I have been thinking a lot about how precious certain period of times are. Like high school, or "the College Years", or your first year of marriage, or the first year with a baby, things of that sort. And lately, about the last five months, I have been thinking about how precious this time of my life is. Not just this time with having little kids and trying to remember all the little joys of kids amidst the chaos of loudness and messes (yes, those are precious), but more so I have been thinking about how precious this period of time is when we live in such a great neighborhood with lots of kids and lots of LDS families. How fun it is to meet at the church parking lot and ride bikes, play tag, rollerblade, etc. When I was a kid it was the park in our neighborhood, but for my kids it is the parking lot and we LOVE IT. How precious this time is that we have a ton of fun young families in our ward, because lets face it, at least half of them will move away-and it makes me really sad to think about that. How precious this time is that I am surrounded with so many awesome "young" mom friends that are in the same boat as I am, trying to see the joy amidst the tiredness, and raise their kids with good values. I mean i just keep thinking about how much I want to soak in this time when I live in a "neighborhood/ward" like the one I grew up in, lots of kids, lots of fun, lots of moms doing fun things. And hopefully the Centerville Ward and this neighborhood will always be like this, but I want to really live it up in these moments.
March 21-
I wrote the top part of this post a few weeks ago, and then within a few days of writing it and not finishing it, my friend emailed me to tell me they were moving. It just hit me again how important it is that I want to enjoy these moments so much by doing things with people and building relationships and enjoying life. Great relationships are made by making memories. Little ones and big ones. Like last friday night, we had dinner here at the house with John and Carrie and Ryan and Melissa. It was great. Kristin was a saint and watched all the kids at Ryan and Melissa's. And us 6 adults (and the 2 babies) talked, bbq'd, cooked and ate and just enjoyed each others company. Then we went back to becks and had dessert and played games with the kids. I just keep thinking it is so important to plan things like that and make time to do them. Life gets crazy and then when you have a free moment you don't want to "plan" something, or go out of your way to do things when you are tired, but it makes for the best memories and builds such great bonds. Thank you Melissa for planning a very fun evening. And thank you Kristin for watching the kids.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Jackson at 5 months
Last Monday, February 22nd, Jackson had his first bit of rice cereal. (Wow, I actually recorded something. Man, I am bad at keeping a baby book of their "firsts" for my kids.) He absolutely LOVED it! I had been thinking I would wait until about 5 1/2-6 months, just because it is so messy. And it is so much easier to just nurse. But I was having to put a lot of effort and brain thought into making sure I was drinking enough, pumping after I nursed, and drinking mother's milk tea, because lets face it, this kid eats a TON. And I am not a natural milk machine like some people. And since Jackson was grabbing at everything at the table and staring dreamily at every one's food when it went from their plate to their mouth, we thought it was time. He was a totally "neat eater". When Ben fed him there was no mess! Hallelujah! And he ate every single drop! So now he is on his first step toward solid food. Good, because I don't have to nurse as much. Bad, because it is a bit harder and takes more time to prepare, feed, and clean...but he loves it!
On Saturday, February 27th, his exact five month birthday, he rolled all the way over! (Again mixed emotions.) Hurray, he did it! Watch out, he is mobile soon! He is starting to sit up also and he loves to reach for toys.
He is still the most drooly kid ever. And the HAPPIEST, most smiley, laid back baby!
Today when I was watching Nate and Mckay for a little bit, McKay kept making faces at Jackson while he was in his excersaucer and he kept standing up and jumping and laughing his belly laugh. It was so cute- and Jack, Brooke adn the kids loved watching it and kept egging it on because it was so cute!
He loves, loves, loves the exersaucer. He likes to sit on the counter in the Bumbo and watch me work in the kitchen. He smiles everytime the girls go near him and even smiles when they get in his face...i don't know how long that will last, because pretty soon he is going to start punching them in the face because they get so dang close and make such loud noises...but for now, we will take the giggles and smiles from it.
The girls still fight over who gets to hold Jackson when they wake up and if Livy is crying, almost always in the middle of mid tear and scream she says, "I hold datin!!" (I hold Jackson) And 99% of the time if I let her hold him, she stops crying.
Thanks Jackson for being the best little baby boy anyone could ask for!!
On Saturday, February 27th, his exact five month birthday, he rolled all the way over! (Again mixed emotions.) Hurray, he did it! Watch out, he is mobile soon! He is starting to sit up also and he loves to reach for toys.
He is still the most drooly kid ever. And the HAPPIEST, most smiley, laid back baby!
Today when I was watching Nate and Mckay for a little bit, McKay kept making faces at Jackson while he was in his excersaucer and he kept standing up and jumping and laughing his belly laugh. It was so cute- and Jack, Brooke adn the kids loved watching it and kept egging it on because it was so cute!
He loves, loves, loves the exersaucer. He likes to sit on the counter in the Bumbo and watch me work in the kitchen. He smiles everytime the girls go near him and even smiles when they get in his face...i don't know how long that will last, because pretty soon he is going to start punching them in the face because they get so dang close and make such loud noises...but for now, we will take the giggles and smiles from it.
The girls still fight over who gets to hold Jackson when they wake up and if Livy is crying, almost always in the middle of mid tear and scream she says, "I hold datin!!" (I hold Jackson) And 99% of the time if I let her hold him, she stops crying.
Thanks Jackson for being the best little baby boy anyone could ask for!!
February in a Flash
Today was a bit of a drag getting back to real life and reality.I can't believe it is March already. February went by in a Flash. We started off the month (or the end of January if you want to be technical, January 31st) with Krystal's homecoming. And drove down to disneyland with the entire family. Played at teh Happiest place on earth for three days. Drove back Thursday. Had vb lessons, dr. appointments and primary activity and unpacked on friday. Did laundry, finish up all the babysitting coordination, re-pack, clean the house and try to give the kids some quality time before leaving for Mexico for 8 days. Left for Mexico sunday and got back the next Monday. Had four days at home and then went to a volleyball tournament on saturday. Finished all the laundry just in time to pack again to go to the snow the next weekend. And here we are at March!
It was a great month...full of lots of memories. Hopefully now I can be diligent enough to get the pictures organized so I will remember all the fun we had.
It was a great month...full of lots of memories. Hopefully now I can be diligent enough to get the pictures organized so I will remember all the fun we had.
Snow Weekend!
It is always so fun to do fun things as a family, but it is even more fun when your kids like it! Right?! I mean when you put a ton of effort into packing up for two days (which by the way, is the same amount you would pack up for a week, so next time, why not go longer?) and your kids have a horrible time, it makes you not want to do it again. I mean sure there are always tantrums, meltdowns, pee accidents, messes, etc. But overall, when you see joy on your kids faces, it is all worth it. That is how this snow trip was!! Pure fun! Pure fun for the adults and for the kids! Even though it rained and snowed most of the whole trip it was so fun. Brooke absolutely LOVES the snow. Livy had fun too, and I think she will enjoy it even more next year. I think I want to take a day trip back up to the snow again before it is gone this winter, just to let Brooke enjoy it again. (And Arnold is only 2 and a half hours away and there is PLENTY of snow).
As I was packing up friday morning, I had flashbacks of snow trips as a kid. Staying at the cabin with Littles or our cousins and skiing all day long for a few days! As I thought about those great memories, it made me think about how grateful i was that my mom was so diligent in taking us places to make memories. Because even though it is so fun, sometimes it is hard to go on vacation or do fun things as the mom. Lots of times it would be easier to stay home and take a few day trips here and there (and those are great memories, too) but, long weekends and camping trips and vacations of sorts are so much fun as kids and fun memories for the adults, but a lot more work than day trips. But they are so worth it!
The snow was so great! We stayed at my uncle's cabin again (Thanks Uncle Benny) and drove up to cottage springs. It was snowing the entire time up there. It was just us and about three other people on the hill with freshly fallen snow powder and no trails when we started. So Mike, Spencer and Ben and the kids forged an awesome sled run! It was so fun. And by the time we were leaving, three hours later, the hill was packed and there was a line of about 8-10 people waiting to sled down our track. The kids LOVED it. And I was surprised again this year, how no one complained of being cold and wet.
It was so great to put the kids down and hang out with the adults, too! We learned a great new game, Ticket to Ride, and I love it! Thanks Mike and Melanie for teaching us. But I am ready to play again, and I will beat all you guys now that I know the stategy! One of the downfalls of the weekend was that Cheri got me addicted to cadbury eggs. I guess I never really ate them a lot. But man-oh-man, they are good. I bought a bag at the store today, and it is gone. I am a nerd and didn't take my camera, but I know Melanie and Cheri got some great pictures. So when they post them on their blog, I will steal them and post them here.
As I was packing up friday morning, I had flashbacks of snow trips as a kid. Staying at the cabin with Littles or our cousins and skiing all day long for a few days! As I thought about those great memories, it made me think about how grateful i was that my mom was so diligent in taking us places to make memories. Because even though it is so fun, sometimes it is hard to go on vacation or do fun things as the mom. Lots of times it would be easier to stay home and take a few day trips here and there (and those are great memories, too) but, long weekends and camping trips and vacations of sorts are so much fun as kids and fun memories for the adults, but a lot more work than day trips. But they are so worth it!
The snow was so great! We stayed at my uncle's cabin again (Thanks Uncle Benny) and drove up to cottage springs. It was snowing the entire time up there. It was just us and about three other people on the hill with freshly fallen snow powder and no trails when we started. So Mike, Spencer and Ben and the kids forged an awesome sled run! It was so fun. And by the time we were leaving, three hours later, the hill was packed and there was a line of about 8-10 people waiting to sled down our track. The kids LOVED it. And I was surprised again this year, how no one complained of being cold and wet.
It was so great to put the kids down and hang out with the adults, too! We learned a great new game, Ticket to Ride, and I love it! Thanks Mike and Melanie for teaching us. But I am ready to play again, and I will beat all you guys now that I know the stategy! One of the downfalls of the weekend was that Cheri got me addicted to cadbury eggs. I guess I never really ate them a lot. But man-oh-man, they are good. I bought a bag at the store today, and it is gone. I am a nerd and didn't take my camera, but I know Melanie and Cheri got some great pictures. So when they post them on their blog, I will steal them and post them here.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Reflections
Mexico was so nice, because I felt like I had time to think. Think about what i have been doing lately, but mostly what I want to be doing in the future. Ben and I have a goals binder that we look at and set new goals every anniversary, and then review them throughout the year. Last year, on our Costa Rica trip we made some new goals (even though it wasn't our anniversary) and came up with our family Mission Statement and made plans for the future with specific years adn dates in mind. This year, on this trip, we reveiwed some of those things, but I felt like I reflected and thought more about MY goals and then talked about them with Ben. And over the last few months my thoughts have focused so much on a few specific things. But in a nutshell (hopefully I will get around to recording all of my epiphanies and feelings and great inspirations in more detail, but this is a little snippet to remind me of all the glorious insights I got for myself) it comes down to how I want more than anything to be a good mom. Now figuring out what is the best way for ME to be the best mom for these three amazing kids is my next mission. How to find balance for me to give all I can to them. I really want my focus to be on my family. Ben and Noah had a really good conversation last year in Costa Rica (another great reason I loved mexico, because it is so fun to discuss so many inspiring, world changing, small day-to-day things with Ben, Noah and Kristi and to get some much insight from brilliant people, without being interupted. It is so rejuvinating!),and there observations have resonated in my head a lot this past year; One of the reasons Rick and Linda were such great parents and writers is because that is what they always thought about. They were always thinking about their family and being so proactive about raising their children and developing their family unit, and then writing about it. I know it sounds so simple, but I have since thought about that often, and ben and I use that thought process a lot when setting our goals and raising our family. There is a direct relationship to the amount of time I think about how I will teach, raise, discipline and love my children to how well I succeed in raising a strong, tightly-knit family unit. So I want my focus to be on my family. On how I will mother my children. On Motherhood. I want to be successful at my job as a mother. (And success is measured in lots of different ways). So now my new goals are focused on finding out how me and my personality will be the best mother, wife and homemaker. And even more importantly, always finding joy in it.
I think all mothers have and get success in different ways. We are all so different. I loved reading Shawni's blog this morning about balance (I love her blog and her book and highly recommend it to EVERYONE!! And she really is as nice and positive and fun as she writes), http://www.71toes.blogspot.com/
I think all mothers have and get success in different ways. We are all so different. I loved reading Shawni's blog this morning about balance (I love her blog and her book and highly recommend it to EVERYONE!! And she really is as nice and positive and fun as she writes), http://www.71toes.blogspot.com/
odds and ends
Brooke said to me yesterday as she was trying to push the chest out of the way to build a fort, "Mom, I am trying with all of my might to move this, do you think you could you give me a little help?" as she is grunting and trying so hard...(she sounded so grown up, I just started laughing.)
Brooke has been practicing rollerblading. She is so good at trying. She hasn't cried yet from the many falls, she just keep laughing about them! She is really determined to learn how to do it. I love it. She loves riding her bike! She can't get enough of any art project. She is constantly taking pictures and printing out pictures and then making them into art projects.
Jackson is pretty much out of his size 3 diapers already. I am mushing him into them. I still have another package. He is a drooling baby!! I have to go buy some bibs. He is always wet from drool. He absolutely loves to suck on his hands. He is hands down, the best baby EVER! I think he only cried, maybe 5 times the entire 8 days we were in Mexico. He is wearing 12 month clothes and they fit him. There is no extra room. (He is only 4 months and 2 weeks). He loves his sisters, and his sisters can't get enough of him still. When we got home, they kept fighting over who got to hold him. Brooke still asks to hold him every five minutes and gets so excited with this huge smile and big eyes when I ask her to watch him while I put Livy to sleep for her nap. I love how she braggs to everyone about how he makes noises or laughs, or is almost sitting up. It makes my heart jump to see how much she loves him.
I am trying the potty training thing again. Into it 2 days and have had 5 accidents. Not too bad. Except for the fact that she doesn't care if she is poopy or wet....AHHH! This could be a long haul. Livy loves babies right now. She loves riding her bike. And has recently taken up running out of the house to ride her bike in the front, or run down the street. And it doesn't help that she can unlock the door. She keeps me on my toes. She has the best hugs and the cutest voice. She loves balls, play-do, babies, coloring, her doggy blanket that Donna gave her and doing things she knows she is not supposed to and then smiling at me about it. She ALWAYS wants to hold Jackson or have him sit right next to her. Her favorite book right now is Go, Dog Go.
Brooke has been practicing rollerblading. She is so good at trying. She hasn't cried yet from the many falls, she just keep laughing about them! She is really determined to learn how to do it. I love it. She loves riding her bike! She can't get enough of any art project. She is constantly taking pictures and printing out pictures and then making them into art projects.
Jackson is pretty much out of his size 3 diapers already. I am mushing him into them. I still have another package. He is a drooling baby!! I have to go buy some bibs. He is always wet from drool. He absolutely loves to suck on his hands. He is hands down, the best baby EVER! I think he only cried, maybe 5 times the entire 8 days we were in Mexico. He is wearing 12 month clothes and they fit him. There is no extra room. (He is only 4 months and 2 weeks). He loves his sisters, and his sisters can't get enough of him still. When we got home, they kept fighting over who got to hold him. Brooke still asks to hold him every five minutes and gets so excited with this huge smile and big eyes when I ask her to watch him while I put Livy to sleep for her nap. I love how she braggs to everyone about how he makes noises or laughs, or is almost sitting up. It makes my heart jump to see how much she loves him.
I am trying the potty training thing again. Into it 2 days and have had 5 accidents. Not too bad. Except for the fact that she doesn't care if she is poopy or wet....AHHH! This could be a long haul. Livy loves babies right now. She loves riding her bike. And has recently taken up running out of the house to ride her bike in the front, or run down the street. And it doesn't help that she can unlock the door. She keeps me on my toes. She has the best hugs and the cutest voice. She loves balls, play-do, babies, coloring, her doggy blanket that Donna gave her and doing things she knows she is not supposed to and then smiling at me about it. She ALWAYS wants to hold Jackson or have him sit right next to her. Her favorite book right now is Go, Dog Go.
Mexico!
Mexico was AWESOME!! Jackson is such a great baby, so it was fine having him along. And I was so glad Kristi is 6 months pregnant, so I didn't feel like I was slowing everyone down with a baby! Ben adn I went scuba diving together for the first time since I was certified three years ago. We swam in waterfalls, went hiking up a river looking for a waterfall, hung out at the pool, ate tons of YUMMY mexican food (I wish I had eaten more food from the street, but I was a little hesitant the first few days), swam with dolphins, danced, talked, ate, swam, and just enjoyed the sun and hanging out. Thanks Noah and Kristi for all the fun (and thanks Noah for always being our translator!)..."that will be 60 pesos". Our camera battery was dead for most of the trip, so Kristi was kind enough to be our photographer and I will post pictures soon.
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