Nikki Loses a Tooth

Nicole's front tooth has been twisting, turning, and flapping all week. Today she decided to just push it out. I was going to grab it for her with a towel but she had already pushed it out bu the time I was ready to grab hold. Shes's pretty tough when it comes to stuff like this.

The first thing she wanted me to do was text pictures of it to her cousins and grandparents, especially Luci because she's been asking about it every day. Then she wanted me to post the photo on instagram. Nikki loves instrgram. Sometimes I have to fight her to look at it. She scrolls through all the photos and likes everything she sees, asking lots of questions about the names of old friends and what they are doing. This girl doesn't miss a thing. She hears and remembers it all.

Volunteering in Disguise

Usually I volunteer in Noah's classroom on Thursday mornings. This is hard for Nicole who has preschool at the same time. She is always dying to go to Noah's class and recess with her cousins, especially now that it's marble season. I told her before that I would take her on a non-preschool day and volunteer so she could go to recess with the kids. She hasn't forgotten this and asks me weekly, almost daily, if today is that day.

I texted Noah's teacher to see if I could volunteer, just a disguise so Nicole could get her long anticipated prize. It turns out, Melissa did need some help with AR, so I look good from both perspectives. Elise and Luci always get excited to see Nicole. She usually sits next to Elise and Cameron sits next to Noah. Cameron is used to coming in, he comes in every time I volunteer; it's more convenient than getting a babysitter because he just sits and listens. He's so comfortable in there now that last Thursday he went up to Mrs. Telford and told on a boy who wasn't staying on task and doing his work.

I followed the kids during recess playing marbles, but it feels near impossible to get a good picture of them all facing the same direction. So I tried to pose them after a few rounds. Cameron looks so very photogenic in that one. He doesn't like posing for pictures when there's marbles to play!!

We're Good

Yesterday and today we have been watching a little girl whose mother just had back surgery. She is a very sweet and easy one year old. The kids were so excited to play with her and take care of her every need. I even heard a few comments, "Why don't we have a baby?" and "We should have a baby". But then today, after Aunika started to get really tired and kind of cranky, I overheard Cameron tell Braden, "Actually, I don't want a new baby". It really made me giggle.

After violin lessons and carpooling I took Noah to the Family Fun Center for MRE's Mother/Son activity. Since it was raining so hard everyone was inside the building spending money on arcade games. We won the raffle that got him an additional 40 tokens. I had the best time with Noah. There were times when I told him that he could go and play with some of the other boys he saw there, especially his cousins, but he said he wanted to stay with me. It made my mom heart swell. I asked him a million questions and we just enjoyed every minute together, especially our Shari's dinner afterwards. I love this tender boy.

There have been many times that I have wondered if we should have more children, but then I think of these cherished one-on-one times that happen way less often than I wish and I think, "No, we're good. I'm going to enjoy all I have already...because it's pretty awesome."

Schizophrenic Weather

Dear Mother Nature,

Would you please decide if it's Spring, Summer, or Winter? You're really confusing some of us here! It's just so back and forth I can hardly keep up. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I really do appreciate the rain today. We actually need some more of it. See how cute these little ones are enjoying your handy work, even if it means a prolonged allergy season! Ugh! Perhaps the phrase April showers bring May flowers would help for the future?

Always a fan, 

Me

The First of Many

Noah went on a field trip today to science works. He loves this place. On the bus he sat next to a boy who's mom happens to be a member of the church. Tiffany took a picture of them on the bus.

A few weeks ago when creating our family mission plan Noah decided he would invite Dominic to church. Fearless and faith-filled he asked him the very next day if he'd like to come. At first Dominic responded yes, and then later during the day said he probably wouldn't be able to. 

I love thinking about Noah's missionary heart. I'm sure this isn't the only time his invitation won't be accepted. We praised his efforts and told him to keep being kind and loving...always a good example of Christ. 

I will be forever influenced by his willingness to open his mouth...out of the mouth of babes and the pure faith of babes, we can see it all!

Spoons

I've now lost track of the number of times we have played spoons for our family night activity. It is really a favorite around here. It's times like this when I am really glad we had our children close together...they're such good friends.

Ward Challenge

Damian introduced a wonderful ward challenge, created by our ward council, that I am very excited for. He began by reminding us of the 2005 challenge issued by President Hinckley to complete reading the Book of Mormon in half a year. Then he spoke of the work that is available to us now, explaining that the field is already white and ready to harvest, not ready for planting, but ready for harvesting. The challenge to exercise our faith in the Lord to bring 20 souls into the waters of baptism this year brought a renewed energy to the ward today.

To remind us each week of the challenge they are going to place 20 chairs in the opened overflow so we may remember that we hope to welcome 20 new people by December. This opportunity to exercise our faith and to show our devotion and gratitude for the gospel brings a lot of hope to my heart.

I heard a beautiful story in Relief Society about a man who brought several Books of Mormon to all his neighbors. He didn't worry about who might or might not be interested he just gave the book and his testimony. God could then communicate with them through the power and spirit of His words. As a result, several individuals joined the church, just because he was willing to share.

I'm looking forward to seeing the miracles of this challenge. No doubt, there will be many.

Emily's Gender Reveal Party

Soccer games were early this morning, which left us a nice chunk of time to get things done around the house. After lunch and some chores the kids went to play at Tiff's. Cameron fell asleep over there...such a tired guy.

I had time to run and purchase our new couch (Yay!) and help prep for Emily Severson's gender reveal party. Once we put the kids to bed (well most of them) my parents came over and sat with the sleepies and the not so sleepy Cameron. We headed to the party and were so surprised to hear a live band outside when we pulled up to the house. Emily is so creative, always thinking outside the box. She asked the guests to dress in their gender predictions...I thought Alta Sumner dressed like a boy was so awesome, as well as Dave deRurange in pearls and a flower in his hair. I wore a pink sweater in hopes for a girl. The most exciting part was the reveal...there was a live band there and for the reveal they played the song, "My Brown-eyed Girl"! So happy for them.

I'm pretty happy not many people did these parties when I was having babies. I don't think I would have been patient enough to wait!

Floating

This morning after seminary I took Nicole and Cameron around on a ton of errands,,, buying kit kats for our piano recital tonight (making a kit kat piano again), groceries and recipe ingredients for Emily's party tomorrow, and to Macy's to look for a new sofa. Our sectional is getting very worn and it's time we invested in a new one. After the four-five hour ordeal I told Nicole and Cameron (who were happily munching on popcorn and slurping slushies from Target) that they were so good today and thanked them for not complaining and travelling around all morning having to wait a lot and hit the bathrooms in nearly every store. Cameron's response melted my heart, "That what family does." Yes, that's true sweet Cameron. This is was families do.

Tonight was our Spring piano recital. Mary and Noah performed solos and duets with their cousins. We arrived early to practice the duets. They all played so wonderfully. During the performance Andrea, our incredible piano teacher's, son Eddy (who is in Mary's class) cheered wildly at Mary's performance. Afterward he told his family that he felt like he was floating while she was playing. That boy is so darling. Wish I grabbed a photo of him too. Mary's performance of The Swan was indeed float worthy.

I'm feeling so grateful for our sweet and remarkable children.

Little Lady Bugs and Day of the Famous

Often times, when we take Mary to her violin lesson, we'll stop by the park nearby for a few minutes. Today the kids found a couple of little lady bugs on the play structure.

Mary also had her Day of the Famous presentation for the school and parents. We got to walk around and learn about the famous the third graders chose to research about.

Noah's Oral Report & Nikki's Kindergarten Round-Up

Noah gave a wonderful oral report today on a topic of his choice. I also had a lot of fun making his poster with him the last few days. It's so darling that he chose cougars...he has some cougar pride already! We attended Nicole's Kindergarten round up this evening. Boy is she ready for school!

Little Miss Engineer & Mister Artistic

Mary demonstrated her science engineering project at the school gym today and Noah's art was displayed in the foyer. Mary made a car and ramp using recycled materials, weighing it down to create optimal speed. Noah used ripped paper to create a surf girl scene. I love celebrating all their successes.

The Key to Unlocking your Child's Heart

I believe my mother is so loved by children because she not only has wonderful answers stored in her mind for any question a child (or adult child, like myself) may ask, but she also has a million questions that help her understand the heart of every child. She usually says, "Want to play questions?" and what will follow is a series of thoughtful, fun and sometimes silly questions and answers.

I love it when someone asks me a thoughtful question because it shows that he/she cares to try and get to know me and it gives me the opportunity to explore myself in ways I may not have otherwise. I want to explore and understand my children's hearts and minds. Questions and active listening are the keys that unlock what lives in their hearts. 

At activity days last week Mary came home with a jar full of questions you can ask your children. We use it around the dining table. I'm so surprised by their great answers and I feel like I unlock rooms in the corridor of their hearts that often I never knew existed.

Today we pulled the question, "Who do you admire?" Noah thought for a  moment and responded, "Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and Ashton". How tender and sweet. He then explained why and I learned that in his heart is a great desire to be good and loving young man. Then Cameron's answer, which was the same as his big brother's showed me how much he cares for Noah and wants to follow his example. 

My Mother's Day Loot

It's been a wonderful Mother's Day...so spoiled with good food, lots of pampering, and attention. I feel a lot of love and gratitude in my heart for my own wonderful mother, my angelic mother-in-law, and the millions of mothers who have touched my life.

I got a lot of good loot this year...the sweetest cards and treats with loving words and complimentary drawings. In primary the kids wrote why they love me in a book stamped with their lipstick puckered lips. Cameron said he loved me because I turn on the TV for him...not sure how I feel about that one, but the rest were so kind and thoughtful.

Tanta Henri's Birthday and Emma, for Prom Queen

After soccer and birthday parties we visited Tanta Henri for her birthday. She made us some cookies and treats, so basically we ended up getting more out of the visit than I think she did. We got her a little gift card, plant, and a hilarious garden gnome that is supposed to represent my brothers and Aaron. There were four gnomes all stacked on top of each other. I laughed because she named which one was which by their expressions and details. I think she was dead on.

In other exciting news Emma and Josh had prom tonight. My mom prepared a big fruit tray for Josh's dinner and corsages. I was hoping Emma would be named queen, but glad she was a runner up. She sure looked beautiful. I got the night off from cooking and putting the kids to bed...a pre-Mother's Day treat. I sure love that husband of mine.

She's a Natural

Nicole loves taking care of little children. She is a huge help too if we have other little children over. Today we watched Theo Linthorst while his parents closed on a new house. I love her sweet mother heart.

Let's Make a Deal

My sweet Noah is a messy eater. His shirts and the corners of his mouth are usually colorfully embellished. Aaron made a deal with Noah that if he didn't use his shirt collar to wipe his face for two whole days he would earn a reward! He's sticking to it so far and my laundry basket is excited too. The other kids are anxious to make a deal with Dad since Noah did. So far Cameron has decided to park his bike every time after riding it, Mary is going to make her bed every morning, and Nicole is going to use a tissue when cleaning her nose. I think a candy bar for these changes are great deals.

What Noah lack in clean eating he makes up for in just his sweet tender self. Tonight he read to Cameron on the bean bag for a while. I love this little brother bond.

We also received four offers on the flip house yesterday and accepted a full price one today. That's one deal I am happy to make!

Noah's cherry-stained cheeks at Nikki's practice

Art kit

Yesterday after our dentist appointment we stopped off at Toys R Us. Mary wanted to use some of her birthday money to purchase something. She came across this amazing art kit. She used her money for this and then so generously bought each of her siblings a small present. My mother heart was beaming by her kindness.

Mary wore her hair in braided pigtails in case her name was chosen for her class oral presentation today on Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wasn't called, so she'll be sporting this look at school until she does.

Also, good news...our pictures of the flip house went up last night and our realtor said we had four offers..one day of being on the market! What a blessing.

Dentist

Last night the Elders accidentally ran over Cameron's bike. Lucky for us, Ashton's old bike is available and he's even more excited to use something that belonged to awesome Ash!

I took Mary and Noah to the dentist...no cavities..everything is looking good. Mary was so sweet at entertaining the kids while Noah was getting his teeth cleaned. I made the mistake of going to Costco afterwards and filling their flouride prescription. We were there for over two hours waiting for it. They told me a couple of times it would be a half hour wait, but it kept getting pushed back and at that point I didn't want to leave empty handed, not after waiting so long. I think in the future I will call this one in!

Haircuts Needed

It's been a week since we put the flip house for sale by owner and we haven't had anyone come and look at it. So, today we listed it with a realtor. Hopefully they will have the photos up in the next day or two and on the MLS.

For family night we used Mary's frozen yogurt gift cards from her birthday party before we stopped at Great Clips for haircuts. The boys, including Aaron, need a good cut.

Grace's blessing

Sweet amazing Grace was given a beautiful baby blessing in church today. It was such a special day the culmination of a lot of miracles that brought her here to our family. God is good. His grace is great. 

Mary's Poster

We worked most of the day (excluding soccer games) on Mary's Day of the Famous poster. I think she's done a beautiful job researching and learning about Laura Ingalls Wilder. So proud of her.

This afternoon was filled with all sorts of busy. We had the Bennetts over after school. Mary and Olivia made several chin people videos. We had soccer practice and violin lesson. Aaron took the missionaries out to dinner so I could go to the temple and see Alden Jackson take out her endowments, which was of course beautiful! The missionaries chose to eat at KFC. It was an interesting choice, especially since they could choose anywhere. Not so sad I missed that dinner.

And the most exciting news was that Jackson got his mission call to Raleigh, North Carolina! I am just so excited for him! He will be incredible!!!

Ferociously Loyal Friends

Cameron and Braden drew stripes on their arms today and roamed the house as ferocious tigers. After Braden left we picked up the kids for piano. Nicole got to go to the mall with Tiffany and Luci to get BFF necklaces. I remember loving those necklaces when I was younger. I wonder why they have such a draw for children? Whatever the reason...it's pretty adorable.

Mary's NINE!

Happy Birthday to our Mary Sunshine who has filled our life with joy every day for the last nine years.

Let's Celebrate

The flip house is done. We finished staging it so we could put the photos on zillow. To celebrate all the hard work and Mary's birthday tomorrow we went to Red Robin for dinner.

Some before and after photos of the flip house...

Mary's Almost NINE!

We had a classic American barbecue dinner to celebrate Mary's birthday with the family, per Mary's request. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, watermelon, chocolate satin pie... it was so simple and easy it made me feel like it was my birthday. I'm feeling so grateful for our Mary Sunshine...

Cameron Writes His Name

We had a busy soccer schedule with games all over and team photos in between. Since we finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and took the AR test at school, we decided to watch the movie to celebrate. The kids loved it and it was so nice to snuggle up together and relax.

Cameron spent most of the time during the movie writing his name. He has really gotten into writing it lately...and of course, I'm loving that.

Daddy Daughter Dance 2015

Tonight was MRE's Daddy Daughter Dance. They danced, they went out to eat, they chatted...the night was a huge success, again. I love these special traditions.

The House of Love

I visit teach a woman who decided to go through the temple for the first time this evening. It was my first time being an escort (one of two) and it was a very interesting experience. At the beginning, I found myself constantly worried about what she thought, hoping to explain anything and everything...and then I realized that I just needed to be still and let her feel the beautiful Spirit that is already there. There is a sweet love present at the temple. I remember that the first time I went through all I felt was God's abundant love. I didn't feel nervous to remember the words or actions. God's purpose was to bless me and I just let myself enjoy it all. When we left I asked her what she thought and she replied that she was going to let herself take it all in. I hope that she will want to return with me again.

Also, Jared was called to be an ordinance worker this evening. This is such exciting news. What a blessing it is to have a temple so close.

My Little Card Shark and Concert Pianist

Cameron is on a card kick. He's now moved on from checkers to war and Old Maid. He and Nicole played it forever this afternoon.

Mary gave her Look What I can Do presentation. Let's just say that next time I'll try really hard to let Mary show what she can do, not look what my mom can do. I think having 30 kids play Mary Had a Little Lamb on portable keyboards was a little ambitious. Note taken. At least we shared the following video to showcase what she really can do...