Sledding and snowshoeing

We didn't go sledding once last winter because we hardly had any snow.  We were very happy when we got some decent snow last week and were able to go sledding. We had a blast and stayed for quite a while, until we were all frozen and ready for some hot chocolate.

Santa brought me snowshoes this year for Christmas and I was exctied to give them a try and hike some trails with Jason.  I loved it and can't wait to get out again!

Matthew's Baptism

Matthew had the biggest grin on his face all day long on the day he was baptized.  Both sets of his grandparents came and participated in the program.  Matt asked my mom to give the baptism talk and Jason's dad to speak on the Holy Ghost.  A few minutes before the baptism Jason had a thought that maybe Matt was scared about getting in the water, so he said a silent prayer for Matt.  Matt got right in and seemed perfectly fine.  After he was baptized he told Jason he had felt very scared for a minute but was calmed by a peaceful feeling that came to him.  Jason told Matt he had said a prayer for him and Matt responded, "Dad, you helped me get baptized!"

It was a beautiful day that I will never forget!

Matt turns 8!

Matthew turned 8 yesterday.  Unfortunately three of us ended up with the flu, so the day wasn't quite what he expected.  We did our best to make up for it and he was a happy boy.  He had White Castle sliders for dinner and a transformer and x-men cake for dessert.  Matt is a bundle of energy.  He was born that way.  He brings so much joy into our home.  When I'm around Matthew I am reminded that life is to be enjoyed. 

Who can resist a pile of leaves?

Bifocals aren't just for old people

We found out a few weeks ago that Matt can't see anything up close.  Our eye doctor recommended bifocals so he won't have to worry about putting glasses on to read and then taking them off to see the teacher.  I paid a little extra to buy the glasses that bend and are really hard to break, since it's Matthew we're talking about.  I think they're adorable and am just so happy he can finally see!  He was actually very excited to get glasses and couldn't wait to put them on.  

Pumpkin Carving 2012

I haven't updated in a while.  Things have been a little crazy busy around here since I started taking classes last month.  We finally got around to carving pumpkins tonight.  I don't study on Sundays, so it was the perfect time to hurry up, scrapbook the pictures and post them on the blog.  Whew!  Enjoy!

Double Digits

William turned 10 last week and I'm wondering where time has gone.  I vividly remember holding him for the first time.  I couldn't hold him right away, because he wasn't breathing when he was born.  The cord had been wrapped around his neck.  An emergency team was rushed into our room and started working on him.  Thankfully he started breathing and everything was fine.  I was finally able to hold him and felt immense happiness and nervousness at the same time.  I didn't know how I was ever going to take care of something so precious and wonderful.

Fast forward 10 years.  William is a fabulous kid!  He's kind and generous, crazy smart, and just like his father (which is a very good thing).  He loves to play basketball, read, hike, fish, and is getting ready to take hunters education.  I feel so very blessed to be his mom.

Motherhood

If you haven't been to the Power of Moms website recently, visit their site and read some of their fabulous articles.  I was excited to attend one of their retreats this past weekend.  Power of Moms is all about Deliberate Parenting.  It's basically professional development for the occupation of motherhood.  What I love so much about it is that it's principle based.  I've learned so much and I think I've become a better mother since I've attended retreats, read their articles, and met with some great friends in a Learning Circle.

At the Park City Retreat earlier this year I had the chance to hear Macy Robison perform music from her album Children Will Listen.  I was listening to the album today in the car and remembered one of my favorite moments from the Park City Retreat.  Macy's song In the Meantime spoke directly to my heart.  I definitely carry a lot of mom guilt with me and worry over all of my mistakes.  She sang the words, "And she wonders when she'll really find herself again, but she's becoming one on whom God can depend."  I had the impression that I am becoming one on whom God can depend.  I immediately thought of Jason's crazy travel schedule we dealt with for so long.  I realized that even though I felt at times that I would lose it, I didn't lose it.  I held our family together.  My kids were happy and didn't seem very bothered by Jason's travel and I had to give myself some credit for that.  I took care of my responsibilities to the very best of my abilities, without making excuses.  Now I don't want to give the impression that I think I'm perfect.  I don't.  I'm painfully aware of my weaknesses and faults and I know there is still so much I need to learn.  I was so thankful for that impression, because I felt love and acceptance of what I do as a mother from my Father in Heaven.

My second retreat this past weekend was just as amazing.  I had so many "ah-ha" moments to guide me as a mother of four amazing, busy, sometimes crazy kids!  My favorite quote of the day was "Raise the Praise, Minimize the Criticize."  I came away with many concrete ideas to implement into our family that I know will make our relationships stronger and our family happier.  I also loved hearing stories from other mothers and knowing I'm not alone in my day-to-day struggles and triumphs.  What an incredible group of women!

Motherhood is the most important job anyone can have.  It's exhausting and trying at times, but always fulfilling.  I'm grateful I discovered Power of Moms.  It's an amazing resource that really has blessed my life (and the life of my husband and kids)!

Priceless!

Some of you know we lost a ton of pictures when our computer's backup crashed.  The backup had all of our pictures from our old computer on it and we lost all of them.  A few years ago I decided to send pictures to family members via email instead of posting them on a blog or facebook. Recently I found a bunch of those emails.  Words cannot express how happy I was to find some very adorable pictures of my kids!

You should see the other guy!

Owen woke up this morning with his first black eye (right now I'm crossing my fingers that it's also his last) .  Not sure how he got it, though.  We put him to bed last night at 8pm, heard him playing for a while until he fell asleep.  We didn't hear any crying or screaming, but he is a pretty tough kid.  We had to take several pictures of his shiner, because we take pictures of everything around here!  Jason titled the last picture "Owen's Mug Shot".

Last minute summer trip

Who decides at the last minute to drive 1700 miles the week before school starts?  We do!  We visited with family in Cincinnati and Indianapolis.  It was a great trip.  Although the drive was long, the kids did amazingly well.  Owen was the one I was worried about.  I thought we'd hear constant screaming, but he didn't cry much at all. We had lots of treats, the kids brought toys and we listened to How to Train Your Dragon on Audible.

The kids loved seeing their grandparents.  They'd choose grandparents over a water park or Disneyland any day!  I asked them what they loved most about our trip and they said going to the nature center, the Cincinnati Zoo and the Indianapolis Children's Museum.  It's a trip we won't soon forget and was worth every minute of the 50+ hours of driving!

I've been scrapbooking pictures from our trip.  I finished these pages today:

Back to School!

Today was a great day!  Everyone got up early and the kids were (miraculously) ready for school on time.  We had a yummy pancake and fruit breakfast and then all walked to school together.  The kids had a fabulous day at school.  They love their teachers, were excited to see old friends, made new friends and came home to freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies!

Family and forgiveness

I had an interesting experience last week.  I was really nervous, angry, sad and even excited all at once.  We took a last minute trip to the midwest and I met my grandfather.  He and my grandmother divorced and later both remarried.  I grew up only knowing my step-grandfather.  I don't know or understand why, but my real grandfather had no contact with my family after I turned three.  None at all.  I lived in Indiana for years, living quite close to where he lives, and just met him last week.

We pulled up to the nursing home where he is temporarily staying after having hip surgery.  I said a silent prayer before we went in.  I prayed for help with my emotions.  I didn't know how I'd react, but I knew I needed all the help I could get.  My mom visited him recently, so she went right up and gave him a hug.  My mom introduced me, telling him that I'm his granddaughter.  I felt some resentment creep in when I realized he should already know who I am.  He reached out slightly, expecting a hug.  I stayed still.  I smiled and said hello, but had no desire at that moment to give him a hug.  We visited for a little while.  I introduced my little family and he seemed excited to meet everyone.  He seemed sincerely happy we were there.  He asked about the kids and where we live.  We talked about how he's feeling and when he will get to go home.  Finally it was time to go.  He stood (which didn't look too easy) to tell us bye and I stepped up to give him a hug.  He hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe and I could hear the static in his hearing aid.  He whispered to me that he loved me very much.  Then all my sweet kids stepped up and gave this frail man a hug.

Talk about an emotional roller-coaster!  I don't understand why he chose to have no contact with my family.  Thinking about all those lost years has always made me feel so incredibly sad.  Forgiveness is an amazing thing.  I've realized it can wipe away all that sadness and replace it with a sweet, unforgettable memory.

"He'll jump off the roof and wonder why he broke his leg"

One last post about my crazy boy Owen.  I took him in for his two-year checkup last week.  His doctor is really good about showing Owen all of his tools and telling him what's going on.  Owen doesn't cry during doctor visits, unless we have to see a different doctor.  He showed Owen the little light on the ear scope and told him he could touch it.  Owen hit it as hard as he could, then laughed.  The doctor looked shocked and told me he's never had a child do that before.  Not ever.  Owen was climbing everything in sight, running around like crazy and of course his hair was sticking straight up despite my attempts at taming it that day.  Finally the doctor said to me, "He is one awesome kid!  He's full of energy and will be the kid who jumps off your roof and then wonders why he broke his leg."  The doctor was completely serious.  I already knew all of this though, the doctor just confirmed it!

Celebrate!

Terrific Two's!

I can't believe my baby boy is two today!  It has flown by so incredibly fast.  When we were expecting Owen I was really hoping for another boy.  I'll never forget when the ultrasound tech announced to us that we were having a boy and I couldn't stop smiling!



He's such a sweetheart!  He's all boy and loves cars, trucks and trains.  He still doesn't talk much, but is very expressive and is always making us laugh.  He makes the funniest faces!  He hates vegetables and loves sweets.  He's completely spoiled by his older siblings who constantly give in to his every demand (I might be part of the problem too, maybe).  He loves playing outside, exploring and running around.  I love this age because he's very curious and gets so excited when he discovers something new.  Trips to the zoo or park are the most fun at this age!

I'm a little sad he's growing up so fast.  It's just way too fast.  I'm loving every minute with him and feel so lucky to be his mom!

Happy Birthday, Owen!

Tomato plants and faith

When the kids and I are outside, we always spend time admiring our little tomatoes.  The kids look for the biggest tomatoes and will argue over who found each one first.  Recently while we were all crouched down looking through the plants William noticed there weren't any weeds.  He knows as well as I do that our garden bed is usually covered in weeds, so he was very curious.  I explained that since the tomato plants had grown so much and become strong, they had basically kicked out the weeds by taking all of the nutrients from the soil.  His eyes lit up and he started talking about faith.  He told me that if our faith is strong like the tomato plants we won't allow Satan to tempt us, and just like the tomato plants kicked out the weeds we will in essence kick Satan out of our lives.

I think that's what we call a parental paycheck!

4 great kids and a long drive in the car

Jason was out of town over the weekend and I was determined to do something extra fun with the kids.  They all wanted to go to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana.  We've always gone in the winter, so we wanted to go during the summer and enjoy watching the animals without freezing.  It was great to see everything sans snow.  In fact, the weather was perfect!  It was a lovely, cool summer day.  As soon as we walked into the bear habitat we saw a huge bear climbing a tree.  It was funny to watch, because the tree wasn't all that big.  The kids, especially the boys, love learning about birds of prey.  They get books about them at the library every week. So when they saw the new Birds of Prey exhibit with eagles and owls, they were very excited!  It was quite amazing to see these huge birds up-close.

My favorite part of the trip was the drive.  That's not usually the case with four kids!  We didn't turn the radio on at all, so we spent the time talking without any interruptions.  It was so nice!  I try to spend time talking with each of them everyday, but it's not as easy as it sounds!  There's always distractions, like a crying toddler, a dog barking at squirrels or a phone that's constantly ringing. We talked about our many blessings, sang primary songs, and the kids opened up and told me things that had been on their minds.  I have great kids!  They are kind, strong and good. I couldn't help but feel so lucky to be their mom.  

A recipe for all that garden zucchini

I love making vegetable based meals, especially when those veggies are fresh from our garden.  Tonight I made a tasty couscous zucchini dish.  I looked through some different recipes for inspiration and came up with this recipe.  Everyone loved it.  Owen really liked the couscous and was shoving handfuls of it into his mouth!

Couscous and Zucchini Casserole

1 box couscous, cooked as directed
2 large zucchini, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 cup cheddar or cheddar jack cheese (I prefer cheddar jack)

While couscous is cooking, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add zucchini, onion and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes, then add tomatoes and spices.  Cook until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle cheese over top, cover and let cook until cheese melts.  Serve over couscous.  Enjoy!

Chatty boy

Up until recently our little guy hasn't been too talkative.  He's been pretty content to stick with his favorite few words: mama (which can mean mommy or milk and the other kids think this is hilarious), dada, way (which means Yay!), car and dog.  Then all of a sudden he decided to add a bunch of words to his vocabulary.  

He's added these words recently:  

Matt (which refers to any little boy) 

dachel (Rachel)

 popcorn 

cacker (cracker or cookie)

me 

pampa (which means grandma and grandpa)

papack (backpack)

cheese (whenever we pull out the camera or when he sees a picture of himself)

baby (he says this whenever he cuddles with us)

more (he yells this out insistently every Sunday when the sacrament is being passed)

There's something completely adorable about toddlers learning to talk.  His little voice makes me smile and every word he chooses to say shows his vibrant personality.

Everything tastes better grilled!

I love grilling during the summer.  Around 4:30pm today I decided I should probably get up to make dinner (I was relaxing with a good book) .  Once again I didn't feel like cooking (I always hate cooking in the summer), so I started thinking of what I could make that would be different and fun.  I decided to finally try out grilled pizza.  Our family loves pizza and it makes a boring Tuesday feel more like a Friday, even if only for an hour or so.  I've heard from multiple friends that it's easy and tastes great, but I've been afraid to give it a try.  I started making the dough when Jason came down from work and asked what I was doing.  I told him what I was making and he immediately asked how I was going to keep the dough from falling through. So then I started to worry and question my sanity, but kept going anyway.  Thank goodness it didn't fall through (not at all!) and it was some of the best pizza I've had!  The crust gets crispy around the edges, but is still soft in the middle (that's how we like it).  The kids had a blast adding their own toppings and each pizza cooked very quickly.  I found the recipe here and just changed it a tiny bit.  I doubled the dough recipe and substituted half of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour.  It was a good thing I doubled the dough, because in a series of unfortunate events William's flip flop ended up on the top of the first 4 crusts we grilled.  It was a very dirty flip flop!  

City Creek Center

Before leaving Utah on Saturday we decided to stop by the mall everyone's been talking about, the new City Creek Center.  Rachel was amazed when we walked into the Disney store and came out smiling with a new glittery princess backpack for school (I still cannot believe my little girl is starting kindergarten!).  The kids loved the little splash area and enjoyed soaking themselves thoroughly before getting in the car to head home.  Matt's expressions are the best!

Where it all began

We spent the weekend in Provo, where Jason and I first met, were married, and started our family.  When we first arrived we went straight to BYU and showed the kids around campus.  Everyone's favorite place was the Eyring Science Center.  William was in heaven with all the rocks, minerals, dinosaur bones and other science-related displays.  The kids were fascinated when they saw their great-great-grandfather's picture and the hall named after him, the Wayne B. Hales Lecture Hall.  The kids thought it was funny when Jason told them he had classes in that hall and felt extra pressure to do well, because his great-grandfather would know if he was slacking off at all.  William quickly decided he wants to go to school at BYU and spend most of his time in that building.  We told him we'd be sure to come and visit, especially during basketball and football seasons!

We passed Stadium Terrace, the dirt cheap lovely apartment complex where we met.

  

We drove up to our first place, which was the upstairs apartment of this scary little house in South Provo.  I remember moving in right after we got married and I couldn't wait to start our life together.  In exchange for rent I helped take care of a sweet old lady, Verl, who lived downstairs.  We have some pretty great memories in this little house (even if the neighborhood was downright scary at night!).

Before leaving Provo, Jason told the kids he wanted to show them one more exciting place.  He drove over to a set of stairs at Cougar Stadium, where Jason and I first kissed.  I thought the kids would roll their eyes, but they thought it was great and were giggling when Jason and I got out of the car and quickly kissed on those same stairs.