Overnighter to MOAB

Toby had to make a quick trip down to Moab for work and we all decided to be spontaneous and jump in the car with him. We made a fun little overnighter over the thing and the kids were such great sports to be in the car as long as they were with very little complaining. We actually drove down even further to Blanding and on the way we stopped at the Monticello Temple, did a little hiking to a small arch, hung out a little park and the dollar store, stopped at Hole in the Rock, and had some fun meals on the drive. That part of Utah is just so beautiful. We definitely need to go down and spend more than just 5 hours there but anytime together is a perfect to me. Looked to the backseat to see these little hands holding each other. My heart wanted to burst. What sweet little brothers.

Valentines 2016

Celebrating Valentines Day has become a little more complicated from those first couple of Valentines Day's that Toby and I spent together. Adding four little munchkins makes for a not so romantic night out. Plus every restaurant is so packed it just seems less stressful and more peaceful to stay home and celebrate with the little ones we love so much so that's what we did! Plus we invited Jakers because you know…we love him a ton too:) We did however make it out with some friends a couple of days before. We went to Sushi with the Sansoms and Hodges and Keslers and then after we came back to our house and played True Colors. Oh my gosh we laughed so hard the entire night. They are such good friends. Good times.  -  Then of course there's Toby and Elle's little night out. For years they've got to the lifetime fitness Daddy Daughters Dance and she looks so forward to it. But this year they decided to change things up a little bit. They still went to to the dance just so they could take a picture in front of the sign but then they totally bailed and went to dinner and a movie instead. What goofballs! I'm not going to lie I was somewhat devasted that Elle has grown out of princess and dancing with daddy and would rather go eat steak and watch a movie…but I also fully realize that all that matters is that they are together and enjoying each others company. They truly adore each other. Two peas in a pod. And Toby sported his incredible new shoes. Great night for the two of them.

KEMP!

This little boy is getting busier and busier. And if even possible cuter and cuter. I love him so much. It's crazy how much. He was meant to be my baby. His smile lights up our entire house. He is SO happy all the time. And he gets into everything he can ALL the time. He LOVES his mom and dad and we really don't leave him very much because he is just so attached. And I'm attached:) He is so cute when he wakes up in the morning and he leans his body towards the family room because he knows that's where his big brothers and sister will be. It's adorable. He loves Chicago and makes some noise when he sees her that sounds like "roro". And the only other word beside Mama, Dada, and bubbles, that he says is bath…and when he says it he pulls at his clothes. It's so cute. He used to say bat man but that ship has sailed and he's forgotten. - Also I had to throw in one picture of Cash and Tate in their new bunk beds. We finally moved Kempers out of our closet and into the crib and moved Tate upstairs. That was super hard for me but had to be done and the boys are loving being together up there. I love my family. Like seriously seriously love them. 

Happy 60th Birthday Kathy!

Today was the big 60 for Kathy! We wanted to do something a little extra special for Kath so we thought it would be so neat to be as a family and walk through the new Provo Tabernacle Temple. It was a bit of a crazy experience with all of the kids. And earlier that day I had what will go down as one of the crappiest days of a mother i had in a while. Elle's finger had been ripped open the day before but then all taken care of at the drs and bandaged up, but then the next morning we went to Classic Skating and it reopened, and it was a nightmare dare there for other reasons, and I knew we had Kathy's birthday that night and I couldn't get to the Drs on time to have it get fixed again and it was just awful and this is the longest run on sentence of all time. Anyway, back to the temple.  What a beautiful building it is and I loved the opportunity to show my kids such a sacred place. After we went to Gurus and once again pure craziness. With all Tory and Janie's kids and all mine it's just bound to be an unpeacefull dinner. At one point Toby mentioned his anxiety level was so high and I had to laugh because that's how mine is half the time I go out with them and that's usually when I have them alone. But again back to Kathy. We're so grateful for her in our family. What an incredible grandmother she is. And an amazing example to us all. She has a strong testimony that she is anxious and ready to share with us at all times. LOVE her!

Denali

This week we said goodbye to our family dog of 14 plus years Denali. My family has always had a dog since I can remember. Smokey was our first, then wicket, then we got denali while we still had Wicket. We get so attached and they become family. My Dad especially. Watching him say goodbye was so heartbreaking. And Elle has such a love for animals and had spent so much time with her it was hard to see her ache too. Grateful for the things these sweet animals have taught us and for the joy they have brought us over the years. We will LOVE and MISS you Nals! 

Off Track Shenanigans

 Some of my friends have expressed to me that they are fond of when their children go off track. Honestly that is so sad to me. I look forward with so much anticipation to the weeks they are out of school. To me it's a time that I can actually focus on doing fun things with them, take them to fun places, and do more playing and just being a family together. I'm not saying it's always easy or that I don't sometimes feel pressure to make sure that they are being entertained etc… but Elle and Cash don't fight and they are both BIG helps with Tate and Kemp so for me it's totally a win win. Even on the days we just stay home it's so much better to have them there. I remember when I was on bed rest with Kemp, and then in the hospital, and then for the next 9 months past that whenever the kids went off track I had so much guilt that I couldn't take them out anywhere. It was SO hard to not do those fun things that I look forward to doing with them. It was so depressing to me and I hurt for them. Now looking back it doesn't feel like it was as long as it felt but in the moments and days it felt like it lasted forever. I don't want to not take advantage of that again.  All that being said, this last time they were off we played played played. We went to Boondocks with the Ashbys, we went to St. George and stayed with the Kelsch's, we went to the Curiosity Museum, and to Classic Skating, and also we went to the institute with my family, and then had lots of movie nights and snuggles in-between. I'm crazy about these kids. They make me feel like the luckiest Mom in the world.

Tate my 3 year old

Man this little boy is a crack-up. He has so much personality in that tiny little body of his. I really need to take the time to write down all the hilarious things he says so I don't forget them. This morning was tough with him. He is so hard to reason with. He has been crying all the time when things don't go his way and it's really wearing on me. This morning he wanted waffles and he wanted them right then. I was trying to get the older kids out the door and I was about to loose it with him. I finally sat him down and very sternly, possibly even meanly if that's a word, said "Tate! We do NOT act like this. You have to learn patience." I continued to talk to him about this and said that if he didn't stop he'd be punished and if he tried his best to work on it he'd be rewarded. Honestly I'm not sure if he understood a word I said. Now fast forward 3 hours. I've got both him and Kemp crawling all over me while I'm trying to work out, spilled juice on the floor, whining whining whining, the house was a mess and I just felt like I was failing in every area possible. I lose it. I just start sobbing. Tate walks up to me and takes my face in his hands and says so sweetly "Mommy. We don't act like this okay?"  Wow. Lesson learned. I love this little 3 year old.