For our mothers

We are so grateful for our mothers. Thank you for your prayers and your love. We appreciate you!

Markers

In case anyone is wondering, the reason these posts are so random and only have one picture is because I've been posting a lot from my phone lately. The only way that A will sleep is if I'm holding her. Consequently you can usually find me nursing and rocking her for about three hours every afternoon to give her a decent afternoon nap. I know, I know, it's ridiculous, but she very well could be my last baby so I'm just going to sit here and hold this sweet thing and enjoy it :-)

So the other day miss H came out from her nap covered in pink...something. She had a great big smile on her face and said "mom I painted my nails!" I had a minor heart attack until I realized it was a washable marker. Then I rolled my eyes and told her we had to take a bath. Her bathwater was completely dyed pink which she thought was fabulous. I swear this girl is turning into pinkalicious. She tells me she's going to pink preschool, she wants to play pink soccer, and that she's the pink ninja turtle. Where does she get this stuff? The only thing that makes me feel a little bit better about it is that you can often find her playing ninjas, Jedi's, and spies with her brothers. Albeit she's usually the pink one :-)

I want my $10...

So sometimes I get these brilliant ideas, that end up not being so brilliant. For instance this is my latest whim--$10 worth of brown leathery looking vinyl. I had a project in mind, but as I'm getting into it I'm starting to realize this might be one of my more ridiculous ideas. I'll post a picture if everything turns out when I'm done, otherwise hopefully this will work someday for some Halloween costume :-)

Actually now that I think about it, I'm sure Hubs would be happy to have a full sized Thor outfit. :-) I'll definitely post a picture if that happens!

5 months

This beauty is five months old today. I can't believe how much faster the time seems to go with each child. I am so grateful for her. She is such a joy in our family, sometimes I just can't stop kissing her. I feel like she knew that she needed to be in our family and came just when she was supposed to. We are so blessed with our children and the love in our family.

This is what we really look like...

Sometimes as a parent, the picture in your head does not match up with actual events. Case in point: Family Pictures. 

For Easter this year, I had a vision of us taking a cute family picture in our Sunday best. We got mustaches from the Easter Bunny and thought it would be cute to take one of us looking nice and one as a crazy mustache picture. Well instead, on Easter Sunday I went home sick from church and spent the rest of the day semiconscious in my bed only interrupted to nurse a baby and hand her back. 

We decided to delay pictures until the next Sunday which turned out to be conference. Just in case you were wondering, we do not dress in our finest to watch t.v. on conference Sunday. 

By the time we took these pictures, we were just happy that everyone was outside, sitting down. 

Enjoy!

Preschool graduation

Sometimes I look at my kids and I realize they're much older than I think they should be. I look at this picture and realize this kid is almost 5 years old and it surprises me every time. He is so much fun and we love him so much. I'm so glad that this little guy is in our family and I'm proud of him. Here he is at his preschool graduation. I forgot that he was supposed to dress up. He was one of the only kids in normal clothes, and wore a glove on one of his hands. When I asked him if he wanted to change (I had even brought a change of clothes) he said, "No thanks." I just had to laugh, whatever. This kid always knows how to put a smile on my face.

We just couldn't resist!

We've created a monster

This is the reaction I get lately whenever I tell this child no. Heaven help me if this is a glimpse into our teenage years. And this is where I apologize again to our parents. Sorry we were stinkers, and thank you for not walking away and never coming back because, let's be honest, we've all considered it. :-)

Sitting up

I've been feeling sorry for myself the last few weeks. I keep getting sick, I'm exhausted and lonely. The kids keep being kids and horrible things keep happening in the world. I start to get caught up in the discouragement and often I find myself thinking, "Woe is me! Why is my life so hard?"

Today, though, I set this cute baby on the floor and she sat like this and smiled at me. I had to take her picture because she was sitting--sort of :-). When I looked at the picture with her big blue eyes staring at me I felt so overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude. Life is good. I am blessed, my children are beautiful, and wonderful people are in this world. I am so grateful for the perspective and love that being a parent has taught me, and I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives me hope when I sometimes don't feel hopeful.

Attached

Do you think someone is a little too attached to their blankie?

Mom, my nose is bleeding. E got a band aid for me. He is so nice.

(I should probably add that her nose was not bleeding, she just wanted a band aid.)

Overheard...

Hubs: I don't care if you are Jack Frost, you still need to clean up your clothes!!

Miss H: you are really rude, E!

Today at dinner,
E and Miss H: This dinner is so good! Congratulations, mom!!

Just because

The picture that shows up first on the blog was freaking me out...so I had to put up a new one. :-)

 Lately I have been doing instagram way more than the blog. It is so easy from my phone and captures my daily life so well. I wish there was just a way that I could transfer all of my instagram to the blog to print it out...I'm sure someone will come up with it someday. 

I do like, however, the freedom that the blog gives me to organize my thoughts and explain things in more depth. Sometimes when I talk to people or post on instagram, I feel like I give a very sarcastic portrayal of my feelings toward being a wife and mother. I love getting a laugh and often I tell the frustrating stories or embellish the parts of my life that I know will garner a reaction. Partly, though, I do this because I find the most tender and meaningful parts of my life to be too special to share in a public way. I love my children and I love my husband. Our lives are in no way perfect, but it doesn't matter. Sometimes I think it is easy to feel that being a parent is limiting and takes away so much of what we want. I would compare it, though, to being worried that you might not ever have another McDonald's ice cream cone only to find out that you now have constant access to Haagen Dazs. I can not express how my life and my family has refined and improved who I am, and I am grateful.

December catch up

I am slowly catching up on the last two months. So here is a whirlwind of the rest of our December...

Minutes old

 First picture with Mom and Dad

 First bath 

 They put her in a stocking and gave it to us to keep.

 First time meeting the siblings

 tiny feet

 Going home

 Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

 Our pet deer that like to hang out in the backyard, we have seen up to seven at a time. 

 Dad's birthday

 Matchy homemade Christmas pajamas

 Clearly A is super into it. 

 Christmas day. Low key and perfect. We had all our sweet babies home!

 Since Christmas day was basically the only day we could manage to get all of our family in town, we decided to bless baby A at home that day. It was very sweet and made the day that much more special. 

 Our family of 6.

 Miss A, the supermodel. 

This dress was handmade by my grandma for my mom to be blessed in. In turn my sister and I, and Miss H were blessed in it. 

 Here's Miss H (nearly) home from the hospital. Cut us a break, she is our fourth and was born at Christmas time! :-)

And I included this last photo because I just think it encapsulates this whole period of time so perfectly. E was so exhausted and sick one day that he fell asleep on the landing in the middle of our stairs. We are busy but happy and wouldn't have it any other way. 

I am so grateful for the gift that each of my children has been. I am constantly amazed at how beautiful each of their spirits are and how much they add to our home. They test me and stretch me in ways that I never thought possible and I can honestly say that I didn't know how or have the to capacity to love that being a mother has helped me to develop. I am so grateful for the opportunity to know and love each of them.