BOWLING for YES! DENTAL

LOGAN DISCOVERED his FIST

MORNING with the BOYS

EASTER DAY

LOVE of a SISTER

WHITE ONESIE

PURE HAPPINESS

 I love this baby. He has been the sweetest addition to our little family. I have only heard him cry a handful of times when I have been to busy making dinner and he is past feeding time or when one of his brothers or sisters are loving him too much. He is such a peaceful baby. I always tell Sierra, "Love can never divide, it can only multiply." He has multiplied the love in our home several fold. 

 I love watching these boys adventure around the property. I finally am in a place were I can afford to give my kids every opportunity available in this valley. We could be involved in a million activities. I could have the boy's soccer, baseball, swim or karate. I could have the girl's in ballet, gymnastics, piano, voice, or anything else their little hearts want. They don't want to. I sometimes am sad about that but lately it makes me purely happy that my kids have time to explore . I love that my boys have time to walk in their pajamas, bare feet across the property in the middle of the afternoon, looking for a treasure, from a treasure map James drew. 

I love that last night we sat at the kitchen table eating Spaghetti and meatballs together. Listening to Ashton proclaim, "Baghetti and meatballs is my favorite lunch!" The girls got in a long conversation about how much they love their elementary school bus driver. He hasn't been driving the bus for a few days and that has really bothered Madison. She misses him. The substitute has yelled at them and Jack never yells at them. Sierra said, "I know Jack is the best."

I love our little life. It feels like a world of its own and I am so grateful for it. 

 I love that we paid off our first student loan last year. I know it has been almost eight years since Nate graduated and we finally paid off our first student loan. We have paid off three other loans since. We have three more to go. However, this was the first. I get teary when I see this "notice of paid in full" on my computer desk as I remember all those days I thought we would never pay off our loans. We would watch the interest grow and pray the income-based program would somehow work out for us. However, just like I wanted to stay off welfare in dental school, I really wanted to pay off our student loans. I am grateful the Lord has provided away.  

 I love watching these two play so well together lately. They are so cute and will disappear all day making messes and causing mischief. I am often tempted to turn on the television and stop the madness. However, we went through long months of television watching and I am glad they are free. 

 James's desk. He is very particular about his desk. It makes me smile. The leopard print fabric is a ninja band I cut from a piece of fabric. The pink and red paper is a laptop Madison made for him out of paper. The note that says James, is a note I wrote him in church about how much I love him. He doesn't know how to read yet but he cherishes it. His art work is below the laptop. The screws with the plastic circles you can find all over the property and he thinks they are the best treasures. His clock at the back of the desk was given to him by the Trevenan's. He was obsessing over it at their house, so they gave it to him. He randomly sets the alarm at different times and wakes us up at the most ridiculous times of the night, but he loves it. I have hid it from time to time but he always seems to find it again. He is a very organized boy and remembers where everything is and where everything goes.  

 I love that seeing this reminded me that my Sierra is still a little girl. I sometimes expect her to behave like an adult but she still is just a little girl. Despite that she is almost as tall as me, she is still a little girl. She made a bed and tucked Sandy and Uni into it last night. It warmed my mother heart that is in no hurry to watch her grow up. Although she did ask me to curl her hair and she woke up early and did her makeup the other morning. 

I love that these two little boys in this tent are my world right now. You won't find a more creative boy than James. He built a hideaway in his tent and then built a fire on a blanket outside the tent. He used cotton swabs and carrots for the flames and rocks from outside to contain the flame. He is so messy but so imaginative. 

ELEPHANT and DINOSAURS

I have felt so blessed lately. I have been begging for inspiration and guidance from the Holy Ghost to know how to mother Sierra better. The felt impressed in my mind to notice when she smiles. The other day the boys wanted piggy back rides up to bed and I noticed she was smiling. Ashton was on her back and James was on mine and we raced up the stairs to take them to bed. 

When she came home from school on Monday the thought came to me to have a piggy back with her around the garage. She won of course. Then the thought came to challenge her again for a chore. I would take something off her list like scrub the toilet or she could take something off of my list like unload the dishwasher. She agreed. We raced and she won again. I called, double or nothing. She won again. She told me she wanted me to scrub the toilet and clean off the counters and wipe them. Then she went in and peacefully did her chores and even cleaned out all the drawers in the bathroom. Then she participated in family night and held Logan. Then she did her homework. It was such a peaceful day. 

Yesterday, I thought you don't have to make such a big deal out of doing chores every day.  You sometimes take days off too. I told the girls when they got home they didn't have to clean as long as they both helped me in the kitchen after dinner. Sierra agreed and unloaded the dishwasher for me. We have had a very peaceful couple of days. 

Listening to the Spirit is a gift. It hasn't been an easy thing for me to learn but I am learning.