No Bummer Summer (Part One)

Park Play!!!

We love the park and nice sunshiney park weather. There are 5 parks in the area that we bounce between. We like Haskell Park(which is about 0.8 miles from our house), Lake Chauncy (which is even closer than Haskell), Ellsworth McAfee Park (the lady bug park), Assabet (which is where the splash pad is), and a newly discovered EMC Park in Hopkinton. There are lots of beautiful parks around us and we will spend lots of the summer going to each one of them.

Utah or Bust

At the end of April into the first 2 weeks of May, we got to go to Utah again to see everyone. It was a busy trip. We got to meet our 2 new nieces Sadie Jo and Lyla Rose while we were there (really the purpose for the trip). While we were there Lanie had her first dentist appointment with Uncle Dr. Dave. It was basically a 'sit in the chair and cry when the doctor walks in' kind of visit. Then we went to Shelby's 4th grade program and Siena's voice recital. We fit so many things in of which you see here:

Yard work with Grandpa

Mother's Day

Visit to Kynli Diamond's (in Vegas)

Ashton's soccer game and Service Award Ceremony (St. George)

Lyla's baby blessing (St. George)

Lanie, Treson, and Alana's combined birthday party

Lunch with Snow College Roommates

Lanie's actual birthday

and 

DISNEYLAND!!!

Shawn's parents so graciously and on a whim took all of us, excluding Matt and Brian (they had to work) to Disneyland. Since we were already going to be in St. George, they figured we should drive the additional 6 hours and go to the most magical place on earth. It really was so fun and the pictures show it. Ever since this trip, Lanie has told me multiple times per day, "Tomorrow, we're going to Disneyland." She is obsessed. She loves everything Disney!

Rock Collection

Lanie collects rocks. We have a jar that she gets to put the rocks she brings home in. She is like a Princess Tom-Boy if that is possible.

Our Tradition

One of our favorite things to do is go to Solomon Pond Mall. It is about 15 minutes away. They have a great play area downstairs and then upstairs in the Food Court is a massive carousel. We have a stack of coupons we bring for pretzels at Auntie Anne's. It's no Pretzel Maker, but it is a close second. So our tradition is to go to the play area for awhile, then go upstairs and get a pretzel and ride the carousel. We have conditioned Lanie to this routine, which I love and Shawn does not. But it is a great, cheap family outing! And it's very fun! Oh, and they have a Disney Store which we love to play in too (maybe one day we will actually buy something from there!).

Memorial Day in MAINE

Beautiful drive!!!

We thought we would get on Priceline and get a deal on a hotel since we had an overnighter planned in Maine. Well, let's just say that we will never use Priceline again. Look at this scary, ghetto place! Luckily the rest of the weekend was a success to overshadow that sour hotel booking experience.

Waterville, ME Memorial Day Parade

Waterville was the small town where we stayed for Memorial Day weekend (about 3 hours away). We decided to join their little hometown parade and celebrations. Good Stuff!

Two Cent Bridge

Still Waterville. 

There was this quaint little bridge and trail to walk so we decided to explore in this little town. Lanie found a leaf, put it in her mouth, and said she was heading to the "Great Valley." You know, like on The Land Before Time? Anyway, Waterville was a great place to kill time before we picked up Daniel's truck. Daniel's Truck??? Yep! Our friend Daniel, bought a truck for a great deal, the only problem was it was in Maine, and he lives in Utah. So Shawn volunteered to go pick up the truck for his friend and...oh the story gets better.....stay tuned....

Hampton Beach AGAIN

On our way home from Maine (it was just a quick 24-hour thing), we stopped at Hampton Beach. It was a gorgeous day and fun family time. We didn't take the time to put on our suits, just Lanie's, cause it was just a quick stop. We got dinner and ice cream there and went on our way. The kids LOVED it!!! And so did the naked kid!

Just a Glimpse

This is a sneak-peak of a typical day for us when we are at home. 

Play hard, sleep hard!

Lounge Puppy

Lanie loves to lounge around and play on electronics. This is why we must get her up and out of the house most often. She would watch movies ALL day if we let her.

Quilt for Oklahoma

Before the tornadoes in OKC happened, the Activity Day girls had been working on a quilt to donate to the church. When we heard of these tragedies, we contacted a ward member who is originally from Oklahoma. She gave us a personal contact to donate the quilt to and it was delivered to those in need. It was a big job (mainly for me), but the girls seemed to really be interested in the effort to learn a new skill and serve in the process. It was a very rewarding project.

Daniel's Truck Adventures Continue....

So, we picked up the truck in Maine, right? Then we drove it to our home. That was on Monday. Daniel flew in to Boston on Thursday @ 6pm to pick up his truck (for some reason there were problems getting a shipping company to do the job). We had dinner, watched the NBA playoff game, and at 11pm Shawn and Daniel left to drive the truck cross-country to Utah. 

From Thursday night to Monday morning, Shawn:

Drove 44 hours,

Went to a Twins MLB game,

Saw Mount Rushmore,

Surprised his family,

Saw my brother Chris' family who were up from St. George,

Had breakfast at Alana's with my parents,

Hiked Waterfall Canyon with his sister,

Played a game of Pickle Ball with his friends,

BBQ-ed with his friends,

Got one speeding ticket,

didn't change his shorts,

made $250 (for driving with Daniel),

and flew home!

Now this is how my boy rolls!!! Tired???

We missed Daddy

While Shawn was off gallivanting, we were home sending him these 'crazy face' texts. 

We missed him lots! We always miss him lots!

NOW JUNE

Field Trip

Lanie got to see and pet real life New England Lobstah. 

She was slightly terrified!

If all the raindrops.....

were lemon drops and gumdrops, we would have gotten chunky! We got SO MUCH rain in June. I think it really rained for 2 weeks straight. So much so, that I called my dad to get advice on keeping my garden alive. I am so not used to this much rain. But we made the best of it and Lanie played her heart out in it.

Chuck-E-Cheap

Chuck-E-Cheap is what Lanie thinks it is called. Shawn still thinks it is Chucky Cheese. In any case, we had fun there celebrating Lanie's church friend, Daniel's birthday (lots of Daniels in this post). It was the kids' first time there.

3 Year Check-Up

This girl is right on track. Still tall and skinny, long and lean. She was so brave thanks to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Doctor episode.

Library

We love the Northborough Library. We go to Music with Carrie, play games, and read books when we are there. The kids get lots of energy out and pass out on the drive home. My kind of play!!!

Garrett's Birthday

Millie Ramsey put together a great party for her son Garrett with lots of kids to entertain. It was awesome!

Field Trip #2

Bakery

If any of you know Daniel Tiger episodes, there is one where Daniel Tiger goes to the post office and then to the bakery. Well, I had to pick something up at the post office and after we left, Lanie insisted we go to the Bakery. Why not? So we stopped at the bakery and looked at all the difference pastries and cakes. Lanie talked to the baker and learned about the different shapes that the cakes can be, and then we got a muffin. Another cheap and fun outing. Plus, Lanie got to pretend like she was a character on Daniel Tiger which she loved.

Lady Bug Park

This was a Saturday and the first day that the rain had stopped. The sun was out and we were excited. I took the kids to the park to practice walking with Mav and Triking (pedaling) with Lanie. Shawn had to work, but he stopped by for lunch with Pizza for a Park Picnic. That was a treat! We love surprises like that!

Father's Day

We love our daddy! He does so much for us and is the best dad! To celebrate his greatness, we gave him breakfast in bed, a cookie jar full of cookies (since he is the cookie monster), a new tie for church, and a card. 

The note on the cookie jar said, "I know we are COOKIE, but your love TIES us together." (I came up with that all by myself...no Pinterest necessary. Haha!)

I think he liked it and we hope he felt special ALL DAY LONG.

Newport, RI

Gayle has wanted to take Bug to Newport Beach since we moved here. We finally got the opportunity to go and it was a great time! It is fun finding new places that we love. Next time Shawn will join us!

SURPRISE!!!

Shawn surprised me with a date night to the Rascal Flatts concert. Nice work, Babe! You can do this anytime (hint hint). We had a blast! I belted every song and Shawn just stood and smiled. I took it as an early anniversary gift. The roses were for our 5th anniversary. Has it really been 5 years??? Hard work DOES pay off!

Happy 5th Anniversary

We spent our anniversary in Boston with the kids at Quincy Market and the Splash Pad downtown. 

Couldn't have been a better day!

Preschool Sensory Time

This was an event that the Northborough Library hosted. The kids loved it. The legos were Maverick's favorite and the fishing was Lanie's favorite. Such a great event for these kids and their minds.

Mommy/Daughter Date

Lanie needed some one-on-one time so I took her to Walmart to buy a kiddie pool. She picked out the green one. We stopped and ate lunch at Subway (she loves their apples and pretzels) then went home. We pumped up the pool and had some fun family time together. Oh the simple pleasures!

Rock On!!

Okay so I love this picture! This couldn't describe Lanie better. She loves music, she's a total spazz, and she is our little entertainer. Her life really is a musical. This picture was taken at the house of a family who hosted a Solar Party. Shawn invited us to come along while he presented. We enjoyed this family who had young kids too. Lanie always loves playing with toys other than her own. 

I took this picture to send to my mom since she and my Papa were drummers (and Shawn). Reminded me of all three of them. Maybe one day we will have a little percussionist in our home!

Strawberry Picking

Strawberry Picking at Tougas Farm. What a blast!!! Picking strawberries, playing on the playground, the petting zoo, eating a fresh slushy and strawberry donut, and meeting a new Russian friend were all our favorite parts of this outing. I left our house thinking we would be back in an hour and we stayed for 3 hours. We will definitely be back! The jam I made from the fresh strawberries is tasty too!

Big Boy

Mav is now in a big boy, front facing carseat. He is starting to want to walk. And he is into everything. That pretty much sums him up! We adore this little man!

Our Pretty Princess

This girl owns the house. She rules with an iron fist. She is still potty-training, loves watermelon, plays dress-up, brings multiple toys in the car EVERY time we go somewhere, now has bangs, loves princesses, loves books, and loves Boston. She quotes movie lines all day long, loves her pool, and is our princess. Life would sure be boring without this ball of energy!

Nursery

This is a typical Sunday for us! We have about 15 active nursery kids (and when I say active, I mean they come every week AND they are running around like chickens with their heads chopped off) who are tired and hungry with 1 o'clock church. My kids are included as you can tell. Sundays are usually interesting to say the least. We are happy to say that we are halfway through the year which mean 9-12 church is almost here. Cannot wait!!

Phew! That was a big post! Thanks for joining Part One of our No Bummer Summer!

We Live in Excess

I have to admit. I over-post on Facebook because for some reason I think people really care. I like to 'share' things that some will read and others will scroll passed. I post thoughts that often should probably be placed in a journal instead of on social media. And I post recipes thinking that one day I will really look back and make whatever yummy goodness it was. I get it! I realize some of you care and others do not. And I figure if you don't like the way I use FB, delete me. Haha!

I use Pinterest as an online filing cabinet of ideas that I swear I will one day make, and sometimes I really do. I enjoy pinning as a type of window shopping. And I admit, I waste at least an hour per week doing this. Oh well. Sue me!!! (Wink)

But when I read this article on Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lyz-lenz/how-to-raise-a-kid-who-isnt-whiny-and-annoying_b_3248085.html, I couldn't help but love the words, "Pinterest Stress" and "First World Problems." It took me back to a conversation I had a few years ago with my husband when I was acting like a spoiled 'first world' brat. I was frustrated because we were almost 30 and living like a newlywed 20 year-old couple (I got married older, well older according to Utah standards). I broke down about how we were going nowhere, we were still renting a 2 bedroom place, and 'everything' we had was used. And I must say, as the youngest of 5 kids, hand-me-downs got old. In my dream world though, two almost 30 year-old college graduates would be in their careers, have bought a home, and not be in debt. This was a moment of great ungratefulness. And all my husband came back with was a resounding, "Honey, we live in excess!" Oh I was boiling. Excess, my butt??? What excess???

Oh how I learned. Since this time, I have often had the thought repeat itself, "We do live in excess!" What a humbling lesson. Often times we really do fret about our "First World Problems" when the reality is, "We live in excess!" What a blessing! So when I want to complain or compare about how so-and-so has this or so-and-so does that, I remind myself that I am not them, and that we have enough, not only enough....we have excess!

I have learned to appreciate second hand stores, hand-me-downs, and free toys and furniture. (Shoot that means I get to paint and mess with it without the stress of ruining it. Can't ruin something that was free, right?) I take pride in bargains and usually brag about the good deals I get. But this doesn't mean that I don't love new things and being pampered. I love those things. I dream of them. But I have learned to appreciate them more because they are the reminder that we live in excess.

Perfect Moments

Haha! Thanks honey! You are welcome! And thank you for not getting mad at me for taking time to do it! :) Anyway, I wanted to get on and post about Perfect Moments. I am currently reading a book called, "Mothering with Spiritual Power." It has great insight on how to, well, mother with spiritual power. Ha! I am currently reading a chapter on forgiveness. Forgiving others, but more forgiving ourselves as mothers. Let's face it, if you are a mom, you know what this means. You have had those moments of being short with your kids, moments where you acted in a way that you regretted instantly, moments where you wish you would have been a better mom. I have those all of the time and sometimes I beat myself up over them until I go crazy. This chapter points out, that although we have those moments, we need to forgive ourselves. That we are learning how to become the mom that we want to be. We are learning to keep our cool while trying to juggle a bazillion other things at once. It teaches that we are not perfect and our children aren't perfect, but that there are perfect moments. And this is what I want to post about: My Perfect Moments. The other day my baby boy was crawling next to me climbing up onto something and I looked down and thought, "I love this baby and having a baby in the house is so sweet. Perfect Moment!" Today the kids were jumping on the bed. Lanie practicing her 'B-B-Bee' sound and Mav's little chunky legs bouncing trying to keep up with his sister. They were looking out of the window at the rainy day outside and as I smiled at the fun they were having, I thought, "Perfect Moment!" After that, we sat and read books together. Lanie pretended like she was 'Super Lanie' and Mav tried turning the pages gently as to not tear them. Perfect Moment. Later, I sat to sew a quilt and Lanie asked about the needle, the thread, the reverse sew button, the light, the on button, the pedal, the cord, and as I had a teaching moment with her on sewing, I thought, "Perfect Moment!" While putting my kids down for naps, Lanie wanted to talk about Disneyland. She said in 4 minutes we can go to Disneyland when Adaela gets home (oh the mind of a child). Then she proceeded to tell me about her favorite parts of Disneyland. As we talked about it, her face lit up. I loved hearing her talk and holding her in my arms as I rocked her. Perfect Moment! Each day I hope to unplug and slow down enough to notice the Perfect Moments of the day and stop trying to be a PERFECT mom and start trying to be a PERFECT MOMENT mom.

Hi honey.

I just wanted to say hello.  I wanted to tell you how much I love you.  (it's a lot!)

Thank you for doing this blog for us.  I know that it is a lot of work for you to manage our pictures and go through the journaling for each adventure filled month that we have.  I am so thankful that you do it.  It's so fun for me read through and re-live.  I can only imagine what it will be like to read through it years down the road.

Thanks honey.

25 Words

My wife and I had taken the challenge from General Conference to write 25 words that we would wish to pass on to our children. 

It was a tough task for me. So much to say. And lets face it, coming from me there was a lot of wisdom to impart. So I wrote draft after draft. Finally settling on the one I'm posting here. 

Then I thought, why only write it once? Why not make a habit and tradition of it. 25 Words for my kids. 25 Words for my wife. For my friends. My mother, brothers, mentors, etc. And why not do it on a regular basis. It's short and sweet for them, as it helps me to keep clarity and perspective and also helps me to get my thoughts and feelings out in a concise way. 

Here is the first of many 25 Words for my children:

April Adventures

April 1st

Lanie got a Mickey Mouse Painting book for Easter and wanted to continue the festivities by painting eggs with the water color. These vibrant dyed eggs are ones we left in dye over night which turned out very pretty. But we had to chuck them because they got soggy in the vinegar water. Ha!

Happy 1st Birthday Maverick!!!

April 2, 2013

We did a Sport Theme for Mav's first birthday (which I decided like the day before). 

I made the cake and cupcakes (Pinterest success!) What a blast!!!

We took the kids to Solomon Pond Mall to play. They love the kids' area and carousel ride there. Shawn feels like on our kids' birthdays he should celebrate ME for giving birth to them. We did that by treating ourselves to lunch at the Olive Garden (You know, the typical 1-year-old birthday restaurant! haha!) 

 Cake Time!!!

Mav had such a blast eating his cake. He loved it! And, he knew he was putting on a show. After we rinsed all of that orange frosting and goo off of him in the sink, he got on the floor and crawled back to his high chair for more. We laughed as he picked up and ate cake crumbs off of the floor. What a boy!

We kept his party really simple by having the Hutchins (Emma is our baby sitter), the Pitcavages, the Penrods, and Gayle come. We also invited Auntie Pam, the Johnsons, the Woods, and Mav's pseudo-grandma, Angela Atkin to come, but they couldn't make it. We had cupcakes, ice cream, and present opening. All of which took about an hour (which was so simple, perfect, and fun). Mav was spoiled by all of our family and friends here and in Utah! By the end of this perfect day, he went to bed VERY tired. We are so glad we have this cute boy in our lives!

MAINE

April 4th and 5th

At the beginning of the year, we made a list of things we wanted to do while we were our here on the East Coast. Lobster in Maine was one of them. Since Shawn had a week off in between quitting his job with Vivint Solar and starting his new job with Solar City, we decided to take advantage of it. Roadtrip! We took a 24-hour getaway to Maine which was about a 3 hour drive. We drove through a small town called Ogunquit and stopped at Mike's Clam Shack for a Lobster Roll. Shawn did not care for it, and I don't dig seafood, so overall this was disappointing. But, now he can say he has tried Maine Lobster. We drove up to Portland, Maine (one of their largest cities) and got our hotel. We took the kids swimming which was fun. They are timid little swimmers (granted neither knows how to swim yet). Lanie was in heaven getting her own queen size bed. 

The next day in Maine, I requested to go on a hunt for lighthouses (I didn't care for the seafood part of the trip). Shawn patiently and impatiently drove all over trying to find the perfect lighthouses for me. It was beautiful. Now Maine isn't the busiest place on earth, but man is it beautiful and quaint. We found 6 lighthouses: Portland Head Light, the Two Lighthouses, Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, the Breakwater Light (or Bug Light), and the Lighthouse on Marginal Way. We stopped at Breakfast Amor on our way out in Ogunquit. It was a darling diner just off of Marginal Way. After lunch, we went and hiked Marginal Way. This was such a relaxing and fun getaway for our little family.

General Conference Weekend

April 6th and 7th

I loved conference weekend like I always do. Every talk was great, but Shawn and I seemed to really take something from Sister Wixom's talk, The Words We Speak. She posed the question, "What words would you write your children if you could only say 25 words or less?" So, we both decided to write our 25 words. This is what I came up with:

"Live fearlessly. 

Learn from your mistakes. 

Do and be your best. 

Find joy every day. 

Achieve your goals. 

Turn to and love God and others."

I encourage you to do the same....write your children 25 words or less!!!

Playin' at the Park

It feels so good to finally be able to get outside and play. We are loving this park weather!!!

Boston Marathon Start Line 

Sunday

April 14th

The Boston Marathon starts in a small town called Hopkinton. This town is 10 minutes from where we live. On Sunday, April 14th, we dropped Shawn off at the airport to fly to San Francisco for a week's worth of training. After dropping him off, I decided to scope out the marathon start line and see where the kids and I should go the following day.

Marathon Monday

April 15th

I need not say much about this day because as we all know, it was horrific. But I would like to share my experience of the day. 

I got my kids up and out of the door around 7:15 am. We drove over to Hopkinton and parked at the EMC office building where school buses were shuttling athletes and spectators to the Marathon Start Line. There was so much excitment and enthusiasm in the air. One girl was celebrating her 20th birthday by running the marathon. I had nerves and butterflies for those athletes like you wouldn't believe. We took the 2 mile shuttle ride over around 8:00 am, got off with the double stoller, and started walking through the crowd (thousands and thousands of people). I had the thought that it was much to easy to be a part of this event. At 9 am the marathon started with mobility impaired athletes. What an inspiring sight with wheelchairs, prosthetics, and runners pushing other impaired participants. It was inspiring. Then the elite men started, then the elite women. It was just amazing to see them all. At 10 am floods of general runners started. The first wave of 9,000 runners went. Twenty minutes later, the second wave, then twenty minutes later the third wave. Each wave of 9,000 was organized in corals of 1,000 runners. Overall there were appoximately 27,000 runners. It was so perfectly organized. We loved it! We had perfect spectator spots, across from the bleachers, standing by rails. I mean, it was ideal! 

After the second wave started, Maverick was done. He was hungry, tired, and did not like the gun shots that started each wave. I decided to retreat. I had seen what I wanted to. We headed home and I got the kids settled. I badly wanted to go to the finish line in downtown Boston, and I would have if Shawn would have been around to help manage the kids. Shawn called a few minutes after I got the kids settled to hear all about it. We hung up and I watched the elite athletes on TV as they came across the finish line. I badly wished we could've been there. I even told Shawn how much I wanted to drive into Boston for it but I was nervous to do it alone with the kids. So, I turned the TV off, put the kids to bed for naps, and I started to update this Blog. I was downstairs and my cell phone was upstairs charging. I was not on Facebook and did not have the TV on. I was just enjoying the peace and quiet that naptime brings. Then I turned on the TV, saw the Breaking News, and immediately ran to call Shawn. When I looked at my phone, it was flooded with calls and texts. Then I got on FB. My messages were also flooded. People knew I had been at the Start Line and no one had heard from me since. My poor husband had called me 10 times in one hour with no answer. I felt horrible. He was across the country, hoping that his persistent wife would not have tried to make it to the finish line. Luckily I hadn't. I spent the afternoon clarifying to everyone that we were safe and home. I spent the rest of the week obsessed with the story of the bombing and the bombers. Friday was a nightmare as the second suspect was on the run. I have never felt so scared and alone in my life. So far from family and so far from Shawn. It really was like a movie. And you know, I was not personally affected by this event, so I can't even imagine how the families of the victims have felt. I held my kids tighter that day and I will forever!!! Someone mentioned to me that it was a blessing Shawn was gone that day/week. I remember thinking, "Blessing???? How was it a blessing??? I was alone and a mess!!!" They said that had he been here to help with the kids, we would have been at that finish line and who knows what would have happened then? So, I think of our situation that day and how Heavenly Father protected us: he took Shawn away and he gave me a screaming child, all to prevent us from being there at that time of the bombing. I will take it! I will recognize the mysterious ways of the Lord and accept that His watchful hand protected my family that day! Next....

Gym Daycare

We spent most of the marathon week at the gym daycare. Many of you may not know, but that is where I work. The gym is across the street from our house, so we just walk over. I get a free gym membership, free daycare when I workout, and I get paid. I am a sub which means I work when I can or if I want to. It is the perfect gig. Since the week Shawn was out of town was Spring Break, they needed double coverage in the daycare for all of the added kids that would be there and not at school. Lanie and Maverick really like it there too.

 Park Play

We spent a lot of time outside playing at the park or on the deck while daddy was gone. 

But we were sure glad when he got home.

 Boston Strong

Marathon Memorial

Shawn flew home on Saturday, April 20th and on Sunday the 21st, after church, we spent the afternoon at the marathon memorial. It was chilling! Boylston Street on Copley Square was still closed. The forensic staff was still there in their white attire investigating. There were therapy dogs to comfort people and countless officers guarding Boylston. The memorial was on the corner of Boylston and Berkeley streets. You know, I really love the city of Boston! It felt good to personally be able thank the officers there for the sacrifices they make as they protect us. What an emotional week this was!!

Auntie Pam's Graduation

April 28th

We were so lucky to be able to attend Auntie Pam's college graduation. She is the first and only one in her family to become a college graduate. And at the age of 50!! We drove up to Brattleboro and Springfield, Vermont for the festivities. It was a blast to celebrate with her! My mom badly wanted to be here for it, but with Alana having just had her baby, it did not work out. 

Well, that pretty much sums up April. It was an adventure-filled month that's for sure. Honestly, posting this reminds me how crazy it all was. Just 2 days after Pam's graduation, we flew out to Utah to visit family (especially the new little nieces) and friends. Life just gets busier and busier!

Still Small Voice

So, I didn't appreciate this until another mom pointed out me but here it goes. We have tried all sorts of discipline with our daughter: time out, sending her to her room, and the occasional swat on the hand or butt. We still send her to her room if she is inconsolable (the other two weren't reaping proper benefits tho). BUT recently she has come up with a solution for her own tantrums. If she is throwing a fit, she'll stop and tell herself, and us, "I NEED TO CALM DOWN!!!" She'll storm halfway up the stairs and plant herself there, stare off into space until she is calmed down (10 seconds or so), and then she will come back down and continue her play. I thought, "Oh, she is putting herself in time-out...Great!" But I have recently pondered on this and realized, She is not putting herself in time out. She hates time out. She is applying what she hears us say, "Lanie you just need to calm down. It'll be okay." She knows how she feels when she hears this, and although often times it doesn't calm her down immediately, she knows that eventually everything is okay. I have observed a great lesson in watching her apply the feelings and words she often hears us speak to her. I have learned that it is not the yelling and bum-slapping that have taught her, it is when our voices are confident and still she is calmed and feels the peace and reassurance she needs. She is now able, as a 2 year-old, to apply this into her play and daily activities. I am so grateful for the maturity she exhibits by doing this. I am thankful for the lesson she has taught me about being calm, composed, and loving as a mother. I am also thankful for the lesson she has taught me about how Heavenly Father speaks to us.  Do we as children of God respond this way to our Heavenly Father's voice. Do we hear him speaking to us repeatedly saying, "You just need to calm down. Everything will be okay." Does He watch with joy in His heart (like I have with my daughter) knowing we can feel His influence and He is making a difference in our behavior. I hope so, and I hope that I can continue to rely on him as I try to raise his, and my, beautiful children!

March M's

Mourning

What a month! I start this entry with mourning (it gets happier so don't be discouraged) because my world stopped or held still for probably a week in March. On March 15th, I got a phone call from my mom that my cousin, Skyler, had committed suicide. Now I won't go into the details that led up to this tragedy, but I will say that I have learned a lot from it. I have mostly learned that everyone out there is a person that has someone (or multiple someones) somewhere that loves them dearly. Everyone deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt and a second chance. Everyone has their struggles. And everyone needs to know that they will be missed. I have learned compassion and I hope to be no respecter of persons. I have been reminded that you, nor I, are the Ultimate Judge, so be kind. I spent a lot of time the week of March 15th on social media and on the phone mourning with family and friends over Skyler's death. I also spent much of that time shuffling through fond memories of my cousin. We have also spent most of this month "mourning," you could say, a change in jobs. As I worked through the emotions of this family tragedy, Shawn worked through the emotions of leaving a job he likes to a job that seems like a better fit for our family. He was sad to do this, but felt it was the best move for us. It was interesting to go through these experiences together. We feel blessed to have each other to lean on through life's journey. Now onto the cuteness that we call our kids.....

More Snow???

Yep, and Lanie continued to love every minute of it!

"Mixca...Mixca...Mixca!!!"

This what Lanie says when she helps me 'mix' ingredients in the kitchen. She loves to bake and assist, especially in the kitchen. This project was our attempt at homemade chalk. Pinterest fail! But we had fun while being trapped inside (yep, still have snow)!

Mobile

He's discovered crawling, standing, 'crawl-standing', climbing, and stairs. All of which keep us on our toes when he is on the go!!!

Misbehavin'

These would all be pictures from church. 1. Mav on top of the coat rack...Why??? Because he can't sit still in sacrament and ends up with daddy in the halls. 2. Mav sneaking into nursery. He is not old enough, but he fits right in, and with mommy as the leader, he gets special treatment. 3. Lanie's poor hand after being bit (for the 3rd time) in nursery. We ask her on Sunday mornings if she is excited for church and she'll list all of her friends, including this boy, and she'll conclude with, "He eats my arm!" She doesn't seem too traumatized by it. And 4. Lanie passed out on the bench during Sacrament Meeting (1-4pm block time is not good to our little family of toddlers).

Massachusetts Solar Projects

This is why we are here; Shawn's job! Shawn really enjoys the Solar industry and here are some of the jobs that he's been part of. Lanie understands when daddy is at work, but sure loves when daddy comes home (I mean, begs for it ALL DAY LONG). We started the month of March working for Vivint.Solar and ended it working for Solar City. Yep, we changed companies!

Morning girl!!!

 This chica wakes up at 6:12 every morning!!! She plays hard and sleeps hard. Keeping her entertained is not hard and yet a challenge at the same time. What I mean is she loves TV which makes things easy, but keeping her off of it is the challenge. Good thing she he also loves to play. We try to find a balance between the two. She also was sick with a stomach flu this month. No fun! 

Munchkins

These two little Tykes adore each other. They play well together, as long as Lanie is not mauling Mav. She often hugs him to the point that they fall over and then says, "Maverick is saving me!" He is learning to go with it. I love this picture of them holding hands, because when Lanie did it she said, "And they lived happily ever after!" Too cute! We are lucky to have these two little munchkins!

Maverick Mitchell

 This is our guy!!! 

He is into everything, curious, happy, and cautious. He loves his play time and enjoys company while he plays. He just makes us smile every day and brings so much craziness and happiness into each and every day.

Motivated Round 2 of Potty Training

After taking a 7 month break, we jumped back on the horse of Potty training. We approached it completely differently and have seen absolutely different results. All in all it has been a great experience and we hope to get this mastered in the next few months. We are so proud of this little girl for being brave and trusting us! Lanie has loved getting stickers for her sticker chart and counting them every time she goes "wee-wee." She also gets a chocolate 'rock' (chocolate chip) treat and food coloring in the toilet. All of these incentives have kept her motivated!

Mall Time!!!

 

Lanie's reward for such a great week Potty Training was to go see the Easter Bunny at the Mall. She was so so so excited (and so was I). It was fun! The kids played in the little play area for awhile and then we took them to sit on the Easter Bunny's lap. Lanie was timid (the anticipation of going was way better than actually sitting on his lap). Mav on the other hand loved it. He was smiling, laughing, and kicking his legs in excitement. Lanie very much enjoyed the Easter Bunny's Garden which was cute since we have been teaching her about watering and taking care of a garden. We sure wore the kids out with this outing. It was a lot of fun!

EASTER

Mega Highlight

 

 

Not much needs to be said...the pictures tell the story. We had a very relaxing Easter. We missed family of course, but we made the best of it. Sunday morning, the kids played with the eggs and their basket goodies. Lanie kind of went on an Easter Egg Hunt by her daddy (she didn't really get it), the kids played outside (slightly warming up), and then we dyed eggs. Lanie more just wanted to eat the egg with the shell still on it. Weird. Anyways, we started a tradition of reading the story of Easter from the Bible and each egg contained a symbol of Christ's final days. We want to keep the meaning of the season clear. Our Easter/church attire was all purple. I was too preoccupied with getting the kids ready for church after a busy morning, that I forgot to get a decent picture of us all. But we looked stinking cute! No question...Haha!

March really did feel like Madness. Between the family tragedy, Shawn changing jobs, potty training, and Easter, we somehow kept our heads screwed on tight. Just tight enough to throw Mav's 1st Birthday Party just two days after Easter. But that will come in an April post! Hope you enjoyed the journey through our March M's.