Our life per my phone

 Kyler two days ago, surprised me and Brandon speechless  I was making dinner. I was tired. The kids had run me ragged all day. I have become a little OCD about vacuuming with daycare in my house. I do it almost everyday. If not everyday, every other day for sure. I sweep 4 times a day. Blame the messy messy kids, and blame my mom for raising me to have an orderly home. :)
Anyway, i was telling Brandon how messy the living room looked, just complaining at the end of the day. Kyler without me even knowing he was listening...he was watching Elmo with Brooklyn. Got up, went to the closet, got the vacuum out, plugged it in, i asked what he was doing. Sadly I have to admit i said it a little sharply, he looks up so sweetly and says im helping mom! Gosh, bud, without being asked, without ever being "trained" he just did it. He is a gem. Line up your girls for this kid cause he is going places and they are good good places.

 After daycare finally left, again, i was pooped. Its a common feeling lately. You'd think i was 8 months pregnant with 8 kids (3 months to 6 years) in my house or something. Anyway, Kyler wanted to try on my glasses, so then Brookyln thought she did too...they are too cute. Brooklyn, bless her heart bent them, again. So they barely stay on, again. I think its time for another pair. Thank goodness for Zenni Optial and cheap glasses!!

 On Saturday, we had a little cabin fever....as in we wanted the cabin!! :) We haven't been up at all this winter, which has never happened. Is it cause we OWN the snowmobiles now? Does that take the fun out of things? Is it better to just always be borrowing things? We have yet to figure this out. Nevertheless, we finally made an effort. But in my laziness, i didn't want to do an overnighter. I didn't want to pack up everything and in the winter its a lot, then load it in the brute sled and haul it into a cold cabin. I'm a wimp. I know. I usually love fun and dont mind the effort to have it. But this time, this time I passed. That doesn't happen. I don't let laziness and lame excuses be the factor. Im a huge believer in just doing it and no excuses! But, then again. I'm so pooped lately! :)
So we loaded the stuff in the truck, the kids running around outside SO EXCITED! Kyler has been begging for months to go snowmobiling and to the cabin. Sadly at one point in all the excitement and loading, Kyler got hit in the nose/corner of his eye with the door knob. Brandon didnt see him behind the door and opened it right into his poor face. Poor kid just sobbed. His nose hurt. It was all swollen.
We loaded them in the truck, drove to Fairview. Ky insisted riding with daddy. Brooklyn rode with mommy. We headed in. Dug into the cabin played for an hour or so in the cabin. (while daddy went looking for my nice bag cooler full of treats and lunch for the kids and us) Daddy came back empty handed. SOMEONE STOLE OUR COOLER BAG!! It was on that short trail leading to the cabins for 15 minutes, just long enough to get us in the cabin and realize it was gone. Loosers. Who steals stuff. Especially my favorite cooler bag! Especially our only good food. So without snacks, with hungry kids. We got on the snowmobiles and took a ride out. I wish i could have had a picture of Brooklyn and me. She sat with her legs under the handlebars holding the half moon handle, and her bum on my large and in charge belly. She loved it! Her face got cold for a bit so she turned around and giggled with me as we bumped along, but then she was back on my belly face in the wind, enjoying the beautiful mountains.
Kyler and Brandon went up higher. I was worried about Brooklyn and myself going out in powder...i do have a large belly, and holding on to a toddler and the handlebars at the same time with that belly in the way sounded tricky, we we passed on the powder and they headed up for a minute. Me and Brookie went to the truck and played in the snow for just a second when daddy showed up. I thought that was fast....then Ky looked up with his sad sad eyes pulled his scarf away from his face and it was cover in blood. Ooops. He had taken a hit to the mouth on the handle bars. Split lip, tired babies, hungry babies, we loaded up. Heavenly Father really does look out for us. I had thrown an extra juice and a few cracker packs in a different bag (I thought at the time i was excessively packing, but didnt care. Better safe than sorry. I was thankful i listened to that prompting) They scarfed their humble snack. And fell dead out.
Kyler still says he had fun even though "It was a rough day, mom" He had a good blister on his lip for 4 days, but today it looks better. We love the mountains. We love the cabin. Heres to warmer weather, a smaller belly on mommy, and a third monkey to pack up so we can spend more time up there!!!

 Brooklyn LOVES her tea set. . . . .only with real water to pour. :) She melts me.

 My gymnast in the making. She loves these rings. She can hold on for about 5 minutes and just swing. Im proud of her. She is one tough strong cookie!!

 The other night we had indoor smores for our FHE treat. The kids....heaven. Their jammies....oh my we had to change Brooklyn and really should have thrown her in the bath. Chocolate and marshmallow were all over in her hair. But they loved it, and thats all that counts.

These pictures make me laugh, how do your kids watch movies.....
mine do with winter hats and blankeys. . . .

 Or in Brooklyns case sagging between the couch and ottoman. This is how she watches all her shows. Her preferred seat (or lack thereof)

 Mommy has nesting. Mommy doesn't know what she is having. Mommy has daycare playroom in what will be a nursery. Mommy and Daddy don't have money right now to finish the basement to move the playroom. So mommy cant paint a room, put up a crib, get out baby clothes, nothing. So what does she do to suffice the nesting....does other things in the house

in the kids hallway

"Bless this meal, this home, this family" Above the table

The other wall in the kids hallway

My favorite....my red pantry door. Im in love. 

If You Get to Tend 3 Cousins

for 5 days, you might have a BLAST!!!!
We got to take 3 of my nieces and nephews this past week. It was so much fun. I have such fond memories of going to my Aunts houses while my mom and dad went on trips. They all made it so much fun for us while we were there. So i guess thats why i feel the same way about what i need to do when they come here. Is it weird that i am grown up enough to be tending my nieces and nephews while their parents go places? I swear i am only 18, I swear! :)

Anyway, They came and we did and did and did. We did so much that I sent the 3 of them home exhausted and my own son was so far beyond exhausted that we are still recouping. He is still asking for longer naps, when before he insisted he just needed short rests on the couch. :)

My favorite part of it all was getting to know them each so much better.
Madie is incredible, brilliant, beautiful and so caring. She reminds me a lot of her mother. Did i mention how smart she is! I was not that smart at 8!! I loved having her around to help me with the kids and to chat with. I could talk to that little girl all day. Its like talking to an adult. I mean that literally. I love my Madie Joy.
Craigy--Oh Craigy. You remind me of what your daddy would have been like at your age. Busy boy with an agenda that doesn't like being interpreted  Lover, quiet spoken....unless you make him mad and then he can defiantly let you know he is not happy with you. Just like his daddy! :) He also, so smart. He was reading books the whole time and i was fascinated with his skill and his desire to read. I never liked reading as a kid. I loved my mom to read to me, but this kid, he was reading to Kyler, Brookie, Finners and himslef the whole weekend.
Finners--Oh little man. I loved this kid to death. I had the chance to take him close to exactly the same time of year 2 years ago. I loved him then, but now, he is just a joy. He is such a talker with the cutest little voice ever! I loved watching him play with the play dough and pretend play with all the older kids. He loved Brandon, which is no surprise  he just loves to be around men. He is so smiley and friendly and well I couldn't get enough of him. He loved playing with the trucks that made lots of noise and the red tractor. They were out on the couch the entire weekend. I would put them away, and 2 minutes later they were back out and he was playing with them again  What a boy! At one point i also caught him "reading" a book to himself. These kids mommy is defiantly doing something right. They are good kids and smart kids from a young age.

Our fun included, but was not limited to (sorry I didnt get pictures of it all, that would have been fun if i would have, but i kinda lost my camera half way through the week!)
**Making french bread pizzas

**playing in the snow (coloring it, sliding down the slide, chasing eachother, and the big bang....when Uncle Brandon hooked the tube to the 4 wheeler and took them around the yard.)

**Going swimming
**Making a hut to sleep in

**Making jello candied popcorn
**movie time

**Making yummy snacks everyday
**playing "playdough surprise" (thanks pintrest, they loved that one!)
**Crashing at 6PM because Aunt Marci is wearing you plum out!

**Continuing to play with their special playdough colors the rest of the time for hours on end
** running around screaming and playing
**Full tub of perfect babies!

**and so so much more


Thanks Luke and Hil for sharing your kids. Hope they had fun! We loved having them here!!!

picture roundup

Its been a while since i really blogged. I've been busy. But i would like to clean my SD card off and the only way i do it is to blog the pictures first so i know they have been saved on to the computer and safley out there for anyone to steal....ironic i know. :) But if my computer ever crashes i will be forever grateful i did it, so i keep doing it. And it makes a semi-time accurate journal. Here is what i have, the ones of the move, new house, fairwell to old house will come eventually.

This girl....this girl loves to color. Color on paper, but mostly on her hands, feet and face. This particular day she went at her face with a dark, non washable one. It took some scrubbing but she did turn light pink again. and it was worse than these pictures can show, it went all up the side of her face.

I love watching Brooklyn eat. She is so particular and careful. She starting using a spoon and fork at a very  young age...but i never dared giving her milk in her cereal bowl...i got brave, sad not till she was 18 months, and gave her some. Look how careful and happy, and good at it she was. She even lifted the bowl up to her mouth and drank the milk in the end. I didnt capture that, but it was so cute. She is so big. It makes me happy and sad at the same time.

 Brandons family has the tradition to go cut Christmas trees down the Saturday after  Thanksgiving. I have come to love this, although minus the very first year we were married i am either pregnant or have a 5 month old baby.....in the past i trudge along. This year i was lazy and sat with the younger kids and let my man go and choose. He did a great job. Picutres of the acually tree coming. The kids loved playing in the snow/mud. They were filthy head to toe, but so happy.

Look at those filthy hands eating a yummy cookie....

You cant tell but this snow was as dirty as those hands above....I snapped a picture before i made him put it down and showed him better snow to eat. I have prioritys. :)

Brookie snooching Ashley, Brandons cousin.  They both loved her, Kyler still talks about Ashley. She is great! 

 Daddy and Kyler took Papas "Cananan Am" (Can Am, but Ky calls it the other) for a fun ride. Ky was in hog heaven. Look at the face below. It tells the whole story!

 Going back, a lot further back in Sept my best friend, who is more like my sister in all reality, came to visit. I love her. She is everything a friend/sister should be. She lives in So. Weber about 3 hours away, we don't see each other near often enough, but i honestly talk to her almost every other day if not every day. She is my life line. I would die without her. She is someone i look up to and want to be more like. She is amazing. I love you Brookie! (Yes, Brooklyn is named after her)
This is when they came to play. We went to the train park and the kids had a great time, and i had a great time catching up. My kids and their cousin Bridger.

Brooke and Bridger...I am sure Wes is in that train with them, he is just  not as easy to see. You see he lives with our Father in Heaven now. But, he sends trains to his big brother all the time when they visit Wes's Place, so i am positive he came to play with him on these awesome wood trains. 

Ky really does like Bridger....he was just mad and tired of picture taking. 

 Move closer Brooke, pretty please!!!!!

These two love to help make cookies....i think its to eat the dough. Mom taught them a bad bad thing. Dont worry we dont share these slimy finger cookies with anyone but each other. :) 

I think this is one of my most favorite pictures. 

 This last picture is at the new house....we have a PANTRY!! I love it, love it love it love it. I have never had a pantry before. But, i hate it, hate it hate it cause the kids get into it. It now has a child lock handle on it, but this is from yesterday. Brookie climbed in to find some "cackers" and "cooookes". Brother kindly put it all back on the shelf after she pulled it all down and crawled in. They are quite the pair. I let them play till they spilled that container of soy protein power that isn't cheap and its almost gone now. The fun ended then. But they loved it while it lasted.