The Winter is Here

Break out the snow boots, gloves, coats and hats! Winter has arrived. It has been snowing like crazy and this is the first year that Luke goes to school every day and cannot just stay home in a warm house. So each day, we bundle him off and send him off into the bitter cold. He looks so cute and snuggly that I had to take a picture. Reminds me of the little guy in A Christmas Story! Boy do I miss California in months like this! Remind me why we are in Utah???

Spy Kids

Spy kids has been the latest game at the Childs. Luke watched the movie on Disney channel during naps one day and convinced Harlee it was really cool. They dress up in their spy clothes and go around on missions. Luke is usually the one in charge. The other day while they were in disguise I said "Luke and Harlee..." to which Harlee quickly corrected me "Spy Kids". I LOVE when they play together and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next!

Another Year

I just uploaded the blog up to this point to make into a book that we can always have. I am so excited. Our own little family history. So this post will start the book next year. I cannot wait to see what this year brings. We look forward to adding another little one into our family and I know that many more fun times will come! I am excited to write them down and cherish all the memories.

A Year in Review

Well maybe not a year in review but I would like to just write a little update on each of the kids. I am going to have this blog made into a book of memories each year and need a good post to end with. So let me start by saying how blessed we have been this year. Our family has grown by one and we got the news that we will be having another! The kids are all growing and making each day exciting.

Luke is growing up too fast. He has been enjoying kindergarten and learning the limits. He still loves to draw and we are so impressed by what he comes up with. He always makes us laugh with the remarks that come out of his mouth. We had another school incident where he pulled his pants down after the 6th grade play. When I asked him why he did this he said "I thought it would be funny but it was not!" You think Luke?? He is always wanting to make people laugh and is learning that sometimes those antics have consequences. He is already developing such a knowledge of the gospel and strong testimony. When he gives our prayers it is amazing the things that he says. He is so wise beyond his years. He is such a fun brother and plays really well with Harlee. He is a great help with Nash and can make Nash crack up at any given moment. We are truly grateful to have Luke in our family.

Harlee has changed so much over this last year. She has grown into a little lady. She is quite the daddy's girl and loves to make him laugh by tooting or burping. She loves to be a big sister to Nash and refers to him as her "baby". It is really funny lately because they are about the same size. She loves to do anything that Luke does and even orders the boy toy at McDonald's. So much for my girly girl! She has been doing this funny thing lately where she smacks at the end of her sentences which there seems to be a lot of. She is quite the talker! She loves to play in her room with her dolls and kitchen. She also loves to play in the soap and water which is where we often find her in a quiet moment. Harlee is loving her dance class and asks every day if she has her dance class. She feels so grown up to have something of her own. Harlee is truly a blessing in our family.

Nash has definitely changed the most over this last year. He is such a little man now. He is very busy and into everything. He is not walking yet but crawls everywhere and pulls himself up on everything. He still loves the Wiggles and if I need a moment I can just put him in his high chair with snacks and the Wiggles! He will sit still for up to an hour! Nash has such a sweet spirit about him and is always happy. He also has the greatest laugh and there is nothing better than hearing him crack up. He is also a big fan of Dora and Diego. When the music starts he does his special dancing bounce- too cute. Nash is the best eater and although he will not eat baby food, he will eat anything that we do and love it! He is only going to be 18 months when the next one arrives but knowing how easy going Nash is, I am not worried. He is just a dream child and we feel so lucky to be his parents.

As I think back on this last year I realize once again the love that Heavenly Father has for us. We have so many blessings that we enjoy and have the greatest family to share them with. We are truly blessed!

Did I sign up for this?

I will be the first to admit that being a mom, although very rewarding, is a physically hard job. Today I was reminded that it is also emotionally hard. Luke came running off the bus today with a bloody nose. When I asked him about it he told me the following story:

Tanner told Cade to slap me in the face and he did.

Cade is Luke's little best bud and this made me really sad. We have struggled with Tanner for many years. He is a couple years older and loves to bully. I guess this happened on the way to school this morning. The bus driver stopped the bus and talked to Luke and Cade. He told Cade that if this was to happen again he would have to get a ride to school. So what to do? What a tough situation. I know that if it was me I would want to know that Luke had done this. So I called Cade's mom and left a message. I hope she calls me back.

So hard to let your kids go. I wish I could just be there with Luke at all times. I could help him make correct choices and protect him from situations like this. It is so hard to let him go and live his own life. I cannot imagine how much harder this mom journey is going to get. I will focus on the fact that being a mom has taught me to love more than I ever thought possible. We will focus on the good!!

Breakfast of Champions

I guess I am already playing the pregnancy card. When nothing sounds good to you I think you are a little more lenient as to what you feed your kiddos. This morning I made them eggs for breakfast but then they begged me for oreos. It is after all 8 am, sure why not? Great way to start the day huh? I just loved these pictures, they all are so cute.

My Special Day

Friday was my birthday and it was such a great day. Joey was able to take the day off so I knew that we would have a nice time together. The day started offf with coming downstairs to find all the faces I love sitting by a stack of presents. They were all anxious to wish me a happy birthday. What a great start to my birthday! Then we were lucky to go to our first dr appt for this new little babe. The doctor said everything is looking great and we really appreciated that news. Then we were so grateful that grandma would babysitt the little ones so we could go to lunch. We went to California Pizza Kitchen and had the best food. I just love the quiet time that Joey and I get to spend together. We talked all about his trip and I loved every second. We then spent a little time shopping which is definitely what every gal wants to do on her birthday. The rest of the day we spent together as a family and it was all I could have wanted.

Saturday morning my dad had Jenna and I over for a birthday breakfast. He made us eggs, bacon, toast and a big mug of hot chocolate. We usually go out to breakfast on our birthday but I am all for a change in tradition. The homemade breakfast was so much better! Thanks Dad!

Sunday we had my whole family, minus my dad because he has gout, over for a birthday dinner. This was a big deal and it was so great. We all had a great time and I got to enjoy a family dinner with the most important person to me. Thank you so much Joey for making this happen. It meant the world to me.

I just want to mention the person with whom I have always shared this day with- Jenna. She is the best twin. I don't know what I would do without her. We have such a strong friendship and I love that we are so close. If I have to share my special day, there is no one I would rather share it with.

*My mom made these cute aprons for our presents. Love them!

Really? So soon?

These are the questions that were going through my mind as I looked at the test! We found out a few weeks ago that we are expecting another baby. We knew that we wanted to have a fourth child but we just did not know it would happen so soon. We are really excited though. Nash and this baby will be 18 months apart. Just one more thing to add to the craziness. We went on Friday to our first appointment. The dr said it was too soon to hear the heartbeat but my uterus seems to be growing at the right pace. My due date is June 16th! We are really excited to have another cute baby come to our family and feel so blessed to be parents.

Cuddly Dudley

On Thursday, Luke came home from school with an extra backpack. In this little backpack was a book and a cute teddy bear. He told me that it was his turn for "Cuddly Dudley" and he was super excited. He got to do lots of things with this bear and then write about them in the journal. The next day, he got to sit in the teacher's chair and tell the class about his day with Cuddly Dudley. I love to watch Luke learn and experience new things. He is such a smart kid!

Halloween- A Two Day Affair

Since Halloween fell on a Saturday, the festivities started on Friday. Luke was a Clone Trooper and Harlee was Tinkerbell (we had originally decided to do cheap Halloween by borrowing costumes but that idea went out the window when Joey let Luke look at the costumes in St. George. I could not be mad at all when I saw their excitement and how cute they looked in their costumes!) Nash was a lion and they all looked so great. Friday started with a trip to Luke's school to watch the costume parade. Who knew this was such the affair! Luckily my friend Jenny saved us a seat because by 9am it was packed. We had to walk a mile to get to the school! But it was worth it. Luke looked great and was excited to see us. It was really fun to watch him in his element. He is definitely the class clown. So not like his parents- ok maybe like his dad!!

After school we got ready to go to Joey's work to the annual trick or treating. Before we left, Grandma and Grandpa stopped by to see the little ones in their costumes. They were so excited to show off their new looks! The work party was very successful and they left with very full bags of treats.

The next day was officially Halloween. Mimi, GP, and Brennan stopped by to see the kids and bring them some treats. It was a great kick off to the night. Once it started to get dark we were off! We all went to the first few houses and then Nash and I came home to pass out candy. Joey took Luke and Harlee all around the neighborhood and they had a blast. They got so much candy and had a hard time falling asleep that night.

A Great Day

So last Sunday night, Joey and I were enjoying a rare occasion where we get to sit together and chat. We did homemade pizzas for dinner which means we kind of eat in shifts. So the kids were all playing nicely together and we were loving the moment. Joey was in the middle of a conversation when he said, "You know I am taking tomorrow off right?" I so did not know and it was the best surprise, especially since I definitely love surprises. So we decided to go to Sweet Tomatoes (seriously owe you Joe!!) for lunch which was cause for so much excitement from almost everyone. After a fun lunch (it is amazing that we can actually enjoy lunch with 3 kids. Definitely never thought that would be possible but they were all so good) we went to this little pumpkin patch. The kids enjoyed the corn maze and each got to choose a pumpkin. We came home, enjoyed homemade spaghetti, and decorated our pumpkins (Joey's great idea. Who needs to carve when you can draw. Much less mess is what I think Joey was thinking!) Thanks so much Joey for the great surprise and the perfect day!!