SLOW down..

Our schedules have done some serious changing since school started.  New routines with early bedtimes, early mornings, gymnastics, soccer and piano practices, reading and homework - just lots of changes.  Along with this has come about 5 hours a week of open time when I have just Lincoln at home and I have time to tidy the house (or sleep) and it's quiet.  It's so very nice.  In those few hours I can get the house in order and feel like I am in order.

I have been thinking so much about the quote "Mothers who know, do less."  I feel like I need to reread Sister Beck's talk every day to remind me of a "Mother Who Knows".  For now I will remind myself of the first one because I have gained a real testimony of it.  I have started to pick up some hair appointments here and there and take on a few other things and as I do I feel myself get more uptight and frustrated with myself and my family.  My patience are much thinner because I have a deadline or a house I want to stay spick and span for company.  I find myself thinking, "I don't have time for this milk dumped all over/pee pants/waking Lincoln up from his nap/ANOTHER snack/you name it.  If I don't have time for that, I don't have time for kids because they are hand in hand. :)  And I know that and I am good with that... most days, on the days I do less.  On days I do less I find myself on the couch reading books, playing memory, painting, coloring, making play dough and having help cooking dinner.  I find myself disciplining with more love and taking the time to teach, taking the time to pray, singing songs and reading scriptures.

I do occasionally get tired and need to have a break (weekly) so I can recuperate and keep moving forward but I just wanted to record to remind myself later when I try to take on the world:  MOTHERS WHO KNOW.. DO LESS!

I know Heavenly Father is happy with service I do outside my home but he is most happy with the service I do on a daily basis for his children inside my home.  He loves them, and I love them.  The Spirit regularly speaks to my heart that this is good.  What I am doing matters and is so important.  I am so thankful for that.  Thankful for my 4 rascals that bring me more happiness than I could have ever imagined.    

Lincoln turns 6 months

I'm not really sure how the time flew so quickly by but somehow my baby is 6 months old.  His sisters still think he's the greatest thing ever!  He's pretty fond of them most of the time too.  He's big enough now that I usually let Ella pack him around wherever she is going.  She does a good job with him.  He started to learn to sit up for a few seconds before falling over.

One morning before school as I was preparing breakfast I look over to see this confused look.  He didn't even make a noise the whole time they decorated him with stickers. 

 

Every morning when the girls leave we try to let Molly have a little one on one time to hug Lincoln.  She always wants to hold him and play with him.  He's not as big of a fan, but he tolerates it for a while and then starts to squeal for somebody to save him.

 

He's eating more and more solid food.  Still on purees though.  He's not a fan at all of any kind of chunk.  Makes him gag and puke.  I had to get a picture of his dad feeding him (1 of 2 times ever  ha!)  Looks like he's having so much fun he should do it more often huh?! 

I had to get a picture the other night of me being impatient to get the food down him.  I started to pour it in the bowl.  Yep.. quality of parenting is going DOWNHILL.  Better work on that a little more.  As you can see by the first and second picture I got a little better at making appetizing purees.

 

We had to get a picture of this.  Not even because he was chewing on her but because we came up with this idea of shoving the Barbie neck in his mouth because her head was missing and it made it look like he had eaten the whole Barbie head.  Ha.. 

He got to go on his first bike ride and swing ride.  LOVED them both.

 

He grew this cute little double chin and his eyes are taking on a super light blue and are gorgeous.   

You think we like him? 

6 month stats

weight: 19 lbs 7.5 oz   85%

height: 27 3/4"   91%

head:  17"  46%

He's a big healthy boy!  He sleeps terribly - we are working on it.  He's such a good boy.  Content most of the time.  

Our garden and a little bit of canning..

Due to the fact that Lincoln was born March 23rd I didn't do much for planting the garden this year.  I didn't even care what was planted I just knew I wanted a garden.  Dustin worked hard tilling, buying plants and planting them.  He even weeded way more than anybody else did and we had a beautiful garden.  We had our strawberries, pumpkins, watermelon (which didn't get big enough), califlower, kolirabi, peppers, carrots, onions, beans and peas.

I was really happy with the harvest of most of our veggies.  Thanks to a good husband!

Last fall I felt bad cause I had empty jars after a year of plenty of opportunity for produce.  I didn't take advantage of it.  I was determined that wouldn't be the case this year.  My mother in law offered me her neighbors grapes - I ended up with about 41 quarts.  My grandma and aunt offered me green beans - I ended up with about 21 quarts and 6 pints.

I ordered 3 boxes of peaches.  We ended up with 33 quarts.  It was my favorite cause I got to spend some quality time with my girls blanching peaches.  They even had friends come to play and they told them they couldn't cause they wanted to do peaches with their mom.  Made me feel good.  :)

We got 16 quarts of freezer corn which grandma came and helped me do and 5 quart bags of apple pie filling.

We also were able to chop and freeze at least 30 green peppers and a bunch of carrots.  We are still waiting on our tomatoes to ripen so we can do some canned tomatoes so we will see.  

We are thankful for a year of plenty.  It makes me feel so happy this year that I was able to take advantage of a lot of great free or inexpensive produce and for a garden where my kids know they can go and pick and share with others.  It's been such a great experience for all of us.

Back to School

This post makes me want to cry.  I don't know how the summer went by so fast, but it did.  It was so fun so packed full of good times and fun memories.  It seems like you realize another year has slipped by when they say they are going into the next grade.

Each of my kids got a new pair of school shoes.  I loved watching Molly and Alissa try theirs on and quickly head for the sidewalk to see how quickly their new shoes made them run.

Tuesday morning came early as the two girls had to be out of bed by 7 getting ready for school.  I was so nervous to send Alissa because she had cried at Back to School night so I thought she was for sure going to have hard time when I dropped her off.  I had a hard time fighting back the tears most of the morning.

However when we got into her class and saw play dough - everything was great!  She gave me a big squeeze and off I went to shed my tears in the car.  How can it be that 2 of my babies are in school?

As soon as Ella got home she had to get her some Lincoln Lovin'.  I think they both had withdrawals from each other.  :)

Molly started the week after the bigger girls and got to go to her first official day of Joy School.  She loved every second of it.  

Labor Day Weekend

For Labor Day weekend we loaded the kids up at headed for West Yellowstone.  Jeremy and Lisa had gifted us a night stay there in a motel for watching their girls for a week last year so it was time to cash it in.  Friday night we splurged and took the kids to the Playmill to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  It was all I imagined it being as I watched my kids stare in amazement at all the bright colors, fabulous costumes and fun acting/singing.  They sat so great through the whole show, yes even Lincoln.

Not to mention their dad bought them all a root beef float at intermission.  Sad for blurry pictures with my phone, happy to have a picture at all.

We got up and Dustin and the girls swam in the pool for a little bit while I got ready to go for the day.  (I forgot my swimming suit.)  By the time we left it was POURING rain and so sadly we didn't drive through the park or go to the discovery museum like we planned.  We decided to go to the IMAX theater and watch Yellowstone in a movie. :)  We still had fun.

Since we headed out of Yellowstone so early we stopped in Island Park where my parents and Jeremy were camping.  The kids always have way too much fun with their cousins.

Sunday was Dustin's nephew Tyler's mission farewell.  He is headed to Macon, Georgia.

On Monday Heidi and I and the girls went up by Heise to see if we could find any Huckleberries.  Sadly we didn't find any but we did find a cave!

  

And lots of choke cherries.  So we picked some.  Didn't do anything with them, but we picked them!

And had a fun time exploring.  Sure love these kids!!

I wanted to take a picture of this tree all alone up on that ridge and then I was caught by the sun shining behind the mountain.  It just made me think of times in our life when we have to just have faith that there is light behind the challenges that seem so rough and dark.   So grateful for the gospel!