Welcome Layla

My littlest sister and her husband just had their first little baby.

A little girl.

They are such good parents.

My sister in law took pictures. 

They are so cute.

Christmas with a toddler

We had our fabulous tree hunt.

The weather was great and we hiked around while my dad took the little ones on rides in the four wheeler and trailer.

The tree is up.

The decorations are up.

Sam is in love with all balls.

So all glass balls are hanging high.

He also loves the manger scenes.

He has free reign.

It is so fun to see where they are and how they are set up (the 4 year old and 7 year old help with this).

Today I looked over to see him under the tree with an ornament from Reed's youth.  A plastic house with a snowman next to it.  He was knocking on the door.

Man I love him!

Walks

Photo via Kelly the magnificent (see side link).
I know long time....we'll skip the excuses.

Nearly every morning Sam and I go on a walk.

Throughout the nearly 2 miles of the same trail each time, he points out the same things:

"woof woof's" (dogs)

Balls: pumpkins, on the tops of fences, on the steeples of churches

We have our rituals of smelling the roses at that one house where they still smell good even though they are dying, picking up a walnut that has fallen from the walnut tree, collecting acorns, him pushing the button to cross the street, a stem of grapes to eat on the way home from the branch hanging over the fence (of course those are all gone now).

I don't want to forget these moments.  His little chubby finger pointing at the pumpkins "uh, uh".  Even now with his mittens on I can see it pointing.  I am soaking it in.

We're busy...

We're busy...

There is walking being learned

Climbing being mastered

Eating by oneself is being further skilled

Removal of baby quails from window wells (6 to date)

Daily check of window wells for baby quails

There is jr life guarding to be done

Soccer tournaments have been attended and cheered at

Weeds have been pulled and pulled again

There are friends to help move

New callings vying for attention

And friends to play with

Before summer ends.

Family Weeks

A tradition was started in our Stake about 15 years ago where 2 weeks were dedicated to family.  No church meetings (outside of the 3 hour block on Sunday) allowed.  So this time around, since we didn't make plans to go anywhere we planned a "staycation".

On Monday we went to Owlz game.  Jadey and Max both got foul (I almost spelled that fowl) balls and due to a promise made pre and mid game we are now going to be enjoying shaved ice and night out to dinner...nice job Reed :)  Also, Grandma Price took them swimming at the pool.

On Tuesday we hit the $1 movie Hannah Montana movie.  Not too bad.  I actually like the song The Climb and nearly got up to dance during "Bop it, Pop it, Polka Dot it" (and that is my own wording to the song...I guess I should look it up to see what it's really called.)

On Wednesday we hit fat cats for the family deal of 75 min of bowling and some Costa Vida.  I did not win.  Hadley got a strike...with bumpers and a ball going maybe 1 mile an hour.  Actually I think we all got strikes and Reed I both embarrassed each other with double gutter balls at some point.  

Thursday we went to Monsters vs Aliens (it was okay) and took Reed up on his dinner he owed us from Monday.  We chose Wallabys.

Friday/Saturday was another fun swim day with Grandma and Grandpa Price.  Then we went camping.  Well it was in a motor home, but we had an open fire that we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows on, and we pulled out the Coleman stove outside for pancakes, sausages and eggs for breakfast.  We did lots of 4 wheeling and had a great time.

Monday: We went miniature golfing outside and tried shaved ice at a different joint then our usual.  The ice was really soft, but it wasn't as tasty as our favorite place.

Tuesday: We rented a movie and watched it on the big screen downstairs.

Wednesday: Reed had a meeting and we just chilled, but the kids were pretty disappointed.

Thursday/Friday we went camping again.  We had a grand time roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. My dad told us about these Sand Cranes that were nesting in the field next to his.  He tried to hike out and see if he could scare them up, but just ended up scratching himself up on the thistle.  A short time later the two Sand Cranes flew in together.  Talk about majestic.  They have sort of duck style head but their wings were huge and they flew so gracefully.  It was so cool to see.  We took a ride on the four wheelers at dusk and Reed's group scared a doe and fawn that raced them on the other side of a fence because they were trapped in by some sprinklers (hard to describe, but it was fun to watch).  The next morning my parents and Mark and Kattie (it was her birthday) and Will, and Bryan and Stan and Andrea and their crew went to a little town parade and rodeo.  Jadey and Max tried to ride Stear and Emily did Mutton Bustin'.  Now that we have tried it, we will stick to things we are familiar with :).  I was not excited about the possibility of them getting injured.  But they had so much fun.  Then home for dinner with our great friends and then out for a neighborhood gathering of water balloon launching and fireworks...and someone had just gotten back from Wyoming, which meant a great show.  Fun times.

I will edit this as more happens.

We are such fun parents.

The best.

And this is proof.

Two weeks of the year we are really great.

:)

When to switch to a booster

I have been doing some online research on when to switch a child from a 5 point harness to an adult seat belt with a booster.  

There is nothing stated by law except to follow your car manufacturers instructions.

I came across a story of two sisters though.

Both of them were in boosters, the younger was nearly 4, when they were in a low impact accident.  The younger one didn't make it.

Turns out children should be kept in a 5 point harness until they are at least 5 years old.

I thought this was good information to pass along.

What have I got to show for it

We just finished hosting family for two weeks.

For one of the weeks all of Reed's siblings were here.

I don't have one photo to show for it.

His brother downloaded everything together so all the pictures would be in order.

But with 7 siblings and their cameras we ended up with 24 MB of photography.

How many discs would it take to burn all of that?

I am looking forward to going through them all.

It was such a great time.

Eventually I post pictures.

I also want to record the menus and schedule.

Free Paint

I'm in the middle of lots of fun visitors but I just had to let you know.  FREE PAINT.  I just ordered robins egg for the laundry room.

I happened upon a blog today: Dare to Dream

I glanced through the stories.

Inspiring people, a lot of them mothers, with inspiring stories.

One in particular caught my attention.

I actually recognized her maiden name,

read her introduction and knew who she was.

In my freshman year of college there was a girl on my floor that I really admired.  She was upbeat and fun and I enjoyed spending time with her.  She was one of 10 children, and during our freshman year her mother died of cancer.  It was hard to watch her go through this hard thing.  It truly left a lasting impression on me.

The first ward I was in after being married I heard a girl telling a story about her mom passing away while she was serving a mission.  I made the connection (they looked a lot alike) with my freshman friend...they were sisters.

So today I read Rebecca's (the girl from my ward) story about a certain journal entry her mother had made and how it had influenced her life.  

There were some things I took away from it:

A personal journal.  Our public posts are not usually our hearts.  They don't tell the whole story or let the reader really know the person, but a personal journal provides insights into how we deal with the struggles we are faced with and can provide teaching to those that come after us in a way others couldn't.

How do my children see me?  What will they remember?

It made me think about the kind of mom I always wanted to be and why.  Am I being that kind of mom?  Do my kids see me laugh enough?  Will they remember the fun times we had?  Do we have enough fun time?

Am I living the life I want to be living?

I loved what she said, "I don't exist to fit another person's mold, but to be true to my own self, to grow at my own pace."  I tend to compare my inadequacies with everyone else's best.  What a great reminder to look at my life and live it the way I want to remember it and not try to fit any one mold.  And it also reminded me that I only get to do this once.  I don't want to look back and regret having not done things, having not shown enough love, or not created enough fun memories for my children to look back on with fondness.

Sometimes it is good to realize we won't be here forever (even 99 years isn't forever) and look at our lives with the idea of what do we want our families to remember about us. 

The dresser

I also finally printed some pictures from some slides Reed had from his mission.  They are kind of silhouettes of castles.  I am secretly hoping they will urge us to go to Prague sooner then later.

We finally got a bed (headboard/footboard) a couple of years ago.  It's black.  Our dresser is green.  Not really working.

Paint.

I finally decided just to paint the green part black.

This is really cheap...but I just used black acrylic paint in Gloss (the bed had a gloss to it, and gloss hides fingerprints better).

The Chair

I bought this upholstery fabric at a great deal of $3 a yard.  It was suggested that this type of chair needed 7 yards.  So for $21 it went from a red and creamed checker to a blue paisley with slight hints of red and yellow.

This was my first attempt at a slip cover.  I found a great video tutorial and sort of followed it.  I made basic pattern pieces out of butcher paper and then put the fabric on inside out and pinned and sewed.  It took me a long time.  I didn't use enough fabric to tuck all of the edges in.  So it is in no way perfect, but I like the new look.

Projects

Ahhh!

So it must be about a year since I had Sam.

Because I am finally getting around to a bunch of projects that have been waiting a really long time.

For some reason it takes me about a year to get back into full swing.

I'm not 100%. ( I think that would be pre babies)

But definitely getting much done.

I talked Jadey into painting this old chair red with the idea that we would cut out a hole and put a flower pot in it.  

Only we have been out on the porch nearly every evening, in the new rockers Reed and the kids gave me for mothers day.  

And with all of us on the porch, well, one more chair is nice.

So, one of the projects has been to make pillows for the chairs.  Just for cuteness.  I didn't get a colored rocker so I thought I would add some color to it.

When the lights go out

About 1:30 on Monday the electricity went out.

I called the power company.

They told me to check my circuit breaker and make sure it didn't need to just be switched off and then on again.

I had to ask her where it was.

Switched it.

Nothing.

"Okay we'll send someone out."

A short time later I went outside and the street was full with an ambulance, cop cars and people.

I'm not sure whether or not this truck driver should have been going through our neighborhood.  But he did.  And in the process his top truck hooked a cable line without him noticing and it pulled out the electric lines as well.

He had to stay in his cab for a bit to make sure there wasn't any more electricity going through the line...and most likely his truck...so he wouldn't get electrocuted. 

This lucky fireman got interviewed by the news.

The truck driver finally got to get out.  Whew!

The in came the electric and cable companies to pull the wire off.

The kids watched.  And then they looked for bugs

Here is one of my favorite neighbors explaining with her hands what happened, to the two girls that just rode up.

There was the crowd up the street and crowd at the bottom of the street, separated by THE WIRE.

And then there was the group of fire and ambulance men...just in case.

Once the wire was moved.  The truck driver drove down the road to meet with the Sheriff and see his doom (tickets).

Then my neighbor got interviewed.  But since no one got hurt I don't think it made it to the news.  I guess it could have.  But we didn't get our power back for another 5 hours...so we don't know.

So what do yo do when your power is out for 5 hours and it really isn't too bad outside?

You join your neighbors in the shade of their back yard and watch your kids play.

And chat.

We should do this more often.  It was a great way to welcome in summer!

7 years under my belt

I've got a daughter moving out of Elementary School and into Jr. High.  Having 7 years under my belt there are some things I have learned (many I still need to learn):

1. Volunteer: In whatever capacity you can.  I have served on the PTA board some years, graded spelling tests at home another year, and had years that I could go into the classroom weekly.  It is so important to know what is going on and the best way to do it is volunteer in some way.  One year I had 3 kids at 3 different Elementary schools.  I chose the one closest to me to do the volunteering and then tried to get into the classroom or on a field-trip once in the other two schools.

2. Don't over do it:  Having decided to volunteer...don't overdo it.  Each year brings its own stresses.  Don't bite off more then you can chew...and it's okay to say no.  When you still have little ones at home and need to bring them in then volunteer in a way that they can be there.  Some teachers are fine with this.  Some years you will just have to offer to do things at home.

3. Speak up:  When something doesn't sit right with you investigate a little more and then address it.  We are really fortunate to have a principal that is available to the parents.  He listens and addresses problems and I am so greatful.  But if the principal won't address things and they aren't getting better go higher.  If no one speaks up about the problem no one will realize there is a problem.  We had one year that I wasn't really happy with but kept thinking it would get better but it didn't.  I finally went in to talk to the principal at the end of the year and he had no idea what had been going on in the classroom.  They have to have documentation to make change so don't be afraid to go in and talk about it.

4. Count to ten:  Going along with speaking up...when you are frustrated with something give yourself some time before you address it.  Cool off.  Go in calm and having put your thoughts together.  It will always go more smoothly.

Whistle While you Work

(Hadley, Emily and Max with Grandpa at "The Property")

I sent the girls to clean up the play area down stairs on Saturday. 

Of course it wasn't going well (if you want something done by little people it is done much easier if you are doing it with them).

I suggested they whistle or sing while they work.

For some reason this idea resonated with them.

They had been working and singing for a while when I realized the irony.

They were singing "It's a hard knock life for us...".


Yah! Just call me Miss Hannigan.

I guess it's easier to clean when you view yourselves as poor picked on orphans.

Sam turned 1

I had planned to do a collage of a photo each month.  

I think it's fun to see how they change.

But I have a cold, so I'll have to get to that later.

And, well...we'll celebrate his birthday a little better this weekend.

But he did get a birthday cookie.

He liked it so much that he leaned over and kissed me.

MADE my day!

So a little about Sam at one:

Walks when next to something.  I have a little stool from my grandma that I learned to walk by pushing around.  He pushes around the same little stool. 

Still mostly uses the army crawl to get around, although his little red knees show signs of use in the regular crawl.  He is super fast in the army crawl.

He heads straight to the bathroom if the door is left open.

He loves walks outside.

Loves to be carried around.

Says: Dada, Dadee (Jadey), Deda (Jesus), Da Da Doo (I love you), Gaga (grandma and Grandpa), Hi, bye-bye

Doesn't say: Mama (actually he said it once, but that was it.)

We think he calls me AHHHHHHHH

Loves Books, Balls and sitting on the trampoline.

Loves car rides.

Happy Birthday Swammy.

Mothers

How could I not celebrate the mothers in my life.

I'm pretty fortunate to live by both of them.  I think my kids are so incredibly lucky to be making memories with Grandma's.

My own mother is one of 3 sisters, her mother the same, and I too have 2 sisters, and now have 3 girls. 

 My mother is woman of great faith.  She has taught me by example and word to always turn to the Lord.  

She is a great cook.  Although she has slowed down as the house has grown quiet (my dad doesn't mind tomato slices and protein shakes for dinner), she was always known to have a delicious meal on the table.  As newlyweds and for a while with children, we would join my parents every Sunday for dinner.  It was the best meal of the week by far.  

My mom was a great mother to teenagers.  Everyone gathered at our home.  We hung out, we ate, we were loud and obnoxious and I remember my mom enjoying it.  I want to be more like that!  

My mom is a shopper.  I don't share this talent with her.  I quit far earlier then she does.  There is nothing like a day out with the girls when my mom is in with us.  Recently our favorite jaunt is Gardner Village.  But New York was the ultimate "girls night".  You can understand how different our shopping styles are when I tell you that at H&M I sat on the side of the store with all the bags and purses (where, by the way, I saw Camryn Manheim) while they spent at least an hour trying things on. 

My mother in-law.

I know that not all people could handle living closely to any family, and in-laws usually get a bad rap, but Reed is of good blood.

After joining the church as a newlywed, she went to work to learn to bake bread.  She is obedient like that.

If you want to see organization at work you should shadow her.  Reed remembers the duty charts left out each morning.  She had, and still has, a system for running her home that is magical.  I want to be better at implementing a plan like she does. There is one day a week that she invites my preschooler over for feeding the birds, making lunch, sometimes making a treat, playing games, and reading.  What wonderful memories!  Emily did it when she was younger and Hadley gets to go now.  I watched Hadley run home one day and saw Grandma in the window waving at her, and in her other hand was Dopey, a well loved doll...also waving.

My mother in law is a peace maker.  Reed inherited her ability to distract others from contentment.  It is a gift that I watch in awe.  While I am quick to send to time out, I have watched Reed and his Mom in different situations, calm things down simply by distracting the distraught into forgetting what they were mad about.  You won't hear my Mother in Law gossip either.  

Man, these women are great.  It certainly is wonderful to have so much to draw on.

Reading

I have been reading two books on mothering lately that I am really enjoying.

The first one is A Mother's Book of Secret's by Linda Eyre and her daughter Shawni.  I love listening to Linda Eyre.  She had 9 kids and every-time I listen to her (at education week) or read her books I want to have 9 kids.  Then I come home and realize I will just use her ideas on the ones I have.  This book is great.  It's divided into chapters about different tips to help (I think there are 10 secrets).  It's fun to hear the mother/daughter duo give different ideas and see how the daughter has done things a little differently then her mom did, but how it is working.  The photography is beautiful.  I just came away from it uplifted, boosted up a little.  As a bonus they are donating a portion of the proceeds to the Foundation for the Blind.  Shawni has a daughter with a syndrome that will most likely lead to blindness by the time she is 15.  If you're looking for a good mothering read I would suggest it.  And go check out Shawni's blog too.

The second book is by Steven Covey's daughter Maria Covey Cole.  It's called Contentment-Inspiring Insights for LDS Mothers.  I was drawn to it because of the word contentment.  I like her idea of not comparing yourself to everyone else's best.  Another good read if your looking for it.

Sewing Therapy

I've been having fun on the sewing machine.  

The first one is a diaper clutch made from a free tutorial from "the quilting diaries".

Her blog is a new favorite, and I put a link up on the sidebar.

This one is a purse.

Another free pattern and tutorial located Here.

Her blog is also on the sidebar.

I sewed the handles inside and did a button closure instead of the magnet.

Okay.  That was fun.

Spring Break

So, despite the weather, we tried to something fun each day of spring break.

We went to the Bean Museum, which had to include a trip to the creamery.

We went swimming indoors.

We got McDonalds.

We went sledding...or tried to.

We spent the day at the "Heber House". 

 

Two things....

THIS (click on it mom and it will take you to the link) girl is wise beyond her years! 

and this is cool.

You are welcome.

Really Busy