The Hench Family

2011-11-04T06:55:00.002-06:00

I don't usually post pictures of myself, but I had a request to see my new hair color. I'm not terribly photogenic. That being said, I'm not looking for compliments. It's just a statement of fact and I'm OK with that. There's nothing wrong with being better looking in person than in pictures. :) It's actually why Quin is in the picture. Despite the fact that his shirt is dirty, he needs a haircut, and his face had some unknown substance on it, he is still pretty cute and I figure people will want to look at him instead of me...
I've never had hair this dark. I think I like it. Andrew had a bit of an adjustment after it was done. He usually doesn't care what I do to my hair, but will admit that he likes it blonde, if he has his say (which, when it comes to my hair, he rarely does). He attributes it to the fact that I was a legitimate blonde when he met me. As I've gotten older and with every passing pregnancy, my hair gets darker and darker. It's just too much work to keep it blonde anymore.
My kids thought it was a little weird at first, until I pointed out that it looked more like Callie now and that made her happy. It also made Leah angry. She has asked me to dye it back to normal and has also asked me to dye hers the same dark color so we can look more alike again. Silly girls. My sister-in-law told me that it makes me look more like my sisters, who all have darker hair. Go figure.
Anyway, here it is. It will probably stay this way for awhile.... probably. :)

Kolob Reservoir

2011-11-03T06:17:00.004-06:00

A couple weekends ago we went up to Kolob Reservoir with Michelle, Steve and the cousins. We missed the fall colors by a good two weeks and it was COLD! OK, it felt cold to us, which probably meant it was normal for most people in the fall. The drive up was great. It takes you around the backside of Zion National Park and actually through the park at one point. It was really beautiful. We found a place to stop, had lunch, and threw lots of rocks into the water. Quinten would have been happy to do that the whole time we were there.

Munchkin got to come along. He went in the water (that had to be absolutely freezing) and then looked like a drowned rat and tracked mud all over the blankets. :) Poor dog.

I've discovered recently that I take a lot of pictures of Quinten and find myself wondering if I focus on him more than the girls because he is the youngest or because he is the only boy... either way, it really is unintentional. He's just so cute.

This is all the girls: Breanna, Amber, Leah, Alexa and Callie.

Derrick is the only boy who opted to have a picture with the girls. He's such a good sport. I sometimes wonder if it's because he doesn't have little sisters of his own, so he doesn't mind all of our crazy girls as much. Well, I appreciate him no matter what.

For the most part, the boys were cold (poor babies) and sat in the van while they ate. After they were done, they went hunting for rocks to throw in the water. Big rocks. That made large splashes. I gave them instructions to make sure my kids weren't anywhere near when they threw them in.

I took this picture just to show how bad it looked when we got up there. No good color. Just brown. Blah.

We walked up a hill above the Reservoir and it happened to be about 10 degrees warmer than it was below, not to mention the wind was almost non-exsistent. And Quinten found every patch of mud he could and walked in it. Lovely. We also saw some guys coming back to their cabin from hunting a big buck. It was huge and laying dead in the back of their truck. Both the boys and the girls found that to be pretty cool.

After we ate, we drove back down into the park and stopped at a trailhead to hike a little bit. Quin, of course, fell asleep on the way down, so Andrew stayed in the car with him while the rest of us hiked. The boys ended up giving piggy back rides to the girls for quite a ways. My girls love having the big boys around. I guess we just don't have enough of that at our house. My girls think they are cool and follow them around and try really hard to tease and annoy them. Luckily, the boys are good sports about it and are really so nice to the girls. We ended up turning around before we got to our destination just becaue we were afraid the girls wouldn't be able to make it the whole way back.

Stopping for a break... actually, I think we were stopping so Amber could catch up to everyone else. She was a little miffed at being in the back. Austin was playing wheelbarrow with Munchkin.

We left after we got back to the parking lot and headed home. Quinten woke up while we were getting the girls in the car, but soon fell asleep and slept the whole way home. Leah used the "bathroom" before we left. It was really a glorified porta-potty. She told me that it cooled her butt off with the air coming up from the hole. She seemed to think this was a good thing. Oh, Leah. The things she says. This is a shot coming back down the switchbacks. I made Andrew pull over just so I could take a picture.

This was also taken on our way back down to the highway. This picture doesn't really do the color of the fields justice with the red rock in the background. It was a beautiful yellow and looked amazing. Our kids were quiet on the way home- I think we sucessfully wore everyone out and that made me happy. :) Quinten, on the other hand, was wide awake when we got home and stayed awake for way too long before he fell asleep for the night. I guess a nap until 5 in the evening will do that to a two year old.

It was fun to get away for a little bit and great to spend time with Steve, Michelle and the kids.

Tuacahn's The Little Mermaid

2011-11-02T17:27:00.003-06:00

I took the girls to see The Little Mermaid at Tuacahn on October 18th. It was truly out of luck that we got to go at all. I put off getting tickets this summer, thinking that it would be easier to wait until the fall when it had cooled off to take them. They had been asking for ages, mostly because Andrew and I had seen it on the first day it was out with some of his friends from work. The girls wanted their turn, of course. I was in no rush, however, to sit through it again. (Selfish, I know). It's not that I didn't like it- it's just that there have been others that I have liked better. But, it was a well-done show and I knew the girls would love it. So, the beginning of September rolled around and we found out that Andrea was coming to visit and she wanted to go with all the girl cousins to see it. Michelle and I started looking into tickets, only to find that every show was sold out till the end of the season. Popular show, huh? So we broke the bad news to the girls, who were mad at me, of course. But, what could be done?? Nothing. Then one morning the beginning of October I was taking Leah to preschool and I heard on the radio that they were opening up one more show on a Tuesday night (it played on Mon, Wed, and Fri all summer and fall) and tickets went on sale that day. As soon as I got home, I got online and bought tickets. The girls were thrilled. Quinten was mad when he learned he was staying home with Dad. Typical, I suppose. :)

We had amazing seats, seven rows back, and the girls could see everything. This picture above was after the show. Leah was too tired to stand in front of the stage for a picture. The weather was really good- cool, but not cold. As I sat and watched my girls during the show, I saw all of their different personalities come through in HOW they watched the show. Alexa sat quietly and intently watched every minute of the show without emotion or even a smile. Callie squirmed in her seat, trying to dance to the music; and several times I had to tell her to stop singing. Leah sat on my lap instead of her seat and asked me question after question after question till I was sick of answering her. It was exactly what I would have expected from each of them. How are they all so different?! The whole place was sold out, and a zoo, so we didn't stop and get any real pictures. The con to doing this on a weekday was that we had school the next day and it was after 11 o'clock by the time we got home. We had a great time, though. I'm glad I got a chance to spend time with my girls.

Next year they are doing Aladdin... we will be getting our tickets early and going in the heat of the summer.

Alexa's Piano Recital

2011-11-02T17:16:00.002-06:00

Alexa's piano recital was a couple week back. It's always in October and the piano students all dress up. It's lots of fun. Alexa did a great job on her piano piece. She has really started to improve and sound like she knows what she is doing in the last few months! Her songs are getting harder, but she is keeping up with them. She loves to practice... sometimes a little too much. There are a few songs that are her favorites and I would be happy if she would forget them. Her teacher is my good friend, Heather. Usually I try to get a picture of Heather and Alexa together, but Quin was a crazy man and we needed to get out of the building as fast as possible or he probably would've broken something expensive. Heather is a great teacher- we love her so much!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T10:03:00.005-06:00

I'm so glad Halloween is over. It's far from my favorite holiday and it seems to last longer and longer every year. This I had to dress up kids for a piano recital, two different dance classes, the church party, the school parties (which were on Friday instead of Monday), a preschool party, and the actual Halloween night. I am done. Very, very done. Leah decided to change her mind halfway through the week long event, which I was actually glad about. She was going to be Little Red Riding Hood first. Then we went and saw the Little Mermaid at Tuacahn and she decided to be Ariel (as seen above). Then, after one day of Ariel she decided to be a witch. The witch is the easiest by far and I was glad it finally stuck.

These are the spoils from the Ward Halloween party last Tuesday night. It's the same every year and the kids love it: dinner at the park at the end of our street, carnival games put on by the Young Men and Young Women and some Trunk-or-Treating. It's so easy and I love that it is close to home.

This is before we went out on Monday night. Leah and Quinten managed to break a broomstick sometime in the last week and I refused to get the other down for her because I knew it would take the same path. And, I have no idea where her hat was. Typical Leah. She marches to the beat of a different drum....

I think Callie's costume said it was a leopard lady. She loved it, of course. It's right up her alley- pink with a little fluff.

Ahh- there's the hat. Good thing her hat covered her crazy hair. That is what I love best about this costume: I didn't have to try to tame her crazy hair into anything other than what it was. Actually, there is a great possibility that her hair never even got combed on Monday....

Alexa is... picky. If her costume wasn't just so, she wouldn't leave the house. If her hair wasn't just so, she wouldn't leave the house. If her makeup didn't look exactly how she envisioned it in her mind, she wouldn't leave the house. She is the reason I hate this holiday. OK, not the whole reason, but some of it. It's way too much work pleasing her. Next year she informed me she wants to be an archer. Really? An archer? Anyone have a bow and arrow I can borrow for next year??

Isn't he the cutest pirate you ever saw? Andrea and Mike bought his costume for him while they were in town. He wanted to to be like Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. He has spent the last two weeks hitting his sisters with his sword. And I have spent the last two weeks taking it from him and hiding it on top of the fridge or my armoire. He actually liked trick-or-treating this year. He was worn out after one street, but he sat in the stroller and was so good after that. And he loves the fact that he has his own bag of candy to pull treats from. Leah didn't last much longer than Quin, and she sat in the stroller when she was done, as well. The other girls literally ran from house to house and we couldn't keep up with them. It was a beautiful night- the weather was perfect. It's one of the many perks of living in St. George, I guess. My sister Honor says we sometimes don't live in reality here. That kids can run around a neighborhood in short sleeves on Halloween, not to mention go door to door safely, is something that doesn't happen where they live. She is right. We live in the perfect neighborhood for Halloween. The streets are flat, the neighbors are great, the weather is good... we are very lucky to live here.

The Farm

2011-10-26T17:04:00.010-06:00

Andrea and Mike came to visit during UEA this year. The weather was great and we got to do some fun things with them. Actually, the weather was so good that we even went swimming at Green Valley one day! We spent Saturday afternoon at the farm- it was a lot of fun, but so hot! I was glad to get in our air conditioned car when we left! And, you'll be able to tell by the pictures that towards the end, everyone was worn out. Above is a group shot just before we went it. You can see that the sun was too bright and we had a hard time getting everyone with their eyes open.

Alexa is the driver, Breanna is the pig (or hog, I suppose is more appropriate :)), Callie is the pumpkin and Leah is poking around the side. I'm not sure where Amber was for this shot...

Quinten's turn- this was the only hole he could reach on his own.

Leah as the pumpkin.

There was a small pen for petting animals. The kids all loved it.

Quin wanted to ride this little pony. It was just his size. He wasn't afraid like I thought he would be!

This witch was wandering around. She was nice enough to stop and take a picture with us.

I can't remember what they called this thing, but it was shaped like a huge pillow, filled with air. The kids had a great time jumping on it, except for Breanna who thought it wasn't worth it to have to untie her shoes to get on. Quin didn't want to get off, but then a couple bigger boys got on and he got scared. They would jump and he would fall and bounce his way around. I had to grab his legs to get him off. (Because I wasn't about to get on the thing either).

I guess if you're in to John Deere, you can find the stuff anywhere. There were Little John Deere trikes and ride ons, stick horses, etc. And this thing, which Quinten loved. It was actually Lex's idea to get all four of them on it for a picture. Doesn't Quin look happy?

I'm not sure how this picture didn't get flipped, but I wasn't willing to go back and fix it. :) There was a toy kind of like a merry-go-round where the horses were made of tires, that you had to spin around with the use of ropes (which Mike ended up doing.... a lot... we were glad he came with us). Amber loved it, in particular. She didn't want to get off.

The girls, minus Amber, all took turns riding horses. This is Breanna and Alexa.

Callie and Leah.

More of the spinning horse toy.

There was a big playhouse that Quin played in. It had stairs up to an overlook tower that he really liked.

Group shot in front of the scarecrow sign.

This picture was the last picture I took and really should have gone at the end. You can see that everyone looks hot and slightly irritated. It was on the ride back from the corn maze. It was time to go, I think.

This was on the way to the corn maze. Everyone was in better spirits here and excited for what we were about to do. Maybe we should have done the corn maze first and then they would have enjoyed it more.

Entering the corn maze. Quinted made me carry him most of the way, which I hated. Mike was in charge of getting us to the middle in the shortest amount of time. He took a few wrong turns, but we eventually made it. And the way out seemed much, much quicker.

Here is the flag to prove that we did it. They had fun, but 10 degrees cooler really would have help us out!

We were glad we got to spend some time with Andrea and Mike. We love when they come to visit!

More Leah-isms

2011-10-09T17:43:00.003-06:00

When I said there were funny things my kids say that I didn't want to forget, maybe it would have been more accurate to say that Leah says funny things that I don't want to forget. Here's a couple more:

Yesterday we have two soccer games. When we got home from Callie's in the afternoon, Andrew cut the lawn, so the kids played outside. It was a beautiful day and the sun felt great. When it was time to come in, Leah's entire backside was soaked. My first assumption was that she had peed her pants because she was too busy to come in and go to the bathroom. She denied this, of course, but couldn't tell us why she was all wet. Andrew and I were both trying to get her to tell us exactly how it happened. Finally, after she had changed her clothes and was back in the living room she said, "You really want to know the truth? My butt was hot, so I had to pour water from a water bottle on it." That girl is crazy.

We went to the High School football game on Friday night because Callie was doing cheer during the halftime show. It was late when we left for home and we kept trying to convince everyone that they needed to sleep in on Saturday morning, except for Alexa, who had a 9AM soccer game. So, Leah's solution to that was, "You have to sleep out, Lex, not sleep in." It makes perfect sense, I suppose- the opposite of in is out. It just sounded so funny when she said it.

Quinten couldn't get enough of the football game. He was upset we left before he could properly say goodbye to the team. All through the parking lot to the car he was near tears saying, "I didn't say goodbye to the Panthers." I guess we need to make it a point to take him to more games if that is all it takes to make him happy.

Scripture Cookies

2011-10-09T17:03:00.004-06:00

So, Alexa has been asking for the last couple weeks to make scripture cookies from a recipe her Grandma Louisa gave her. You know the ones- you look up the scripture and it has an ingredient to add to the bowl to make the cookies. We finally did it today. She looked up the scriptures and read them, got the ingredient, then I would add it to the bowl. I'm ashamed to say that I am a pathetic excuse for a mother when it comes to making cookies. I know this for the sheer fact that while the cookies were in the oven all three of my girls were saying things like, "Wow. This is so fun. We haven't done this in a really long time." OR, "All we usually do is make cookies from a mix. This is way better!" Yikes. I was totally called out without them even realizing it.

I do have a fairly legitimate excuse for not being a "cookie baking mom"... so let me fill you in. Andrew and I got married 11 years ago. For the first two and a half years it was just us. And when Alexa was born, she obviously couldn't eat cookies or cake or pie for at least nine months. So, it was over three years where if I made anything sweet, it was just Andrew and I to eat it. I learned very quickly that if I made anything that resembled dessert, Andrew would typically eat a token piece of whatever it was as soon as it was done, then he wouldn't touch it after that. At first I think I was offended, until I realized that he'd rather sit down with a bag of chips or a bowl of popcorn before he'd sit with anything that contained sugar. So, if I made anything he'd have a piece and I'd finish it off over the course of the next few days. Eating a whole raspberry pie (minus one piece) isn't good for anyone. Sometimes I couldn't eat whatever it was before it would go bad or stale and then I was just throwing food away. So, I just stopped making stuff. If I wanted it, I'd buy a cookie mix that only made two dozen cookies instead of six dozen. If I wanted brownies, I'd buy the Betty Crocker single mix that goes in the microwave (I'm not picky :)) and eat it when I wanted it. And even now I frequent the cupcake store if I'm really in the mood for a cakebite or a cupcake. I guess over the years I've forgotten that maybe my kids need and want the experience of having homemade treats in the house. The funny thing is, I'm actually a fairly good cook. I may not like it much, but I'm completely capable of doing it. And sometimes I wonder if I don't really enjoy it because I've always got a baby competing for my time, so I feel rushed in the kitchen. I'm always looking for the fast, easy out so I can get to everything and everyone that needs my time. Maybe as my kids get older I will change my mind.

I have sisters who are incredibly talented when it comes to homemaking... even when they have babies. I didn't get that gene- I'm too much like my mom. I actually think that is a good thing. My mom is the best and I have no problems with being just like her. I hope that someday my kids will recognize I taught them the importance of learning and reading, music, exercise, service, self-reliance and a million other things. I figure if it really means that much to my kids to learn the "crafty" side of motherhood, they can hang out with my sisters every summer and learn all there is to know. :)

My new resolve is to make something homemade once a month for the sake of my kids. Once a month, you say? That's not much to some of you, but for me it's a step in the right direction.

Funny Little Things...

2011-10-06T19:48:00.002-06:00

Sometimes my kids just make me laugh. They say things that I always think to myself, "I need to remember that and write it down so I don't forget." And then life happens, I don't write it down and I forget. So, here are a few of them so I will remember them with fondness in years to come... and possibly torture them with the memories. :)

Leah slept in footed pajamas last night even though I thought she was going to be too hot. As it turned out, it was a cool night and we woke up to a chilly 73 degrees in our house. (That's the lowest it's been since probably March, so to us it was cold.) She came out of her room this morning and the pajamas were unzipped to her belly button. She laughed and said, "Look, I slept like this." I said, "Well, I'm sure you were still warm enough," to which she replied, "Indeed, I was." Truly. She even used it in the right context... I was so proud. :)

Quinten came running out of his room the other night with a fistful of money from someone's piggy bank. He said, "Look Mom! Look at all my money." I, of course responded with, "Wow. Where did you get all that?" He said, "In my room. Except the rest of it fell down the butt crack of my bed." The girls were in hysterics and I had a hard time keeping a straight face.

Leah Jayne

2011-10-01T21:49:00.004-06:00

Leah started preschool about a month ago. I can hardly believe that this is her last year and next year she will be in Kindergarten! Wow. I am trying to decide if she's ready for that... or better yet, if I'm ready for that. Three kids in elementary school?! Yikes. Last year I signed up to help on the first day of school for her. I knew she would be nervous and it would help the transition if I was there. I decided to do the same thing this year. Leah's class hadn't changed much- a couple kids gone with a few new additions. I think that helped make her feel better about it. The biggest thing I was worried about was that her friend, Shane, wasn't going to be there. She took it better than I thought she would and we've moved on to playing with other kids at school. Every day when I pick her up I ask her who she played with at recess. Typically, it's a girl named Callista. I'm just glad she's playing with the girls this year! :)

Leah had her first day of school outfit picked out a month before school started. She was so excited to get dressed the morning of the first day. She was awake before 7:00, which is SO unlike her. I don't know if it was nerves or excitement. We got her ready, dropped the big girls off at school and headed to her school. I know helping on the first day was the right thing. She sat next to me the whole time, only wanted to play with me and was terribly quiet. But, she had fun and I knew she'd be OK the next day.

Now I just drop her off at the curb, she runs in and doesn't look back. She is extremely excited when she brings homework home. She sits at the counter and works hard to make all her letters look just right. I know she is taking notes from her sisters and it makes me grateful they don't fight me too badly on their homework.

Quinten is now a loner on the mornings Leah is at school. The first day of school he spent with Andrew while I was helping with Leah. He was still asleep when I left, but Andrew said he woke up shortly after we had gone. He ate breakfast and ran some errands with Andrew. When I got home, he was watching TV, eating donuts on the floor and hardly talked to us. He looked up just long enough to say, "Mom, we got donuts!" Apparently he enjoyed his alone time with Dad. And he seems to be enjoying his alone time with me, as well. I thought he would protest a bit to having Leah gone, but he really only protests the fact that he can't go to his school. I always tell him his school is with me... he's not convinced it's a legitimate school. :) We run errands, clean the house, hang out with Dad, (who is always trying to work while we "hang out with him"... he humors us, I think, even though he's busy...). And, occasionally we buy tasty treats for ourselves and we don't share with anyone. Now, that alone should be enough to make Mom's school legitimate!

I'm not sure what I will do with Quinten next year. He will be old enough for preschool, but I really don't anticipate sending him to Kindergarten till he's six. His birthday is so late in May, I just think he will be better off if I wait. So, really he doesn't need to start Preschool for two more years. However, maybe next year I will change my mind. He will really be sick of Mom's school by then. You never know what could happen between now and then!

Our Super Quick Trip

2011-09-04T19:56:00.003-06:00

Last weekend we went up to SLC to say goodbye to my sister, Siri, and her family. They are now living in the flat (or so she tells me) state of Wisconsin. It will be the first time in many, many, many years that she and I haven't lived near each other and the first time I haven't had another family member living in Utah with me. I'll be honest, it makes me sad. Even though SLC is four hours from here, it is still close enough to know that we can see each other if we need or want to. Wisconsin is a flying trip only and those won't happen nearly as much. I will miss her, but I am happy for this new experience they will have.
I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I should have while were there. Acually, these pictures at Bridalveil Falls on our way out of town were the only pictures I took.

We drove up on Friday and stayed in Midway with our good friends, the Spencers. We love visiting with them! They have four little boys that stagger the ages of our girls. It's so much fun to see them all together. Early Saturday morning we met a friend of Siri's at Wheeler Farms in Midvale to take family pictures. What was going to be family pictures actually turned out being pictures of the kids and a few of me with them... Andrew didn't come with us on this trip. He just started a new job and was working both jobs for two weeks and was truly on overload. Not enough hours in the day to get everythig done, as usual. The pictures turned out great, even though it was not a true family picture- I was really happy with the rest.

We hung out with Siri, Chris, Jack, and Will the rest of Saturday. We spent the afternoon swimming, playing, and touring IKEA because my kids would live at IKEA if I would let them. It was fun to see the cousins together one last time and sad to drive away.

We went to church with John and Rach on Sunday morning, which was not a fun experience. Four kids who had a busy weekend, who were with their friends at church= not a happy mom. We left after Sacrament Meeting, changed our clothes and started for home. We stopped at Bridalveil, which is where all these pictures came from. We took the path up to the Falls and back. I haven't done that in years! It was fun and it got all the kids' energy out before we got in the car for the drive home.

It will be odd to go to Salt Lake and not see Siri and her family anymore. She was the reason we went there. I guess it will make trips up North fewer and farther between.

4 More Birthdays...

2011-09-02T09:01:00.002-06:00

**WARNING** THIS POST IS REALLY LONG

So, I've officially written this post three times. This post is the reason I wanted to give up on blogging completely. I have written a novel for this post and had blogger give me an error message that deletes my writing and just leaves the pictures... twice. So, if it doesn't work this last time, I'm giving up. Poor Leah, Quinten, and Callie will have to remember their birthdays on their own from this year in their lives.

We have four birthdays in our house within a month of each other. We also add in the end of school, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, yadda, yadda, yadda. You get the picture. It's the busiest month of our year and by the time it's done, I'm done. I'm partied out, caked out, presented out, pictured out, and broke from spending so much money at one time. :)

Leah starts us out in May. She turned four this year and requested orange cupcakes. I was happy to oblige on that one. So easy, so quick, and less likely to leave a bunch of uneaten treats on my counter. We opened gifts, ate dinner as a family, and PopPop and Grandma came over for dessert.

Leah is... loud. So loud that sometimes by the end of the night I can't listen to her voice any longer. She has no volume control and never, never, NEVER stops talking. (Unless it's her preschool program at the end of the year and then she refuses to sing or say a single word. Go figure.) She is constanly making off the wall comments that have the whole house in hysterics- particularly at the dinner table. I'm not sure where she comes up with the stuff she thinks or says, but she really is hilarious.

The only gift Leah wanted was a DS. Both her older sisters have them and I think she was feeling left out. So, I couldn't justify spending that kind of money on a 4 year old when I wasn't even sure she could take care of the thing. However, someone suggested I check the local pawnshops to see if I could get a great deal. And I did. Such a great deal that Leah landed herself with a DSi for cheaper than either of the other girls' DS lites that are a couple years old. They were not happy to be upstaged by their younger sister. I actually took a video of her opening it just to see the big girls' faces- it was hilarious. Andrew and I still laugh about it. Leah also officially got the very first set of Legos to ever come into our house for her birthday. What can I say? We're a bunch of girls. However, they were the hit of the night (two pictures down from here you can see them all playing with them) and Callie and Alexa both requested some for Christmas.

They were all entertained for a long time- it was great!

Leah has the biggest personality and she just makes me smile (when she's not driving me crazy). She also packs a lot of attitude into that tiny body of hers. She gives the best hugs and kisses- tight hugs around the neck that leave you feeling so loved. She also likes to play with the back of your hair when you are holding her, or in Andrew's case, she loves to rub his head right after he's shaved it. Just last week when I was putting her to bed, she made me promise Andrew would come in so she could rub his head (he wasn't home at bedtime). She makes us laugh when she kisses Andrew goodbye in the mornings because she grabs his face with both hands and kisses him right on the lips. She still loves to be held and cuddled. Leah has hair that is seriously famous around here. It's huge. Really. She has all this natural curl that I have no idea how to tame (the rest of us have stick straight hair. Not sure where she came from). Just recently my friend, Selma, cut it into an A-line. It's absolutely cute and suits her crazy personality perfectly. She is a great big sister and works hard at playing with Quin. We call Leah our champion sleeper- she sleeps long and hard and is almost always the last one up in our house, by a longshot. It's great! We had a bit of a scare this summer with Leah and found ourselves in the children't hospital in Tacoma for a few days while we were visiting home. That is a whole other post to be made, but it made me grateful for who she is- crazy personality and all. I am so blessed to be her mom.

Quin's birthday is a week after Leah's. His life revolves around Cars. Everything he wants to have, to watch, to play, to eat off of, is Cars. We are sick of the Cars movie. I was hoping the new movie would give us some variety, so we took all the kids to see it this summer. It was his first movie in a theater. It just didn't hold his attention like the first one. So, we are back to square one...

Quinten got his first GeoTrax train for his birthday. We also got him the remote control McQueen, which was the true hit of the present. This was another present that entertained everyone. We had to pull the girls away to eat dinner and we couldn't pull Quin away for anything. That Lightning went around and around and around and every once in awhile you'd hear Quin say, "Ka-Chow!" in his loudest voice. It was really funny. He laughs hysterically when we play back the video of him doing this.

You wouldn't expect anything less than a Cars cake. He still talks about it, too. Just the other day he was telling someone about his cars cake and how the Mater and McQueen came off.

It also took a lot to keep him out of it all day. I'd see him eyeing the box on the counter and I'd have to run to save the cake. Quin is such a boy. He is so different from my girls that it's crazy. He climbs and jumps and runs and teases mercilessly. When he falls down, he just picks himself up and keeps going. The girls still don't do that! They need someone to listen to their story of how they got hurt and what someone else can do to make it feel better. Honestly. Such girls. Quin is the only child of mine who has ever pushed chairs up to the counter to get what he wanted. He has broken several kitchen garbage cans because he climbs up for one reason or another. He loves to take things from his sisters and then run away from them while they chase him. And he laughs the whole time. He still hates having his hair cut, he loves bubble baths, he doesn't want to be potty trained, he wants to play outside all day, everyday (as long as someone will play with him), he is always dirty (I can't seem to keep him clean!) and he loves to cuddle in the morning when he wakes up. He loves his Dad more than anything and his face lights up when he hears the garage door open because that means Dad is home. He talks like he is well over 3- I can sit and have conversations with him and we totally understand each other. I love that- I'm never guessing what is wrong or what he wants and I know he understands me and is just ignoring me when I tell him to do something. Quinten is my sweetie- forever my baby. And I just love him to pieces.

Ten days after Quinten's birthday is my birthday. Wahoo. (Said in a monotone voice). It's another day, another year. What's in a number, anyway? I say it's all in your head. I don't mind being 32- I've got four kids, for crying out loud! I should be 32! So, instead of more useless cake, I went to the cupcake store and got exactly 6 cupcakes- one for each of us... except I picked two for myself because I knew Andrew wouldn't eat one. It's the benefit of having a husband who's not big on dessert! Raspberry Mango and Raspberry Lemonade. Mmmm... heaven. I can't remember what the kids had, but I know everyone was happy. I think I'll do it every year.

This hasn't been my year for running. I was signed up for the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in Seattle in June, but ended up in the hospital with Leah and didn't get to run. I figured, no big deal- I'm signed up for the marathon in St. George in October. No dice, my friends. About three weeks ago I hurt my foot... still not running on it... so, last Saturday I should have run about 18 miles... didn't happen. Not going to happen. Don't want to talk about it anymore.

I suppose there's always next year...

Callie is the last birthday for our family for the whole year. Kind of weird, huh? I always feel bad for Cal because she has to wait through everyone else's celebrations before she gets her own. I'm probably always compensating because of it- I never want her to know that I'm out of steam by the time her birthday rolls around so I do stuff that I wouldn't normally do. Like celebrate three times. Because her birthday is always right by Father's Day, we try to celebrate with the extended family on Father's Day since we are all together. I figure none of the dads care- they've had plenty of Father's Day's. :) This year dinner was at our house. Callie, bless her sweet heart, wanted ice cream pie instead of cake. I was happy to oblige.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream with these yummy new Keebler cookies that were mint. It was good.

Callie wanted a camera for her birthday. She wanted pink; I found purple. Luckily, it was close enough.

Callie's birthday fell on a Monday this year. It just happenedto be the day were supposed to leave for Washington. Andrew planned on working that day, then we'd pack up and drive all night like we normally do. So, amid the last minute packing, cleaning, and gathering, I took Callie and three friends to see Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. Up above we have Alexa Anderson, Meagan Sorenson, Callie and Jaide Bundy.

We were the only people in the entire theater. (Not surprising since the movie wasn't that great. I occupied my time by playing on my phone). The girls thought it was great. I filled them with popcorn, soda, candy, and then took them to the cupcake store to fill them with frosting... it's the best part, really.

They were lots of fun to hang out with. They thought they were so old sitting there. It's always fun for me to watch how my kids interact with their friends. I love that Callie isn't afraid to act silly and crazy around her friends with me there. She's not embarrassed by me yet, I guess. :) Callie never once complained about her birthday being last this year. She was excited for Quin and Leah when they had their days and patiently waited till hers came. I appreciate that so much. Callie is almost always happy. She has her moments, of course, but for the most part she is content. She is ready to help when I ask her to, she tries to please when she can, and she smiles a lot. I know I've said this before, but I never worry about Callie in the same way I worry about the others. Callie makes friends easily, she gets along with everyone, she does what will make her happy and isn't one who needs to follow the trends to be happy or fit in. She has a style that is all her own, thinks everything I buy for her is cute and beautiful and always thinks she looks great (which she does because she walks with confidence). She is great with Quinten and will play with him as long as he doesn't try to break anything of hers. This year we are working on reading with Callie- she can do it, she's just not that interested in it. It's such a stark contrast from Alexa, who reads with every spare minute she has. Callie would much rather do something social than sit alone and read. it's my challenge with her because I don't understand it! I'm like Alexa- I'd sit and read for hours and be content. Callie wants to be in motion. She loves to dance and sing, and I think we are going to find that dancing will be her calling in life. She's doing soccer again this fall, but sometimes I wonder if she's just doing it because Alexa is or because she knows her dad loves it. We'll see. Callie is amazing. She has a tender heart and I just have to smile when I think about her.

I Forgot to Mention...

2011-09-01T18:44:00.003-06:00

So, anyone who knows me knows that I hate doing hair. I despise it. It is totally ironic that I ended up with three girls who need their hair done everyday... actually, I only do their hair if we are going somewhere. :) So, imagine my disappointment when Alexa tells me that for the first day of school she wants a french braid to travel around her head and end in a bun with a flower. SERIOUSLY?! I took several deep breaths and told her we'd have to practice the night before school started and see how it went. And, that we needed a backup plan... just in case. These pictures are proof that miracles do exist. I figured it out and made it look good enough that she was happy with it. And, it stayed in all day with not much hair spray! I took these pictures after dinner on the first day of school and it still looked decent. So, I just had to document my accomplishment to prove that I'm not a complete loser of a mom when it comes to hair.

First Day of School Pics

2011-08-30T14:50:00.003-06:00

We are officially in the third full week of school- it's amazing that it happens so fast! The girls are doing great, as always, and Leah is anxiously awaiting her start in preschool next week. The first day of school always makes me laugh with these two girls. It's so typical what will happen and Andrew and I always laugh that it never changes. Alexa plays off that she is nervous; we get to the school and she hardly says goodbye to you, like she's already embarrassed of us or something. Callie holds my hand down the hallway, lets me come in her classroom, help her find her desk, gives me a big hug, and tells me she loves me. This year was no different.
The girls picked out these outfits with their Grandma before she left on her mission this summer. They were so excited to wear them for the first day of school.

Alexa's class is full of kids she already knows- two of her best friends from last year, two kids on our street, and piles of kids from our ward and her Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade classes. She got the teacher she wanted and was so excited for school to start. I wasn't worried about her because I knew she felt comfortable with what was going on. This is the first year she's felt that way and I'm so glad- it was her turn to feel good about starting school. She was kept with two kids in her class from last intentionally because all three have been so advanced in their work. I've been relieved that they have each other because I know the teacher will work with them on their level and she won't get bored. I knew there were other smarty pants kids around- it just took us a little while to find them. :) They have a journal writing assignment each Friday in their class where they write a letter to their parents to let them know what they have done throughout the week. The parents are then supposed to read and sign the letter and send it back to school. And, if they want they can write back to their kids. I'm excited for the chance to read what Alexa finds interesting in her class and even more excited to write back to her each week so she knows that I'm genuinely interested in what she is doing and knows that I'm so proud of what she accomplishes. I'm hoping this journal will be something she will want to keep because of the special meaning it will have to both of us.

Callie started school with a teacher she didn't know anything about and a class with no one she knew. Her best friend moved to a different school this year and her other best friend was put in the class with the teacher Callie wanted. The funny thing is that I never worry about Callie like I do Alexa when it comes to social situations. Callie makes friends easily and has no problem approaching people. I thought maybe she would be apprehensive on the first day of school, but when I dropped her off, we went in and put her backpack away, found her desk and she sat down to color a page. I asked her if she was OK and she looked up with a big smile on her face and said, "Yep. Bye Mommy; I love you." She has been fine ever since. Ahh... my sweet girl. We have since discovered that there is a little girl on our street that is in her class and they have become good friends. Like I said, I never worry about Callie. She makes the best of every situation and is constantly making me proud of her and who she is.

Leah will start school next week. I have no idea what to expect from her. :) I signed up to help in her class on the first day of school, just as I did last year, because I know it will make her feel more comfortable. We'll see how it goes!

Just a couple...

2011-08-29T22:49:00.002-06:00

I've been having major issues with my blog lately. Actually, I was so angry with it after I spent two days writing a novel to catch up with the four birthdays I never posted, and it screamed ERROR at me and erased everything that I decided to give up entirely. Then, my sweet in-laws, who are on their mission in California, requested pictures of the kids and I felt I couldn't refuse just because I hated blogger. So, I'm trying again. We sort of had family pictures taken this weekend up North... sort of because Andrew wasn't with us so it wasn't really the whole family. Anyway, I grabbed these pictures from Ashely's Facebook site, so I know they are small and not great, but you'll get the idea till I get the CD and can post more.

We went to Wheeler Farms in Murray. I had no idea a farm existed in the middle of the city. It was fun- we walked around, climbed on tractors, saw animals, etc. The pictures I've seen so far turned out really great. I can't wait to see the rest!

8 Years Old!

2011-05-19T14:41:00.007-06:00

Alexa turned 8 on March 16th. I can hardly believe she is that old! Her birthday happened to fall during Spring Break, so we celebrated on her birthday as a family, had a party with her friends the following week, and had her baptism on April 9th. What a lucky girl to celebrate so many times!
We started the day at IHOP with Grandma and PopPop. I'm not sure where Andrew and Quinten were when this picture was taken, but we were all there. Lucky for us, on a Wednesday morning IHOP is not crowded and breakfast was great.

Later that evening we had dinner and opened presents. This was her gift from Aunt Andrea- The Lost Hero (which she has read twice since then... and can't wait for the next book to come out) and a cookbook. Alexa had this long list of things she wanted for her birthday this year. We tried to accomodate as many of them as we could. Some were just plain ridiculous and were probably written down in the heat of the moment... such as, "a family who is nice to me." We also did not honor the "any kind of pet" request. Sorry. I just can't make every dream come true. We went the weekend before her birthday and got her ears pierced, which was a big one for her. She has been waiting forever because "all her friends have their ears pierced already." Cry me a river, Lex... I am not everyone's mother, just yours. :)

Grandma gave her a jewelry box to keep all her new earrings in.

We had cake with Grandma and PopPop.

And, this is my favorite picture. Alexa specifically told everyone to stay away and not blow on her candles... Callie is hilarious.

These were the girls who came to Alexa's party. We took nine girls to see Gnomeo and Juliet. Wow. Let's talk about hyper. They came to our house, we opened presents and then left for the movie. My good friend, Melissa, is a saint and came along with me. We filled them with popcorn, soda and candy and then dropped each of them at their houses on our way home. They were a fun bunch of girls, I think they had a great time, and I loved that there was no chaos at my house while I tried to entertain them. Best birthday party ever. :)

We were lucky enough to hit a theatre that had the official Gnomeo and Juliet poster. :)

This birthday is a special one, of course, because Alexa was baptized. Our stake held the baptism on April 9th. There were 15 other kids being baptized, so it was a big one. We were lucky enough to be one of the first on the list, which was nice because we didn't have to sit in the chapel for an hour to wait our turn. We were told they estimated about 600 people being there! It's the joys of living in an area with lots of families. :) Grandma Judie, Grandpa George and Uncle Damon came down from Washington. Aunt Siri and her boys came down from Salt Lake, as well. Andrew's familiy was all there, except for Aunt Andrea and Uncle Mike. It was a good day. If Alexa was nervous, she didn't show it. I'm hoping she was more excited than anything. I'm so proud of her for making the decision to be baptized. She is an amazing example to her younger sisters and brother. I know it is a decision that will affect the rest of her life in a positive way. My hope for her is that wherever she goes and whatever she does, she will remember the covenants she made with the Lord on this day; that she will live her life in a way that will make others question what makes her different and what gives her that light in her eyes, and that those people will want to ask her why. I hope when they ask, she will have the courage to tell them about the gospel and how important it is to her. I love Alexa so much. I'm so grateful I was given the chance to be her mom.

Andrew and Alexa getting ready to head to the font.

We got home from the baptism and Alexa changed her clothes so fast, I never got a chance to get any pictures with her. This picture was taken the next day after church.

Winter Visitors

2011-05-17T13:37:00.002-06:00

It's always fun when we have friends come into town. Our kids love playing with their long lost friends. My dear, sweet, amazing friend Melissa (who devastated our house when their family moved a year and a half ago, I might add... :)) came down in March with her kids. She had a wedding reception in Las Vegas for her brother she needed to go to, so we were lucky enough to get her girls for the night. It was so much fun! Kinzlee and Alexa always seem to pick up right where they left off the last time they saw each other. They were destined to be friends, I believe. I've told Melissa before that if Kinzlee ever needs a place to live, she can live with us. :) And the twins have grown so much since they moved! They are two weeks younger than Leah and they all played so well together. It was just a blast having them here- we loved every minute of it!
When you put my three girls and Melissa's three girls together, it makes a whole mess of girls, huh??

We also had visits from the Spencers and the Blakes this winter... on the same weekend, which was so much fun! It is such a stark contrast from having the Garns come visit because there are only boys from both families! My girls are a little outnumbered in these pictures. I was impressed that my girls held their own, though. Benjamin and Callie are in the picture above. They share the same birthday, just three years apart. And, Callie has a little bit of a crush on Benjamin. She gets so excited and nervous and giggly when I tell her they are coming to visit. She is such a girl!

We also got to watch the Spencer boys while John and Rach went to a wedding on Saturday. It must be the difference between boys and girls or something, but I can honestly say we had the most pleasant day. There were no fights, no tattling, no crying, no nothing. Everyone had a great time and I was truly sad to see them leave. They all entertained each other so well!

This is the whole group. Alexa missed most of the evening because of a birthday party... I somehow think that was best. She gets a little weird around people she hasn't seen in awhile. It must be nerves or something, but in typical Alexa fashion, she plays it off as being "too cool" for anyone or anything. From left to right by family: Callie, Leah, Quinten, and Alexa Hench; Alex, Christian, Evan, and Benjamin Spencer; Travis, David, and Ryan Blake.

And this is how we entertained a houseful of boys in our world that is made up of girl things: the Wii. :)

We had such a great visit. It was fun getting together to catch up. I love that we had such great relationships with our friends in college that seven+ years later we can still get together and have a great time. It would have been a blast to have a bunch more there- Stinchfields, Stewarts, Butterfields, Allreds, and Brinkerhoffs, we missed you!

Random Shots

2011-05-13T17:02:00.003-06:00

These are just a few pictures of random things that have happened in the last few months:
It is a rare thing for my kids to get up and not immediately wake me up. Typically on the weekends I am woken up by someone tapping my face, pulling on my feet, or some other obnoxious form of torture they choose to inflict upon me. Yes, they are rude. I just can't seem to break them of it. Well, the picture above was truly a remarkable morning. I got up and all four of my kids were in the living room watching The Food Network. Ahh... I have taught them well.

Quinten is doing really well in his new bed. He loves the bunk beds and loves, loves, loves his new Cars bedding. I'm not a fan of character bedding, I'll be honest with you. However, this has been the best idea I ever came up with. Every night he lays on his bed and smiles because he sleeps on Mack and McQueen. So, we will live with character bedding until I can't stand it anymore just because it makes my boy happy.

I would imagine everyone celebrates Dr. Seuss week at their school, right?? This happened to be hat day and I thought they were so cute that I took a picture. It's always fun to see my non-school kids get excited about what is going on at the elementary school. Poor Quinten wears more girlie things than he should. This hat was leopard print and was about 18 inches tall- it's just bent over in the picture.

Callie started soccer this year. I think this was before her first practice. You know the drill for this age: they travel in a herd on the field, sometimes someone gets a shot off, and typically you end with a losing record at the end of the season. Callie was no exception. There are always a couple girls who look like they know what they are doing, but everyone else just runs around. It will be intersting to see if she wants to stick with this or not.

Alexa is a different story: she's getting really good, her team was undefeated and they finally look like they know what they are doing. Her games are more exciting than Callie's. :) Alexa is small- usually the smallest on the team. However, she is faster than anyone out there and that is what makes her good. And, she has a killer power kick. She is also a bad loser and wants no critique from us EVER. We keep trying to tell her that is what a coach does- they tell you what you are doing wrong so you can get better. She doesn't believe us yet. It's been a lot of fun seeing her improve and enjoying it as she goes.

I am kind of glad to have the summer off before we start in with another fall season. With two girls playing, it really has eaten up our Saturdays. Their games were never at the same time, of course, so we were going back and forth. And Thursday practices for both of them were ridiculous: different times at different fields. We live in the car on Thursday evenings. It was always a relief when Andrew would call and say he was on his way home from work and would get one girl or the other.

One Year Older

2011-05-13T15:43:00.002-06:00

Andrew's birthday is the week after Valentine's Day. I think one of the reasons we don't really celebrate Valentine's Day is because of this. We usually go out to dinner somewhere in between and call it good. (Yep, we're total romantics. :)) This year we had dinner as a family and then invited Andrew's parents over for dessert. Andrew isn't a big dessert person- definitely not a cake person- so we had ice cream pie. I suppose all the fuss is more for the girls' sake. They loved wrapping his presents and were so excited to see that we actually surprised him, which never happens.

Andrew and I turn 32 this year. It's kind of a crazy thought that we are moving farther and farther away from our "younger years". It also means we are getting closer and closer to having spent more of our lives together than apart. I like that thought.

Andrew is an amazing husband and father. We are very blessed to have him.

Latest Happenings

2011-05-13T15:27:00.004-06:00

I am a total loser when it comes to blogging. I just can't manage to get it done. And I picked the lousiest time to start again. May and June are typically two of our busiest months- we've got end of the year programs and parties, field trips, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Leah, Quinten, Callie, and my birthdays, and we usually get ready to head to Washington for a few weeks towards the end of June. Soccer went a few weeks longer than normal this year, so we've just barely finished with that. I've just completely cut out swimming lessons till the end of the summer because I can't find the time... or maybe I just don't want to make the time. :) My final disclaimer is this: I'm feeling computer illiterate this week. I've started this post a few times and can't get my pictures to turn the right direction. Sorry. I'm just posting them anyway or I will never get anything on here. And, it make take several posts to catch up- I've just got to get these pictures on so I can stop hearing nagging voices in my head!!
These pictures are of Valentine's Day. Quinten's gift was a Thomas train that says wonderful phrases, such as: "I'm a really useful engine!" Yeah, it's gotten old since this picture was taken.

Don't you just love morning pictures?? Everyone has such tired eyes. :) We ate heart shaped donuts with pink frosting for breakfast- the girls were in heaven because we don't typically eat donuts for breakfast- at least not the kind with frosting....

The girls each got fleece balnkets with different heart patterns and a heart shaped fleece pillow. You'll notice Leah is wearing St. Patrick's Day pajamas... not sure how that happened.

I'm not typically a Valentine's Day fan. It's kind of a useless holiday, in my opinion. (Sorry to all you lovers of the infamous day.) However, I've recently decided that just because I'm not a fan doesn't mean I should push my opinions on my children. I'm trying to let them decide for themselves; and, in order to do that, I'm making the effort to celebrate all the "useless" holidays- even if it is with something simple. Donuts and gifts?? It works.

Changes

2011-02-08T17:00:00.004-07:00

This picture above summarizes my life. The funny thing is that this was only half the laundry that I folded yesterday. By the time I was done, the couch was covered. What does this tell us?? My kids have too many clothes. End of story. BTW, the reason these piles aren't falling over is because there are piles behind them to keep them up...

On a happier note, Callie FINALLY learned how to ride her bike on Saturday. YAY!! Let me tell you, it was way easier teaching her than it was Alexa. The difference in personalities is amazing! She even fell off once and scraped her hands- I thought that would be the end of it. But, in typical Callie fashion, she went inside, got herself a bandaid, came back outside and hopped back on the bike. Now she loves it and wants to be outside all the time riding. We are still working on braking at the appropriate times, but it will come. I'm so proud of her!

These three were the onlookers as we practiced. Alexa was in charge of making sure Quinten didn't run away... which isn't an easy task. The kids is everywhere. Like his messy face?? I just can't manage to keep him clean, so I've given up. He's clean from about 8PM to 7AM... it's almost half the day, right?

My cute little Leah. She insisted one of the pictures be just of her. What a sweetheart.

So, our big news is this: Quinten's crib came down today. After 8 years of nearly constant use, I took the crib down and we replaced it with a bed. It's kind of an odd feeling; it makes my baby days really feel complete. My kids will continue to grow and we won't go back to these baby stages. Every time we've moved one of our kids out of this crib, it has been because we are moving another baby into it. Quinten is our only child who ever learned how to climb in and out... and it's driving me nuts, which is why we are done. The final straw was when he fell over the foot of it on Saturday and scared me to death. I'm still trying to decide what to do with the crib- do we store it for 15 years till we have grandchildren and then put it up again or do we just get rid of it?? I feel a little nostalgic as I see it lining my hallway today. I remember when we picked it out for Alexa- I was in love with it. I remember the first night we ever had her sleep in it- I was so paranoid that I got up to check on her every hour and had a baby monitor on, just in case I didn't hear her... in our 500 square foot house in Provo. :) I remember how she bit the heck out of one of the ends when we were in our "letting her cry it out" phase... the tiny little teeth marks are still there. (And then we decided against the crying it out method... the kids would have completely ruined that crib!) It's lived in four different houses with us and been through four different kids. It's had visitors form time to time- cousins and friends who come to stay with us. I've spent many nights cleaning puke from between the bars, have spent many more nights sitting at the foot waiting for kids to fall asleep; I've seen my kids climb in together and lay with whoever has happened to be the baby at the time. And, now we're moving on... and that's OK with me. It's been a good run, but it's time. :)

My sweet boy, in his last minutes as my baby in his bed. How did this happen so fast?!

Are You Schocked to See a Post From Me??

2011-01-25T10:11:00.007-07:00

It's been ages since I blogged. I'm not sure what has happened to me... I just haven't made the time for it. I have plenty of pictures that I need to put up, as always. Here are just a few. I also finally finished uploading pictures to a post I started back in September. You'll have to scroll back through my blog if you're interested. This first picture is of the kids in their Christmas church clothes. Alexa insisted they not have matching clothes this year. I knew this day was coming.... and it worked out fine. :) Quinten's tie looks a little funny- he's supposed to be wearing his sweater, but I just couldn't force it on him for the picture. I actually took this picture sometime in January.... because I totally forgot at Christmas. 9:00 church has taken it's toll on cute hairdos this last month. I hate doing hair. I'm just grateful to have everyone dressed and ready by 8:40!

These are their Christmas jammies... not matching... again.... Ahh, I'm going to miss those days. Alexa also informed me this year that she wants plain pajamas- nothing on them- just plain. Do you know how hard it is to find pajamas that don't have candy canes or reindeer or penguins on them during the holiday season?? Let me tell you, it took longer than I had anticipated to find something she would wear. And, I couldn't buy a set- I had to buy pajama pants and a shirt seperately. Oh, if only she weren't picky!

We had a pitiful snowfall one night. I was looking at my friend, Lauren's blog (she lives in Alaska) and laughing at the difference in our snow pictures. Ours are pathetic in comparison. But, the kids had fun... for about five minutes. Then, they were too cold and wanted to go in for hot chocolate. This is Quinten's "I'm very pleased with what is going on, but I'm not going to smile" face. It makes me smile. :)

Quinten got a tent shaped like a football for Christmas- everyone loves it. He actually wouldn't go in it at first, but has warmed up to it well- especially when his sisters join him.

The tent from the outside- full of stuff and people. They load it with toys, which I can't understand, because then there is hardly room to sit in it! More snow pictures.

Alexa's ball of snow that actually lasted about a week because it was so cold outside!

Callie's ball of snow that she tried to convince me needed to go in the freezer so she could have it forever. I said no.

We are all doing well. I'm always shocked at how busy we are even though our kids are small. School is going great for everyone. Alexa spends most of her spare time reading- she has started the Percy Jackson series again and has made it almost all the way through in a week. Both she and Callie are signed up for soccer this spring and are looking forward to that. I've started looking for a new dance studio for Callie. It's past time to get her back into dance. She loves it and still dances around our house whenever she hears any music playing. Callie is our social butterfly- it's so fun to have one kid that truly enjoys everything we do! Leah loves Preschool now. She still has her moments of uncertainty and asks if I am staying with her, but she puts on her brave face and climbs out of the van anyway. She is my sweetheart- still loves to be held and cuddled and I am glad. Quinten is... a handful. I spend most of my days averting disaster with him. He climbs, gets into everything, makes large messes, constantly dumps any food container he can find, has learned to climb in and out of his bed (my first child to ever do that), runs away at any store we go to without looking back to see if I'm following him (I am actually so exhausted from trying to contaqin him at the store that my arms ache and I'm sweating before we get back to the car), writes on our computer screen with any writing utensil he can find, colors on walls, hates going to nursery on Sundays (is actually hysterical as Sacrament Meeting is ending because he knows what is coming), hates having his hair cut, teases his sisters, pulls their hair, wants to play outside all day long (when we are getting out of the car he wriggles away from me, hops on a wiggle car and heads down the street. Sometimes he is at the corner before I can catch up to him), still loves his bottles, only has six teeth (if you can believe that....), and has the best smile ever. He's a boy. And I still have no idea what I am doing.

Our kids' best friends, the Sorensons, moved out of our neighborhood last month. They lived on our street and it was so convienent and fun having them nearby. We are all still adjusting, but it has meant more time at home, playing with each other. Last year around the same time, Callie and Alexa's best friends moved out of our neighborhood, as well. We've done it twice now, and I'm sure it won't be the last time. I'm constantly reminding the girls that my sisters are my best friends and someday they will feel the same way about each other, so it's good that we spend time together as a family. They are not always so sure about this, but we are working on it.

We have lots to look forward to this year: we're planning on spending another few weeks visiting my family in Washington this summer. My kids talk about it all year. They are so excited to be with cousins and their Grandparents. We are still working on our plans for our family vacation, as well. Nothing finialized, but maybe SeaWorld in San Diego... we'll see. I'm starting my training for the Marathon again. It's been ages since I ran consistently, but I now feel like it's time. I've had babies at my house for so many years, that it's just felt too hard to get up early and actually WANT to go running. Well, Quinten will be two in May. My kids sleep though the night (for the most part), and I finally feel like I am ready to get back into it. I'm so excited! My plan is to run the Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon in Seattle in June and continue my training after that for the Marathon here in October. I have great friends here who run, so I'll have training buddies, which will be nice. I hate starting from the beginning again, but it's necessary. I'm convinced the reason most people hate to run is because it takes so long to work your way up to a comfortable level of miles. However, because I've done it before, I know I can do it again, and I'm really looking forward to it- hard parts and all. I'm trying to convince Andrew that he should want to run too... he's not sold on the idea... yet. :)

So, that is our very long update. It's my goal this year to update this once a week... we'll see how it goes. :)

Wow...

2010-10-04T23:09:00.002-06:00

I suppose I could say time flies when you're having fun; but, in this case it's really more appropriate to say time flies when you are too busy to realize that it has passed.
I started a post last week to put up the school pictures that are long overdue, but I was fighting with our new computer and finally gave up and went to bed. I haven't had the time or energy to try again yet. I have reverted to the safety of my laptop to type this... a place I feel completely comfortable. However, the card with all our pictures is safely nestled in the tower of the new desktop. I don't have the energy to retrieve it.... So, a quick update without pictures must suffice for the time being.

I'm amazed that with four little kids I can be so busy running around outside of our home. Alexa started 2nd grade, Callie is in Kindergarten, and Leah is in Preschool. They all start at the same time, but end at different times throughout the day. Fun times! My saving grace is my friend, Melissa, who also has three kids in school- 3rd, Kindergarten, and Preschool. Our morning ritual is to drop kids off at one house or the other so we can split up the driving responsibilities. She is the best! So, you'd think with only Quinten around a couple days a week, I'd have more free time. Nope. I'm not that smart. Monday mornings we head straight to the school to help with Level Library books for both Callie and Alexa's classes. Every other Monday I help in Alexa's class after I've done Level Library, taken Quinten to a friends, and returned to the school. Melissa and I signed up to be Room Moms for our girls' Kindergarten class... (I told her I wouldn't do it alone). Once a month on Wednesdays I help in Leah's Preschool class. I trade babysitting with friends so we can help in our kids' classes, so some mornings are filled with playdates. We have piano, soccer practice, soccer games, homework to be done, schoolbooks to be read, spelling pretests to administer, etc. The list goes on and on. Primary is a constant worry in the back of my mind. There is always something that needs to be done or thought about. I'm grateful to not have Selma's calling! (Sorry, Selma... I'm quite happy just being your counselor). The days fly by without even realizing it.

But, even with the busy schedule and the minimal downtime after the dishes are done, the laundry folded, the kids are bathed and in bed, and the living room is picked up, we're happy. We're doing good. Our kids are healthy (except for Quinten's cold), I think they are relatively happy, and I truly can't complain. I would be completely ungrateful if I started listing all the things that go wrong in our life on a day to day basis. Everybody has them- mine are no bigger than anyone else I know. Life is full of surprises, twists and turns. You can't get away from them; what matters most is how you react to the surprises, and how you bend with the twists and turns. I'm still learning. I probably always will be learning because I've never been a fan of surprises and I get carsick during twists and turns. It's life. You paste a smile on your face and grab a barf bag because it's not going to change just because you want it to. So, today things are good. Tomorrow may be hard. The next day may be even harder. Who knows? I do know that I control my attitude on my hard days. I can let it get to me or I can take my five minute breather in my bathroom where my kids can be locked out. Some days I do both- hey, I'm not perfect. But, I hope I'm at least moving in that general direction. :)

School Pictures... A Little Late

2010-09-27T23:18:00.005-06:00

School started ages ago and I'm just getting the pictures up. Alexa started the second week of August, Callie started a week later, and Leah started a couple weeks after that. Everyone is doing well and loving it. It's so funny to see the different personalities of my kids shine through on big days, such as the first day of school. If I had my best guess, Alexa was nervous, but she'd never let us know that she was. She's ready to get back to school, for sure; she's tired of being home. She walks into her class, doesn't really want to talk to us- just wants us to leave. Is she embarrassed by us?! It's just Alexa's way, I suppose. Callie, on the other hand, is bouncing off the walls before we left the house, jumping up and down, can't stop smiling and gives me a big hug before I leave her new Kindergarten room. Everything is fun, everything is exciting and she is ready for it all. And then there's Leah. I stayed and helped in her Preschool on the first day of school and it was a good thing that I did or she probably never would have gotten out of the car. She never left my side, hardly said a word to her teacher and was ready to leave when the two hours was up. I'm happy to report it has gotten better over the past month, and I'm optimistic that she will love it by Christmas. :) It's a little crazy to think that I have three kids in school at least a couple days a week. I had high hopes that I would get lots done with just one kid for a few hours... fat chance. Quinten has turned into a busy, messy, run away from you little boy. Maybe as he gets older.... a mom can hope.

The first picture is of Alexa before school. She got a little sun the day before school started, which accounts for her pink cheeks. And, she's missing a few teeth. :) This picture is of Alexa and her friend, Natalie. They ride their bikes or wald back and forth to school together. It's so nice to have friends on our street so they can do that! Alexa didn't have any friends moving into her class with her this year. She knew three boys and one girl from church, but that was it. I'm so glad the transistion has been easy- with Alexa, you never know. She has made great friends- two girls have also been on her fall soccer team.

This is Leah on her Preschool orientation day. She insisted on wearing her backpack the whole time.

This is Callie on her first day of Kindergarten. She was giddy, excited, happy, and smiled a ton. She came home and had already made friends and was ready to go back. Callie is my most outgoing child- it's so fun to see her interact with other people because you can see she genuinely loves it.

This was Leah's actual first day of school. The smile on her face is deceiving... she wasn't as thrilled when we got there.

This is after school- probably just grateful to be home. :)

Our girls are so cute; each so different, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Disneyland

2010-08-11T21:27:00.011-06:00

These pictures should have been posted in May... I'm just so slow. However, I knew if I didn't put them up before my summer pictures, they would probably never get posted. And, since this blog is mostly for my own journaling purposes, I suppose it doesn't matter when it gets put on, so long as it makes it to my blog.
Disneyland was great... if I remember correctly. :) I know the girls had a great time. Quinten had his first good day in California and slept for the majority of our time in the park. It made it a little more difficult to take the girls on rides, but was better than the alternative of him being awake, fussy and angry that we had him out and about. It was completely overcast the day we were there; even a little bit drizzly at times. Because we were only in Anaheim for two nights, I had left the bulk of our stuff at the beach house and only brought what we needed. So, we had no pants for anyone to wear, I had forgotten to bring socks, and Andrew and I had no sweatshirts (which were actually left on the couch at home...). It meant a mad dash to Target to get at least socks and sweatshirts. We spent the whole day in the park and left for dinner. After dinner, Andrew took the older girls back and I stayed at our hotel with the little ones. We bundled the girls up as best we could and hoped they wouldn't complain of being cold. Andrew said they were fine and they had a great time picking out their favorite rides to go on again. Leah, Quinten and I watched Ponyo and had popcorn while they were gone.
This was on the roof of our hotel. The girls thought it was cool. So, I promised awhile ago to tell the story of sleeping in the car with Quinten... well, here it is:
We got to our hotel Sunday night. Everything was fine until bedtime, of course. At 10:00, Quinten started to cry. I tried everything to get him to stop and go back to sleep. However, with three other kids in the room and who knows how many to the sides of us, above us, and below us, I couldn't just let him scream. So, at about 10:45, he and I left to take a nighttime tour of Anaheim. He cried for about a half hour before he settled down, and it took about 45 minutes for him to fall asleep. So, what do you do with a sick baby who refuses to sleep when he's supposed to, who is asleep in your car?? You let him sleep. We got back to the parking lot, a reclined my seat as best I could, and I drifted in and out of sleep for hours. It was LOUSY. He woke up around 3:30 and we went back upstairs to our room. Unfortunately, he was restless till about 6:00, when he fell into a blissfully deep sleep. You have got to be kidding me. What a crummy night. I got up a half hour later to get myself ready before I had to wake everyone else and get them ready. I was exhausted. My eyes burned when I turned on the light, my stomach hurt from lack of sleep; I wanted nothing more than to fall back into bed and sleep for hours. And, I probably could have- no one even budged when I tried to get them up- not even Andrew. Yeah, I'm a good mom to push everyone into having a good time even when I don't feel like it. Let's hope they appreciated it....:)
The rest of these pictures may not be in order and may or may not have stories to go behind them... I'll do my best to remember and to not bore anyone who may be reading this.
This was on the Buzz LightYear ride. There is certainly a story behind this picture. Just as we got on the ride, Quinten decided he needed a new diaper. Actually, he didn't decide, I did.... after I stuck my finger in something nasty at the back of his shorts. Yes, I know that is extremely gross... I can't help it- it is what it is. I grabbed wipes and hand sanitizer out of the backpack, sanitized my hands and then had to hold him very carefully throughout the whole ride so as not to ruin his clothes with what was lurking outside of his diaper. Talk about a long ride. It was all that medicine that had been pumped into him in the previous 72 hours! He couldn't help it. :) So, we got off the ride, I hightailed it to the bathroom, and thankfully made it before his clothes were in need of changing and we were on our way back to the hotel.
Yes, we stood in line to see the Princesses: Belle, Aurora, and Jasmine. Poor Leah has been neglected and had no idea who any of the princesses were. We have since been pumping her full of Disney princess movies so she's not a social outcast someday...
We went to Disneyland the day before Leah's birthday. As a part of her birthday festivities, she got to pick some of the things she wanted to do. She wanted her face painted, of course.
Such cute girls. Leah's face paint was my favorite. The others were cute as well, of course. :)

The next three pictures I included because of Leah. Her expressions are hilarious. You can tell what she really wanted to do.

Once she was in the drivers seat, she was a happy camper.
We spent way more time in Toontown that I had anticipated. NOT my favorite place.
Our birthday girl next to cake and balloons in Mickey's house.
One of the only family shots we have, thanks to the run-in we had with the Bushar's.
The one ride we went on with them. Quinten was asleep, Leah didn't want to go, and Callie chickened out on me as we got to the front of the line, claiming she had to use the bathroom. She's our scaredy cat. So, Alexa rode with Selma and the girls and Scott and the boys were on there somewhere. Watching the Bushar's for the short time we were with them gave me hope: they have four kids, all close in age like ours. They just happen to be five years ahead of us. No strollers, no diaper bags, no one asleep or complaining of being tired. Everyone has a partner to ride with, everyone can go on every ride, and they all want to go on every ride. They were having so much fun together! I loved it. Someday, that will be us... when we've done our time with our little ones. :) I keep telling the girls that we won't go back to Disneyland till everyone is old enough to appreciate it. I also said we wouldn't go to Disneyland at all till I didn't have a baby... We'll see if I can stick to my guns this time.

It was a good trip. As we were leaving California, Andrew made the comment that it was one of the best, if not the best, family trips we've had so far. It's the first trip we've taken that was focused around just our family- not visiting my family or Andrew's family, no one we had to visit or felt obligated to. It was just us. And that is what made the difference, I think. It makes me realize how important family time is. There were bumps- it obviously wasn't all fun and games, but we did have a great time. I hope it is something the girls will remember.

Our Santa Monica Pictures

2010-08-02T16:09:00.009-06:00

I'm finally finishing our trip pictures from May... ugh. I need to get it done so I can post our summer pictures and our first day of school pictures that will be on my camera tomorrow!
So, these pictures were from our day at the beach. The Bushar's came up from their hotel in Anaheim to spend the day with us. We had lunch at the house and spent the afternoon on a somewhat cold beach. I personally thought the water was frigid... I only stuck a toe in, but I think I would have been miserable if I had gotten any more wet than that. The kids didn't seem to mind.
This is Alexa, Ellie and Josie in the water. Callie was there with them for awhile... until a wave overtook her tiny little form and she got soaked. She wasn't happy and did not return to the waves for the rest of the afternoon. Poor Ellie had a sunburn from the day before; it looked so painful! I can see the red in her skin even from this picture.
Quinten was sick. Poor little thing. The night before had been one of the most horrible nights we have ever had with any of our children. He pretty much spent his whole afternoon curled up next to Andrew. Luckily, he had enough sense to take a nap... at least someone got some rest!
Leah never once touched the water. Last summer, we spent a week at the Oregon Coast with my family. She wouldn't even touch the sand. We had to carry her to a chair, where she would sit until we moved her again. This year, she liked the sand and was content to sit and play. We are making progress! Maybe next summer we will get her in the water.
This is Callie after her "incident" with the wave. She was freezing. Hey, I don't blame her. I was freezing and I wasn't wet!
Selma and I took the girls for a walk down the beach. Leah wanted to collect every piece of a shell that she could find. She stopped every two feet to pick something up and wanted everyone to see it. We conveniently dumped that bucket before we left the beach.
I was truly too tired to feel sorry for him at the time, but looking at the pictures now makes me realize what an angel he really is.
Alexa is getting to such a fun age. Everything is exciting, she can keep up with anyone, and she wants to experience everything. I love it!!
Quinten's nap. I was glad it was Andrew and not me....
The kids tried digging a huge hole. It was fun to see them working so hard. We were a ways up from the water, so when they needed a bucket, Ellie would run down and get it. Sometimes someone else would go, but mostly it was her. She was such a trooper!
Having the Bushar's with us was a welcome relief. We had spent so much time the previous day trying to figure out what to with Quinten, that the girls had really spent a lot of time sitting around or taking short trips to the beach with either Andrew or I. This was the first real day we had done something "fun" and I know the girls loved it even more because they had friends to play with. Andrew and I aren't nearly as much fun as the Bushar's. :) So, thank you, thank you for spending the day with us!

Eclipse

2010-07-12T16:08:00.002-06:00

My sister, my mom and I went to see Eclipse at midnight on opening night. We've never done that before. Yes, it was a little extreme. No, we won't do it again. We showed up at the theater two and a half hours early, sat in a very long line and each read a book till it was time to move. We have discovered that: people are crazy when it comes to these movies, people have little respect for others when they care passionately about something (or even if they don't), and movie theater workers do not have rocket science degrees. The theater we went to have Eclipse showing on 6 screens. We had tickets for the very first theater. Little did we know that our theater also housed the patrons who paid to see New Moon before Eclipse started. While every other line for every other theater was moving, we were standing still. Honor and I tried to see what was going on and our not so friendly movie staff informed us that they were not making the people in our theater move to the theaters they had bought tickets for. So, there were not seats for any of us in our theater. They were "trying" to figure out what to do with us. Well, I was a little mad. We didn't buy our tickets months in advance and wait in line for almost three hours to get crappy seats that weren't even near each other. I finally asked a guy if we could just go in and see what we could find. (For crying out loud, the movie was getting ready to start). He shrugged his shoulders, so I took that as a yes. As we walked past a bunch of other angry Eclipse fans, I heard someone say, "How come they get to go in?" Well, the theater had plenty of seats. We got great seats and felt bad for all the other people in line who had to rush in at the last minute. Seriously, if those "helpful" staff members had just taken a look inside, they would have realized everything would be fine. OK, long story done. We liked the movie. It was way too late to stay up for it. And, I was FREEZING on the way home. Teeth chattering, turning on the heat in my car cold. Serves me right for going out at night in Washington. :)

*And, my friends at home will happy to know that I sat in the middle of my mom and my sister. Who took my place at the end?? :)

Our Trip to Southern Cal

2010-06-23T00:14:00.020-06:00

As a warning to anyone who may be reading this: there are a LOT of pictures here. And, this isn't the half of it. I will have to do separate posts for the rest of our trip to California. I can hardly believe it's been over a month since we were there. My memories of how the trip really was are already fading slightly. If you had asked me the day after we got home how things were, I would have told you something along these lines: "I think everyone else had a good time. I'm just really, really tired." The trip started out a little rocky even before we left. I took Quinten to the Dr. Thursday night, (the night before we left), only to discover he had a bad ear infection. We hadn't gotten much sleep the two nights before we left, for obvious reasons, so I started out tired. He had a fever that didn't break until Sunday night. Saturday night was one of the worst, if not the worst, nights we have ever had with him. He cried and screamed for hours on end... literally. Our saving grace was the house pictured below.
This is the beach house we stayed at in Santa Monica. One of the owners of the gym is best friends with the owner of this house and hooked us up for the week. It was spectacular. It had three levels: a main living area with kitchen, a master suite upstairs, and two bedrooms, two bathrooms, laundry room and family room downstairs. The garage has this fabulous patio above it with a beautiful fireplace and amazing view. We used the two lower levels and only went upstairs if we wanted to see the view- the house sat right across the street from the beach. I honestly think the only way I didn't pack us all up and leave on Saturday night was because we could separate Quinten from the girls while they were sleeping. They never once heard him.
This was the girls' room. We gave Leah her own bed because the other girls say she moves around too much. :) They loved the beds because they were so high off the ground.
This was in the family room downstairs. We loved the picture behind us- it was huge and so fun.
Saturday night, Andrew and Alexa went to an Angels game. I can't remember who Andrew knows... but, someone who comes into the gym is affiliated with the team... I think. They hooked them up with great tickets. Andrew met a co-worker and his grandson there who drove down from St. George just for the game.
Apparently, Alexa didn't want her picture taken.
The rest of the pictures all took place after a great day at the beach with our friends, the Bushars (who were also going to Disneyland the same day we were), and Disneyland. They will be separate posts because there are lots of pictures. Sunday night we left the beach house and went to our hotel in Anaheim. We were there Sunday night and Monday night. (Sorry, Lauren... the story of me driving Quinten around Anaheim all night will have to wait).
Tuesday before we headed back to the beach house we went to the Griffith Observatory. I think it would have been really cool, except we showed up at the same time five busloads of kids did for a field trip. My kids are probably too young to appreciate it anyway. :)
They really only wanted to see this. We watch way too much Disney Channel. This silly sign is on every show and movie they watch and this is the only thing they wanted to see in LA. Funny girls. Now they've seen it... and they haven't mentioned it since.

This is the Santa Monica Pier. We walked down on Tuesday afternoon to look around.
Callie was terrified of walking on the pier. She thought if she stepped on one of the cracks she'd fall in the ocean. Let me tell you- it took her a REALLY long time to get to the end- even with one of us holding her hand. It wasn't busy or crowded, which was nice.
See Leah looking in the bucket? She was obsessed with finding shells whenever we were near the beach. The problem is she thinks that any broken piece of a shell is a treasure. Ugh.
Quinten spent the majority of his time sleeping in the stroller... probably because he never slept at night! I think I lived off of less than five hours of sleep a night while we were gone. We don't really have any great pictures of him because of this.
On our walk home we stopped to play. Last year when we went the Oregon Coast, Leah wouldn't touch the sand. We had to carry her to a chair from the hotel and then carry her back when we were done. She's come a long way in a year; we are very glad. The weather wasn't great the whole time we were there. We spent more time in our jeans and sweatshirts than I would have imagined. Of course, the day we left it was beautiful. That's always how it works with vacations. :)
My cute, cute girls. They actually look like they are getting along... shocker.
Tuesday night Andrew took Callie to a Dodgers game. He met Scott, Scottie, and Bentley Bushar there. Andrew said it was a different kind of game- not as family friendly as Anaheim... a little bit of a rougher crowd. :)
But, they still had a great time. And Callie even scored some free bobblehead that she proudly displays on her shelf in her room. She has actually packed it to take on our trip to Washington because, "If I am missing Daddy I can hold it and remember that it is something I got from him". My sweet girl.

So, the trip was a success. Even with only a month passing, I have forgotten the worst of moments that may have been. Eventually, I think I will forget them all and will only remember that we had great family time together; and that my kids and my husband were so happy. Vacations will always be work for a Mom, I've decided. However, it's also what you choose it to be. I choose to remember the smile on Alexa's face when she got home from her first MLB game, I choose to remember Leah laughing when she first laid down on her own "big" bed, I choose to remember Quinten trying to climb stairs for the first time and clapping when he made it up one, and I choose to remember Callie telling me about going on her favorite ride again with her Dad... (It's a Small World... twice... isn't he nice??). They were so excited and so happy; and because they were happy, so am I.

Long Overdue Randoms

2010-06-21T00:00:00.009-06:00

The girls' latest obsession is pushing Quinten around in the baby stroller. He loves it, of course; and, it terrifies me because they come WAY too close to tipping him over.
My three cute girls waiting for family arrive to celebrate Leah and Quinten's birthdays.

Leah decided it would be a good idea to take black marker and put on ... mascara? eyeliner? I'm not quite sure. She was so proud of herself. It was a pain to clean up.

This was Alexa after her last soccer game of the season. She had a great season- she was the fastest on her team and finally has caught on to the idea of dribbling down the field and scoring goals. At the beginning of the season, we had to explain to her that this wasn't a game where you took turns... that ball could be hers whenever she wanted it- all she had to do was take it. Things improved dramatically after that. :) She scored more goals than anyone on her team. We are so proud of her. So, now begin the days of both Fall and Spring soccer. She wants to do it and we are happy she is improving and loving it.
Before the game. (These pictures were a little out of order.)
This is Alexa and her fabulous piano teacher, Heather West, after her first piano recital. (Heather is one of my favorite people... and she really is fabulous...) Alexa makes us laugh- she is such a perfectionist that it is almost to her detriment. If she can't get it right the first time, she gets frustrated and sometimes crazy. I think she is so used to everything coming so easy to her- she doesn't have to try, it just is. Piano has been great for her because she HAS to practice. It's painful to help her practice when she gets stuck and needs help- she drives me crazy!! But, I know she loves piano and I think everyone should learn how to play, so she will keep doing it until she absolutely refuses. :)

My Callie Girl

2010-06-20T23:10:00.002-06:00

Today is Callie's 5th birthday. Callie was my quickest birth- a whopping four hours from the time I got the the hospital to the time she was born. What a blessing!! Callie was a great baby. She was a great eater, she was not terribly fussy, and she put up with moving into a new house when she was a week old. She was my one child who I could lay in her crib awake and she'd fall asleep on her own. She is still a champion sleeper. Callie is my one true brown haired child. All my kids have been born with dark hair, but hers is the only head that hasn't lightened with time. She also has the most beautiful dark brown eyes- they are so dark, sometimes they look black. She is a beautiful girl.
Callie woke up early this morning just as I was getting Quinten out of his bed, came into his room and said, "Guess how old I am today, Mom? I'm five!" I also heard her singing Happy Birthday to herself as I was making dinner tonight. She just makes me smile. Callie is my thoughtful child. She tries to be so helpful with Quinten. The picture above is a prime example of this. If he wakes up and I can't get to him right away, she runs to his room, crawls into his crib and entertains him till I can come get him. I think they have a fun relationship because of this. She's the first to try to make me happy when she knows I'm mad or upset. She is quick to point out that she wasn't the one making me mad. :) Callie has such a tender heart. She hates goodbyes and cries when she knows we won't see someone for awhile. It always breaks my heart to see her so sad. Her chin quivers just a little if she has to watch a goodbye on TV... even if it's a cartoon. :) However, she is also my child with a little bit of bite. Don't get on her bad side or she'll make you miserable. :)
Callie loves to dance and sing. Music makes her happy- it is her passion. She always wants new music to listen to and is the one who always wants me to turn the music up in the car. She'll start dance again in the fall with a new dance studio- she is so excited and can't stop talking about it.
Callie spends a lot of time wishing she were older like Alexa. Sometimes we struggle with keeping things fair... we wish she would understand that they can't be fair! She'll start Kindergarten in August and I'm hoping this will help. She'll have her own "thing" and hopefully it will ease the tension between those girls! I suppose we'll just run into it again with Callie and Leah in a couple years... it never ends. :)
Callie is the sweetest and the best. How did I get so lucky to have such amazing kids??

Quinten, Quin, Quinny, Q... he has plenty of names

2010-06-12T11:36:00.005-06:00

How did the year go so fast? I always dread the first few months after I have a baby. The lack of sleep, trying to nurse, healing from giving birth, taking care of other needy kids at the same time... it's never something I look forward to. I anxiously await each milestone that I can put behind me: first smiles, solid foods, sitting up alone, etc. But, there is just something about Quinten that has really helped me enjoy this last year. Quinten just makes me smile. Maybe it's partly because I know he will always be my baby or possibly because he is the only boy... I'm not really sure. This last year has been good. I've still spent the year wishing for more sleep, more freedom, and more alone time, but it's still been great. He is a sweetheart. I love that he loves me so much. He smiles whenever he sees me; if he is sitting with anyone else, he immediately starts to squirm. We've developed our own way of communicating in the last few months. He is very different than the girls: they were all talking by the time they were a year old. So, Quin and I have found other ways to figure out what he needs. He points with his head, he makes different noises for yes and no. I can tell by the look on his face if I'm doing what he wants me to do. He is such a happy little guy. I have friends who tell me all the time that they never see him cry or fuss... I know this is not true, but it's nice to know he keeps his bad moods out of the public eye. :)
Quinten is still a little guy, as all my kids have been. The crazy thing is even though he weighs about what the girls did at this age, he feels heavier and thicker. He's just a boy and we love it. He would play with balls all day if we would let him and actually already has a good arm on him.
He loves his sisters, but when he's had too much he just reaches out and pulls their hair... and smiles the whole time he is doing it.
Quinten is still not walking; it's really no surprise since all our kids have been late walkers. He pulls himself up and walks around the furniture. We're getting there! Maybe by the end of the summer we'll have walking news. He still crawls on his belly instead of his hands and knees, which ruins all his clothes, of course; but, he is really fast, so why change a good thing?? We are still waiting for some teeth to come in- we hope it happens soon just so it will be easier for him to eat. His hair continues to be the bane of my existence. I'm so used to the girls- we get trims a couple times a year. This kid need his hair cut at least once a month! Ugh. I always put it off just because I hate it and he hates it, but he looks terribly shaggy by the time we get it done. I suppose he's lucky to have hair at all... some two year olds aren't as lucky as him. :)
Quinten is just the best. Watching him grow this last year has truly been a joy. I'm so grateful to be his mom. I have been blessed and I know it.

I think he was eating Oreos in this picture...

Finally

2010-06-12T11:35:00.001-06:00

I finally got the pictures to upload for Leah's birthday post. If you want to read it, you may have to scroll down a bit to find it.

2010-06-07T18:18:00.003-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CORI! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Andrew & The Kids

My Baby No More...

2010-05-27T23:30:00.003-06:00

Today my baby turned one. My handsome, precious baby boy. Believe it or not, I have mixed emotions about such an event. (I know this will shock most of you). With each passing day, I move closer to closing the baby phase of my life. I've had a baby for so long, that it almost feels odd. I know it's the right thing for our family- I feel complete and that makes me happy; but, it is still just a strange idea that we will no longer have to keep baby things around once Quinten outgrows them. I've already purged my house of all my newborn things- my poor sister, Siri, now gets to store them for future use. :) And every time Leah or Quinten outgrow things, I send them away from our home to someone else who can use them. Odd. Eventually, I will stop having to wake up at night for crying little ones. They will get older and will be able to bathe themselves, get themselves dressed, go to the bathroom without help, etc. Someday, I may be able to retire the countless diaper bags that have circulated through our home in the last 7+ years. Odd. We will move into a stage of independent kids who can take on more responsibilities. Kids who can buckle their own seat belts. Kids who may not want me to be around 24/7- kids who will let me go to the bathroom alone. ( I know- it's almost too good to be true).
As my baby years slowly fade into the past, I hope there will be things that are not lost. I love that my kids still want to sit with me and be loved. I love the way Quinten smiles at me when I come in his room to get him out of his crib. I love that Leah tells me I'm her favorite and in the same breath tells her Dad that he is not her favorite (I know- I'm horrible). On the flip side, however, she is the first and loudest to greet him with a huge hug when he gets home from work each day. I love the way Callie tries to make me happy when she knows I'm mad at one of her sisters. I love the way Alexa still draws me pictures and cards that tell me I'm the best mom and that she loves me. They are my precious babies- each of them- and I hope they will always know how much they mean to me.

So, the point of this rambling on Quinten's birthday is to mention that we've had a lot of milestones lately. I've been a horrible blogger and need to catch up. I started a post on Leah's birthday that I still need to finish, we've had another soccer season begin and end, preschool graduation, a family vacation to Disneyland, the end of the school year, more lost teeth, potty training going on, celebrating both Leah's and Quinten's birthdays... and the list goes on. Or I should say, the pictures go on and on and on. I have intentions of catching up. I will catch up. And I'll get it done before we get too far into the summer. We have plenty going on in the next few months before school starts again to blog about as well. So, look forward to my posts everyone... aren't you excited??? I am.

My Little Leah

2010-05-20T23:33:00.008-06:00

Leah after her face painting at Disneyland.
Our tiny little girl. She was so small that she hardly fit in her car seat. She was a great baby... but was awake all the time- the most alert newborn I've ever met. She would stay awake for hours at a time without even a catnap... it drove us crazy!

Today is Leah's birthday. It's hard to imagine that three years ago today she was so tiny- three weeks early and just over five pounds. She was beautiful from the start and has grown even more beautiful since. Leah is my one blue-eyed child. Sometimes she will come up to me and say, "You and me are the only ones with blue eyes." And then she smiles. I love that. Leah makes me laugh with the funny things she says and does. I can't get enough of her crazy ideas and thoughts. "I hate green beans because I don't like corn" is one common example. But, on the flip side, she is the loudest child we have... sometimes her voice drives us crazy!! She also trills all of her words... you really can't believe it until you hear it. It's like rolling your r's to speak Spanish, but she does it with words that don't even have an r! I can't even replicate it all the time. We're convinced she'll need speech therapy to get rid of it... or she just needs to learn Spanish and use it as her first language. It really is crazy. Leah gives the best hugs out of anyone; she wraps her arms around your neck and squeezes tight- it's the greatest feeling.
Leah spends most of her time keeping up with her big sisters. She's pretty good at holding her own with them. I've recently had to remind myself (when we went to Disneyland and I realized she didn't know any of the Disney princesses names... Andrew asked her who her favorite was and she said Shauna...hmm) that I need to spend time doing three year old stuff with her. It's not normal for a three year old to want to watch Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers or Suite Life on Deck. When the big girls move out of a stage, Leah moves right along with them. We are trying to fix that and have pulled out all the Princess movies and dress-ups so she can at least learn their names!
Leah is passionate about a few things: the colors yellow and orange, apple juice, and her blankets, which she affectionately calls her "nins." Sometimes after she's crawled into my lap with a "nin" I'll ask her if she is my favorite and my best three year old. She always answers the same, " Yes, and yellow and orange and apple juice" because those are her favorites and bests. She is the sweetest and we love her so much. I'm grateful to be the mom of such a beautiful, fiesty, strong-willed, loving little girl.

My Poor Parents

2010-04-22T12:54:00.005-06:00

They came for a visit last week and all they did was babysit... they are probably relieved to be home. :) Last week would have been a crazy week even if they hadn't been here, so I feel a little guilty that they mostly watched my kids while I ran in and out of the house like a chicken with my head cut off. I am very grateful for their babysitting skills- they were lifesavers on more than one occasion. And we miss them terribly already. Callie cried and cried after they left, as she always does. We can't wait to spend part of the summer with them!
*The other baby is Siri's little one, Will. He is just about four months old now. Quinten is with my Dad... you can tell by the hair. :)

Happy Easter, Happy Spring, Happy Happy Everything!

2010-04-05T15:43:00.009-06:00

No time for an update... that will have to wait till another time. For some reason this last month has been unusually busy. I was lucky to get these pictures at all (thanks to Andrew who snapped them while I was getting ready for church). And we never even got one of all four kids together. Quinten slept until I had to wake him up to get him ready for church. We had a great Easter- I'll post other pictures and tell the fun stories when I get a chance. Until then, you'll have to make due with these pictures of my incredibly cute kids. (And I know I say this all the time, but this really is the LAST time the girls will match. Alexa made me promise.)

Our 7 Year Old

2010-03-16T22:39:00.010-06:00

Today was Alexa's 7th birthday. Wow. Seven years ago today, Alexa was born and absolutely changed our lives. I remember getting ready to leave the hospital and thinking, "You mean they just help us to our car and let us leave with her?? Then what?" We lived just down the street from the hospital in Provo... it took us about a minute to drive home. We brought her in the house in her carseat, set her down and just stared at her. Over the next two and a half years, Alexa was my little shadow. It was so much fun seeing her reach each new milestone and spending time with just her. It's an experience you only get to have with a first child and I cherish that. Your life truly gets turned upside down by a baby, doesn't it? It's not always easy, but the good times always outweigh the bad. Alexa is amazing. She is determined, independent, brilliant, and loving. She is always willing to help with the younger kids when I ask her to. I love watching her read books to her younger sisters. The three of them will sit on her bed , one on either side of her, and she will read book after book to them. She is a great big sister and we are so blessed to have her in our home.
Alexa has been celebrating her birthday for a few days. Sunday we had dinner at Aunt Michelle's with cake, ice cream and pie for dessert. On Monday we had dinner with friends, the West's, and celebrated again with dessert, candles, and more singing.
Today, on the actual day, we took doughnuts to school for her treat. We opened presents after school. This is a new Webkinz from Aunt Andrea. I think she named it Fluffy because it was so soft....

And this dog, which she named Daisy, was the hit of the day. I dread the thought of having a puppy and Alexa has been begging. She even checks out books at school on how to care for dogs so she will know how someday. Ugh. So, enter Daisy. She makes noises, lifts her head, looks around, opens and closes her eyes. Great. Problem solved. We can move on with our lives.
This is the girls with our friends, Natalie, Meagan and Shane, who came to drop off a gift for Alexa and joined in our festivities.

Alexa told me it was a great day. She was happy with her gifts, happy with her day at school, and the weather was beautiful today, so we spent the evening outside playing.
7 years old... how did that happen?! I think I may be getting old....

Oh, Leah...

2010-03-12T12:05:00.002-07:00

This is what happens when your two year old takes it upon herself to get a box of Kleenex out of the linen closet to wipe her runny nose. She, of course, hid under her blankets when Callie came to tell me and promised that she did NOT make this mess. What am I going to do with her?? Serves me right for trying to raise self reliant children... and for buying extra large boxes of Kleenex.

Nine Months

2010-03-09T09:44:00.011-07:00

I can hardly believe it's been nine months since Quinten was born. I know I always say this, but time passes so quickly!! It goes by much faster than I expect it to. I can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe a little of both, I guess. Quinten had his check-up last week: 17lbs. 8oz. Still only in the 8th % for his weight, but he's big compared to what the girls were! And, shock of all shocks- the kids somehow managed to make into the 53rd % for his height. I'm sure it won't last, but it was fun to see that he is normal in some respect for size. :)
Quinten is an absolute joy to be around. He is almost always happy and smiling. He rarely complains about anything, even with three older sisters who are constantly in his face. He just smiles at them and pulls their hair if they get too close. They love to make him laugh and it's so easy to do! He has the happiest disposition. About a month ago, he finally decided to sit up on his own. His problem is that he'd rather be standing, so when you put him in sitting position, he arches his back and crashes to the floor. He still does it now, even though he is completely capable of sitting. He rolls like a maniac to get to where he wants to go; still not crawling, and I'm OK with that. I'm happy to let him take his time and figure it out on his own. We are still waiting for teeth to come in; I guess he will take after Leah and Callie, who didn't get teeth till they were a year old. Quinten has recently decided that baby food gags him, so we got rid of all of it and are only working at table foods. It makes it a little more difficult to find things he can eat, but I'm happy to be done with one more baby stage. In the last two weeks, Quinten has finally decided to sleep through the night. IT'S ABOUT TIME. The funny thing is that I've spent so many years of my life waking up because of uncomfortable pregnancies, newborns, sick kids, etc. that I still wake up at least twice every night to listen and make sure everyone is OK. My body just seems to do it without my mind's permission... or maybe it's the other way around. What would you guess that will never go away??
Quinten is truly a blessing to have in our home. We are so grateful for him! He is just the cutest and the best.

We moved Quinten into a big carseat in January. I was so tired of lugging his infant carrier around. He loves sitting up and especially loves looking at his big sisters in the back seat.

Quinten got a Valentine from his cousin, Quinn. He laughed and smiled when we gave it to him...

Then he promptly ate it.

Quinten loves balls. If he can see anyone throwing a ball, he laughs hysterically. It's so much fun entertaining him because he is so easily entertained!

Isn't he just the cutest??

For those who are curious...

2010-02-25T17:14:00.002-07:00

So, I've had enough people ask me about Sharing Time that I thought I'd let you know how it went. Senior Primary was good- very easy, time ran out way too fast. Junior Primary... well, it's going to take some getting used to. Those little kids just have the attention spans the size of birds. It's going to take some time to figure out how to water everything down for them to understand. Anyone with suggestions, I'm all ears!

Another Birthday...

2010-02-23T09:29:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was Andrew's 31st birthday. It's amazing how quickly another year passes, huh? One year older... and possibly wiser too. :) We are so grateful for Andrew at our house. We thought we'd fill you in on why he is the best:

* "He practices soccer with me." -Alexa
* "Because he does so much for us." -Callie
* "I love you, Dad." -Leah
* Because he makes me laugh and smile a lot. -Quinten
* He tells me I'm beautiful and I know he means it. -Cori
* "He takes me on bike rides." -Alexa
* "That we get to see him and eat dinner with him." -Callie
* "I like Daddy to play outside with me." -Leah
*Because he holds me all through church. -Quinten
* He lets me go home whenever I want, for as long as I want... even if I know he doesn't really want me to. -Cori
* He'd rather spend time with me than do anything else. -Cori

We love you so much! Thanks for being the best Dad and husband we could ask for! Happy Birthday!!

Struggling

2010-02-20T23:58:00.002-07:00

Here it is, nearly midnight, and I'm just finishing my preparations for Sharing Time tomorrow. I've been playing with ideas all week as to what I really wanted to do... I've made several phone calls to my sisters to get their ideas as well. And this is my conclusion: I'm struggling. Sure, I've got it all prepared, both Junior and Senior Primary; I have a plan of action for both. So, what's my problem?? I can talk in front of anyone. I can teach the youth in a heartbeat. I can prepare a Relief Society lesson in fifteen minutes with no problem. I am with kids all day, for crying out loud- this should be a piece of cake. It's taken nearly twenty minutes of me sitting here at the computer to figure out what my real problem seems to be... and here it is: I'm afraid I won't get through to them. When I'm teaching a class or giving a talk, I can almost guarantee that someone is listening and will be affected by what I have to say. These kids are a different story. I've been in Primary enough over the years to know how many of them actually pay attention to Sharing Time. I so desperately want them to know that what I am talking about is so important. And I'm terrified that I will fail. I pray for those little ones in our ward every day. It's amazing how much love you can feel for children you hardly know. I suppose it goes with the calling. I know it's too soon to know them all, but I hope over time I will know them and they will know me. I hope they will see me and smile because they know that I love them and that I want what's best for them. Maybe once they know me, they will be more inclined to listen to me... if I'm lucky. Until then, I'll have to pray that at least one of them is listening to me and feels that still small voice inside telling them that what I am teaching is true. And even if I only get one, it will still be worth it.

Memories

2010-02-15T10:45:00.005-07:00

My Grandmother passed away this morning. It has been a long time coming... and in typical Grandma fashion, she stubbornly lasted longer than anyone expected. The last week has been hard: she stopped eating and drinking around Tuesday and didn't wake up after that, so we've been waiting for her to go. My Mom says she went fast: they checked on her in the morning, then went to shower and get ready for the day. When they came back, she was gone. She has been living with my parents for the last thirteen years, and has need 24 hour care for three of those. My parents are saints- truly amazing in every way. They changed their lifestyle to accommodate my Grandma because she did not want to go to a nursing home. A lot of children would not be so thoughtful... my parents are the best.

Over the last several weeks, I've had the knowledge that it was almost my Grandma's time to go. I've wondered if I'd miss her or be sad when it finally happened. I'll be honest with you, mostly I feel relief- relief for my parents who have watched her slowly slip away and relief for her because I know she is so much happier where she is now. Sometime when my house falls quiet, when my kids are safely tucked into their beds, I may have a few tears for my Grandma; not because I'm sad, but because I loved who she was and I have such great memories of her. I've been spending a lot of time reviewing my time with her and I thought my siblings would appreciate some of my favorites that I am going to post here. If you didn't know my Grandma and you continue reading this post anyway, know that she was wonderful and I will miss who she once was: not the thin, declining woman that we've known for the past few years, but the round, happy person of many years ago. How grateful I am for the knowledge of eternal families! What a blessing to know that I will see her once again someday.

*I loved eating lunch at her house: tunafish or egg salad sandwiches cut into thirds- halfway down the middle, then to the corners... I still cut my kids' sandwiches like this today.
* Frozen candybars that were always stocked in her big freezer and cans of soda that were constantly replenished in her fridge. I'm positive it's where my addiction started.
* Sleeping on her couch after seminary my Junior and Senior years before my classes at the High School or college started. She gave me my own key so I could let myself into her house whenever I wanted- Elizabeth will remember this well. :)
* Watching Days of Our Lives with her, also during my High School years... I was hooked for awhile.
* Choosing a birthday dessert for her to make: cherry cheesecake, that yummy lemon or orange angel food cake, filled cupcakes for school... she was the best. Oh, and those yummy soft mints- does anyone have that recipe?
* Washing dishes that didn't really need to be washed. She'd fill the sink and put clean dishes in for me. She'd hold my sleeves up with rubber bands so they didn't get wet and set up a stool for me to stand on. I'm convinced that I like doing dishes because it's my thinking time. It was always quiet when I did it at her house and I remember loving that time alone.
* Trips to McDonalds before I was in school with her and my mom. I still remember the first time they were spelling something so I didn't know what it was and I blurted it out: we were sitting in her driveway dropping her off after lunch and she and my mom were talking about Christmas presents. They never spelled around me again.
* Cinnamon sugar toast broiled in the oven for breakfast.
* She and my Grandpa gave me my first set of scriptures when I turned 8. They are so marked up and loved. I still pull them out sometimes just to read silly insights of a young child... some are not so silly and bring back thoughts and ideas of long ago. I used them all through seminary and into the first years of college.
* Drinking soda out of one of many mugs from her collection with a bendy straw. Do you guys remember the robber handle with the bag of money in the bottom? Yeah, I have that... and the sheriff mug that goes with it. Jealous?
* Her duck collection. You haven't seen anything like it. Mom, have you sold them on ebay yet? There HAS to be some duck-crazed person out there who would die and go to heaven.
*Jello cubes. Enough said.
* All the little cups and containers that kept everything organized: her jewelry, office supplies, bathroom stuff, EVERYTHING. I thought they were so cool as a little kid; now I realize they were nothing but a menace to clean up after she could no longer get out of bed to use them.
* Her Texaco mug that was always full of ice and water no matter what time of day or if she was home or not. How did she do it?? :)
* She used to walk us to the corner and watch us head to school in the mornings when Mom was in school. Remember that morning she was walking with us and had Pepper (their dog) and she had to carry him home because he was too fat to walk any farther? Oh, that still makes me laugh.
*Candy dishes. Everywhere. All the time. When I was a kid I'd fill my pockets before I left her house. She used to say that I'd fill my pockets the most. What can I say? I love my chocolate. My kids actually call her Candy Grandma because they would fill little bags of Skittles every time we'd go downstairs in my parent's house to visit with her. Remember years and years ago the time she stuck the dishes in the oven to hide them from the kids and forgot? She turned the oven on and melted everything.
*The cookie jars. Wafer cookies, chocolate macaroons, those marshmallow cookie chocolate things. Ahh... bliss.
* The dollhouse she furnished for us as kids. Complete with wallpaper and everything. Our Grandpa made the dollhouse and she decked it out. That was the coolest gift. It was donated to our Elementary school when we outgrew it, but just recently my sister got it back for her kids.
* Her TV Guide: clipped at the top to the right page. She really was kids of eccentric, wasn't she?? I guess that's why we loved her.
*She ironed her money to make it nice and crisp. I used to take it out of that wallet/clip thing she had and I'd count it over and over. I guess it's no surprise I became a banker and was fairly good at it.
* She never forgot a birthday, an anniversary, or anything else until she became bedridden. She'd send cards and a crisp bill or check. She had beautiful penmanship.

I love her so much. She really was the best Grandma. I think I had the chance to spend more time with her than some of my siblings because of my schedule in High School. We had such great talks and I loved that she loved my company. I love these memories. They will always be precious to me.

What Happened???

2010-02-06T09:42:00.002-07:00

Once a year I seem to find myself in a blogging funk. Apparently, it has hit me again in the last month and a half. There will be too much to catch up on, but it must be done...ugh....

I actually love the beginning of the year. Every December I mentally run through the last twelve months of my life and wonder what I could have done differently or better, the excess I could have cut out of my life ( you know the stuff- the time wasting, brain wasting, money wasting stuff). And each year I come to the same conclusions: I'm far from perfect and that's OK. If I was perfect, I'd have no business being here. I also find that every year I look at the time wasting, brain wasting, money wasting stuff and firmly believe that some of it is necessary for my sanity... and that's OK too.

I always set New Years Resolutions for myself, but I've noticed that as I get older, they have changed a bit. They are slightly smaller goals than they once were, slightly more manageable, and frequently half the goals I set for myself are the same every year. I must be getting tired. :) I think it's good to have goals that never are accomplished- it keeps me from being complacent. For example, I will probably always have a goal to attain greater patience. I can't imagine that it will ever be a goal I can cross off a list, but maybe the smaller goal of not losing my patience when my kids yell at me because they won't clean their rooms is something more manageable. Small steps, right??

So, as a small, manageable goal, I'm going to try to blog at least twice a month. It's good for journaling purposes and keeps my family up-to-date on what's going on with my kids since they can't be here to see it. I'm already a month into my other goals for the year and I'll be honest with you, some of them aren't going so well. But, that's OK- I'm not perfect, remember? I will keep working on them, one small step at a time. I still have eleven months left before I will sit down and decide that I still haven't perfected them and need to continue working on them. Who says your Resolutions need to start January and end in December anyway??

December Happenings

2009-12-23T23:18:00.015-07:00

We've had a busy month, as December usually is. Quinten had his six month check-up at the beginning of the month. Fifteen pounds even, which may seem small to all of you, but we think it's great! When you start out under six pounds and your parents are Andrew and I, we think he's doing well. :) And, considering Callie and Leah were both under twenty pounds at a year, he's huge! I took him in to the night clinic on Saturday- he's gained another pound this month (16.3 now) and he's got an ear infection. The kid hates his medicine- it took me 20 minutes to get it in him this morning and I think half of it was spit out on me or himself... headstrong little thing. I guess he fits into our house well. Quinten is such a great baby. He's happy almost always, he smiles at everyone, and his sisters still adore him. He is really loud, but it's not the same as the girls. The girls all starting making sounds and talking so early. Quinten just grunts and squeals. It's funny to listen to, but I'm sure will be a huge adjustment for me when I expect him to tell me what he wants for breakfast and he still can't do it. The difference between boys and girls, I guess. We're still trying to figure it all out.
We managed to decorate our Gingerbread house this year. The girls love doing it... Andrew and I- not so much. I forgot how long the thing is supposed to sit for the walls to harden before you put the candy on. We started it way too late and didn't leave it nearly as long as it should have been left. It was a long night, bedtime kept getting pushed back, but they had a great time.
Callie loves to pose for pictures. It's almost impossible to get a picture of her just smiling normal. I actually have to ask for it and then it still only happens sometimes.
The finished product.
One evening the girls asked to decorate sugar cookies. It was too late to start a batch of dough (well, too late for my tired self to start a batch) so I decided we'd make cupcakes instead and decorate them- quicker, cleaner, just as fun. You'll see by the pictures below what kind of fun they had...
Leah's were so caked with sprinkles that you couldn't see the frosting at all. Yep, she actually ate this one after she was done. Actually, all she ate was the frosting and the sprinkles... gross. You can see by her mouth that she was taste testing along the way. But, she loved it and kept saying, "Oh, it's beautiful!" I'm glad she thought so.
Callie's- not as bad as Leah's, but still had its fair share of sprinkles. She also ate the top of her cupcake and left the rest.
This is my conservative child. Even if Alexa wasn't years older than the other two, I could almost guarantee her cupcake would look just like this. That's just Alexa. She's very conscious of what she is doing, careful to do it right, and hates making mistakes. I love her, but I wonder sometimes what this careful attitude will do to her in years to come. She is way too hard on herself.
We've since decorated sugar cookies (in case anyone was wondering), but as usual, I failed to take pictures. However, given the pictures above, I'm sure you have a fairly good vision.
This is the kids in their Christmas clothes after church on Sunday. Quinten spends the majority of his day with his tongue hanging out. It's quite cute. And of course, there's Callie- not smiling but trying her hand at something else- literally, in this case.
This may be the last year Alexa will allow all of them to match. I think she thinks she is too old for it. I've pushed it the last couple years,but I may have to change my tune next year. Who knows? Maybe I can get away with one more year after this... it's just so cute. :) I even wore a black skirt and red shirt to church too... It's not normally something I try to do, but once a year isn't so bad. I tried to convince Andrew to wear his matching tie... no dice. He's not into that sort of thing, even on holidays. :)

Salt Lake

2009-12-06T21:47:00.009-07:00

The kids and I went up North last weekend to visit my sister, Siri, and her family. We had a great time, even if we weren't used to the frigid Northern Utah temperatures. Siri's baby is due in January and we had all her baby clothes, so we packed up everything she gave us, plus whatever we'd accumulated for Quinten that he had outgrown and took it all to her. It was more stuff than I had realized and it felt so great to get rid of it. We also took her our swing and rocking/bouncer seat. So, it's official- I have NO clothes in my house that are for a newborn baby. Crazy, huh??
We drove up on Saturday, went to church with them on Sunday, rode Trax downtown to see the lights at Temple Square, ate lunch at Ikea on Monday with Siri and Jack, and then left for home. It was good to get away and I always love seeing my sister; I wish she was closer than four hours- it's just a too little long to be easy. The above picture is of all the kids. We originally wanted a picture of Jack and Quinten's matching PJ's, but Jack would only be in the picture if Callie was too (he loves Callie), so we made it a group shot.
Siri and the kids on Trax. Jack loves trains, so this was great for him. He was hilarious- he kept yelling, "All aboard!" as loud as he could. You'll notice the girls hats and scarves: thank goodness Aunt Siri could outfit everyone... we brought coats, but I never thought to grab hats and such.
Leah spent the majority of the ride downtown this way.
Quinten slept almost the whole time we were there. He was by far the warmest of all of us. Alexa kept saying she couldn't smile because she was too cold. Siri made the comment that the last time she went to see the lights was with me and our friend, Elizabeth, when I was in college. it was the last time I was there, as well. It's amazing that we take for granted the things that are so close to us.

Callie took this picture. Not too bad.

This picture is really our of order, but has a funny story behind it. Quinten was screaming and didn't want to sit for a picture. Jack hates listening to crying- Siri says it really upsets him. I thought this picture was funny because of the look on Jack's face. He looks concerned and disgusted all at the same time.

We had such a good time. I always feel like I'm going home when I go up North. I get to about Spanish Fork and I breathe a sigh of relief and tell myself that I'm home. I suppose I lived there long enough to make it home and because my real home is completely unattainable most of the time, it is a good substitute. It also helps to have Siri there. This time of year is always bittersweet for me- I love the holidays and everything that goes with it, but it is also a reminder that I can't be with my family. When you come from a family of ten kids and you are one of only two that don't live near home, it twists your heart just a little when you know they are all together celebrating without you. I am blessed to have great in-laws nearby. It softens the blow, but doesn't always ease all the pain. Time is a funny thing, isn't it? You think the hard moments will never pass when you are going through them, but they always do. And in no time at all, you are looking back and wondering why you ever thought you couldn't manage. My mom told me just last week something she heard from a friend that made me bawl, but oddly made me feel better too: the Lord can move mountains and part seas for us if He chooses to; but, sometimes he merely shows us the path and makes us go over the mountains or shows us how to build the boat to cross the seas. It's not supposed to be easy, right??

Halloween and Updates

2009-11-05T22:21:00.016-07:00

So, Alexa decided she wanted to be a witch this year for Halloween. Sounded good to me, so I made an executive decision that everyone would be a witch this year... really, they were happy with it- I wasn't being mean. It meant no princess costumes, no curly hair, no makeup, no shoes they can't walk in. I'm so sick of all that stuff. This was the easiest Halloween ever and I loved it. Everyone knows I'm much more of a Fall/Harvest person than a Halloween person. I'm always glad to see Halloween pass. Yes, you may call me the Scrooge of Halloween and I'm completely fine with accepting the title. So, here are my three little witches and my little Penguin. This may be the only time the little penguin was awake in his costume. I must have bad timing because everytime the costume went on, his eyes closed. Silly kid. The girls trick or treated in our neighborhood with some of their cousins. It was perfect outside. I had on flip flops and a short sleeved shirt and was fine till we went inside. It's one of the things I love best about St George- I love being able to enjoy the fall colors by actually being in them- not just looking at them through my window. Anyway, the girls had a great time.
My cute little guy. He's so much fun to have around.
Alexa insisted that her had be crooked for the picture... still not sure why. Leah's hair had been in two braids all day, which is why it looks so funky. I figured it was appropriate for a witch to have out of control hair.
Quinten is constantly sticking his tongue out.

Quinten is just over 5 months old now. I can hardly believe it has been that long! A month ago he weighed in at 13 lb. We're happy with it because it's over twice his birth weight. He is finally starting to feel a little like a boy. He grunts a lot more than the girls did and he feels thicker- not so dainty. We started him on solid foods a few weeks ago. He's still not sold on the idea, but we're getting there. He's been rolling around for awhile too. He hates his stomach, so when he rolls to it, he cries. It's quite funny. He is FINALLY sleeping better. I'm only up once or maybe twice during the night now. It was awful for awhile- he hated his bed and loved mine, and since I refuse to have kids sleep in my bed, we were awake sometimes two or three times an hour a few times every night. I think I was so tired everyday that we literally ran on autopilot at our house. My poor kids watched a lot of movies. Quinten has had his haircut again and again. Is this what I have to look forward to with a boy?? I'm already tired of his ever growing hair. And, everyone still comments on his full head. He's like a little ChiaBoy. It has gotten lighter with every haircut. And, the jury is still out on his eye color. I go back and forth from blue to brown. It's still just a muddy mess of color most days. Aside from being a lousy sleeper, he really is the best baby. He's happy and so smiley to anyone who will look his way. We just think he's the best!
This is Leah dressing herself for the day... we stayed home on this particular day. Leah drives me crazy. I love her to death and she can be so incredibly sweet, but she still drives me absolutely crazy. The child spends more time out on our back porch than she does inside our house...OK, it may be a slight exaggeration. (Her timeouts are outside because she screams so loud, hits me, wakes up Quinten, etc... you get the idea.) Am I a mean mom? Probably. Do I feel bad about that? Not so much. I try to remind myself that it's a phase. Isn't it?? She does manage to make me laugh on a daily basis. She was drawing a few days ago and said, "Look, I drew a vampire." I had to think really hard as to where she would have heard about vampires. It took me a couple days, but it was from the Max and Ruby Halloween special. No, I don't read the Twilight books to my kids... which I know went through ALL of your heads when you read the vampire thing. What kind of Mom do you think I am??? We were in the car yesterday listening to the radio and the new Hannah Montana song came on (you know the one- Party in the USA, yada, yada... I don't really know the rest of the words yet.) Anyway, Leah says to me, "Is this Hannah Montana?" How did she know?? I am guessing she actually pays attention to her older sisters even when I don't think she does.
This is Callie during her preschool Halloween program. She loves school so much. I've helped in her class a couple times since the beginning of the year and it's been fun to see how much she has changed in that short amount of time. She makes friends easily and seems to get along with everyone. She has become my helper on the days she is home, now that Alexa is gone all day. And, she makes me laugh. I was getting ready to leave to get my hair done last week and she says to me, "You don't need to get your hair done. Just stick it in a bun and throw it in the oven!" Where do they come up with this stuff?? We had a bit of an allergy scare with Callie a couple weeks ago. She managed to get a small Snickers bar from the Primary program practice and ate it before she got home and I could check it. She came up to me and told me her chest hurt. Alexa then informed me that she had eaten a Snickers. HELLO ALEXA!!! You could have stopped her! Anyway, I got out her Epi-pen, thinking I would have to use it and rush to the hospital. She threw up over and over and over, but her breathing seemed OK. Her lips were a little swollen for awhile and I got up every hour through the night to check on her, but she was OK. I hope it means the allergy is getting to be less potent. We'll have her tested again soon to see what's really going on. Callie still sings and dances every chance she gets. Andrew and I love watching her. She really is entertaining!

The big girls recently got haircuts. They are so happy with shorter hair! I am glad only because it's less to wash, dry, and brush. Alexa's big news is she lost another tooth a couple weeks ago. She also has four more that are loose. She loves talking about her loose teeth and about who has loose teeth in her class... we are quite sick of it. She's doing great in school and still loves it, of course. She loves to read and will sit down and completely zone everything else out just to read a book. It's great! Her best friend will be moving the end of December, so we've been trying to prep her. Alexa is still quite shy around people she doesn't know well. We can always tell because she folds her arms, looks down, and has a scowl on her face. She looks like she has an attitude, but really it's her nerves getting the best of her. I'm constantly telling her to keep her arms at her sides, chin up, and smile! She hates hearing it. :) The other day I had her and Leah in the bathtub and I was leaning over the edge to wash Leah's hair. Alexa says to me (with a laugh), " Mom, your stomach looks like you're going to have another baby!" Thank you, Alexa... thank you.

That's about all for us these days. This was a long post... phew.

David and Angie's Wedding

2009-10-18T22:27:00.014-06:00

A couple weekends ago, Callie, Quinten and I went home for my little brother's wedding. It was such a quick trip; I always find myself needing one more day when I go home- just one day to sit at my parent's house and do nothing. It never happens... I'm just glad we got to be home for a couple days. We had such a great time!! Callie was asked by David and Angie to be the flower girl in the wedding party. She was thrilled, of course. The wedding was great, the reception was so much fun, and we had a great time with family and friends. We LOVED Angie's family- they were so wonderful. I always think it's a good sign when you get great in-laws; David is very lucky. I had it easy the day of the wedding- my Dad and stepmom kept Quinten for me, so I was pretty much on my own. Callie ran around with her cousins the whole time and loved every minute of it. She looked beautiful, of course, and everyone kept telling me how pretty and sweet she was. I think so!! There will probably be a lot of pictures to follow- mostly for the sake of the family who may not have seen them. Sorry to everyone else who may find them boring. :)

This is Callie showing off her cool shoes. These were her gift from Angie, who was wearing matching shoes. Callie LOVED them.
This picture is totally out of order... not sure how that happened. I know it's blurry, but I had to put it in because the story behind it is so funny. It's blurry because I was shaking because I was laughing. This is Callie walking down the aisle of the church with the ring bearer behind her. As she drops a pile of leaves, he comes behind her and stomps on the pile with both feet. It was hilarious. He was such a cute kid.
Isn't she just so pretty??
Callie with Grandma and Grandpa before they left for the church. It was great- they took Callie to the rehearsal on Friday night and I got to stay home, and they took her to the church early for pictures on Saturday and I got to come later. Unfortunately, I forgot her pretty sash (as you can see in this picture, it's missing). I had to make a mad dash down to the church to take it to her, which really cut into my getting ready time and my dropping off Quinten time. We still made it; it was just a little more rushed than I had hoped it would be. My sister Karen was my saving grace- she watched Quinten and let me use her car so I could run to the church.

My cute parents.
My little brother Damon, his date Nikelle (someone tell me how to spell her name so I can get it right, please....), and my sister Honor. I tried to convince Damon he didn't need a date because he could just hang out with me since I didn't have a "date" (Andrew, of course) with me. He didn't go for that. Want to know what he told me?? "I guess if I can't find a date I can hang out with you." Talk about being chopped liver....
Honor and her husband Matt. And the ball of sweater she is holding is Quinn.
My sister, Karen, and I.
Cousins: Jacob, Callie and Brielle. They ran all over that reception area. It was so fun to watch all the fun they were having. :)
Angie and Callie showing off their matching shoes.
Angie, David and Callie just before I dragged Callie home; she would have stayed all night if I had let her.
This is the day after the wedding. Grandma with Quinten and Callie. We love going home to visit. Callie cries everytime we say goodbye to my parents- she hates to leave them. We wish we lived closer to home so we could visit more often. I tried to console her by reminding her that her other two sisters had to stay home and didn't get to come at all... she liked that. :) As a sidenote, Alexa and Leah had a great time with Andrew and Grandma and PopPop Hench, who took care of them while Andrew was at work. So, we think everyone won over the course of the weekend.

The Babies

2009-10-11T20:41:00.002-06:00

This is a picture of Quinten (on the right) and his cousin, Quinn. Honor, my sister, laughs and says Quinten looks like he has a hairpiece on... OK, he needs another haircut. This picture was taken just before my brother's wedding last weekend when I was home. Quinn was born just three short months after Quinten. Today was his blessing day. We wish we could have been there!! We had intended on getting pictures of all the new babies together while I was home: Quinten, Quinn, Charlotte (my brother's baby born in August) and Ryker (my cousin's baby born in June)... I ruined it by leaving Quinten at my Dad's house during the wedding. Sorry everyone!! Just think of the torture we will have to go through next summer when we try to get pictures of all of them and they will be mobile! Ugh...will we manage to get a decent picture?? My sister, Siri's baby will also be added to the group by then; she is due the middle of January with another boy. It's just been a baby season for our family- what fun! I love it that they will have cousins to play with when we all get together.
I plan on posting wedding pictures soon. I've got some great ones of Callie, the flower/leaf girl. I'm just too tired to do it right now.

Toothless Grin

2009-10-06T19:00:00.004-06:00

So, here's the picture of Alexa's toothless smile in all it's glory. For some reason, she had a hard time smiling a REAL smile for me... So, this will have to do. I am also pleased to report that the other bottom tooth is now loose as well. She is thrilled.
Alexa heard from Kinzlee that if she wrote a letter to the Tooth Fairy, she would respond. Kinzlee asked the Tooth Fairy what she did with all the teeth she collected. Alexa, of course decided that a proper question would be: how do you get the teeth to other people? After all, "she can't give them to babies, their teeth just grow in by themselves." She also decided that it was illogical for the Tooth Fairy to give them to adults because the teeth would be too small. So, a big THANK YOU to the Tooth Fairy who came to Kinzlee's house and told her that she gave the teeth to other people. I hope you had a good laugh at our expense... especially when you heard what the Tooth Fairy had to come up with in order to satisfy our curious daughter.

So Cute

2009-10-06T16:45:00.004-06:00

My good friend, Melissa, was at Old Navy last night and found these shirts for our girls. Aren't they so cute?? Kinzlee called this morning and told Alexa that her Mom had bought them matching shirts and she wanted them to wear them today. Alexa ran down to her house and left for school from there, so I had to catch them on the way home. We just love Kinzlee. If she wanted to move into my house tomorrow, she'd be welcome. We will be more than sad when they move... devastated would be an appropriate word, I think. Let's just not talk about it, OK??

I am a LIAR...

2009-09-25T21:41:00.003-06:00

Yes, I am a liar. But, what choice do you have when your six year old is about to ruin the novelty of the Tooth Fairy for the rest of the family?? Alexa lost her first tooth this morning. It's obviously been loose all week, so she's had too much time to think about what will happen to the tooth when it finally falls out. This was a conversation we had at the dinner table this week...unfortunately, Andrew wasn't there, so I had no backup...

Alexa: Mom, is the Tooth Fairy real?
Me: Well, what do you think?
Alexa: I want you to tell me the truth. Is it or not?
Me: I really want to know if you think the Tooth Fairy is real.
Alexa: I think maybe it's real, but I want you to tell me if it is or not.
Me: Well, I think there is a fairy who does come and take your tooth and replaces it with money.
Alexa (staring RIGHT into my face): And that's the truth?
Me: Sure.

WHAT CHOICE DID I HAVE???? She had yet to lose a tooth. The other girls were sitting there. I couldn't possibly ruin it for the whole family before we even got started. They already don't believe in the Easter Bunny because of her. (Long story) I can't let her superior logic ruin everyone's fun all the time. Can't I put on some of the girls' dress-up fairy wings and be a fairy for a few minutes when they lose a tooth? I'm sure there is a way to justify lying to all my girls right in their faces...
I will put up a picture of Alexa- I just need to take one first. :) She pulled it out herself while brushing her teeth this morning. I hope they are all that easy.

Callie Starts Preschool

2009-09-20T16:25:00.005-06:00

Callie started preschool a couple weeks ago. Excited doesn't even describe the way she felt. She is so happy to be in school and I am happy to have her gone a couple times a week. What do I do with only two kids at home?? It hasn't exactly been what I envisioned yet, but hopefully we will settle into a routine soon. What I did the first day of school with the two little ones should be a post of its own...I'll just say it was not what I wanted to be doing. Callie wanted everyone to see her backpack in this picture. Yes, it's almost as big as she is. She was quite jealous of Alexa's first day of school post and the comments that people left. Alexa claimed they were HER comments and Callie was determined to have comments for her first day of school as well. So, if you feel inclined... Callie will be thrilled. :)

I just put this in because I thought it was a funny picture of Leah. She is a little sad when Callie leaves, but we are managing. I was hoping that it would end up being nap time for her, but she has since decided that naps are no longer a necessary part of her schedule... she's killing me.
The walkway to preschool is rock shaped like feet. Leah thought they were cool.
Miss Keri, Callie's teacher. Thank goodness for hand sanitizer... We have been living with bottles of the stuff all over our house lately. Yes, I am paranoid.
Callie and her best friend, Jaide. They kind of stick together like glue... it's really cute.

Quinten

2009-09-04T21:55:00.002-06:00

I just thought I would add this picture because he's so cute. Quinten is the sweetest, most lovable, best baby ever. He's already three months old... can you believe that?! We all just think he's great.

Purging

2009-09-04T21:44:00.007-06:00

So, a few days ago the girls decided to play in my closet while I was getting ready in the morning. They do this often; however, this particular day was "get all of Mom's shoes out" day. As I watched them and was irritated at the mess I would no doubt be cleaning up later, I realized there were a lot of shoes that I haven't worn in a LONG time. So, I decided that maybe it was time to purge my closet. The top picture shows all the shoes that were in my closet (I bet half of my shoes are flip flops, which I suppose is fitting since I live in St. George...); the bottom shows what I have left. I've decided to do the same with my clothes. Why do I keep things that I continuously pass by year after year?? So, if I haven't worn it in the last two seasons, it's history. I think I won't have much left when I am done, but it will feel good to get rid of the junk. How much does one person need anyway?

What Exactly Do I DO???

2009-08-24T22:33:00.003-06:00

I've been asking myself this question the last couple weeks. Maybe it's the whole school starting and getting into a routine thing that has stemmed my questioning. Everyone has something that they do, right? Well, I've been having a tough time figuring out exactly what that thing is for me. I don't like to scrapbook, I don't decorate, paint, refinish furniture, make jewelry, or anything of the sort. I actually hate most crafts and quite honestly, even if I liked them, I am not good at any of them. I don't bike, go to the gym, do yoga; I can't run yet because my hips still ache from having a baby. And let's be serious- I haven't really ran for any good length of time since I trained for the marathon when I was pregnant with Leah. I'm actually a fairly good cook, but don't like it- I only do it out of necessity. I don't bake, crochet, knit or make quilts; I can sew, but I'd rather buy it than make it... I have incredibly crafty sisters who are always coming up with some cool thing to make. I didn't get that gene; it totally and completely passed me by. I'm not that great of a housekeeper- my house is never spotless. I'm not a party planner- I buy my kids' birthday cakes if they want something cool- I would never even WANT to attempt to make a cool cake. I don't like wrapping gifts to make them look beautiful- I think it's a waste of paper and ribbons, actually. I don't sing, play the piano, or any other musical instrument for that matter. I don't speak any foreign languages. So, WHAT DO I DO???

The question has truly tortured me. And then I decided this: everyday I raise three little girls and a tiny baby boy. It is an exhausting and somewhat daunting task at times. It's not glamorous, most of the time I don't get a thank you for it, quite frequently no one even notices the hours and hard work I put into it. Most of the time the job I have performed looks like I never even did it. And yet, I do it again and again, always knowing that the outcome will be the same. Right now, with these four little kids living in my home, it doesn't matter that I don't DO anything else. Someday when my four little ones are not so time consuming, maybe I will want to decorate or paint a wall in my house. Maybe making dinner will become a pleasant experience instead of a burden. Maybe I will have the time to run without feeling rushed. But, for right now maybe it's a good thing that I don't DO anything. There are no projects undone, waiting for me to finish them; I'm not longing to be somewhere else because I know there is nowhere I need to be. For now I will do my dishes, finish my laundry, pick up my living room, and if I'm not too tired when it's all done, I will read a good book. For now, I am content doing nothing.

Quinten's First Haircut

2009-08-17T21:46:00.007-06:00

So, we did it. Actually, my friend Selma did it. Quinten's hair officially became an eyesore and had to be cut. It was out of control. It was unmanageable. It was just too darn long. On Saturday I was walking Callie down to play with Selma's kids and she invited us in for a short visit to her hair salon (aka her kitchen...). It was quick and painless and he looks a million times better than he did. So, thanks for saving Quinten from more bad hair days because of his mother's lack of ability to do a boy's hair. Selma, I owe you! And, thanks for taking the pictures to document this big event. :) Ice cream? Let me know when you want to go!
The before shot. Look how long it looks!!
The after shot.... so much better.

Our First Grader

2009-08-13T21:53:00.006-06:00

Today was the first day of school. WE ARE SO GLAD!! It was time for everyone's sake. Alexa was practically bouncing off the walls waiting to leave... that will teach her to get up early, huh? :) Alexa's teacher is Mrs. Bosh. And, the real highlight of the whole thing is that her best friend, Kinzlee is in her class. They are thrilled! And, as you can tell from the picture below, they wanted to dress the same for the first day of school. They both had these dresses that we probably bought last year (Melissa, is that right?? I can't remember). They wore leggings under them because they are getting a little short to be dresses... Kinzlee has managed to grow more than Lex- surprise, surprise. Alexa's can still almost pass for a dress. Anyway, they thought it was cool and loved that their teacher said something about it. Funny girls. I snapped the picture below after their walk home- they were both red, hot and sweaty... and I think they were both chanting something about air conditioning. We love Kinzlee and will be pretty much devastated when they move.... or they could just decide to stay.....
Alexa loved every minute of her first day and can't wait to go back. Lunch was great, three recesses were great, the waterbottle in the back of her chair is great- you get the idea. I'm so happy that she is happy and that this transition was conpletely painless for her.

Everything at home went well, too. Callie and Leah had a great day together- luckily. If someone could promise me that everyday would be like today, I would be a happy mommy. Wishful thinking, right?? We'll just have to wait and see what the year holds for us. Callie doesn't start Preschool till September, so she's a little antsy now that Alexa has started school. We'll just have to stay busy enough until then!
Kinzlee and Alexa after their walk home. We are so lucky to live just a few blocks from the school in such a great neighborhood. I am lucky that I don't have to take Alexa and pick her up everyday!

Quinten's Hair

2009-08-03T21:04:00.008-06:00

OK, we know he was born with a lot of hair, but it just keeps getting longer and longer... This last picture was taken yesterday- It is so long that the whole curl thing it is doing was not intentional. And I'll admit, in the picture it looks stupid. I promise it doesn't look as stupid in person. His hair is the first and sometimes only thing people comment on. I know he has a ton of hair, but he has a cute face too; let's focus on that for awhile... So, do you cut a two month old baby's hair or do you just let it grow?? I don't know. I've never done this whole boy thing before....

Quinten's Blessing

2009-08-03T19:58:00.007-06:00

Yesterday we blessed Quinten. It was a great day. We somehow managed to get to the church by 8:35... miraculous, I know. All of Andrew's family in town was able to come and be with us. It was the first blessing of all my kids that my parents had to miss. However, spending three weeks with them in July more than makes up for it. Andrew gave him a great blessing and Quinten was fairly quiet through the whole thing. Actually, I couldn't hear him at all, but Andrew said he was a little fussy at first. He slept through most of church and all through lunch afterwards- even with a crowd of noisy people in our house. He woke up just as the last people were leaving. So, that will explain all the pictures with him in his carseat- we didn't want to wake him, so we left him alone.

Like my flip flops?? I was wearing real shoes earlier...
It was a different experience listening to the blessing of our little boy as opposed to our three girls. I kept expecting Andrew to say "she" (which he didn't). Quinten is a special little boy- we love him so much.

The cousins. It's completely impossible to get a good picture of that many kids. Poor Brandon and Austin, who are the oldest by quite a bit- I always feel bad that they have to pose for cousin pictures with our unruly little ones.

We're here... Really.

2009-07-28T15:36:00.003-06:00

So, I've been on a blogging sabbatical of sorts. It's been quite nice. Now, of course, it will take me three weeks to catch up from all that we have done in the last month and all that I missed before this little break I took. The kids and I have been traveling the last few weeks. We drove to my parents house for two weeks and then spent a week at the Oregon coast with my parents and as many of my siblings who could make it. We had an amazing vacation. Andrew flew up for the trip to the Ocean and then drove home with us. We are all feeling the effects of being spoiled having so much family around. Quinten thinks he needs to be held all the time, the girls, who played with cousins almost nonstop, want friends here to fill the void, and I miss having my mom in the same house as me to pick up my slack with the kids! We will slowly get back to normal- it will just take some time. We missed the worst of the July heat here in St. George and I think a trip to Washington will become our tradition every July. We nearly froze when we first got there, but loved every minute of the dramatic climate change. I've lived away for long enough that it no longer feels completely comfortable going home. My parent's house is always the same and I love that- it's everything else that feels odd. Some major differences:
1. There are hardly any mini vans. Funny that I would notice, but there are just SO MANY here.
2. I am a young parent- people stared at me if I had all the kids with me. And, a few times I only had Quinten and people would make comments like, "Oh, just wait till he starts crawling, you'll love that stage." Hello. Done that a few times. BTW, hate that stage....
And, I saw people that looked at least fifteen years older than me who had small babies in strollers with no other children... weird.
3. I felt like in any public place I watched my kids like a hawk for fear that someone would try to snatch them away from me. Yes... a little paranoid, I know.
4. Rain doesn't stop anyone from doing anything. You just go along like it wasn't really there and you don't really change plans.
5. People have really pale skin in Washington... even if they think they look tan. :)
6. My parent's ward had the tiniest primary. And, I think my kids were the loudest kids in Sacrament meeting. It was kind of embarrassing.
7. Traffic, traffic, traffic. I am SO not used to it anymore.
8. The produce is incredible there. My kids lived off of fresh raspberries while we were there. I loved it.

I love going home to visit. It's never long enough and I'm always sad to leave, despite all the things that I'm not used to anymore. I'm really just spoiled living where I do right now- I know that. I will consider it a great blessing because you never know when it could change.
So, I will post pictures from our adventures soon- I just need to sort through all of them.

Callie's Day... FInally!!

2009-06-21T22:41:00.010-06:00

Yesterday was Callie's birthday. We have a definite birthday season in our house and Callie is the tail end of it. It's hard for her to have to wait through the rest of our birthdays since she is the last one in our family for the whole year- especially because Leah, Quinten and I are are within a couple weeks of each other. So, we try to make her day exactly how she wants it to be. Hopefully we did just that this year. Her birthday celebration(s) lasted three days, which is unheard of in our house. On Thursday we took Callie and her best friend Jaide to Pirate Island Pizza for dinner. Grandma Louisa and Aunt Andrea met us there.
This is the girls while we are waiting for our table. We had a great time, but Andrew and I are positive you pay for the atmosphere more than the food... not an easy thing for us because we love good food.
Saturday was Callie's actual birthday. She didn't wake up till almost 9 o'clock... she looks a little tired in this picture, huh? We tried to rush the morning festivities because she wanted to go hiking for her birthday.
Callie is all about music. Seriously. You'd think she was 14, not 4. Her presents consisted of a guitar, Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers CD's, and a Camp Rock dance mat. Not to mention the Camp Rock microphone from Grandma and PopPop, the Tinkerbell soundtrack from Andrea and Mike, and all the music junk she already has.... trust me, the list is LONG.
We headed to Zion National Park for the morning with Andrea. We "hiked" the trail to the start of the Narrows. We got to ride the buses through the park, played in the river, saw some not so wild squirrels who had no problem getting too close for comfort, and almost got caught in a torrential downpour. Just as we made it back to the bus, the clouds let loose. We timed it perfectly. And because of the cloudcover, it was perfect hiking weather. We had a great time.
I added this picture just because I thought it was beautiful. You'll notice the blue sky- I now know how flash flooding can occur before you even realize what is happening. The weather changes so fast!
Today we spent Father's Day with the family. Callie got to have her"family party" while we celebrated. We sang to her and she blew out her candles. Cupcakes with ultra pink frosting (so gross) and root beer floats were her requests. I think she was happy with her weekend. We love her so much. She has the funnest personality- we love that she loves to perform. It's great to watch her dance and sing all over our house. We hope it is something she will always enjoy. Happy Birthday, Callie!!

I'll Be Completely Honest With You...

2009-06-21T21:01:00.002-06:00

So, I'm not one to hide what I'm thinking- I'm fairly open about how I feel when it comes to life's issues. So, here the latest: I hate nursing. I've always hated it, never thought it was this great mother child bonding experience, and all the benefits of it- well, I can refute the claim on several of them. Some of you may know that I didn't nurse Alexa. It was one of the most miserable experiences of my life. She couldn't do it, I was in so much pain that I could hardly stand it, and I just wasn't producing any milk... yeah, it was probably stress related or something- I will admit to that. I can remember laying in bed when she was a few days old and hearing her in the bassinet next to me and wanting to cry while I thought to myself, "Do I really have to get up and try to feed her?" It was awful. So, we switched her to formula when she was a couple weeks old and she did great. I felt guilty about it for a long time. It didn't help that I lived in Provo where everyone has babies and I swear I was the only one not nursing. OK, I know that can't be true, but it felt like it. I felt somewhat like a failure that the only thing I really had to do for this little baby was feed her and I couldn't even do it the "best" way. OK- so, I got over it. It was really a good thing for me to experience for a few reasons. It allowed me to truly decide for myself that I really didn't care what other people thought, and that has really stuck with me. Anyone who knows me now knows that is my attitude on almost everything. I'm not looking for approval from anyone and I am completely content to do what works best for me, not what is accepted as the norm. So, I told myself after Alexa that with future kids, it didn't matter how they were fed. If they could nurse- great; if not, I'd be the first person to stick a bottle in their hungry little mouths. For some bizarre reason, Callie and Leah had no problems nursing- I nursed them both for a full year and hated every minute of it. Sure, it's convenient in the middle of the night to not get out of bed to make a bottle and yeah, formula can get expensive, but the other "benefits"? Callie and Leah were both plagued with ear infections, had tubes put in, and are still my sick children. Alexa is NEVER sick. So I don't buy the whole "breastfed babies are healthier" bit. And for the "breastfed babies learn faster and are smarter"- do you know Alexa? You can't tell me she is behind because she was bottlefed. She is WAY beyond her years and I don't say that to brag- it's just the truth. So, this brings me to little Quinten. The kid can't suck for anything. In the hospital it would take me 45 minutes to get him to latch on so he could eat for 3 minutes. 2 lactations specialists and 4 nurses later they decided it may just take him a couple weeks to catch on- they had no answers for me. Well, a couple weeks later and the kid still didn't do it. He's too little to starve until he figures it out... which was one of the nurses suggestions. NO THANKS. So, I'm done. I'm done pumping and feeding him bottles- it's driving me CRAZY. I'm done trying. He's just not going to do it and I am happily switching him to formula. My nursing days are over and I am more than relieved to see them fade into the distant past. Besides, bottlefed babies can be fed by their Daddy, which means I get to leave my house sometimes for more than two hours at a time. Who can complain about that?? OK- thanks for reading my lengthy soapbox sob story... leave it to me to tell everyone all the junk no one really wants to talk about.

Updates

2009-06-13T22:57:00.007-06:00

So, Quinten is now over two weeks old. He is doing great. He's actually gaining weight- we just wish he would gain it faster. He is so tiny that we have spent the first two weeks changing his clothes about ten times a day because he pees out of every diaper he wears- his legs are too skinny. And ten times a day is no joke- just ask my Mom. Sad, huh?? Well, sad for me. I have been doing one load of laundry a day that is just his clothes and blankets to try to keep up with him. Hopefully we will pass this obstacle soon. He is such a good baby- as all fourth children should be. He still is a little confused about day and night, but we will get there.
As for me- I feel great. I'm tired of course, but other than that things feel pretty much back to normal. More than anything it's just nice to be wearing normal clothes again. I am SICK of matenity clothes. I have AMAZING friends and neighbors who have taken great care of my kids and our family since before Quinten arrived. While my Mom was here she made the comment that I live in a neighborhood from another era: the kids just run around from house to house and everyone watches out for everyone. It's true- we live on a great street with great people. We are very blessed.
I have lots more pictures to post- my birthday, Leah's birthday, Callie's dance recital, Alexa's last day of school, family pictures... hopefully I will get to it soon. Until then, you will have to be content with just Quinten. Isn't he cute??

I know he looks sad and pathetic in this picture.... but. he was asleep and looked so cute till the flash went off on my camera.... I must have really bugged him. :)

Quinten

2009-05-28T17:12:00.008-06:00

So, it's finally over!! Quinten James Hench was born on May 27th at 12:58 AM. He weighed in at 5lbs. 15 oz. which seems small, but we think he's big compared to what Leah was! He was just over two weeks early and we are glad to be done. I wish I could report that labor was a breeze- the hospital was slammed with women in labor and everything took longer than it should have- I had to wait an hour and a half for my epidural and had to wait over a half hour for my doctor to finish with another girl before I could start pushing. Even with all the delays, it still only lasted six hours, so I guess I should feel lucky. We are now home and everything is going fine. It's always an adjustment having a newborn around. Leah is taking it the hardest, of course. She has yet to make a sentence that isn't with a cry or a whine in it. Hopefully that will pass soon. The girls have spent lots of time with friends and family. My sister-in-law, Lydia is amazing and spent the entire afternoon and most of the evening with the girls the night we had him. They had a great time with her- she even took them all swimming! We love her so much! Thanks to everyone else who helped and came to visit. We will keep you updated as time goes on. My mom will be here on Saturday and we are anxiously awaiting her arrival. The picture above is Quinten right after delivery- he hadn't had his bath yet, so he probably looks a little gross.
Just after delivery- you can see I'm still hooked up to everything... I hate IV's.
Andrew and Quinten- it still doesn't feel like he is a boy yet. I have called him a she or her several times and have had to catch myself.
All his sisters. Leah walked in the room and I was holding him- she looked at me and said, "Mommy hold me."
Getting ready to leave the hospital. It always feels so good to get my own clothes on again and to get up and walk around. I could have stayed one more night, but I get so sick of doing nothing. However, the food was great this time. They have a menu that you call and order from so you get exactly what you want. Loved it!

Are You Sick of These Yet?

2009-05-22T08:02:00.002-06:00

I think this may be the last post where I have to update anyone on what is going on with this ridiculous pregnancy. So, here it is, as quickly as I can get it out so I don't bore everyone. Fluid levels have dropped again, dialated to a 2+, having contractions even as I write. My doctor wants me to try to hold out till Tuesday if I can, then he will just induce me. My fluid will be too low and I will probably be dialated even more than I am now. I am on partial bed rest so I don't lose more fluid than I need to within the next few days. I have amazing friends who have been inviting my kids over so I can lay low and they even brought dinner last night. I am very blessed. That's about it. The next time I write about this, I should have a new baby... crazy, huh???

I've Had It...

2009-05-18T15:18:00.003-06:00

I have absolutely had it with:

1. Little girls who think that screaming is an acceptable form of communication.
2. Being followed around by children and dogs to the point of stepping on them because they are so close on my heels.
3. Two year olds who think that waking up at 6AM is OK. It's not OK... it's just not.
4. Six year olds who never think life is fair and that the whole world is only out to get them.
5. Children who think that I should be at their every beck and call and then throw massive tantrums when they have to wait for me to finish what I am doing- even if I am going to the bathroom.
6. Two year olds who feed dogs your chapstick while you are in the shower and can do nothing about it.
7. Cleaning up messes that appear faster than I can keep track of. How do children create so much chaos in such a short amount of time??
8. Doctors appointments. I am sick of them. I am sick of shipping my kids off to whoever will take them two or three times a week. Can we just have this baby already and be done with it??
9. Telling a certain two year old to leave the dog alone. I wish he would take a large chunk out of her hand so maybe she would get the idea that he doesn't like to be bugged by her.
10. The fact that Andrew can walk out of a room and be left alone if he so chooses. They leave him alone and he doesn't even have to ask. Seriously.... If I walk out of a room I am either followed or they yell at the top of their lungs to see where I am and what I am doing- even if Andrew is home and is with them. I can hardly stand it!!
11. Children who think they cannot be happy unless they are playing with a friend. Why are my kids so needy?? If they don't have friends over I get to hear about it for hours on end. Why can't they play with each other? Why do they think it's my job to constantly entertain them?

I've had it.... I have really just had it.....

Blah, Blah, Blah

2009-05-15T21:18:00.002-06:00

It almost seems silly to update anyone on what is going on with my pregnancy. Same as last time- my fluid levels dropped again. They are now below normal. If they drop again by next week, then they will be worried. It just means more Dr. appointments and more time away from home. People are FINALLY telling me that I look big enough to be having a baby soon. I suppose that is a good thing. Even Andrew says I look bigger. I don't really care how I look. I'm just sick of being uncomfortable and wish it would go away. Maybe next weekend... that is what I am shooting for. School gets out on Friday, so anytime after that and I will be happy.

My Life in a Nutshell

2009-05-11T20:41:00.005-06:00

Sometimes I wonder about my life... what on earth possesses me to do some things and keeps me from doing other things. Do you ever feel that way? Today has been one of those days. I am wondering why I ever agreed to let Alexa get a fish for her birthday TWO years ago. Yes, that is right- it was the fish that kept on living. No one cared about the thing two weeks after we bought it, I was usually the only one to feed it and I was certainly the only one to clean the nasty fish bowl. Well, those days came to an end today... and it was all my fault. Note the empty fish tank above as you listen to my tale of woe. I cleaned out the stupid bowl, which was disgusting, I might add. I was in the process of moving Dave back into his bowl and as I dumped the water out of his little cup, I neglected to get the net under him fast enough and he slipped down the drain. Actually, he got caught in the black flappy part of the disposal and I couldn't decide if I should try to grab him or just let him go. In my moment of indecision, he slipped right down. Did I unnecessarily let him die? Probaby. Was it a calculated murder? I can't decide. I hated the thing- everyone knew that... but, I didn't really mean to for him to go like that. And, to make matters worse, I let the water run to make sure he really went down, but I guess I needed to run the disposal because the water was backing up.... I never saw him, so I had to run the disposal. He's REALLY gone. Alexa ran to her room and cried; called me a mean mom- the usual. Callie said he must have gone to the ocean like Nemo. Thank goodness for Disney movies, right??
This second picture is an embarrassment. It's taking a lot out of me to post it... this is the baby's room. I just can't manage to get the motivation to clean it. Baby presents, boxes of diapers and wipes, bins of the girls clothes that need to be sorted, half of Leah's clothes that still need to be moved to her new room, the baby's carseat and swing, a bouncer seat that needs to be put together, piles of baby clothes that have the tags cut off and just need to be washed... the list is endless. I have NO desire to get any of it ready. NADA, ZIP, NONE, ZERO, ZILCH. What is keeping me from getting it done? I have no idea. I'm sure I'll get my act together sometime soon... I'm just not sure how soon....

Another Update

2009-04-29T19:17:00.003-06:00

More doctors appointments today. Everything still looks good. My fluid levels are lower than last time, but are still within the normal range. No news is good news, I suppose. Only five weeks left... if I go full-term.... what are the chances of that? :)

Are you Shocked??

2009-04-28T09:13:00.002-06:00

Let me introduce you to Jimmy. Jimmy is my sister's dog. Jimmy will be living at our house for the next few months until my sister and her family figure out where they are moving to... and if they are moving. Their house sold (FINALLY!!) and Jimmy needed a place to stay. Shocked, aren't you? Most of you know that I am not an animal person. In fact, I vowed that our pet fish would be as good as it got for our kids until they moved out of our house and decided for themselves if they wanted a pet. I don't think having Jimmy at our house will change my mind... Andrew asked me if it would. I'm still not an animal lover- probably never will be. I do, however, love my sister and am glad we can help them out. The girls are thrilled. It will take us all a few days to get used to each other, I think. They follow him around get on his nerves, but I am hoping that will die down soon. So, anyone who wants to meet our temporary addition, stop by!

Isn't it great to be Loved??

2009-04-23T14:01:00.007-06:00

I have to laugh sometimes at the open door policy that has somehow been put into effect at my house. I don't mind- it just makes me laugh. And, I'm really not sure how it happened. It has been really hot here this week, so on Monday we pulled out the slip and slide and the sprinkler. Each of the girls invited one friend. The picture above shows you what we ended up with. Seven friends plus my three kids. They all had a great time and when I had my fill, I sent everyone home. Today, we started out with one friend at the house- I think we now have three roaming around. Nope- make that four... I just went and checked. I'm glad that my kids have good friends and that they feel comfortable here.
Leah refused to go down the slip and slide, but she loved the sprinkler once I got it out.

This is Callie and her best friend Jaide. They would play together everyday if we would let them.

Soccer

2009-04-23T13:26:00.002-06:00

So, I am finally getting around to posting a couple pictures of Alexa playing soccer. Actually, neither of these pictures are of her playing!! She is having a great time with her team. Several of the girls she knows from church or school, which has been a lot of fun for her. It has been fun for us to watch her steadily inprove as the weeks have passed. She is getting more aggressive... in a good way... and finally understands what she should be doing out there. Last week she scored her first goal- the funny part is she didn't even know it. :) I think this is a sport she will stick with and we are glad. Callie is now starting to ask when it will be her turn to play. Someday soon I am afraid our Saturdays will be busier than we would hope for them to be. With four kids so close in age, it is inevitable that they will all be doing things at the same time.

Oh Hannah....

2009-04-20T20:35:00.004-06:00

So, on Friday night I took Callie and Alexa to see the new Hannah Montana movie. First of all, that theater was packed. It's my own fault for taking them to a 7:00 showing of ANYTHING on a Friday night. We stood in line outside waiting for tickets forever, then had to go straight to the theater to find seats with no popcorn because the lines were so long at the concession counter. Callie was really upset. I think they hadn't turned their A/C on yet because the theater was on the warm side. It's a good thing no one wanted to sit on my lap. Anyway, the movie pleasantly surprised me. We all liked it and the girls think we should buy it after it comes out on DVD. So, if you want a fun night with your girls, take them to see it- we had a great time. And, Callie and I did make it out for popcorn and drinks somewhere in the middle of the movie. Alexa says we missed a funny part- something about Jackson getting bitten by a crocodile??

Family

2009-04-16T15:30:00.006-06:00

We had family pictures taken while I was home in March. Here are a few of the results. I know it looks like a lot of people, but for us as a family- we all stood around and felt someone was missing. It's probably because we now have families of our own to add to this group. It's always so much fun when all of us get together...even though it doesn't happen very often anymore. I LOVE IT!!

My sisters and I. May I just point out that we were in my parents backyard at 9AM and it was foggy and FREEZING. My teeth were actually chattering. Doesn't it look like a green heaven behind us? It's one of my favorite things about going home- all the green. And, I actually like the foggy, rainy weather too... I just like it looking out my parents big picture windows.

Just the kids. My sister Honor made a comment on her blog that she and I have been pregnant in the last three family pictures. I think she is right. What awful timing!! Heaven knows why they have to put us right in the front and center...

I know, I know.....

2009-04-07T16:16:00.004-06:00

Yes, I finally look like I am going to have a baby. Actually, as I tell my family- I am convinced that my pictures make me look smaller than I really am. Someone tried to tell me it's only because I am looking down on my stomach and it looks bigger to me. Maybe they are right- I really have no idea. I am uncomfortable enough to think I should look big. Everything aches, I've started having contractions if I do too much, and I am tired all the time. I had a Dr. appointment last week. When he said he'd see me in two weeks, it totally caught me off guard. How could have time gone so quickly that I am down to two week visits?! I've lost track of how many weeks along I am. Pathetic, I know. It's anywhere from 30 to 32 weeks, but I'm just not quite sure... anyone want to figure it out for me? I'm still measuring a little small, but my fluid levels continue to be OK, so I'm not worried. My blood test results came back fine for the most part. I am still anemic (which I always am when I am pregnant) so I'm on more supplements, but that's about it. We still have no name picked out. I only have two that I like. Andrew seems to think I should have a list that he can choose from like I always did with the girls. Not gonna happen this time... boys names are hard!! We are still working on getting Leah out of the crib- I dread the thought, but know it has to be done. That is next weeks project.

The girls are doing great. Now that the weather is practically perfect, they have been outside a lot. Soccer is going well for Alexa. I need to get her pictures on here... She was a little shy at first, but every week we see improvements. We are so proud of her! One more activity has taken its toll on her Thursday nights. She goes straight from gymnastics to soccer practice with no break in between. She is worn out when we get home, but always has a smile on her face.

Callie is still in love with her dance class. It is the highlight of her week and every morning she asks the same thing, "Is today my dance day?" I am glad she has found something she loves. She dances to any music that comes on the radio or TV- we love it.

Leah is a pill. We love her, but she is a pill. She creates messes faster than I can clean them up, pulls or steps on Callie's hair whenever she finds the chance, and has started yelling when she doesn't get her way. It's the age, right? On the flip side: she still wants to cuddle with Andrew or I when she wakes up in the morning, will let me rock her when I feel like it, and has a heart stopping smile that you can't get enough of. And, of course, her blue eyes that make me happy everytime I look into them.

Weekend Events

2009-03-23T09:37:00.005-06:00

I can hardly believe this weekend went by so fast. There was so much going on, I hardly had time to rest like I'd hoped I would. I've also been plagued with that nasty cold I left home with the whole time I've been here. Between late nights visiting with my brothers and sisters and hardly being able to breathe, I'm not well rested. I'm sitting here at my parents computer posting this blog only because my flight home was delayed three hours this morning... Yuck. I will be home about five hours later than I had anticipated- oh well. What can you do?
My sisters threw a baby shower for me on Saturday morning. We had such a great time. I got to see lots of friends I haven't seen in quite some time. I'm hoping that by bringing home a lot of little boy things I will now have the nerve to go buy what I need and won't be so terrified of the color blue. :) Here are just a few pictures.
My cute sisters and my mom: Karen, Amber, Siri, Mom, Emily, Me, Honor, and Veronique.
Friends from long ago- Liz, me, Brittany, and Neeley. We've known each other since 2nd grade. Brittany and Neeley are also both expecting babies. It was so fun seeing them!
I think this may be the only other picture taken of me.... which I'm OK with. I had to laugh when I got here- everyone loves my hair (thanks, Deanna) and everyone thinks I look tan... it's that great St. George weather. It was cold and rainy the whole time I was here. I think I saw patches of sun one day, but that was it. I did freeze every time I walked outside, but it was so nice to be home that I didn't really mind. I had a great time with my family and, as expected, I'm not quite ready to leave yet... it always works that way. Andrew has done great with the girls while I've been away. They have had fun being with Dad and he even made it to church on time on Sunday. I'm impressed.

LONG Overdue

2009-03-11T19:23:00.004-06:00

I'm sure my mom thinks I forgot that I promised her this picture. I didn't forget- I was just trying to find a fun centerpiece to make the picture look better... I failed miserably because as you all know, I hate decorating. It's not my thing. It probably never will be. Instead you all get to see my fruit. ANYWAY... Some of the fun of having my parents here for Christmas was getting to shop for a new dining room table. Our old table was great when we got it- it fit perfectly in our kitchen of the townhouse we were living in... it was great when there were three of us... it was OK when there were four of us.... but now that Leah refuses to sit in her high chair, it just doesn't work anymore. So, my parents helped us get a new one while they were here. Through a random course of events, we had eight chairs for our old table. We decided to keep them rather than buy new ones. Eventually I will get around to painting them so they go with the table... I just haven't been that ambitious yet. So, Mom- here it is... it's great, we love it... we mostly love that we all fit around it. :)

27 Weeks

2009-03-11T09:09:00.002-06:00

I suppose it's time for another picture. I'm not very good at keeping people updated, am I? I will be 27 weeks tomorrow- it's still hard to believe I'm closer to the end than the beginning. I got all my blood test results back last week- everything looked fine, so no worries there. Next week I have my second ultrasound. They are already concerned about my fluid levels and where my placenta is sitting. This pregnancy feels a little like deja vu except the problems are starting earlier than they did with Leah. Or maybe we know what to look for better this time. I guess that's just the way things go. I'm not worried. I have a great doctor and have complete confidence in his decisions for my pregnancy. I'm actually hoping this will be very much like Leah and I can have this baby three weeks early too. :) I'm spoiled, I know. So, that's the update. Still no name picked out... we'll get to it eventually. We moved Alexa into the spare bedroom and are in the process of moving Leah out of the crib and in with Callie. Once I get home from Washington we'll make the move. I've boxed up all my little girl stuff to take up North to my sister. It's so nice to have it out of the way! It's also shocking how much stuff you can accumulate after having three girls. I will be glad she is the one storing it now and not me. So, things are moving along. I have no complaints except for being tired all the time, but that's old news... I'm always tired. The girls are good- they are excited for their brother to come. Leah has started to point to my stomach and say, "baby". I only wish she knew what it meant for her future...

The Big 3-0.

2009-02-27T14:52:00.003-07:00

Andrew's birthday was on Sunday... I'm a little slow in sharing that bit of information. I think Andrew is probably grateful I'm slow. He's not the type to want fanfare from people. So, in typical Andrew fashion, we had dinner and ice cream cake- just the five of us. It was lots of fun. The girls were far more excited than he was. Alexa went through the drawer that has the candles and tried to count out 30. Luckily we only had 26, so we just stuck three on top of the cake and called it good. All the girls sat on his lap and helped blow them out. Andrew and I went out for dinner on Friday night to celebrate early. Thanks to Michelle for watching all the girls. We went to Made in Brazil, which is just off Sunset. (Is that what it is called??) Anyone who hasn't been there, we highly recommend it. It was really busy and we heard the wait can get crazy, but we loved it. How is is possible that we are getting old?! I remember thinking 30 seemed far away and here it is. I'm welcoming our 30's with open arms- may they be even better than our 20's. Happy Birthday, Andrew!! We love you!

2009-02-20T15:45:00.004-07:00

So, Leah was playing in my bathroom today while I was in the shower. She does this everyday and usually leaves a trail of tears after she is done... my tears because I have to clean up such huge messes. But, what can you do from the shower but watch the mess unfold?? She just laughs when I yell at her to stop. The one thing I have had to put up on the counter is the Q-tips. She has a tendency to want to clean her own ears, which terrifies me because I don't want her to stick them in too far. Today she carried a chair into my bathroom and managed to reach the box. This is what she looked like when I got out. She is too funny. (They are pink, of course, because we are a house full of girls... I think Callie picked them out the last time we went to the store. Don't worry, we make sure Andrew has the white ones.)

Eww.... Gross!

2009-02-10T09:20:00.002-07:00

So, yesterday morning we were eating breakfast and Leah was standing by the back door yelling, "Bird! Bird!" And, being the totally observant mom that I am, I ignored the back door and said, "Yes, there are birds out there." Then she started saying, "Eww! Gross!" So, I thought maybe I should have a look. This is what we found. It was big! This was no tiny sparrow that happened to hit the window. We're not sure what happened to it or how it ended up in our backyard, but we spent the rest of the day listening to Leah and her commentary on the bird. And in typical girl fashion, we waited for Dad to come home and take care of it for us... wouldn't you have done the same thing?

Our New Addition

2009-01-26T21:04:00.006-07:00

So, I changed my background to represent the newest member of our family. Does it look boyish? I'm having a hard time with the whole blue thing... not quite used to that yet. Yes, we are having a boy. The girls are thrilled. Andrew is really indifferent to the whole thing. I think eventually he will be excited, but for now it's just another baby. :) As for me- I really thought it was a girl. I felt a little let down by the whole thing. Actually, if you want the truth- I burst into tears when she told us. It's not what I expected and it will take some time to get used to the idea. It means I have a lot to do to get ready and I really hadn't anticipated that. After spending six years with only girls, I have NO idea what I am getting myself into and I have NOTHING that will work for a boy, so I have some shopping to do. I had a friend tell me that I must have at least onesies or something that would work for a boy. Seriously, unless he wants to wear white onesies with pink or purple flowers on them, I really am starting from scratch. This will be interesting. I don't even know how to shop for boy stuff... I guess I'll figure it out.

Where did the time go??

2009-01-22T14:24:00.006-07:00

I can hardly believe it's been nearly seven weeks since I posted my last pregnancy picture. Time goes far too quickly when you are trying to keep it as slow as possible. I am 20 weeks today. Half way... how can that be?! I finally felt the baby kick last week. It was about time- I was starting to wonder. I feel great other than the normal wear and tear of a pregnancy, so I guess I shouldn't complain. I have found that with each pregnancy, I feel a little older, my body feels a little more run down, and I get tired much faster than I used to. My kids are tired of hearing me say, "I just need to sit for a minute". And poor Leah- I think she already knows her end is in sight. She is more clingy with each passing day and I trip over her continuously because she follows me EVERYWHERE. Someday I will be glad my kids are so close in age. (I tell myself that in hopes it will make me feel better.) I hope they will be friends like my brothers and sisters and I were.
On Monday we have our ultrasound. I think everyone else is looking forward to it more than me. I don't care whether it's a girl or a boy. I could probably go another six weeks and not know or care. I want the baby to be healthy. Nothing else really matters. I'm sure I'll put a post on once we know... or maybe I'll make you all wait another six weeks just for the fun of it. :) So, any guesses?? I think it's a girl- it feels very much the same as the others. Andrew doesn't say one way or the other. We have a bunch of people who think a boy is in our future. We don't really care. We know girls- we are happy with girls. It simplifies our lives to have another girl. Either way, we will be excited.
*Ignore my kids' messy bathroom in the picture. The counters are too high in my bathroom to see my stomach and their bathroom was in desperate need of a cleaning. Can you see the toothpaste in the sink? Disgusting, I know.

Hmm...

2009-01-13T09:39:00.005-07:00

You all know that Andrew put on that last post, right? He says it's his first and probably his last post ever... I suppose he may put on another if the Ravens make it to the Superbowl...

I'm working on getting my life back together after the holidays. I still feel slightly behind. I've got pictures to post and stories to tell; eventually I will get them on here. In the meantime, just know that we are as busy as the rest of you.

Go Ravens!!!

2009-01-10T18:13:00.003-07:00

Off to the AFC Championship Game!

Callie's Dance Recital

2008-12-19T11:13:00.005-07:00

Callie's dance recital was last weekend. She had such a good time. It was fun to see her on stage doing her thing. They danced to the song, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". Callie claims that if Mommy ever kissed Santa, Daddy would be so mad. We think she's right. :)Callie before the recital and Grandma's house. Isn't she a pretty little girl?
Cute girl. She loved her outfit.
Callie's class. She is the second from the right. If there is one thing Callie has learned to do it's shake her hips- she's really good at it.
After the dance is over. This is Callie and her friend Allison.

24 Hours Later...

2008-12-19T09:00:00.003-07:00

This is what you get when you live in St. George: snow one day, blue sky the next. We have one large snowball and a fallen snowman in our front yard and a few patches of leftover snow. The rest is gone. We had a fun day playing yesterday. The girls ran up and down the street with all the neighbor kids and were completely frozen when they came in the house.

SNOW!!!

2008-12-18T07:56:00.006-07:00

This could be a picture for the record books- our house actually covered in four inches of snow.

Can you believe it?! This is what we woke up to this morning. And, they even canceled school!! Andrew read that this is the first time school has been canceled for snow in ten years. Alexa is so excited; she was afraid the snow would be all melted before she got home from school and wouldn't have a chance to play in it. Now I just have to find some makeshift snow clothes so they can go out and play... that could be a challenge.

13 Weeks and Counting

2008-12-06T07:33:00.003-07:00

So, I've always been anti-pictures when I was pregnant. I have virtually no pictures from any of the girls' pregnancies. I decided that since this is my last one, I'd better document the event. I'm just over 13 weeks now. I'm finally starting to feel a little better. If you were to look at me, you probably couldn't tell that I am pregnant. However, I can tell. I'm sure within the next few weeks I will no longer be able to suck my stomach in and my clothes will look too tight. I hate that in between stage: you're not big enough to look pregnant, you just look fat. Anyway, I suppose I'll be giving updates every month now just to have something to do with the pictures I am forcing myself to be in.

Chips

2008-12-03T14:16:00.004-07:00

My three girls, much like their father, could live off of potato chips. I'm serious. Callie would rather eat a bag of chips than anything sweet. She'd even pick them over a piece chocolate. One of Alexa's first words was "pips". Callie called them "bips". And Leah calls them "gups". After we've been somewhere, the first thing they do is open the pantry and find a bag of chips. Today I found Leah in the box of chips. I'm still not sure how she got in without tipping it over, but she did it. When she saw me coming she smiled and said, "I gups". I'd be irritated that she squished the bags of chips except she was so cute it was hard to be mad. Besides, they'll eat them anyway. What do I care?

Oh, Christmas Tree!

2008-12-02T08:41:00.005-07:00

Last night for Family Home Evening we decorated the Christmas tree. The girls were really excited to get out all the ornaments; they kept saying, "Oh, I want to do that one" like it was the most special thing they had ever seen. Leah was a pain, as all 18 month olds around a tree will be. I won't be surprised if half the ornaments will be broken by the end of the season. The tree wasn't exactly done by professionals (all the ornaments made it in the same two foot radius). But, the girls are happy with it, so we will leave it the way it is and know they had a good time. The girls in position to put up their ornaments. Leah really just got in the way more than she helped.
And, she spent more time pulling the ornaments off than putting them on.
When I asked them to smile, this is what I got. Silly girls.
And this picture was Leah's idea- really. We tried to get her to sit by the tree for one more picture, but she would only lay down; so, the other girls just went with it.

Milestones

2008-11-05T15:19:00.005-07:00

So, I'm a little slow in posting these milestones since they both happened over a month ago, but here are the pictures to document them. Leah FINALLY started walking. I guess she was on the same time schedule as Callie was- 16 and a half months. I can hardly stand them by the time they decide to walk on their own. And, Alexa finally decided to learn to ride her bike. She was the biggest pain to teach. She stopped every three seconds claiming that she was going to crash. I finally told her I refused to help her until she was willing to do what I asked her to do. We actually went a good three weeks without even touching her bike because of this. Then she realized that all her friends on our street could ride around all afternoon and she had to stay behind and it wasn't so fun. I was almost convinced that Callie would learn before her. Leah spends a lot of time at this window watching the kids play outside without her. She hates it.

Our neighborhood is perfect for bike riding because all the streets are completely flat. There are six kids down this street that are in Kindergarten this year- three boys and three girls. They all play together really well. It's lots of fun.

Carving Pumpkins

2008-11-05T15:12:00.005-07:00

So, this year we got one pumpkin carved... it was a bad day and we were lucky we got the one done. We let the girls decide what they wanted. Their requests were, "a normal smiley pumpkin". Not so original, but they were happy with it.
Leah was particularly excited- can you tell by the smile on her face?