Blissfully Boring

Not too much has been going on around here lately, and honestly, that's the way I like it.  That is why I call it "blissful".  Not that life is perfect, not even close, but we are thankful for this time of peace.  We've had some sick kids, we have been doing school, teaching the kids their chores and how to do them well.  We switched rooms around again, because I can't stand things staying the same!  We are excited winter is through and have been enjoying the spring.

Noelle just celebrated her third birthday! I simply can not believe it!!
She had a quite but nice birthday.
We went to my mother in laws house, got a couple nice gifts- clothes mostly (thankfully) she definitely needed them!!  She also got some beach toys which the kids have been VERY happily playing with every single day!  Mud pies, rose cakes, castles, mud pools, the WORKS!
They come in muddy everyday, and when it gets really bad, which happens most of the time, we just spray them down on the trampoline, then let them in.  They just scream and squeal with delight!

The quads and bikes we got for cheap have been fun, we constantly have to get them fixed, but when they are working, it's a blast!!  The beauty of living in the desert.  Dirt fun.  When Derek and I ride, we get dirt all the way up our backs and in our hair!  My hair feels like cardboard when we are through!!

Livvy is cuter than ever!  This silly girl is hanging on my leg and laughing at me and herself as I write this, silly girl!  She has the cutest squeal!  And when she smiles.... my entire soul lights up!  I guess that's why she is Hikari.  :)  She has three teeth, two on bottom, one on top just coming through, she has taken her first step already and is trying to get to walking.  She loves walking along the couch and is getting more brave reaching for things just out of her reach.  She is a lot of fun.  If she's been fed, and has a clean booty, she is good to go for a long time!  She loves crawling around, exploring, and playing with whatever she can find.  She is amazing!!  She started sitting at 4 months, perfected it at 5 months, crawling by 6 months, standing at 7 months and took her first step at 8 months.  I'm positive sometime within the ninth month she will be walking around!

She's just so happy!  She's determined in all the right ways.  She a smart girl too!  I can tell she knows exactly what's going on, and when she does her cute baby babble, I KNOW she is saying something important because of the passion she speaks with.  She's never pushy though, she is just happily confident.  She is patient and kind hearted.  She LOVES her older siblings, especially Evey, Tai and Callen.  Callen can ALWAYS get her to laugh from her gut.  She thinks he is hilarious!  He's the first one to ever make her giggle, and I think that is funny.  Her sense of humor cracks me up.  The things that would make another baby scared and cry are the things that make her bust up!  She's pretty fearless.  I just LOVE who she is and what she brings this family!  We are so lucky to have her!!

I'm sure there is more to write, but for today I will end. :)