April Happenings

 When this little buddy gets a stomach bug it hits hard and fast. He usually complains about his tummy hurting and throws up shortly after. 

Then he gets a bath and then falls asleep in places he would never otherwise do and when he wakes up it's like it never happened. Its so sad but at the same time I'm glad it doesn't linger for longer. He is a tough little buddy and it's hard to see him sick anytime.

Emy loves to be a helper and wants to be involved all of the time. It can be difficult considering there are 3 other kids that also like to be involved. But I am trying to find a balance and meet all of their needs but somedays it seems like everyone is left feeling like their needs haven't been met and I'm exhausted.

Gracie asked if I would work with her on some sewing. Since I have been put back in nursery they were in need of some new baby blankets and pillows which was perfect to practice on. I don't have extensive sewing skills but I can do blankets and pillows and I'm happy to teach the kids what I know.

The dream of the garden boxes is starting to become a reality. We were able to grab some top soil before it was sold out but after filling one of the boxes with a shovel we decided it was worth the price to rent a mini ex and none of the kids were upset about it either. They all took turns riding with Matt while the rest of us leveled it out as they dumped it.

Even with it being April we're still getting moisture in the form of snow. It's hard to complain when we need the moisture so much.

Emy lost her tooth at school which she intentionally wouldn't let us pull out at home because she wanted to get a tooth necklace at school and I didn't mind because I hate pulling teeth.

This boy and his treats. Eating ice cream with a spoon cuddled up watching a show....it's his jam.

Apparently we are really tired at our house this month. Liam rarely if ever falls asleep with me holding him so when it happens I try to just soak it up and not get to caught up in worrying...that's a work in process.

7th grade has been rough for this sweet girl. Sometimes when I pick her up she is just done and doesn't have much left to give. We are still finding ways to work thru that but sometimes a nap it what you need to reset you. I left her int he car pouting and came back to find this. Love this sweet girl that made me a mama.

Although Liam has lucked out in the dental department so far he has to come most of the time when the sisters have work done. He doesn't mind because he lays here and watches a movie.

I debated about giving this a place in our journaling and decided it has been a pretty big hurdle that we have been working on. Liam has had a hard time with regular pooping for most if not all of his life. Although we are unsure about the reasons behind it we have been told by multiple doctors to treat it the constipation protocol. Basically what that is is a mix of miralax, exlax, and mineral oil. We have been following it and still having trouble with the regularity. At this point we are every 3-5 days and then when he finally poops it is usually painful. We have been talking more about pooping and why it hurts and how we should try more frequently and how to push. 

Emy wants so badly to grow up faster than she is. I wish she would just enjoy being little but I'm letting her do things she would like to try along the way. She was so excited to try mowing the lawn...we'll see if it continues.

Hallie has found a new friend. Her name is Paityn. Her mom and I talked and have found that these girls are an answer to each other prayers. I hope their friendship will stand the test of time.

Spring Piano Recital

 It was that time of year again for the girls to have their piano recital. I really do love that they girls get the one on one time with Joy that they wouldn't get otherwise and I wish I had stuck with piano so Im hoping all of them will as well. They are all getting so good and it's fun to hear the music in the house. I think other than having to practice everyday they are enjoying getting to the point they can play music they hear on the radio and love.

Hoppy Easter

 The older the girls get the more I realize that simple is just as good as extravagant. This Easter was perfect in that way.

We followed the bunny trail to collect treats and ultimately find each of the kids gifts. It's a tradition my parents started and we have continued.

Then we quickly got ready and headed to church. The bishop had all the parts for the kids to make bunny racing cars. 

Manor Care Easter Egg Hunt

 This is one of our favorite traditions. This is the first time they have done it since covid and although it was a little different the feelings were still the same. They do such a great job organizing it and putting it together.

As you can see the masks didn't last long once we got outside. Hallie was thrilled to bring Paityn with us. My kids always look for the golden eggs first.

This is Amira she is Paityn's sister

And the tradition continues...

Easter Prep

 The girls all wanted to have friends over and we decided while they were here to do all of our egg and cookie decorating. I was a little nervous of what a mess it might be but it turned out great and they all took a plate of cookies home to their families and some of their eggs.

This egg decorator is awesome. I don't know why I waited so long to order some.

This little guy was happy to help clean out the frosting bowls...he loves frosting like his mama.

Nursery Remodel

 After 3 years of a break from nursery it was time to go back. Liam has no interest in going to his primary class and wants to stay in nursery so Im going to nursery to. I love the nursery kids. Nursery is their first experience learning about the gospel outside of their home and at such an age that they absorb things like crazy. Im so excited to be back but nursery doesn't look like a fun place to go so we needed to brighten things up. We also went thru all of the toys and threw away anything broken or with missing parts and cleaned everything. It was embarrassing how dirty it was.

Garden Boxes

 I wanted to put in a garden but wasn't quite sure where it would go. So we came up with these boxes and I think they're going to work great. Starr Prim brought me over 50 raspberry starts and then we planted tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash. Now to see how everything grows. I'm grateful for a construction minded hubby that makes all my ideas come true.

Spring Soccer Begins

 It's that time of year again. After a couple of months off of indoor they are back on the field. The weather has been nice but still on the cooler side which the girls have liked. I really like when Matt and Cade coach together. I think they so good with the girls and have a great dynamic of making the team run smoothly. Unfortunately I think this will be the last spring that I post about Hallie playing soccer. She has wanted to be done for a while but she made the commitment so we told her she had to finish t out and she is very much looking forward to being done. We keep hoping that she will change her mind but I don't think she will. As the girls have gotten older some of them are deciding to try other things so I think it will also move from 3 teams to 2 because we don't have enough girls to play just in the valley anymore. It has been great while it's lasted and in some ways I'm not sad because I'm tired of watching aggressive players push around my girl and nothing getting called or it gets called and they just keep doing it. It makes it hard to enjoy it for sure but we'll do our best.

Oh the ways they keep themselves busy while Hallie plays