Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Caught.

Marty and I try to pull off an at home date night on Friday nights--pending one of us doesn't fall asleep getting the kids down!

We sometimes like to get a treat to go along with the night, and I must admit I am a sucker for Ben and Jerry's.

After polishing off a pint, I put the empty container in the sink. Dorothy, whose legs are getting longer every day, is now tall enough she can peek over the counter into the sink. The next morning she looks at the empty ice cream pint and then at me. "Mom," she says, "did you and dad have a Romance night last night?" I guess our secret treats are not so secret! And I love that instead of a date it is our Romance. Viva la Romance Night!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

You said it.

Ezra is quickly becoming quite the dramatic little man--I'm sure having two big sisters has something to do with it.

Yesterday he was struggling to get his pants on. He was rolling around on the ground becoming more and more frustrated when he exclaimed, "this is HORRIBLE! It's the worst day EVER!!" I couldn't hold my laughter back on that one.

With his great love for Annie, he is also frequently talking about more babies. If you ask him how many more, he jumps up and exclaims, "I want more babies, and More Babies, and MORE BABIES!" We'll see if he is singing the same tune when she starts crawling and getting into his stuff. 

I love my little boy.



Monday, November 17, 2014

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Roll Over.

Last night as we were eating dinner, Annie was on her blanket in the living room kicking around. She has been trying for weeks to roll over, but usually only makes it about halfway there.

We finished up our soup, and as I stood to clear my bowl i noticed Annie was trying harder than ever to roll. It was a great night where we were all home with no rush for the night, so we all gathered in a circle around our baby. We cheered and clapped and encouraged until she did it! On her first full day of being 3 months old, our Annie rolled over!

It was such a sweet family moment. I loved watching her siblings clap and cheer and kiss her after her accomplishment. It was a tender and joyful moment, even if it was something simple. I love this family of mine.



Friday, November 14, 2014

Adventure.

Monday was one of those days where things just went wrong. It was one of those chances to look at a situation and decide to see the good or to just focus on the bad. I went to bed that night feeling blessed and grateful for so many things. 

On the way home from a doctor's appointment and running errands, our van decided to die on the side of the road. It was lunchtime. I realized my cell phone was not in the diaper bag. I had all 4 kids with me and no way to contact anyone. As the car came to a stop and I put on the hazard lights, the first thing I told the kids was, "we need to pray." As a little girl my mother would drive me and my siblings across the Utah and Nevada desert to visit her parents every summer. There were no cell phones, hardly any other cars or places to seek help, and it was hot out there. On one trip we broke down several times and she always had us pray first thing. Within 10 minutes a patrol car would show up--it was miraculous, truly. So I remembered my mother, and we prayed.

I felt safe, but tears did well up in my eyes as I stood helpless on the side of the road, hoping for someone to stop. Thankfully, we were in a high traffic area and after 5 minutes or so a sweet old man stopped. He also had no cell phone but assured me he would find a way to get assistance to us.

A few minutes later brought a firefighter by. He let me use his cell phone to call the few numbers I knew off hand and to use directory assistance for those I did not. No one was answering. He stayed there with me and my children until a patrolman from the local college happened by. These two sweet men talked with my children, gave them stickers and badges and kept them all calm and happy. 

We finally had the city police for that area arrive. He told me we would have to tow the car because it was such a high traffic area we couldn't leave it. However, I still had no one to come get my kids and not all 5 of us could fit in his vehicle. He made another call, and yet another officer took time out of his day to help our family. I rode with Annie and Ezra in the back of the first officer's car--with a normal back seat. The two big girls went in the back of the second officer's car--a plastic, plexiglass, and barred cage! I wish I had my camera! The kids thought this day was getting better and better. 

After getting the van into the shop and gathering up all my children (and car seats!) from the two police cars, we still needed lunch. So we walked across the street to a restaurant. A RESTAURANT? Now my kids KNEW this day was awesome. They happily ate, so oblivious to what an emotional drain the day had been for me so far. I was so grateful to see them smiling and laughing and all SAFE. 

Another hour or two later, the van was fixed, the bill was paid, and we finally made it home. The amount of money was unexpected for sure, but we felt blessed we could cover it. Marty's calling exposes him to trials beyond what we can imagine, and if having to simplify Christmas a little more or eat from our food storage is all we need to do to recover, we feel incredibly blessed. 

The largest lesson I learned was of the faith of my children. I can see why the scriptures teach us to be more like them. They never once worried or felt scared. They completely trusted Heavenly Father, me, and all our earthly angels that day to take care of them. They were joyful even through the trial. 

I am grateful for our mountains to climb. I'm grateful that this mountain wasn't too big! And I am most grateful for the view once we get to the top.




Monday, November 3, 2014

Snapshot.

I love the little things that make up life right now. I took this picture today so I could remember the sweet clutter of tiny years. Library books, art, and plastic dinosaurs. These are the good things in life.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Sweet Sunday.

A few things about today:

Dorothy looked at me this morning before I'd had a chance to get ready for church and said,  "mama, you're so pretty you don't even need to put any makeup on for church." So I didn't. And it felt great. It is usually the one day of the week I DO take the time for makeup, but I love to simplify. And my firstborn made me feel beautiful enough to feel like I can do without!

I received a new calling as Nursery Leader (all the children ages 18 months to 3 years). Although it means I get no break from kiddos, I am excited to be with these precious little ones. I am especially excited that I get my very own Ezzy boy in there for over another year! I think it will be a special time for us. 

The weather turned cold and it snowed today, so Marty got to stay home for the entire afternoon and evening with us instead of going back out to do home visits around the ward. Any extra time is such a treat and our home truly feels complete when we are all under the same roof. We made hot cocoa and popcorn, and snuggled as a family to watch the documentary "Babies." 

A day like this is good for the soul. Now we are ready for a crazy week ahead!