Thankful

Bracken:

"1.55?!!!!



A DOLLAR FIFTY FIVE??!


Skye, Get out the Camera and take a picture!


I haven't seen it this cheap since before my mission!


1.55! Heck, That's so cheap I should DRINK some of it!!"






it's amazing how extremely high gas prices make you so excited for low ones.
But hey...it cost us $15 bucks to drive down to Cedar and a few months ago it cost us almost $50!

Now that is something to be grateful for!

Kamri's 6 month Stats

Our little girl had her 6 month check up last week, man she has grown so fast!
18 lbs 5 ounces
26 inches tall
43 centimeters of head
90th percentile for weight and 50th for height and head size.

Makeup Hayes

Should I be a little worried that he knows the right place to put on makeup.
I guess at least he hasn't perfected the application of it...

Things that made me smile.

A few weeks ago I was so frustrated with Hayes and my lack of parenting skills. He was throwing tantrums over everything and I was being way too impatient. After one very frustrating day I remembered the talk by Elder Ballard about motherhood and remembering the shining moments. So the next day I decided I was not going to do anything "extra" just hang out with Hayes and Kamri and enjoy them. No rush to get Hayes dressed or taking them somewhere where he has to sit still. No trying to get Hayes distracted by something while I worked on getting something else finished. It wasn't like it was this spectacularly perfect day, Hayes still threw a fit when I forgot to let him screw on his sippy cup lid and did it myself. I still got a little annoyed when he cried about the fact I wouldn't let him watch two movies in a row. but the day made me realize that if I stay calm while he's throwing a fit and let him know I understand what he's throwing the fit about. He'll stop crying and then I can usually talk to him about why he can't get his way. I thought that the day of just spending all my time paying attention to him and Kamri would be for them but it ended up helping me! After that day I felt like I might be able to become a patient person again!

I know I can't always have days where I ignore all the housework and errands but the day helped me realize I still need to slow and down and enjoy my little kids. I want to remember the little funny things that Hayes and Kamri do that make me smile...and even some of them that didn't make me smile but were funny afterwards. So I've been writing a few down the past few weeks. (for those that are sick of "ohh my baby is so cute stories" you can stop reading :))

Hayes has a fascination with the mole on my face. He pointed to it so I explained that it was mommy's mole. He pointed to his own face and I told him he didn't have a mole. He pointed to Bracken and Kamri so I explained that they didn't have moles on their faces either. I was just different in our family. So now he always climbs up in my lap, points to my mole and says Mole! and then points to himself or Kamri and sadly says "No Mole." So every day now I get a reminder that I have a mole on my face.... someday he'll realize that it's a GOOD thing not to have one.

Hayes will steal the toy Kamri is playing with if it looks fun to him so it was really funny to me when he was playing with his train tracks and Kamri was laying next to him. Kamri rolled over and grabbed the train out of his hand. He looked up at me like I should do something (i of course acted like I wasn't watching) so Hayes said "No, No, No" and that didn't work so he started rolling her away. Then that night we were reading bedtime stories and Kamri grabbed the corner of the book. Hayes pushed her arm out of the way and was all perturbed that the corner was bent. Ahhh an annoying little sister already ;)

Hayes found his sunglasses in the car on the way to church and insisted on wearing them. I already have a hard time getting Hayes to sit still and quiet in church so I knew this was just one of those times I had to pick my battles. He ended up running up to the front and going up on the stand to see Bracken (he is the ward clerk so he sits on the stand until after the sacrament) wearing upside down sunglasses and carrying a granola bar. One of the counselors in the bishopric starting laughing out loud. He proceeded to sit down and face the congregation...upside down sunglasses and all. Maybe a bit irreverent but better then him screaming right?

Hayes trying to throw his binkie up on the counter and when it hit the floor instead he was like "Oh! Miss!"

There was a smashed mosquito on our ceiling and it had been there for a few days before Hayes noticed it. We were sitting on the couch when he noticed it and pointed up, "Spide?" (Spider) and of course it has been up there for a few days for a reason...i'm too lazy to get up there and wipe it off. So I told him it was too high for me to reach. He instantly ran for the kitchen and came dragging the stool in. Apparently I didn't have a good enough excuse.

A few days later I checked out a book called "The Diary of a Spider" for Hayes and now whenever we read it he points to the ceiling where the "spider" used to be.

We were going to a family party and Hayes had just woken up from his nap. I had to hurry and give him a bath and get him dressed in new clothes because he had been playing in the dirt before his nap. Earlier he had on a lightning mcqueen and mater shirt and he saw it while I was getting him dressed. He started throwing a fit because he wanted to wear that. It got to the point that he was just holding it screaming and wouldn't listen or let me touch him. Then it was like seriously a light bulb above the head moment. I told him he had to wear a clean shirt because his mater shirt was dirty but he could hold the mater shirt while we drove. After that he stopped crying, let me get him dressed, and the whole ride into town he held onto that shirt and kept on saying "mater, dirty...mater, dirty."

Kamri woke up at 5am today so I got up and brought her in bed with me. I started to fall back asleep and I looked over at her and she was just staring at me and smiling. She starting jabbering and smiling so I stayed awake and just watched her. It was just one of those times that you realize just how much you love your kids....even when they don't realize that you are not a morning person and it is way too early to be awake!

6 months

Kamri was 6 months exactly on Friday. Two Sunday's ago I had fun taking pictures of her while she was laughing and smiling. I love this little girl. She is smiling at everyone and everything now. My favorite thing is getting her out of bed in the morning or after a nap because I always know there is going to be a big smile waiting for me. She is also soo patient! She'll lay on the floor and roll around and play for the longest time and she doesn't mind Hayes playing with her (aka rolling over her, pushing her, trying to pick her up, throw balls to/at her) even though sometimes I'm afraid he hasn't figured out what "be soft" means. She rarely cries now and if she does it usually isn't for long, she's such a good baby and getting so big...it almost makes me baby hungry....ALMOST...

Dixon's Painting

Just have to show off my brother's amazing skills. The pictures will be published in a book that Covenant is putting out for Mother's Day. Check out more of his art by clicking here.

His beautiful wife, Linda, and adorable daughter Audrey.

Halloween Hangover

I don't know if any of you are like me but this past week, a "healthy" choice for a snack has been this:

it counts as a fruit right? ;)

instead of something like this:

I'm not really ready to go full blown healthy and snack on only this:but would anyone mind sharing their "healthy" snacks...or better yet healthy dinner ideas? I'm the worst eater but maybe a few small changes would help? Right now my healthy snack is cashews but they are getting kinda old. So if you'd like to help me out leave a comment or post your own favorite healthy snack on your blog. Please...I'm tagging all of you out there... :)

Just a recent picture of Hayes sleeping to add to the collection.

I promise he really does have a bed!

Disneyland

Two weeks ago my sister-in-laws Linda and Christine planned a random trip to Disneyland for us. My sister Brooke and I were very happy to come along! We had all our kids and Christine's little sister Katie W. and our friend Katie R.

I decided we were going to go on Sunday...
Hayes, Kamri and I drove down to Cedar on Tuesday, Wednesday we drove down to Anaheim. We went to trick or treat on the street in California Adventure that night, Disneyland Thursday, CA adventure Friday and arrived back in Cedar at 3am Saturday. I drove home Saturday and got home at 8.

Total time driving = 26 hours (wow...I didn't realize it was that much!)

Total number of kids 4 and under = 6

They did great in the car. The drive there we stopped twice. Once for gas and Once for food (and obviously to let the kids run around and feed the babies)

We knew we would get a lot of funny looks but I think pulling up to valet parking was hilarious...15 passenger van, BYU license plate, and a whole bunch of girls and kids from utah jump out. The guy was asking us how we were related...oh sister, sister-in-laws, blah blah. Then asked us where all the dad's were. I'm sure he was thinking we were polygamists! Oh yeah and the extra money for valet was soo worth it.



This was the first thing we did when we went to trick or treat on the street. They had a bunch of music and characters dancing. They handed Hayes a maraca but I think he was a little worried about what was going on.

So Back row (L to R)...Hayes (in stroller), Me, Katie R., Brooke, Linda (holding Kamri)
Front row Katie W. Christine (holding Rachel), Xander, Kaylee, & Audrey.

Lunch Break

I know a lot of people thought we were crazy (including our husbands!) and I'll admit there were many times it really was but it was so much fun! Watching all the kids reactions to the rides, having fun on the rides myself (I loved California Screamin, Soarin CA and the "It's tough to be a bug" movie), and chatting with the girls. I'll admit the thing I said the most was "Where's Hayes?!?" but luckily he was never to far away (once even in my arms) and at least one of us had our eye on him at all times. Hayes loved being with his cousins and I loved being able to chat with all my girls. (I only wish Heather could have come!!)

Some of my memories from the trip:

« Brooke's amazing driving skills
« Group Help lane changes
« Me saying 'GO!" and confusing her with "No"
« Valet Parking the Beast
« Xander saying "I'm NOT in the MOOD to sleep!.....zzzz"
« Christine's amazing running skills...although we missed the shuttle :(
« Katie W. and my discussion on what "I don't know" means (hour 2 of the ride home)
« Katie R. chasing down Captain Jack Sparrow and getting hit on by the kid in line for Indiana Jones.
« Kaylee crying when she got off every ride because she wanted to keep going!
« Linda getting a free bus pass from some nice ladies at the bus stop.
« Linda being soo polite to the random stranger blabbing on and on at the parade.
« Kaylee, Audrey & Hayes taking turns chasing eachother.
« Brooke, Linda and my embarrassing moment trying to get on the bus..trying to go through the exit, crazy kids everywhere and Hayes stuck to me on the leash.
« Hayes laughing and running down disneyland, the night of the first whole day we spent there.
« Xander and Hayes having a "picnic" of pizza and fruit on their towels...sitting in their diaper and underwear.
« Christine being asked if all of those kids were hers?!
« Audrey rocking out on Trick or Treat on the street...and any music she heard really. And her being amazingly happy in the stroller!
« Our Stack of PB & J's
« me constantly saying...Where's Hayes?! even when I was holding him in my arms
« Kamri & Rachel being good sleepers!
« Xander singing Lullaby to Kamri
« Changing 6 poopy diapers the last day we were there.
« Katie R & I carrying a bunch of luggage in the elevator and trying to catch the shuttle.
« The shuttle waiting for us....AGAIN.
« Waiting in line for toy story...bloody nose, smashed fingers...craziness
« All the kids asleep for the ride home!

Happy Halloween!

Sully & our Skater Girl.

Hayes is way too obessessed with binikies and was bending over to get Kamri's that was chained to her beltloop.

She loved the skateboard, it kept her entertained all night!

By the end of the night she almost had that kickflip down, I swear!

Bracken took Hayes trick or treating while I stayed home to give candy out. It took a lot of convincing to get him in his costume but once it was on he LOVED it. Whenever he had the choice he would pick a sucker so we have like 20 of them now!

He fell asleep as we walked up to the Church for the ward christmas party and slept through the whole thing. Rookie Trick or Treater...maybe next year you'll make it the whole night Hayes :)

Book Tag

Got tagged by my friend Jamie.

Pick up a book you are currently reading, turn to page 56, go to the 5th sentence and post the next 2-5 sentences in the book. Then tag 3-5 other people.

Well Jamie accidentally looked at pg. 65 so I'm going to do the same because page 56 was the middle of a story and didn't make any sense
I haven't been reading many books lately besides textbooks but this is the last one I was working on. "Confronting the Myth of Self-Esteem" by Ester Rasband (Great book by the way, this is my second time through it)

"For the grateful, the vision is in the contentment. It is a perspective, not a checklist. It is the perspective of seeing God instead of ourselves as the source of our strength and our delight. It is the viewpoint of deeply humble and grateful worship. Self-focus interferes with our worship. It encourages us to see if our desires are met instead of being overwhelmed by the love that is being offered in ways we sometimes do not understand. Self-consciousness is the perspective of gratification instead of gratitude."

I tag anyone that is reading a great book right now and wants to share!

Two sides of the story

Okay so just to clarify to all those that talked to Bracken about Hayes' falling out of bed mishap.

This is really what I thought happened: Hayes climbed into bed with us and he was right next to me. He has been doing this like three times a night lately. So this time he snuck in and I didn't even realize it until I hear him fall off, hit the nightstand, and thud to the floor. The thud of course woke me up so I got up to help him and I hear Kamri start to cry. I'm trying to console Hayes and Bracken gets up to get Kamri and get me something for Hayes' bleeding head.

Now this is what I thought was reality, but apparently I was too tired to realize the truth?? Bracken never said that this is what happened until we were talking to our friends at the ward Halloween Party

Bracken's story:
Well Hayes snuck in and got in bed next to Skye. Kamri started moaning and Skye reacted by JUMPING up out of bed. But in the process of getting up she LAUNCHED Hayes out of bed, where he hit his head on the nightstand. I was just doing my motherly duty of getting up when my baby whined....

You can believe whatever story you would like. I really don't know which one is true but please know I am innocent in hurting my child. Maybe subconsciously my mind made up the story in my head because I did not want to think I hurt my child. Or maybe Bracken just likes to make up a good story when he knows I was too out of it to remember every single detail. You choose.

just FYI, for all those Bracken told first, I was not trying to hide the fact that I launched my child out of bed. Apparently I just didn't realize that's what I did ;)

Bracken's version of the story is funnier, but I still say I'm innocent....
Oh and his cut is doing fine, thank you.