Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Yesterday my mom turned 51! We had a fun birthday party/dinner for her at our house after church. The cake was a delicious flop...the nameless person who made the cake will have to practice getting it out of the pan in one piece!

My sister left her camera, lucky for me because I didn't get any pictures.

Please be patient with me as I try to figure out how to use blogger! Does anyone else find it difficult???? I am struggling!

Oh, and I also gave Emmett another haircut yesterday. Doesn't he look BIG! He is the best little man and sits so nicely so that I can cut his hair.

You're never too old to get a gift in a Victoria Secret bag Mom!

Soccer, Pinewood Derby, grace, and BOY

Ok so I am being super lazy with this post but there is so much to say and so little time so here it goes. At least it's all documented in one form or another, right.

 I love Adelle to death. I love all my kids and I don't have a favorite but we found out on Thursday that we are having a BOY so this means lots of things, including the fact I can still say that Adelle is my favorite girl in the whole wide world!! That makes me happy.

My friend Mindi is wonderful and also an ultra-sound tech so I get special privileges with each pregnancy and Thursday didn't disappoint. The picture was obvious and I could hear the little man yelling, "please tell my mom I'm a boy so she doesn't keep calling me Clara!" That was my pick of a girls name but hey, don't have to worry about that now. Thanks Min!

This morning was another soccer game. Braxton is doing great and today was his teams best game by far. They were awesome. Braxton said a special prayer last night that he would play well today and he definetly did. I love his faith.

The ward pinewood derby was tonight and our family ate a lot of chili and humble pie! Our cars were cute; Emmett's was a fire truck, Adelle's was Dora, and Braxton's was a lego dude thing, but they were slow and some didn't even make it to the finish line. Poor Braxton was disappointed. No-one else neither noticed, nor cared. I may have scolded my husband by saying something like, "dude, you're an Eagle Scout, can't you make a derby car?" and he answered with, "no! I have never had a winning car!" So.... this is our goal for the future. We will have a lot of boys to practice with :)

and last but not least my favorite part of the day....
Reading scriptures before bed with our kids and in the scripture is the word "grace." Adelle asks me what grace means and I say it's a gift that we are given for free from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ blah, blah, blah, because I am tired and my brain is dead. I look at Jeff and he notices my need of help, to which he gives the most wonderful explanation:

"Ok sis, let's say you really wanted to eat a piece of chocolate cake but the rule was you would have to eat all of your dinner first. So you eat, and eat, and eat, but there is still more dinner and you are too full to eat anymore. So you don't get the cake, until, Heavenly Father and Jesus come and eat the rest of your dinner. They clean your whole plate and now you get to have cake. That is grace."

It was a perfect example and after he was done my sweet little girl looks at me and says, "so mom, how come you don't know what grace means???" Classic Adelle.

April 2012 Roadtrip

Jeff and I with our newest and biggest business purchase thus far. What a big moment!

Adelle looking straight ahead to avoid getting car sick. Poor babe did great on the road trip!

Emmett refusing to sleep in the car and occupying himself with anything he could find... his feet were this choice apparently.

And last but not least, the easiest traveler, the one who slept the most and needed to the least. Braxton Allan. Isn't it ironic. The beginning of this month we took a road trip to Utah to pick up the machinery that we bought for the business and of course to visit all the family we have in the area. It was such a wonderful trip. I really enjoy going on road trips with my family and I have many memories from growing up and going on roadtrips. This road trip I think was the best we've had yet. We started out on Friday after Braxton got out of school. We hit the road and didn't look back to the hail we were having on the second to the last day of March. We drove and Adelle threw up, but I was prepared and caught it in the bag. We kept driving and met my parents in Ellensburg at a little burger joint for dinner. Then they went south and we went North and ended up getting into Spokane late that night. Emmett didn't sleep the whole way. What a stinker. Adelle and Brax slept for like the last hour. We got there and the guy checking us in was old and wanted to shoot the breeze. It was annoying, we just wanted to get into a room and sleep. We ended up doing that soon enough and the next morning we ate their free breakfast and took a swam in their pool. Then we blew that pop-sickle stand and went to see our good friends in Spokane. We had a good visit there, the kids played outside, we ate lunch, and then back on the road until dark. We made an out-of-the-way stop to see my good friend from high-school/college who hasn't met any of my kids except for Braxton. Courtney was working at a restaurant in Mt. so we ate there and visited with her. Then I took the wheel and we made it eventually to our brother and sister's in Idaho where we stayed the next couple days with them and another brother. We really enjoyed our time in Idaho. These uncles and auntie are so good to our kids, and us, and we all love being around them. Andrew and Rachel are building a fantastic home and we got to see the progress and all the boys got to help pour the sidewalks while we were there visiting. Then it was on the road after a nice break to our final destination, UT. We stayed with Jeff's parents and brother in Utah and spent lots of time with them and with cousins. The kids all slept together with their cousins and constantly played. The weather was beautiful and I got to run in the mornings (busted 6 tubes in my jogging stroller because of dang Utah thorns). We fed horses and played at the park a lot. We saw my brother and his fiance' and ate at Cafe Rio' (not enough times). I met up with a good old friend for dinner and we talked for hours until they kicked us out of the restaurant. love her! We hung out with another sister and her family and I kicked Jeff's bum at ping-pong... We drove the kids by the first place we lived. A little basement apartment in the ghetto of Provo. They didn't really think much of it but we enjoyed it. On the last day there we picked up the new equipment early and headed home. We drove straight through and got home in the middle of the night. The kids all slept a lot of the way and it was a smooth and relaxing trip. The funniest quote of the trip was from Adelle. We were driving home and it was getting late, just after we stopped for dinner. We told the kids to take a nap because we were almost home. Adelle sweetly said, "how are we almost home if I haven't even thrown up yet?" Poor girl knows how she gets in the car! We ended up making it home without her getting sick at all. Horray. Braxton sweetly responded to her comment with, "Adelle, maybe you aren't going to throw up this time. You don't always throw up in the car." We had a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone who hosted us so well and who made arrangements to see us. And to those we didn't see.... we will next time. It was a busy trip!

weekend

We caged up the kids and got busy on the raspberries. Everyone won! If you think we are producing kids fast.... you should see our raspberries. When we bought our home 6 years ago this month we transplated 4 raspberry plants from my Gramy's. Since then they have practically taken over our backyard. We love them and want all of them so we are trellising them up and putting them into rows to make them a little more manageable. (If you want some raspberry plants email me or comment because we have lots to share!!!!)

A Happy 30th Birthday!!

So back in February I turned 30! It was awesome. My parents had my kids overnight and Jeff and I spent the day in Harrison Hot Springs, BC (one of my favorite places). We went out to a nice dinner and went to bed early and read together. Then we went to church on Sunday, by ourselves, which wasn't my favorite, but relaxing, and then over to my parents for a birthday/Super Bowl Party. The weather was beautiful and I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful birthday.

And most importantly, and excitedly.... we found out that Emmett is going to be a BIG brother. We will welcome baby #4 in early October. Horray!

*The picture is me trying to act shocked, just for picture sake. The funny thing is I totally was not shocked. Nor was Jeff. This baby had a way of pronouncing itself from the beginning and we knew we were pregnant instantly. What a miracle in the making.

10 years from now....

Sometimes I find myself gazing at my children and picturing them in ten years from now. This afternoon as I was going back outside after answering a phone call I stopped myself to take in this image. My three little ones. Lying on the blanket I had been lying on. Talking to each other. Giggling. The girl has her calves up in the air and is tapping her feet. The babe is making weird noises with his mouth. The young man is looking at the magazine I had left laying there. They are all talking together but I don't know about what.

I picture them in ten years laying on the blanket together. Talking about their day. Talking about different friends and different scenarios. Talking about stuff together that they may or may not talk about with me.

I like what I see on the blanket. I like that they have each other. That they truly love to be together. I like thinking about them in 10 years. I like the friends they are and the confidents they will be come. I like thinking about my own brothers and sister when I look at my kids.

Siblings are such a blessing!

Happy Easter 2012

Before I back track I will post about Easter. It was wonderful. Record breaking temperatures and sunshine. A houseful of family and excited kids. Good dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and lots of chocolate. I have eaten more candy in the last three days than I have in the last 2 years. Seriously and so far no regrets. It's tasting delicious!

Jeff's sister and her family are staying with us this week for their Spring Break. We have loved having them. Braxton gets to play with a cousin only 3 days older than him and Adelle gets teenage girls to pamper with and baby to cuddle. We are all having fun.

Hip Hip Horray for....

Californ - I - A!

So I am WAY behind on blogging and it's a place I don't like to be. I want to catch up but it's overwhelming to me.... so much is going on! So many "best days!"

A couple weeks ago I took the opportunity to go to California with some of my oldest/closest friends to visit one of our other oldest/closest friends who lives there. It was so wonderful!!!!

Our friend Jama sent out the invite months ago, calling us all down for a visit to her beautiful California place. I was totally on the fence. Should I go? Should I not go? What about my kids? Jeff and the business? Money? Meals for my family while I was gone?...

I had decided not to go when Jeff came home from a job and gave me a wad of cash and basically said, "this is for California, GO!" So I did. I said yes and my friend Christen booked the flight.

Yes! The best thing I ever could have said. After that moment things got real busy/crazy. Jeff started working super long days, hours, weeks. Saying yes was the best thing I could have done because let me tell you the last week before I left I was counting the days until take off!

It was a wonderful time. So incredibly wonderful. Jama and her husband John were the best hosts. They met our every need and I even was spoiled to sleep in the bed. From the airport after the flight we went straight to the beach where we had a picnic that Jama had packed. Then we went home to dinner on the deck that John had made us. We got to go on long walks, runs, shopping, Hollywood, the beach.....

It was so nice and relaxing. I totally was able to relax. I knew Jeff had the kids under control, and I had my mom/sister/aunt lined up to feed them dinner so I didn't even worry about a single thing. It was pure bliss.

I love these dear ladies. I love that we have known each other for 10-20 years. I love that we are all really the same as we were back then, except that we've grown up. I love that we are all living pretty different lives but we still have so much to share. I love that I took this time for myself.... because I needed it and I am not one who can take time for myself unless I am completely removed from the situation (aka jumping on a plane and flying to Cali!)

Cheers!

*oh and more for my own record...the first two times I called home Brax answered the phone and I called him sis. Both times. The first time he didn't mind, the second time he said something like, "mom!!! why do you keep calling me sis??" I guess I need to talk to my kids on the phone more. They sound identical, it's rough. I told Jeff he should have warned me that Braxton sounds like Adelle on the phone. He's the one that they usually are on the phone with when he is coming home from work.