end of the 2nd grade.

{yesterday before school}

We have been ready for 2nd grade to be over for quite a few weeks. These early mornings are starting to make us grumpy, and we are ready to sleep in a little. 

This year was much different for all of us. The babies and I ventured out more, and Savannah started to realize that staying home may just be more fun than going to school. She does love to learn, and enjoys reading...but going fun places during the day sometimes sounds better.

Savannah's teacher this year was the same teacher she had in Kindergarten. The biggest difference Mrs. Corbett noticed in Savannah, is that she was more in control of her emotions. Which was nice to hear, because it has been something we have worked really hard on.

Savannah had to dress up for her report on Elizabeth Stanton...

We are excited to start enjoying our Summer, and have lots of fun things planned.

I am trying to not think about her going to 3rd grade, because really that just sounds so much older!  

my favorite is the Kindergarten post, she looks so tiny....
{kindergarten post}
{1st grade post}
{2nd grade post}

a first.

We went for a quick trip to the Daybreak Beach last week. The kids have been begging to go and use their new beach toys, and then I forgot to take them with us on this trip. ha ha ha!

Sabrina was properly introduced to this perfect {for Utah} sand, and attempted to do sand angels followed by finding the biggest clumps possible to shove in her mouth. {And if you are wondering if she successfully ate any, her diaper was full of sand the next day!}

What has been the most surprising thing for me having 3 kids is it doesn't matter how many times you do it...the firsts never get old. You still cheer them on when they learn new things, and you still laugh uncontrollably when they make funny faces while trying new food. Watching Sabrina in the sand was hilarious, and I loved every minute of it.

We are excited for many more trips back to this beach and our other favorite. Remind me to take the beach toys, and have Devin go to the bathroom before...k?

not perfect, but good.

This week marks a year of being a stay at home Mom. I stopped working before Sabrina arrived, and it is some of my favorite weeks in my memory. I remember soaking up having one child at home during the day, and we played in the sun like never before.

I haven't always loved staying home, it has definitely had ups and downs along the way. I am happy to report that it is mostly ups nowadays.

I still haven't figured out how to keep the house spotless, or how to cook all of our meals at home. Maybe it may take me another year, or never.

{Before Bina got delicious thighs!}

 

I have learned that my kids rely on me to entertain them a lot, and I try to be okay with that most of the time. I like to plan play dates, and take my kids on adventures. It feels good to not have to plan my days around a work schedule, or take time off to attend all the little events that come up.

I try to remember what it felt like to never be home for bedtime, and try to appreciate how much more I get to do because I am home.

I am thankful that I have had this opportunity to experience being home. I know that it isn't something everyone gets to do, and I try not to take this time for granted.

These babies of ours have grown up so quickly this year, and I have loved watching every moment. 

memorial day miracle.

The truth is, Sabrina will be one in a few weeks...and I have never left her with anyone but Paul. Even then, I have left her very few times. She has been my little sidekick for the past year. The time has finally come for me to start dating my husband without a 3rd wheel, or 4th wheel, or 5th. What can I say? We usually don't get babysitters.

Fast and Furious 6 came out this past weekend, and we were really excited to go. The stars aligned, and Vanessa offered to watch my 3 while we went. That means she was watching 7 kids under the age of 8. Woooweee. That is a lot of girls + one boy.

{I especially loved seeing this picture on Instagram! Devin rrreally looooves his nails painted, and talked about how Abby painted his fingers and his toes.}

As Paul and I walked in to the theater I will be honest and say it felt weird. As a Mom of 3 you get use to holding little hands, making sure everyone is safely on the sidewalk, opening up all the car doors to unbuckle everyone. When it was just us...I didn't know what to do with myself. BUT I could definitely get use to doing it more often. I mean, I would be lying if I say it wasn't awesome to eat without being worried about spills, making sure everyone was getting what they needed, and actually eating what we bought them.

We shared an ice cream, got cozy, and enjoyed a movie.

It felt so good to just be the two of us. One thing is for sure, 14 years later, I still love that guy of mine.

Definitely not going to wait another year for a date with just him. Anyone want to watch my kids? :)

feeding the ducks.

I could tell that Savannah had felt a little left out that we went to the farm without her, but she played it off that it would have been boring for her. 

So, Devin and I planned a surprise for Savannah when we picked her up from school on Friday. We had stopped at the gas station for treats, packed clothes for Savannah to change in to, and headed to Wheeler Farm. I have to say that I love Wheeler Farm a little more than Farm Country, mostly because it is pretty much free. You can pay to go on a tractor ride, and duck food is pennies...other than that...free.

Spring time is the best to go and visit any farm, because of all the cute baby animals. Haven't we already discussed how anything looks cuter when it is a tiny baby!?

We had fun feeding the ducks, playing in all the little houses, and then we hit up the slides at the end. I can see this quickly becoming a staple in our routine this Summer. It was easy to spend a few hours, and next time instead of just treats I am packing lunch. 

Who wants to go with us?  Only a couple more weeks until the end of the school year, but we aren't counting...

my favorite gift

Kyle {my Brother} randomly sent me a message asking if our family would like to adopt his cat. After a few pictures, a few conversations with Paul, we told Kyle we would love to have his cat join our family.

Kyle had named him Tittles, but Devin quickly changed it to Toodle Dog. He warned us that his cat was shy, and since Kyle lives alone...we wondered how this cat would handle us.

Saturday morning he came over to our house with possibly the fattest cat I have ever seen. Clearly Toodle Dog doesn't move much, and eats his feelings. It would be safe to say that he weighs more than 25+ pounds.

The kids wanted to love on Toodle Dog, but all he wants to do is sit in a dark corner...and hope he blends in. We could see the excitement wearing down with the kids, and we feared he would be forgotten about in a few days.

{I should interject here that when I said yes to the cat, I was taking full responsibility for him. I wanted the cat, but thought the kids would have a love for cats, like I already do.}

As soon as Kyle left, Paul and I sat in the basement worrying about this cat. Paul instantly said he wanted to go and buy a kitty, but I didn't realize how serious he was.


Paul left for work with Savannah, and I checked on Toodle Dog a few times...and tried to coax him out. I called to tell Paul the status on our shy cat, and Paul told me he was kitty shopping. I hurried and called our favorite pet store to see if they had any, and was excited to hear that they had 2 babies.

Paul went over to see what the kittens look like, and called not soon after to tell me they didn't like the look of what they had. I wasn't super bummed, because remember I said I didn't think Paul was that serious!?

Paul walked in from the garage like no big deal, and started talking to me...and then guess who jumps around the corner? Savannah holding a box with a kitty making loads of noise. You could have picked my chin up off of the floor, I have never been that surprised. I really had zero idea that he was pulling a fast one on me that entire time.

Out jumped our new baby kitty, Zoe. It was the perfect Mother's Day gift. I fell in love hard, and that kitty fell in love with me too. It's okay to say I had an instant bond with a kitty, right? I realize I sound like a crazy cat lady, I am owning it.

So far Zoe doesn't care about Toodle Dog, and Toodle Dog hasn't come out of hiding...except in the middle of the night.

{This video makes me laugh, because Paul and I were hiding downstairs playing with the cat by ourselves.}

 

It took me a long time to convince Paul to have children, and then once we started...I now have 3. It has taken me even longer to convince Paul we needed to have a cat...and in one day I got 2.

I never knew a family pet could make us all so happy, and make me giggle so much.

the farm.

Savannah's teacher bought some fertilized eggs from Thanksgiving Point for a class project, and needed someone to go and pick them up during the day. I am short of my volunteer hours, and decided it would be fun to make it a date with the babies.

The farm is his favorite place at Thanksgiving Point. He loves chickens, like a lot. Such an odd animal to fall in love with, but Devin likes to be different.

{He said "Mom, make sure the horse is smiling too!"}

We explored the entire farm, made all the animal noises, and Devin had fun introducing Bina to this new experience.

At the end of our trip, we got to pick up the eggs. I was completely unprepared for how awesome this was going to be for us. They handed me a carton with eggs in it, and told me to keep them extra warm...and she casually mentioned that one was in the middle of hatching!! Uh, I was freaking out, and so was Devin. We checked on the eggs, wrapped them in blankets, and stuck them directly under the heater in the car. We had a 30+ minute drive to the school, and I could hear that little egg chirping all the way there.

Devin "helped" me carry the eggs in, and when we opened the carton we saw little shells in the bottom. We put the eggs in the incubator and that egg just started rolling around. It was so amazing to see. That little chick completely hatched within the hour after we got it to the school. I was so glad that I got to be apart of this. It was fun for all of us, and I think it just made Devin fall in love with chickens even more.

comfort zone.

Life is about growing, getting out of your comfort zone, and trying new things. We do these things in hopes to become something better, love yourself more, become a little more happy. I have always said that change isn't always fun, but necessary. I think it is good to take a good look at yourself, and realize the areas to which you need some improvement.

Every night when I put my Devin to bed, I always say to him...

"Can we try to make tomorrow better?"

 and every night before I fall asleep I tell myself...

"Tomorrow I am going to try harder, have more patience,

 and be better than I was today."  

As weird as it sounds I get anxiety inviting people over to my house. I get worried over every little detail. This is something I have wanted to change, but it has been a lot of baby steps for me to do so. We invited a friend over for football, and it was so fun...we did it again. I love doing the MommyParties, because it does force me to meet new people and invite people over.

I usually just look at the skinny colored jeans, telling myself they won't look good on me. Last time I went clothes shopping, I tried them on...and bought them...and love them. Maybe they don't look as good on me as someone else, but I love the way they make me feel. So whatev.

I went to a Relief Society gathering, I got to know a few more ladies in our neighborhood. This is totally out of my comfort zone, I really patted myself on the back for this one.

When I turned into a stay at home Mom, I realized I didn't have as many friends outside of work. As a 30+ year old, it only gets harder to make new friends. I have tried to reach out, and have had some reach out to me. It feels good to have made some really good friends.

I am proud of what I have accomplished already in 2013. I hope that I can keep going strong for the rest of the year.