Preschool Graduation

Last Wed. (5/18) evening Autumn's school held a preschool graduation. It was really sweet to see all the 3, 4, & 5 year olds from the two afternoon classes up on the stage singing songs they had learned through the year and then have them walk across the stage and receive their "diploma." I am so glad that even the kids who aren't graduating and will be back next year (like Autumn) got to participate and be apart of the ceremony. It was so much fun. I can't believe this time next year I will be talking about Autumn going to Kindergarten. Yikes! I really love this preschool program and all that Autumn has learned from her wonderful teacher and speech therapist.

While at the school, I had the video camera and videoed the performance while Drew watched Weston and Bailey. When Autumn was about to walk across the stage I asked Drew to take a picture with my camera because I only really cared for one picture during the whole thing, Autumn going across the stage. And this is what I got.

Drew's only saving grace is that we get to do this again next year, and I will be taking the pictures. :) He can have the video camera.

So when we got home we took more to make up for it.

I am hoping that this time next year I can qualify Weston for this program. It would be awesome to have Autumn do 2 years at this preschool and then have Weston do it also. That's just how much I love the structure and curriculum of this program.

4 Years Ago

I can remember this day vividly 4 years ago. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. with insane contractions. I timed them out on our couch for 2 hours, and then called my brother because they were a min. apart (they were living in TN and 2 hours ahead of us so I knew someone was awake to talk to me) and he told me to call his wife. I talk to my sister in law for 5 min, which I am crying the whole time because I am realizing this is the day. She tells me to get to the hospital. So I call my dad who wakes up my mom and she says she will be over soon. I wake up Drew and tell him to get ready, then I shower. We are at the hospital at 9 a.m. I am admitted because I dialated from a 3 to a 4 in the first 30 min I was there. My dad came, then my 2 sisters. I got the epidural, they broke my water, they got everyone out of the room, I pushed for 15 min. and at 4:15 my little girl was born. The first thing I said, "That felt so weird." In reference to feeling Autumn depart my body and enter this world a breathing, screaming person. It was amazing. It was perfect. The dr. and my mom all agreed it was a textbook birth, couldn't have gone any better and congratulated me. I felt so incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful experience with my first!

Now if only she could be as easy as the pregnancy and labor was with her. :)

Here are some quick shots I got of her today before heading to preschool to celebrate with her friends and teachers. I love that this little girl who doesn't sit long for much, will always sit and let me do her hair.

Their birthday is the one day they don't have to be in uniform at preschool, I love it. Happy Birthday Autumn!

5 Years

5 years ago today I married Drew. I look back over the last 5 years and it seems to have gone by so fast. I can’t believe all we have done and all that’s happened to us over these 5 short years.

Our anniversary is always a day of reflection for me. I remember the nerves, the anxiety, the peace, the overwhelming-ness, and the happiness. The flood of emotions I felt that day were unreal, but I was completely comforted in knowing that I was marrying the right person. He was perfect for me, and still is.

5 years later we have 3 beautiful kids, a lovely home, and many wonderful memories. It’s exciting to think about all the future memories we will make and have.

These are a few of my favorite pics from that awesome day.

 Snowflake Temple

My nephew

For Time and All Eternity.

Easter Morning

Here's just some of my favorite pictures from Easter morning. It's more fun each year. Especially now that I have kids who "get it" and anticipate the Easter Bunny coming.

The Easter bunny left baskets for each kid and a personal letter. The 2 older kids each got candy, a movie, and a Little People set. Bailey just got toys and a few eggs.

 The Easter Bunny pulled a fast one, and hung up their stuffed animals and Easter outfits up high. Strangely enough Weston noticed them way before he ever saw the baskets.

Weston was thrilled with his movie.

 Autumn is a Little People fanatic.

 This is what Bailey did. She played with her Elmo eggs while the other kids went through their stuff

 Autumn and Weston in their Easter garb.

Miss Bailey. So smiley.

 All 3 of our kids.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

4 Months

My beautiful Bailey Lynn is now 4 months old. These last 4 months have gone so fast, I think with each kid time goes quicker. I am not one to say slow the time down. I am enjoying it all and look forward to all the milestones each of my kids reach and will reach. She is sweet, happy, smiley, giggly, and beautiful. We have loved having 3 kids more than we thought we would. *Don't judge us, we have 3 and our oldest will be 4 years old next month....it can be challenging at times with 3 so young.* She is a perfect balance, she has days where she is easy peasy and other days where she can be a little more demanding, but the demanding times are easy to handle because I know they won't stick around and she'll be easy again. I was complaining about Baileys (what seemed to be) patterned behavior during a specific time frame each day to my sister a while back and she said it was normal and a stage, and that now I have had them all..."one hard, one easy, and one typical." And my sister was right, what I thought she would turn into a bad habit, ended up being a stage and lasting only a few weeks.

I am grateful for this typical baby.

Yesterday we went to the dr. for her 4 month well check. Here's her stats:

Weight: 12.8 lbs  (25th %)
Length: 23 3/4 in. (25th %)
Head Circum.: 40 1/4 cm (25th %)

This may seem small, but my other kids were smaller. She is consistent with her weight and growth, and most excitedly: we get to introduce rice cereal tonight.

A Bragging Moment

A friend of mine recently posted on her blog asking what people could get for $1.70, and what all she was able to get for that price. Which was amazing and very impressive! I had already done my shopping for the week so I wasn't feeling up to the challenge to see if I could do as well as she had. But then when week 2 of the sale started I figured why not...and look at what I got for $1.29.

Yep! I saved $75.90 So thank you Jessica for motivating me and getting me back to the store to score the awesome deal! 28 boxes of pasta will last me forever...thankfully they don't expire for 2 years, plus 2 mayo, 8 Skittles, and 2 Dove chocolate bars; this was a fun trip!

"Come What May and Love It"

I remember growing up picturing my future family and the kids I would have. I invisioned really easy kids, who were quiet, and sat and looked at books or played quietly in their rooms. I had no idea what I was in for. There are days my life feels completely chaotic, with 3 very young kids, and there are times here and there I have found it hard to enjoy. I have a quote framed in my living room that says, "Come what may and love it." I have looked at it often lately in moments when I am not "loving" what's going on around me and it helps me keep an eternal perspective.

I recieved a new calling at church yesterday, and as I was being set apart by our 2nd counselor in the bishopric, in the blessing he promised that as I fulfilled this calling, which may make my life busier, that my home would be filled with more happiness than I could imagine. I couldn't help but tear up. I think our home is a happy place- most of the time, but to be told that there would be unimagineable happiness was completely comforting.

So I am working on it- I am working on the "Come what may and love it." Because for me, it's taking the moments that aren't easy, the times that are exhausting, and the days that I feel I am just in "survival" mode and learning to love it. Because that could create the extra happiness that could benefit anyone.