12.22.18 Whoville Christmas Production

We aren't so spectacular with Halloween, but we do well when given a theme and reason like school activities. This year was no exception the kids were part of the Christmas production Whoville Christmas. Mark and Addie had speaking parts, and I was surprised to see John so willingly singing! 

Reed was fun to watch too, he knew all the songs well and sings without inhibition. Livy was hidden to my view but I'm sure she hammed it up as well.

It was fun to do Addies hair and make-up with assistance from her older sisters. She has such a small face and different look than them Intersting to learn her lines and really study her features. Mark became a whole new man with eyebrows drawn on.

 While we don't encourage a belief in Santa we don't deny the tale either. The kids were excited to share their hopes with him and gain a bag of candy. He was shopping in the grocery store last week. He really looks the part!

This was a big night for this super competitive daughter of mine. After all of Aliza's success she is anxious to make her mark. She did not disappoint. She memorized most of the play to assist her male co-stars and even spent the day running lines with an older boy so he could do well. She is organized, smart, generous, happy to help, and a hard worker.

The generous teacher who organized and directed the play this year. Mrs. Robertson was my 2nd grade teacher and it has been a blessing and delight to have her teach my children now. I'm so grateful for the staff's willingness to put on shows like this. I admire the parent organization that decorates and facilitates the production. I'm aware these will be some of their prized childhood memories. Christmas is a special time and one of my favorite times to dress up.

12.21.18 Catching Up 2

This has been the big potty training month for this terror! He has done very well only having one day of poop everywhere. He misses the big boys and cheers when they come home. Unfortunately it's pretty cold at night to ride four wheelers and do chores especially since he is against wearing pants even with a warm hat it's not enough protection from the weather. 

These three cuties were of course playing santa clause.

The excitement of the first snow over rode mom's instruction to wear pants. They had a ball for 3 minutes running in the fast answer to prayers.

One day Bruce stuck this bean up his nose. AAHHH! I tried to blow it out, youtube said it was so simple. I tried to pick it out with tweezers no go, he's strong. I racked me brain and finally he just snozzed it out. Thank goodness for prayers of grandparents. It was already swelling.

I spend a lot of time coraling them like this. holding them. I do love kid blankets.

John has really opened up this month. He is so happy and excited about life right now. He found his toy soldiers from Christmas past and was enacting a perfect battler.  He was also #3 in the school for reading proficiency. Proud of him! MArk was #4 and Addie was #10.

Livy is accepting school and was excited to win this shirt for her sales efforts for the Harvest fest. She's coming into her own handling school, homework, and routine better and better each day. 

And a normal night at the end of a long day. Just winding down and gaining courage for the final push to bed. 

12.18.18 Animals

Alongside all the usual December fun were a few animal nights. One night I was asked to have Mark check on a calf who had been caught in a fence. Mark found it struggling to get up and reported it would be fine. An hour later he reported he and John had decided to move it into the warm shop because it wasn't moving. I instructed him to mix up some warm water, yogurt and electrolytes to try and get it jump started. I went down to inspect and found a very cold calf. I frantically called the calf doctors I know and my trusted 4-h leader gave me some coaching and then my dear friend Jack came to help me tube it. WE did that and brought down a heat lamp to try to warm it up. 

The boys were rubbing it with straw to increase circulation. After heat lamping it for 2 hours it was up and moving but after another 2 hours it was cold again and died shortly thereafter. Sometimes that happens. But it's not right to not try to help. The boys did well trying and learned more animal care.

The underweight fair pigs were finally ready to go, we of course all suited up to go help.

Thank goodness for the recent donation of freezer leftovers from a friend. Those old tortillas and tomatoes lured the pigs right up the ramp into the trailer. And to market to market we went. Harold's pig had gained 200 lbs since fair! And Runt was a respectable 276 lbs. Glad to see them go excited to enjoy sausage again.
Loading animals is an intense, patient exercise complete with adrenaline rush and extreme relief when the gate is locked on animals in the trailer. My kids are braver than I! They make quite the team.

12.19.18 Catching Up- big kids

I used to hate the month of December all the busyness, money being spent, running around and the exhaustion of all the expectations. I never felt like I was doing, spending, or creating enough. I felt so inadequate. 

This year when I was planning Alia's birth in my mind one of my goals was to enjoy my family. I don't want to just trudge through this experience. I can't beat them there are too many, so I'm trying to join them. Yet, still retaining my parental responsibility to correct and corral. However, I want them to undoubtedly know their mother loved them individually and was interested and concerned for them one by one. 

So this December I'm choosing to watch for God's hand helping me. My other prayer around the time of her birth was "God help me!!"  the quick sure reply was "I am and do!" I realized I needed to pay more attention and give credit where it is due. 

Thus, this month has been infinitely better than ever before. Still super busy, full of sugar, and running. Currently my ribs are out and I've spent a few days unable to breathe deeply a result of stress and no naps I think, but I still feel at peace and have had so many great moments with my kiddos.

The night before the Seminary final I sat down with the big kids to help them memorize the 25 scripture mastery verses that they were unsure of. This was a fun teaching and quizzing hour I learned a lot. Notice we all cross our feet the same.

Harold taking a break from studying playing with Alia's ear. She was smiling so big at him he was loving her happiness.

He also is a favorite of Bruce they like to slide down the stairs. Of course Harold now takes up most of the stairwell. But BRuce is excited when Harold comes home so they can slide together. HArold is stretching here.

Still up at the high school. I took a tour to see the door decorations.

This season of sharing and loving has been awesome. We have spent a lot of hours together in the kitchen and the car and the car hours have been great!! We visit, sing, and hug. It's peaceful mostly and heartwarming to share some holiday cheer and love with special people in our lives. We are very blessed to have so many people to love.

12.9.18 Post-Its

It seems like every Sunday we have a standoff here with Aliza and HArold towering over the rest of us. She shoes up in her heels and Harold is just getting to be that tall and we all look up to them. IT's been a bit of hard pill to swallow for Greg he is our big dad after all. So this Sunday when I had time to take the picture of Greg, Alia and HArold I figured I'd document one of the older crew too. 

These big kids pulled off a special mission later that day. Earlier in the week they had been concerned for a friend who was showing symptoms of possibly committing suicide. Another group of friends were pondering their sexual readiness and the girls were aghast at both situations. I suggested they reach out to both girls and encourage them on from the right now. I suggested that maybe a locker covered in positive thoughts would help them know they were loved and cared about by someone other than a boy...so they did that for the depressed friend. The response was positive. So we mused what if they did the whole school? What would that be like?

Well Aliza spoke with a teacher who supplied her with a huge stack of post-it notes and the locker assignments for everyone at school. We then googled positive comments ang started writing. The kids secured keys and the principal's ok after church and went to the school. 300+ post-it notes and a few hours later they came home worn out mentally from the exercise. However, they were happy. The result this week has been surprise from peers that someone "secret" would know and comment on them personally. Harold is busting to tell and has been approached by a few. A sweet janitor friend complimented the girls  saying "if he knew who tried to make school a little better this week he would tell them that's cool."
There's a lot of bad out there. A lot of darkness. I'm thankful these kiddos are willing to push back and be lights. I'm so thankful they have each other. This was a big job! I love being a mom to groups of kids. Sharing the journey truly makes it more fun!

12.6.18 For health and strength

The kids came home from mutual last night and I Was really surprised when I saw Mark standing next to Harold. He was so little. I had to document this so I had the boys line up and this was the result. First not to make anybody look too short. 

Then the real comparison. I don't think of Mark as a little guy very often but his older brother has really shot up of late and well Mark is truly the little brother right now.

Not that that is to his detriment. No there's plenty of mutual respect and funning around here. We got read to take a break from finishing the lion the witch and the wardrobe which I had started reading to him and LIvy this week. He happily finished before school today I just couldn't read the last 2 chapters last night as I had pictures to take.

The girls also got in the act. Not quite so stark of a difference I guess unless we rearranged it

Liza really wasn't mad she was just being serious. 

Afton and Bruce had fallen asleep earlier but this little lady outlast them all. She has skipped 3 mos clothes to go straight into 6 mos. She is long! And it's hard for her to balance those big sweet cheeks and keep her head straight up all the time. But we love her and know she will get stronger as she continues to grow too. We are truly blessed with health, activity, and energy here for that great gift I am thankful!

I love winter nights when I can sit with my kids and snuggle and read away. I love sharing timeless stories and characters. I love watching their eyes and ears perk up at funny and scary scenes. This is one of my favorite parts of being a mom is sharing great literature with my children. Thank goodness for earlier nighttime and cold that chases us indoors around the fire. It's nice to have different seasons in our valley we enjoy each.

12.2.18 Siblings

She's just a sweet gift! So I have random pictures of her, not of my taking, that are too sweet not to save. She is mostly patient loves to be held and is happy when in the mix of life. Eyes open or closed she knows her people and likes to be sung to, talked to, listen to stories, played with and carted around the house by people half a size bigger. She's an ideal youngest sibling. 

When the question came pre-thanksgiving who was making pumpkin pie the pumpkin man happily volunteered. He happily gathered supplies and read the recipe making his first solo pumpkin pies. They were great! Another skill set began. Love this funny serious guy. 

Another pre-thanksgiving (they all are in this post) I should have known when Bruce wanted a nap that something was up. He later began a high fever that lasted four days his first encounter with the cold sore virus that is rampant in our family. See that line they are imaginarily not crossing? That's where I was lying. Oh so much of my sleep is loved by these two. Again I need to be thankful as I do sleep well with sweet babes next to me. Although I do love the freedom to toss and turn and stretch all alone.

Aliza visiting with her spirited cousin Cambree who is anxiously hoping for a turn to hold Alia. Cambree was the first person to suspect I might be pregnant and loves to get to love on our baby. She is a cutey with lots of ideas and energy!

Playing at grandma corns with the legos and cousins.

Harold loves the power to purchase. His most recent acquisition was his Auto Club shirt. He looks sharp in it and is enjoying learning more automotive skills.

The kids were privileged to learn of a special program called I'll Push You. A motivational evening with two men who came from Ontario. The kids had a great time listening and pondering who they could/would serve. We truly enjoy the late nights we spend with the oldest three digesting, laughing, and considering their most recent experiences. 

When Greg and I were dating, I was impressed with his closeness to his sisters. They were friends they had shared so much life together and truly had each other's best interest at heart. When Anna and HArold were just a year apart in age I decided we must continue the pattern and have a baby 18 months later. It was overwhelming and scary to have that many children so close in age (ha-ha who knew then it would just be the pattern?!) but I am so thankful now for that choice.
These three work so well together. They too have each other's best interest at heart. They watch out for each other from studying together, to encouraging and challenging and covering for each other. They know each other's strengths and appreciate them. There is not a lot of fighting, some of course, but mostly they honestly love each other. I am thankful for that. The world gets more and more contrary and people you can count on are rare. Siblings are part of your existence forever and to love and value them makes that such a rich rewarding experience. I am thankful for my siblings who see life as I do generally and who teach me and answer my questions as I am the old sister now! Families are gifts! I am thankful for the one I come from, the one I married into, and the one I have birthed.

12.1.18 Alia's Blessing Harold Ordination

We had another two-fer Sunday. These sweet baby got blessed and Harold was ordained to the office of priest. We have enjoyed several of these double dips and are thankful for the next steps each of our children experience. 

We decided Alia would wear Aliza' s blessing dress which was made new with the gift of a beautiful sweater from Great grandma Lasley.

With sickness, teaching, and other commitments we just had grandma Lasley after church. It was highly enjoyable to have her in our home telling stories and visiting. Afton loves to snuggle and jumped right up in grandmas' lap and talked with her. Grandma and Grandpa Saunders joined us for lunch later too.

In the rush of the day a youth talk, both Greg and I taught our classes and the two other special events I did not get a picture of Harold with his dad and Grandpa's. Drat! John and I had rushed to compose his youth talk before church. He is a funny guy who gets the gospel. I am so thankful when I work one on one with my kiddos that they do know the gospel and understand how it applies to daily life. We need to work on learning to tie his own tie though. Even though I don't mind too much helping him. It was a special day made by the power of the priesthood that Greg has developed into using with sweet tenderness. I am grateful as each of my children moves another step forward on the covenant path and that they are choosing to be good and do good. I am grateful for their testimonies and individual way of living and walking with God. These are the reward days of motherhood.