly burnt on the stove. I side stepped puppy pee as I rushed to stir the sizzling meat. All the while Joe was hanging off my leg complaining of hunger. 

I diapered Finley and left him to run around without clothes. He grabbed a banana like his older siblings and I smiled as I watched all of my little monkeys dance to the music in the kitchen. Soon they all ran downstairs to play and I was left with a sleepy baby to finish up dinner, and a counter still full of dishes and the remnants of lunch. Finley played peek-a-boo with Ollie while I dumped the beans into the pot. The chili spilled over the side while I stirred and I wanted to cry. Dinner had that unique smoked taste that you can't quite place (unless you're me and know that it burnt to the bottom of the pot). I called Mr. Stannix and laughed out loud as I recounted the chaos of the last few minutes and reassured him that I don't make these things up.

And so go the days. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in negative when you're amidst the happy chaos that is our life with five littles. I often find myself feeling overwhelmed by the mess, the arguing, the schedules and their constant need for food. But usually when I take the time to slow down and look at things with more of an eternal perspective, it all becomes a little bit easier. The children don't mind if our counter is piled with dishes, or the toy room is full of clutter. They are just happy to snuggle on my lap and listen to me read, or play games. I might not know a whole lot about what's going on outside our home, but I do know that what happens inside our home will have a far greater effect on my children. Today I am grateful for my camera lens, a goofy toddler, and a beautiful world of white to chase away the Winter blues.

Family Swim

 Finley had another swimming lesson today. As we looked at the swim schedule we realized that it overlapped with family swim and decided to take all of the littles to the pool for the morning. It's kind of a gong show changing and keeping an eye on five littles, but no one drowned and we all had a lot of fun! I can't wait until they are all more independent swimmers, then I can relax a little. I spent most of my morning counting to five as my eyes scanned the pool for their little blonde heads. I am also terrified of getting in trouble from the life guard for not having them within arms reach at all times. It was also Olivers FIRST time swimming, so it had to be documented. I brought along the GoPro Mr. Stannix gifted me for Christmas last year and took a few candid shots. 

Bat Boy

I love this boy. He is fun loving, imaginative, pensive, and so humble. He spent part of the afternoon outside as bat boy with his side kick puppy, Reese. It was pretty fun to see!