June Summer Excitement!

I love  summer!  Hands down it is my favorite season with these little kids.  Almost every day is something exciting and soaking up the Vitamin D feels so good!

We have been crossing off things from our bucket list like crazy!  We had a few BBQs with friends.  Roasted some smores a couple of times.

I think I am starting to notice that I have a lot of kids because here is Molly in her leotard and no shoes but I was just thankful she was dressed. :)

The school provides free breakfast and lunch for kids 1-18 so we have gone multiple times to have lunch and/or breakfast.  Can't really beat free food.

Got to have a little cousin time.

One day after roaming the neighborhood for a friend to play with Alissa came home all by herself and disappointed that everybody had something to do so I hooked her up with some paint and had her paint herself on the back door.  What a cutie!

Lincoln got to go for his first walk.  He pretty much loved the stroller, minus the times when Molly would reach over. :)

She just can't stand herself!  Lots of kisses and hugs and squeezed cheeks. 

Dustin's work had their annual picnic at Tautphaus Park.  The girls got to crawl through this trailer filled with thick smoke to practice staying low in a fire. 

They gave them cute pink fire hats.  They got cotton candy and snow cones too.  A child's dream!

Then we headed through the zoo!  As always the kids loved it! 

Since Dustin learned he has hearing loss he has been protecting his ears while he mows the lawn.  The hat took it over the top though.  Even Ella said, "Dad, that's embarrassing."  I had to laugh.  Are we getting old? 

We bought a 25 swim pass to Ammon pool and since Molly gets in free that makes for a lot of swimming trips this summer. :)  I sat on the lawn chair with Lincoln and enjoyed the sunshine.  It was awesome and I am looking forward to doing it many more times. 

We picked grandma out a new parakeet for her birthday.  The girls thought it was fun.

And of course we are still at the park twice a week for Tball games.  So much fun!!  

I am LOVING this summer!  I came across this and thought it was funny.  I find myself looking forward to bedtime or a potential nap half way through the day. :)  Yes.. we must be getting old.

Baby Russell

Heidi and Kenny had baby #1 Russell Viliami Kapunawaiola Stanfield on June 21st.  He was 7lb 5oz.  He ended up in NICU on the evening of day 1 and stayed for 1 week on an antibiotic.  Thankfully all is well.  He is a beautiful baby and if you ask me he looks a lot like his daddy.

We are excited for them and happy Lincoln's best bud has arrived.

Baby Lincoln

This baby is growing way too fast!  He is 2 days short of 13 weeks already!  (These pictures are in order from newer to older.)  I am loving him getting a tiny bit bigger because I don't feel like he's quite as fragile with the kids playing by him or with him.  

Ella loves to play the piano for him and there was one song in particular that he cooed to almost every time she played it.  It motivated her practice it A LOT!

Pretty much all of us can't get enough snuggles with him each day.  We sure love our baby boy! 

We opened some toys he got at the baby shower and Alissa lined them all up and played by him.  He seemed to like it as he usually always does as long as they aren't touching him. :) 

He smiles so much and coos so much now.  He even started to do a little giggle this week.  We love it!

He has the VERY best sad face ever.  He does this pouty lip and sometimes it turns into a cry and sometimes it doesn't.   Either way it's cute and makes us laugh.

I think Molly drives him a little crazy.  She figured out he won't break so now she pinches his cheeks and pats his head kind rough and thinks it's great to yank his socks off.  She makes me slightly crazy but at least she loves her brother.

One of the first smiley pictures we got of him.

And isn't that yawn so cute!

He LOVES catching a ride on the clean laundry up the stairs just like all my kids do.  He especially liked this warm batch of whites.  Almost put him right to sleep.

A little late posting, but we took Lincoln to his 2 month appointment and here were his stats:

Weight:  11 lbs 15.5oz  44%

Height: 23.5"  72%

Head:  15.5  58%

He is the biggest baby yet at 2 months which is awesome especially cause he was forced to lose weight in the hospital to start out.  He is a good little eater that's for sure. We have been starting the cluster feedings in the afternoon/evenings and he has been sleeping really great.  He slept 7 hours one night this week.  I am hoping that will be our new trend.  I sure love my sleep.

This baby boy has been such a blessing to our family as have all our kids.  We are so blessed to be entrusted with these sweet spirits.  I am so thankful Heavenly Father sent us this sweet baby boy!

Happy Father's Day

I love this good man.  I am so thankful he is the Father of our kids.  He is a good one!  He cares so much about teaching them about the gospel, about loving the outdoors, about not being entitled but working for what they get and about how a boy should treat them. :)  (Just to name a few)

I MADE him sit on the step and have a picture.  He really wasn't excited about it because we were trying to get out to church but one day when these girls are grown he will be thankful for this precious picture.  I sure love these people!  They are my world.

I think this one is cute.  Everybody was talking to Lincoln except Molly.  She snuck in a kiss.  These girls think he's pretty great as well. 

After church we went to see my dad and got lucky enough to see grandma and grandpa Wheeler who were visiting from their new home in Utah.  They still have their home here but have developed Alzheimer's and need some assistance so they live close to my aunt Lois and she keeps close eye on them.  I have been wanting to get a picture of Lincoln and the other girls with them so I am so glad they were here! 

All of us! 

Great Grandma & Grandpa Wheeler & the kids. 

4 generations - So blessed! (Glad my children participated. Ha!)

I can't remember if I have mentioned this before but every month we have a combined FHE and rotate houses and this month it was at mine.  We cornered dad for a picture.

And of course we have to do a goofy one.

When I reflect on things my dad has taught me with his example a few of them include:

-stretching myself a little further than I think I am able

-service & generosity

-hard work

-Love family and God

-have fun!

I am thankful for my dad and the example he was growing up which helped me find a good husband.  He spoiled me pretty good and Dustin used to say, "your dad ruined it for me."  :)  

Some of my favorites are dad scraping my windshield and starting my car for me in the morning on his way out so it would be warm for me going to school.  

He would even and still does shovel a little walking path to the house to my car.  

He wrote me a little note or email almost every year, generally sent with me to girls camp but sometimes just cause he thought of it.  Like after prom one time there was a note from him.

We got to go on quite a few vacations growing up and experience quite a few things.  I am so grateful my parents allowed us to go with them cause I'm not sure I'm so generous & tolerant with taking my little kids on a vacation like that.  We made some lifelong memories though that all my siblings will cherish.

So thankful for my dad.  I am so blessed!

Tball

The two little girls are playing Tball this year on the same team.  It has been quite an adventure thus far. :)  We had 3 practices and Dustin even bought them a tee and a cute pink bat and pink mitts.  They had a great time at practice - motivation was mostly to get the treat afterward, but hey.. whatever works.

So they had their first game and Alissa went up to bat and hit the tee over.  I watched her do a 5 second look around as though she was unsure whether or not to run so she dropped the bat and ran for it.  They had her turn around and come back and it was all over.  She cried and her good coach on the right side had to drag her floppy fish style around the bases as she cried.  She sat out the rest of the game.

Molly on the other hand hit the tee over and did a 360 as she swung so hard and after quite a few attempts she hit the ball and continued to have a giant smile on her little face.  The only one of my kids so far that is not an emotional basket case (like their mother).  I love this about her!

So the second game of course was picture day and Alissa looked like this before the game even started.  Wouldn't smile for a single picture and of course this is what everybody is taking home to always remember.  Ha!  I love that Molly was the only one that looked at me for this picture.  I am too cheap to pay $10 for this photo when I can take it myself.  Don't care if they aren't looking. :)  Zoe Pettingill and Kristy Staker are their coaches this year and they have done a terrific job with these littles. 

Sitting in the dugout.

Molly on 3rd base. 

Of course Alissa was prepped for a bad game before it even started but somehow we talked her into letting Ella run the bases with her and she participated.  Grateful Ella was willing and also grateful preK Tball is so lenient. 

By game 3 she was ready to go!  She ran out on the field with her mitt and hit the ball before I could even get the camera out to take a picture.  See her smile this time! :)  They are so cute.

It's a fun experience for sure.  Glad to have something they can feel good about and have a fun time doing.  This is one of the times I love having these two so close in age.

Being a Mom

I wrote these thoughts the other day without publishing and an answer to my prayer came that evening...

There is an article I have read a bunch of times that I really relate to.  Called Let Your Husband Love you.  However, this part in particular I have been thinking about.

"The kids have been climbing on you all day. One or both of your boobs have been exposed 87% of the day and you’re sick of being clawed at, sucked on, licked, punched, kicked, pulled, snotted on, cried on, spit up on, pooped on, and peed on. You’ve wiped butts and noses and counters and walls all day. You’ve battled attitudes and arched backs and Dora the Explorer since dawn and you’re tired. So. So. Tired. I know. I really really do."

Maybe it is the fact that I have had little sleep this week that I am having these thoughts but they are common thoughts of having little kids that I think one day I will be able to look back and be thankful for.

Being a stay at home mom can be lonely.  I'm not sure why because you are NEVER alone.  You are always needed and wanted and have a million hands reaching for you non stop.  But for some reason I often feel lonely.  Like nobody is helping, nobody appreciates or even notices me and what I'm doing.  When things get quiet (and I haven't fallen asleep) I am always reminded through a kind Heavenly Father and the Spirit that I am not alone.  He knows what I am doing and how I am feeling and he is happy with the role I am playing as mom.  It is what I need to be doing and then I feel a little better for a while.

Another common feeling is that I have done nothing.  At the end of the day my house is still a mess, there is a (still yet another) pile of clothes to be folded and washed a dishwasher to be unloaded and a baby to feed.  I honestly look around and wonder, why wasn't I able to keep up?  I wanted to wash a window today or organize a drawer and how did I not find time?  Why do I dismiss the fact that I did do 3 loads of laundry, fed the baby 5 times, cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for the family, did dishes, swept the floor, made beds, reminded to brush teeth, wiped bums, paid bills?? 

I have felt inclined to publish this along with the answer to my prayer because it was such a tender mercy to me.  I try to self motivate and encourage myself but sometimes it's not enough.  Thankfully that evening as I was reading an article online (which I cannot find now) I came across a story of a tired mom who related this scripture to her service to her family.  It just spoke to me so tenderly that evening..

Matthew 25:40  Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Aldous Lake

This Saturday we made our 3rd annual trip to Aldous Lake.  It was the first time the kids (except Lincoln of course) actually hiked the entire time and held their own packs.  We held their hands a few times but they never once asked for help.  I felt pretty proud of them all.

I think part of the hype for the little girls is that they get to carry their own backpacks.  It wasn't until we got there that we noticed how big Molly's was on her.  It cushioned a few falls on the way back down so it was ok.  :)

And can't beat having free access to all the wildflowers you want. 

I got to pack little Lincoln and he couldn't have been happier about that situation.  Beat swinging in the chair at home that's for sure.  :)  He snoozed most of the day. 

Dad and his sidekick Alissa. 

There is a picnic table at the lake so we stopped and ate our lunch and Dustin tried some fishing. 

We let the girls wade in the lake and they LOVED it! 

I think the highlight of the whole trip for Molly was her "Dr. Kit".  I gave each of the girls a little box with bandaids and alcohol wipes, etc.  Molly had about 15 owies throughout the day she needed to bandage and they thought it was great to come to the rescue for their sister with their very own bandaids.  

Ella started her first fire with a little coaching from her dad.   Good Job Ella!

Our attempt at taking a family picture while the camera was set on a rock. :)  Thanks to Alissa who pushed the button because I attempted and didn't make it to the log in time. :)  Ha!  Good times.

Molly and I had to take a selfie.   Lincoln is hanging with us too.  

And since we are making funny faces.. 

We pulled out Dustin's phone and had a little dance party.  So that's why dad has Ariel on his phone. :)  Molly was singing in a perfect little microphone.

Alissa found a log that rocked and it made for at least an hour of entertainment. 

They all found their perfect "wand" and we started back down the mountain. 

Dad got a little crazy listening to the music on the way down.  He started to fake guitar it. 

We made it!  We ran the last little bit because it started to rain but boy we had a fantastic time!  Everybody posing with their muscle shot! 

So thankful for opportunities like this to go build memories together.  Life get so hustle bustle around here especially with the end of the school year with all the different events going on and demands on our family.  It's really therapeutic to get out with just our little family and be the only ones at the lake, the only car in the parking lot and no service to our telephones.  Only .. us.  We get to laugh and hold hands and talk.  It's my favorite.   We have been so blessed to live in Idaho so close to the mountains and have a good job that allows us enough money to do some fun things and the time off to do them.  Feeling pretty thankful!