Goofballs

There are probably a dozen times a day that my kids acting silly drives me a bit crazy. But honestly, one of the things I love and adore about my children is there ability to laugh. To turn anything into a fun or funny situation. To know how to smile and have a good time and enjoy the moment. They are happy kids. What more could a parent want. 

 There is something very fun about watching your kids do things that you remember doing as a child. Teaching and watching the kids swing together, spider style. My sis and I used to LOVE doing this and would get going so high! Some things are just universal for all children, any time, any generation. So cute!

 It was adorable how intense this was for the kids. They would build the tower of cups and then hold their breath while they helped each other slowly raise it to the tops of their head. It was a cute "teamwork" moment to watch.

           

 In November Makenna got her first report card of the year. As expected, she is doing wonderfully in her class. She is either where she should be or a bit ahead of the game. She is a hard worker and a joy to have in class. She does get a bit silly sometimes....no surprise there. But she is making us all proud. And most importantly, she should be proud of herself. She works hard and it pays off. Makenna, you are a smart girl and I just know you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

 So to celebrate we took a family dinner trip to the Corvette Diner. Never a dull moment there. 

 What more can I say??

Well, I don't know what it is about our kids. Maybe they are rebels or something because they apparently do not like to lose their front teeth the traditional way. No. They want them pulled. 

First Makenna. Now Kellen. 

With Kellen we have actually seen this coming for a very long time. When he was about 18 months old he was running with Makenna and tripped and fell by a baby gate and hit his mouth really hard on a metal portion of the gate. It had chipped the tooth pretty good and had knocked it a bit sideways. The doctors told us what to watch for with it to see if the roots were going to die. Well, it lasted a few years. But sure enough at the end of November it started to abscess. So we brought him into the dentist and about 20 minutes later I had a very cute little boy with a tooth in a small box, all ready for the tooth fairy to come. 

By this point we all know that Kellen loves holidays. Well, discovering the tooth fairy was a whole new things for him. And it came with a barrage of questions. What does she look like? How big is she? How does she get in the house? How does she get my tooth out from under my pillow without me waking up? What happens if I do wake up? What does she put the tooth in? Why does she take the tooth? What does she do with the tooth once she takes it? Why does she want teeth? 

Let's just say I deserve a pat on the back. I am pretty good at thinking on my feet and answering fast under pressure. 

 Kellen's new look. Yes, he is cute. But I don't like it- it makes him look older and I don't like my kids looking older. 

 Kellen at his school Pow Wow. He did a really good job singing all their cute thanksgiving songs and dancing around like an indian. He can be such a shy kid, it sort of shocks me to see him be so willing to perform.

 Oh, sweet Carys. Who knew that life as a baby was so hard!

 My dear Makenna. She is certainly her own little person and these days she has a fashion sense all of her own. I don't know where she got it from, but somehow she got the idea that tucking in her shirt and pulling her pants up high was the hot new look. Normally I have no problem whatsoever letting my kids pick out their own clothes, even if it means they look ridiculously mis-matched or whatnot. But wow, this drives me insane. I can't stand it. And Makenna knows I can't stand it...which only encourages her to do it more and more. So I have decided to just ignore it and pray or will go away or that someone at school will tease her so she will decide to stop. Silly girl! You are still cute somehow. 

 Conner with his girl. Randomly she smiled right when I was taking the pic. So cute. 

 Well I did it. A trip to the Zoo on my own with all 4 kiddos in tow. I have to say I was pretty proud of myself. It was good to know that I could do it without anyone getting lost, hurt or falling in the monkey cages.

 Spending some time with sweet little Brooke and Kipper before they moved to Idaho. Love my little niece and nephew!

 I am so glad I got this picture of Conner and Todd so that I never forget this. Conner Loves to go outside and help Todd work. And almost any time he is off to give his ol' man a hand with the chores, he runs inside and grabs his toolbox and goes and sets up right next to Daddy. He will then get his tools out and get to work, right alongside Dad. It is just the cutest, sweetest little display ever. It is exactly what you imagine from a little boy, trying to be like his Daddy. I love that Conner is such a boy at heart. He makes me smile every day. 

Daddy (and Conner's) handy work putting up lights and bows on the house.

5 Years in a flash

5 years! It really blows me away. Even when I sit down and think about all that has happened, all that we have done, how much our family has grown in 5 years, it still amazes me that it has truly been 5 years since that perfect day. And I have to say that 5 years later, I am not as in love as I was the day we were married. I am so much more in love than I was then. And I am grateful every night I lay down to sleep that he is the man I lie next to. That he is the person I am loving and sharing my heart, my family, my life with. I love you Todd. Thank you for making me such a happy wife. 

A few of the Many things I love about Todd:

-His smile. It was the very first thing about him that caught my attention and it still does every day. 

-His thoughtfulness. All the kind gestures and sweet things he does for me without me having to even ask.

-The sweet text messages and emails he will send me. When he calls me randomly in the middle of his work day, just to say hi.

-When he brings in roses from the front yard when he is pruning.

-The way he can fall asleep in less than 30 seconds. The look on his face when I wake him up and tell him he needs to go to bed.

-The way he knows about Everything! He is so full of smart facts and knowledge...it constantly amazes me.

-Watching him give horse back rides or do doctors check ups with the kids. Seeing the smiles on both of their faces.

-Smelling his cologne in the morning when I wake up. Like a little part of him lingers with me for awhile, even when he is not there. 

1 Month Old

I have seen so many people do this cute thing where you get a stuffed animal and take your babies picture next to it every month to help document and give you a visual of how big they are getting and how much they are changing. I think it is a totally cute idea, so I stole the idea.

 Here is our sweet little Carys at 1 month old.

 Some things about Carys at 1 month:

-She was finally starting to be awake a little more and alert more often.

-Still wearing newborn clothes with no sign of outgrowing them soon.

-Her eyes are turning light blue and her hair is starting to lighten up a fair bit.

-She makes good eye contact

-Very content and easy going and loves to be held in a cradle position

-She won't sleep in the bassinet, but if I put her in bed next to me she passes out almost immediately and sleeps amazing!

-Getting up to feed only 2-3 times a night and going about 2 1/2 hours in between nursing 

After 1 month you kind of want to stop and evaluate how things are going. How you are adjusting and handling your new life. Well, quite honestly it was a lot more surviving than adjusting. Having 4 was seeming harder in ways that I was not necessarily anticipating. I thought it would be hard getting around, going shopping, running errands, getting kids to and from school, etc. But really that part has not been so bad. It has been life at home that has been tough. Carys is a night owl. And knowing there is a good chance she is our last, I cherish every moment at night, when all the other wild kids are sleeping, to sit and peacefully hold my baby and cuddle with her and stare at her without constant interruptions. 

Unfortunately this means there is not time to do all the chores I normally do at night. Suddenly my home has baskets of laundry that are sitting, waiting to be folded. Dishes sit in the sink longer than I would like. Toilets stay dirty more often than they used to. It has been rough...balancing the needs of my baby, who in all reality I just want to hold and snuggle with all day. The needs of the other 3, who are a bit more demanding with what they want/need and when they want it. The needs of the household. It's really been a reality check for me.

And then there is this cute face...

 I expected Conner to have a really rude awakening. I figured he would not at all like his place as baby in the family being bumped out of the way and watching someone else steal his mama's lap. But much to my surprise, he embraced his baby sister with arms wide open. In fact, he fell madly in love with little Carys right away. When they came to see us at the hospital after she was born and it was time to go, he broke down in tears and had to be carried out the room because he did not want to have to say goodbye to the baby.

But even though he was kind to Carys, he was not kind to Mama. Con was suddenly dishing out a whole lot of drama. Temper tantrums, teasing his siblings, hitting, getting into trouble the minute I sit down to nurse and he knows I am slower to discipline him. Such a little stinker. Luckily this phase didn't last long, thank goodness. So at one month, yeah, survival mode is pretty much in effect. But survival in the most grateful, happiest way possible!

NOVEMBER! I'm catching up!

Well, I am yet to figure out if this is intentional or accidental. His bed does have a side rail on it. But I would say at least 4 nights a week when I go to check on the kids and go to sleep, this is how I find Conner. I wonder often if he ends up like this throughout the middle of the night as well. If he does then I am not going to stop him. He sleeps soundly all night long. It is just silly. But that is Conner for ya!

 While I was pregnant with Carys, I felt like this baby was really going to be a good chance for Kellen to live up the big brother role. He has such a big heart and is so sweet and gentle. And we all know how well he took care of Toby for so long. When Conner was born he was a bit young to really fill the role of big brother that can be really helpful. Well, he has lived right up to my expectation. He is so good at holding her gently, singing to her, talking to her, patting her belly to calm her down. And I would have to say, he is probably the sibling that does the best at helping her be happy when she gets fussy. So sweet!

 The classic "Dad asleep holding the new baby" picture. What is even more funny is that if you look closely you will see that Carys is actually awake. Makes me laugh.

 Con being Con. Glasses on upside down, shooting bears and vacuuming for mom. What a helper!

 Since Carys has been born Conner has stepped up his role as uncle to baby Toby. Kellen does a good job of sharing Toby with Con when he wants to play with her. And he has been toting her around a lot more these days. I don't know what it is about my boys and that doll...

 What an angel...

 Carys and the boys in her life. She will be well watched over.

 Makenna and Kellen went through a cute phase of playing "Mommy and Daddy" together. They would each wear a pair of Mommy and Daddy's boots and walk around pretending to be married and be us. It was hilarious to listen to. 

 I've learned that with Makenna it is not often you get a picture of her just standing and smiling...but that is my Makenna. Here we are at her end of the season party for Soccer. She did such a good job this year. I was so proud of her and the hard work she put in, the improvement I saw in just a few months and glad for the fun she was able to have. 

Makenna and Coach Jason and her very first ever Trophy!

Tricksters

Halloween has probably become one of my favorite holidays. Seeing it through the eyes of the parents of young kids, it is just such a fun time of year. I am always anxious to hear what costume my kids are going to pick out. And there is just something fun and magical about watching their excitement as they dress up and be their character for the day. The candy part is a bit annoying. But thanks to my "binge and give away" method, it has not been too bad (the kids get 1 day after halloween to eat as much candy as they want. I will insist that they eat a few healthy things during the day, but they control their candy intake. That night they make a baggy full of their favorites and the rest is tossed).

A big shout out to Grammy for making 2 of the costumes (Kellen's and Makenna's) I have promised my children that I will learn to sew when I am a Grandma so I can make things for their children. Until then, I will appreciate every stitch my mother sews for our family!

 Kellen wanted to go as a pirate. Not any specific pirate. Just a Pirate in general. He loved the painted on beard and he did a great job speaking in a real pirate voice.

 Con made a perfect Buzz Lightyear. He has the personality and the look for it. He was absolutely adorable and loved his wings. And amazingly he kept the hat on the whole time!

 Makenna creatively chose to be a Unicorn Pegasus (the best of both worlds!). Grammy just blew us all away with her ability to so perfectly create such a costume. A Very Makenna-ish costume.

My babes. Well, the ones big enough to stand.

And then our wee little Carys. I felt like she was too tiny and delicate to put a real costume on. So we went with this cute ensemble. She was perfect!

 The kiddos at the ward Halloween Trunk-or-Treat. 

The biggins and their cousins. So cute! Brooke and Kipper very much complimented Kellen.

 Getting ready to go out on Halloween night. Daddy and his little peanut lookin so cute. Does she not just look so tiny in his arms?

  My two bearded boys!

It still seems weird to see me surrounded by 4 kids....MY 4 kids!

 On Halloween Makenna's Bestie Katie was in town so we were able to get together with her and her little sister Kiely to do some group trick-or-treating. As we usually do we went around Grammy and Pa's street. It is just the right size for the kids. Big enough to get lots of candy and tire them out. It was fun but also made me realize how grown up our kids are becoming.