Growing Pains

I want to be less melancholy that my kids are getting older.

Growing up.

I want to be thankful that they are healthy

and happy

and safe.

I want to fully live in the moment

of the time we've been given.

Who knows when a day will be our last?

I hope and pray it is far far away, but nothing is a given

and aching for the past only insults the present.

I want to OWN every minute of my days

with a grateful heart

and open hands.

The future is a glorious thing

but today is what we've been given

and today is all we have.

Be grateful.

****I swiped this post from a blog called "Adventures in Sarahland". They are not my words, but they might as well be. I had to repost it.**** 

Carter's ONE!

This is how he felt about turning the big ONE year old. 

I can totally relate little guy. I'm not too happy about you getting older either.

Here's his cake....which he didn't touch at all, except to push it away from him. I even cut it up, but no...he didn't want anything to do with it. It actually didn't surprise me at all. He doesn't like table food. I've been through this before with Ashlyn, who not only wouldn't eat table food, but wouldn't eat baby food either. So I'm just grateful he eats baby food. And really he eats healthier not liking table food. So I'm not too worried about it.  I'm sure he'll like it eventually. 

The other kids helped him open his gifts of course. He got a new Sesame Street toy, and some instruments. Nothing too major this year. We have so many toys already, I actually had a hard time finding something I didn't feel we already had. He really does love Sesame Street and Elmo though. And music. He totally loves music. So I thought some little music instruments would be fun for him.

I swear he's thinking, "get your hands off my toy big brother or you're gonna get it".

He liked the sticks the best. Started drumming with them right away. It was darling. 

Happy Happy Birthday my little guy. Even though I always say I'm sad to see you growing up, I do love to see all the new things you are learning. Here are some things you can do and say.

You are walking quite well for only having started a week ago. 

You can say "Dad-da" (and know what you are saying), "Uh-oh", and are starting to say "no".

You also babble a ton and make the funniest sound that sounds like you are saying "giggle giggle". 

You have at least 10 teeth (maybe more but you won't let me feel without biting me).
You wave hi and bye and have been clapping for quite a few months.
You know the sign for "milk" but only really do it first thing in the morning.

You go to bed between 8:00 and 8:30 and have to have me stay by your crib until you start to drift off (totally reminds me of Ashlyn). 

You wake up between 6:30 and 7:15 most mornings and love to start your day with a dirty diaper (but hey, at least you are sleeping through the night.)

You love to laugh and are starting to be silly yourself.

You love to take baths and always resist when I try to take you out. 

You hate going through the carwash and scream most of the time (so we don't go too often). 

You're a pretty content little guy and you definitely love to explore. Your favorite is to get into my ziploc baggies drawer and throw them all over the floor. 

You love to climb and swing in the swing at the park or in the backyard.

You only like babysitters if at least one of your siblings is home with you, and you definitely don't go to just anyone. 

But most of all, you love your mommy! (Which I'm relishing in because pretty soon you will discover how totally awesome Daddy is and then it will be bye bye mommy.)

Trunk or Treat

Incase you have forgotten, last year at our Ward Trunk or Treat I was having early signs of labor (which I didn't really realize at the time because I wasn't having any real contractions, just feeling pretty yucky), so this year was MUCH more of an enjoyable evening than last. We got there about an hour early to help set up. Primary was "kind of" in charge of the night but wonderful April Lawler took it over for us and so we mostly just did what she said. It was awesome and she did an amazing job. We had a yummy chili cook off (Where I actually won 4th place on my chili. I might have been upset to only win 4th place, but since I wasn't trying to win anything, just feed the mass of people coming, I was quite pleased with my win.) There were hotdogs for the kids, cornbread and homemade rootbeer. Yum! 

Leah designed this pumpkin here on the table. She even won an award for it. And for her costume too. "Most Delicious" for her costume and "Most Original" for her pumpkin. She could not have been MORE thrilled. Ashlyn on the other hand, did not bring her pumpkin to display and did not participate in the costume contest because, and I quote "I don't want to win an award because then I'd have to go up and get it". 

Brandon, AGAIN, would not wear his costume. Nor did he want to trunk or treat. He did like the cornbread though and was quite content to sit there and devour every crumb.

They had a Bishopric mummy race where the wives got to wrap their husbands like mummies and then the men had to race around the gym. I am quite proud to say that Paul won by a landslide. Doesn't he look mummified.

Brandon helped me hand out candy, while his costume hung in the back of the car there. After Ashlyn's bucket was filled, she came and helped too. 

It was a very fun night and I was super grateful to come home to a peaceful night sleep instead of a crazy trip to the hospital. Ahh....Trunk or treat will never be the same again!

*Carter was actually there with us too. I can't believe I don't have a single picture of him though. He was a happy little guy the whole night, mostly hanging out with Dad in his umbrella stroller jamming to Monster Mash and other fun Halloween songs. He kept the people around him quite entertained. This little guy just loves to dance. 

One more trip

I had to leave so quickly the last time I was at Lombardi Ranch, that I didn't get a chance to buy the pumpkins I needed to get for Leah's Halloween party at school on Monday. So we had to take a trip back up there. Since we were there (again), I figured we might as well enjoy it a bit.

So we went on the train ride through the corn maze. Brandon loved it.

Carter not so much. He was kind of freaked out, but was fine once I snuggled him back into me. Well, sort of. I think he was mostly just happy to get off. It was a bit too bumpy of a ride for him I guess.

This is in honor of Paul's roots. His Iowa corn roots that is. Have him tell you the story of the summer he spent being a corn detassler (did I spell that right?)

Have you read the story of the "Bumpy Little Pumpkin"? It's a sweet little story of finding the good in all things no matter what other people think. 

And since I got a shot of the girls at this height board, I had to get Brandon too. Lucky for me he was in a picture taking mood. 

Carter's Walking

Despite my best efforts this little guy has decided to grow up! In less than one week he will be 1 year old and while he has been taking steps here and there for probably a month or so, he just now (as of yesterday) decided to really walk. Like across a room. And he's doing it more and more. I'm sure by next week, he'll be a pro. It makes me happy and sad all at the same time. I will miss having a baby around the house. But I look forward to the fun years of "childhood" with my four precious little people.

LOVE YOU my little guy!

Star Achiever award and a field trip that barely happened

Last week Ashlyn got awarded the "Star Achievement" award at school for placing in the advanced section of her State wide (STAR) testing last year at the end of 2nd grade. We were very proud of her and happy to watch her accept her award. Here she is with her best school bud Lourdes.

Brandon had a preschool field trip to Lombardi Ranch last Friday. We didn't last too long. Now granted it, it was a pretty darn hot day and he was pretty red in the face. But still! He had TWO shirts on and if any of you know Brandon at all, you know he is barely ever seen wearing even ONE shirt. So I told him he could take his shirt off and keep just his school shirt on. Well, we had to take both shirts off to keep his school shirt on. And so of course when I went to put that school shirt back on he threw a MONSTER of a fit (seems to be the name of the game these days). I probably didn't handle it too well. I was hot myself and irritated with the constant battle of trying to keep this kid clothed. So we fought over it for a few minutes with him screaming and yelling and running away from me, until I finally told him if he didn't get his shirt on, than we had to go home. Well, it bit me in the butt, because he said, "ok, let's go home". So.....we did. I somehow managed to get him to put his own shirt back on and then we left. And so from now on (as his "punishment") he has to wear a shirt at all times, even if we are just at home, because he is having too hard of a time distinguishing when it is ok to wear a shirt or not.  I thought it was going to be a bigger fight everyday, but when a friend of ours saw him (with a shirt on at home) and commented on how he was surprised to see him actually wearing one (embarrassing I know) Brandon said, "yeah, I throwed a fit so now I have to wear a shirt all the time". And he's done it. So that's that! Here's hoping he keeps it up because honestly he looks better clothed!

See! Proof he is actually wearing a shirt on a regular ole day hanging out in the backyard playing with his brother. It's a mini miracle!

And as a side note, isn't that little Carter just adorable? Even though he's on a major screaming/squealing phase. I still love both my boys.

 I'm a lucky momma (although if you'd asked me that on Friday after leaving the pumpkin patch, I might have had a different answer! haha)

Playdate with Grace

A few weeks ago, my friend Kristina texted me and asked if we could take Grace on the Wednesday of Fall Break. She had to work and was looking for a fun place for her daughter to go. Well of course we said yes. We love having Grace over. And really it worked out perfectly because it was so rainy all day and we would have been stuck inside anyway. 

The girls played great together and kept themselves occupied the whole time with one activity or another. For a while, while Carter was sleeping, they got out a bunch of their polly pockets and set up a whole house for them. I love to see their little imaginations at work. 

And of course, when friends come over, dessert is almost always a must. So after lunch the kids opted for snow cones, despite the fact that it was cold and rainy out. They didn't seem to mind one bit. 

Grape for Brandon and blue raspberry for the girls!

We ended the week with a trip to the park and then to the zoo. I didn't take any pictures there because honestly, I have a TRILLION and one pictures of the kids at the zoo. Plus I just wasn't in the picture taking mood. It was a really nice day for the zoo though and we were able to go with our good friends, Tina and her gang. So that always makes for some super fun times! All in all, it was a great Fall Break. Now back to school and homework and all that jazz. It sure is nice to have some variety.