Chase is Growing up!

On Sunday Chase decided he needed to look extra special for church. He snuck into our bathroom and was in there for a little while. I called to him and told him to get dressed. He came out of my bathroom with his lips pursed together. When I turned around he opened his mouth and blood was dripping from his lip. It was everywhere! When I asked what happened he just looked at me so seriously and calmly and said "Look mom! I shaved!" After applying pressure on his mouth for a while we had a discussion with all of the kids about the dangers of shaving. Even after all of that we made it to church on time. Needless to say, I am hoping that he will give up shaving and go back to my baby boy! :)

Sweetness

Tonight I sat and watched my kids play. I turned off the tv. I turned off the phone and just watched them. It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Cole and Kiley were at the table teaching Wyatt how to play Killer UNO. When Wyatt won everyone cheered and were happy for his good fortune. I am so happy to have a glimpse into true family happiness and love. These kids love each other! They don't show it all of the time but they really do.

Then as we were getting ready to say our family prayers we asked Kiley to say it... She prayed for her brothers and her "wonderful parents" her words not mine. I listened to this amazing 9 year old girl pray for thanks for the birth of her Savior. She was thankful for the wonderful gift of having her family together and happy. She didn't pray for things. She didn't focus on what so many people focus on this time of year. She is truly thankful for the Spirit of the Season! I am thankful for this night. For being able to witness true joy in the family and a sweet and caring moment between the children. It is a wonderful feeling like I might not be screwing them up like I thought I was...

Just What I Wanted for Christmas

I mentioned before that we were all sick but I didn't realize just how sick we all were.... Wyatt has a double ear infection and major congestion that is clogging him all up. Chase has croup and is truly miserable. He would collapse onto the ground as I would set him down so I took him to an after hours clinic. That boy has snuggled me for the past 4 days. Totally unlike him. Yesterday I felt like I had been hit by a bus and my chest hurt so bad so I went to the dr. I have a double ear infection and pneumonia. Awesome. Just what I wanted for Christmas. So, if you don't hear from us for a bit we aren't avoiding people. We are trying to keep our lovely sickness isolated to this house. While it is the season for sharing, I am sure you will appreciate that we don't share this!

Happy 3rd Birthday Chase!!

Today my baby is 3! I cannot believe it! I swear he was just born. He is so much fun! He has been so sick lately and when I tell him I am sorry you are sick he says "MOM it's not your fault!" I swear this kid is growing up faster than the others did. He is so much fun. I love being able to be home with him. He is very independent but he will randomly come and hug me and tell me he loves me. I love that! It truly is my favorite thing. He is so loving and sweet and he is totally hilarious! He loves to tease and play.

Here are 3 things I adore about Chase.

1. He has the greatest smile. He loves to laugh and play and is just pure joy!

2. He is so silly. He loves to tease me and have fun. He calls grandpa and grandma everyday and always wants to go play with his "best friend" (grandpa)

3. He is so smart! He knows things that amaze me. The other day the kids were teasing in the back of the car and it had gone too far and Chase said "Would Jesus like that? I don't think so!"  He is so adorable.

I am thankful that the baby of our family has made our family complete. We all love and adore him. He definitely has us wrapped around his little finger. He is so much fun and I am so blessed to be his mom.

Christmas Sickies

Every year at this time we are cursed with the sickness that always seems to come this time of year. This week has been very hard. Andrew and I sang with the ward choir on Sunday. It was a French Carol and I had to sing the first verse in french as a solo. I have been battling a cough for weeks but I have been able to hold it off for a while. I just had to get through the Stake Choir Fireside. I was praying and praying that I could get through it. I can testify to you that the Lord hears our prayers. I sang the solo, finished the song and walked out and lost my voice. The solo wasn't as clear as I wanted it to be because I was fighting a cough but I got through it. WHEW!

In the middle of the night Sunday night Chase was crying and he was burning up! I put him in bed with me and we were able to get a few hours sleep. During the day he was lethargic but that evening he truly scared me. When I would put him on his feet he would just crumple down and cry. He wanted to be held constantly. That isn't MY Chase. He is independent and won't ever let me hold him. He could barely hold up his head. I was talking to my friend that I babysit for and she sent her husband over to come give Chase a blessing. After they left he was so whiny that I took him to an after hours clinic. He has croup and probably a cold or something. He looks terrible! His eyes sunk in and they have dark rings around them. He definitely is not feeling well. We are on day two and still going strong. :(  Wyatt has this terrible barking cough that after hours scared me into thinking it was whooping cough.  I took him in this morning and he has a double ear infection and LOTS of congestion. I feel like my house is a germ infested zone and all who enter will be infected.  I am not feeling great and am missing scouts tonight to take care of my family. With Andrew constantly at work I am on my own. Luckily I have some fantastic friends who help out and are so good to us. Where would we be without the gospel and our families? I am so thankful for them and all they do. 

Dear Germs,
Please leave my family alone.
Thanks, Jenny!

Christmas

Christmas time is here again and I find myself worrying again about how to provide an adequate Christmas for my family. I'm not talking about presents. We know there won't be much of that going on and that is ok. I am talking about the feeling of the season. I try my best to make sure my kids understand why we celebrate this season. It isn't Santa, it isn't presents, it is about love for our fellow men. And the love of our Savior for us. I am blessed with some very special spirits in my home who are unfortunately and fortunately wise beyond their years. They don't go crazy asking for things. They just want to make decorations and go caroling. They make me happy.

As times are tough I wish I could do more for them. I wish I could give them more. More time. More understanding. More of my heart. I find myself down. Our lives are in upheaval. We are doing the very best that we can but is it enough? Andrew amazes me. He is working nonstop. He never complains. He sacrifices his entire week for us. He only sees us on weekends and he is happy. He is my rock and my forever. I am thankful that he struggles with me and loves me and I am so incredibly thankful that we continually strive, together, to make our lives better. It has been hard. It has been rough but we are together and that is all that matters.

So... enough whining. I am starting fresh and going to do all I can to make this Holiday season as special as I possibly can. Going to concerts at the Temple, playing games as a family, and visiting friends and family. Onward and upward from here! Merry Christmas!

(This is Andrew and our kids and our friends Ethan and Noah at the temple. We had so much fun getting a start on this Christmas season.)

Thankful Heart

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I have been thinking about all of the wonderful blessings I am thankful for and I need to write them down so I can come back and remember later.

1. I am EXTREMELY thankful for the atonement. Where would any of us be without it? What an incredible blessing we have to be forgiven of our sins and made whole again.

2. I am thankful for the chance I have to serve in the church. I love being on Relief Society committee and getting to love the sisters in our ward. I feel more connected with them that way. I also love leading the music in relief society. But I am especially thankful for being able to be the Wolf Den leader. I love these crazy, hyper, smart, and sensitive boys who make me smile just thinking about them.

3. I am thankful for visiting teachers. I am so blessed to have some amazing women come visit me and love me. Flaws and all.

4. I am thankful to be a visiting teacher. I love going to visit my friends and hearing about their month. They are amazing and wonderful examples of motherhood and I love them dearly.

5. I am thankful to have the Gospel in my life. I will never take it for granted ever again. I will strive to feel the Spirit every single day of my life.

6. I am SO THANKFUL for amazing children. My life would be so boring and meaningless without them. Cole is so loving and kind. Kiley is a mini me. That scares me sometimes and I strive to teach her to be better than I ever was. She makes me happy. Wyatt is so sincere. He loves everyone and wants everyone to feel important. He is destined for greatness. Chase is wise beyond his 3 years. He is so funny and I love to hear his stories. What a blessing it is to be a mother!

7. I am so thankful for Andrew. I am so lucky to be able to stay home with our kids. I am babysitting at home to help with our finances but Andrew has a full time job and a part time night job. He is willing to sacrifice time home to better our family and he amazes me everyday with a happy attitude and a love for the Gospel. Words cannot express how much I love him and I am thankful for all we have gone through so that we can be at this point. Truly in love with each other and the Gospel. We make quite the team. I am lucky to be his co-captain. He inspires me.

8. I am thankful for a family who supports each other even from long distance. I love my brothers and sisters and I am so thankful for their love.

Not just in November but all year I have been keenly aware this year of how "lucky" but really blessed my little family has been the past few years. We are strong. We are dedicated and we are HAPPY! I am thankful for this knowledge and I am thankful to be aware of it. After all, sometimes that is half the battle :)