July 31

Bath time Shenanigans:

July 30

This picture is from a few days ago, but the scene was very much the same today.  I am hard-core decluttering our home, starting with the closets.  This means lots of piles of stuff (stuff to keep, stuff to donate, stuff to throw away...) around for Hudson to crawl though.  Here he was trying to crawl over a bag of trash and got wedged between the bag and the coffee table.  I happened to have my camera in my hand (I think I was taking pictures for Craigslist at the time) so naturally I snapped his picture rather than rescuing him.  He was not pleased.  

July 29

7:45pm: baking my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe...one of my favorite things to do on a Sunday evening

I ate more than a little bit of this dough.  And one, just a couple, several, ok fine, about 6 cookies after they were baked.  I have very little self-control when it comes to snacking after the kids go to bed.  Put your judging eyes away...I know it's bad.

July 28

7:45: That mug always cheers me up after a long day at work

 And I can always count on Cade to grab my phone and say, "Mom, let's take silly pictures of ourselves now!"

Boston never wants in on the self-photoshoots.  Maybe he's embarrassed by our faces, although I can't imagine why?!

July 27: More Little Joe

We are back from the farm, but Little Joe the donkey is still close to our hearts.

Little Joe and Cade have a heart to heart while Boston watches from a distance, as usual.

We watched the cows for a while, but they kept their distance from us. The boys couldn't understand why they didn't come when they were called.

Little Joe, on the other hand, came running whenever we were nearby.

They found these sweet umbrella holders under the RV so they had the perfect set up while watching Papa work outside.

Back at home, Boston drew (who else?) Little Joe.

July 26

Mom and Dad officially live in the RV down in a teeeeny little town near the lake where they are going to build a new home soon.  The boys and I took a day trip to visit the new place.  Aside from the slightly-more-than-usual number of injuries (Cade burned his finger on a light bulb, got wrapped up in a rope on the dock and scraped his knee and elbow, then smashed his finger in the RV door) we made some new friends (see "Little Joe" the Donkey below) and had a great time!

1. "Little Joe" the donkey.  Cade LOVED him! Boston admired from a safe distance.

2. Todd and Hudson enjoy a front porch swing.

3. Cade takes the wheel of the boat.

4. Dinner from the gastaurant (gas station + restaurant) on the dock.

July 25

6:20: My point of view while cooking dinner

July 24: Nesting

Literally All Day: gutting closets, sorting, purging, organizing.  I can barely move now I'm so sore. 

July 23

11:30am: ready to go tour the Rangers Ballpark for Boston's birthday

I'm kind of in love with this picture.  I love all these boys so much. We were hurrying out the door, but since Mom was here I wanted to take advantage and get a picture, and I'm so glad.  Boston blinking, Cade's sideways glance, Hudson's "so big" pose, dirty dishes in the background and all.  

July 22 Boston's Day

Six years ago today, he made me a mama.  What a wild ride it has been.  

I am so proud of the little boy he has become.  I love his nurturing, sensitive side.  I love his passion for learning and understanding new things.  I love that he is helpful and patient.  I love that he is independent, but values time spent with his family.  

At 6 years old, Boston:

*loves the color green

*loves playing t-ball and watching baseball

*still sleeps with his blue sheep blanket

*enjoys movies and books about science--animals, dinosaurs, how things work, etc.

*is still quite timid around loud noises--fireworks, popping balloons, etc.

*is still really into Toy Story and Cars

*has freckles on his nose and cheeks (I love them)

*gets nose-bleeds pretty often, and it really upsets him when it happens

*eats 4-5 pancakes at a time when I make them

*tells family members "I love you" out of the blue all the time

Two years ago I wrote down Boston's birth story in great detail here.

A few shots from this year's celebrations so far (more to come this week): 

Auntie Erin made him this cake for an early celebration in Austin last night.

Getting home this morning from vacation and pretty much going straight to church meant this boy got store-bought cupcakes for his actual birthday.  He loved the 6 candles!

Frosting aftermath.

July 21

9:15am: snack time on the flight to Austin

We made it back from our trip to Utah.  Hudson was such a good little traveler.  His agenda on every flight (3 on the way out and 3 on the way back) was pretty much the same:

sit down
check the function of the window shades (raise, lower, repeat 5+ times.)
empty the contents of the seat back pocket
bend/rip the safety information card if possible before mom can snatch it away
climb all over the seat between mom and dad
flirt with the people behind us through the seats
snack time
climb all over mom and dad some more
pass out on mom or dad's lap

July 20

Only in Utah:

9:37am: "Sexy Modest Boutique" 

July 19

3:55am: my sleeping companion for the night (although I didn't do much actual sleeping...)

5:30am: breakfast in the airport, ready for our flight to Utah

I am quite smitten with this little man, I have to admit. If I could just have a girl version of him this next time around, would that be too much to ask?

July 18: blogging from Happy Valley

We're in Utah for a few days for a family wedding...and cramming in as many visits to people and places we've missed since moving away!
Yesterday it was BYU to eat lunch (the Cougareat food court tasted MUCH better when we were poor college students! I was horribly disappointed...) and pick up some new BYU shirts for the kids. The best part: there's a whole new section I get to shop in now!

12:30pm: shopping for pink BYU gear

July 17

12:25pm: Cade and I pretending to be asleep.  I'm not buying Cade's sleeping face, are you?

July 16

4:45pm: Boston's pedicure

(Jamie was not thrilled.)

Cade got in on the action, too, when he woke up from his nap.  At first they were both saying they wanted to keep the polish on for their trip to Austin to show Jackson, but they changed their minds by bedtime.  It had to come off before they could go to bed.

July 15 (Pooped)

My conversation with Cade tonight:


(Talking about some show he had watched earlier) "Mom, Henry said he was pooped.  That's so gross."
"Oh, actually when you say you're 'pooped' it really means you're tired."
"No, when you say you're pooped it means you pooped your pants and you need to go to the bathroom."

"Well, in this case it just means you're tired; it doesn't mean you actually pooped.  Like right now, I could say I'm pooped."

"Yeah, cause you're really tired..."
"Exactly"
"...and you need to go to the bathroom."


I give up.

Yesterday @ 8:30pm: me, pooped.

Well, it was bound to happen.  I missed a day of photo blogging. ("phlogging." no?) Yesterday I worked and came home exhausted.  Why did I think staying up until 12:30 and getting up at 5 would be doable? After a wonderful dinner and dessert prepared by Dad and my boys, I crawled to the couch and collapsed.  Once there, I slipped in and out of consciousness over the next few hours while everyone talked and played around me.  I vaguely remember my dad kept telling me, "you should just go to bed" but I was actually enjoying being near everyone!

July 13 and Thoughts on Large Families

Today was a little brutal.

Started way too early, with Hudson waking up at 6:30.  I was basically walking around in a haze until mid-morning when I put Hudson down for a nap and got showered and ready for the day.

We spent a few hours running errands, including an unexpected stop at the post office to next-day-air Mom's passport to her in California.  Somehow it ended up in the bottom of our diaper bag and she leaves for Mexico in 2 days. (Everyone's blaming Hudson...my money's on Cade, though.)

After a quick nap we had to go to the church for a baptism.  It was sweaty, literally and figuratively.  The AC in the primary room was broken (that does not make me excited for Sunday) so it was about 95 degrees in there.  Maybe not quite that bad, but when you're chasing a one-year old around, trying to keep a three- and five-year old quiet and occupied, pregnant and wearing a floor length dress, I was dying.  Then I had to go up and say a few words to welcome the girls to Primary and Boston and Cade both came up to the front multiple times trying to talk to me! I was very frustrated.  I expected more from them, and they know better.  We left, with me melting and frazzled.

After sitting in the car in front of the AC blowing full blast for a minute, my mood turned around and we had a fun dinner out with Papa and ended the day visiting with our friends and their sweet new baby.  What a perfect end to a crazy day.

As we get closer to having four children, I find myself thinking more and more about having "a lot" of kids (by the world's standards at least).  I have always wanted a large family and each of my children is such a blessing, I wouldn't trade them for anything (most days...) but it recently occurred to me, "I kind of get why many people don't choose to have large families."

Having a large family has its challenges.  It's complicated grocery shopping when my cart is already full of children.  It's distracting visiting with friends over lunch when there's always someone who needs a drink refilled, a spill cleaned up, a ketchup packet opened, a mouth wiped.  It sets us apart not being able to spend as much money on all the activities and toys (both for the kids and adults) and trips as other families.  It's exhausting running errands when you have to buckle and unbuckle multiple children at every stop in this 100 degree heat, carry a diaper bag and a baby, keep eyes on everyone in streets and parking lots and store aisles...you get the picture.

But the bottom line is...to me, those challenges are nothing compared to the beauty of having all my boys piled on top of me wrestling and squealing when I'm pooped from a day like today.  Or the pride in watching each of them learn new things and develop strengths.  We chose to have them all close together so that they can (hopefully) always be close--play together when they're young and support eachother as they grow up.

Some days are challenging and exhausting, like today.  And I'm sure four will be a whole different ball game, but I wouldn't feel complete without each of them.  I often think of this quote from Elder Anderson last fall:

"Many voices in the world today marginalize the importance of having children or suggest delaying or limiting children in a family. My daughters recently referred me to a blog written by a Christian mother (not of our faith) with five children. She commented: “[Growing] up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood. … Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get.” She then adds: “Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. 


It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.”

{source here}

10pm: Boston is thrilled to get to stay up late with Mom and Dad

The only picture I took today was a dark, grainy, blurry photo of me and Hudson at 6:30 this morning, in which I look as dazed and grumpy as I felt.  So I'm posting this one from a few nights ago when we let Boston stay up late watching the Home Run Derby.  We are usually pretty strict about bedtime, but Jamie is a softy when it comes to letting Boston watch baseball.  I don't blame him.  I love the extra one-on-one time with him, too.

July 12

Couldn't settle on just one picture tonight.  But these two represent my day (and life) pretty well: equal parts crazy and sweet.  

7:15 I knew about the horns.  I was not aware of the rabbit ears...nice touch Cade.

7:40: Two sleepy boys

July 11

Scenes from the ICU today: managing the IVs,  patient white board, V-tach EKG strip, bedside monitor.

It was a busy day today.  Tiring, but interesting and rewarding.  I'm too tired to even write much about it...but I love my job.  (I can say that now that I'm on day shift!)

{I'm posting an iphone picture each day in July.  See them all here.}
{PS what is the point of putting that link everytime? It's pretty much just every post in July. I think I'll drop it.}

{PPS I'm somewhat amazed that I  have actually done this 11 days in a row.}