Listen to This

I love hearing my kids sing. Their voices are so sweet and their lyrics are hilarious to me. 

Here's a video of Lila:

She is just so cute and sweet and I love her mispronunciations. Lila loves to sing and I often over-hear her singing. She'll sing while she's playing, going potty, eating, cleaning up, or while riding in the car. One day in the car I heard her bust out "this girl is on fire". She is full of surprises for sure:)

Here's a video of Calvin:

This boy loves to sing too. I heard him sing a lot while playing outside and he would often ask me to sing with him. I've been writing down the lyrics he sings so I can remember them. He has a future in lyric writing if he wants one, that's for sure.

"Jingle Bells"

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Always in the way

All I have 

Is to ride 

a broken horse in a sleigh

"Roar"

Roooooow

Cause there's a lion 

Dancing to the fire, fire

Dancing to the fire, fire

And there's a lion

Dancing to the fire, fire

"I am a child of God"

I am a child of God 

And He be sent me hear 

(Lila sings that the same way, He can be a copy cat)

Teach me, slide me

walk with me

all the way home

"Frosty the Snowman"

Frosty the snowman

is a joey soul

poked his eye

and blew his nose

and he stayed out in the cold

I've tried to record Emmett singing the intro to Gummie Bears but he runs anytime I point the camera in his general direction. He sings along to the tune but only ever says bears at the appropriate times. Our favorite part is at the end, he adds a little more umph to the final 'bears', then laughs at himself.

Girls Beach Trip to Jekyll Island

A much needed day at the beach is what I wanted. I got so much more because it included girl time with my mom, sister and one of my sister-in-laws plus my fun loving daughter and nieces. We laid out on the beach, played in the sand, swam a little, talked a lot, and ate some good food. That was just one day. After seeing some fishermen catch a shark we were done with the water. That night Lizz brought supplies for us to have pedicures. Sunday we went to church and then lunch before saying our goodbyes. It was a quick trip but relaxing and a lot of fun. Hope to be able to do it again and with the missing sister in laws.

Here's pics from the trip:

Imagine

Chris and I went to check on Emmett during nap time one day and we found this

and this

then this.

Oh, and we also noticed how hot it was and the space heater in his room read 83 degrees! Did I mention it was the month of August?

My thoughts went from these dressers are no longer safe in here. Then, where's my baby? Wow, it's hot in here. That space heater is not safe in here either. 

Before we rearranged furniture, we admired our big baby and took these pics to remember his crazy days. Crazy and cute days:)

Graham's 4 & 6 Month Stats

Graham is a great baby. That sounds funny to say because all babies are great, right? But he really is a GREAT baby. He sleeps well, like 11-12 hours a night, well. His naps are long too. He's so smiley. Almost every time I look at him, he's smiling. He's so quiet, he rarely makes any sounds, crying included. He's content rolling around on the ground, snuggling in my lap or watching his brothers and sister play. He really enjoys when they take the time to play with him too. Graham also lights up when he sees his daddy. Chris loves to lay on the ground next to Graham and play with him. They both like it actually:) He's just such a lovable and easy going baby. Being in his company soothes my soul. He makes me feel like I'm getting the hang of this mothering thing. I love that when he is upset, he calms down quickly when I pick him up. Also, when he lays his head down and snuggles into my neck. I can hear him breathing and it makes me smile. Lila and Calvin love to play with Graham and are proficient at soothing him and making him laugh. Lila sings to him and he becomes still and stares at her with a smile on his face. Calvin loves to get really close to Graham's face or tickle his tummy. Both result in Graham laughing. It's joyous to see my kids playing and enjoying each others' company. I can see their love for each other by the way they spend time together and how they talk about each other. Life is just perfect right now:)

Graham has his two bottom teeth coming in together. You can see them when he smiles big. He's been rolling over since 3 1/2 months and is now rolling all over the place. He has even started scooting a little. He has also started eating rice cereal. He didn't seem to like it at first but now is fine eating it. He also plays with some toys. His development has been exciting to watch.

Here's a video from when Graham first started rolling over. He was between 3 and 4 months.

Here's a video of Graham eating rice cereal for the first time.

4 month stats:

Height- 24 3/4 inches (55th %) 

Weight- 15 lb 2 oz (42nd %)

Head Circumference- 41.5 cm (84th %)

6 month stats:

Height- 27 inches (66th %)

Weight- 17 lb 11 oz (54th %)

Head Circumference- 44 cm (71st %)

We love our Graham more and more each day. He has added so much love to our family and we would not be the same without him. I would not be the same without any of my children. I'm so grateful to be their mom. I feel blessed to stay home with them and spend my time with them. They have brought so much joy into my life. They give me unconditional love, forgive my shortcomings, help me to be better. We laugh together, cry together, eat together, play together, work together, learn together, and relax together. This is what life is all about and I love it!

Here's pics of sweet Graham:

Emmett"s Basketball Skills

I sat watching him make shot after shot, so I decided to record his skills. Performing under pressure is tough, but he handles it well. He's just so cute too:)

Calvin, The 3 Year Old

My Calvin is 3!

 He is a 3 year old boy who's incomparable to his 2 year old self. I can't believe how much he has changed and developed in the last year. He talks to me all the time. I love our conversations and enjoy hearing his choice of words. Such as when I ask him if he has to go potty, he'll respond with "actually, no".  He keeps us guessing and laughing, for sure. He's become more affectionate as well. When I tuck him into bed, he needs kisses on both cheeks and his forehead. He giggles when I lay his blankets over him and has a big smile on his face when I give him a hug goodnight. It's one of my favorite things. One thing that is constant is his endless energy. His excitement for life puts a smile on my face and makes me tired. His excitement includes learning new things. He's done really well with learning colors, numbers, shapes and some letters. It doesn't stop there, He's talked a lot about Jesus Christ and always point him out in the pictures at church. Calvin is quick to volunteer to pray before meal times. It's always the same prayer. Actually, He only ever says one prayer, no matter the situation. It entails thanking Heavenly Father for the food and closing in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. I guess that's what's most important to Calvin. He is still a big eater and has a variety of tastes. I recently discovered he loves carrots:) He still loves french toast with sausage or eggs with sausage and cereal. I think those are the most requested meals. Who doesn't love breakfast food!?

For his special day, we started off with presents and donuts. 'Cause what 3 year old doesn't love donuts:) He loved his presents too. Then Chris took Calvin and Lila to the "paint house", as they like to call it, and stopped for happy meals on the way home. Later that day we sang happy birthday and ate cake and ice cream. Calvin told me he wanted a dinosaur cake so I attempted to make one. When I showed him what I had made and decorated, he replied "oh mom, it's beautiful!". That's all I needed to hear. He's such a sweet boy. 

We are so grateful for our Calvin. He's been a key factor in helping me become the mother I've always wanted to be. His tender heart and fun-loving disposition has made our family complete. 

Here's a couple vids and pics from his celebration: 

 Happy Birthday Calvin, we love you!

Life is Full of Choices

5 YEARS!

Five years ago, on March 7th, we were sealed for time and all eternity in the Orlando, FL temple. I remember feeling excited and nervous. Tears were just below the surface until the ceremony and then I couldn't hold back anymore. It was our big day and all the emotions that follow a big decision came at me all at once. Chris became my best friend when we were dating, which is one of the reasons I chose to marry him. I felt peace as soon as I looked at him. When all the emotions rattled me, I knew I could look at him and feel better. It was the same peace I felt so many other times when we were dating. Not only did I think he was hilarious, good looking, and charming, but the way he made me feel loved was my favorite. And still is. Our time dating was short and our engagement was even shorter but it was all the time we needed to make the decision to get married. Best decision I've ever made.   

Five Years doesn't sound like a lot of time but a lot has happened in five years. When we were engaged we decided to wait a year before having kids. Chris was a few months from graduating and we didn't know where or if he would have a job after graduation. He interned at an engineering firm in AZ his final 2 years of school but the economy wasn't great at that time and we weren't sure if they would keep him. Well, a month after we got married we changed our minds about waiting to have kids and I was pregnant right away. We were inspired to make that decision and have been blessed ever since. Chris was hired on and transferred to CA for work. He's from CA, so it was great to move closer to some of his family and friends. Soon after that, LiIa was born and we became parents for the first time. I know Heavenly Father loves me because not only did He lead me to Chris, but He sent me Lila. We were giddy as new parents. Also, exhausted, overwhelmed, and unknowing but we felt happy and fulfilled with our precious baby. 

I can still visualize us, living in our tiny, old, one bedroom apartment as newly weds. We were happy to be on our own. I remember making dinner for us and having it ready when Chris got home from work. Now a days, Chris does most of the cooking. It's crazy how things change. Soon after Lila was born, we were transferred to NE. With the cost of living being so high in CA, we felt rich just by moving to NE, where the cost of living was a lot less. We upgraded to a spacious, new, 2 bedroom apartment and paid less rent. With more living space and money, why not have another kid? We knew we wanted more kids and we decided we would have them close together. Turns out Heavenly Father agreed with us and Calvin was born 15 months after Lila. Calvin being a boy was not the only difference between him and Lila. He came out screaming and he's still a force to be reckoned with. Good-time Calvin has never been boring. We were thrilled to have another baby but being a mother of 2, small children was not an easy adjustment for me. At the same time Chris was getting tired of his job and decided to get a new one. In SC. When Calvin was 6 weeks old. Yeah, we like to keep things interesting. I was beginning to wonder if every time we had a baby we would move shortly after just to keep me on my toes. Because having a baby isn't enough, right? Since moving to SC we've purchased our first home and have made so many memories. Including, having Emmett 17 months after Calvin and having Graham, 15 1/2 months after Emmett. Emmett has been a mix of Lila's sweetness and Calvin's fun energy. Graham is a cute, sweet baby. I finally have my house full of kids. Just like I've always wanted. I now realize that Bill Cosby was right. The kids think they are in charge and maybe they are. I can't tell sometimes. 

Our days with small children will come to an end someday and I know I will wonder how it all happened so fast. I lived through it all but sometimes I can't believe we have 4 children and I drive a mini-van full of car seats. It wasn't that long ago, that I was in a car by myself, listening to the loud radio while singing a long on my way to meet friends for dinner. Oh and it was probably past 6 o'clock. These days we're on lock down starting at 5pm. It's the life we chose and I love it. Anniversaries always make me reflect on the previous years. Chris and I tend to have the same discussion on our anniversary. We talk about the things I've mentioned above and how we never would have guessed this is what our life would be like. How could we have known? A lot of what we planned has happened but there's so much more that has happened that Heavenly Father blessed us with. Our life together has been better than I could have imagined. Sure, with good also comes, not so good. But I'll take it, all of it. I'll take Chris and his piles of clothes on the floor as long as I also get Chris with his hugs/kisses, sense of humor, amazing gift-giving, cooking/baking, love for me and his children and so much more. Not in that order. These past five years have brought us so much joy and we look forward to much more. 

Here's pics of us then

and now.

   

To celebrate we spent a night out laughing with Jerry Seinfeld. See, I told you he was an amazing gift-giver.

Happy Anniversary to us!