Her Favorite Team

While digging through the hats in the closet, 

trying to find a sports team for my two oldest to represent at school for Spirit Day,

Princess came running into the room with Sport's old baseball cap yelling, "Mom!  I found my team hat!  Sport's team is my favorite!!" 

Really?  How sweet is that!

Her big brother was grinning from ear to ear. 

I could see he felt very cool at that moment. 

Mommy brag post:

This girl doesn't cease to amaze me.

She makes friends quickly and has such a big heart.

I've been blown away with how fast she's learned to read, write, and do math!

Her teacher thinks she's adorable and is constantly sending me pictures and e-mails about what a big help she is in the classroom.

Did I mention she earned the "Honor Roll Certificate" in kindergarten for getting all A's and having the best attitude?

That's my girl!

I rely on her so much (maybe a little too much?), because she's such a capable little girl.

I can count on her to clean up messes, make her little brother happy, help with dinner and dishes, vacuum floors...among other things :)

She always reminds us to read scriptures and suggests we sing a primary song before family prayer...without fail.

I don't know what her big brother would do without having her around to wrestle and harass.

And her little sister is definitely her very best friend.  

They are inseparable.

She loves her daddy and reminds him daily that she's going to marry him someday.

I hope he remains her one and only love for many, many more years!!

I love her giggles, silly jokes, rockin' dance moves, creative dress ups, and finding her art work strewn out around the house.

She makes me smile every single day.

I'm so grateful to be her mom!

I love you, Princess XOXO

Car Seat Art

I had just finished washing and vacuuming the car, and was sitting in carpool waiting to pick up our two oldest at school, when I turned to answer Minnie's question and saw this lovely piece of artwork on the back of her seat. 

I nearly freaked out! 

Okay...I did freak out.
Isn't it lovely?

 

When I asked Minnie WHY SHE DID THIS...

She told me, "I was getting sleepy, so I decided to draw a picture of me sleeping on the couch to help me feel better."

I sometimes forget how innocent children really can be.

I would be a lot more upset if hairspray and carpet cleaner hadn't removed it!

Christmas At PreSchool

Mrs. L's field trip to visit Santa and sing Christmas carols to the holiday shoppers was a big hit with her little PreSchoolers! 

They were full of giggles and smiles.

Minnie was shocked to see Santa in his PJ's though! 

She said, "Mom, are you sure that's Santa?  He's wearing pajamas!"

But, she warmed right up to him and asked for a ballerina gymnastics doll and a little Dora doll.

Then she filled a request really quick for her big brother and sister, because she wasn't sure they would get to see him this year :)

Minnie's fun PreSchool class with Santa...

 

Here's a little video clip of Minnie singing Christmas Carol's with her class...

{Sorry it's so bumpy!  I was trying to balance a screaming child.}

 Thank you for an exciting semester of PreSchool, Mrs. L!

Minnie has learned to write her name and all the letters in the alphabet, she can count her numbers and write to 10, she's learned so many words in sign language, knows her colors and basic shapes, can recite the Pledge of Allegiance, sing songs, and so much more.

We've watched her come out of her shy little shell and gain a lot of confidence in herself.

We're so pleased with our Minnie girl!

 

Primary Program

It's pretty much my favorite Sunday of the year!

Once a year, the children in our church treat us to a sacrament meeting program.

They sing songs and bare testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Their little shenanigans, the silly faces they make, the loud singing and talking into the microphone..etc... etc...

only add to the joy of it all!

The children memorized their parts and felt so important about being asked to speak in front of EVERYONE.

They did SO great!

Some of my favorite moments during the primary program:

*Winking at Sport and watching him try to sing and wink back at me.

 *Watching Princess open her mouth really big while trying to sing (something she's been practicing in Junior Choir).

*Laughing at Minnie's scrunched up face as she watched the little friend next to her pick a boogie.

*Hearing Sister W. laugh out loud at Sport's actions for the foolish man while singing The Wise Man and the Foolish Man song (It's hilarious!).

*Seeing Minnie's great big grin after she recited her part without any help (This was her first Primary Program).

*Princess's thumbs up after she made it through her talk without saying "I" instead of "We" (something she kept doing at home).

Yup. They brighten my life.

Here is what they said:

Sport: "Jesus Christ taught us the right way to live. In His Sermon on the Mount, He taught us to be righteous; to let our light shine for others; to be peacemakers; to be humble, and to be pure in heart. We feel our Savior's love when we try to be like Him."

Princess: "When we choose to obey our parents, we are blessed to have peace in our home."

Minnie: "I choose the right when I obey my parents."

I'm hoping they remember these simple testimonies forever!

This evening, while sport was off running around with his cousins, the girls sang a few of their favorite Primary songs from the program at church for Grandpa and Grandma...

Love it!

She Plans To Be A Hula Dancer

I'm not sure where this idea came from! 

But our Princess is set on being a hula dancer in Hawaii when she grows up.

So, guess what she dressed up as for her school's Career Day?

 

She puts a big ol' smile on my face :) 

The Red Barn

I got to spend the whole morning with my little girl!

Just her and me...with about 60 other Kinders.

We had a lot of fun bouncing in the hay ride, hunting for the best apples to eat in the apple orchard, finding our way through the apple-crate maze, flying down the HUGE slide, hunting for the biggest pumpkins we could carry, and eating delicious cake donuts with sprinkles.

The most important thing was I got to play with my Princess without anyone else fighting for my attention :)

{Princess with her little girl friend in front of The Red Barn (miniature size)}

Riding with her fellow Kinder class out to the apple orchards and pumpkin patch...

Searching for the best apples for mom and her...

Getting ready to fly down the big slide...

There she goes!

Definitely a highlight!

She probably slid down the slide ten tines.

Mr. and Mrs. Rowley...

We found all kinds of awesome pumpkins!! 

But, it took forever to find the perfect one for Princess.

She was looking for a "cute little round pumpkin"...

She found two prospects!

Which one will it be?

{The one in her left hand won the debate. It was perfect!}

After the apple crate maze, she took a picture with her class and then loaded up in the wagon for a hay ride!

"Hey, mom!  Look, I'm listening for the ocean through the hay!"-said Princess with a handful of hay next to her ear.

Such a goof!  Cracks me up.

 

 I enjoyed every second I got to spend with her.

Mom loves you, sweetie XOXO

Temples

{Mr. JP captured the Provo, UT Temple at sunrise}

We need a sanctuary, a place where we can speak freely with the Lord, feel safe, be comforted, breath easy and feel loved. 

For me, that's the house of the Lord.

I'm so grateful to live close to several LDS temples. 

My life has been blessed because of them, and I'm a much happier person. 

 

This past weekend, JP and I were lucky enough to attend the Brigham City, Utah Temple dedication!

We don't usually get to go, because it's difficult to find someone to watch the kiddies when everyone else is trying to attend too.

This year, we did a swap with some families.

I'm so glad too, because it was an amazing experience.

While I was searching for my white handkerchief for the dedication in my temple bag,

Princess noticed my white temple dress and shoes.

She was so excited to see what I wore in the temple!

So, I pulled it out for her and let her try on my white slippers.

She was glowing and kept saying, "It's soooooo beeeeeautiful!!!"

I finished getting ready while she danced around the room.

When I came back, I found her in my temple slip peering out the window day-dreaming.

When I asked her what she was thinking about, she said, "Mom, I feel so beeeeautiful!!! Will I get a pretty dress like this too when I go to the temple?"

I told her that of course she would!

She grinned and said, "Oh!  I'm soooo excited!!!"

I'll never forget little moments like this with my girl.

I'm so grateful that because of temple blessings, she's ours for eternity. 

Aug. 2012

Off We Go!

The summer just seemed to fly by so fast this year!
And we've had such a fun summer too.

I'll be honest, I dread the school year.

Missing my little kids, early mornings, carpool in the snow, and homework just isn't my thing.

But, the last two weeks of summer nearly killed me.

The children were antsy and took it out on each other...and me. 

So, the first day of school was an exciting day indeed!

I'm sure the excitement will wear off really fast once homework hits full swing. 

Until then, I'm going to enjoy their enthusiasm and look forward to their stories at the end of the day. 

To start off the school year, I asked each of the children 20 questions.

It will be fun to see how many of their answers change a year from now!

 

20 questions* : Answered by Sport-2nd

Tell me three words that describe you.
Smart...and I like to run.  What's a person called that likes to play sports?  Athletic?  Yes!  Athletic, and a handy man!

What is your favorite color?
Blue and Green.

What do you not like to eat?
Tomato Soup

If I gave you $100 right now, how would you spend it?
I would buy a house for you and a car for me!
Do you like your teacher?

Yes. She helps me with my math when I'm confused. 

What food could I make or order that would make you happy?
Omelets with eggs, bell peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, and bacon!  Dad makes them really good.  I want some right now!

Are you afraid of anything?
Nope.  Well, I might be afraid of...cliffs.  Looking down from it.  Maybe I'll get use to it sometime.  But, for now I'm scared.

What is your favorite type of music?
Piano music and that Fireflies song where all the toys come alive. (Owl City-Fireflies)

What is your favorite toy?
My Electronic Kit from Grandpa Kimball.

What is your favorite subject at school?
 Science.
What is your favorite scripture story?
The man with the bad spirits and Jesus told the spirits to leave and they went into the pigs and ran the pigs into the water and drowned! (The Man with the Evil Spirits-New Testament Chapter 22.  We've been reading the New Testament stories).

What is the best thing our family has done together?
Going to Oregon Beach.

What sport do you think you might like to try?
Wrestling and football.

If you could pick any pet, what would it be?
A dog.

What makes you laugh?
America's Funniest Home Videos.  Some of them are funny!

Who is your best friend?
Cade M.  
Do you like going to church?
Yes.

What would you do if you were invisible for a day?
I would get on my motorcycle and start scaring the police!  They will wonder how that motorcycle is riding by itself, and I would make it rock from side to side! 

What is your favorite drink?

Root Beer.

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A motorcycle racer!

 20 questions* : Answered by Princess-K

Tell me three words that describe you.
Dancer, artist, hilarious...that means I'm crazy funny!

What is your favorite color?
Dark blue

What do you not like to eat?
Green Bean Casserole 

If I gave you $100 right now, how would you spend it?
I would pay my tithing and buy a house!
Do you like your teacher?

Yes. I like Miss G. a lot.

What food could I make or order that would make you happy?
Ramen Noodles 

Are you afraid of anything?
I'm afraid of spiders and rattle snakes!

What is your favorite type of music?
I like the songs we are singing in Junior Choir at school.  

What is your favorite toy?
All my toys are kind of getting boring, but I really like playing with my Dora doll.

What is your favorite subject at school?
What is that? Oh! I know PE or writing.
What is your favorite scripture story?
The Lost Coin (The Second Parable in the New Testament Chapter 36). 

What is the best thing our family has done together?
Play games at the church Pioneer party when we walked in the parade.

What sport do you think you might like to try?
Gymnastics!

If you could pick any pet, what would it be?
A pet cheetah! 

What makes you laugh?
When people say funny things.

Who is your best friend?
Ocean, Minnie, Mae, and Cami M.
Do you like going to church?
Uh huh. 

What would you do if you were invisible for a day?
I would go to Natasha's house and see what she's doing.  I really miss her!

What do you like to take to bed with you at night?
My pink blanket.

What is your favorite drink?
It's really special punch that's red.

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A Hula Dancer in Hawaii!

 

20 questions* : Answered by Minnie-Preschool

What is your favorite color?

Yellow and pink.

What is your favorite toy?

My Strawberry Shortcake toys.

What is your favorite fruit?

Strawberries and peaches.

What is your favorite movie?

Strawberry Shortcake.

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?

Macaroni and cheese.

What is your favorite outfit?

The one I'm wearing! (Sparkly purple skirt and shirt from Grandma Edie)

What is your favorite game?

I like every game!  The Hippo game is fun though.

What is your favorite snack?

To eat at school? Fruit Snacks. But at home I like all of them!

What is your favorite animal?

Kitty cats and bumblebees. 

What is your favorite scripture story?

The blind man and that man who couldn't hear or the man who couldn't talk and Jesus made him better.  (New Testament Chapter 31. We've been reading the New Testament stories).

What is your favorite song?

Hinges (Children's Primary Songbook).

What is your favorite book?

Ponyella.

Who is your best friend?

Princess and Cami M.

What are you excited about? 

Cami M.'s Birthday party!

What is your favorite thing to do outside?

Ride my bike.

What is your favorite drink?

Apple juice.

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas

What do you like to take to bed with you at night?

My little yellow teddy bear.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Marshmallow cereal (Marshmallow Mateys).

What do you want for dinner?

Macaroni and Cheese. 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be a mommy and a Gymnastics girl. 

My babies just keep growing! 

And I'm just trying to keep up without bawling my eyes out at every new milestone.

Aug. 2012

Dirty Little Princess

She cracks us up! 

Always has something witty to say, and knows how to make the silliest faces. 

When I asked her how she got so dirty, she made this face and said, 

"The horsey I was riding threw me off his back and I landed in the dirt.  It can be hard to be a princess sometimes!"

 

I need to write more of her hysterical sayings down. 

Beyond her years!

June 2012

A Thankful Indian

"HOW!  I am Princess, the Thankful Indian!

I am thankful for:

My family. My body. Good Food. My home. My scriptures. My Sunday class. My school. That we get to spend time together."

{Modeling her Thankful Indian costume she made in Pre-school}

And I am SO thankful to be this little Indians mommy :)

November 2011

Today Is Now...

A few things about myself have come to my attention recently.  Things that, for most of you I'm sure, has always been common knowledge.  But, for me...recognizing something seems to hit in a sudden moment.  And when it does, it's like a jolt, an awakening...  kind of like when I discovered at four years old that "there's chicken in this chicken!!"

It amazes me that it's taken nearly eight years of marriage for me to realize that when it comes to my role as a wife and mother, I tend to just "go with it"...to do what's expected of me, get things done, and not complain about it (too much) because noone wants to hear my boo hooing anyway!  I have noticed that this is not always healthy.  In fact, it seems to make me a much more tense, over the top, stressed out mommy and wife.  I miss out on the little things that bring life joy, because I'm looking ahead to the next step, worrying about what needs to be done right this minute or tomorrow.  Bottling up my emotions until I'm ready to explode with tears of frustration. 

Basically, mom needs to CHILL OUT.

Its okay to slow down.  It's okay to enjoy little moments.  It's okay if the house is a mess.  It's okay if dinner isn't perfectly placed.  It's okay if the kids go without their hair combed.  It's okay to to cuddle with my husband for five minutes while an argument is taking place in the back room.  It's okay to take a moment to talk with baby junior and enjoy his companionship in my womb.  It's okay to let my four year old fold the laundry.  It's okay to stop what I'm doing to listen. It's okay to be late for soccer.  It's okay!  What's the rush?  Time flies by too quickly as it is.  I don't need to help it out by flying around like a mad woman.

So, I decided to make a few changes.  It's never too late, right?

I'm not saying it's been an easy transition.  But, I'm letting things of little importance go undone.  IE: The husband could hardly believe I actually left the kitchen a mess the other night and headed for bed.  That's right.  I didn't even look at it.  I just read stories to our babies, cuddled and loved them, then went to bed. I'm not a fan of washing crusty dishes the next morning.  But, there was something satisfying in knowing that I went to bed with no regrets.  Our kids knew that mommy loves them more then she loves a clean kitchen.

I'm taking the time to remember how to play.  As a result, mommy dates have become much more frequent.  I take advantage of my one on one time with Minnie while her big brother and sister are in school.  For example, ever since Grandma Edie got her a happy meal a few weeks ago with a "toy", she's been asking to "go eat food inside with a prize".  Instead of telling her "another day...when mommy has money",  I thought, what the heck!  I'll find enough cash to make this little girl smile today.  So, we splurged and got a happy meal with a prize, and ate it together on a little table just her size.  She smiled and beamed all week over that happy meal and time with mom.  Also, Princess and mommy went to the mall and rode the carousel, got an ice cream cone, talked about her future plans to be a doctor, marry dad, and have ten babies, then learned about modesty while shopping for a new Sunday dress of her choice.  She makes me laugh and reminded me how quickly our girl went from a toddler to an energetic, spunky little girl in the blink of an eye.  I'm happy to say that it doesn't take much to make a sweet memory with my little girls.

{Dad and Sport at the BYU vs. University of Idaho game.  FYI:  BYU wins it 45 to 7!}

Sport prefers daddy dates these days... It's all about rock climbing, 4wheeling, hiking, sports, or some other activity that his big ol' pregnant mommy can't handle at the moment.  So, we have our one on one time after the girls are tucked in bed, and I look forward to it!  I sit on the edge of his bed and he tells me aaallll about his day and his plans for tomorrow.  Lets see, the other night I learned that he asked his all time crush (since kindergarten) to marry him in a "special place" on the playground.  When I asked him what her response was, he said, "Well, she said that getting married is kind of expensive...with the wedding clothes, gas to the temple, and finding a ride.  So, maybe you could drive us, mom?" HaHa!  Oh dear...smart girl!  I reminded him that he still had a mission to serve before he could even think about that!  His response? "*SIGH  That's going to take for-ev-er!!!"  At least he hasn't tried to kiss her yet.  He promised that those are still saved just for me.  Phew!

I love our kids.  I love my time with them.  I love their quirks.  I love their stories.  I love their hugs and kisses.  I love watching them grow.

Speaking of growth... baby number four is growing!  And I'm determined to enjoy this pregnancy.  I feel like I nearly missed my last three.  They happened so fast that the new born faze is such a blur in my mind.  I had to be in so many places at once and they just grew in the process.  I'm going to take the time to enjoy having a new born, to cuddle our kids and eat up my time with them.  Tomorrow will come, today is now...and once it's gone, only memories remain.  I want to be a part of their memories.

I'm also paying more attention to my superhero of a husband.  The small, simple things that let him know I love and appreciate him are so important.  Especially since life is only going to get busier with a new little baby!  It's not always easy to stop in the middle of doing homework with the kids, washing dishes, folding laundry, fixing dinner, etc. to hug and kiss him when he walks through the door after a long day at work.  But, it only takes a moment, and he IS the most important person in my life.  I would be incomplete without him, and taking five minutes to let him know that has made a world of difference in my connection with him.  It's easy to allow ourselves to get wrapped up in our kids lives and forget to wrap our arms around each other.   

So, here's to chilling out and taking time to enjoy being a wife and mommy.  There's no hurry.  I'll worry about tomorrow...well, tomorrow!

Entertaining Sunday Service

There's nothing like a Primary Program. 

Those sweet, silly, energetic kids are sure to entertain, while uplifting their audience with testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The children's Primary theme for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this year was "I know the scriptures are true".

They sang songs, gave little talks, read scriptures, and shared their testimonies with us.

The goofy faces, flapping arms, and ear deafening words said against the microphone only added lots of smiles and laughs to our meeting.  

The kids have been practicing really hard for weeks and did an amazing job.

We look forward to it every year!
Because, lets be honest...some church services can drag on and on and on and on and on...

When it came time for the children to find their seats on the stage, Minnie jumped up and followed big brother and sister!

It nearly brought her to tears when we sent her back to sit with dad. 

Poor girl!  She'll have her turn next year (can you believe I'll have three kid-Os in Primary? AH!)

Sport and Princess worked hard to memorize their parts and nailed them! 

This was Princess's first time to be in a Primary Program, and she could be heard throughout the building telling her teacher (near the microphone), "I don't need your help.  I don't need your help.  Ok?  I don't need your help." 

She was determined to do it herself.   That's typical of our independent girl! 

Sport had a head cold and nearly forgot his lines, but somehow pulled through.

Way to go little buddy.

Their testimonies: 

Princesses-"The words of Christ will tell us all things we should do."

Sport-"Heavenly Father's plan gives us freedom to choose right or wrong.  Good choices give us freedom and happiness.  I will follow God's plan for me."

I pray they never forget :)

Most Exciting Day EVER!

That's what Princess said in the car over and over and over again on our way to her first day of Pre-School. 

She had been looking forward to it for weeks...and I mean that literally!

Our morning conversations would go something like this:

Mom: "Good morning, sweetie!  Did you sleep good? *hug *kiss

Princess:  "Mom, do I have school today?"

Mom:  "Not yet!  Just 60 more days."

Princess:  "Aaww Man!  That's a lot!  Show me on the calendar." 

 We would then proceed to count the days until her first day of Pre-School together. 

So...as you can imagine, when the long anticipated day finally arrived, it was THE most exciting day EVER in this girls little life.  :)

I told her to "strike a pose"! 

This is all her, folks. 

Such a poser!  HaHa...love it.

I knew this day would come too fast. 

I held it off for as long as I could! 

There's nothing I can do about it...they just grow up and that's all there is to it. 

She loves having her own special time away, and we've been so impressed with how quickly she's caught on to things.

She wants to learn and loves her cute friends and teacher. 

I just hope I can squeeze, kiss, snuggle, and hold her a little bit longer before she's too big for that too :) 

September 2011

Something's Been Sleeping In My Bed!

Minnie was all ready to jump into bed, when suddenly she came running out of her bedroom yelling, "MOOOOOOMMM!! There's a baby bird sleeping in my bed!"

I was skeptical, but went to check it out anyway.  

Sure enough!  There was a little bird perched on top of her bumper...

Who knows how long she's been there.

Her little wing was hurt and she was taking a time out. 

She couldn't have picked a more comfortable spot!

When daddy tried to catch her, she did a free-fall into a corner and tried to stay there...

He finally coaxed her into a pitcher where the kids talked to her...

Minnie was really worried about her! 

Sport thought she was sooooo coool.

And Princess, still covered in bubbles after jumping out of the bathtub to see what the commotion was all about, wanted to keep her.

We kept her just long enough to make sure she was capable of flying again and then said our goodbye's.

What a fun little visitor!