My flowers

A while ago I was able to get out and plant some flowers. My favorites so far are the yellow lilies. I put those in for my mom who wanted me to have yellow flowers in my yard. All of the flowers are doing really well so far considering this is really the first time I have planted a real flower garden. It is a work in progress and I am looking forward to working in my flower garden year after year.

Music is in the air

We have been blessed with a trumpet recently. We got it thinking that Dakota might want to play the trumpet in the band when she gets in Jr. High and thought it would be so nice to own the instrument instead of renting an old one from the school. When Dakota heard that we got the trumpet she was sooooo excited...in fact we all were. What a gem we found! We went to the store and got a book that teaches beginning trumpet. We were all so excited to play that poor Dakota only got to play on the trumpet twice because everyone decided that they wanted to learn to play too (except Rebecca, she's not really in to musical instruments.) We had so much fun just trying to get a note out of the horn. I played the trombone in High School but it is a little easier than the trumpet, plus it was my second instrument (my first is the clarinet) so while I was able to make noise, it took a while before that noise actually became a note. As soon as I could play one note I got so excited I couldn't stop. I kept going, learning note after note until poor Dakota looked at me with puppy dog eyes and asked if she could please play. We played until after midnight because we were all having so much fun.


Dakota showing us our beautiful new trumpet.


Dakota did very well on her first attempt at a brass instrument. She plays the recorder at school and does a great job. She quickly realised that a trumpet is going to be a lot harder to learn, but can't wait to get started.


Daddy wanted to see if he could make a note. He did so good with his first try that I'm thinking he is a natural horn player. He has never played a wind instrument before and is also eager to learn to play the trumpet.


Seeing everyone play this really loud new toy Megan wanted to try too. It is really heavy for a 2 year old so it was all she could do just to hold it to her mouth for a few seconds. She thought she was so cool though "playing" the trumpet just like everyone else.

Who knows, maybe she will play the trumpet in the band someday too.

4 months already

I can't believe it has been four months since our little man was born. I think that 4 months isn't really that long and that he should still be more like a newborn but 4 months is like an eternity to a baby so he really has grown so much. He is such a happy baby. He will smile and talk to anyone who looks at him (especially little kids.) He just brightens up the room. He is sooo cute too, and that's not just from his prejudiced mother. I took him to a funeral with me last week and even total strangers were coming up to me and asking me if they could hold him and take him to show their families because they thought he was so cute. People in the store will stop and play with him because they just can't resist his sweet smile. Makes me wish I knew a good modeling agency. With his smile and sweet personality he could make enough money to pay for his college education. Alas, he will just have to be Payson's best kept secret I guess.

Anyway, He just had his doctor visit yesterday and again he is doing really well. He hasn't gained as much weight as a typical baby does but there is no concern as long as he keeps gaining. He now weighs 12.5 lb. The doctor asked what he is doing developmentally and I ran down a long list. He is rolling over front-to-back and back-to-front, reaching for objects with both hands, pushing himself up when on his tummy, talking and laughing, taking lots of steps when we stand him up, and trying to crawl by getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. The doctor was impressed at how advanced he was and sat him up to see if he was ready to sit on his own since that was the only thing on the list that I didn't mention and have him do. I think Alex probably would have sat up if he wasn't so wiggly. The doc said that because of the excellent control and strength of his mid section he wouldn't be surprised at all if he started sitting up earlier than usual. Remember...this is the same baby that was so active at his 2 month check-up the doctor had a hard time examining him and couldn't believe how active he was then either. When Alex watches his sisters play, his arms and legs go crazy and he tries to jump out of my arms as if he could get down and go run and play with them. I honestly think that if his tiny little body was strong enough he would be running and playing already. One good thing about all his activity though is that he really wears himself out. His little body is so worn out by the time he goes to bed that he sleeps for 10 hours every night. I recently started him on cereal because he is always so hungry and he totally acts ready for solid foods. I know that it is better to wait until 6 months but I had to do something for this poor starving little boy. He took to eating from a spoon on the first try like he had been doing it forever. None of my other kids have ever taken to eating so quickly. He was so excited to eat, he kept grabbing the spoon and trying to feed himself.

Come on Alex...just try to be a baby would you. He is just so ready to grow up. Well, he may be ready to grow up but I'm not ready for him to so he will have to listen to me calling him my sweet baby boy for at least another 18 years.

Out Takes

Just for fun the kids wanted me to post some pictures from the mini photo shoot we did last week.

These first two are from the picture that we are using for the blog. They really loved Alex and Megan's expressions.

I love Megan's expression in the first picture. This is also how we usually find Alex...with something in his mouth. He is the hungriest little boy.

Alex looks nervous in this one and Megan looks a little tipsy.

I wanted a picture of the two men in my life in their white shirt and ties. I love this picture.

Trying to get that picture though I got this one first and couldn't stop laughing at Alex. It is such a goofy grin...I love it.

Mother's Day

What a wonderful Mother's Day it was yesterday. This day really snuck up on me. I couldn't believe it when my family asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day. I thought that it was still pretty far away but then they said it was only a few days away and I couldn't believe it. I gave the same answer to them that I give every year...I already have everything I want for Mother's Day...I have the most wonderful children ever and I couldn't ask for more. All of my children (even the big one who takes care of us all so well) are the greatest gifts I could have ever received and they make me so happy I can hardly contain it. I really do feel so blessed to be the mother to each and every one of my children.




My special day started with lots of hugs and kisses and tons of smiles and then I was presented with gifts for me that the kids had worked really hard on and some beautiful flowers from my hubby and Elizabeth, all followed by one of my favorite breakfasts. Then we went to church where the spirit was so strong I couldn't hold back the tears of gratefulness and love. When we got home the house smelled soooooo good because CJ had started dinner before we left. He made me a really good slow cooked smoky pork roast. Mmmm, yummy! After dinner the girls and I went through some memory books and had fun just being together while CJ kept the baby occupied. The day couldn't have gone any better. I hope all the other mothers out there had as wonderful of a day as I did.

Graduation

Believe it or not our little Rebecca is moving on to Jr. High. These are her last few days in Elementary school. I can't believe that my little girl has grown so big. I'm so glad that she still lets me call her my baby girl. She went through so much in her first few years of life with her eyes, eventually needing 4 surgeries just so that she would be able to see like you and me. She has always had a love of reading, even when she was just a baby she LOVED being read to. She still reads a ton to this day and I think that is what keeps her eyes so strong. She loves to sing and act and is a big help to anyone she meets. I think her favorite activity second to reading is giving service. She is so happy when she is serving others. She looks for opportunities to help everywhere she goes. She has done well in school considering she has had to switch schools so often. She has attended 4 different elementary schools. That makes it hard to make friends but we are here to stay now so hopefully she can find some good friends that she never has to leave behind. Rebecca is a special girl and I feel so blessed to be her mother. We love you so much Rebecca. Now begins your journey into young womanhood.

..............Kindergarten.............

................1st Grade................

...............2nd Grade..............

................3rd Grade.............


...............4th Grade............


...............5th Grade...........


..................6th Grade..............



This school does not have a formal 6th grade graduation like her last one did but they did have these pictures taken. I don't know that I was entirely ready to see her in cap and gown just yet. It's a good thing this is just a graduation from 6th grade and not school all together. That will be a hard day...anyone got a tissue.

Nap time

When Megan started climbing out of her crib I figured it was time for the big girl bed. Just a toddler bed to you and I but to her it spelled "freedom". She loved it so much. The day after her first night in the bed I was helping Liz with some school work and I realized that the house was too quiet. I looked around to see where Megan was and couldn't find her in her usual places. I finally looked in her room and this is what I saw.



I asked her why she was in bed and she said, "I sleepy momma." Can't argue with a two year old who puts themselves down for a nap.