Lately

We have had one adventure after another!

Ethan started golfing lessons because one of his grandpas (silver car grandpa) works at a golf place and he loves that very much.  Grandpa was really great and got him his own set of clubs and a sweet golfing hat to go with em'.  :)

Love this picture!  So Ethan.  Trying to grow up so fast and be so grown up, but his young boy innocence betraying him...
I love him.

This last weekend, we, (the kids and I), decided to make a quick and very unplanned trip up to Vegas to meet my parents out there.  My dad had a couple of doctor appointments out there and since they were coming here Friday afternoon anyway, AN since Derek was crazy busy Thursday and Friday, we decided to meet my parents and then drive back with them on Friday.  Ethan was very excited because we got to see them a tad longer.  :)

   

     

     

Daddy enjoyed his time as well!  He got to go to a late night movie with his dad and brother in law.  He texted me and told me he missed us, but by the gigantic smile he has in this picture, I had a feeling he was going to be alright.  ;)  I am glad he got to go have some man time.  Guys need that once in awhile!

On the way home on Friday my back right tire blew.

       

I was going 75 when it happened.  Could have been awful, but it totally wasn't.  It made a four hour trip become a seven hour one, which Tai especially didn't appreciate poor kid, but that was it.  Since it was my back tire, it didn't make my car go out of control, and honestly, I didn't even think it was my car at first.  Besides a big noise and a minor swerve action, I honestly thought I had run over some other poor suckers blown tire.  Then when I heard the second noise and saw the second piece of tire fly behind me, I still had a hard time believing it was me.  I thought I drove over the rest of that poor suckers tire.  Then the phone rang and it was my dad informing me that my tire blew.  It was such a blessing though because the tire held the air.  It was only seconds after I parked on the side of the road that my tire had gone flat.  Seriously, I was truly blessed!  What would have happened to me, the 37 week pregnant lady with four kids, if that had happened the day before while I was by myself?  The Lord was very merciful and protected my children and myself from what could have been bad.  I am so thankful my dad was there.  He changed the tire...  And though it happened about 30 miles outside of Baker, we were able to get to Barstow where we were able to get a much better deal on a new tire.   Again, a best case scenario in a bad situation.  I am truly thankful.

Well, after those two busy days, my mom and I drove around to a thousand stores.  I had a Target gift card and bought some baby essentials with that, and then my mom wanted to go here and there for this and that....  I love spending time with my mom.  I was totally wasted though.  SO tired.  Shopping became painful.  For real.  Especially since I had a little girl go with me.  A girl named Evey who sometimes likes to push the boundaries.  I was exhausted.  BUT, my parents are awesome.  My dad bought some stuff to help us fix the house a bit.  We had some way over-due things that needed to be fixed around here and my dad is an amazing fixer up-per.  I am so thankful for my parents help and for everything that they did for us and have done for us.  We needed it.

The next two pictures are of Callen sleeping on the way home.  This is how sleeping in the car is done....

            

Easter came.  We were so crazy busy we were not able to dye the eggs until that morning.  It was fun though, and cute.  The kids were excited about all things Easter bunny, and I was very pleased that even through it all they didn't forget the true meaning of Easter.  Without the Savior's Atonement, we wouldn't have anything.  I am so thankful for my relationship with him and for His sacrifice and His love!

As far as little Noelle goes, she is doing great.  :)  We are getting very anxious to meet her.  She has what she needs now, and besides me washing her carseat cover, setting up her swing, and getting her little bed set up next to our bed, I think we are ready for her.  I can't believe it is so close....  The little clock on the side of our blog says 18 days!  What?!  I am totally stoked.  I do sometimes feel nervous about labor, I am scared stiff sometimes thinking about it...  But then, I just think of what it will feel like to see her face and hold her, and nurse her, and courage takes over whatever fear I may be feeling.  I am so thankful for that!  Little Kenzo was eating dinner a few days ago and looked up at me and said, "Baby coming?"  I said, "What?  Baby coming?"  He looked at me confidently and nodded his head up and down and said with confidence- "Baby coming."  It was cute.  He said it again the next day while he was sitting on my lap.  His eyes get all bright and he looks so confident when he says it.  It makes me happy.

He is sleeping in a big boy bed now.  Sniff sniff...  It was SO hard moving him out of his bead.  It about broke my heart.  I always move the kids before the new baby comes so that we can go through the big kid bed adjustment before we have a newborn.  I also like to do it awhile before the baby comes and uses the crib so that the previous baby in the family doesn't think "Hey! You stole my bed!"  :)  I was okay with the other ones, felt like they were all ready for it, but him?  Ooooh.  It was hard for me, and the first night was hard for him too.  We found a system that works though.  We pu his lullabies on the ipad and set it up so the light never goes out. He asks for it every night.  It is an album of lots of songs, beautiful songs!  But his particular lullaby is "Baby Mine" so every night before we put him to bed he says, "Baby Mine ipad?" So his lullabies play over and over and it is a built in nightlight so we can close his door till he falls asleep.  I tried leaving his door open the first two nights, but it is so hard to keep him in his bed.  He thinks it is way to fun to go visit his brothers and sisters, or us....  He falls asleep fast with the system we have now.  We just go in before we go to bed, turn off the ipad, and open his door.  The light from the hallway is on and he is good to go.  In the morning he wakes up and comes in and snuggles with me.  I cherish it because he sucks his thumb, and with the other hand he will occasionally rub my arm (or baby Noelle).  It is adorable.  This morning he got into daddy's side of the bed (because Derek has been waking up at 4am to work on business things) and he scooted as close to me as he could, and then he fell asleep again.  Love that boy!

Noelle's room.  No, we will not have Evey's stuff in it.  She was just borrowing her little sister's room while grandma and grandpa were borrowing hers.

The two older boys are sharing again and it seems to be working out better than before.

Other than all of that, life is what it is around here.  Oh!  It must be noted how much my kids love oranges.  Can't forget to document the "orange love of 2013".  I find orange peels everywhere! 

I can't believe how much my kids have grown and how much I love them all!  We have our bad days and moments for sure!! We have some pretty sweet and awesome days and moments for sure too!

Evey wanted ribbons and it made for cute curly hair for church the next day.
I LOVE doing her hair.  Her face makes every hair-do I do look awesome.  She is one cute little thing.  Even if she is miss sassafras.  She can be pretty sweet too.
She said to me, "Mom, I love you more than a thousand every things."

At the dojo with dad.  Sweet kid.  Cant believe how old he is looking to me.
He melts my heart.

Just as a side note, so I don't forget...
Callen says his name now and he calls himself Cannon.  He also says, "Weevee" for Evey.
Think I've put that in before, but just in case I didn't. ;)

Evey asked me to take pictures of her loving on Callen.  It was adorable and made my day.

Proof of their sibling love and that they don't fight ALL day.  :)

This last picture is pretty random but, Tai asked me to take a picture of his toy friend.  I complied while laughing.