I Got the Blues

I miss Spring. I miss Summer. Here's my tribute. These are some pics of warmer days that hold memories I especially love. I love these pictures... it's like a zap back to that moment. Ahh.





The duck pond with my guys, the cousins and slushies from Sonic.

Lazy evening in the pool with my hubby and my monkies.

Jared takes the kids to the tennis courts and teaches them stuff. Pretty cute.

My creature lover.

First day a Salem Montessori School. Look at my beautiful little men, lightly toasted from the summer.

What's a trip to the beach without miniature golf...

the pier...

or Poppa?

So, I like the beach, ok?

When you don't have a pool membership, grandma's backyard and a kiddie pool work just fine!

I feel a little better now.

Christmas Eve!

UGH! Why do I repeatedly forget to upload my pictures in reverse order. This is the "after" shot. We give the kids new pj's and a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve and watch it together. This year they got Elf... Seriously, that movie is hysterical. I laught out loud in every scene. (Also please note the lamp by Jakes' head. It is a "Leg Lamp" which will remind most of you of another oh-so-funny Christmas movie, A Christmas Story. Jared's co-worker got it for him this year as a gift. "Yay" :/ The kids haven't seen that one... not for a few years.)

Christmas Is in the Air

What a wonderful Christmas we had. The best ever, actually. For me at least. I felt

the true spirit of Christmas keeping me warm and toasty through the abnormally freeeeezing December.

We made it to the Washington D.C. temple which was the icing on the cake. My sweet children were absolutely thrilled to be there, even McKay, who's just two. He said, "temple" a hundred times, and that alone made it worth the drive and the cold.

We checked out the Visitor's Center and Jacob, Oakley and I caught a Bell Chorus perfomance which was quite cool. Oakley was pretty impressed that a bunch of bells could "make songs".

After we had seen all there was to see, we just let the boys keep themselves entertained. They didn't even get too unruly (gasp!). McKay kept making his way back to the Christus and hanging around there... I am so grateful for the temple, for the spirit that is there and that my children could feel that peace and comfort. I know they are grateful for it too. I hope they always remember that feeling and strive to keep it with them.

We had some fun too. We got an AWESOME snow right before Christmas. It was so fun to look at the Christmas tree and see snow falling through the window behind it. It was picture perfect, like my boys.

McKay got an early Christmas present. This is Roarbert, his Scentsy Buddy. It is the cutest thing ever and has a scent pak inside that smells like lavender. McKay inturn, smells like lavender too... I love to snuggle him (Mack☺) when he wakes up. He smells delicious. (No, this is not a ploy to get you to purchase Scentsy, but I do know a girl... wink, wink.)

Last year we decided that making Gingerbread houses, with the cousins, was going to be our new tradition. Elli and Luke came over, and we had lots of fun. I love making them... so much fun!

I loved making the Christmas tree my 'play area' as a kid. I found McKay putting Star Wars guys in ours.

The End.

Grateful

I have been reading the blog of an amazing woman. She's a young wife, mom and a mormon. Wife. Mom. Mormon. That's who I am too. I feel like those three words sum up who I am and why I am the person I've grown into. Being those 3 things makes me happy and oh-so-grateful.

I read her blog because she always reminds me of my purpose on this planet. She reminds me that my sweet husband is my best friend, helpmeet and companion. She reminds me that my sweet children are angels from above who need my constant love and guidance. She reminds me that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. He loves me, and because I know this, I have responsibility to share His love with others.

I love that I can read her daily posts and feel better, happier, more grateful. Her name is Stephanie Nielsen. You may have heard about her. Here's her story (click on link below).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDvxPjsm8E

If you'd like to check out her blog, here it is: http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

This Just In... A Little Late.

Wow. It's already November. Two months have flown by, and I've kind of just let them. I've been allowing myself to adjust to lots of changes, so my expectations honestly haven't been real high. Survival has been my goal. In June I excepted a new challenge to be Early Morning Seminary teacher. That means, that through the school year, I get up at the butt crack and teach teenagers lessons from the scriptures, M-F from 6:20 AM to 7:10 AM. The first couple weeks were a bit rough while I tried to figure out the logistics and responsibilities of the calling and my family's needs from me as a wife and mom. With 2 months in, I feel like I can breathe and actually update this blog. Jared and the kids are super supportive and bare the burden with me. Jared actually now is my assistant and teaches at least once a week for me, sometimes more. He's so, so helpful. Now that my excuse for not updating is out of the way, on to business.

Oakley started Kindergarten and loves it. The transition for him was much anticipated and caused me much angst, but HE DID IT and quickly jumped in the swing. I'm so proud of him. Often he does not handle changes and separation so gracefully, but he honestly couldn't have done a better job. It helped a ton that his teacher is Mrs. Crotts, who was both Jake and Garen's teacher as well. She is wonderful. We are thankful for her!

Both of these pics were from orientation. It was so fun to take my little man to see his classroom for the first time and help him get excited for his big boy experience. It's so funny to think think about some of the things we moms end up cheering for. I don't want this phase of motherhood to end. I love cheering for these babies and hugging them, squeezing their round cheeks. I am not prepared for them to get taller, mouthier and less huggier.

Dang, that is one handsome kid.

And here are my pictures of the first day of school. Oh, wait. These aren't pictures of my children getting on the bus. These are pictures of the VIRGINIA TECH/BOISE STATE GAME! Why am I showing you these? Um, because on the first day of school. My dad, hubby and first born went to the game in DC and TOOK MY CAMERA WITH THEM. Luckily my mom had left her camera at my house days before, so I at least have some shots, but mom hasn't emailed them to me hence no school pics here. Dad took Jared to the game for his birthday and Jacob got to miss the first day of school and go too. The picture above sums up the game... a nail biting experience, that unfortunately ended in us losing. They had fun though.

My handsome Jakie. I must say it was hard to not have him at home the last day before school started that first morning of school. I felt like the glue that sticks all my kids together was missing.

And, we got a little bored.

Wish I could have been there. I'm not a big football fan but going to a game is so much fun and with all the Tech fans around here, it's fun to be a part of it.

My dad loves Tech football. He and Jared are football buds. I love that my dad and my husband are so close. My dad would hang the moon for Jared. And Jared can tolerate my dad better than any of his own children can. My dad is the most generous man alive. I have not bought a pack of diapers or wipes in years because every Saturday, in his jaunts to Wally World, he gets them for me. I adore him. He spoils me. But he is also CRAZY and can drive a non-drinker to thoughts of consumption. Jared, however, is patient and long suffering when Dad's short cuts become long cuts or when his Mr. Fixit projects spiral out of control, tying him up for hours on end.

GO HOKIES!!!

During fire safety study at school they made fire engines like these. We talked about fire safety at home too and made these for our treat after Family Home Evening.

Garen is a real crack up. He and Jared both thought it was a hoot that this was the gift to: Dad, from: Garen. I love that kid. Look at the twinkle in those eyes. (Garen, I mean.) ☺

Random pic before school.

Oakley got a trampoline for his birthday. McKay LOVES it and really loves jumping with Oakley. McKay adores all his brothers, but he pretty much wants to be Oakley when he grows up. The other day I was changing Mack's diaper and I asked him, "Who loves you?" I expected him to say, like he usually does, "Mommy lu-me." But instead he said, "My Oaky lu-me!" It's true. He does. They are real buds.

See? Told ya.

Farwell, Summer.

Once again, I forgot that my pictures would load in reverse order. I'm keepin' it short and sweet. For reals... I swear I won't gush with deep thoughts. Just pics and I'm out.

Mack's 2 birthday. He loves Elmo. This cake was tasty, but his head split in two. The rounds weren't evenly baked, and I didn't level them before icing, so where the icing didn't support the sides of the cake, his head split.

A sweet older lady at church has a wonderful pool she is terribly generous with. I was presumptuous enough to ask her if our little fam could enjoy it one Monday night. We had a great time. Here's Jake with a flipper the same size he is.

My cute O. I caught him floating like this, talking to himself, with his eyes closed. He opened them just as I snapped the picture. I could eat him up.

Mack likes to play around the pool more than be in it. The very last time we went to the pool this summer was the first time he happily allowed me to hold him in the water.

Look at that handsome boy. He is usually pretty busy at the pool... jumping in and out, in and out, in and out. It's exhausting. For me I mean.

This was our last day at the beach in Duck, NC. It was also McKay's birthday. We sang Happy Birthday to him, gave him some Sesame Street finger puppets, threw a couple doughnuts at him, and ran around cleaning the house we had rented before checkout. We then hit the road for a VERY long trip home.

Oakley LOVED the ocean. He was a real beach bum. He played in the surf for hours on end. Garen enjoyed the pool at the house better. As a matter of fact, Garen got down right hysterical the first day at the beach. The waves were pretty rough, and he was absolutely, positively sure that someone he loved was going to be swept away to sea. He is such a loving kid.

Cousin Elli taught Oakley how to swim. He was so proud of himself. I just wish he had picked it up a little earlier in the summer so he could have enjoyed it more.

Amazing, right?

This is Jacob and Luke at the Wright Brothers museum in Kitty Hawk, NC. We went there Sunday, the day after we arrived, and did some sight seeing.

This was the only time our whole fam was on the beach together. I don't love the picture either, but it's the only one I have of us all.

Jacob also enjoyed going to the pool more than the beach, but he couldn't resist a big hole that someone had left and had to climb in.

After rinsing Oakley off with an ice cold bottled water and stripping him of his suit, he lay there all clean and cozy, buck naked under the towel. ☺

Don't be fooled. That's Luke in the pic with Jared, O and Jake. The cousins did sooooo great together on this trip. There was very little bickering. HALLELUJAH!

See the foot prints back and forth on the sand? Yep. Those are his as he evades this photographer.

Poor Dad had pneumonia the whole trip. He was pretty miserable. He and Mom managed to go out for a quick jaunt to see some shops after this picture, but he didn't last long. Thankfully he is all better now.

We saw this crab, and Oakley loved it. He thought is was so cool. He kept talking to it in a little voice saying, "Well hello there, little crab." Then the water would rush up, and they both would scurry away, Oakley in fear that Mr. Crab would find his toes.

This is actually well before our trip, but the darn pictures are backwards. Look at that gleeful face.

So our wonderful, amazing trip to the beach was a superb, farewell salute to summer. We played hard and relaxed well while enjoying time together as a family. It really was a little slice of heaven. Jared and I especially will treasure the memories we made with our little guys on this much needed vacation.