Fall family photos

It's about time we have an actual family photo with ALL our kids!  I was planning on doing one right after Lizzie was born, but decided to wait until she was a little more sturdy... able to hold her head up, so she wasn't just a squishy ball of baby!  I'm glad I did.  These photos, done by Kami Averett in our neighborhood, turned out so perfect!  We really wanted a front porch session.  I love photos that truly document our life in the here and now.  So these photos were taken both in front of our darling house on Whetstone cove and at the stream near Brookside park in Daybreak.  Everything about these photos reminds me of home, and who knows how long we will be calling this place home.  Whatever happens down the road, I'm forever grateful for the time we've had to call Daybreak home.  Grateful for friends, neighbors, schools, and everything about our convenient lifestyle we enjoy here.  Just love it!  Life is good, we are so blessed. 

Fall Moab trip

Sometimes I forget how incredibly close we live to so many amazingly beautiful places in Utah!  Last fall break we took a spontaneous weekend getaway to Moab with our friends, the Wrights.  It was a blast (besides mom having the flu).  The kids (ok mostly Aspen) were so not wanting to go on this lame trip.  However, when we started driving through Arches Ntl park, the kids were getting so excited and Aspen even said "Thanks for bringing us here" before we even got out of the car.  The boys were certain they would see dinosaurs there.. Lol!  The hikes were easy and fun, and there is nothing better as a parent than doing fun things with kids when they can just run around being kids and exploring!  The second day we rented Razors and went for a fun (cold & windy) ride.  I'm so glad we pulled everything quickly together to go on this fun trip!

My Ollie

This boy... there really aren't words.  And there aren't even enough photos to document the crazy stuff he gets into EVERY SINGLE DAY!  To say he keeps me on my toes is a major understatement!  The way I can best describe Ollie is like the weather we experienced when we lived in Kansas City... We had the same 4 seasons but the hot was hotter, the cold was colder, the rain was rainier, the hail was 4x the size of anything we had seen before.  Everything was more intense... including tornados!  Ollie is my little tornado (maybe because he was made in Kansas City..lol).  I mean, Aspen and Bryson were naughty little toddlers too but for everyone one time either of them colored on the walls, made a mess in the kitchen, or pooped in the bathtub... Ollie has done each one 10 times!  It's like his trouble dial is set on high!!!  But it's only because he has an insatiable curiosity (like the elephant child)... in addition to being a naughty troublemaker this blue eyed blonde haired little boy is smart (he learned the ABC's all by himself), sweet, silly, loves to laugh and have a good time.  I always say if you ever need to break out of prison you're going to want Ollie on your team!  This kids is a master escape artist and doesn't let ANYTHING stop him when he sets his mind to something.  I'm hopeful these traits will serve him well throughout his life!  

I recently read a blog post a mom had written about her son's high school graduation.  She said there was a time when she couldn't stop her little boy from running through the streets naked and peeing on  their neighbors lawns.  As a young, frustrated mother (understandably... this is sounding familiar)... she had a friend tell her not to worry, that if he graduated high school and was still running around naked and peeing on the neighbors yards then she should start to be concerned.  So she was proud to report that her son had successfully graduated college and was no longer running around naked, peeing in the neighbors yards.  That he had in fact graduated with honors and on and on.... It really is hard to think that he will ever grow out of this.  That he will ever go poop on the potty or stay dry overnight.  That he will stop pushing down kids that are smaller than he is, or not steal his baby sisters binki.  But I know that this too shall pass... so I'll try to take the bad with the good... because just as his naughty meter is turned all up, so is his fun, happy, and loving meter!  And we've got LOTS of photos for future blackmail!  Love my Ollie!

(I had to include this photo because this is what it looks like everynight after he finally falls asleep)... after he's upturned his entire room then falls asleep somewhere completely random.  It always looks like a crime scene!

#theBOByears

If a picture is worth a thousand words then this one pretty much says it all!  There are so many thoughts and emotions I feel when I look at this photo... for one I can't believe I really have 4 kids... that all these kids are MINE!?!  I'd ask how did this happen.. but I know the answer to that.  It's just crazy sometimes to take a step back and look at where you are in life.  I think I always hoped for 4 kids, and 2 boys/2 girls would be just perfect!  Crazy that's no longer a hope or dream or in the future... it's now, and real.  This STUFF is real!  This is my everyday... juggling these 4 crazy kiddos each with their own set of needs, trying to keep everyone happy, entertained, and engaged in activities other than staring at a screen of some sort (believe me they all get plenty of that... I'm not that amazing as a mom).  I'm so absorbed in this phase of life that it's hard for me to even imagine there will come a time when I'm not hauling kids around in the BOB everywhere we go.  That my days won't be spent changing diapers, and in the constant search of binki's and blankies and telling kids to be quiet and not wake up the sleeping baby(s).  Its hard to imagine that my life won't include daily trips to one park or another and DREADING those times when I have to take all 4 into a grocery store by myself!! Ha!  I know they grow up fast... and I'm torn everyday between wanting to keep them little forever and wishing they would all just grow up already!  I think it's probably a struggle every mom faces.  I've decided to take lots of pictures so I can look back and laugh and smile, and probably shed a few tears... because this business of raising kids is the most challenging task I've ever taken on!  But this photo... this photo says it all!

by small and simple things...

I've been thinking a lot lately about the scripture... the one that says how by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.  I find myself constantly needing reminding that each day is one step closer.  Closer to what?  Closer to whatever.  The choices we make every day can either bring us one step closer or farther away to whatever it is that's out there on the horizon.  I've learned that a great weakness of mine is to be very short-sighted.  I find myself obsessing about my current situation, knowing with all my  mind that this to shall pass... whatever it may be.  That I WILL endure whatever the current struggle of the day/month/year may be and that just as I pull out of it, I will most definitely find myself in the midst of another one.  Maybe that one will be bigger, or smaller, I don't know and truthfully I don't really care because that's not what I'm dealing with right now.  That's my point, I get so focused on my stresses of TODAY and I just figure I'll deal with the rest as it comes.  I'm being vague.  I'll be more specific.  The things that are stressing me out today are:

Potty training.  This one I'm actually feeling optimistic about, this one is giving me hope for the other ones.  I've been dreading potty training.  It's seemed like one of those giant mountains in the distance that was inevitable to get around.  This would feel daunting on days that we sort of tried to get OQ to go on the potty with no avail.  I had to keep reminding myself that when he was ready he would go.  I just had and have to keep reminding myself with that kiddo to take things one day at a time.  I didn't plan to potty train this week, it just sort of happened.  It was bad weather Saturday and we were all just hanging out at home.  OQ was running around naked so we told him to go to the potty and well... he did!  So I gave him a treat and we kept that up the rest of the day!  Then again on Sunday, which was a little more difficult with church and visit to family.  But for the most part he did great.  Then again monday and Tuesday.  We're now on day 4 and he's doing great.  He spends all day naked, and I'm not planning on leaving the house any time soon.  But he's going pee on the potty all day!  #2 is another story, but I do feel optimistic!

ollie's behavior around other kids, especially in nursery... hitting, pushing etc.  can I just say how frustrating this is.  church in general with kids is frustrating.  But on Saturday I had the opportunity to take Aspen to the General Womens conf.  She got a little bored sitting there for 90 minutes, but guess what... she did.  She sat right by me for 90 minutes.  She wasn't running up and down the isle and crawling under the benches like she did when she was 3, and 4, and even 5!  She's 8 now.  So grown up and such a little lady!  This gives me hope that Ollie will one day play nice in nursery, one day he'll even go to primary, he might not sit still... for a long time.  But there will come a day when he will be potty trained and go to primary.

losing the baby weight... grrr.  this personally is so frustrating.  I'm in great shape.  i'm biking, running, cross fitting.  I'm watching what I eat.  I'm TRYING.  And the fetching scale won't budge.  SO maddening.  I've lost the weight before and I know I've been frustrated before but I'm just so frustrated now.  Here's what I'm talking about. I have that feeling that I'm going to be stuck like this FOREVER!  Even if I tell myself I won't, my mind won't believe it.  So here I am reminding myself that by small and simple things... as I keep on keeping on. (I hate that saying, I also hate the saying "it is what it is"... no duh).  anyway, I've got to start seeing change right.  please say yes.  I know I'm being vain.  I know I am.  i'm being ungrateful for a beautiful, healthy body that conceived and grew an incredibly beautiful and perfect human being.  In fact it's grown 4 beautiful and perfect human beings.  I need to be nicer to myself about it. I'm healthy, I don't have cancer, or diabetes, or depression, or freaking anything else.  I need to be grateful.  i am grateful.

Anyhow, these are my thoughts for today.  I just need to keep reminding myself that by small and simple things great things WILL come to pass...

keep moving, keep making good food choices, the weight will come off.  You WILL be able to wear the jeans in your closet again!

keep taking ollie to the potty, he will go poop in it... eventually.

keep helping Aspen practice piano, she might not ever like it but she will be grateful to know how to play, and read music.  Maybe one day she'll even play the cello?

keep helping Bryson learn to read.  He'll catch on.

Remember to give everyone a break now and then... including yourself.

Bry starts Kindergarten!

Bryson with Miss Sarah, and Miss Leigh on his last day of Pre-K at Daybreak Arts Academy.  He had such a fun year with great teachers and so much fun having all his buddies in his class!  Can't believe this dude is ready for Elementary School!

AND... the day is finally here!  Bryson is headed off to Kindergarten!!  He's so excited to finally go to Aspen's school.  He is on B track PM class.  His teacher is Mrs. McKenna who was also Aspen's Kindergarten teacher so we're pretty excited about that too!

Newport Beach 014

While Clark was away on his fishing trip to Alaska, I did one of the bravest things I have ever done... I flew with 3 little kids to California for 4 days to stay at the beach house in Newport with the rest of my family.  We were quite the sight rolling through the airport and getting us all through security and on and off the plane was no small task!  The flight itself was easy-peasy, thanks to lots of snacks and IPads! It was definitely not the most relaxing 4 days on the beach, but we all had fun and made LOTS of great cousin memories!  I'm so glad we went and so grateful for all the extra hands to help out with my busy bunch! 

We got lots of use out of the Bob walking along the boardwalk down to the Newport Pier.

cutest lifeguards ever!

our cozy room in the beach house