Happy Valentines Day!

We have fun celebrating Valentines again this year.  I always like to make sugar cookies the week of Valentines and this year was no exception.  We doubled the recipe so we could deliver to friends, visiting teaching sisters, achievement day girls and for preschool.  

We ended up with about 75 cookies.  :)

I don't think the kids were disappointed.

Molly woke up from her nap and thought she was dreaming in fantasy land.   She wasted no time sprinkling cookies with no sprinkles and eating a couple cookies. 

Then volunteered to start on dishes for me. 

We had the preschool Valentines party at our house.  Along with decorating sugar cookies, we played Valentine Bingo and pin the heart on the dinosaur. 

Ella typed her own cute Valentine up on the computer that said, "You are like SUGAR Valentine" and wanted to include a pixie stick.  However, mom didn't make it to the store to buy any candy so I thought we might could come up with something from things we already had.  Ella came up with the joke and matching papers and I came up with the Hi Chew.  She was so thrilled she hardly slept the night before in anticipation of handing them out and receiving Valentines from others.  I LOVED IT!

When the girls fell asleep I hung about 100 pink paper hearts in their rooms all over the walls and dressers and door.  They were excited to see them when they woke up.  We did Ella's hair in the shape of a heart.

And the girls got pink heart pancakes and strawberry milk for breakfast.  They couldn't have been more happy about that.  Especially considering I have been making them eat cereal most mornings lately. 

Ella came home with lots of loot from school and without hesitation gave it all to her sisters to munch.  She said she had enough at school.  Very kind of her and they wasted no time polishing it off.

I had the opportunity to attend the sealing of the Toussaints, which are friends from the ward.  They had their 3 little kids sealed to them and it was the best way to spend a Valentines Day I decided.  Remembering the eternal covenants we made to our sweetheart.  I sat there (swollen) and so grateful for my good husband that I get to be with forever.

When I got home he wanted to take all the girls out to dinner so he let them choose and of course they wanted to go to Dixie's Diner because that is where he takes them on their date nights with him.  They felt pretty special. 

He even ordered Alissa her favorite cheesecake to share with him. 

And the other 2 girls and I shared a chocolate milkshake.   

What a fun day!  Happy Valentines Day to my special little family.  Sure do love them!

Good Golly Miss Molly

This girl.. seriously makes me laugh and go crazy all at the same time.  A few weeks ago Alissa came running in to tell us she needed some toilet paper.  When we asked her what she needed it for she said, "Come here!"  We followed her out back to see Molly sitting on our little camping portable toilet she had found sitting out and decided she could really use it.  Without hesitation it seems, she pulled down her pants and took care of her business.  

We couldn't help but laugh as we looked at her and she just kept yelling at us, "GO GET ME A WIPE!"

I don't think I've ever seen her use so much soap and wash her hands so well as she did after she had to carry in her disposal using a wipe.  Oh boy..maybe she learned?

Joy School Field Trip to Albertsons

We had a fun field trip to Albertsons with the preschool girls and siblings.  The Albertsons employee walked us around each section of the store and we talked about "sometimes foods" and "always foods".  They let the kids sample cheese from the deli, a cookie from the bakery, check out crab legs in the meat department and the pharmacist talked to them and gave them a sucker.  

 They had fun skipping and jumping throughout the store and got a bag of fun stuff at the end.  

Dustin's Trip to the Cave

My good Scoutmaster husband along with other awesome leaders took the 12-14 year old boys on a little adventure out to a cave on the desert.  They had a good time exploring and building fire.

I feel like they are pretty lucky boys to have a leader who is probably just as excited to go explore as they are.  He just loves scouts and these boys and having new adventures each month.  :)  Sure love that boy.

True Blessings

This is my new motto.  I have been trying to tell myself this multiple times a day while I accustom myself to the new life style of doing "less".  I have eliminated and decreased so many of the "good" things in my life to allow for the better and best things to dominate.  Since making this decision at the middle/end of December the Spirit has confirmed to my heart and soul so many times that this is good and right.  I have been so thankful.

When I think back at the past few months of chaos I am reminded of the many warnings I was given through dreams and thoughts that things were becoming too much.  As the busyness piled up guilt set in because with being pregnant I was unable to handle as much of the load without being tired.  This is another quote I found in my journal from the past few months.   "Guilt is to our spirit as pain is to our body." David Bednar

It hit the situation square on the head.  Guilt overtook me and I became ill.  It wasn't until I counseled with my good husband, the Bishop, my dad and some friends that I talked myself into realizing that I had too big of a load and no need to be feeling guilty.  I am doing exactly what Heavenly Fathers wants me to do be doing by staying home with 3 beautiful daughters and carrying this sweet baby boy.  The bishop reassured me that my calling can be slacking, but my home cannot and that is where my focus needed to be.  And that things would only be this hard for a season and then I will be able to handle more again later.  Such good advice.

On my last day of doing hair, I had a message from my visiting teacher saying she was bringing me dinner and just wanted to know if she should cook it first or bring it over early for me to bake.  My mom also volunteered to bring dinner and a friend showed up with a bag full of treats.  She said she felt inspired to bring some after school snacks.  I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude.  Dustin came home and asked, "Did somebody call compassionate service on us?"  He then pointed out that this was the comforting answer I was seeking that this was the right choice.  Today needed to be the last day.  Whew..

So all things pushed aside I now have a pretty darn open calendar and time to play Go Fish and patiently remind the kids that they cannot have juice in their bedroom and that shoes need to go in the basket when they take them off.  :)  I have been remembering to say morning prayers and having much more meaningful thoughts and prayers.  I love it!  I feel like my kids have been responding so much better to  me, I am more patient and my husband even smiles at me more.  I'm pretty sure that he is just smiling back at me.

So as a 28 week pregnancy update, I am doing fantastic!  Growing horizontally by leaps and bounds at this point and feeling every little move this little man makes (which is a mega load).  So excited to get him here and see the girls with their new baby brother.  I am so blessed!

Happy Birthday Alissa!

This cute girl turned 5 last Saturday!  It's bitter sweet to have these kids growing up.  I'm happy for them to experience new things and be a little more independent and so sad to have them getting closer to being "really" big!  

Alissa decided she wanted to invite her 4 friends from Joy School last year to Blast Off for her birthday so she and I made some cute rocket invitations for her to deliver.  We counted down the days in her fashion - tomorrow will be tomorrow after tomorrow, today is tomorrow after tomorrow, tomorrow is your birthday. :)

Grandma Debbie took her for almost the whole day on Friday to go Birthday shopping.  When they got home she had a new bike with a fancy little bell on it.  My favorite was the pictures she brought home from her and grandma in the photo booth though.  Priceless.  She is so lucky to have such a good grandma to spend that time with her.  

The morning of her birthday was no new thing as she acted grumpy at all the surprises we had waiting for her.  Every birthday since we have moved into our house we have crepe paper streamers hanging from the birthday girls door and the kitchen area decorated with wrapped presents sitting on them. She hates being center of attention (when she doesn't initiate it) and especially hates surprises so this is the face I got all morning long.  I don't take it personally and it still doesn't stop me from surprising her. :)

She requested egg sandwich for breakfast which is her new favorite.

She had lots of good visitors. 

Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Jeff came by and Grandma and Grandpa Bateman too.  Thankfully by that point her frowny face had turned around.

 Grandma Carol brought over a coin collection which is her traditional gift the past few years and some super cute cupcakes sent from Aunt Johnna, who Alissa shares her birthday with.  There was the perfect amount for her birthday party so I didn't even have to make a cake!!  More evidence that the Lord is looking out for me.  We put a candle in all the kids cake and let them blow them out.

I could see why she invited this group of kids, they had a blast together and laughed and played all 3 hours. We had cake and presents at our house and then took them all to Blast Off to run around in the play area for about 2.5 hours.  Alissa was in heaven with the situation.

She is particularly fond of this one - Parker.  She got a little embarrassed when her dad was quizzing her about him as they held hands walking around for a minute. She didn't let that happen again.  Poor girl has no chance with this protective daddy. :)  ha!

After all the kids went home we took Alissa to Jaliscos where she wanted to have her favorite beans.  It was quite shocking to me that she didn't want to leave until they had sang to her and she wore the sombrero.  Sadly right before they came out she decided she had to poo and I could see them coming so I told her to hang on just a second.  She says that's why she was mad, she wanted to go poo first.  :)  Poor kid, right.

 

Alissa had her 5 year old well check and Kindergarten shots and had grown 2" and 6 lbs in the last year!

She weighs:  38 lbs and is 42" tall

There are a lot of things we have learned about Alissa this year.

#1  She is the most stubborn of all our kids. You can't really make her do anything and she will make sure you know that.  You must convince her to do everything.  This tests our patience quite a bit but teaches us too.

#2  She love pancakes, egg sandwiches (egg, ham and cheese on toast or english muffin), sausage on a stick, ramen noodles and would be happy to live on that selection.  Of course with her candy in between.

#3  She is a little gymnast.  She has been taking gymnastics and has a knack for flexibility and coordination.  She has developed quite a lot of confidence this year in taking that class.

#4  She loves her mama.  She will always take the opportunity to go with me to the store or wherever else I am going and will allow her to go with me.  If her dad is staying home the other 2 will volunteer to stay and she always asks to go.  ALWAYS.

#5  She has terribly hot feet and cannot stand to wear socks or shoes for that matter.  She hates having anything on her feet, even her covers at night.  You will often find her little toes hanging out the side of the covers having some fresh air. :)  She wears her boots and other shoes with no socks and all of her shoes stink so bad!  It generally takes 1-2 minutes of sitting down before her shoes come off, no matter where we are.

#6  She loves the microphone and will sing and talk in the microphone all day long as long as she doesn't have an adult audience. Sometimes she will be in the mood to have me listen, but most of the time she is content to do it with her friends or all alone.  

Sunbeams!

This little 3 year old started Sunbeams on Sunday!  She was so confident going to church but got quite nervous walking into the big room to actually have class.  She will love it!

Winter Entertainment

I cracked up at these girls when they came running out in the swimming suits on Friday because they were having a "birthday party". 

 

They were running around spraying each other with the squirt bottle because that was the sprinkler.   

 

And then they made some cupcakes and cakes made out of play dough.  Hey, it entertained them so it didn't bother me too much.  Dustin wondered what in the world was going on when he came home from work though. 

 

Today, it was church.  The girls got their dress, tights and church shoes on and headed downstairs to have some church.  This was after they gave each other haircuts with the squirt bottle, capes and lots of brushing.  Oh, they make me laugh. 

 

So happy these two are starting to be better friends.