Helper

Ada is growing up so fast. She asked if she could empty the dishwasher for her chore today.  It was the first time doing it on her own. She even put the things that she couldn't reach on the counter.

Mother's Day

I'm usually pretty good at getting my life recorded as it happens... this time I was too busy enjoying it to write about it.

I LOVED Mother's Day.  Jer let me sleep in forever, he and the kids taped love notes ALL over the house in places that I would go as I did things throughout my week, visited my Grandma, visited my Mom at work, watched the Primary Program (Ada missed half of it.  She thought that when I said it was time to go sing that it was time to go to her class and ran to her classroom before she came back to find out what was going on.  Sammy smiled shyly at me the whole time.), Jer made the most amazing Bulgogi beef, and then we stopped to say hi to Judy before putting kids to bed and watching a movie just me and Jer.  How special to get extra hugs from kids, love from all our family around us and to remember all the special women in our lives.  Love you all!

Evelyn

Evelyn says, "Errrrt, Stop!"

Sam's Sunday Gems

"I am Sam. Evelyn is starting to share and my Mommy is a good Mommy."

My growing, happy girl.  I love cuddling with her.

"Mom, I NEED a back scratch."

I love this man, and I'm pretty sure the kids do too.  I am so lucky.

First time slack lining... way to go Ada!

Not bad for a 1 year old!

Birthday girl and proud mama

I missed Jer on the slack line... the kids needed me, but I managed to get this shot off before I left.  Fun stuff.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE these cute faces!  

And unfortunately, even though I had my camera at my bother's party and at Taylor's blessing it never crossed my mind to pull it out and take pictures... I must be losing my touch.

Yes please...

At Thanksgiving, my grandpa always said he was a yes man.  He wanted to try every kind of pie.  I feel like I'm living as a yes please person lately.  I want a piece of everything.  I love being a part of my family and all the fun activities, and I want to be a part of everyone else's too.

One piece of pie:  Sammy came to us this morning "ready for church".  He'd gotten his own shoes and socks on... one bright white sock and one Toy Story Bullseye sock with his nice black pants and black Sunday shoes.  I didn't even cringe.  He did it himself and I was proud of that.  Let him wear it to church!  He did it himself.  Great Job Sam!

Another piece:  Today we got to go to our nephew, Taylor's, baby blessing.  He is the sweetest little cabbage patch guy ever.  Complete with dimple.  The blessing was so well thought out by his dad and I was so happy to be there for their family today.

Yet another:  Ada had a break through.  She has emotional break downs... for one, she's a girl... and she's 5.  I think I'm probably a little harder on her than I should be though.  My oldest and the most like me in looks and personality.  She has been volunteering to help her siblings with things and acting like the amazing older sister that she is... and.... the when I got after her the other day for fighting with me she didn't break down and make a scene.  She went upstairs to the bathroom, locked herself in, cried, and bemoaned her station in life in true 5 year old fashion.  I remember doing the same thing at her age, and I do think it's healthy to know how to cry.  I'm so proud of her for actually removing herself from the situation so that she could deal with her feelings on her own before we talked together.  (I overheard what she was saying in the bathroom though and I had to laugh. "I'm not a baby!  I know things just like an adult."  When I was 4, I told my mom, "You don't have to tell me anything, I know everything."  Sound familiar?)

And another:  Pips turned 1 this week.  I've been so happy to be able to borrow that baby from time to time.  I think it's been good for me while I am waiting for another of my own, and it helps Evelyn not be the spoiled youngest baby that I want to treat her as.  She's a fun little bugger that talks, walks and eats like a champ.  She loves Evelyn and calls her 'baby' and hyperventilates as soon as she sees that Evelyn's awake/ready to play. We got to got to the party.  The kids loved Vicki's yard and being able to play with new friends and not so new friends.  Pip's dad graduated this week too so I don't know how much I'll actually watch her in the future, but I've sure enjoyed it.  She calls me Mama cause that's what the women that take care of you are called, right?  Sam picked out a baby doll for her at the store and it was her favorite gift.  She carried it around and gave it to each of the women there to rock and love before handing it back to her.

And yet another:  My brother.  What can I say about Seth?  Wonderful, patient, loving, lovable Seth.  He had his birthday and I can definitely say that I've enjoyed all of his 30 years with him.  He's been my friend through every stage of life no matter what I looked like, what I was studying, who I was friends with... My kids LOVE their Uncle Seth and beat him to death every time they see him.  Evelyn drops everything to run and hug him big. She tries to make him laugh and he is the only person besides mom and dad that she'll cry over leaving the house.  Love you bud.

And just one last one:  We started our new round of fencing lessons.  It's interested teaching kids fencing.  They love the idea of it, struggle with the discipline of it, and thoroughly love hitting each other with swords. I LOVE having Ada and Sam in my class.  Ada has decided that she is the class clown though and goofs off more than I'd like, but she still says she likes coming so we'll work on the whole listening thing as we go.  We didn't get to visit Jer's sister in Wyoming this last week because of fencing starting, but I'm glad that we'll get in another set before the crazy family reunions/camping trips/swimming lessons/craziness of summer happens.

Sammy Primary sayings

One that I forgot to write down...

Sammy raised his hand in Primary and very excitedly said, "I can walk like a penguin!  See!?"

Sam's Sunday bests

Sam is so funny in Primary!  While it took him a while to even go in without an adult... and then to stop sitting with Ada.... Finally at the end of April, he is happily sitting with his class without complaint.  He still won't go to the bathroom with his teachers... he has to take Ada because I can't leave the piano during singing time... but at least he willingly goes with Ada.  But it's so fun to see how far he's thrown himself into Primary.  He's memorized 5 of the 13 articles of faith (He's 3 years old... ), sings all the songs as loud as he can, and readily volunteers answers.  We're still working on getting him to raise his hand and wait his turn, but I'm very proud of how far he's come.  My favorite  saying from yesterday was:

(When asked what he does to help his Mom he says...) 
"I help my mom, but I help my Dad!  I have a hammer!"

Family that works together....

On Saturday, we were going to have a game night with John and Diane's family...  They offered to come and help us paint the arbor that we'd just peeled and readied before playing games.... We figured... why stop there?  They were amazing sports and let us use them to build and fill a garden box, paint the arbor, and cut down the cherry tree to replace it with a peach tree.  Thanks you amazing people you!

Don't the arbor and garden look nice!  The roses always look amazing on the arbor, and I'm excited to see if I can actually keep a garden alive this year (and if I can convice Evelyn that this is not her personal sand box).

I have mixed feelings about the cherry tree.  It was a beautiful tree but it was starting to have problems and we were out of room for the peach, and apple trees that we wanted to plant.  Well, it's down and hopefully soon we'll enjoy delicious peaches...

This is the one I'm really sad about.  I LOVE this tree.  It's an amazing shade and climbing tree.  But, it's rotting from the inside.  I don't want it to hurt my kids if it falls over, but I want my kids to enjoy it while they can.  My head says, "Cut it down now!" and my heart says, "Just wait another year."  Maybe I can compromise and move all the kids play stuff out from under the tree and just let them climb in it until it's time to take it out.... at least then they're less likely to be just playing under it.  My guess is that it's more likely to split in the winter with the snow though...

Say Cheese!

That makes four teeth lost, two more loose and two adult teeth grown in... man these kids grow fast.

Boston Marathon bombing

I've been debating whether to post anything about this event or not.  I wanted to mark it somehow in my own timeline, so I will.

I keep thinking over and over again that if we had been there it might have been me and my kids that were injured. 

When Jer runs marathons we try to be right at the finish line or right before it to see Daddy run in and cheer for him as well as we can with a 5, 3, and 1 year old in tow.  Jer wants to qualify for the Boston Marathon, let's admit that that would be pretty cool.  What if we had been there?  Would we have lost one of our kids?  I don't generally let fear rule my life.  It's easier for me to say, "I'm not afraid, I'd rather experience life than not." when it's just me and Jer.  When it includes my kids... I get anxious.  I want them to have fun, learn, experience... safely.  I am less afraid of something happing to me than I am my kids.  Maybe I need to have more faith in God, to truly trust Him with the safety of my family.  I still need to think things through and be safe, but I think that by trusting God I'd be able to get rid of any and all fear of events like this happening in my life.  That would leave our family free to live life and lead my kids to live in faith instead of fear.