April 2018

    We started the month of April off by watching General Conference and celebrating Easter. Brynlee was sick and throwing up that day so she missed out on a lot of the fun. Kyla was also crying for part of the day that her ear hurt but she was better after she got some medicine and never complained about her ears again. Spring break ended the day after that so we had to get back into the routine of school and homework. I started going back to parenting class every Tuesday, we went to the library on Thursday, and I went to exercise group on Mondays and Wednesdays. I taught primary on Sundays and volunteered in Brynlee's class at school every other Wednesday.

     I took the two little girls with me to go shoe shopping and finally got some much needed new shoes. Then later that week Joel watched the little ones and I took the older girls with me to go and look for some clothes and things for them. Brynlee was really the only one who needed stuff but I didn't want Annalyn to feel left out so she came too and got several things. Then we went to buy some food and Annalyn did not like grocery shopping and was kind of naughty.

     During the next week I volunteered in Brynlee's class at school and did all the other normal routine stuff. I got to give a little talk/part of the lesson for the Relief Society activity. I talked about making the most of the things we learned in General conference with your family.

     Joel had a campout the next weekend and it sounds like him and the boys had a really fun time. While he was gone the girls and I went on a walk and hung out at a friends' house for the evening. We had fun and it made the time without Joel pass much more quickly.

     During the third week of April Joel and I celebrated our anniversary, we found out we are having another baby girl, and Joel and I went on an anniversary date while the girls spent the night at my parent's house. Annalyn had a loose tooth that she had been trying to get out for a while but it was not really very ready. She called my dad the morning before she went over there and asked him if he would help her pull it out. (She has heard many stories about him pulling out teeth.) As soon as we got to their house to leave the girls for the night Annalyn had grandpa try to pull out her tooth. He yanked it pretty hard and it got much looser so she had him do it one more time. On the second try the tooth popped out. I know that had to have hurt but she was so excited that she didn't even care. She put that tooth in a bag and put it right away under the pillow in the bed she would be staying in. I wasn't sure if the tooth fairy would come while we were gone but it did.

     The girl's had a blast while we were gone and none of them seemed to really miss us. They got to help grandpa feed their baby cow, they played on the new swing set my brother Josh made, they watched a movie, and played with lots of toys. I think my parents ended up with a few extra kids in their bed but everyone was pretty good for them so there is a chance they might watch our kids again.

     On Saturday we celebrated Remi's fourth birthday, my grandma's birthday, and Josh getting ready to go on his mission with a barbecue and smores around the campfire. My brother Brian brought all of his puppies and the girls all had fun playing with dogs. Summer preferred to look at the dogs while she was safe on the trampoline but she said she liked them.

     During the fourth week of the month of April we got to go to my brother Josh's mission farewell. He left later that week for the Bismark, North Dakota mission. He gave a great talk and shared some awesome experiences from things he learned during boot camp. Then we stayed and went to classes at our old ward which was kind of fun. The kids all liked seeing their old friends and they all enjoyed their class, except for Annalyn because her teacher didn't bring candy. We are going to miss Josh while he is gone. I had a doctor appointment later that week so my sister Alesha watched my girls for me. I went to book group and we celebrated Summer's second birthday on Friday of that week.

     The girls all got their hair trimmed by my sister Heather, they played in the sprinklers outside a few times, rode bikes, and played outside. They blew bubbles, flew their kite, and played with chalk. Kyla and Summer went swimming in the bathtub, we all made slime, and the girls put lots of puzzles together. Kyla had several playdates while the big kids were in school and we helped grandma put in her garden. The girls all enjoyed riding with dad on the tractor while he helped put the black plastic in the garden. It was anther fun and busy month for our family.

Celebrating Summer!

     As soon as Summer was in her bed on the day of her birthday I realized that I only took one picture during her whole birthday party. I took several videos but I didn't even get a picture of Summer with her cake. She helped me make the batter and kept stealing licks while she was stirring it. We made a blue heart cake with purple decorations. Summer sure enjoyed eating that cake and we had fun celebrating her birthday.

Summer's birthday started off with her helping me to make the frosting and decorate her birthday cake. Joel turned on the sprinkles a few days before Summer's birthday so Summer put on her swimming suit right after she woke up from her nap so she would be ready to play in the sprinklers. She went outside when they came on but never really gets wet like the rest of the kids. She just puts her foot in the water. It was a challenge to get her back into her clothes when we were done.

     As soon as Joel came home from work we had pizza and some of my family came over. Summer was so busy playing that she didn't stop to eat for long. She was pretty excited to blow out her candles and did a great job with that. Then we ate cake and ice cream and Summer was happy to stop and eat her dessert. After cake Summer opened up all of her presents. Her favorite thing she got was a big red giant bouncy ball. She ran after that thing all night and kept bouncing on it. She giggled and played with that thing for hours. She knows that ball is hers and does not like to share it with anyone. She also got her very own bag of Skittles and was pretty excited about that. Her cousin Elowyn was over and she really wanted those Skittles and that ball so there were several fights. Summer shared her candy a little but she was not feeling very generous that night.

     We spent the rest of the night playing with all of Summer's new toys. The kids played outside a little bit and my older girls dressed Summer and Elowyn up in wrapping paper dresses. It was a simple night but Summer sure had a fun time. It was fun to have a night all about Summer. I love celebrating Summer and her cute little personality.

Summer is Two

     Little miss Summer officially turned two at the end of April. She has had the two year old attitude for the last few months so it has seemed like she was two for a while. She has been one independent little girl who does not like to be told she can't do something. She is still one of the sweetest and cuddliest little kids I have ever met. There are a few people in her life that she will go to every time she sees them she will beg to be held and will just melt right into their arms. She gives the best hugs. She can sense when someone is sad and is sure to give a big hug. She loves babies and will try to hug every baby she sees. She has a lot of love and likes to share it with others. Summer has grown a lot in the last two years. Here is a little look back on how much she has grown with a picture of her at two years, one year, six months, and one month.

      Summer is finally starting to grow some more hair but it isn't coming in very fast. She loves to have her hair brushed but she will not let me put ponytails in it and she has refused to wear bows for a while. Summer has almost all of her teeth including her two year old molars. Her eyes have turned out to be mostly brown with some green/gray mixed in there. I think she looks the most like her daddy out of all of our kids.

      Summer loves to play with dolls and she loves to draw and paint. She still loves to get into stuff and play in water or with lotion. She loves to go swimming and was jumping in the water over and over again the last time we went to the pool and sliding down the slide over and over again without any fear or hesitation. She didn't even care when her head would go under the water.

      Summer loves to go outside and play. She likes to jump on the trampoline and swing on the swings. She insists on getting herself dressed these days. One of her most favorite phrases is "I do it, I do it." half of the time she gets her clothes on backwards but will usually get them on. She likes to put her own shoes on but really struggles with it. She loves to blow bubbles and play with chalk. She loves to go on wagon rides or walks in the stroller.

      Summer has been talking a lot lately. She is still a kid of very little words but she can talk in three or four word sentences and can say almost any word. She is in the middle of the "why" phase and asks me "why" all of the time. We can all understand her the majority of the time when she talks. She knows the name of all of her sister and she knows that her name is "Summy." Summer likes to say "ta da" and "I did it" after every accomplishment. She likes to ask for the color "orange" but can not identify which one is orange. She can count to one but after that she just starts saying random numbers. When I push her on the swings she always asks for a "doggy" which means she wants an underdog. She likes to say the prayers and can say a pretty decent one without any prompting. Whenever someone asks who wants to say the prayer Summer is always quick to raise her hand and say "me!"

      Summer spends a lot of time playing with her big sisters. She has been playing pretend a lot with them and will often take on the roll of being the baby in their make believe games. She loves to be with the big kids and do whatever they are doing. She spends the most time with Kyla since the older girls are both in school now and her and Kyla play really well together. She thinks of Kyla a lot and whenever she gets a treat or something, she always asks for one for "iyla." Then she tries to give it to Kyla even if she doesn't want it. Her most requested treat used to be cheese for the longest time but lately it has been go gurts that she requests the most.

 

Summer is obsessed with her soother(binky). She calls is her "soo we" and wants it all the time. I really need to get rid of all of them but I am afraid she won't take a nap without one. They have an instant calming effect on her. A soother is good at turning a grouchy Summer back into her happy snugly self. She still takes naps on most days and honestly she needs them. She gets so grouchy without a nap but when she does take a nap it takes her a long time to fall asleep at night. She usually stays up until past 9 on the days that she takes a nap. She falls asleep in her own bed and sleep in her bed for her entire nap but pretty much always wakes up at least once during the night to come and get in mom and dad's bed and she usually sleeps as close to me as she can get. It is not my favorite thing and I am determined to break her of that habit before the baby comes. Wish me luck.

Summer's favorite food is macaroni and cheese. She used to be terrified of dogs but has done really well the last few times we have been around them. She has even gone up to a dog and pet one a few times. She is still not a huge fan of animals but at least she isn't super scared of them. The only animal she really loves is birds. Every time she sees a bird, duck, or chicken, she takes off running and tries to catch them. She talks about birds all the time. Chasing the ducks is one of her favorite activities when we go to the park. 

     Summer is one fun loving expressive little girl. She seriously has the best expressions. She brings happiness with her wherever she goes. Her sisters get mad at her every once in a while but for the most part they love Summer and are so good at looking out for her and helping her. They all love it when she snuggles with them. I feel super blessed to get to be this sweet girl's mom.

Baby Gender Reveal

     We found out the gender of baby number five back in April. It was the day after our anniversary and the same day Joel and I were getting ready to leave the kids and head out on our anniversary date. Back when I was 17 week and went in for my first check-up with the doctor that delivered Summer; Dr. Wiberg, we did an ultrasound at the appointment. I was convinced this baby was going to be a boy. I have felt like our family was supposed to have a couple of little boys in it since Joel and I first got married and since we don't plan on having more than one more kid I figured this one had to be a boy. We couldn't get a super great look but during the ultrasound Dr. Wiberg was pretty sure we were having a little girl. She told me there was still hope that the baby was a boy and set me up with an ultrasound appointment on the day I turned 21 weeks.

      When we went in for the 21 week ultrasound I left the girls with my grandma and Joel met me there. Joel made it there just in time for them to take me back in for the ultrasound. We had a student do the ultrasound and she was slow, the appointment took an hour and a half, but I really liked her. As soon as she started the ultrasound she could tell what we were having and didn't wait to tell us, which I appreciated. We are in fact having another little girl. I am glad we had a few weeks thinking we might be having another girl. It made the news not such a huge shock. Our girls have all been desperately hoping this baby would be a girl so I knew they would be super excited. Our baby was laying sideways and she had her head tucked right in my pelvis area so we could not get a picture of her face at all. She was doing the same thing at my other ultrasound so the only picture I have is a picture of her leg and foot. I tried to get the hospital to print another picture of her hand or something but they told me it cost too much so they only do CDs. I only paid $235 out of pocket for the appointment so I thought it was kind of ironic that they couldn't even afford to print off a picture. Last time I got a CD it didn't work so I haven't even tried to load this one yet.                                                                 
     Annalyn was begging to know what the baby was from the moment I picked her up from grandma's house but I made her wait to find out when Brynlee and dad got home. Luckily Joel came home early that day because I don't think the kids could have handled much more suspense. Annalyn, Kyla, and Summer helped me to get the reveal ready by covering a mason jar with playdough. Then we added baking soda to the jar and I put a lid on it. Summer kept trying to put playdough in the jar and I think we might have lost some of the baking soda but I figured there was still enough. The minute Joel walked in the door the kids were ready. I added some food coloring in with the baking soda while they were in the other room and then all four kids got a cup with vinegar. I asked everyone what they thought the baby would be and even Summer said "girl." On the count of three the kids added the vinegar and out came some red bubbles. The girls knew this meant it was a girl so they started celebrating right away. Summer was a little slow to add her vinegar and I think she just liked watching to reaction of the mini volcano we made because she was just as excited as everyone else. I am getting excited to raise five little girls and we are all pretty excited for her to join our family. I think Joel was more prepared for another girl than I was and has been nothing but excited. We are going to have a hard time thinking of another girl name so wish us luck.

     I was really glad I changed doctors. 40 minutes is a long drive in for an appointment and then I have to drive the same distance home but it was worth it to have a doctor that I like. The only problem is that my doctor will be out of town during the week my baby is due. If I want her to deliver the baby I will probably have to be induced a few days early. At the ultrasound they gave me a due date of August 30 so we talked about having me induced a week early on August 23 or 24 which I later found out is the day my girls start back at school so it wouldn't be the best timing. For now I am going to keep going to her and see how things go but I am not super excited about being induced.

     As of today I am a little over 25 weeks along. I had Annalyn take a picture of me when I was exactly 25 weeks along and little Summer had to get in the picture with me. I am feeling pretty good still these days. I have had lots of heartburn lately and it is starting to get harder to exercise and do some of the things I usually do but I am still feeling pretty good. I have been much less tired and have had more energy than my first trimester so I am trying to take good advantage of that by getting lots of chores and gardening things done now. I am already getting hot so I am kind of dreading the heat of summer. We will see how it goes. We are all excited to meet this little baby girl that will join our family in a few month.

10 Years of Marriage

     Joel and I celebrated 10 years of marriage back in April. My parents put bunk beds in their spare bedroom and my kids have been begging to go and sleepover at their house. My parents offered to watch all of them so the weekend right after our anniversary we dropped all of the kids off and went out to dinner. This was the first time I have ever left all of the kids overnight. They were pretty excited about staying the night so that made it easier to leave them. 

     Joel insisted that if we had the night to ourselves we had to do something more exciting than to stay at home so we went and stayed overnight at this place in Boise called the Anniversary Inn. They have a bunch of themed rooms and we stayed in one called the "country garden." They had a circular bed that looked like a gazebo. Annalyn insisted I take pictures of the room. You can see them below. It was nice to have a whole night where no kids came in our room and I didn't have to worry about cleaning or anything. 

Once we got into the room and looked around we decided to watch a movie. Joel found that there was a redbox that was close so we decided to walk there. We walked right by the train depot which is the spot where Joel and I took our engagement pictures. We took a selfie there just for old times sake. I will have to find the old CD with some of the picture so I can compare them. The walk to get our movie took much longer than we thought but it was nice and enjoyable. Most of the good movies were taken so we ended up getting renting the new "Jumanji" movie. We had a nice walk home and such a fun time alone together. 

Joel has been working hard and had a lot going on at work and life with four kids is a little crazy so this night was much needed. I sure do love this guy and the life we have created together. We had a fun time. They brought us breakfast and we got to sleep in and just enjoy being together. It was the perfect way to celebrate ten years of marriage.