Last Week of School ~ 2014

Noah and Leah's last week of school was full of lots of fun activities.  I think that they definitely enjoyed it :).

The annual Dance Festival was the first item on the agenda.  All of the grades had been practicing for the past month to perform it for the entire school and family.  We live right by the school, so I went over there an hour before to get a spot for Doug and I to watch the show ;).  The kindergarteners were first up and they were SO adorable.  They did a dance to the Jackson 5's "ABC...123".  Very fitting!  Leah knew all of the moves and was so energetic through the entire thing.  She's our little performer.  Now, I told Noah beforehand that he needed to be a little more energetic when he performed, since this isn't his most favorite thing to do.  I told him that it's OK to smile and look like he's having fun!  And guess what, he took my advice!  He did such a great job too...it was so fun to watch him!  Kate sat on my lap and kept yelling "HI NOAH" the entire time!  She loves her big bro!!

Leah was lucky enough to have  Pirate Party at school during her last week.  She was VERY adamant on going to the party store to get a pink eye patch to complete her ensemble.  I was happy to oblige, and she looked so darling.  She had a great time celebrating with her little class.

Noah spend the rest of his last week of school cleaning his desk out and having field day.  He LOVED Field Day so much, as I'm sure all kids did.  It was a great day that wasn't too hot, which I'm sure made it that much more fun!  

Here's a first and last day of school comparison of my Noah.  He has grown SO much this year...it's crazy!  He has also learned so much!  We are still working on enjoying reading, although I'm happy to say that at least he *can* read.  My goal this summer is to find some books that he'll enjoy so that he can develop a love for reading.  He has made so many friends and has enjoyed his school days.  

He had a great teacher this year and we're thankful for all of her hard work!  These teachers really are so amazing to me!  Now he's all mine for 2 1/2 months!  Yay!!

And here's my Leah on her first and last day of school.  Her hair has grown, that's for sure ;).  She said that was very important!  Girls!  She has also grown up so much and I'm so impressed with the little girl that she is becoming.  She is not one to keep her words to herself...she doesn't really have a filter on her!  That has been one thing that we need to work on...when and when not to say certain things!  Oh boy!  Aside from her developing personality, she has LOVED school SO much and is beyond excited for first grade.  I am amazed at how much she has learned and she at the top in all of her subjects.  Can you say proud mama!?!  Learning is definitely one of her favorite things and her thirst for knowledge is never-ending.  

And her teacher...there are no words!  She was AMAZING!  She has done so much for Leah and helped her learn and grow in a way that I never thought possible.  I'm beyond thankful for her and her patience with these precious kindergarteners.  She is simply the BEST!

I'm am really going to enjoy this summer with these two home.  I know that it is going to be a little chaotic once the baby comes, but I know that it will all work out.  Next year I am going to be sending them BOTH to school all day long...I honestly don't know how I am going to handle this!  For reals!  They are my best buddies and I love them oh so very much!  Here's to a great summer!!!

Isaac's Last Day of School!

Isaac has had such a great year in pre-preschool this past year.  It has a lot to do with the fact that his teacher is the BEST!  We just love her SO much and I love her dedication to these precious kids.  Isaac started out the year doing so well, although he did have a little hiccup this past month.  He would have a hard time actually going to school, but once he was there for about 10 minutes, he was just fine.  I'm beginning to think that he was just doing it as a show to bug me...who knows!  Thankfully, that only lasted a few weeks, and then everything was back to normal and he went back to loving everything about school.  I was even lucky enough to help and teach his class the week before school let out, which was so much fun!  These 3 year olds are so so smart and fun!  He is so lucky to have been able to spend the year with them and make lasting friendships.

Isaac was a little sad about the last day of school and didn't want it to end.  I told him about the big party that his teacher was going to have, which made it better.  I also assured him that he would be going back in a few months, so that made it easier as well.  It was so great going to pick him up on his last day and seeing him all dressed out from his Luau!  He had so much fun!  Now I get this precious little guy all to myself for a few months...man, I love this kid so much!!

First and last day of school comparison.  He honestly hasn't changed very much.  

Isaac and his amazing teacher.  Words can't describe how much we love her!  She really is the BEST!!

He wore this outfit the rest of the day!  How much fun is that!!

Pinewood Derby!!

Noah was lucky enough to become a Cub Scout just in time of the pinewood derby in our ward!  He was SO excited to able to make a car with his daddy for the event.  Together, they decided to make a Minecraft car!  I found a prepared printable online, printed it out and we mod podged it right onto the wedge car that they had bought.  Then they went to town putting on the weights and wheels.  What a project that was!  I'm glad that I didn't have to do anything for it, because I would have had no idea what to do!  Doug even went and got his old derby car from when he was a kid and put some of the weights from it on Noah's car!  Very nice!  Noah's car did really well at the derby...and I was just happy that he didn't come in last.  Their hard work definitely paid off!!  

Kate's Potty Trained!

Back in March, Kate was showing signs of being potty trained...so I made the decision to just go with it and see where it took us.  I mean, who am I to say "no" to potty training a kid?!?  I've done it three times already, and, if she was going to take after the other kids, this should be a piece of cake.  Well, it was!  Within two days, she was going on the potty consistently and she was going #1 and #2!  It.was.awesome!  I was so thrilled that she caught on as fast as she did.  And we haven't looked back since!  It was a gradual process and we did have some accidents along the way, but she's doing great. She will now, very rarely, have an accident, but that is mostly due to the fact that she is distracted by playing and just plain old forgets to go to the potty.  She is really really good at letting us know whenever she needs to go, which is fabulous.  We have even started going out in public without pull ups, and she's been so great.  She lets us know when she has to go, and will hold it until we get to the potty.  I'm honestly so amazed at how well she has done with potty training.  And I'm beyond grateful that it as been so easy!  PLUS I haven't had to change many diapers the past few months, which is just awesome!  Honestly, this is the first time in 8 years that I haven't consistently been changing diapers!  I've been totally enjoying it before baby comes.  But I am just so happy that I won't have to train her with a baby around.  Hallelujah!

How stinkin' cute is she in her big girl panties!  Love it!!

And a princess on the potty...the cuteness is killing me!

Now, the one downfall to potty training Kate is her extreme interest in toilet paper!  She gets so excited to pull on the roll whenever she goes!  She also likes to pull the roll off and throw the entire thing in the potty!  Naughty!  Yet so innocent.  I mean, how can you get mad at that face?!?!  Heaven help me! ;)

Noah's Baptism

Sometimes I can not believe that my precious Noah, my first born, is EIGHT years old!  Doug and I have been parents for eight whole years...that is just crazy!  Words can't describe how proud we are of Noah and the person that he is.  We have, of course, had our ups and downs, but he really is such a great kid and we love him SO much!

Noah was lucky enough to get baptized on his eighth birthday, which we all thought was pretty cool.  We have been preparing Noah for this big step in his life for a while now, and he was ready for it!  We did all the preparations for his big day...new clothes, bought him his very own scriptures, discussed the importance of becoming a member of this great church, had an interview with the Bishop...he was ready to go!

On the big day, we spent the morning celebrating his birthday, and then we were busy getting the house all ready for the celebration that we would have afterwards.  He was lucky to get baptized with another boy that he knows, which made it even more memorable.  The program was to start at 1:00, so we got ready to head over to our stake center around 12:15 to get ready for the big event.

Once we got there, Doug took Noah to get changed into their special clothes for the baptism.  Once they came out, I was overtaken with the spirit.  This was really happening and I was just so happy that Noah had made this decision.  It made me feel so good!  We then went and took some pictures of the boys and then took our spots in the room where we would have the program and where Noah would be baptized.  Noah was SO lucky to have so many family and friends come to support him.  I'm beyond thankful for all of them and that they took time out of their day to come and celebrate this special moment with our boy.  So blessed!!

After everyone was there, the program started and we were able to hear a great talk on Baptism by someone in the other boys family.  It made the spirit so strong hearing these words as we prepared for the upcoming event.  Then it was time...Noah was first and, again, I was so overtaken by the great Spirit that was present.  When Doug and Noah stepped into the font, my heart was so full of love for this little boy!  I couldn't hold back the tears anymore!  I was trying to be strong, but I just let my emotions take over and I had tears flowing down my face...tears of pure joy and happiness!  Noah was making one of the greatest decisions of his life, and I was so happy for him!!!  When Doug said the baptismal prayer and lowered him in the water to have his sins washed away, it was quite the moment.  I think everyone felt how great of a moment it was...the Spirit was so strong!  Then he came up out of the water and was clean!  And he had the biggest little grin on his face.  I love that boy so much!

Once everyone was dressed in their Sunday best, they came out so that we could finish the remainder of the program.  I was lucky enough to give a talk on the Holy Ghost.  I am not a huge fan of giving talks, but for this occasion, I was more than happy to!  I kept it together for most of my talk, and I had the joy of Kate crying for me most of it {little stinker}, but I felt good about the words that I had spoken to Noah and his friend.  I was a little emotional when I bore my testimony, but that is always how it is!

Then it was time for Noah to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  All of the priesthood holders in our family got up and encircled Noah as Doug gave him this great gift and a blessing.  Again, the spirit was so strong!  It was a great experience!

I am SO proud of Noah!  I know that Doug is as well.  He is such great little boy who has such a wonderful and good heart.  I know that he has such a strong testimony of this great work and I know that he is so happy to have it in his life.  I'm beyond grateful that he now has the gift of the Holy Ghost, and I pray that this gift will help him throughout his life.  I know it will!

After the baptism service, we all headed to our house for some great food, company, and had a wonderful time celebration our boy!  It really was a magical day...I will never, ever, forget it!!!

Kate ~ 2 Years

I think that the first two years of Kate's little life has flown by faster than the other kids.  I honestly feel like I just had her...she should still be a baby!  And, in my eyes, she is still a baby!  She is growing and learning so much each and every day...it's amazing to watch!  At 2 years old, Kate...

...is the happiest little girl I know.  She wakes up happy and is on the cheery side 99% of the time.  She is so content with whatever she is doing and it seems that she is always finding the best in all that she does.  Her laugh is contagious and we just love her for that.  Her constant smile is something that always brightens my day...I love her and her happy disposition.

...absolutely *loves* the water.  She would take 10 tubs a day if she could.  Getting in the tub is definitely one of her most favorite things to do every day.  Because of this, she usually takes one in the morning and at night.  I'm sure she will find every opportunity that she can this summer to get in the water.  I'll have to keep an extra eye on her at the pool for sure!

...is the best little eater ever.  She will eat anything and everything.  She reminds of Noah when it comes to food, because he'll eat pretty much anything too.  I'm so thankful that she's not a picky eater like Leah and Isaac!  SO thankful!  Her favorite foods are mac and cheese, milk, ice cream, bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries (her favorite!!), pizza, cereal, bread, and the list goes on.  

...is the best sleeper too!  She takes a good 3-4 hour nap every day, and then goes right to sleep at 7:30 and wakes up at 7:00 in the morning.  I'm beyond thankful that she takes after her siblings in the sleep dept.!  I've definitely been blessed with wonderful sleepers!

...absolutely LOVES bags!  This little gal *always*, and I mean ALWAYS, has a bag on her arm.  She got a Hello! Kitty bag from Leah for her birthday, and she hauls that thing with her wherever we go.  She is also very protective of what is inside of it and won't let anyone touch it...unless you want to hear her scream!  Having a bag on her arm is definitely her little trade mark ;).

...is actually very reasonable.  Whenever she is crying over something, I can sit with her, have her look in my eyes, and ask her to calm down and listen...and she usually does.  She is really good at listening to what I have to say in moments of weakness and she finds comfort in knowing that whatever she is upset about will be fixed.  I think that she has been my easiest child to reason with.  Hopefully this sticks as she gets older.

...is not a big fan of watching TV or movies...at all!  Sometimes she'll sit with the other children and watch whatever they are watching, but it doesn't last long at all.  I'm actually OK with this.  Especially since we barely have the TV on anyway during the daytime.  

...is very clingy to me, as of late.  I think that she knows that there is a baby coming soon.  She will see other babies and I'll tell her that we are going to have a baby in our house soon...then she'll look at me and just hug my neck.  I think the adjustment to becoming a big sister will be a little harder, but we'll make it through.  I'm prepared to give this little gal some extra attention, that's for sure.

...loves her blankets so so much!  She has these four blankets that we have used with her since she was just a baby, and she loves them so much.  She calls them her "dee-dee", and is often found dragging one around the house.   As of late, she hasn't been seen with them as much, but when she's tired, she'll definitely go find one and come to me to cuddle up.  I've tried to make it a point to not leave the house with them anymore because I don't want this attachment to get too out of control.  So, she can have them at home and that's it.

...is very particular about what she likes/doesn't like.  If she really wants something or is enjoying something, she will get so excited and just talk about it non-stop.  It's pretty cute.  But, if she isn't fond of something, she will let you know!  She's not afraid to voice her opinion, that's for sure!

...is starting to talk so much, and we all just love it.  She is a little mimic and will repeat whatever we say.  Sometimes it is just flat out hilarious and unexpected...we all love a good laugh!  Some of her favorite sayings as of late are "I did it", "look at me", "me soooo cute", "I love this", "this is so so yummy", "I read book", etc...  

...loves to read!  She's a little book worm, just like her big sis.  I can often find her in her room looking at her books, and it really just warms my heart to see this.  She'll also pretend that she's reading them, which is just adorable.  I hope that this love for reading continues on!

...loves her babies so much!  She's a classic little girl and loves to play "mommy" to her babies.  She'll wrap them up in blankets, and hug them, and love them, and kiss them, and feed them bottles...it's flat out adorable to see.

...can be quite the little stinker!  Sometimes she knows that what she doing isn't the right thing to do, but she'll do it anyway, just to get a reaction.  Her new thing is stripping down and taking all of her clothes off.  When I try to get her, she'll just run away from me laughing.  One time she made it out the front door and was in the front yard for all to see...oh man!  OR, she'll get really messy with her food on purpose.  She knows how much I hate it when she throws food on the ground, so, when I'm not looking, she'll do it and then start to giggle.  She can be a naughty body sometimes...that's for sure!  Good thing she's cute!

More than anything, we just love this little gal SO much!  She has been such a great blessing in our home and we all just love her to pieces.  We love you baby girl...to the moon and back!!!

Leah's Kindergarten Graduation

How absolutely darling is my Kindergarten Graduate?!?!  I can't believe that Leah is all done with kindergarten!  She has grown so much this past year and I am so proud of her and how dedicated she has been to learning and applying what she learns to her life.  She impresses me more and more every day...we sure do love this girlie!!

Leah was so excited to get all dressed up for her big program for school.  We went a little early so that we could get good seats to see the program...and were lucky enough to get spots in the second row!  This never happens to me!  Ever!  I always get stuck in the very back!  I was so excited...that's for sure.  

Leah was so obedient through the entire program...folding her arms and all.  She looked so grown up! 

They sang a handful of songs for us, and my favorite was when they sang their number song to the Macarena!  It was so cute!  

Here they are singing that they're excited to go to "First Grade...First Grade!".  All of the songs were just so great, and I even cried when they sang "I'm Proud to be an American"...Leah actually warned me that I'd cry.  How'd she know?!?!

After the program, we went to her classroom where her teacher had prepared a presentation and handed out diplomas to the kids.  It was fun that she recognized each one individually.  

And here she is with her amazing teacher!  We love her so much!  She's been such a great teacher to Leah this year!  We sure got lucky having her.

And here we are with our little Kindergarten graduate!  We are sure proud of this little gal!

We were lucky enough to have some family that came to the program too.  Doug's sister was there, since her little guy is in Kindergarten too :).  Doug's other sister, his mom, and my mom came as well.  It's always fun having family at events like this.  I wish that I had got a pic of Leah with Ryan...it was just so busy with all the kids running around. 

Afterwards, we went and got our first snowie of the season!  That's all Leah wanted...and we delivered!  It was the perfect end to a great afternoon :).  

A

Mother's Day ~ 2014

Word can't express how much I *love* being a mom to these precious babes. They are my world and my everything!

28 Weeks

This pregnancy will be one that I will always remember. It has definitely been a lot harder when compared to the other babies, but I'm pulling through. To know that I only have 2 months left is such a relief for me.

All of my normal symptoms have definitely been magnified this time around. It's been hard. The heartburn has really been bothersome, so maybe this baby boy will have lots of hair?  Also, my ribs burn so so badly. Sometimes it's hard to breath through the pain...this is something I've dealt with with every pregnancy, and it's gotten worse and worse with each one. Oh the joy. And the leg cramps...oh me oh my!  I have been eatting so many bananas to keep them away, but it doesn't work. My legs are pretty sore due to all the cramps at night...again...I'm pulling through. 

I do force myself to be active, which isn't too hard to do with 4 kids running around. I'm very thankful for the kids and the fact that they keep me going and keep my mind off of certain things.  I'm SO looking forward to school being over so that I can have the angels all to myself before the baby arrives. Hopefully we have a good month of summer fun before our lives get turned upside down with a newborn in our home. In my eyes, a newborn = home bound!  

The nesting instinct has kicked into full gear for me. I've been pretty into cleaning everything and getting everything ready for the new babe. Believe it or not, all of his clothes are clean and ready to go. We still need to move some furniture around to make room in our rooms, but that will happen soon enough. 

More than anything, I'm so excited to finally meet this little guy.  He moves so so much and let's me know that all is well. I'm dying to see his precious face and see who he resembles. I know that the next weeks will fly by...so exciting!

Soccer in the Rain

Noah has had a great soccer season. He is on sub a great team and they all work so well together. I'm so thankful for this experience!  Before their tournament started, they had one more game that was in the pouring rain. Thankfully, it wasn't freezing cold...just very wet. The boys didn't seem to mind, mostly because they won :). Kate *loves* the water, so she was loving every minute!  It was definitely a game to remember.

Ear Piercing Drama

Since last year...LAST YEAR...all Leah wanted for her 6th birthday was to get her ears pierced.  So, the day finally came and we all headed to the mall to, what we thought, would be a fun ear piercing experience.  It was NOT fun!  We got there, I filled out all the paperwork, we picked out her earrings, she jumped in the chair, the girls put the "gun" to her ears...and...she FREAKED!  And I don't mean she cried a little, she totally freaked out.  Like something took over my little gal and she became this person that we could NOT control.  We sat there for a good 20 minutes and we could not convince her to go through with doing what we came here to do.  It was horrible...for everyone.  So...we left...without her ears pierced.  Yet she cried the entire way home because she wanted them pierced?!?!?!  It was just horrible.  And I had NOT intentions of taking her back.  But she convinced us that she could do it, so we agreed to take her back again 4 days later.  

This time it was just me, Leah, and my mom.  I thought if we went on a weeknight and with fewer people, we would have a better experience.  I thought!  We got to the store and Leah was very confident that she was going to go through with it. Then she got in the chair...and the same thing happened. I could tell by her face that she was not going to do it. Oh no!!  Not again!!!  We tried and tried to convince her that it wouldn't hurt...and the gal that helped is was so great. Leah listened to her and let the girl *finally* just line up the gun...then...she pulled the trigger!!  Boom...one ear was done!  Hallelujah!!  And Leah even said it didn't hurt!  So you would think the next ear would be a piece of cake...guess again!!  She started to do the same thing and at this point it was ridiculous, mostly because she had one done and she knew it wasn't bad!  After 25 minutes of her refusing to let us do it, we were getting ready to leave. At this point I was pretty frustrated, and I think for good reason!  Then the gal came up to Leah with a blank piercing gun and asked her if she could just line it up to show it doesn't hurt. Leah agreed!! Then...that smart girl SWITCHED the guns, lined it up, and BOOM...pierced that other ear!!!  Leah didn't even flinch!  We were all "I told you so..."  I gave the girl a huge hug because it was a pretty traumatic experience for all!  Who knew that Leah would be so difficult...I didn't!  And I'm her mother!!  We hurried and payed and we were out of there. I was sad that this wasn't the best experience, but I was sure glad that it was over!!!  I was so hungry afterwards, so I took Leah to JCW's and we had dinner to cool down and to try and forget the drama of getting her ears pierced.

Of course, now she's as thrilled as can be that she went through with it. She's very diligent about cleaning them and looks forward to changing them out. Honestly, I can now see why people get their babies ears pierced...for real!!  I may be taking Kate sometime soon just to avoid this drama again!!!  

Cub Scouts

Now that Noah is baptized, he is now a Cub Scout!  I know nothing, and I mean NOTHING, about scouts!  This is going to be a whole to new world for me and Noah.  Thank goodness we have Doug to lead us along!  All I have to say is...how cute is he in is Cub Scout uniform!  So handsome!!

Easter Dress ~ 2014

I always enjoy getting the kids all dressed up in their Easter dress.  I'm definitely a sucker for having my kids matchy and looking nice and clean :).  I loved the girls dresses this year...I have been waiting for Kate to wear her dress for 2 years!  She looked darling...in fact, they all did.  Love my precious little ones!

Kate is TWO!

Our Sweet Baby Kate had a birthday!  She turned TWO on April 20, and she was pretty happy about it!

We started Kate's special day off by opening presents, and she was thrilled about that!  She got a bag from Leah, which she just LOVES!

She also got a bubble blower, which she also loves.  She is a classic 2 year old and just loves bubbles!!

I think she knew it was her birthday and she just loved having all of the attention on her :).  She's such a sweetie and was oh, so very happy!

Kate's birthday was actually on Easter Sunday this year, which made for a very fun and busy day!  After getting all dressed and going to church, we came home and put our precious girl down for a much needed nap.  When she woke up, Doug's family came over for dinner and an Easter Egg hunt.  It was a bit windy outside, so we went out and tested out her new bubble blower.  The bubbles were all over the yard, which made for a very fun time!  She loved it!

Kate insisted on using her new bags as she went on the Easter Egg hunt.  She LOVES her bags so much...she always has one on her!

I made strawberry cupcakes as a treat for her birthday...she loves strawberries so so much!  She was so cute when we sang to her and was clapping the entire time.  Then Leah was kind enough to help her blow out her candles.  

It really was such a wonderful day to celebrate our sweet girl.  She means the world to us and we love having her in our family.  She is full of so much joy and is happy majority of the time.  She has all of us wrapped around her little finger.  We sure do love this little gal!