Thankful {part 1}

So the cool thing to do on facebook is to write what you are thankful for everyday until Thanksgiving. I don't like to post much on facebook. I figure if someone wants to really know what's going on in my life they will take the extra click to go to my blog. I really liked the idea though, so I am going to post what I am thankful for her on my good old blog!

Day 1 - Ky. He is seriously the best! I'm not sure how I got so lucky to get him, and our kids are so lucky to have him as their dad! He works so hard for our family and shows how much he loves us everyday!

Day 2 - My kids. Again not sure how I got so lucky to get the best 5 kids ever, but I did. They are my life and I enjoy spending time with them.

Day 3 - My friends. I can count my friends on one hand these days, but hey that's ok. You know who you are and thanks for being my friend! Life would be pretty boring without friends.

Day 4 -Quite time. Yes I love my kids, but I also love an hour or so by myself, to think my own thoughts, and do something for me. It gives me the break I need, so the rest of our day goes smoothly.

Day 5 - For mine and my families health. I was sick with a sinus infection and had a hard time functioning. Especially since the medicine that would help me I couldn't take because of nursing. It seems to always take getting sick to help you appreciate when you are healthy and feeling good.

Day 6 - Bethany and Hannah's examples. These two girls are such good examples to me. Bethany reads her scriptures and says her prayers every morning! She is so good about doing it first thing in the morning. And Hannah got up to bare her testimony at church today. She is braver than me! I am thankful for their desires to be righteous and for being an example to our family!

Day 7 - Mondays. Yes I look forward to Mondays {mostly}. The girls have school 4 days a week, so they get every Monday off. It is nice that it's a day that it is my schedule. No one else is telling me where to be at what time. Our Monday's are jammed pack with homework, cleaning and relaxing and I love it! It is nice having an extra day with the girls too.

Day 8 - Half birthdays. We have been celebrating half birthdays for 2 years, and everyone loves it. It is good for the kids to have another special day that is about them. We have some kind of birthday every month except Jan and April. We love to celebrate and have fun! Also the kids now keep track of how old they are, and if they are 4 1/2 then that it what they will tell you when you ask them how old they are.

Day 9 - Dates with the kids. It is fun to be able to spend time with the kids 1 on 1 or sometimes 2 on 1. It's fun to see how the dynamics change. I am also thankful that they want to go on dates with me. I hope they will always have the desire to be with me, like they do now!

Day 10 - Rylan's preschool and teacher. His preschool is amazing, along with his teacher! It is such a blessing for him and me. I did not have a good experience when I tried putting Hannah in preschool, and have been a little scared of them ever since. I felt like Rylan really needed to go to preschool and get used to interacting with other peers without his sisters around to talk for him. It is amazing the strides I have seen him take and how much more comfortable he is interacting and talking to other people. Plus he has so much fun, and is just bursting to tell me all he did when I pick him up!

Day 11 - Family time. I love that the kids want to do special things together as a family. There's nothing quite like family time!

Day 12 - Dr. Tom {our pedestrian}. He is awesome!!! Dallen came down with croup in the middle of the night Friday, by morning he was pretty bad and was having a hard time breathing. We needed to take him to the urgent care, but really didn't want to. Our Dr. has given us his email, to email him with questions instead of having to go through the phone system {see he's awesome}! So I decided to try emailing him first but really didn't think he would respond. We got an automated email back saying he was out of the office until Tuesday. About 5 minutes later the phone rings, and it was Dr. Tom to the rescue. He was able to call in the med's Dallen needed and gave us instructions over the phone. It was such a small thing for him to call, but so huge at the same time! Also, the kids LOVE going to the dr.'s, they have so much fun with him. What a blessing!

Day 13 - Rylan's hugs and kisses. Every night before bed he has to go give everyone a hug and a kiss. Sometimes it can be annoying because even if you have him all tucked in and ready for bed, he HAS to go give hugs and kisses. It is so sweet though and that pretty much sums him up!

Day 14 - Homeschooling. I really do enjoy the homeschooling I get to do with the kids. I am so tempted to homeschool them 100% of the time, but I don't think I'm quite ready yet, maybe someday. I love teaching them and watching them learn new things. I love the extra time I get to spend with them. And I love being actively involved in their learning.

Day 15 - Holding my sleeping baby. It is one of my favorite things ever, and am wondering what I am going to do when Bryleigh isn't a baby anymore! It is one of the most peaceful and comforting things. It is a highlight to my day! I love it, and I'm glad she loves it too!!

Day 16 - Belated birthday presents and cards. I really love it! Dragging my birthday out for a month is awesome. And it is more of a surprise, since it isn't my birthday anymore! love it!

{Stay tuned for part 2!}

11-11-11

We celebrated 11-11-11, veterans day by having a dress up tea party. The girls had been invited to a tea party the weekend before but I was too sick with a sinus infection to take them, so we did our own version at home. We had a cowboy, leopard, princess bride, and mater attend. {Got to love getting costumes for 90% off, they love their new selection.}

They requested cookies and strawberry milk. I got them sugar cookie pop tarts. They were a hit!

She was the one that suggested that we were celebrating Veterans Day.

Bryleigh got to hang out with daddy. She looks happy!

Our tea party was complete with dancing, playing duck, duck, goose and hide and go seek.

For lunch they got mummy dogs that we never made for halloween, and the kids kept reminding me. Hannah said they are cute and scary at the same time.

dallen's 2.5

Dallen turned 2 1/2. He had fun having it be his day, but was still a little unsure about all the attention. He got this little hex bug. Rylan has one and Dallen always plays with it. So he was so happy to have one of his own! Now Rylan keeps trying to take Dallen's because it has batteries that works.
I love how he expresses himself so much through his facial expressions. Especially with his eyes, sometimes he is so funny! It seems that since he turned 2.5 he has all of a sudden hit his terrible two's. There are been much more crying, resisting going to bed, climbing and getting into everything he shouldn't. I am hoping it is because he had come down with croup and wasn't feeling good, and it won't last long. But I think that is wishful thinking! Good thing he is already potty trained, or that would be very interesting with his new attitude!

Dallen's favorite color is yellow. He has to have the yellow cup, or plate or fork.

He enjoys watching blue's clues. It is what he will pick out.

He enjoys playing with his brother and sisters, but he also enjoys the times when they are at school and he gets to play by himself. There is much less screaming involved too!

He loves playing with trains and cars and legos.

He also loves to color. He will color and color forever. Most of the time the girls and Rylan spend doing homework, he will sit at the table and do his "homework" and color. It is nice that he will entertain himself, except when he decides to color on the floor or walls.

His favorite food is pizza, hotdogs and fruit.

He is left handed.

He picked out a funfetti cake with vanilla frosting. He had a huge smile on his face while we sang to him. He needed a little help blowing the candles out. He wouldn't get close enough to them.

Happy half birthday Dallen! We love you!!

5 months

This little girl is now 5 months old! She is becoming her own little person! She loves to blow raspberries and babble away!

She has also mastered the art of rolling and does not sit still very often. She rolls all around the room and only stops when she come to an object blocking her way or a wall. She is also scooting forward a little. She will hold herself up on her hands and push forward with her toes, and scoots forward. She is definitely a little mover, and I'm not sure what I think about her becoming mobile!

She likes to play on the floor. She is also enjoying playing with toys and chewing on them. She is getting better at sitting up unsupported but usually falls over fairly quick. She is still sleeping good through the night, 7 till 7ish. Her napping has been a little crazy lately. It's sad that her schedule is entirely based on her sister's and brother's schedule. She has taken to doing more catnapping and not so much real napping. When she does her real napping she will take 3 naps a day and stay awake for 2-3 hours in between. The catnapping, {which I don't like and am trying to fix it} she will take 4-5 naps a day but for about an half hour. It seems like she is always tired on these days. She does better with the real napping and so do I. I like having a good hour or two break! Sometimes she is really good about being layed down in her bed and her getting herself to sleep, and other times she likes to be bounced and rocked to sleep. During the day she eats every 2-3 hours. She is eyeing our food when we eat, so I think she is ready to try some rice cereal. Maybe next week. I really don't enjoy the whole baby food phase. She weighs around 13 pounds.

Her sister's and brothers still love talking to her, holding her and making her laugh. Rylan is still the best at getting her to laugh. He blows raspberries while he falls down. It makes her laugh every time, who knew! I enjoy holding her when she is sleeping, it makes everything seem perfect for the moment! It's fun watching her grow and develop and become her own little person. We all love Bryleigh so much!!

halloween

We had a little halloween party on halloween since the kids didn't have school. I'm trying to make up for all that I didn't throughout the last year when I was pregnant! We had a good time! First we painted pumpkin pictures. All of them love to paint!! Dallen likes to experiment with both ends of the paintbrush!

After they finished painting, like an hour later, the kids took a break and ate muffins ,pumpkin cookies, and juice.
Then we bobbed for apples. Hannah went first and it took her the longest. I think everyone else kind of learned how to do it from watching her. Bethany got her apple the fastest. Rylan didn't really know how to get the apple, and kept trying to cheat by using his hands. I dumped some of the water out of the bowl, and he finally got it. Dallen got it pretty fast, I love his face!

We also do another craft that I forgot to take pictures of. It was fun and the kids enjoyed doing something different!Halloween evening we went to the mall to go trick or treating. Then when we got home we went around our neighborhood a little.

Hannah couldn't sit still!! She was jumping onto the couch.

Rylan was really excited to be a pumpkin. He had mentioned it awhile before Halloween and we both had forgotten about it. So we had talked about some other costumes, and one day he remembered that he wanted a to be a pumpkin, so a pumpkin he was. As soon as Rylan was talking about being a pumpkin Dallen was on board too, and wanted to be a pumpkin. They both love pumpkins! Once I saw Bryleigh's costume I knew she needed to be a pumpkin too! So there's how our little pumpkin patch came to be!

Our cowgirls. Bethany really wanted to be a cowgirl, but I wasn't sold on the idea. I suggested so many other options to her, wanting to make sure she knew her options. But no she wanted to be a cowgirl, which ended up working great! Hannah started with wanting to be a bunny, then Nancy Drew, and ended up with being a cowgirl with Bethany. It turned out cute, and I was glad that got to be what they wanted and had fun with it!

She was done by the end of the night!

The kids had a fun Halloween, but I think we had too much halloween. We had something Friday night, Saturday night, and Monday day, and Monday night. I was happy that it was over!

fall pictures

Every fall we go down to the river to take some pictures. I just throw some outfits together and grab some halloween candy to bribe the kids with and off we go. I think I got some cute ones of my kiddos!! He was not suppose to take this bat ring with us, but he did. And he was suppose to put a white shirt on under his sweater so we didn't see his chest when his zipper fell down, but he didn't. Good thing he is cute!This little girl is so much fun! She keeps growing up though!She is quite the character and loves having her picture taken. She kept finding places along the trail to pose for me! This little boy is just that, a little boy. He loves to get dirty and to eat dirt. Yes that is what is all over his face, dirt that he scooped with his hand into his mouth! Last time I checked that didn't taste so good, does he know something I don't?This girl is getting so grownup I'm not sure what to do! She enjoyed finding places for us to stop and take pictures. We had a blowout halfway through. So after a quick trip to the car to get the diaper bag that I left in the car thinking I wouldn't need it, and some new clothes we were ready to go!
My cute family! It still surprises me when I see all the kids together, are they really all mine?? And yes I am glad they are. My life would not be complete with out them. Even if they drive me crazy sometimes!
Bethany picked out this log and pose. Dallen was scared at first which is why his eyes are closed. And Rylan was happy to finally get to hold Bryleigh in one of the pictures.

I love how Bryleigh is looking up to Hannah in the picture. I hope that she always looks up to her big sisters and they can be good examples to her. Dallen did not want his sweater on. He took it off at least 5 times. At least he did put the white shirt underneath or he would of been really cold!Notice Bryleigh's new clothes. I was glad that they somewhat matched. I love these 'jump' pictures and Hannah's facial expressions! Dallen always jumped after everyone else, his timing was off.

My awesome family again! They were all good sports and cooperated mostly!

p260 week 43

October 30th to November 5th

Our family picture for the month. We took our annual pictures down by the river. Love these people!

Our pumpkin patch and cowgirls at the ward trunk or treat. They had a good time playing all the fun games and getting candy.

At the halloween carnival on base the kids got to pick out what candy they wanted. Every bowl had these yellow balls. That is what Dallen would pick out of every bowl. His favorite color is yellow and he loves balls! Too bad I won't let him eat jawbreakers yet.

The kids had their primary program at church. They all did a great job!

Hannah's part: We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the law and ordinances of the gospel. Article of Faith #3.

Rylan's class sat in the front row of the chapel, which means for every song they sang they had to go up the stairs to the front. Lot's of running was involved with the kids. He did so good having it be the first program he has been in. He memorized his part and went up and said it all by himself!
Rylan's part: Read the scriptures.

Bethany got a special part because she got baptized this year. She got to write a talk about why her baptism was special to her.
Bethany's part: My baptism was special to me because my dad baptised me and most of my family was there. I was baptised on my birthday so I got a party right after I got baptised. (everyone laughed here and caught her off guard.) My baby sister Bryleigh was blessed on the same day. After I came out of the water I felt a happy feeling inside. I am happy to be a member of the true church. And I know that the Holy Ghost can help me in hard times.

All the kids did a great job and they made me proud! I think they are braver than I am!

A picture of Dallen for good measures! It was a nice sacrament meeting for us, we only had 2 kids to take care of! Dallen enjoyed getting more of our attention.