Our newest primary goer

Yesterday (the day before Buster was to attend his first day of primary) Jaron said excitedly "Buster, did you know you are going to be a sunbeam tomorrow?!" To which Buster replied face alive and excited with a gasp "in the sky?!!"  Then later he said to me with an empathetic look on his face whilst nodding "mom are you gunna miss me when I go up in the sky tomorrow?" 

I'm pretty sure he thought his little body was going to be transformed into a little beam of light in outer space. 

Unfortunately it was way less climatic than that, but he was a good boy nonetheless. Can't believe my baby's already a sunbeam. Heaven help us. 

And then there was that one time, when we spontaneously decided to make over our fan. When we painstakingly spent two hours, sanding, spraying, cleaning, and painting it, only to see the rope that we had ever so carefully, tied to the motor, to hang it from our garage ceiling, so as to enable easy access to all sides for spraying with the rustoleum, break and send our motor crashing into our concrete, garage floor. I.e. that was two hours spent in vain.

Me and My Girls

My heart is full this holiday season. I have been doing a Christmas countdown of sorts with my kids that my Mom sent me. It has been so great to turn the focus everyday back to Christ and to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. It's so easy to get lost in the celebrating. It's ironic that even trying our best to celebrate and create Christmas traditions can bring us stress. Especially as mother's. This year I have tried my best, to let the unimportant things go, and cling to the important. This scripture read, with an added act of service (which I added to my Mom's list, and which is our gift to Christ everyday) has really brought the meaning home for us. 

My heart is very full this Christmas Season. I'm feeling very blessed for my situation in life. Blessed to have family that loves me and cares about me. Blessed to have four beautiful children who are thriving and growing and rambunctious, even though sometimes they drive me crazy.  Grateful for a husband who loves me and the kids and works so hard for us so that I can stay home and raise my minions.  Grateful for good friends who inspire me and make me a better person. Grateful for my health and my mind. My testimony, and my spirit. I'm grateful for good books, and cozy fires. I'm grateful for a warm, beautiful house, ,that is filled with memories, both good and bad. Grateful for the bad, because they make me stronger. Grateful for the good, because it gives me hope. 

But mostly I'm grateful for that sacred day so long ago, in Bethlehem, When the Savior of the world, was born in a humble stable. How much love must have been there on that night, with his beautiful, and faithful Mother Mary, and patient, and obedient Joseph.  I love thinking of the birth. I love imagining what I would bring the savior if I were a wise man. This year my gift to him, is an added measure of patience with my children. It's a goal to show my husband more love on a daily basis by doing random acts of service, it is to reach out to a widow, who I have not spoken to in over five years. It is to spend time in sincere prayer every day. It is to fulfill my callings in the church, and do my best to be spiritually guided by them. Really these gifts are not for him, but I know that by doing them, they make Him happy. He really is the gift, and I am forever blessed by His gift. 

I learn more about the atonement every time I stumble. Just when I think I have something figured out, I am humbled yet again to realize I am so far from perfect. I'm so grateful for repentance. For forgiveness. I know that I can be as close to my Savior as I will let myself. I know he is constantly inviting. Inviting all to come unto him. Inviting us to repent. To pray. To ask. To recieve his blessings. It's up to me to come unto him.  And this Christmas Season I will do my best to do just that. 

Happy Holidays Friends. You are loved. 

Dear Miss Ruby

The Birthday Girls

Dear Miss Ruby,

I cannot believe that you are already one years old. I wanted to write you this letter, so that one day you can read it, and know how cute and adored you were as a one year old. Because you are my fourth child, I know from experience, that if I blink too much you won't be a baby anymore.  Thus, I have tried my best this year to stop and enjoy you as much as I could. We have snuggled, and nursed, and played.

Ruby, you have such a sweet spirit. If I could say one quality that I have noticed in you, it is that you are just peaceful. Your default face is a little peaceful, content smile. Even if you are the only one still waiting for breakfast or waiting to be nursed as Mom gets other kids ready for school, the default smile says "It's ok Mom, I know I'll get my turn". You are so patient and content.

You have been a dreamy sleeper. We have our routine. Jammies, blanket, snuggle time, Baby Boats song, then peek a boo for a minute once you are in your crib, and a quick prayer.

The kids adore you. Strangers at the store adore you. Everyone in our ward adores you.

You got your teeth much earlier than my other babies, but you have not bitten me! I think you are very aware of what is going on around you, and you understand much more than I realize. For example, last Sunday you kept pulling off your headband. I really wanted you to wear it, because it looked so cute on you. So I had a little chat with you about how I really wanted you to wear it, and could you just wear it for Mommy, because it looked so cute on you, and you stopped fussing with it after that.

You love to be played with. Your the fourth and all the older kids like to snuggle you and roll around you. Sometimes I think they are playing to tough, but you just laugh. You especially love when Dad throws you in the air.

You are great at communicating by sign language. You sign "more", "all done", and "milk".  Also I know when you really want something because you will start flapping your arms up and down super fast, as if you were a bird ready to fly away.

You are not walking yet, but you are standing up and climbing up and down the stairs. You clap and give high fives and kisses. Your favorite things are stuffed animals. You love to snuggle them and hold them, and eating food. You pretty much eat anything we give you. It's so nice to have a baby that has no problem eating.

I'm grateful for how content you are to run errands with me, and go for a run in the running stroller with me. You rarely make a peep. Your Dad and I often say that you are perfect in every single way, because you hardly cry. The only time you do cry is when Buster is smashing you too hard, when your really really tired, or if we hand you to someone else.

Both of your Grandma's recently came to visit. They were there to celebrate your first birthday with you, and surprisingly you loved being held by both of them. I think you have a special bond with them.

As for being a Momma's girl or Daddy's girl, I think you love us pretty equally. Often you will reach for Dad and smile when I am holding you, only to wait a few seconds, look back and forth from both our faces, and reach back for me, then to him, then to me.

Oh Ruby. Ruby. Ruby. Ruby. I love you so much. You are precious. I'm so grateful you are a part of our family. I can't wait to get to know you better as you grow up.

Olivia's Baptism

I just want to eat this girl up. Ah . She kills me with her cuteness. 

It was a special day today watching Olivia get baptized by her Dad. My heart is full. I'm feeling so much love both for my own family, for my sweet daughter, who made the choice to be baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints today, for my husband, who was able to baptize and confirm Olivia, for our children, who, though squirmy, and at times unruly, did pretty good for little wiggly bodies through the baptismal service, and for family and friends that came out to support us on Olivia's special day. It was such a beautiful day.

After Olivia came out of the water she smiled and hugged her dad. She looked so sweet and beautiful, and I was reminded of how lucky I am to be her mother. I'm so lucky to be her mother. I can't say that enough. The older she gets, the more I realize what a truly unique and special little girl she is. She's going to make a difference in this world with her desire to learn, her desire to reach out to the one lonely person, and her desire to do good. 

It was so neat to have Grandma Brown, Grandpa and Grandma Paxman, and her Aunt Jenny there along with lots of other family and friends.

It was so nice having the help from my Mom and mother in law with the food and kids and things. It's been a great week full of some good memories like watching Home alone for the first time with Liv and watching her face just light up in anticipation. Also Ruby turned 1. I will do a post on that later hopefully. Life is so sweet.  

8 is Great

Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving with Warner's kindergarten class was. . . crazy, but I'm so glad I got to be there. I made the turkey for the class. 

This year we hosted thanksgiving at our house and had some friends that are like family over.  It was such a fun day, and the food was almost as great as the company. 

These two had their own private table. It was adorable. 

Gaging on how messy she got, I think Ruby liked her first thanksgiving dinner. 

Bottoms up!