Lyla's Birthday Party!

For Lyla's birthday we had a BBQ with the Mengs, Freis & Riries.  We had chicken kebabs with red peppers, onions & pineapple.  Then on to the present opening & cake eating  destroying! 

 She had help from all the older kids opening presents at first but then she got into it. She loved the doll & stroller, Little People and diapers she got from friends. She got bows from Hayes & Kamri and a stroller and ball from Bracken & I. When all presents were unwrapped the kids had a party throwing the wrapping paper everywhere!

 Lyla was the cleanest eater of our kids so far. She ate daintily, picking out a handful and eating it, then picking up some crumbs to eat before going in for another piece from the cake.

Lyla, Year in Pictures

ZERO

 ONE MONTH

TWO  MONTHS

THREE MONTHS

FOUR MONTHS

 FIVE MONTHS

 SIX MONTHS

 SEVEN MONTHS

 EIGHT MONTHS

 NINE MONTHS

 TEN MONTHS

 ELEVEN MONTHS

ELEVEN & A HALF MONTHS

ONE YEAR!!

Lyla
Our sweet, sweet, girl!  She laughs easily, especially at her siblings. She loves being tickled.  She likes to fall asleep with her burp cloth against her face. She loves red peppers, frozen peas, bananas (only if they are whole), smoothies, oatmeal, pretty much anything we've tried but black beans.  She army crawls speedily, always using her left hand and right foot. On the tile it looks like she is swimming. She can crawl on her knees but prefers this method. She bites HARD. She loves getting hugs & kisses from everyone before nap/bed time. Just starting to wave. Pulls herself up to everything. Empties everything but is partial to clothes filled laundry baskets. Is so patient but has learned the power of a high scream. She vigorously shakes her head no when you ask her a question, with a big smile on her face. She is a lighter sleeper than her siblings.Will put any small toy in her mouth unless you are cleaning them up then she'll pick them up and put them in the box. (hoping the cleaning part continues!) She has hit a shyer stage but for the most part will give out smiles to anyone willing to talk to her.
She taught us hope & patience before she ever joined us on earth but oh how it has paid off!
We love this little girl!

Compromise of Siblings

 Hayes & Kamri have been butting heads lately when they play or choose a movie. They have different interests which is understandable considering Hayes is a boy & Kamri is a girl, plus the 21-month age difference.  Today as I was getting ready for Lyla's birthday party I was happy to see them compromise and play well with each other.  They were building Star Wars escape pods out of pillows and a random assortment of toys all while singing the "Once Upon a Dream" Sleeping Beauty song.  I'm just taking a small leap out there and guessing if they were the same gender one component of that imaginary play would be missing! I'm grateful they figured out how to compromise and play together.

We had a moment this morning like Elder Monson's talk from the October General Conference.  Yesterday Hayes had put his $5 into his pocket because we were going to go to the store. He has been planning on buying a toy for a few months but always forgets to bring his money.  We ended up not going. Today when I told him we were headed to the store he went to grab his money out of his pocket and realized they were in the pants he wore yesterday. Which I realized I had just stuck in the wash!  When I told him he was trying really hard to hold back the tears. The cycle had just finished so we checked his pockets and they weren't there. Luckily it was at the bottom of the washer, still intact.

We went to target and he found the little $5 Lego set they have hanging up by the candy bars at checkout. He ran to find it as soon as we walked in and then came back to me telling me it was on register #13. "It is four-two-nine ($4.29) and that is less than five so I can buy it!!!" Fists raised in the air, jumping up and down, this was a great day for Hayes. We did our shopping and when we went to checkout he was stricken when he realized #13 was closed. I had to reassure him that he could just go grab it and we could go to another cashier. We didn't have to go through #13 to buy it.  The cashier was great and gave him his receipt and his change very dramatically. He saw that one of his coins was a quarter so he could get bubble gum out of the machines, it was Christmas all over again!  Who knew having to pay for your own toy could be such an amazing experience.  He was careful getting into the car not to lose his receipt. Hayes & Kamri discussed on the way home how many receipts they had received in their lifetime.

We had Lyla's birthday party a day early. Crazy that my baby is ONE tomorrow!!  I'll post pictures all about it tomorrow but here is a sneak peak.

I sat at the computer screen for a few minutes. No clue what to type.
I watched my visiting teachers daughter this morning. She's 9 or 10 but she is a good sport playing with younger kids.  We played duck duck goose. I realized today the game doesn't work out when the players WANT to be It. Hayes & Kamri wanted to be the chooser person so they ended up running and running around the backyard and never sitting down. N thought it was hilarious.
My friend came over for smoothies and they were delicious.
Then the kids had friends over this afternoon; the kids played well and I got laundry done.
I made dinner. Lyla out ate Hayes.
Bracken and I bathed all three kids at the same time. Didn't hear the knocks at the door or the cell phone ring but our landlords found us anyway. That's a good thing though, they are cool AND we are related, which makes them even cooler....
I went grocery shopping at 9:30 p.m.
It costs a lot to feed a family of five or maybe I'm doing it wrong.
and now I wasted three minutes of your life with my rambling.
Unless you comment...then that'll eat up like two more minutes.
It's late. I should stop & go to bed.

Glorious

A day with five hours spent outside playing in the warm sun. We all got a little burn, should have reapplied the sunscreen!

Ended the day booking our trip celebrating Bracken's graduation from law school.

We have the trip booked, that means graduation is c-l-o-s-e!

It has been a glorious day!

FLT: Kamri wanted ice in her milk, I argued that it would be gross to which she responded. "Ice Milk tastes like candy canes!!"

Spring Break

I had been looking forward to General Conference this past weekend. Unfortunately, a situation beyond my control caused me to not focus on it as much as I'd like. Everything was resolved today and I'm grateful I can read the talks or watch them again online.

Hayes's spring break is this week. We have some fun things planned. Today we went bowling with some of our friend's. The older kids bowled a good game and the younger girls bowled an even better game in between rounds of Ring Around the Rosie. Who knew running in circles holding hands could improve your bowling game. Maybe I should try it next time I bowl!

We got a letter today informing us of Hayes's excessive absences. Whoops. Gotta stop taking him out of school to go camping.... Probably the only time we'll get that kind of letter & it be our fault. High school.....I'm guessing that will be another story.

The rest of the day was pretty mundane. Life is like that sometimes.

Thought for Sunday