Someday....

I'll miss this time with my kids so much.  Every day is LITERALLY an adventure.  I've been thinking I could write a book with the things they say and do.

Today's experience at the Post Office with 3 toddlers was no exception.

Or the cuddle time/chat I had this afternoon with Maddie.

Or the talk Emma and I had yesterday.

Or my morning hugs from Briggs.

So today, I might be wishing they would stay just this size a little longer.  I love the hugs, kisses and unconditional love.  I love the crazy adventure, messes and laughter.  I am so blessed.

A Day in the Life

Yesterday was a funny day.  Maddie wasn't feeling well, so we had a pretty lazy day as far as regular routine stuff.  I finished stuffing and addressing the Christmas letters, though!

Briggs spends a lot of time in just a diaper.  He drools a lot, makes lots of messes, and eats a lot.  So a diaper is easiest, especially now that he has stated using the potty.  One of my beehives was over hanging out when he woke up from his nap.  She went in his room to get him, and I warned her, "Hey, sorry, he's kind of naked."  She came with him on her hip, and he was LITERALLY completely naked.  Haha!  Apparently he took his diaper off while he was in there.  I love that Lacie just acted like it was no big deal that my kid was naked.  Glad we're still friends after she has seen how we really are in this house! :)

Maddie and Emma kept bugging each other.  I could hear them arguing a little bit.  Pretty soon Maddie came running into the kitchen and said, "Mom!  Go talk to Emma!  She is being SO disrespectful of me!!"  I have to admit I use that one a lot, I just think it's hilarious when that girl throws out words and phrases like "disrespectful" "ridiculous" "That is not an option!"

When our bedroom windows are open, the master bathroom is in full sight.  So I am constantly asking the girls to shut that door, especially when I'm in the shower, etc.  Yesterday, I went in there while Emma was going the the bathroom and she yelled, "Mom!  Shut the door or the whole world will see me!"

Emma's food was hot and she asked me to "Fwoo" on it.  I said, "Blow on it?"  "No, fwoo on it!  Fwoo!  Fwoo!"  (the sound our mouths apparently make when we are blowing on things to cool them down)

I know Heavenly Father loves me

This morning I woke up early and went to the store for a just a few things for pre-school.  Found myself putting things like powerade and applesauce and bananas in my cart.

I came home to find Maddie sick with a flu bug.  She hadn't even eaten anything yet and had been sick a couple of times while I was gone.  And I just "happened" to have the only 3 things she can keep down while she is sick.

I am grateful for the opportunity I was given to teach Maddie how much her Heavenly Father loves her, that he would tell me to get some things at the store to make her feel better, even though I didn't know she was sick.

Tender mercies of the Lord.  So grateful.

Day Off

Yesterday Jared had the day off.  We went to our niece's Christmas program at school, the store and then finished up a few Christmas gifts at home.  Then we decided to take a quick trip to Salt Lake to see Temple Square.  It was snowing in Pocatello when we left, and rained the rest of the way.  It rained the whole time we were in Salt Lake, but that just gave everything a cooler look.  It was SO beautiful and fun.  Our kids were excited by about everything they saw.

As we came into Salt Lake, Emma suddenly had to use the bathroom.  She can be a little bit dramatic, but when she says, "Mom!  I'm going to go in my pants!"  I take her pretty seriously.  Traffic was a joke, so at a never-ending stoplight, the girls and I bailed from the car, and walked down to City Creek mall to find a bathroom.  It took a while to FIND a bathroom, and then we walked in and it was a one stall bathroom, with a line of about 15 people waiting.  We waited... and waited... and then someone let us cut.  Apparently Emma's dancing was making her as nervous as me.

After that, we explored City Creek.  The fountains, the fish, Mrs. Clause telling a story, the lanterns with interactive Christmas stories, the bridges, the lights, the animals prints.  Oh, and escalators and elevators!  Our kids didn't know what those were, and loved them.

Briggs rode on Jared's shoulders for the first time.  He was no help holding on and it was like he was reclining while he was up there.  Jared had to lean way forward to keep him from falling off.  But Briggs wad the biggest smile on his face the ENTIRE time.  So cute!

Temple square was a little crazy, with all the people and the rain, but the kids still thought the lights were cool.  They loved seeing the temple.  We love the North Visitor's Center with all of the pictures, the videos downstairs, and the Christus upstairs.  There were even live Christmas concerts going on while we were there.

We very, very rarely eat out, even fast food is a novelty for our kids.  So it is really fun when we do.  We decided to go to the City Creek food court, so everyone can get what they were feeling like.  Well, the kids usually just get chicken nuggets or something, so that wasn't hard.  Maddie said she wanted a hamburger, so we went ahead and got her one, even knowing she wasn't going to eat it.  We got them situated and started eating.  Jared found some yummy-looking Mexican food.  I got some delicious Chinese food.  Fried Rice and Orange Chicken.  But I was the last to go get my food, and I'm a slow eater, too.  I decided I would just eat it on our way home since it was already 9:30 and the kids were done eating so acting a little silly.  So I took a few bites and we went on our way.  The girls were riding in the double stroller, Maddie holding a cup of water, Emma holding my food in a small "to go" box.  They were so careful with it.  We did great all the way through the mall and got to the elevators.  I pushed the stroller into the elevator, Emma realized what it was and got excited, so she stood up, forgetting the box was on her lap, and all my food spilled all over the elevator floor.  : (  I was so sad, and it was such a mess.  Luckily we got Maddie that hamburger she wasn't going to eat!

We got home very late, but the roads were only wet/a little bit of snow in Utah.  After that they were pretty much bare.  It was a fast trip, but lots of fun and we are glad we went!

Spiritual High

Tonight we had another training on the new youth curriculum for next year, "Come Follow Me."  I love it, I know it will change the Young Women's lives, but I especially know that it will change my life.

I have been searching for something a little more, a little deeper, and it hit me tonight in the meeting that this is it.  It will literally change my life if I allow it to.  IT IS THAT IMPORTANT.

It is my assignment to teach the first Sunday in January to the entire Young Women's.  It will be the first time any of us have taught from the new curriculum, or in its format.  8 leaders, 30 girls, a member of the bishopric and often other visitors join us.  It is a little intimidating.  But after the meeting tonight, I feel my thoughts coming together, and I'm realizing what I need to teach and why.  Or at least some of why, I may never know all the exact reasons.

So tonight, when I thought I was exhausted.  When I had a hard time even having the energy to GO to my meeting, I will be up late, studying and preparing because right now I know I have the help I need.

I feel at peace.  Jared got home today after being out of town, my whole family is sleeping, the smell of our cedar tree surrounds me, the only lights I have on are the Christmas tree lights and the Christmas lights outside, and I can hear the music softly playing from the girls' room.

"Silent night!  Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright..."

So much of the Savior was known at his birth and for years and years before.  "Son of God, love's pure light."  "With the dawn of redeeming grace."  "Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia!"  I believe I was one of those hosts, singing "Alleluia" for my Savior, who redeemed the world, whose pure light and love applies to me, to Jared, to my children, to all.

I know that Christ was born of Mary and I am truly enjoying celebrating Him with my family this month.

President Hinckley:  "None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak His name in reverence and wonder. I worship Him as I worship His Father, in spirit and in truth. I thank Him and kneel before His wounded feet and hands and side, amazed at the love He offers me."

Madelyn Lately

Oh, Miss Madelyn.  How she makes me laugh.  One of her favorite things to do is get her hair done and she always wants me to do her "make-up".  

This is how she talks and smiles after she puts on chapstick.  It cracks me up.

Her hair suddenly seems SO long.  It is still such a pretty color, with a reddish tint to it.

Maddie doesn't like sleeping through the night.  We don't really understand or know why, but she often ends up on the floor in our.  Bad dreams?  Waking up to go potty?  Or just a light sleeper?  Hopefully we outgrow that phase someday! :)

Her Dad obsession has subsided a little bit.  Every once in a while when she cries, she asks for me.  Haha, it has been over a year since she has wanted me over Dad.

At the Dr. a couple of weeks ago, she averaged around the 65th to 68th percentile in everything.  She was very brave while there.  She only has Briggs by 1.5 pound and 4 inches!

Ward Party

Waiting in line for Santa.  The girls can't wait.  Briggs isn't sure exactly what we're waiting for, but he likes being "big" like the girls.  They took pictures of all the kids on Santa's lap, so I'm sure I'll be posting those later.  

Briggs ended up cutting in line once he realized what was going on.  The girl in front of him was NOT happy to be there, and he started getting nervous, and taking steps backward.  By the time it was his turn, he was not excited anymore, and screamed/cried until his turn was over.  It was especially funny since he had been acting so tough about it right before. :)

They had all the kids go up and sing.  The girls both went up and had fun singing.  Santa came in behind them while they were up there, and it was so fun to see their faces when they realized. Next to Maddie are our neighbors who live across the street.  They are about the same age and months apart from my girls.  Lots of fun!

Briggs Lately

Briggs turns 15 months old in a little less than a week!

Briggs LOVE, LOVE, LOVES riding the 4-wheeler.  Rain or shine(or snow!), when we go to Jared's parents house, his dad bundles Briggs up and takes him on a ride.  We had to go home, so Briggs' ride was cut short this day.  He was devastated when we put him in the car.  "Four-wheeler" was one of his first words.

Such a happy little guy.  This is after breakfast, with banana and oatmeal smeared all over his tummy and face.  It is no secret that he enjoys food! :)

He is obsessed with bananas.  When we go to the store and I say, "What do we need?"  He always replies, "BANANAS!"  I used to slice them up so small but he grew too impatient for that.  Now he eats them whole.

Haha, he was trying to unplug that cord and I busted him.  See that innocent, cute face he busted out?

He found a marker that the girls left in the car, and figured out how to take the lid off.  He thought it was fun.

He loves this toy.  But he wants to ride it like a four-wheeler and gets stuck sometimes.

And, the most exciting!  I apologize for the naked picture.  This was his first time on the potty, around 13 months.  I've been working on catching him for #2, and he has had several successes in the last month and a half.  He has had 2 more successes this week, and told me on Sunday in the middle of sunday school that he needed to "poop!".  I didn't get him there in time, but very excited that he understands.

Not so little

I have always loved dressing Emma and Maddie in matching outfits, especially Easter and Christmas dresses.  I've always joked that they will ask me to stop buying them matching dresses when they're 15.

Sunday morning I was helping them pick out their dresses for church and Emma said, "Mom, please can I not wear the same dress as Maddie?"

So today I bought their Christmas dresses... they don't match.  Not even the same color.  And I'm kind of feeling sad and sentimental about it, as silly as that might sound.


Haha, I love their silly faces in this picture!  These three always make me laugh.  Love them so much!

And I have always loved this picture... so so sweet.

Emma Lately

She is growing up so fast, and sometimes I'm not sure I'm ready for it.


She just finished a session of winter swimming lessons, and loved them.  She took the pre-school swimming lessons this summer and was able to test into the next level, even though she isn't old enough.  Her class this winter was definitely a challenging class for her, and sometimes it was hard for me to watch her having to push herself outside of her comfort zone.  But she still loves it- she is doing great in the all the regular things- kicks, strokes, bobs, etc.  The new things that were hard for her are going totally under water, and jumping off the side of the pool onto just a pool noodle, and her back float.  But she is doing all of them, and we are so proud of her.  

On the last day of class, I prepared her all day to jump off the side of the pool to the pool noodle, without her teacher even holding the noodle.  I watched her finally do it in class, and it was a little emotional for me.  It was a moment where I was sad that she was so grown up, excited for her achievement and proud of her bravery.  But after she did it, she looked around until she saw me and gave me a her huge grin and a big thumbs up.  Melted my heart.  And I realized that even though she is getting older and more independent, I'm still her mom, she still needs me.  Sometimes she needs me in a different way than in the past, but she still needs me.

After her surgery, her hearing and speech have really improved.  The Dr. said it was like she was underwater  before, so you can probably imagine the improvement.  She and I have had some of the best conversations lately.  The other night, out of nowhere, she said, "Mom, I might go on mission.  I don't know."

I said, "That's ok.  You can be a missionary now."  We talked about some of the things my sister is teaching/doing on her mission for others, and Emma really got excited when I said she is sharing her testimony.

She said, "I do my testimony.  Up the stairs at church?"  I know that she has been wanting to bear her testimony for a long time, but I thought she just thought it would be cool to talk in the microphone.  So I asked her what she would want to say, and I want to write it down here so I don't forget, it was so sweet.

"I want to bear my testimony.  I know Jesus loves me.  I know the temple makes me happy.  I know the scriptures can help me.  I know my family loves me forever."

She keeps "practicing" for anyone who will listen, and wants to go up in Sacrament Meeting soon.  When we were cleaning the church with the Young Women last week, she stood at the microphone in the primary room and bore her testimony to a couple of the Young Women.  And then she did it again for a few other Young Women with the microphone in the gym that we set up for Young Women in Excellence.  Yesterday I think she shared her testimony with Jared and/or I 9 times.  It is interesting how it has evolved and what she has a testimony of.  It is different every time, and I learn so much from her.

Yesterday they started taking the senior nursery into primary for singing time.  I happened to walk past her classroom and realized that is where they were, so I went and peeked in the primary room.  When did our baby girl get so big?!  I was so ready for her to go to nursery, but not so ready for her to go to sunbeams yet.  Ready or not, I guess... 

Her hair is getting long.  And it is really really thick and she manages to get some really nasty knots and bedhead.  This is only one example of the many mornings we wake up to her fun hair.   



We took the kids to the Pediatrician for check-ups, and Emma was so happy to just be hanging out, not having to get looked at or get shots.  She told me it was because she is so "big" now.