A Scary Halloween...

So its a week after Christmas and I'm posting Halloween, better late than never right... and hopefully with the next few posts you'll see why we're so slow. But we'll start with Halloween, who could pass up these little gremlins, all dressed up ready for the Trunk-or-Treat when Dad asks if we can make a stop at the ER on our way... "Just drop me off, by the time they're done running tests and stuff the kids will have all their candy"

Boy were we lucky that he thought to stop... and in the middle of his "Hunt" to come home and crawl in bed you know somethings got to be wrong, acute appendicitis, and of the extrodinary type where his appendix was not in the right spot, hidden somewhere behind and attached to his intestines. We were VERY blessed that it didn't rupture, and although his first 8-10 hours after surgery were a little rough, we were still checked out in under 24 hrs and he was back driving to pick up a trailer the next day. So glad he was ok, and even though the kids were safely staying at Grandma's house by then, it was still a Scary Halloween!

Cutest mugs ever...

So many days, so little time, and then I see these and really great smiles and remember again why we call ourselve mom's and don't leave the country when the word "Mom" has been yelled for the 150th time that day... the smiles we can capture, the people our kids are, and the things they do to amaze us. I love being a Mom! I love that my husband chooses to work really hard all the time so that I can be here every day when they get up, when they leave, and when they get home. It's a blessing I sometimes take for granted I hope I'll be better at remembering it next time I want to scream for the messes I'm never caught up on cleaning.

Alyssa, now almost 9 mos. is army crawling as fast as she can. She's pulling herself up in her crib and rattling the bars like a prison cell, giggling out-loud belly laughs at her siblings, and just keeping us all smiling. I LOVE that she is such a happy baby, a great napper, and lets be honest, its not so bad that she can't quite say Mom yet :) But she is a light in our family and everyone is genuinely excited to see her each and every day!

Reagan, just turned 3, is my forever "shadow" and as every Mother will imply, "I hope you have a daughter just like you one day!" This statement has come to fruition with this child #3. She does not leave my side for much, she loves to go wherever I go, do whatever I do, and ask 100 questions to decipher the things she's not sure she can keep up with. She LOVES Bailey and Chance and shadows them as long as they'll let her, but being that she's 3, sometimes they're not anxious to have her tag along. My favorite quote of the day came last week on the night of Parent Teacher Conferences and she was frustrated that she had to stay home with a sitter, while Bailey and Chance got to go with me to visit the school. When I tried explaining that Ba would meet with Mrs. Boswell and I, and Chance with Mrs. Bryan... she finally rattles off "Well I need to meet with my teacher too." And who is that Reagan? (She's not in Pre-school yet) "With Bailey, she is my teacher, she teaches me letters and colors, I need to meet with her too" ... man I love that girl!

Chance, 5 is just a little man-cub, from the grunting sounds that he makes, the machine guns, the kung-fu kicks, to the hours building with legos. They are his new love and he is lucky to make it through the day without having to stop to clean those things up at least twice if not three times. He is also the resident artist in our home, his ability to see things in his mind and create it on paper astounds me, especially considering his age. He's Daddy's little buddy, and still my 2nd Boyfriend :) Ever concious of his clothes matching and his hair spiking, I think we're in for a ride when the girls really start to notice him.

Bailey 6 - Now in 1st Grade and reading up a storm, she told me yesterday she stayed in from recess to finish her chapter in Junie B Jones ???? stayed inside on a BEAUTIFUL sunny fall day... who does that! She's the teacher in our house, the 2nd Mom, the organizer and director of all kids available.

Pretty much a Type A personality.... I wonder where she gets that :) But she's my greatest helper, usually my most apt to pick-up and help with whatever I need help with, and add to that her newly acquired piano skills she's one of my favorite people. I just can't imagine what life would be without her in it.

And lastly, but certainly not least... is the daddy :) This shot from my cell phone this week just made my day. Aly had been chewing on a straw and I got one of her doing that alone, then had to get one with her dad since thats his second favorite past time. Many here in Nephi think he's a smoker since he's always got a straw hanging out of his mouth. But recently I've been reminded of just a few of the reasons I love this guy so much (no pu intended) and I hope that while I try to show him, that he knows I could never survive without him to crawl into bed and talk til all hours of the night with. Thanks for all you do... and mostly for these 4 rugrats!!

A quiet Sunday...

I think we finally simmered down after the hullabaloo of summer and had a quiet Sunday at home, by ourselves, without a meeting or an agenda to go anywhere or do anything. On occasion I've matched the girls and as of late Reagan is apt to pick out a color and make sure we all get something to match her. Then Chance jumps on the bandwagon to match Dad and well... here's what you get :

Chance is 5

Just in time for the end of summer we took Chance's training wheels off and look at him go!!


Then a couple of weeks later the Birthday celebrating began.. 1st w/G&G Rogerson in town we decided to have his favorite meal (he chose Taco Soup and Chocolate Pie???) and Grandpa made him a great Treasure Chest that they filled w/Lego's and other surprises. After that we had Grandma Frame come down on the 13th to celebrate on Grandpa Frame's Birthday so we could have a party for both men (and she could stay for the softball game I had right on Dad's birthday). Next came the Ward Campout where Chance decided to announce to all the little boys there under 6 or 7 that they could all come for Transformer Cake and a movie the next night... and they came :) And that was all just leading up to the 16th, his actual birthday where we had a relatively quiet Sunday w/his favorite food again and in lieu of the Demolition Derby we'd planned to take him to as a family, we opted for $2 Tuesday at the Dinasour Museum at Thanksgiving Point. G Frame and his cousins Josh and Grant came with us and we had a great time!! School started for him the very next day and with all the excitement you would have thought he'd have been exhausted (I was) and no... 7:05 am he's dressed, bed made, backpack on, shoes on... "Mom is it time to go to school yet?" Can we go, Can we go?" "No honey, you have afternoon kindergarten buddy, it will be a while." So for the next few hours the same question was prompted about every 15 min, is it time, can we go? Needless to say I think my little man is ready for school and I love that he's excited, I hope he always is! Happy three week birthday party Chance :)

And then it was August...

We survived June and July and then August came and with it were visits from Grandparents and cousins galore. We had a great time celebrating the 24th of July and loved the help from family starting on the framing in our very un-finished basement. Usually that meant Gi and Grant or Gun got to stay home and work while I took the other half and the kids to our dear friends pool to play in the sun. The kids have all earned their swim badges this summer, its been a great time and even little Aly has survived a few too many hours in the shade of the pool's umberella table.

One CRAZY Summer

So much to catch up, not nearly enough time. June started w/Girls Camp in the Rain, followed closely by Bailey in Miss Summer Days, a quick trip to the cabin and a few other out of town events before Memorial Day. A great time to get together with our family and keep the memories of my Dad alive. Sure miss you at my softball games Dad!

Before you know it the 4th of July had rolled around and we had yet another capming trip on our hands and our annual festivities in Salina. So here's few highlights of June & July:

It's Enough...

This may be an online therapy session for myself, to write it and get it out of my system. You know its been one of those days, too much laundry, more bills than money, phone won't quit, kids have forgotten any other word in their vocabulary besided "MOM!!!" (and yes its only heard at that volume level) The dishes aren't done and my list of things to do just keeps getting longer as the day gets shorter.... Thats enough! Thats enough of your whining, just keep it to yourself and get on with the day. Thats enough you've done all that you can and you have to trust that there's no more you can fit into a day...

Then I sit here to log into this blogging world to try and finish that one last entry and my sweet kids face are the first things I see as I go to log in and sure enough... its enough! Its enough to know that my full responsibility is not to my laundry or dishes, to my bills or my calling, to no one but their dad and these sweet 4 kids and today, its enough!!! I'm going to go read them a book and probably dole out popsicles too close to dinner, but for right this very second, its enough to have them tucked in my lap and the rest of the world can fade because they are enough and I love them!

Alyssa at 4 Mos

Who can't smile with weather this beautiful

I'm trying to tell you somethin....

Helping me weed... she got so tired she took a nap in the wagon

Bailey Graduates from Kindergarten

Bailey's had her own set of events going on too... a Pet Day for her, a Dance Review, dancing to I'm a Little Teapot for Kindergarten Graduation, and all the while helping take care of the dozen puppies born next door. She's a great little mother hen, and I can't believe she'll be in First Grade next year!!

Dance Review (w/3 Costume Changes)

Teapot Dance at Graduation

Chance's Final Month of School

Just to re-cap we had a fishing day, a pet day, a water day, a tumbling "review" and a Preschool Graduation

And because he's such a great brother, Reagan and

Aly even got to come along for the fun!