Camping

I've had this post full of pictures and no captions sitting for way too long.  I'm just going to throw it up here with no captions and let the pictures tell the story.  We went up to Palisades and hiked and had a really fun time:

Bits and Pieces...

 I have so many pictures that need to be documented, I could probably divide them into separate posts...but instead here is just one whirlwind of a post.

I found my nearly 4-year-old Hannah asleep...with her blankie and sucking her thumb in baby Claire's carseat.

 This is way old news...but Claire found her toes.  One of my favorite passages of babyhood.

 This expression isn't exactly the most flattering...

 pumpkins.

 Pumpkins after Hannah and Lily snuck them and some watercolors into their closet and gave them a makeover. 

 The last day of irrigating the yard for the summer.

 I just let them frolic and play in their dresses....I must have been a pushover that day.

 I think the pictures with wet dresses are cute!

 They even had a stuffed bunny and doll in the water, I really must have been a pushover.  The battle just wasn't worth it.

 The reflections in the water were fun too.

 Mealtime would not be complete without something like this.  Every. Day.  :)

 Madelyn finally lost that stubborn ol'tooth in the front.  It was hanging by a thread for the longest time....sick.  She wouldn't let us touch it.  Actually I don't think that I offered to, but I did offer Drew to try to pull it out for her.  I can't even watch them wiggle those hanging-by-a-thread teeth.  It makes me sick.

Now if we could just get a tooth fairy who is on top of it to put our house on her route...ours is usually a little flighty..... :)

 Claire was giving Madelyn some great smiles while I was cooking dinner, we attempted to capture them...

 Claire is loved so much!!  I found Lily hugging her while she was on the floor and I tried to catch it with the camera.  She moved away before I did, so I tried to recreate it...but it looks more like she is tackling her.

 Hannah loving on her little baby sister.

 It is hard to shop for food storage along with regular grocery shopping now that shopping for our family completely fills a large cart up to the brim.  Our food storage was whittling away.

 So, for an FHE we learned about work and self-reliance and hit a case lot sale with the family.  Four carts later, we had this.  Then when I took it down to the storage room, my project snowballed from there and now the storage room is re-organized and nice.  That feels good!

 I love notes.  My children write me SO many of them.  I do my best to keep as many as I can, but lest I lose these pieces of paper gold, I have some visual record too.

 Hannah's notes.  I love that she writes her favorite letters over and over.  "H" "N" "A" "Q" and "O."  Then she will "read" me what the notes say to me.  Usually something along the lines of:  Mom I love you so much.  This is the best day ever.  I love you so much.  For mom.  From Hannah.

 Madelyn's notes.  She is definitely a note writer.  I get one probably more than once a day from her.  I love her "cursive" name and how she loves to decorate her notes with hearts or whatever else.

 Claire all tuckered out from playing.  So cute.  These are my favorite pj's that our YW president made for her.  They are so snuggly and warm!!

 The girls were playing with blocks and created some violins.  They came and serenaded me.  Too cute.

 Drew had a talent show for scouts where he displayed some of his k'nex creations.  He also participated in a skit--as pictured above.  Knowing how hard doing anything public is for him, my little heart just swells with love for that guy when I see him do something tough!

 A really fun heavy rainstorm outside.  I love rainy days.

 The big girls are obsessed with the baby items.  Lily is even sucking on a pacifier.

Hannah started preschool and is loving it.  We're doing a neighborhood preschool, and we take turns every month.  It will be here next month!

Whew, well I'm feeling a little more caught up!

3-0....yikes!

 Last month, I entered a new decade of life.  The 30's.  Wow. 

My birthday fell on a Monday, so we were coming home from a camping trip and Jed had to run into Wally's to pick up a present. 

Drew was so cute, he wanted to make my cake all by himself.  And he did it!  I was so very impressed and he loved every minute of it and just genuinely wanted to do something special for me.  So sweet.  He even made the frosting from scratch!!  And it was delicious.  He even let me lick the beater:

 Drew frosted that beauty all by himself too.  I'm pretty sure that was way better than my first cake attempt!!

It was a great birthday.  We had family come over to help celebrate, and my little family always does a good job of helping my day be a special one.

So what is it like being 30? 

Well, I think I'm losing my mind.....

I put Claire in the bathtub with her diaper on and didn't even notice until after I had washed her hair.

I have the hardest time remembering "to-do's."  Such as returning redbox movies.  I can be right there in town telling myself "don't forget to drop off that redbox movie" for the tenth time, and drive right by the drop off one minute later.

Poor Drew has missed scouts a handful of times on account of me.  I was on my way home from parent teacher conference the other day, reminding myself to drop Drew off at Scouts in 20 minutes.  I forgot.  They gave me a reminder call when scouts had started.  How kind.  And embarrassing.

I can't fall asleep at night very well.

Etc.

Ok, so maybe I had these kinds of "moments" before thirty, fairly often, but now that I'm entering a new decade I feel like I can shift the blame from just being forgetful to now being "old."  Haha.

Primary Program...

We had our primary program at church today.  My favorite sacrament meeting of the year....  Since of course there are no photo opportunities at church, I wanted to make sure I documented this day and remembered the details.  And since my brain is getting older, that's another post for another day, my camera is my trusty brain backup!

Here are some photos from before church: 

You will notice one of my children is not yet ready for church.  I was just trying to take pictures of the ones who were participating in the program, but then didn't want to fight that little Lil and I just let her in.

Apparently being in the pictures was not enough:

 She wanted everyone else out!

Well she got her way for a little while:

 But then I wanted to try again to get a good picture:

It just wasn't happening.  Boy does that little Lily have an iron will.

They did so well.  I love listening to them sing with the primary.  I love their strength and determination when they sing things like " I will go, I will do, the things the Lord commands."  So powerful coming from such strong young spirits.

They each had their parts memorized, although it about scared the pants off Drew to say it in the microphone.  Madelyn is not frightened by public speaking.  Hannah, you couldn't even see her head above the pulpit, but you could hear her clear little voice, "these are the things Jesus taught."  So funny and so sweet.  Oh man, do I ever love those cute children I get to call my own!