ONE YEAR AGO TODAY...

I became a mother for the fourth time.




I held my daughter straight from God's arms. Nothing else on earth compares to that feeling. I am so blessed, so grateful to have felt it four times. I will never forget those amazing first moments with my babies.




I held a foot that was barely longer than my finger. Where will these feet take her?


I watched my boys meet their newest sister. Their love for her was instant, and has only grown stronger over this first year.




I introduced Callie to her sister, and watched a friendship begin that will last forever.

I thought my heart would burst with joy.



One year ago, I could have never imagined how amazing it would be to have Ava in our family. She has added so much joy and laughter, and actually brought us closer together as a family. One year ago, I couldn't have imagined how busy and crazy our life would be with four kids, but I know for certain that this is the life I have always dreamed of. I don't know why I have been so blessed with my amazing husband, my two handsome sons, and my two beautiful daughters, but whatever the reason, I am eternally grateful.

Better Blogger

I confess.
I need to be a better blogger.
There I said it. I just struggle with finding the time to sit down and get it done. I feel a little like it's one more thing I need to do that I'm not. I love it when I'm done, and can read every ones comments. I feel more connected with my friends and family, which is a big reason I started in the first place. I know I can get my blog printed and save it as my family journal, but I also want to have our scrapbooks, but don't seem to have the time to spend on those either (whole other post!)! Does anyone else struggle with this, or is it just me? I'm sorry to all of you faithful bloggers who keep checking up on us, and see the same post for weeks on end.....I'll work on it, I promise!

The Best White Elephant Gift Ever!

We went to a super fun Christmas party the weekend before Christmas at our friends Nettie and Brandon's house. We were told to bring a white elephant gift for an exchange game. I always struggle with what to get, something fun, or something small and useful. Many years ago, we went to a work party, and we brought a toilet bowl brush set. I thought it was funny, but the lady who ended up with it was pretty ticked....she had brought a martini glass set, and felt pretty gypped! I never fessed up to it being the gift we brought, and have played it "safe" from then on. I called our friend Brandon, and asked what kind of a gift he wanted us to bring, funny and tacky, or small and useful? He said the funnier the better, and that he was giving a gift that they had been hanging on to for a few years, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to give it. I tried to get it out of him what the gift was, but had no luck. Chuck wasn't much help with suggestions, although he did think it should be funny. I ended up getting a laser key chain flashlight (my useful and safe gift) and a can of Axe body spray. The scent was "Dark Temptation" and was supposed to be as hard to resist as chocolate! That choice was a BIG hit, and the cause for much laughter, especially when it was sprayed....it smelt like a 7th grade dance!

Well the gift we ended up with is another story! This is probably the best white elephant gift EVER! Our friends wrapped this in a huge box that peaked all of our curiosity! When it was opened up, out came the biggest, larger than life black spider man any of us had ever seen! We laughed non stop for 10 min over this "thing" that Brandon and Nettie had ended up with when someone they came across at Magic Kingdom (I think?) asked if they wanted it. We knew our kids would think it was awesome, and they have! So when we got home from our party, we strategically placed "Spidy" to give the kids a little surprise when they woke up the next day! This is what our kids saw......



The pictures don't quite do it justice! But let me tell you this is the funniest, most obnoxious, "toy" ever made! That is one party we'll never forget!!

Okay, I Give Up!

All right, well not really, but I feel like it! I am soooooooo sick and tired of cleaning my house just to have it COMPLETELY undone it a matter of an hour or two! (I would post before and after pictures, but I'd be too embarrassed:) Does anyone else feel this way too? I know I am not alone, but seriously something has got to change! We've tried job charts, and allowance, and it just doesn't seem to do the trick. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. If I want their help to do anything it's like Nag Fest '09! Then it turns into raised voices, then yelling, then a fight or two, then I'm too exhausted, and just end up doing it myself!! Oh, and if Chuck asks them to do something, they do it, maybe not happily, but they do it at least! I don't want to turn into the Nazi Mom, but I don't want to live in total squalor either. I know I need to do something, I just don't know what. At the end of the day, I would love to retreat to scrap booking, or any number of fun "me time things", but I am either out of energy, or feel too guilty because I "should" be doing dishes, or laundry, or sweeping (again) so Ava doesn't eat it clean the next day, or sorting through the never ending homework/mail/paper pile that takes over my island, or cleaning the entry way of all the coats and boots and winter crap that seems to take over! Chuck says we should just back up a dumpster! I do sort, and get rid of stuff, and organize, but it still isn't enough! I could go on and on, but I won't because you get the point! I am committing my frustration/guilt to the blog so I will be accountable to fix this once and for all (hopefully!). I don't want to give up on having time for the things I enjoy, but I need both. A clean house, and me time. Where is Supper Nanny when you need her????

Sick of being sick!

December has been very rough for our family! We all were sick in one form or another, but Dallin, Callie, and Ava fared the worse! We all had the nasty cold/cough/fever thing, and I think we have yet to have a full nights sleep this month:( Poor Callie and Dallin had coughs so bad at night, and it seemed to take several day to figure out what meds would help them the best. Dallin recovered after a week and a half, and Callie hung on to hers for three and a half weeks! She missed most of her preschool in December, and missed her Christmas party too. She was so sick at night, that she napped a lot in the day. On this particular day, she was so exhausted that she just fell asleep on the floor with her "duckie blankie" on top of books, video game controllers and all!


And my poor Ava caught the same thing, but ended up with a high fever, diarrhea so bad it caused a chemical burn bleeding diaper rash, and a terrible ear infection! After we got home from the clinic, I put her in the high chair so I could fix lunch. She sat there and whimpered and cried, and pulled at her ear, and looked so sad and pathetic. I wanted to take a picture of her sad little sick face, and as soon as I took the camera out she smiled!!! I tried to get another shot, and she smiled again!!! I wonder if she is trained to preform the camera is out or what!! I'm just so grateful everyone was healthy by Christmas!

O' Christmas Tree!

The past several years we have driven up north to a great tree farm to cut down our own Christmas tree. The kids love the fact that they have a petting zoo, free hot cider, horse drawn sleigh rides, and Santa of course! We love the fact that we get an amazing tree for $35, and a great activity with the kids, that is well, quickly becoming our family Christmas tradition!







We did a coin toss this year, and the kids won. We ended up with an enormous 10 foot tall tree that was almost as wide as it was tall. I wanted a tall narrow tree, that would take up less space in our living room, but I guess I'll have to wait until next year! I was trying to take a picture of Callie in front of the tree while Chuck was cutting it down, when it quickly fell to the ground, ruining my shot, and dang near taking out my daughter! I was starting to regret the fact that I agreed to the coin toss after we got home. Not only was it a total pain to get in the house and in the stand, but a few hours later while I was hanging the lights, it came crashing down flooding my living room with a gallon of water!


Chuck happened to only be a few minutes away from home, and came home to help me mop up and reset our tree. We had to weigh it down with sand bags all around the base so it wouldn't fall again! I'm just grateful Ava wasn't crawling around, and that I hadn't decorated it yet! I have to say it's been a great tree after all that, and has helped fill our home with the magic of Christmas!

Break The Daddy's Back!

The kid's evening wrestling matches with Dad have turned a bit into hog pile piggy back rides! It all started with Dallin and Grant jumping onto Chuck's back at the same time. Chuck of course had to prove his strength by standing up and walking around with them on his back, and then Callie wanted to join in the fun too. With a lot of tries and retries, we finally got all three on his back (Poor Dad!)!

I love that I have a husband who loves to play with his kids...it brings back a lot of very vivid memories of my dad giving me piggie and horsie rides as a child. I know that these little playful moments with dad will be something our children will treasure.