baseball, fair and hiking

Checking out lizards.

We kept busy Saturday with a baseball game, the FFA fair and hiking. We went on an almost three hour hike in Anadel. The boys walked the whole way and Rylee road in a friends jogging stroller. They got tired towards the end but for the most part they did great. They loved looking for lizards, playing in the lake, and exploring. Ammon asked a lot of questions about mountain lions and bears. He couldn't understand why we didn't know exactly where they were in the forest. I think it made him a little nervous. The only wild animals we saw were turkeys. Kids have such a small understanding of how big the world is. Cohen thought we were in Africa and Ammon thought we could see the whole world from the top of a hill. Their favorite thing by far was the rope swing at the beginning of the trail. By the time we got back home we were all tired and hungry but I'm so glad we did it. The boys love getting out to roam free. Poor Rylee is always stuck in a stroller but when we let her out we end up chasing her everywhere. She seems to handle it well.

The boys are both done with school tomorrow... I don't know what we'll do all summer, but it will be nice to have the freedom of not needing to be anywhere.

Three Piggy Opera!

Ammon was in his second class play last week. He was one of the three little piggy's. His teacher tends to give him big parts in their plays because he totally goes all out when he's acting. He was adorable. He had practiced his part over and over at home (even Cohen knew it) but when he did it in front of everyone and he had to sing up high, his voice totally squeaked! He is such a love. Today he came up to me and said, "I just love you mommy. You're the best mommy in the whole world."

This is his last week of school and I am sad. Not because he will be home all summer but because my little boy is done with Kindergarten and it flew by!

My garden is growing! I'm so proud. This picture was taken last week and it's grown much more since then.

Our crazy girl. She loves to wear her purse all over and put random things in it. She also loves her babies and is getting good at helping to clean up her own messes. When she spills anything, even crackers, she runs to get a towel and wipe it up! That's my girl.

We had a fun, busy weekend. I uploaded 200 pics taken from Friday until today. So, more to come...

Busy!

I've been so busy lately I haven't even been able to think about blogging. My mom came last week from Tuesday until Friday and like always it went by in a flash! We never get to do all we want. The kids showered her with attention and affection the moment she arrived until she left. They are all in love with their Grandma. But I think the feelings are mutual. She can never say no to them. She was buying them treats, taking them to McDonald's, to the park, and bought them a movie. We found that her and Cohen are very similar. They both focus a lot of their thoughts on FOOD! Grandma is a celebrity when she comes and we hate to see her leave.

I hosted a shower for my friend on Thursday night and I couldn't have done it without my mom. I was bummed that it fell on the last day she was here because she spent the morning cleaning my house, the afternoon running errands with me and the evening taking care of the kids, helping me cook and cleanup after the party. She was amazing and was more than happy to lighten my load. Such a wonderful lady!

We had a warm weekend. The temperature reached ninety-seven degrees on Sunday. Luckily the evenings cooled down quickly so that we were able to sleep cooler. We've been looking for a new rental house but haven't been able to find anyone that doesn't want a year lease. We aren't wanting to get stuck in a contract. So I think we will just get through the summer. Yuck.

Saturday I helped at a YW carwash, took the kids to a birthday party, and then we went swimming with friends and BBQ'd. After church on Sunday we all took long naps, ate dinner and went to the park.

Didn't take any pics this weekend or when my mom was here. Lame. The baby is moving like crazy and I feel like all I think about is food. I'm nervous to get my weight at the doctor's tomorrow. I've been stalking random blogs looking for cute boy names. I've got one I like and Jody has one he likes. We both aren't bending. So if you've heard any good ones let me know! Boy names are hard.

weekend review

Played in the sun.

Serenaded mom.

Tried to look innocent. But we know better...Like trying to destroy my garden!


Ate yummy ice cream at cold stone.

Let mommy and daddy chase me around at Ammon's t-ball game.

Entertained with my funny faces.

Played in the water. Dumped it on my brothers. Made Cohen cry. Easily and frequently done.

Jumped and jumped and jumped.

Grew and grew. It' s amazing how quickly the body remembers. Ugh.

Felt lots and lots of love, all around.

Ammon snuck this note under my bedroom door after going to bed one night. He forgot the word love but this is just an example of how much love he shows me. I heard him wake up and run downstairs to get my Mother's Day present early this morning. He had hidden it from me. It was a plate with a picture he drew of himself on it. He also made me a card, told me over and over how much he loved me, gave me lots of extra hugs and kisses, made everyone sing Happy Mother's Day To You and practiced extra hard to sing "Mother I Love You" at church today. When I first told him about Mother's Day last week he didn't even know there was such a thing. He's grown up a lot this year. I wish I could freeze him at this age. He's PERFECT. We were able to spend some extra time together this week. I went to his kindergarten field trip at Howarth Park, took him to lunch after t-ball and took he and Cohen to the park yesterday evening. I love our conversations. He is such a sweet boy. There is NOTHING better than being a mommy.

Happy Birthday!

To my dear, sweet, giving mom! I think this was my parents engagement picture. I love it. Honestly they don't look that much older now. People are always commenting on how young my parents look and yes even you mom!

I am so blessed, so lucky to have such a wonderful mother. She's set the example for me. I hope I can live up to how perfect she has been as my mother, to my own children. She's the kind who would drop ANYTHING at ANYTIME if you needed her. She loves her children and grandchildren beyond anything. Each month she is traveling somewhere to see one or a few of us and when she comes she is the easiest guest to have. She helps cook, clean, and tend to kids and she doesn't have to be entertained. My mom is also always up for anything. She's a gamer. Loves to play board or card games, go shopping, on a walk, out to eat (especially this one) or go to an amusement park and go on roller coaster rides.

She truly has become a best friend to all of her girls. I love you mom! Hope you have a great day. I wish I were there to enjoy your yummy birthday cake with you.

A few more...

I forced Larry and Jody to take me to a place in Georgia called Heritage Park to take pictures of the kids the last day we were there. Jody didn't give me much time. So next time I will be going back. But it was such a fun place. Larry took the one of our family. Obviously everyone didn't cooperate, Jody! His face says it all.

So my first photography class is over. It was on Jessica Sprague's website with Candice Stringham. I HIGHLY recommend it to those who would like to get their camera's out of auto. I am proud to say I'm a full manual user now! You also don't have to have a super nice, expensive camera to take the class. Now I am on to her portrait class with my sister Kasey. So far I'm really excited with the direction she is going in. I hope to come out of it with better shots. I'm also going to take Jessica's photoshop class.

I can't believe school gets out in a month! I'm not ready to have all three kids home full time but I'm also excited to be able to have a little more freedom for going to visit my parents or heading to see my cousin Jami in Vacaville on a weekday.

I've started a garden! Not a big one. We have a miniature yard. I bought three wine barrels, filled them with soil and as soon as the rain stops I'll be planting tomatoes, zucchini, squash, herbs, strawberries, and green beans. Supposedly anything can grow in this climate almost year round. Our family didn't have a garden growing up so this is my first go at it and I'm hoping my thumb is green. I am proud to say that I've had a plant and kept it alive in our house for almost four years! That says something right?

Jody and I are going on the stake Trek in one month! We will be a Ma and Pa and will have a group of 7-8 teenagers for three days. We will be dressed like pioneers and pull a hand cart and camp out in the open. I'm so excited that they asked us to go and that my mom is willing and able to come stay with our kids. It is going to be a WONDERFUL experience!

Truth

When I found out I was pregnant I FREAKED out. Think hyperventilating, calling Jody bawling. Seriously this was NOT a planned pregnancy. I'm ashamed to admit that I was devastated. And I did feel guilty about those feelings knowing of so many who have a difficult time getting pregnant and who I can imagine desperately want children. But that still didn't console me because I just wasn't ready.

This may be too much information but I had stopped taking my birth control in October because it was making me a huge emotional/hormonal wreck. So on to condoms. My husband is not a fan but during all of this my OBGYN group split up and they all either moved or retired. So it was more then just a quick fix of calling and switching my birth control. We continued with condoms. Well as you all know it only takes one slip up and that's all it took this time.

We wanted to have another baby but we were going to wait until Rylee was at least two before we started trying so she'd be almost three by the time we had the baby. I have had a two year old and a newborn twice and it's hard.

Jody was gone at Young Men's the night I decided to take the test. He had no idea I was taking one. I called him crying and he was actually excited. He was excited because his attitude was, "Let's get this done." If we are having one more why wait. The next few days and weeks were hard for me. I was really depressed. I was just starting to feel like I was getting things under control again. Working out regularly, getting a little me time and feeling comfortable in my life. And an unplanned pregnancy threw me way off.

Over time the shock started wearing off and though I'm still weary of having four people rely on me for their every need, I really am excited and feel very blessed to have this baby boy (have no idea what we'll name him). I am eager to meet him, hold him and see who he looks like. But not so excited to start nursing, lose sleep and have a post pregnant body. Just last night Jody mentioned that he's not looking forward to cleaning tar off of the baby's butt. I just thought it was funny that we've come that far. That he even knows and remembers so well each stagee we will go through.

When I look at each of my kids, knowing how much I love them, I have feelings of giddiness (is that a word?) and I know this is just all part of a greater plan that I'm lucky to be apart of. And to tell you the truth when I found out we were having another boy I had feelings of wanting to possibly, just possibly, try for one more. To give Rylee a sister..., or perhaps another brother. Who knows. Go ahead and say it because I already know that I'm crazy.