Sunday at the park

The weather was a little bit warmer this past weekend so we decided to take advantage of it by going to the park. I love going as the whole family because that means that Tee keeps an eye on Zach and I can take tons and tons of pictures and videos. Not to mention that Zach is happiest when he is playing with his dad so I get better shots of him than usual. Neither parent really felt like going to the park; we did it out of parental duty. Why are we always surprised by how much fun we have?

Of course he was too busy playing to look at the camera.

Gorgeous Maddie

Zach wasn't the only one too busy to look at the camera. Even with the blurriness, this is the cutest pic I got of Karlee

Always willing to pose, isn't she sparkling cute?!

Typical.

They don't look much alike, do they?

Did you see how fast Karlee got going? And Hannah cheating by running across the finish line?

Zach's favorite park game: kicking Mom and getting away with it.

Look!

It's only Oct 10!! There is something unholy and unclean about having snow this early.

Although, if I get some cute 'first snow of the year' pics later I suppose it will be worth it. Maybe.

What a great weekend! Even though TC was out of town celebrating his brother's 30th birthday and it was just me and the kids, it turned out great. Of course, it was also Conference weekend. I love Conference and I love love love having it on TV. We haven't always had cable TV and are actually considering cancelling it when our contract is up. There are only two times a year when I really really want to keep it. Our family has changed in the two years since we got cable and I miss the way we used to be. But this post is not about that.

Having Conference on TV at home means lounging around the house for two days straight occasionally picking up small child detritus so we don't get buried alive in it. It also means that the house feels smaller and smaller with every passing hour.

Hannah's drawing trying to keep Zach occupied.

It means letting the kids eat their weight in candy while playing Conference Bingo.

It means getting excited at the beginning of the Saturday morning session wondering where the new temples will be and if there will be any more announcements.

It means getting teary when President Packer delivers his talk from his chair and when it is obvious how skinny President Eyring has gotten.

It means trying really hard to listen with all the noise the kids are making even though they are trying (sort of) to be quiet and reminding yourself that you can always listen again later or read it next month in the Ensign.

Maddie's artwork of our family.

Most of all, it means listening to the Prophet of God and the Apostles relate to us the things that Heavenly Father wants us to hear right now and showing the kids by example how important it is to set aside two weekends a year to sit at the Prophet's feet - on the TV.

Having said all that, one nice thing about living out here is that Conference doesn't start until 11:00. There is time to get out and do something fun if you leave early enough and if *ahem* you get home at 11:45 and start watching Conference then - thank heaven for the DVR!

We went to a little pumpkin patch here in town with another family in our ward. Even though it was quite small, all the kids had fun. Zach would barely let me put him down. At almost two years, he is very aware of all things scary. I think if I had tried to take him in the "Haunted House" (Haunted Tent, really) he would have gone all Tasmanian devil in my arms.

There was a corn maze and a little train that kept getting stuck in the mud. Hannah and Zach sat together in one car and the first thing Hannah said when they got back was, "Karlee did not stop honking her horn the entire time!" Which makes total sense since Karlee is constantly without stop ever not making some kind of noise. Maddie was in the car that got disconnected from the car in front of her. Not a big deal, but good thing it happened to the easiest going child there; she thought it was funny!

All in all it was a very nice weekend. It is wise and merciful that there are these two weekends a year where we can take a break from everything and soak up the Spirit. Hopefully the soaking up of the Spirit will increase with the age of the kids!

Summer Memories with a Revisionist Twist

I really do love summer, really I do. By the time the end of the school year arrives, I just want to be with the kids and take a break from the crazy schedule we have all kept for 9 months. In other words, it's time to sleep in a little later and not hit the ground running every day the minute our eyes open. Since our kids aren't and never have been late sleepers, everyone is awake by atleast 8:00 which though only an hour is a much better hour than 7:00.

I love lazy mornings when at 10:00, a child who comes to snuggle with me still smells like sleep because said child is still clothed in jammies. I love seeing the kids play board games or computer games during those lazy mornings. The best vantage point is from the back with the clearest view of the bed heads. These are good mornings for book reading, net surfing and casual laundry doing.

On the other hand, I also love those summer mornings when it's actually time to do chores and we get up and get productive. Mornings when, at 10am, there is already visible progress in the cleanliness of our home. With the promise of an afternoon outing to the pool or the museum, the kids chip right in mostly without argument or pushy parental persuasion.

I love summer days when the kids spend most of their time outside whether in the backyard with its many distractions or in the front with their neighborhood friends. I love seeing them come in all sweaty and red faced. They may complain about the heat but after a drink and an Ice P*p they go right back out again.

This summer had plenty of both kinds of days. Toss in several trips to Oklahoma and Colorado to see family and you have the recipe for a good summer, right?

So why do I feel like this summer could have been so much better? I guess I never felt like I got a good grip on summer. In between trips I was busy and playing catch up on church stuff. When I finally got a handle on being home, managing housework and other responsibilies and taking the kids to do fun summer activities, it was time for another trip with its required prep time. Blech. I guess I am saying I have regrets.

But, guess what? These four little ones got to be carefree kids for almost three months. They got to go swimming a lot which, as every parent knows, is number one summer priority. They got to eat lots of popsicles and ice cream. They got to have a little bit later bedtime for crying out loud!

So, I don't think they have any regrets. And that is what counts.

Middle girl makes it official

This post is for all of those Grandparent/Uncle type people who, along with their respective families, would love to see a very happy and very beautiful 8 year old girl on her baptism day.

That Sunday in March started out great. Middle girl wore her new white dress to church and got soundly praised for how pretty she looked. We had spaghetti at our house with Tee's family. She got a new bracelet from Grammie and Papa (which she wore to church that day), a new quad from Grandma and Grandpa with a lime green scripture tote that was not there yet because it was on back order. After pictures and generally fussing with the special girl we made our way to the church to get ready and to get the refreshments ready.

I will only give one short paragraph describing the horrible scene at the church when we got there. The font had overflowed into the hallway and two classrooms. The quietest missionary I have ever heard gave Tee the directions and because of the aforementioned quietness, Tee misheard him. After a half hour's hard work with two wet vacs, we were back on track.

The rest of the evening went without a hitch with many many flood jokes thrown in for good measure. The girls sang a song during the actual baptism which was absolutely precious, but which we of course did not get on camera. I was playing the piano so I am not to blame for that oversight. Anyway, we gathered the girls back together to sing it again after. It's cute but not the spiritual preciousness I wish we had captured.



Middle girl is a very special child; she had prepared herself well for this day. It was a wonderful evening and one that I am sure she will remember. I actually think everyone should have a memorable marginally catastrophic event to help them remember their special day.

It's the new math.

Lately at the dinner table, we have been enjoying giving the girls math problems to figure out in their heads. Don't worry, they love it and always ask for more. Tonight, however, Tee decided that they needed to give him a math problem.

Oldest girl: What's infinity divided by...
Middle girl: Beyond!

Anyone?

Growing pains

So my little family is growing. I suppose that happens doesn't it? I haven't posted since September. A little longer than I even projected, but honestly, even now I am kicking myself for taking the time to write this.

Anyway, since September we have done quite a bit of growing. Oldest girl turned the so not okay age of 9. I mean, that is only one year away from double digits! Not. okay. Although I must say, she is getting more and more fun as she gets older. (Hey, you! All of you who have had teenage girls - stop chuckling!) It's true. She is funny, smart and a great conversationalist. The best part? She is a voracious reader, just like her Mama.

Middle girl is getting baptized in a few short weeks. She is so good, like deep down good that she makes us feel bad. Wait, that's not true, she makes us be better. She cornered the Bishop at a ward party and asked him when she was getting her baptism interview. Well, he decided that it was in his best interest to get that done in a hurry!

Littlest girl is not so little anymore. Remember when I didn't start her in Kindergarten in the fall even though she made the cutoff by ten days? Yeah, well, in about mid January she matured so much that, well, let's just say I wish that kids could start Kindergarten mid-year. She is beyond ready. I am pleased to report though that even with wisdom in her later years, she is still as sassy and spunky as ever.

And baby boy? Even though I still call him that he is all toddler boy now. He is almost 16 months. He still brightens up any room and makes perfect strangers stop and drool. Just yesterday, he started giving me these 1000-watt smiles every time I looked at him. I really think he knew what it did to my gushy heart and decided to capitalize on it. He got to go outside in the backyard this week for the first time. He was in little boy heaven.

Tee and I do our share of growing too, just not as fast and outwardly noticeable as the kids. We get a little wiser and a little stronger with time. Life gets in the way of US a lot, but we still find time to connect. We had our ten year anniversary this November. Ten years - a blink and a lifetime, both. He is my best friend and fan.

My family - I think I will keep them.

More cuteness

Hey Grammie! My mom finally got some smarts!