Spring Break Zoo Trip

Spring Break was a while ago, but I am only just getting around to blogging it. : | We went up to the zoo with my mom, as well as the majority of Utahns. It was so packed that we had to park super far away from the zoo at this little dog park.

 We had a little picnic and then climbed around on the huge trees at the park.

This was Max's first trip to the zoo, and as you can see, he was riveted.

They have cleared away a bunch of trees which makes it so much easier to see the tigers.

Eve kept track of the map for us, and kept telling us where to go.

We got pretty thirsty. My cute mom always packs those little Crystal Light drink mixes, and the kids were loving it!

We had to leave shortly after this becase the girls were complaining their legs were too sore to keep walking, and unfortunately I only have a two kid stroller. I was unaware as a new mom that I would need a space for my SEVEN year old!

Mother's Day 2012

My mom is truly the best. I love her so much and appreciate all the sacrifices she has made for me. This year for Mother's Day I gave her a jar of my favorite memories with her, and since I want to keep a copy for myself, I am going to copy them to the blog. You know, just in case I ever actually get around to printing this off into a book.

I remember how we would sit in the hot tub and practice my words for the spelling bee.

I remember how you let Kristi and I drive the Jeep on our road trip to the Grand Canyon, and how we were terrified.

I remember how we couldn’t quite figure out how to set up our tent on one of our girl camp-outs and when we got back from a hike someone else had fixed it for us.

I remember losing my tooth while standing in line with you for a ride in Las Vegas.

I remember how you gave up every Saturday of your life for 3 months a year so you could be at each of my dance competitions.

I remember going on trips with you to your echo conferences—Boston, Florida, New Orleans.

I remember driving with you to San Francisco when Anna and Kate were small and how we stopped in the Sierra Nevadas to stretch our legs and Anna got poison oak. Remember how by the time we got out of the mountains she was covered in an itchy, red rash?

I remember how you drove me to church in West Jordan every Sunday. And mutual. And dance. We did a lot of driving.

I remember doing lots of service projects with you—Thanksgiving Dinner at the homeless shelter, Decker Lake cleanup, United Way Day of Service.

I remember you taking me for walks by the canal at Village II and looking for little baby ducks. It makes me so happy to see you do that with my kids now.

I remember going to coffee with you and your friends. It made me feel so grown up and important to get to do that.

I remember one time at Lake Powell when a major storm blew in and we needed to get the boat off the water. You put Kristi and me in the front of the boat and covered us with your body to keep us from falling out.  I thought you were so brave.

I remember how you took me everywhere with you. I’m sure I was a burden sometimes, but I loved just driving around with you and singing to the radio.

I remember when you got pulled over because I was reading to you and you weren’t paying attention to your driving. I was so afraid the policeman was going to arrest you and take you away from me!

I remember how you would always find someone who needed help at Christmas time and we would go shopping for them.

I remember going to Bear Lake and getting raspberry shakes. Mmmmm.

I remember how every time we would go camping you were always the first one awake and you always made yummy pancakes for us.

I remember climbing into your bed at night when I had a bad dream.

I remember you singing me a song every night before bed. “Jesus Loves the Little Children” or “It’s a Small World” or “What Child Is This?”

I remember you teaching me how to do a cartwheel in the backyard of our old house on Hard Rock Drive.

I remember how we went to Vegas every May for 5 years when I had competitions down there.

I remember how excited you were for Anna to be born. You bought a bunch of baby stuff before we even knew that she was a girl!

I remember how I knew I could ask you to help us with babysitting on your day off when Trav was in school and I was working. I knew I could impose on you….. and still do!

I remember how good you were to my friends growing up. Stefanie, Kristi, and Juan all ask about you every time I talk to them.

I remember how you would read me bedtime stories, even when I was a teenager. Was it “Politically Correct Fairy Tales?”

I remember going to the mall and getting fried zucchini, mushrooms, and cauliflower from Hot Dog on a Stick.

I remember how excited you were when Anna was born; you got to the hospital so fast and were breathless to hold her.

I remember how you stayed at our crummy apartment after Anna was born and did your best to help me figure out how to take care of my first baby. I even remember one of the dinners you made: breaded chicken and potatoes.

I remember how Trav and I hid your Santa Claus statue in your shower. J

I remember shopping for my wedding dress with you, Grandma Kaye, and the Springville Ashby girls.

I remember how you never batted an eye when I wanted to have friends over or a party at your house. Even after I’d grown up and left the house, we still had our college graduation party, Anna’s blessing, and Kate’s first birthday there. Thanks so much, I know how much work that must have been for you.

I remember how you always let me take a friend on vacation with us.

I remember when we went on our trip to the Bahamas and you paid those native ladies to braid my hair.

I remember watching a video about childbirth during my first semester of college and calling you to say thank you for going through that for me.

I remember how you and Dad would sacrifice anything to help me with something.

I remember when I needed to go to the hospital to have Kate and you came to pick up Anna, even though it had only been 3 hours since you’d left our house.

I remember when Anna locked herself in the bathroom at our old apartment and I could not figure out how to get her out, so I called you. And you told me to bust the doorknob off with a hammer and get that baby out of there!

I remember when Travis and I got married, our cupboards were stuffed with spaghetti sauce and cake mixes that you had been stocking up on the whole length of our engagement.

I remember when I thought I was going into labor with Eve and you came down and took the girls for the night. The next day I was still pregnant and you brought them back to me!

I love the way you play with my kids. You are such a fun grandma— always chasing them, going for adventure walks, and dancing to music.

I remember taking the kids to the Manti Temple with you and rolling down the hill.

I remember going to Moab with you, Dad, and the girls and how we found that one trail with the softest sand. The girls were in heaven!

I love that you never lose your patience with my kids, even when they are whiny, sick, or just have too much energy.

I remember how you used to call Anna “Sunshine” and Kate “Smiler.”

I cannot even begin to remember the number of times you have watched my kids for me so that I could run errands, go to the temple, or take a nap. It has kept me sane!

I remember lots of hikes with you—Bridal Veil, the Grotto in Payson Canyon, Secret Lake, etc. Pretty much any time we are out in nature, you are up for a hike.

Doing the Parade of Homes with you last year was one of my favorite things ever.

I remember how much fun we would have with Back to School shopping each year.

I remember sitting next to you at the counter at night, both of us with our noses in a book and eating ice cream.

I remember going to the library with you and bringing home dozens of books for both of us. I think you are the reason I love reading, and I think that is the reason my kids love reading. Thank you so much!

I remember when Dad fell off the roof. I watched you do literally everything for him for 3 months without complaint. You taught me what true love really means.

I admire your resilience. Things have not always been easy or perfect for you, but you have always pushed through, generally with a smile on your face.

I remember that day that we went to the zoo and the parking lot was so full that we had to park our cars at the dog park down the road. You made it so fun for the kids by climbing trees and finding flowers and tossing Max in the air.

I remember how hard you worked to make your backyard beautiful for my wedding reception. It was perfect!

I remember how Kristi used to call you Wilma.

I admire the way you haven’t given up on Mike. You have shown me how deep a mother’s love runs.

Something's Missing....

Miss Kate lost her first tooth! It had been loose forever, but one morning she laid on my bed for about 2 hours just wiggling that tooth and reading Junie B. Jones. Finally she came to me and said it was ready. I felt in there, and it wasn't quite ready, but I sat down with her and wiggled that little tooth until it came out. I am so grateful that I set aside my laundry basket to spend the time with her to wiggle her tooth. She is such a precious daughter, full of joy and sweetness. She often gets overlooked because of Anna's drama and Eve's terrible threes, but this little girl is so special to me and I love her to pieces.
Kate was thrilled beyond reason to lose this tooth. She took to school with her to show all her pals, who were appropriately impressed. But you better believe she made sure to bring it home and stick under her pillow that night. She had spent the whole day telling Eve how the Tooth Fairy brings money and she was not disappointed!

A List of All the Things I've Done Wrong Today

1. Showered, but never got around to actually doing my hair. Then went out in public multiple times.
2. Took my kids to the park and didn't put sunscreen on them.
3. Wiped my baby's boogery nose on his blanket, and laid it down for him to sleep on.
4. Let Max eat wood chips at the park because I was busy pushing Eve on the swings.
5. Forgot one of the essential pieces to the Cinco De Mayo craft I was in charge of for Anna's class.
6. Brought jicama to the class party. Allrecipes.com said it's a favorite Mexican snack, but Mrs. Weight's first grade class disagrees.
6. Left one of the carpool kids at the school because I couldn't find him. (It turned out he had gone home with his dad, so that's a relief.)
7. Forced my kids to do their after school jobs even though I hadn't done any of my chores for the day.
8. Neglected to call the dentist. Again.
9. Accidentally let my wild and crazy dog out of the house while we were trying to leave this morning.
10. Since my dog doesn't come when I call her, I drove the van halfway down the street, opened the door, and said, "Daisy, let's go for a ride." An extremelly short ride back to the house. That's right-- I LIED TO MY DOG.
11. Wore my husband's triathlon T-shirt. No, I have never done a triathlon, but I kind of like looking like I did.
12. Calmly stepped around the growing pile of clean laundry on my floor and didn't worry about getting it folded and put away.
13. Fed my children leftover soup for dinner. The reason there was leftover soup was because they didn't like it the first time..... and it didn't go over any better tonight. So, essentially, I am starving my children.
14. Coddled Kate when what she more deserved was a time-out.
15. Set a wet wash cloth on top of Anna's 100% math test, which left a water mark. This was a major transgression which resulted in a hysterical fit of tears-- not my own.

The good news is that although I had a rough day, I did not yell at my kids (probably because I lost my voice). I did not swear, gamble, cheat, or lie. I did not spend any money. I did not gossip, even though I was at the park with 4 other ladies. I was supportive of my husband and didn't even get upset when he went back to work after we got the kids to bed and left me with all the dishes (which is only fair since it's the only housework I did today.) I did sit out in the sunshine with the girls after school and chat with them. I did take the time when I was putting Anna to bed to tell her a story of how I broke a bad habit of chewing my thumb, in an effort to encourage her to stop picking at her cuticles. And, yes, finally, I did the dishes. And rewarded myself with Rocky Road ice cream afterward.
So I'm not perfect. There's a long list of things that I could improve. But at least I'm doing some things right.

We are a happy family

It seems like lately we have been having a lot of fun just being together as a family. Flying kites, lying in the grass soaking up the sunshine, watching movies together every Friday night. It's not that we are doing anything too exciting, but we are making memories and finding joy in one another. 

For example, this is how we wake up on Saturday mornings. All the kids come to our bed to snuggle/tickle fight and inevitably someone lets the dog up so she's part of the fun. With four kids, we have lost the luxury of sleeping in, but at least we wake up happy!

Little Max has become an expert at sitting. I love how liberating it is for me as a mom when my babies learn to sit. Now if I'm holding him and I have to pull something out of the oven or wipe someone's bum, I can just sit him down for a second and not worry about it.

 In case you were wondering what I look like. It seems like for every 100 pictures of my kids there is one picture of me.

Kate's Field Trip

When I was a kid, I was always jealous of the kids whose moms got to go on field trips with them. So now, as a mom, I try to do as many field trips with my kids as I can, even though it is a bit exhausting taking my younger two with me. Max was in the Snugli the whole time, wishing he was at home napping.
Kate's class took a field trip to a local nursery called Hansen Plants (or "Hants and Plants" as Kate pronounced it.) It's just down the street from the school, so they needed mommies to drive. Here's our backseat filled with little ALA kindergarteners: Kate, Sammie, and Erica.

The nursery workers took us around and showed how they plant each seed and grow them in these large flats until they get big enough for a large pot.

I love Kate's face in this photo-- apparently she's not too sure about what is being said.

At the end, everyone got to plant a little pumpkin seed.

 Even little Eve! The bummer news for us was that when we got home we left them on the counter and Daisy dragged them all over the family room. Not the best growing conditions for a pumpkin.

 Everyone's favorite part of the day was when they showed the class the turtle that lives at the nursery. Apparently he's a sensitive little guy and pees when he gets nervous. And you better believe he was nervous with 25 kindergarteners in his face. They all laughed like crazy when the turtle relieved himself all over this poor woman.

Easter 2012

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I love the meaning behind it: our Savior's glorious Resurrection. I love reading in the New Testament the week before Easter and trying to imagine what it was like for Him. I love pondering the truth of the hymn "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." I love the hope I find in sunshine at spring, reminding me of rebirth and new life.

And, yeah, I love Peeps and dying eggs too.

This year was a little tricky because Travis was in the BAHAMAS during the week before Easter. (lucky!) The kids were so excited about dying eggs, but I made them wait till Saturday when he got home because Trav loves that tradition as much as they do.

After a little instruction from Dad, Eve was ready to try it on her own.

We taught Kate the trick of writing on the egg with white crayon before you dye it and watching your words appear. Here's her special egg that says "I Love You."

 It is so great to have Eve in our lives. The other night she got out of bed around 8:30 and said, "I need to ask you a question. When Jesus died, when did He come alive again?"
Wowed by her deep spiritual inquiry, I replied, "After Jesus was crucified, he came back to life three days later, on Easter Sunday."
"Did He turn into the Easter Bunny?"
Clearly we have missed out on some key doctrine here.

 Anna and I decided this egg is our very favorite color. Almost the same as her eyes!

 Even little Max got an egg. Not that it did him any good.

I am the worst at early morning photos. This year we did something fun by hiding the kids' Easter baskets and leaving a little clue for them. Kate found hers in the fridge with no problem, Eve's was hiding in the bathtub, and Anna had a tough time figuring out where someplace "warm and dry" was. She eventually got it, but was pretty stressed as she ran around looking for it. (the dryer)
Yes, I did make Easter skirts for my girls and an Easter onesie for Max. Yes, it took countless hours (the drama of the Easter skirts  made me wonder if I've lost my sewing ability). And, yes, I forgot to take pictures of them wearing said apparel. Even though Max only wore his for about 20 minutes before covering it with poop.
And, yes, both sets of grandparents had fun Easter egg hunts that the kids loved. Yes, I neglected to take pictures of that as well. Better luck next year!