The Pilling Family

When I Grow Up...

2011-05-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

This month in kindergarten, Luke gets to tell his class what he wants to be when he grows up.

So I asked: What do you want to be when you are all grown up Luke?
Luke: Well, I want to be what dad is.
Me: And what is that?
Luke: Oh, you know, a basketball coach!

A Word (and a few pictures...OK, more than a few) About Lacy

2011-04-16T21:24:00.001-07:00

I have slowly but surely been trying to post about our fun spring break week. (You see, I took about a zillion pictures!) But things have been a little crazy, what with Jr. Miss and all. Sooo, spring break will have to wait for another day. Here's a few pics of all the Jr. Miss fun (oh, I mean Distinguished Young Woman fun). In case you're wondering, I was Lacy's hostess mom...the one who pretends to be her mom backstage because the real moms can't be back there. I know, frightening. I don't know how to do hair or makeup. But with the help of a hair expert (and my niece Jordyn who is also a hair expert), we survived! And, I actually learned how to put on makeup (eye shadow and the works!)

Dress Rehearsal Night:

Thank heavens for dress rehearsal night. I had to do a little experimenting on the makeup before I figured it out! Not enough bronzer, TOO much bronzer, you know.

The BIG Night:
(Actually, the 2nd big night!)
Lacy was chosen to be in the top 10, which was way exciting! She looked beautiful and did a fantastic job. She played her piano piece flawlessly! I was so happy for her I just about started bawling! (Perhaps a side effect of very little sleep) It was a great night!

Lacy won 2nd runner up, as well as 3 other awards. She did awesome! She won some serious moola. And on top of that she looked gorgeous!

Going over interview questions again and again! It was a little crazy. Jessie was doing her hair, Lana was putting her shoes on, Chelsie had the fan going on her, I was reading her questions, Jordyn was putting sparklies in her hair....Let's just say she had a huge fan club!

Me and my sis, Elise, who just so happened to be the head honcho of this big night! I wonder if she'll miss my millions of questions about what in the world I was supposed to be doing?!

Lacy and Megan are really good friends and they won 1st runner up and 2nd runner up. Way fun!

Way to go Lacy! I loved spending time with you!

Ben the Bull

2011-03-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

Now a word about Ben....or should I say Ben the Bull. Because according to Ben, that is his name. He is not Ben Pilling or any other name. He is simply Ben the Bull. If you call our house and Ben answers, he will tell you so.

Ben is my energetic, determined, do-it-yourself 3 year old. He is full of mischief, and definitely believes in the motto "Where there's a will, there's a way". If Ben wants something, he doesn't ask. He simply figures out a way to get it himself. If Ben wants to open a package, he will retrieve the biggest, sharpest knife he can find to do so. If he wants something to eat, he helps himself, even if that means scaling the pantry shelves to get what he wants most. If he wants to listen to music or play a game, he will find somebody's iPod or his dad's iPad and find some secret hiding place to try and decipher the password.

I know Ben is guilty when I walk into a room and he immediately jumps down and runs for cover. Or sometimes he will drop whatever pilfered object he has and cover his eyes with his hands. He thinks if he can't see me, I can't see him.

You know how kids say things in their own funny way? Here is one of my "Ben" faves.

Be-see-cause. As in....

Ben: Why mom?

Mom: Just because...

Ben: But why be-see-cause?

If you do something that upsets Ben, he will look at you with his bottom lip poking out, on the brink of tears, and exclaim, "I not your buddy anymore!"

Ben loves to take baths, and will take it upon himself to add bubbles, which can be disastrous. Yesterday it took me forever to clean up all the bubbles after his bath! Today he came running in and asked me for bubbles right before he and Luke got in the tub. I told him No, not today. He turned and ran to the bathroom, calling out, "Hey Lukey! Mom said we could have bubbles!"

Typical.

He usually looks at me when I tell him no with his little look that says....Sure mom (wink wink). Whatever you say. He then waits until I turn the other direction and does whatever he darn well pleases.

The other day I was telling one of the other kids something when all of a sudden Ben jumped into the conversation, saying, "Yeah wight mom!"

Every night he likes to go through the same ritual. Prayers first, and then he says, "Hugs at the same time!" He squeezes me as hard as he can. Then he cries out, "Kisses at the same time!" He plants a HUGE kiss right on my lips. If I try to turn and catch the kiss on my cheek (you know, to escape the slobber), he will come at me again until he gets me right where he wants me. Then he calls out as I am leaving the bedroom, "I love you mostest and I love you both of us!" I'm pretty sure those two things mean the same thing, but who knows?!

One thing about Ben. He sure knows how to put a smile on your face!

Lost and Found

2011-03-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago I lost Luke. Or at least I thought I lost Luke. We searched everywhere, called the neighbors, had friends helping us look for him, and even called 911. I was a mess. A total mess. 20 minutes can seem like a lifetime when your child is missing. The worst thoughts were going through my head.

Then we found him. Where? Sound asleep in our house, completely buried by couch cushions. Brek called out that he found him and I burst into tears. It's funny how we do that sometimes. I should have been jumping for joy, but the emotions I had been feeling all came to a head. And I sobbed.

After we found him, I felt overcome with emotion. For two reason. First, I was SO grateful that he was safe! I couldn't imagine life without my Luke. Second, I was so grateful for good friends and neighbors who jumped to help the moment they knew he was missing. One friend ran up and down the canal bank looking for him. Another got in her car and began searching and asking people. Several neighborhood kids joined my kids in the search.

I am so blessed. I am surrounded by the most amazing people. People who I love, admire, and respect. I am so grateful for my family. I am so grateful for good friends. At the end of the day, not much else matters.

One year older...

2011-03-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

One year! I can't believe it's already been one year!!! My tiny little baby is not so tiny anymore. I could eat him up. Seriously! I adore him. I could just sit and watch him all day. I love the little looks on his face. I love his smiles and his laugh. I love to watch him explore and learn new things.

The past month or so has been huge in the life of Will. He went from zero teeth to four teeth in about three weeks. He went from rolling a little bit, but mostly just sitting (happy to be entertained by the action going on around him) to rolling everywhere, to "scooting" backwards, to crawling, to pulling himself up on things and walking around. Seriously, it has been a busy 6 weeks for that little guy!

He is very much loved by all of his brothers and sisters, his mom and dad, his grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles....basically, he is one lucky kid!

Happy Birthday little buddy!

A return to blogging

2011-02-27T20:48:00.000-08:00

Time flies. We have successfully completed another Halloween, Thanksgiving (I hosted this year for the first time), and Christmas since my last post. Maybe one day I will feel ambitious and post some past photos. But then again....probably not. I can't even manage to keep up with the laundry for heavens sake! I had just about given up on my blog, deciding I just didn't have time for it. But recently I was sick, and with nothing else to do but lie in bed, I decided to look at my "old" blog. How fun it was to read about my family. I laughed, smiled, and WISHED I had written more. So, without further ado, I have decided to take up blogging once again. Or at least give it a try!

I think I will start with a little update on my children...one at a time, and in no particular order. I will start with Luke.

Why start with Luke? Mostly because I don't want to forget some of his classic statements as of late. Not too long ago, I spent the day in Boise with my sister-in-laws (on the Pilling side). While I was there I started getting sick. When I finally arrived home, I was greeted by my kids.

Luke: Mom, are you sick?
Me: I don't know buddy.
Luke: (reaching out his hand to feel my forehead) Let me check.

Luke: Yep! You're sick alright. (feeling his own head) I have a cold, and you have a hot.

Another funny tidbit about Luke....(but you must promise to keep this a secret, for it is a GREAT secret). Luke is a spy. At least that's what he tells me.
One day he whispered into my ear, "Mom, did you know I'm a spy?"
"Really?" I responded.
"Yes," he whispered. "But don't tell my teacher or they will kick me out of school!"

A while later, Luke came home from school and informed me that he needed to talk to me in his bedroom....just me and him.

OK, I said.

Later we had our secret talk. Luke whispered, "Mom, do you know what spy food is? It's SNOW. Sometimes, instead of eating popcorn while we watch a movie, I might eat snow, because snow is secret spy food."

You learn something new every day!

Luke is an amazing kid. He delights me. He loves kindergarten. Often, he gets his homework out and does it all on his own (even though he is supposed to read everything to me). He then signs my name for me...."M O M". Just like that. (I told him his teacher was pretty smart and might figure that one out, so he lets me listen and sign now.)

Luke is learning to play the piano. He is unlike any child I have had thus far! As I sit here and type, he is in on the piano (without being asked to do so, I might add). He has turned on the metronome and is "performing" his latest song. (If only he were actually playing with the metronome..... But nobody's perfect!)

Luke has learned my phone number. Last week while driving, I received a phone call about every 30 seconds. "Mom, when are you going to be home?....Hey mom, I forgot to tell you that I love you. Love you the most!....Mom, Ben wants to tell you he loves you....Mom, Maddy won't let me play with her...." etc., etc., etc. Finally I asked, "Luke, who taught you my phone number?!" "You did!" he responded.

And last, but not least, let me end with one of my favorite "lukeisms" as of late. Every now and then he says to me, "Kiss me you fool!"

He loves to give me hugs and kisses. One day he was literally smothering me with kisses during home evening. Finally I said, "Thank you! That's probably enough for right now."

He responded, "I'm just kissing you because I love you SO much mom!"

And I love you SO much my little friend!

Homework Time

2011-02-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing Luke is going to school, because I am learning so much!

This was Luke doing his math homework last night.

Luke: OK mom. So if there are six bears that go to the movies and two bears decide to leave and go home, how many bears are left?
Me: Ummmm, four bears?
Luke: Yes!! Good job mom. (He is so proud of me)

Luke: OK...now there are only two bears at the movie and one leaves to get a treat, but then three bears come back. Now how many bears are there?
Me: Oooh, that's a tricky one. Four bears?
Luke: Right!! Good job mom.

And so it continues. At this rate I will be a genius by the time he graduates.

There's something about a baby

2010-10-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

As I sit here, I can hear my baby upstairs waking up. He is making cute little happy noises. Because he is, after all, happy. He just woke up from a good night's sleep and is not even starving thanks to a little early morning snack (around 5:30 am to be exact).

When I hear his cute little noises, I can't help but smile. And it's not just me. Have you ever noticed the way people (even total strangers) smile when they look at a baby? You just can't help yourself!

See what I mean? There's just something about a baby.

I think people look at me and my seven kids and think I was probably one of those kids that adored babies. You know the type....they love dolls, babies, babysitting, etc. They love to hold babies, play with babies, gaze at babies. If a baby is in the room, they want to be holding it.

But that was not me. I was content to just look at the baby, and then be on my way. Don't get me wrong. I didn't dislike babies. I liked them and thought they were cute. And I definitely did my fair share of babysitting, being the oldest child in my family. But given the choice, I would be playing....and not with dolls. I wanted to really play. Baseball, basketball, trampoline jumping, tetherball, tag, hide-and-go-seek......

I guess you could say I was a bit of a tomboy. (I did, however, have a cabbage patch doll complete with a versatile wardrobe. But who didn't?!)

But then came marriage and I knew I wanted to be a mom. But what I didn't know was how much I would absolutely fall in love with my babies. I love the way their little faces light up with huge smiles whenever they see me. I love the way they kick their legs and shake their arms when they get excited. I love the way their little mouths open like a bird when they want a bite of food. I love the way they snuggle their little heads right beneath my chin.

Like I said, there is just something about a baby. And boy do I love my baby!

Where does the time go?

2010-10-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, general conference weekend.

It's amazing how quickly time flies by. I am still trying to finish reading all of the talks from last general conference! (I confess I am not much of a reader post-baby....for a while anyway. I always seem to fall asleep when I start reading!)

I love general conference. I haven't always "loved" general conference. As a kid, I watched general conference because my parents told me to, and because I knew I should. But now I really do love watching it.....or at least, I WOULD love watching it if it weren't for all the not-so-quiet children I live with!

One moment I am loving it, and the next I am completely frustrated because I can't hear a thing they're saying amidst the chaos. At one point today, we had to pause the TV to get things under control. You see, someone had knocked over someone else's domino creation, and they didn't mean to, but some kids thought maybe they did mean to, and on and on and on the debate went, getting more heated by the moment. That is, until we paused the TV (technology is amazing!) and sorted things out.

Josh, who felt he had been very wronged, was not about to admit that he had any part in the chaos. I suggested that maybe he needed a haircut so he could "see" things more clearly, and you should have seen Brek! He jumped off the couch, whooping and hollering, and ran to grab the clippers! He was ready to shave Josh's "beautiful golden locks" completely off and was loving every minute of it. I wasn't really serious, but Josh panicked. Brek had fun harassing Josh for a few minutes until Josh finally decided he could see things perfectly well and admitted he may have had something to do with the quarreling.

Conference reconvened.

A favorite talk of mine was directed specifically to parents of teenagers. It was really good. He spoke of several things, including the dangers of sleepovers. (We don't let our kids have sleepovers and they have never been too thrilled about that.) When Scott heard the word sleepover, his ears perked up.

He listened for a moment, then turned to Brek and I and said, "Is THAT why you won't let us have sleepovers?"

A moment later...."Who is this guy?"

Then, standing up and walking towards the kitchen to get a drink, he turned, pointed at the TV and said, "Stop talking!"

It was hilarious!

Now that conference is over, I look forward to reading all the talks. I know there is much that I missed and I loved the things I heard. (I would love to sit down right now and listen to Elder Holland's talk again.) As I listened, I felt inspired to be a better mom and a better wife. There is always so much room for improvement.

Goodbye conference weekend. Hello "real life". (I think I am tired just thinking about you!)

Love Those Blue Eyes

2010-09-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

This is what I see every time I turn on my iPod. It always makes me smile!

Luke, my sweet little boy, my only blue-eyed child, is such a gentle soul. AND....a very handsome missionary in the making! (Thanks for the suit hand-me-down, Lana!)

A Sunday Afternoon

2010-09-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

A month or so ago, I looked at our cat and thought she must definitely be pregnant. Having experienced pregnancy a time or two myself, I was much nicer to the cat than usual. By this, I mean I actually took notice of the fact that she might be hungry or thirsty. (Usually I figure she's a big cat and can fend for herself. Her job is, after all, to catch mice.)

But then, a couple of weeks ago, I looked at the cat and thought I must have been imagining things. She didn't look pregnant at all. The thought did cross my mind that she might have had her kittens and I hadn't noticed. But as I had seen no sign of new kittens anywhere, I quickly dismissed the thought.

Saturday night I was on a date with Brek when we received a phone call from the kids informing us that we were now the proud new owners of baby kittens. Looks like I was right....and then wrong....oh, I am so not a cat person!

"How many?" we asked.

They didn't know. They could only see one, maybe two. Phewshhh!

But Sunday afternoon brought about a new revelation. We had not one, not two, but SIX baby kittens! And they aren't exactly "new" anymore. Their eyes are open and they are romping around.

The new kitties entertained my children for many hours on Sunday afternoon. First there was a photo shoot (I think it is so funny that my kids want to pose with the cats!) Then they began creating beds and houses for the kittens. Because, you see, one soft bed wasn't good enough. Each kitten needed their own separate "wing". And, of course, there was time spent trying to name each kitten. (I'm not sure what was decided upon.)

So....while I am definitely wishing I didn't have to find new homes for SIX cats, I appreciate them for entertaining my kids for an entire afternoon. And, I must admit, they are pretty cute.

If only they could stay little forever. (Sigh)

An Independent Boy

2010-09-07T12:06:00.001-07:00

Ben is a do-it-yourself kind of kid.

Don't try helping him put his shoes on. You'll just get your hands slapped away, and hear, "No! I do it myself!"

This is a phrase that I hear often....VERY often. Like when I try to help him put his shirt on. He bats my hands away and says, "I do it myself!" And when he gets stuck with his shirt halfway on/halfway off and cries out in frustration, I try to help (after all, he did give it a valiant effort). But once again I get the, "No! I do it myself!" And guess what? He actually does it....all by himself.

Sometimes the shoes are on the wrong feet, sometimes the shirt (or pants, or underwear) is on backwards, but he did it all by himself.

He wants to pour the milk on his cereal. "No, I do it, " he says. He wants to cut his own meat or cut his own pancakes or wipe his own nose or buckle his own seat belt. "No, I do it." He wants to say every prayer that is said in our house, and when someone else is chosen he exclaims, "No, I do it FIRST!"

But I've got to hand it to little Mr. Independent. For the first time in my many years of motherhood, I have a child who went from diapers to underwear "all by himself". Yes, it's true. One day he decided the toilet was the way to go, and began frequenting it throughout the day. I started asking him if he wanted to wear underwear. For the first few days he said no, but then one day he said, "I a big boy. I wear underwears." And that was that!

And So We Begin Another Year of School

2010-08-31T07:48:00.001-07:00

They're off!

Another school year has begun. We had varying degrees of excitement around here. The older my boys get, the less excited they are for school to start. I guess they know what's in store! However, Josh did admit he was a little bit excited, but ONLY because it was his first day of junior high.

We had a lot of firsts this year. Scott's first year of High School (wasn't I just there?!), Josh's first year of Junior High, and most importantly....Luke's first day of Kindergarten!! If ever I was sad to part with a child on the first day of school, it was with Luke. Luke is my little friend. He is a gentle soul who delights me with the things he says. But boy, oh boy was he excited to go! He wasn't one bit nervous. He has been waiting for this moment for quite a while!

One day I asked Luke, "Will you please stay home with me??? What am I going to do without my Luke?!"

"No," he replied. "I need to go. But I won't be gone for very long."

Then Brek chimed in with his usual...."Why are we sending him to kindergarten anyway? He already knows everything they are going to teach him!"

So I asked, "What do you think they will teach you in kindergarten?"

He thought, then said, "Ummmm....I think they will probably teach me to ride my bike without training wheels, so I better go."

Anyway, back to the first day of school. Each of the kids looked shnazzy in their new school attire. The girls, especially, were SO excited to wear their new clothes/shoes that have just been sitting there, taunting them for the past couple of weeks. Madelyn painted her fingernails sparkly pink and silver, to match her shirt. Impressive, I tell you!

I dropped them all off, waved goodbye, blew them kisses, and anything else I could think of to embarrass them (J/K), then headed home to a very unusual sound....quiet. Well, at least quieter!

Hello School....it's nice to have you back around for a while!

Mom To The Rescue

2010-05-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

If the kitties survive, it....will....be....a....MIRACLE!

Today I was called out to the garage by a frantic Luke. The kitties were in need of help once again.

I found this.

Do you see the kitty? Look very closely.

Let me help you out. Here's a close-up.

Simple deduction tells me Ben pulled the step ladder up to the car, climbed onto the car, and oh so tenderly placed the kitty on top of the garage door. Because, after all, he is such a tender guy and all!

Here Kitty, Kitty

2010-05-23T19:05:00.001-07:00

The other day, as I walked out in the garage to find Ben "lovingly" carrying the baby kitty around in a stranglehold, I felt like I had stepped back in time. Back to a time when Scott and Josh were little and visiting their Grandma and Grandpa Pilling who had new little kitties.

The boys loved to visit Grandma and Grandpa Pilling. They loved to roam around the countryside and explore. And they loved the new little kitties. One day Grandpa Pilling took Scott and Josh with him to water all the newly planted trees around their property. Grandpa drove a four wheeler, behind which was a small trailer where Scott, Josh, a barrel filled with water, and the kitties sat.

As Grandpa was driving he heard Josh exclaim, "Look Grandpa! The titty-tats tan swim!"

Grandpa turned around to see Josh shoving the kitties into the water barrel, "helping" them swim.

Later that day, Grandma went out to the freezer in the garage to retrieve some food. But when she opened the door, what did she find? You guessed it! A very cold little kitty!

Grandma exclaimed, "Who put the kitty in the freezer?!"
Scott replied, "That kitty was being bad! He scratched me so I put him in time out!"

I guess there's a reason why cats have 9 lives.

And now, the drama is being replayed right here in my own garage with our very own little kitties. Ben dons is gloves (to avoid getting scratched) then heads out to visit the kitties. He picks them up by the fur on their backs, he grabs them around the neck, he climbs up on top of the water barrel and drops them, he "hides" them in cupboards, he puts them on the scooter trying to force them to go for rides. No wonder the kitties run and hide whenever they see Ben coming! Luke is also in on the action, but doesn't hold a candle to Ben.

We try to teach Ben to be gentle, but he doesn't seem to be getting it.

Enter Scott.

Scott, the kitty terrorizer has now become Scott the kitty rescuer. Fearing for the kitty's lives, Scott rigged a shelter for them where no Ben could go.

Notice, the opening is large enough for kitties, but not Ben. Behind the 'silver partition' is a comfy little kitty bed. You wouldn't guess it, but Scott is really quite a softy.

Now the kitties are safe. But the mama cat? Well.....Ben has now focused his attention on her. He thinks she should be with her kitties at all times. Sooooo, whenever he sees her out and about he decides to take matters into his own hands, picking her up and trying his hardest to shove her through the opening.

It ain't easy being a cat....at least not at the Pilling home!

The Three Amigos

2010-05-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

Luke and Ben have partnered up with Addy, the next door neighbor. They are the best of buds. When the primary kids sang in sacrament meeting for Mother's Day, Ben stood up on his seat to yell hello....not to his own brothers and sisters, but to Addy! He kept calling her name and trying to talk to her. I told him, "Shhh, Addy can't talk right now. She's singing."

He frowned at me and growled, "I want to talk to Addy!"
I repeated my answer.
Again he growled, inching closer to my face, "I want to talk to Addy!"
And again I told him she couldn't talk right now.
In his fiercest growl yet, just inches away from my face he said, "I WANT TO TALK TO ADDY!"

And so it goes. Day after day is filled with playful bliss as they roam from our house to hers.
Yesterday we were in the car. The three amigos were sitting in the back seat. The conversation went something like this.

Addy: Last year Summer (her cousin) fell in the river. In my grandma's river!
Luke (gasping loudly): Your grandma has a river?!! My grandpa has a river, too!!!

Both grandparents live a short distance away from each other on the same river. Funny kids!

Luke the Great

2010-05-11T22:28:00.001-07:00

A few of my favorite Luke moments as of late.

On Friday morning Brek had to run to work quickly and couldn't wait to take the kids to school as he usually does. A few minutes after he left, Luke came into the bathroom where I was getting ready.

Luke: Mom! The girls didn't wake up soon enough. I forgot to wake them up!
Me: (playing along with him) Oh no! I guess they better hurry then.
Luke: But the Pharoah has left!

Not sure who the pharoah is? Remember Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat in which Brek starred as Pharoah? Well....apparently Luke hasn't forgotten his dad's claim to fame!

Luke really loves his little brother Will. A little while ago, during scripture study, Luke and Ben were wrestling around and accidentally kicked Will in the head. Will screamed his protest and I wasn't too happy with them, either. Luke kept saying, "He's OK mom, he's OK."

After a few minutes Luke said, "I didn't mean to kick Will."
Brek said, "I know you didn't mean to. It's OK."
Luke replied, "Besides, I LIKE Will!" (he only kicks people he doesn't like on purpose, I guess)

One of Luke's favorite things to do lately is "shoot hoops" out on the driveway. The other day I went out to tell Luke it was time to come in.

"One last shot?!" Luke asked.

He then started singing while he dribbled around: I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky....

Funny Luke.

Faith of a Child

2010-05-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today Luke was looking at one of my house plan books. I have these books because someday we will build. And more than likely Brek will come to me one day and say he is ready to build and needs a house plan ASAP. That's kind of how he works. Take our boat, for example. He talked about buying a boat for years. He looked and looked. Then one day he all of a sudden bought a boat....right time, right price, right everything I guess. It will be the same with our next house.

Anywho, Luke was looking at one of these books. On the front there is a picture of a rather large house.

Luke: Mom, can we move into that hotel?
Me: Oh no, we don't want to live in a hotel. Besides, we have to build our own house before we can move in.
Luke: Oh. Well then we need to ask Jesus for help.
Me: Do you think he could help us?
Luke: Yes. He helped that little guy beat the giant (David and Goliath), and he helped Nephi build a boat. So he can help us build our house.

Luke is amazing. He always makes me smile.

How Fast They Grow

2010-05-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

Will is officially 2 months old (as of May 6th) and weighed in at 11 lbs. 6 oz. He was 23 1/2 inches long. And I am happy to report that he has slept for 7 straight hours twice! I'm not getting my hopes up for a repeat tonight, but I will definitely take it when I can get it!

Luke and Ben were with me when Will got his two month shots. Neither of them liked to see their brother get poked. They were very concerned. When I turned to Luke to tell him everything was going to be OK, he had tears welling up in his eyes. He sure loves little Will.

I was curious how Will measured up to my other kids at 2 months, because he seems to be growing so fast! 4 lbs. in two months is quite impressive. A few more pounds and he will be double his birth weight. But I guess for a Pilling, he is pretty average. Luke weighed 10 lbs. 4 oz., but he was a week shy of being two months. Ben, on the other hand, weighed 12 lbs. 2 oz. and he was also a week shy of being two months! (Ben is a tank) Anyway, just kind of interesting.

Now back to Will. What did we ever do without Will? He delights us with his smiles and his "cooing".

Some of my favorite moments come when I am holding Will. He gazes up at me as though I am the most important thing in the world. (And to him, I probably am. I am the meal ticket, you know!) I will be distracted by....well, life....and when I look back at him, he is still gazing up at me and gives me a big smile. It is the sweetest thing.

A couple of times he has laughed right out loud. So cute! Last week at piano, I was holding him on my lap. When I turned him around to look at me, his face lit up with the biggest grin and he squealed right out loud. It was darling! Josh stopped playing and piano lessons came to a halt while we all huddled around Will to see what he might do next.

I love my little guy!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

Seven reasons why I love being a mom....

And one reason why I am the luckiest mom.

I am married to the greatest guy!

Blessings and BBs

2010-04-25T21:13:00.001-07:00

It has been a while. It's not that I haven't been on the computer, but my computer time usually only comes when I'm nursing, which leaves me one-handed. Not exactly ideal for typing. And when I do have a spare moment (do I ever have those???) I am exhausted and choose my bed over my computer. However, tired or not, life carries on in its usual, busy way.

So, time for me to catch up.

The month of April began with a baby blessing for Will.

It went something like this.

Saturday: Wake up bright and early to clean the house. Get myself and all kids ready then go to my niece's baptism. Spend the day enjoying the Pilling clan and Kelly's delicious cooking. Hurry home. Run out the door to a piano recital. Get home and begin food preparations/finish lesson preparations for the following day. Midnight....finally go to bed, just to be awakened less than an hour later by Will.

Sunday: Up at 6 am after a few hours of very interrupted sleep. Get ready....finish food preparations....get other kids ready....quickly take a few pictures....run out the door (can't be late for church because I have a lesson to teach)!

Brek gave Will a beautiful blessing, we loved having all our family around, and there was lots of good food to eat. It was a good day. A long day....but a good day. And at the end of the day, I collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

Will looked darling in his little blessing outfit, which barely fit him. He is a growing boy!

All the kids....minus one. Scott had to go to church early for meetings.

And now on to the not so fun events of the past few weeks, which included sickness and doctor's visits.

First there was Scott. After four or five days of fever, headaches, and coughing we decided it was time for a doctor's visit. The diagnosis? Bronchitis. After being down and out for nearly a week, an antiobiotic was prescribed, and he was finally back to normal....for a day or two that is. Then the stomach flu hit.

Scott, Ben, Maddy, Syd, Josh, and I all took turns being sick. Luckily it was a mild dose of the stomach flu that didn't last long.

But that wasn't the end of it....the doctor's visits anyway.

There was the day when a little blue plastic bb found its way into Luke's ear. And how did that happen, you may ask? Well....the bb was placed in Luke's ear by none other than Luke himself. Then, to make matters worse, while attempting to get it out he managed to push it in just as far as it could possibly go, making it impossible for me to get out. So to the doctor we went.

But the family doc couldn't get it out either. Or rather, Luke wouldn't let him get it out. He screamed and thrashed whenever his ear was touched. There were three of us trying to hold him down, but it was no use.

Soooo....to the ear specialist we went. He tried the same route the family doc had tried with the same results. Sadly, it was looking as though Luke may have to be sedated, which was not a pleasant thought all the way around. I wasn't too excited to pay a small fortune, nor was I too thrilled to have my little Luke sedated. The doctor hesitantly mentioned that he could try strapping him down. Did he think I would be opposed to this idea? No way! I was all over that!

So, out came the straight jacket. (I asked the doctor if I could borrow it for the weekend, but he didn't think I was very funny.) Even with Luke strapped down, I still had to hold his head while the doctor numbed his ear. After 20 seconds or so, the numbing medicine started taking effect and Luke stopped screaming. Poor little Luke. It had been a rough go for him.

Now there was no more pain, and exhaustion began to settle in. He had worn himself completely out. There he lay, on the verge of sleep, when suddenly he turned his head and said to the doctor, "Hey! What's the big idea? I can't hear anymore!"

I knew Luke really wasn't losing his hearing (the doctor had warned me the fluid behind the bb might make it seem like his ear was plugged momentarily). This struck me so funny I couldn't stop giggling. The doctor must have been quite impressed with this crazy mom who asked to borrow his straight jacket, and laughed at her son's distress. But then the doctor doesn't know Luke like I do!

Luke was very brave, and soon the bb was out. But the fun didn't end there. When Luke tried to stand up to go, he just about fell over. Luckily the doctor was prepared for this possible reaction and caught him. The medicine didn't sit well with Luke and he had no control over his legs. And on top of that, it made him very sick. He threw up twice before we even got out of the doctor's office. As you can imagine, he was not a happy boy! Mercifully, he fell asleep on the way home and slept for hours. When he finally awoke, he was good as new, and acted as though nothing had ever happened.

And when Grandma Pilling showed up with a bouncy ball equipped with special flashing lights, it all seemed worth it!

However, I think it would be safe to say that Luke will never stick something down his ear again!

Is it bedtime yet??!

2010-04-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Today is not going so great for me.

Ben is in rare form. He must think to himself before he enters each room....Hmmm...what is the one thing in this room that mom really doesn't want me to touch?! He is in destructo mode today, pulling things out as fast as he possibly can. What is fun about pulling every DVD out of its case and throwing it on the floor I ask you? And really, where is the fun in throwing the folded laundry all over the family room?

To make matters worse, I haven't slept. Not much anyway. I feel like I am just about at my breaking point. You know, the point where you are ready to just collapse onto the floor and burst into tears. At least, that's what happens to me.

And to make matters even WORSE, Ben has finally discovered that he can climb out of his crib. I must confess, I thought this day would come much sooner, and for this I should be grateful. But his timing is, once again, impeccable. Of course he would choose now, when I need him to take a nap more than ever, to decide he has much better things to do. He and I are in the midst of a serious power struggle right about now, and my lack of sleep isn't helping matters.

There is so much to be done. I can't seem to get on top of things. I just simply don't know if I have what it takes to get it all done today. Homework, practicing, dance, dinner, laundry (yes, it must be folded again), etc., etc., etc.

What I really wanted today, more than anything, was for all three boys to take a nap this afternoon so I could take a nap. Oh, foolish me. What was I thinking?

Well, it was a semi-reasonable thought. After all, Ben and Luke were up until who knows when last night, given Ben's new-found crib freedom. And usually Will just sleeps the day away. But alas, today is not to be one of those days. Will is bugged by something, and peaceful sleep seems to be eluding him this afternoon.

And so here I sit, complaining to the world about my sorry case. Poor, poor me.

Alright, enough wallowing in self-pity. That has never gotten me ANYWHERE! Time to look on the bright side of things.

First there is Will, the source of my exhaustion. I must confess, I adore him. What a blessing it is to have such a sweet, healthy little boy join our family. At least if I have to go without sleep, it is for a good cause!! And tonight, Brek will take Will for the first shift of the night and I might get three whole hours of uninterrupted sleep. This may not seem like much to you, but to me it would be a welcome change to my past few nights!

The bottom line is this....Life is hard. It is hard for each and every one of us in its own way. Sometimes it is harder than others. But then, that's how we grow and become better people. And at the end of the day, I am so grateful that, despite the hardships, I am surrounded by people that I love!

Welcome Home

2010-03-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

Do you believe in modern day miracles? Because I am looking at one right now.

He is quite tiny, very helpless, and makes my heart want to burst with love. He goes by the name of Will. Isn't it amazing how you can love somebody SO much, even though you have just barely met?!

A week and a half ago I had a very large, round belly, and now I have a new little baby boy.

Welcome little Will! William Kent Pilling decided to enter this world on his due date....with 3 minutes to spare. He was born at 11:57 p.m., just three minutes shy of being born on Syd's birthday. He weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20 in. long. He is just perfect in every way. We absolutely adore him!

The delivery went well, despite the fact that the entire room was spinning and I felt totally drugged. Definitely a new reaction to the epidural. But it went quickly, and now it is done. Yeah!

The kids were sorely disappointed that they couldn't come visit at the hospital (a new rule, I guess). They were so excited to meet their new little brother! Maddy even came with her grandma and grandpa and peeked in my hospital room so she could see him. Monday morning I returned home, and Monday afternoon the kids came running home to meet Will. We threw over everything for the day....no gymnastics, dance, etc. so we could just enjoy our new little baby.

One thing is certain. Will is not going to suffer from lack of love or attention! It is my job to referee when the kids all argue about whose turn it is to hold Will. This especially takes place when they figure they are going to be sitting still anyway....during home evening, scripture study, movie time, etc.

The kids love to help give Will baths. Will wasn't too thrilled with his first bath, but he had Josh and Syd right there to soothe him. Each of them held one of his little hands and they sang primary songs oh so sweetly. They were convinced that was just what he needed! It was quite cute to see them so concerned that their baby brother was distraught, and very sweet to watch them try to calm him.

Ben is quite interested in this new little person that is like a real live doll who cries and moves and everything! Ben sometimes stops his running and romping to rub Will on the head or kiss him on the head. Every now and then he stops and demands to hold him, which means I hold Will up and Ben wraps his arms around him for maybe 2 seconds. Then he is off again.

I have a feeling these three will be great little buddies, as well as great partners in crime. Yikes!

Welcome Home Will. We love you SO much and we are so glad you are a part of our family!

What a Helper

2010-02-26T19:10:00.001-08:00

Who needs a mop when you have a Ben??

He may be a walking disaster waiting to happen, but hey, at least he's willing to do what he can to clean things up!

It's Great to Be Eight

2010-02-24T12:50:00.000-08:00

Maddy has reached that special age of 8, when she was finally able to be baptized. She had such a fun weekend. Party, party, party around here!

There was the friend party (little girls LOVE to squeal, scream, and make lots of noise in general, you know!)

Then there was the baptism. What a little darling she is!

(Aren't family pictures fun?!)

And then there was party number 2 with family and friends after the baptism, complete with a deluxe cake definitely NOT made by me! A friend of Brek's offered to make a cake for Maddy, and we were absolutely amazed when we saw it! Much cuter than the Costco cake I planned to buy.

It was a very fun weekend, and I was completely exhausted by the time it was over! But, hey, how often do you turn 8, right?

We sure love our little Maddy and her delightful way of looking at life. One word comes to mind when I think of Maddy. JOY!

Final Countdown

2010-02-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

12 days and counting!

The waiting is almost over! Yeah! Soon I won't be plagued by pants that always feel like they are falling down, a sore back, and discomfort in general.

Soon we will be joined by the newest member of the Pilling family! We can hardly wait to meet him!

Not Alone

2010-02-19T16:41:00.000-08:00

Stress. It is an awful thing.

How do you cope with stress?

I have learned that when stressful situations come my way, I have a hard time getting them off my mind. Sleep is hard to come by, as I can't seem to make my mind quit thinking through the situation. I try to do things to distract myself, which can work for a while, but underneath it all, the problem still lies. I feel restless until some sort of a solution or conclusion can be found.

Last night was one of those such nights. Yesterday it was brought to my attention that one of my children was being treated unjustly....by an adult AND a teacher, no less. SO frustrating! Sometimes I wonder what people could possibly be thinking. Anyway, I won't go into detail, but let me just say I was stressed. I was angered by the injustice. I felt I needed to address the problem, which just added MORE stress.

Because now enters confrontation. Not my favorite thing. But something I am willing to do if need be.

All night I tossed and turned, thinking, pondering, wondering, etc. Do you ever feel like you have so many thoughts going on in your head, you won't possibly be able to convey them clearly? Well, that is how I felt. Again and again, I thought through things, trying to really pinpoint the thoughts I felt needed to be shared.

And most of all, I prayed. I prayed last night, this morning....and regularly throughout the morning. I felt nervous and sick to my stomach, and as the hour drew near, those feelings just intensified. Sometimes, when lack of sleep and nerves come into play, I am also prone to tears....especially when I am pregnant! And that is something I didn't want, either.

So, I entered the lion's den, armed with my own thoughts and more importantly with a strength that was not my own. My nerves were settled, my thoughts felt clear, and regardless of the outcome, I felt at peace when I left. I can't control the thoughts and actions of others, but I felt that I had said what I needed to say.

And not one tear. I felt very in control of my emotions.

I don't think this is an end to the problem. Perhaps it is just the beginning. But nonetheless, I left feeling very grateful to my Heavenly Father who I know hears and answers my prayers. I will put my trust in Him and He will guide me.

The Little Things

2010-02-14T21:59:00.000-08:00

Today is Sunday.

Sunday, for me, is not exactly a day of rest. Trying to fulfill my church callings, which include teaching a YW lesson and directing the choir, getting all the kids ready and to church, surviving sacrament meeting with Ben, meetings, and of course the usual of feeding everyone, cleaning the kitchen again and again, trying to find things to keep the kids occupied during the long Sunday afternoon, etc.

But at the end of the day, my little Luke helped me to remember why I love being a mom, despite the exhaustion. And why I am so happy to be bringing another little guy into our home, even though I know it will make life even more crazy.

At the end of the day, when everything finally slowed down, everybody sat down to watch the Olympics together. I went into my room for something and Luke followed me in.

From behind me, I heard, "Mom, will you come snuggle me?"

Those few simple words melted my heart. There is nothing that could compare with being a mom. I ask you, where else do you get such rewards?

P.S. I have a confession to make. Until two days ago, I had NO idea that the Olympics were even happening. How's that for being out of the loop?

Where did Ben go?

2010-02-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

Did you know that when a 2 year old closes their eyes really tight, they become invisible?

At least, that's what they think!

Today Ben came down the stairs with two markers....minus the lids. Not a good sign. I asked him to please show me where he had found the markers. Knowing he had been caught red-handed, and there was really no escape, he s-l-o-w-l-y led me up the stairs.

With his eyes shut tight.

He would squint every now and then to make sure he was headed in the right direction, but chose to remain "invisible" for the most part. I was led to a total disaster involving Maddy's art supplies which he had discovered. No wonder he wanted to become invisible!

Little monster.

Or should I say, FUNNY little monster.

The latest and greatest events that make up our crazy life

2010-02-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

Soooo......it's been a while. OK, it's been a really LONG while!

I will not bore you with extensive detail as to craziness of my life over the past few months....just give a quick overview.

First, there was Christmas. Need I say more? Sometimes I feel more on top of my game during the whole Christmas season. But this year.....not so much. It felt more like a matter of survival, just hoping I could fit it all in! Don't get me wrong. Christmas was wonderful. But trying to help my kids learn to serve others, helping them "do" things for others, well....it's a lot of work.

I forgot to take my camera, well, almost everywhere. No pictures of our outing to find the perfect Christmas tree (a story in and of itself....one I will perhaps share on another day when I have nothing else to say). No pictures of Christmas Eve with my kids all dressed up in amazing costumes made by their Grandma Darla.

The highlight, as usual was our Christmas Eve gift exchange. We all draw names and then make a gift instead of buying one. These gifts are opened Christmas Eve. The gifts this year included flowers for the hair, cute watches, a couple of "fuzzy" body pillows, a fleece BYU blanket, a golden back scratcher, rubber band guns, and a knitted hat. Everyone was so excited to GIVE their gifts they had worked so hard on. And everybody was so grateful to receive their gifts that had been so lovingly made. It is a lot of work (especially for me) to make sure everyone's gifts get finished, but it truly is one of our very favorite things we do. So worth the effort!!!

(Luke and Ben got a jeep for Christmas, which was a big hit. That, along with Ben's fleecy hat and gloves were his faves. He is a big fan of anything soft and fleecy.)

Only a few days after the kids headed back to school, Brek and I left to spend a week in sunny St. Kitts. It was a little crazy preparing to leave just three days after the Christmas decorations had come down! But we had a great time relaxing and enjoying the beautiful sunshine. I'm sure glad I dragged my camera all the way there and back since we took it out once! Oh well, I guess that's better than nothing, right?

THEN....upon our arrival home, we were immediately immersed in Joseph rehearsals. What's that, you may ask? Our town was putting on a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and they had asked Brek to be the Pharoah. My girls were also involved, being in the children's choir.

Brek was nervous as could be....not so much about the singing, but about the dancing! He's not exactly a loose, hip-swinging Elvis kind of guy. Finally, after many frustrating attempts on his part to "loosen up", I suggested we call Lana. And that did the trick. By the time performance week came, he felt much more at ease and had such a great time. He was the hit of the show! I was so proud of him! He was HILARIOUS!

He had people asking him for his autograph, and girls sitting on the front row cheering and screaming....too funny! The entire play was fantastic. They did an amazing job! It was a long month for my girls, but so worth it. What a great experience to be a part of something like that, especially getting to do it with their dad. At the end of their final performance when Brek came out, he gave Syd and Maddy each a bunch of flowers and told them to pass one out to each of the kids in the choir. Then, to my great surprise, he called me up on stage and gave me a dozen roses! I bet all those screaming fans were oh so jealous! Because Elvis is mine! I love that guy!!

Brek's makeup, wig, and costume were quite a sight! He got quite the "royal" treatment each night as they colored and glittered him up!

So there you have it. One crazy thing after another.

OK, maybe "quick overview" wasn't quite the right choice of words. But think of it this way. I could have said a LOT more!

Wedding Bells

2009-12-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

On the day after Thanksgiving, we headed to Utah for Brek's one and only sister's wedding. It was such a great day! We are SO happy for her! She was married in the beautiful Salt Lake Temple. It was cold, but still a great day!

Kristin is the only girl in a family of seven. She has lots of brothers to look out for her, I guess!

I love this picture of Brek's dad. Doesn't it just shout out JOY?!

I love my little man! Picture time was a long, cold wait for him.

Dance, Dance, Dance

2009-12-11T21:25:00.000-08:00

More catch-up.

Syd and Maddy got to be in Hansel and Gretel. Their ballet teacher did a fantastic job and put on a great production. Maddy was a darling little gingerbread cookie who always had a little smile on her face as though she had some hidden secret. And Syd was a town girl, an angel, a deer, and a troll. Her favorite was the troll because she got to do back handsprings. But my favorite was the angel.....so beautiful and graceful. She is such a beautiful little dancer!

The only killer was all the makeup! I am NOT a makeup expert. I actually had to go buy eye shadow, because I didn't even own any. But by the end of the week, I was a regular pro....well, sort of!

Luke is not happy to be getting his picture taken, apparently!

Flashback Week

2009-12-04T22:06:00.000-08:00

Soooo....it's been a while.

What can I say. Life is crazy! But on the bright side, my Christmas shopping list is getting much shorter!

My plan is to spend a few days catching up. I know we are all WAY past Halloween, but alas, I must document. So just a quick update.

The older boys weren't much into dressing up this year. But the younger four had a great time. We had two darling witches, a muscle man, and a pirate.

The weather was perfect, which brought out about a jillion trick-or-treaters. We had a great night trick-or-treating, gave away a LOT of candy, and had fun visiting with friends on the porch.

Attack of the pirate boy!
Trick-or-treaters, beware of the crazy pirate swinging a golf club!

Oh yes, and of course we had the traditional night of pumpkin carving.

Goodbye October! See you again next year!

Save Me

2009-10-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

Luke just came up to me, and in his most helpless sounding voice said, "Mom, can you save me from the evil Ben?"

I looked at Ben who flashed me his biggest smile.

What's a gal to do?!

Go-go-go-Maddy

2009-10-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight was rough. I was tired and worn out, the house was in disarray, there was chaos and NOISE everywhere, and Ben was up to his usual tricks (today's highlights were: smashing pears and bananas on the floor and then getting into my makeup and making a general mess of EVERYTHING). I was frustrated, and frankly out of patience.

However, in the midst of it all....well, after everything had been cleaned up anyway, I sat at my computer to help Syd with some homework....thinking to myself "does it ever end??" Still tired, still frustrated. It was at this point in time I noticed Madelyn. She was "rockin' out" to Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat, which Brek had playing on the iPod. It was as though she was completely oblivious of anyone else in the room. She was dancing all over the place....head flipping, hair flying, body moving. It was the cutest thing! And despite myself, I couldn't help but smile. And the more I watched, the more I smiled.

Thanks Madelyn for cheering me up!

Boom, Boom, Fire Power

2009-10-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday for dinner, Brek cooked halibut. It was delicious. But, as usual, Sydney, Madelyn, and Luke stuck their noses in the air as they were sure they wouldn't like it. (I'm pretty sure they have never actually tried halibut, but they were sure!) Despite the grumbling, they were each given a portion of fish and told to eat it. I am happy to report they all ate it, and no complaints.

I looked over to see Luke's plate almost empty (an uncommon sight) and exclaimed, "Oh, good job Luke! You ate all your fish! Now you will have big strong muscles. Next time Ben tries to hurt you just go 'boom, boom, boom' and maybe he'll stop."

A huge grin spread from ear to ear as he flexed his muscles. We all laughed and that was the end of that, or so I thought.

Soon this conversation was forgotten. Dinner came to an end, dishes were done, and I went with Brek to visit one of the families he home teaches. When I returned, Luke filled me in on what I had missed.

"Mom, Ben hit me."

"Oh, Luke, I'm sorry. Are you OK?"

"I hit him back."

"Luke, you shouldn't hit him back! That's not the right thing to do."

"But mom, I did what you told me." And then (while flexing his muscles), "Boom, Boom, Fire Power!"

Here's a visual.

Boom, Boom

Fire Power!

Oops. I guess the moral of this story is....Be careful what you preach! They just might listen to you every now and then!

Nature's Beauties

2009-10-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

I love the seasons! Every one of them.

I love the beautiful colors of the leaves in the fall, the crisp, cool air, leaves falling to the ground. I love winter. I get excited like a little kid when the first snow falls. But I also love to see the snow go, and watch as the world starts to turn green again. I love to see the tulips as they start to poke their green stems out of the ground. I love to be outdoors again....without a coat. And then comes summer. Relaxed summer days, fun, fun, fun in the water, beautiful flowers.

But right now, I really love fall. Everywhere I go, the leaves are falling to the ground....beautiful red and yellow leaves. And it smells like fall. The season of holidays is quickly approaching. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and my personal favorite....Christmas!

The other day as we were driving home, I stopped the car and told the boys to go play in the leaves. I just happened to have my camera in the car.

As much as I love the pretty leaves, they don't hold a candle to these two little guys!

Pizza and Potty Training

2009-10-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I ran some errands. Josh was in charge.

I returned to find Ben running around in nothing but his birthday suit. I asked, but not much of an explanation was given. It boils down to this. Ben had decided he wanted to go potty, and everybody was too lazy to put clothes back on him. (Kids being lazy? Shocker!)

Anywho....here we are, an hour later, and he is still running around in nothing but his birthday suit. Why? Well, it's an experiment of sorts. You see, when Ben is not wearing a diaper he tends to run to the potty whenever he feels a need to....you know. Sooooo, I guess we'll see what happens. When I told my dad of my experiment, he said, "If you step in something squishy in the middle of the night when you get up to go to the bathroom, just hope it's a banana!"

(And I do get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. One of the joys of pregnancy, you know.)

So, back to my return home. I brought pizza. Ben came running and climbed up on a stool. And thoroughly enjoyed pizza and breadsticks....while still in his birthday suit!

It made for a comical dinner, I must say.

Happy, Happy Birthday

2009-10-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

Another birthday has come and gone....scratch that....two more birthdays have come and gone.

Last weekend was party time around here as we celebrated Ben and Brek's birthday. Ben's cake had seen better days, thanks to Ben. He snuck into the cake and pretty much made a big mess of things. Nothing a little extra frosting couldn't fix.

Brek's cake was actually not a cake at all. He requested his mom's delicious apple blueberry cobbler. However, 38 candles on one apple cobbler makes for trouble, let me tell you. Especially when the cobbler is still hot!

Candles + hot cobbler = candles melting....from the bottom up. OOPS! Nothing like 38 colorful pieces of wax floating in the cobbler!

Brek was a good sport to share his birthday with Ben (in other words to share ME with Ben). Unfortunately, my time was completely consumed by everything birthday-ish....birthday breakfast, clean-up, wrapping presents, making dinner, clean-up again, cake/dessert, clean-up again....etc. Not to mention this partying all took place on Sunday, so of course there was the usual: choir, YW lesson, getting kids ready, etc. I was completely spent and exhausted by the end of the day. Brek would have probably preferred to just have me simplify and spend more time with him. I must admit, I am not very good at simplifying sometimes....especially when it comes to birthdays. I want to make the day special. I guess I am still learning.

But despite it all, at the end of the day, Brek gave me a big hug and said, "Thanks for the birthday!" Because that's the kind of guy he is....wonderful. He knows my heart and my intentions. He loves me despite my faults. He thinks I am the greatest (boy do I have him fooled!) He is my biggest fan. I love him dearly!!!! I am one lucky girl!

This was Josh's little creation. He so wanted to decorate something with icing, and in his haste, chose a piece of bread. Yes, it says OLD. He thought he was pretty funny!

The beginnings of the apple cobbler/candle fiasco.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2009-10-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the pumpkin patch just as the sun was going down. But that didn't stop us from finding 6 great pumpkins! We told the kids they had better choose fast, and luckily there was a multitude of fantastic pumpkins. Here is a recap of our "quick" trip in pictures.

Syd and Saydi: cousins and the best of friends

Remember that monster Ben I was telling you about? This is a classic Luke face when being bullied by Ben.

Happy Birthday My Little Monster

2009-10-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

See this little guy?? The cute one with big brown eyes who just turned two?

Don't be fooled by that cute (messy) face and those big brown eyes. Because I'm here to tell you....he is a monster! In his sweet little way, he goes around the house wreaking havoc. Tearing things apart (like my keyboard, which is now missing keys....AGAIN), dumping things (like corn starch all over the kitchen), demanding things, insisting things, etc. He is one strong-willed little man.

If you give him a fork and he wants a spoon instead, watch out for flying forks. If he wants something Luke has....watch out Luke! OR if Luke tries taking something Ben has....watch out Luke! Ben is not intimidated by size. It's pretty much his way or the highway!

But man is he cute! He has started talking, and of course some of his main words are MORE and No No. I'm afraid he hears the latter a time or two every day. He actually says all sorts of things....in a way that only a mother could understand. You know how it is. My favorite is his latest and greatest. When I ask him something, he nods and says sweetly, "Uh-huh." Unless of course he says, "NO!"

For example, one morning as I was practicing with Josh, Luke began to scream. Almost immediatley, an angelic looking Ben came to find me. You know, the sort of angelic look that means....It wasn't me mom!"

The conversation went something like this.

Me: Ben, did you hurt Luke?
Ben: (sweetly) Uh-huh.
Me: Is Luke sad?
Ben: Uh-huh.
Me: You should go give him a big hug and tell him you're sorry.
Ben: No!
Me: Oh, but Luke is sad. You should go give him a hug.
Ben: No!
Me: Is Luke your buddy?
Ben: (ever so sweetly) Uh-huh.

And so it goes.

Ben is a classic example of....well, the power of example! He watches his older siblings and imitates their every move. Especially his pal Luke. Each night before Luke goes to bed, we say prayers with him. Quite a while ago, Ben decided he wanted to be just like Luke. So, although he doesn't talk, the minute Luke is done with his prayers Ben stands up and folds his arms. This is his signal that he is ready to pray. He stands there while you say a prayer for him, then gives you a hug and kiss and happily lays down. Talk about soothing the savage beast!

Tonight I got home late from a meeting and went around checking on all the kids. Ben stirred as I opened the door, and instantly he was on his feet, folding his arms. He can never pray enough you know! I said a short little prayer, which he ended with Amen (a new development), and he gave me the usual hug and kiss.

I love that kid!!!

Meat On My Bones

2009-10-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Brek made a roast in the crock pot. However, after church, dad called and said we were welcome to come over and eat because they had tons of extras, including his famous mashed potatoes. Most of my kids happily passed on the roast and crock pot potatoes, anticipating yummy mashed potatoes. But Syd wanted some of dad's delicious dinner. (Brek wasn't too offended. He was thrilled to have tons of leftovers to take for lunches.)

As I was scooping out the potatoes and carrots, I asked her if she wanted any meat. (Most of my kids are not huge meat eaters. Sometimes they like it....sometimes not.)

She looked at me and said emphatically, "YES! I love meat. And besides, Mr. Larson said I really need to start putting some meat on my bones."

I guess she took him literally!

Ultrasound Time!

2009-10-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

So, it's official. This little babe growing in my tummy is a boy! ANOTHER boy! And I would have to say there is no doubt as to this baby's gender. Even I could tell it was a boy, and that's saying alot!

The girls were a little disappointed, but not really. It's hard to be disappointed when you know there's a new baby on the horizon! And when I told Syd the baby was due on March 6th (one day before her birthday), she jumped up and cheered. However, Syd and Maddy are seriously outnumbered now....5 boys to 2 girls.

Brek said we now have our own basketball team.

Natalie (a dear friend) said more great pianists and missionaries.

All of the above are true! I think it would be safe to say that I will be sitting through A LOT of sporting events in my life! And our home will be ringing with music for many more years to come. And, oh how I hope my boys will all serve missions! I LOVE my boys, and couldn't be more happy. Either way....how could you possibly go wrong??!! Another little spirit to bless our home. Another new little personality.

I can't wait to meet him!!

Let It Snow

2009-10-05T07:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning, Luke came into my room and woke me up.

Luke: Mom, it's snowing outside!
Me: It is?
Luke: Yep! So, is it Christmas today?

All's Well That Ends Well

2009-10-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Soooo, tonight Brek asked Josh and I to put the tarp on the boat as he was running out the door to go to priesthood meeting. Brek, Scott, and Josh (sortof)....OK, mostly Brek and Scott spent the two hours in between morning and afternoon conference cleaning the boat. And I mean CLEANING! (If only they were that thorough in the house....ha-ha!)

Anyway, as they were leaving for priesthood session, they decided it just might rain while they were gone and wreck all their hard work! Brek attempted to back the boat into the garage, thinking that would be a quick fix. Only problemo with that plan is the fact that our garage is not tall enough for our boat.

So, with the boat half in the garage--half out, he runs into the house asking us to put the tarp on, then runs back out. And like the obedient people that we are, out we went to do as we were told. As we were pulling the tarp up, over, down, etc. the boat all of a sudden started moving. At first I thought I was maybe imagining things. But sure enough, the boat was rolling right down our driveway! I ran to the front of the boat, pushing with all my might to try and stop it. Meanwhile, I was screaming at Josh to help. Apparently, he was helping, trying to pull from behind. But I didn't know that and kept yelling for him to help! I'm sure we were quite a sight....big-belly pregnant mom yelling at her son, both frantically trying to stop a moving boat that weighs....ummm....like a gazillion tons or something!

I was seriously paniced about the boat rolling right across the road, into my neighbor's yard, and heaven forbid, crashing into their house!! But luckily, as the boat rolled off our driveway and onto the road, it came to a stop. I would like to say it was because of our massive muscles, but alas, I must give credit to the leveling of the ground.

I would NEVER bother Brek when he is at something important like priesthood meeting....until today. There we sat with the boat right smack dab in the middle of the road, wondering what to do. Believe it or not, we actually attempted to PUSH the boat back up onto the driveway. Yeah...that went well! And with every other guy over the age of twelve being in the same meeting as Brek, we were sort of stuck! So a text was sent requesting immediate help and Brek came to the rescue.

Moral of the story: Don't EVER try to stop a moving boat...especially if it is moving downhill! And especially if you are pregnant! You might look like a serious idiot!

Breakfast Anyone?

2009-09-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Brek need not worry anymore about all those half-eaten bowls of cereal going to waste in the morning. Luke and Ben take care of that.

After the kids go to school, the two of them just pick a bowl and dig in, sometimes moving from one bowl to another. Sometimes they even share!

Not much can be done with this kiddo after breakfast, but to throw him in the bathtub. What a mess!

Families Can Be Together Forever

2009-09-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

Last week my baby brother got married. It was a great day! He has turned into such a great young man, and the girl he married (Gabe) is awesome! We are thrilled to have her be a part of the family now. My kids absolutely love Uncle David and Aunt Gabe. (Yes, Gabe is now "Aunt Gabe" around here!)

Here are some pictures. You know me....always camera-happy!

Beautiful Alaska

2009-09-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

So, here it is. A photo recap of our trip to Alaska.

Brek and I went on an Alaskan cruise with my family. The one MAJOR disappointment was that half our family didn't make it on the ship! Chelsie, Tiffany, Natalie, and their husbands were not able to reach Vancouver in time due to airline troubles, and once the ship left, they were not able to board. It really stunk, and we really missed having them there!

This photo was taken from our ship. We enjoyed beautiful scenery throughout almost the entire cruise.

We really lucked out on weather, I would have to say. I expected it to rain almost the entire time, but the only really rainy days we had were the two days we were on the ship.

The first place we stopped was called Ketchikan, a tiny little town nestled in the mountains. There is no way in or out of this city except by boat or plane. I'm not sure that would be the life for me! But it is beautiful.

The day we spent in Ketchikan just so happened to be Sunday. Soooo, we decided to venture out and try to find an LDS church. Thanks to Lance and his "google phone" we found the church, which was unlike any I've seen....completely made out of cedar inside and out. It was very pretty. We felt a little dumb in our jeans, but were glad to be there, nonetheless.

Another picture taken as we sailed along.

Each night we got cleaned up and headed to dinner where we enjoyed delicious food, and beautiful scenery, such as the picture taken below. (Brek took this picture from the window by our table.)

While in Juneau, we visited Mendenhall Glacier (quite amazing!) We then spent the afternoon whale watching, and did we ever see whales!! We saw humpback whales, some of which were jumping right out of the water! And we were extremely lucky to come upon a huge pod (30 or more) of Orka (killer) whales.

Glacial ice anyone??

That small little guy you see standing there is my stepbrother Lance, who is actually almost 7 feet tall! He looks awfully tiny standing against that great big glacier.

We were told this is not something you see everyday. We enjoyed quite the show!

That boat you see had my dad, Darla, David, and Lance aboard. Those killer whales were probably within 10 feet of their boat. Amazing! We were on two different boats, and the whales came right between us.

Happy Anniversary Dad and Darla!

In Skagway, we hiked through a rain forest for a couple of miles, then floated down a river. It was anything but an adventurous rafting trip, but when the water is only 35 degrees, you're not much up for adventure and splashing! It was beautiful, though.

Our last day on the ship we ran into quite the storm. It was pouring rain, and there were huge swells in the ocean! We did get to see another amazing glacier, however.

The trip ended in Seward, a town named after this guy Seward who was responsible for the purchase of Alaska. Pretty good move on his part I would have to say!

And last but not least, a little bit more of the Alaska wildlife. This bear swam out into the lake and splashed and played around. It was quite the sight to see.

The end.

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home

2009-09-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, it's good to be home.

After a great week spent in Alaska (that's right folks....ALASKA!), we are finally home. The kids did great while we were gone. Our babysitters, Aubrey and Trevor, did such a great job. The kids loved them! I have been informed that Trevor is an "awesome cook". (This may have something to do with some sort of dessert pizza he made!) And tonight, when I was in the kitchen with my back turned towards Maddy, she said, "Mom! I almost called you Aubrey!"

Saturday morning we were sitting in the SLC airport, waiting for our final flight....(what a LONG trip home!) Anyway, my phone rang and it was 'home' calling.

I thought, "Oh, the kids are probably calling to see when we are going to be home, because they are dying to see us!"

When I answered the phone, it was Josh. Our conversation went something like this.

Josh: "Hi mom, I just have a question to ask you."
Me: "OK, shoot."
Josh: "Ummm, so if somebody asks you to do the kitchen floor, does that mean you have to sweep AND mop it?"
Me: "Yes Josh, it would be great if you would do both."
Josh: "OK, see ya mom."

Nice!

So much for missing us!! J/K Actually, they were way excited to see us, and we were way excited to see them!

We took about a jillion pictures, and I will post some soon. Alaska is gorgeous!! But it's true what they say, you know.

There really is no place like home!

Bath Trauma

2009-09-03T08:09:00.001-07:00

Soooo....

Yesterday I was bathing Luke and Ben. All of a sudden I heard a scream, followed by, "Mom, Ben pooped in the tub!"

I ran in, and much to my dismay, found the declaration to be true.

I told them to both stand up and DON'T MOVE while the water drained out, so I could clean the tub, then clean them (ahhhh, the joys of motherhood). Luke climbed up onto the sides of the tub (one foot on each side) to wait.

Soon he complained, "Mom, it's yucky!! It's stinky!!"

"I know. But I can't do anything about it until the water drains, so just hang tight!"

A moment or two passed.
Luke groaned, then uttered these classic words,

"I can't fight this feeling anymore!"

Good one, Luke.

And Away They Go

2009-08-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

Once again, it is that time of year when we load up on school supplies and the kids are off to school. The days are much quieter. Luke and Ben are no match for their older siblings when it comes to noise level and mess-making. They're good, but they're not that good!

The house stays cleaner, we are all more organized, meals become more of a regular occurrence....

BUT....

gone are the lazy mornings of sleeping in and getting a late start on things. Mornings come early around here now! The kids got their first taste of "the routine" this past week, waking at 5:50 and beginning practice at 6:00 am.

Let me just say that mornings are CRAZY! Out of necessity, my kids are quite independent, and even Maddy gets up and makes her own lunch. (Sometimes the older boys help.) Scott and Josh help get breakfast for everyone. With all the practicing, hair-doing, traffic-directing craziness, I feel like I might possibly rival Brek, the ultimate multi-tasker, during those early morning hours!

Once school lets out, the craziness resumes. Between football, dance, gymnastics, piano, violin, and soccer, we do a lot of running! And then there are the usuals....dinner, homework, scripture study, etc.

As crazy as life gets, we are all ready for the change. I am definitely ready for a little more structure, and the kids were excited to see all their friends again. It is so great when the kids get out of school, but, I must admit, it is also great when they go back!

Here are a few pictures of the kids on the first day of school. Not the best turn-out, but with four nervous kids, it was the best I could do. They were SO worried about being late on their first day. Especially Scott! We would have had plenty of time for pictures were it not for the bottle of fingernail polish that crashed on the tile floor and shattered! Yep....pink fingernail polish and tiny pieces of glass everywhere! I have to admit, I was less than thrilled. But the mess was cleaned up, the pictures were taken, and the kids were all delivered....on time I might add!

Scott was complete ready by about 7:30 and spent the next half hour harassing everybody else about hurrying!

If you're wondering what's going on with Josh's hair, well....let me just say, Josh has his own sense of style! He wanted to do something "different" on the first day of school. What a kid!

The boys
and the girls
I love these kiddos!

So Sleepy

2009-08-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

When things get quiet in my house, that usually means trouble.

So, upon noticing the sudden absence of any "Ben noises", we went searching to see what mischief he was into. We found this cute little bundle at the top of the stairs.

Summer is exhausting! Play, play, play, and then collapse from sheer exhaustion!

I must admit, this is what I feel like doing most of the time. I feel like I could lay down wherever I am, at any given time, and go right to sleep. Sheesh. Making babies is tiring stuff, I tell you!

The Cat is Out of the Bag

2009-08-07T22:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a while.

But I have a good excuse. It has something to do with feeling nauseous and exhausted. I feel like it takes all I can do just to accomplish the day to day demands of my home and family. And let's face it, I don't even manage to do that as well as I should. The laundry is piling up, I can't remember the last time I actually fixed a real meal (does cold cereal count?), the yard....well, let's just say it has been a bit neglected.

But, on the bright side of things, come next March we will have a new little Pilling! That's right....baby #7 is on the way. The word is out, sooner than we had intended. When the kids kept asking, "Are you sick again, mom?" we figured it was probably time to enlighten them. And once the kids know, there is no stopping the good news from spreading.

And yes, we do think it is good news! We are very excited!

AND, in answer to a question that may have crossed your mind....

"Yes, this baby was planned."

You may think we are crazy, and the answer to that question is "Probably so!" But, as I thought and thought about what to do, I felt so strongly the truth that there will be "joy and rejoicing in your posterity". As I watched my children, their little day to day interactions, I was constantly reminded that family is where it's at! For example, when Scott would put Ben on his shoulders and carry him around; when the kids would sit around the kitchen table, giggling at Luke; when Syd would go into Ben's room and "help" him go to sleep by entertaining him....not wanting to hear him cry; when Josh would say, "Come here little buddy!" and help Luke get his shoes on; when Maddy would put her arm around Luke and help him go buy a snow cone at the baseball field....etc., etc., etc.

The moments are endless. They are quick, fleeting moments, but they are there none-the-less. We are a family. We love each other and we help each other. And I have a feeling it will just get better and better!

I know things will be crazy, and I know it will be hard. But I also know that there is nothing greater I could be doing right now.

Was I scared? Yes. I was worried that perhaps I couldn't handle the challenge. I was worried that my family might suffer, knowing that pregnancy and newborns aren't exactly easy. But then I felt an overwhelming conviction that the Lord would help me.

So, here we go again.

We can't wait! (I especially can't wait to get past this stinkin' first trimester!) But, one thing I know for sure....

In the wise words of my father, "This too shall pass."

And then we will have another beautiful little baby! Which brings one word to my mind.

JOY!

The Fun Never Ends!

2009-07-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

When summer began this year, I thought to myself, "This is going to be such a relaxing summer. We really don't have much planned. I hope we don't get bored!"

HA!

What was I thinking????

Apparently I wasn't thinking! I forgot that baseball is all consuming for a month or so. I forgot that I have two kids with birthdays in June, and a niece and nephew both getting baptized in July. I forgot that I had girls camp....oh, and I must have forgotten that they put me in charge of the food! I must have forgotten that I had a family reunion. And I must have forgotten that you actually have to train a little bit if you plan on doing a triathlon. (What's that all about?!) Oh, and of course I forgot about swimming lessons....and gymnastics camp....and weeds that never quit growing....and kids that NEVER quit making messes....and....and....and....

You get the picture.

But I'll tell you what I didn't forget. My brother is coming home from his mission on July 22nd!! Yeah! We are so excited! Being the baby brother in a home full of girls, he is the first to serve a mission. We are SO proud of him!

I have taken a million pictures this summer which I would love to post, but where's the time?! (Did I mention Brek gave me a new camera for my birthday?! And did I further mention that I L-O-V-E it!)

Anywho, the pictures will continue to sit on my laptop, flashing across the screen every now and then....that is when we leave my laptop open. You see, we try to avoid that ever since Ben destroyed my keyboard by popping all the keys off! (Did I mention Ben is a monster? A very cute monster mind you, but a monster, nonetheless. He is one strong-willed, fiesty, little dude!)

And his brothers are teaching him all sorts of tricks. Yikes!

And So It Ends

2009-07-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, we made our last trek to the baseball field for the year 2009. Goodbye Fun Dips....Luke will miss you. Goodbye popcorn....Ben will miss you. Goodbye snow cones....you will be missed by all.

No more kids begging me for money. No more wind storms blowing dust in our face.

But, on the other hand, no more excitement as the kids run across home plate. No more cheering when Maddy hits the ball! No more cheering when Syd gets a double play. No more cheering when Josh pitches three strike-outs.

Goodbye baseball. We will miss you...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

(Oh, and just for the record, Maddy turned into quite the little ball player. Who would have thought?!)

One thing I love about Maddy....she always has a smile on her face!

Josh goes for the steal....sliding into home....

and he's OUT! (By the way, when Josh looked at all the pictures I took, this was his favorite one, even though you can't tell he's in it!)

Par-tay....ward style!

2009-06-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

We have the greatest ward party every summer! We go to this great spot where they have a huge waterslide, complete with tubes of all shapes and sizes. The kids LOVE it! (Well, everyone except for Luke that is.) The kids went down the slide, then ran back up the hill about a million times. We arrived at 3:30 and they didn't quit until it was almost dark. They maybe stopped for about 15 minutes to grab some dinner, but I can't be sure.

Oh yeah, they also had to take a break for the shooting of the candy cannon. Talk about kid heaven!

There is a zip line, swings and a trampoline, volleyball, a fire pit....you name it.

I made Luke go on the water slide with me a few times, thinking he would decide it really was fun after all. After the first ride down, he looked at me and said, "Mom! That was totally scary!"
Ben, however, went down the slide as many times as he could, and loved it!

Although Luke wasn't too hot on the slide, he had plenty 'o fun playing on the trampoline, making friends with all the "spectators", and chasing the girls to throw water on them!

Good times, I tell you.

Any Good Book Ideas?

2009-06-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ever since I began motherhood, I have envisioned myself sharing a love of reading and good literature with my children. Unfortunately, life doesn't always go as you plan. For example, I didn't realize at the time how tired I would be when bedtime came around!

I hear people talking about reading with their kids, and always think to myself, "What a great idea! I should do that." But then life gets in the way. It's impossible to fit in all that we want to do, isn't it?! (Don't get me wrong. I read a ton with my little kids, but I was looking forward to enjoying good books with my kids as they got older, as well.)

Despite my many attempts to read books to the kids (not counting those millions of books I read/listen to with my kids after school for their assigned 20 min. reading), I have yet to get through an entire book....until now. It only took me, oh say, 7 or 8 years to accomplish what I intended to do! I guess I could give myself a pat on the back for not quitting, right?

Or not.

Wait...I'm having a flashback. I'm pretty sure I did get through an entire book with Scott and Josh when they were younger. I read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to them. OK, definitely a classic, but they were like 6 and 4 years old. Are you kidding me?! Not the best book choice on my part. I'm pretty sure the whole thing went right over their heads!

In the past few months I have started reading with the girls. We first read a Little House on the Prairie book, which they loved. Then we started on Anne of Green Gables. When we first started, I was afraid I was being overly ambitious (again). Perhaps the book was a bit much for them.

But we are almost finished, and have enjoyed the book very much. Even more so, we have enjoyed the time we get to spend together, just us girls. Every now and then, when the boys are engrossed in NBA something or other on TV, the girls will come snuggle up in my bed with me and we will read. With the end of school craziness and summer fun, our reading has been sporadic at best. But we only have a few chapters left! And we are very excited, because when we finish we are going to have a fun movie night....just us girls. There will be popcorn, treats, snuggling, and Anne of Green Gables, of course. Good times!

Soooo, the question is, what shall we read next? Any good ideas? What are some of your favorites?

Do tell!

For Moi?

2009-06-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Me!

What can I say? I rock!

Seriously.

Why else would they put a flag in my front yard on none other than my special day?

What? What's that you say? It's Flag Day today?!

Hmmmm....

(I guess we'll just pretend!)

Lukey Skywalker Pilling

2009-06-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday my little Lukey!

4 years old?! How can that be? It seems just yesterday I was holding you in my arms for the first time. You have been a joy and delight in our home from the moment you entered it. I think it would be safe to say that we all ADORE you!

Here are 4 (OK, maybe 5) of the things I love about you.

1. I love, love, love your smile! And I especially love the way you scrunch up your nose when you laugh. It is too cute!

2. I love the way you go around the house calling everybody a platypus. Do you even know what a platypus is? I'm thinking no.

3. I love the way you barter with me.
Me (at bedtime): Do you want me to sing you a song Luke?
Luke: Ummm, how about 5 songs.
Me: Ummm, how about two songs.
Luke: OK, how about two songs.....wait....how about you sing I Hope They Call Me On a Mission 4 times, and then sing one more song.
(You usually win and we sing your favorites--I hope they call me on a mission and Nephi's Courage--over and over. And Ben dances and squeals while I sing, and we laugh.)

4. I love the way you came into my room this morning to see me. I wasn't quite awake, so you climbed up on my bed and kissed me on the forehead. I love the way you climb into bed with me in the morning and snuggle with me (a summertime luxury).

5. I love the way you call yourself Lukey Skywalker. When I correct you and tell you your name is Luke Ammon, you strongly disagree. So, Lukey Skywalker it is!

I asked you today if you would please stop growing, but you told me no.

Darn.

I was hoping you would stay little forever!

I love you my little friend!!

Summer Begins

2009-06-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

Summer has begun. The yard work is endless, and there is baseball a-plenty! But, our yard is finally looking beautiful once again (in my ever so humble opinion), and so far we have not had any freezing cold baseball games (big improvement from last year.)

A few baseball highlights of the week:

Syd made a double play tonight, catching a pop fly then tagging a runner out. Boy was she the hero of the game!!

Madelyn hit the ball! On purpose! She was so excited, and is getting better and better every game. She is starting to swing more normal and less like a girl (phewsh), and even chases after balls every now and then!

Josh pitched and did a great job! No runs were scored, and he had several strikeouts.

Even Scott who opted not to play this year, gets in on the action with church softball. Good times, I tell you.

Ben spends his time raiding people's dugouts. He commandeers a helmet, bat, and ball. He then hands me the ball and grunts. (In Ben language that means, "Throw me the ball mom so I can hit it." I am an amazing translator you know.) Ben's "hitting" consists of him holding the bat up, while I throw the ball at his bat and "hit" it. Sometimes Luke tries to get in on the action, but he is a bit more deadly with a baseball bat than Ben, who can barely raise the bat off the ground. Thus Luke has to be content to just run around.

Speaking of Luke, did I ever mention that he is hilarious? Yesterday morning he came into my room and said, "Mom, will you snuggle me? I'm so cold!" I, of course, could not resist such a request, and up he came. He snuggled right up next to me, then turned to me and said, "You're a platypus."

What a guy!

You mean I have to CATCH the ball?!

2009-05-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

I have two daughters, whom I adore.

They are both very unique.

One reminds me SO much of myself.
And the other one....not so much! (At least when it comes to sports.)

For example....

Both girls play baseball. Syd puts her whole heart into the game. She gives it her all. She loves the competition, and loves trying to get better and better. She is not afraid of, well, anything really. (Except perhaps tornadoes!)

Then there is Maddy. Madelyn is not so much into the whole baseball thing. At first, she was downright unhappy about the fact that she had to play anything other than tee-ball.

"I'm scared," she said.

And me, being the sympathetic mother that I am, told her there was nothing to be scared of, and I was sure she would like playing.

(In my defense, Madelyn is always scared of "new" things. Take skiing for example. She was so nervous at first, but after a few runs there was no stopping her. In fact, she was usually the last one off the hill! So, I just keep on making her do things, like it or not.)

It didn't take long for her to realize that baseball is really not very scary. But....that is about as far as we've gotten. She usually strikes out (followed by a big grin....there's always next time, right?!) She would rather pull grass and dig in the dirt than worry about whether the ball might actually be coming her way. And if the ball does happen to come nearby, she is not sure whether she should be the one getting it or not. She doesn't want to step on someone else's territory!

Then there's Syd. She's a bundle of energy, stopping balls, tagging people out. She was playing pitcher tonight, and when the ball was hit to the outfield, guess who was out there helping out? You got it. Syd. Crazy girl!

Anywho....I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut during Maddy's games. I feel this constant need to encourage her. Or at least tell her to STAND UP!

It is quite comical. And who knows, maybe one day she will decide that she really does like baseball. Then again, maybe not! You never know with Maddy. Only time will tell!

What if a potato lands on my head?

2009-05-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Monday night began like this.

Friends and family gathered at the Morrison's in honor of Carly, the graduating, valedictorian senior of the household.

The kids played, we visited, we ate....good times.

After a while, a common scene unfolded. Brek visiting with friends, completely oblivious to his wifey, aka moi, who was holding a very tired baby ready for bed. I can't fault Brek, for you see, he doesn't lack in willingness to help. If I give him Ben, he willingly takes him. The problem, however, is this. When Ben is tired, he wants NOBODY but me. So, no matter how many times I hand him over, he soon ends up back in my arms. After a couple hours of holding him, I, too, am exhausted.

And there lies the problem. Brek so loves to visit with friends, that I simply wait it out, not wanting to drag him away. After all, the poor guy works SO much that I am happy when he gets to enjoy himself. Don't get me wrong....I love to visit with friends, as well. But, Ben doesn't always cooperate.

Anyway, enough about that. On to the meat of the story.

As the evening wore on the party moved outside. A nearby fire engine had drawn our attention, and there was much speculation as to what sort of accident may have happened. We later learned that there was an alzheimers escapee from a local care center, who had taken a serious fall, at which point he was finally discovered.

As that drama came to a close, we watched another scene unfold before our eyes. On the horizon, we watched as "something" rose in the sky. Was it smoke? At first glance, that was our guess. But as the dark cloud quickly grew, we ruled that idea out. Was it dust? Could it be?

The guys and Carly jumped in the car to go investigate. As us moms sat there watching, we all of a sudden realized that whatever it was, it was headed straight for us. We ran to get the kids inside!

As we ran towards the house, the wind began howling. Natalie ran to help the horses. Josh, Scott, and I ran to gather chairs that were flying through the back yard. The wind was so strong, it was almost impossible. Trista and the other kids watched from inside the house as a huge branch broke off a tree in the front yard, and the basketball hoop went flying.

"Get away from the windows!" Trista yelled.

Just as suddenly as the storm had come, it passed.

The dads returned to report that they had seen a funnel (tornado!). As they were driving, they looked out their window to see a wheel line (sprinkler pipe) flying through a field directly toward them. They gunned the car, and the wheel line flew past them a mere ten feet away. The wheel line hit a telephone pole and wrapped around it, sparks flying.

Back at the home front, the power went out.

After the storm had passed, we all gathered to share stories. Some of us were completely coated in dirt. Others (the older boys) couldn't believe they had missed out on the exciting car ride!

We headed home to assess the damage. Matt and Trista returned to a house full of dirt. Their front door had flown open during the storm, and everything was coated!

Once home, we discovered that our trampoline was gone. Where to? Nobody knew. The only sign we could find of our tramp were springs and legs lying in people's yards. Our BBQ was no longer behind our house, but was lying in our driveway. Did it fly over the top of our house? The two satellite dishes on our roof that had been flattened made us wonder.

Our neighbor across the street was missing part of her roof. Her chimney had ripped completely off and was lying on top of her roof in two huge pieces.

The neighbors rushed to help, trying to secure a tarp to protect her exposed house until help could come.

While working on the roof, our trampoline was discovered. It was on the opposite side of our neighbors house bent around a tree. We all agree that perhaps our trampoline had something to do with the chimney fiasco.

Darn tramp.

Scott and Josh were pumped. It's not too often we all survive a tornado, you know! They would run out to help their dad, then come running back in the house announcing that another "one" was coming!

All my kids would run to the shelter of the basement and wait until the huge wind gusts passed. Then the boys would run outside again to help. I don't know what time we finally went to bed. The girls and Luke all slept in the basement....just in case.

Before going to bed, Luke asked, "What if a "potato" lands on my head tonight?"

I am happy to report that there were no more tornadoes or potatoes that night.

Do you want to know what really stinks about this whole thing?!

No satellite Tuesday or Wednesday. Hence, no American Idol!! Are you flippin' kidding me? I am not a big TV watcher, but American Idol is my fave! So, I am trying really hard not to find out who won until I can get to somebody's house and watch it. With my busy week/weekend, it's not looking to promising. But, it's worth a shot!

And so we say goodbye to Squishy

2009-05-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

There has been a death in the neighborhood. And as the friendly neighborhood photographer, I went to document.

Squishy was a chicken. Her grave site was lovingly decorated with rhubarb leaves, a tulip, and a "gravestone"....compliments of Caitlyn. Also, the leaves have been "decorated" and filled with little messages.

This is Caitlyn. And one of her chickens. Did I mention that my neighbors have about a bazillion chickens? Guess where I'll be going when I run out of eggs!

Caitlyn is Maddy's buddy. They are two peas in a pod. Both share a love of the outdoors and all small creatures. Both have a very unique style sense, as in NO style sense! Both have a flair for creativity (hence, the grave site). Caitlyn is always full of good stories.

Once I was finished documenting the death of poor Squishy, the kids began bombarding me with photo shoot ops.

"Take one of me trying to catch the chicken!"

"Take one of the chicken flying through the air!"

"Take one of me holding the chicken!"

I'll tell you what, it was good entertainment. And I thought all chickens were good for was their eggs!

New Arrivals

2009-05-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

I have always wondered if our cat is a boy or a girl. Not being an expert on cats, I was never quite sure....

until now.

Let me back up to this morning.

It was 6 am. We were all a bit sleepy-eyed as we began our morning routine. All of a sudden Scott came running in from the garage announcing that our cat had had kittens.

You can imagine my surprise, for you see, I had no clue she was pregnant! How could that be? Well, I have no idea. Our cat is not so much a lovable pet as a mandatory mouse killer. I give her food and say hello every now and then when she runs across my path, but I don't exactly snuggle up with her. Cat hair....yuck! You would think I would notice a fat cat, but hey, maybe she's just the type who hides her weight well.

I was so surprised when I saw the squeaking little kittens (Syd says they look like rats, and I would have to agree), that I wondered if maybe the kittens belonged to some other cat who had snuck into our garage to give birth. After all, they are all black! (That daddy must have some dominant genes.)

Soon the kids reported that the mama cat was nursing her 3 little kitties, so that theory was shot. I was forced to accept the fact that our cat had been pregnant and I didn't even know it. How long are cats pregnant for anyway?

She handled the whole thing like a champ, if you ask me. No complaining about morning sickness, no special food cravings, no complaints about lack of sleep or a sore back, no water retention. And you should see her now. She has bounced right back. She looks like she was never even pregnant. What a gal!

Later that morning, as though I hadn't been shocked enough for one day, I returned from Madelyn's talent show and found not 3, but 4 kitties latched onto their mama. Are you kidding me? Where did #4 come from?!

When I told Syd about the fourth kitty, she said the mama cat must have laid another kitty (sort of like laying an egg?). She corrected herself, however, saying the cat must have had another kitty.

Anyway, I am now the proud owner of not 1, but 5 cats. And considering the fact that 1 is pushing it as far as Brek is concerned, I will be looking for homes for the 4 kitties. They are brand new and come from a smoke-free, pet-free home....well, a smoke-free home anyway.

Okinawa

2009-05-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post contains an insane amount of pictures! But hey, how many times in your life do you get to go to Okinawa?!

Brek and I spent a wonderful week in Okinawa with Scott and Josh. We went to visit our friends the Days, who we love! It was so good to see them again!

For the first couple of days we traveled to the opposite end of the island (a whopping 60 miles or so) to Okuma. We spent a couple of days enjoying the beautiful beaches there. Just outside of our room, there were huge pine trees, and then the beach. It was like nothing I've ever seen before....very beautiful.

Scott and Josh went snorkeling for their first time! Brandon showed them all the tricks of the trade.

The kids had fun exploring, finding shells and sea glass, riding around on kayaks, snorkeling, playing in the sand, and going for tube rides.

Savannah was the one and only girl, and didn't like being left behind. Not being old enough for kayaking, she chose to ride around on this "sea bike" with her mom.

One afternoon, we caught a boat, which took us a few miles away from shore to snorkel at a reef. There were tons of fish. It was a little bit chilly, but once we finally jumped in, we were OK. Josh said this was one of his favorite things!

Jasmine, Brek, and I found a fun little restaurant nearby. Luckily we had Brek along (Brek served his mission in Japan), because everything was written in Japanese, and the waiters spoke no English. We sat on the floor in the traditional Japanese way, and cooked our own food on a grill right in the middle of the table!

One morning, the kids all rented these bikes (?) or whatever they may be, and rode around.

After leaving Okuma, we found another restaurant sortof hidden in the countryside. The surroundings were gorgeous. The restaurant was very open with waterfalls, and ponds filled with fish all over. They served the Okinawan specialty.....soba. Soba is a type of soup with noodles and usually some type of meat, and of course a big hunk of seaweed. Yuck! Actually the soup was pretty good, minus the seaweed. Once again, we got to sit on the floor. AND, for dessert, the kids all had huge bowls of shaved ice!

For the record, Scott did not actually end up eating that big slimy piece of seaweed. He chickened out. And, for the record, we all got quite good at eating with chopsticks!

After lunch, we headed to Neo Park, which was basically a zoo.

And here we found these two wild animals caged up! Oh wait, those are MY two wild animals!

We quite enjoyed reading the signs, T-shirts, and billboards around Okinawa. The Japanese didn't quite get their translations correct. This sign we saw at NeoPark is just one example. It was pretty funny.

One morning, we took the kids to an Okinawan park. Something tells me their playground equipment probably wouldn't pass safety inspections in the good ol' US of A. This is called a drop slide, perhaps because you reach out, grab onto a bar, and then literally "drop" straight down until the slide levels out! The kids loved it.

Brek loved the Japanese cuisine. I, however, am not exactly an adventurous eater when it comes to sushi and seaweed. Not my cup o' tea! But there were lots of other tasty things. I enjoyed lots of edamame!

On Saturday morning, Shane and Jas took us to a place called Kokusai Street. It is a street lined with stores, vendors, restaurants, etc. Josh was excited to find himself a "frolet"....or a frog wallet. After shopping around a bit, we headed for the beach (again!)

Hmmm, looks tasty boys. Rice wrapped in seaweed with some sort of "hidden treasure" in the middle. Count me out!

We ended the trip with an afternoon at the beach, and then dinner at The Garlic House (very yummy). The beach was gorgeous. It was more primitive than the other beaches where we had been. Brek and Shane went scuba diving while the kids snorkeled around and played in the sand. We, of course, did our usual sweep for sea glass and sea shells.

And then the kids decided we were in need of a fire. They scavenged up enough kindling and managed to get a fire going. Yes, they had matches, but only a few. After their first couple of attempts failed, Jas and I suggested they wait for their dads to return. They looked at us as though we were idiots and said, "Why?"

And much to our surprise, they soon had a flame going. Way to go boy scouts!

Finally, the day came when it was time for us to go home. Time flies when you are having fun. We were, however, anxious to get home to see our other kids. Shane had to fly to California and was able to get a ticket on the same flight as us. The only downside of the trip was that Shane, who is worked to the bone over there, wasn't able to get any time off work. So, he didn't always get to join us on our adventures. It was nice we got to spend a few extra hours with him.

Once we reached San Francisco, we were officially exhausted. And much to our dismay, our flight to SLC was delayed for several hours! Scott and Josh crashed. I didn't dare go to sleep, considering the fact that Josh slept walked while we were in the Tokyo airport and it took us a good ten minutes or more to find him asleep underneath some chairs a few gates down from ours. Yes, we were quite paniced!

Thank you SO much Shane and Jas for showing us such a great time! We love you guys!

Oh, the pain

2009-05-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Two and a half weeks ago, I ran a half marathon. And this wasn't just any half marathon! The first 8.5 miles were uphill. Yes, you heard me! Uphill! but the last 4.5 miles were downhill, so once I reached 8.5, I felt like I was as good as done!

I went with a few of my running buddies (otherwise I would never have gone!) And, although I was not excited about going, it felt so good when we were done.

(Thanks for the picture Garianne. I borrowed it from you!)

However, since then I haven't run once! So today I decided it HAD to be done. I ran four miles and survived....barely.

Good grief.

Oh well, serves me right.

It's Good to be Home

2009-05-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

We are home!

After spending a week in Okinawa (yes, Japan!) with our dear friends, Brek, Scott, Josh and I returned home. And after almost 30 hours of travel, we were SO glad to be home!

We came home to a very green lawn in serious need of mowing.

(Nice Josh. Ever heard of this little thing called shoes?!)

AND we came home to this....

We were SO excited to see the kids, and they were equally excited to see us. Scott and Josh were very excited to see their siblings, and handed out gifts, which the kids eagerly accepted.

Then we showed them some "souvenirs" we found, courtesy of the Okinawan beaches....sea shells and sea glass.

We found this sea glass as we walked along the beaches. It is very pretty and unique. My friend Jasmine said she has never seen it on other beaches where she has lived (Florida, Texas, and California).

(Madelyn loves all things tiny and cute. Hence, we returned with many tiny shells.)

Scott was very excited to see his little buddy Ben, who he insists likes him "almost" better than me.

Throughout the day Luke has given me many hugs and said, "I missed you when you were gone!"

I missed you, too, my little friends!!

Room for Improvement

2009-04-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight for mutual, a few speakers talked to the girls about knowledge. Among them were a doctor, a banker, and a farmer. As the farmer (who also happens to be a member of our stake presidency) spoke, he said something that really touched me.

He asked the girls these questions.

"Why has the prophet stated that a woman's primary role should be that of mother and nurturer?"

"Who on this earth is most like the Savior? Who loves unconditionally? Who serves willingly without the need for recognition?"

His answer to these questions was a mother. An interesting thought.

As I heard this, I didn't think, "Hmmm...yep, that's me alright."

On the contrary, I thought, "Oh, how I want that to be me!"

I thought of my own dear mom. I love her dearly. She did love us unconditionally, and her life was spent in service. All she did was for the good of our family. As a mom now, I know many of the things she did went unnoticed by many or possibly all.

As I think of all those I have known in my life, and who I would consider to be the most Christ-like, I realize that indeed my mom would be at the top of this list.

What a responsibility, and what an opportunity we have as mothers. I hope to become more Christ-like. I hope my family will know one day how much I love them all, and why I do all I do.

And I have a lot of improving to do!

A Good Day

2009-04-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

An amazing thing happened today. I asked the kids to behave themselves AND....... they actually did!

Our neighbors invited us over for breakfast, and before leaving I asked the kids to please behave and be polite AND be non-destructive. And you know what? They actually did it. They were very well-behaved....for the entire time! Who would've thought?!

Tonight Syd and I played our violins together at a community concert. I was SO proud of her as I watched her play. She is such an amazing little girl. Tonight when I tucked her into bed, I told her how proud I was of her, and how much everybody loved watching her play. Her little eyes sparkled, and the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly as she tried not to show how extremely pleased she was at the compliment.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I have the greatest job ever. It's not bliss...life is not perfect. But there is indescribable joy that makes everything worth it!

Anything you can do, I can do

2009-04-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

This story began several years ago....almost 15 years ago to be exact. Brek and I were newly married and living in Canada. Brek's parents owned a lodge in Mountain View, Alberta, which we ran for them. It was a great summer job/extended honeymoon.

Every weekend or so, Brek's parents would come down to the lodge. It was fun to spend time with them and get to know them better. Aside from the great things I still love about them (their kindness, their unselfishness, their acceptance), I also learned this...

Janice does not like it when you throw food away. Even if you think it's no good....don't touch it!

One day, as we were getting ready to leave, Janice came out of the lodge demanding to know who had thrown out the muffins that had been in the freezer. The look on her face told me that she was not happy, and I immediately decided that confessing would not be in my best interest. In all actuality, Brek and I had both thrown the muffins out, deciding that they had a bad case of freezer burn. Oops!

Now for Kent. I learned that aside from his wife and kids, Kent's greatest love was a shiny hunk of metal, otherwise known as a motorcycle.

Kent's motorcycle, an FJ1100 (bullet bike) resided at the lodge. Sometimes Brek would take me for rides, wanting to show off his manliness. Actually, I think he just wanted me to ride behind him so I would wrap my arms around his waist. Very romantic, you know.

Secretly, I wished I could drive the motorcycle. I've never been much of a sit back and watch kind of gal. But secretly, I was a little afraid. However, this all changed one day. Kent had sent his bike to a nearby motorcycle friend for a tune-up. When they were finished, they brought it back. Or, should I say, his wife brought the bike back! As I saw that woman pull up on Kent's bike, I decided if she could ride it, then so could I!

That was my first mistake.

I told Brek I wanted to drive the motorbike, and he hesitantly agreed to teach me. We climbed on the bike, and he gave me the quick How to Drive a Motorbike lesson. Soon we were on our way. I was a bit shaky, but once we got onto the main road, I began to feel a little more confident.

That confidence, however, was short-lived. Soon we encountered road construction, and I panicked. I decided I'd better pull off the road until I could figure out exactly where to go. One thing I was completely unaware of was how much that darn motorcycle weighed!! As I pulled off the side of the road and stopped, the bike's weight set in, and the bike tipped over. I tried to stop it, but all I managed to do was twist the throttle. When the bike landed, the tire was spinning furiously, spitting rocks everywhere. Brek sprang to action, "throwing" me from the bike, and saving the day.

We quickly drove home (me on the back this time.) Once we were back at the lodge, we did a thorough examination of the bike. Everything looked A-OK, except for a small silver plate with the word YAMAHA written on it. It was quite scratched. Big deal, right? WRONG! As I said before, this was Kent's baby.

That weekend when Kent and Jan came down to visit, Brek and I talked about what to do. We decided that we would confess. Just as we were going to find Kent, we heard,

"BREKKKK!"

We both froze, recognizing his dad's angry voice. Brek went to face his dad, and found out it had nothing to do with the motorbike. However, we decided from that point on, that we would tell no one of our little adventure! I was not one to keep secrets, but I was also not ready to be disowned from the family after a mere two months of marriage!

Finally, two years later, when we learned Kent had sold his bike, we confessed. Kent laughed and laughed, amazed that little ol' me would even contemplate riding that big, heavy bike. He said he had blamed Brek's brother all these years.

Last week, Kent pulled up on a little scooter he had purchased in Utah for basically nothing. It's a little more than a powered bicycle, but not much. Great for saving on gas money. Anyway, Kent pulled up with a little grin, looked at me and said, "Why don't you take it for a spin!"

Ha-ha. Very funny Kent. I happen to be a pro at driving scooters....I think.

Simple Delight

2009-04-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Maddy came home from school, eyes aglow with excitement. She handed me a piece of paper.

It was a note from her teacher asking me if I would like to come into class on Monday and help make Easter baskets.

Maddy watched me as I read. When she saw I was finished, before I could say a word, she said, "Can you come mom?!" Then she paused. "Oh, wait....that's when Luke and Ben take naps. You probably can't come, huh."

I told her not to worry about their naps, and that I would love to come! A huge smile broke out across her face and her eyes twinkled. She was so excited!

Monday came, and Luke and I headed to the school. (Ben did indeed stay home to nap thanks to the help of my best ever neighbor Lisa.) We arrived at the classroom and I looked around for Madelyn. I soon spotter her....she was the one with a huge grin, waving at me.

The Easter baskets we made were milk cartons covered with cotton balls. Add ears, eyes, whiskers, and a nose and you have got your very own little bunny with a special hole for storing candy. I helped other kids in the class, but was mostly able to be with Madelyn. We worked together as a team. I put a dab of glue on the cotton ball and she stuck it to the milk carton. Several times she commented at how lucky she was to have her mom there, because she was going to get done twice as fast!

As we sat and worked together, Maddy said, "This is the best day of my life."

What a lucky mom I am to get to catch a glimpse of those every-day priceless moments. I am so glad I got to be a part of Madelyn's best day!

March Recap

2009-04-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of March Madness? Well, we here at the Pilling home had our own March madness.

Here is a recap of the highlights.

Scott, Josh, Syd, and Maddy played in festival and all did a great job. Each earned a superior, which is what they hoped for. Way to go kids! Some people say, "Oh, you have such talented kids." But I would have to give credit to all the very hard work in the early morning hours!

Scott finished his first year of Jr. High basketball. His team only had one loss, and won every other game by a substantial margin! They also came away with the championship. I ran home during halftime of their last game to grab my camera, determined to take some pictures. I took pictures galore, but don't ask me what happened to them!! Arghhh.

Both Syd and Josh had birthdays. Syd's birthday was previously documented, but I missed Josh's on account of spring break. Josh is the lucky kid whose birthday always falls during spring break. So for his birthday, we went skiing and partied with cousins all night long!

Josh turned 11. What an amazing kid Josh is. I love Josh's happy nature. He is always making people laugh. He is so kind-hearted.

Josh shared this story with me a few days ago. It exemplifies Josh. A kid at school was being teased at lunch because he wasn't "cool". One kid offered to pay Josh if he would make some rude comment about this kid's hair. Josh said no. The kid found somebody else who would carry out his little plan, and the rude comment was thrown in the "uncool" kid's face. Josh told everybody to knock it off, then told the "uncool" kid not to worry about it, because his hair was really cool and he (Josh) really liked it.

(Like Josh is a good judge of hair! Have you seen his hair lately?!) Anyway, he is always watching out for the down-trodden. It makes me proud of him. More proud of him than anything else he does.

He is one amazing basketball playing, piano playing, crazy skiing, love to read kid.

Here are a few pics of his parties (one in Utah and one at home).

Notice the red face and red eyes. Josh had goggles, but forgot to wear them half the day, and he paid the price! And remind me not to trust Josh next time he tells me he already sunblocked his face!

Birthday breakfast at home.

Josh pretty much picked out his own presents. He hit the jackpot at Plato's closet. You gotta love getting clothes for cheap!

Spring break was a much needed break! We went to Utah with several of Brek's siblings and their families. We went skiing twice and enjoyed some great spring skiing. The snow was average, but the weather was fantastic!! Beautiful and sunny. Nobody skiied with a coat on. The kids had a great time skiing with their cousins and aunts and uncles.

The trip also included such fun events as Jump on It and ice skating. And of course, what Utah trip would be complete without a little bit of shopping. On the list were IKEA, Plato's Closet (a favorite of my boys), and Sports Authority. One evening all the adults enjoyed a delicious dinner at Thaifoons...another fave.

Warning: Lots of pics coming up. Sorry...I can't help myself.

The kids loved playing outside in the beautiful weather!

Queen Kelly (as Kent called her) decided to enjoy one last moment in the sun before we all headed back to the cold. A lawn chair and diet coke in the driveway....doesn't get better then that, huh Kelly?

We brought a few girls with us to help watch the kids. Lacy, Kasiah, and Delta. We love these girls and would gladly adopt them into our families!

Lacy and Delta
Syd and Kasiah
Maddy rockin' out!
Madelyn brought along her art supplies and went around beautifying everything....giving it the Maddy touch.

My kids love to go ice skating, so when we are in Utah and get the chance, we go. They had a great time. Some of the pictures are blurry, but I had to add them anyway. Great memories!

This would be me informing the boys that they are the only ones enjoying their little game of sneaking up behind people and scaring them...generally resulting in someone falling to the ground.

We stayed at a house in Draper, not too far from my old home. It was quite nostalgic. We had a great view of the GORGEOUS Draper temple!

We came home refreshed and invigorated...in my dream world, anyway. A vacation with all the kids, their cousins, lots of ski stuff, and no sleep. What am I saying??! We came home completely EXHAUSTED!!

Add to all of this a couple more basketball tournaments and all the usual running around, and that makes for one crazy month!

Bless You

2009-03-31T19:45:00.001-07:00

Tonight Luke was sitting by me on the couch and sneezed. He turned his head away just in time. Although he didn't sneeze on me, I flinched because it was a close call. Luke turned to me and said:

"It's OK mom, I didn't bless you....I blessed the couch."

When someone sneezes we say "bless you". So apparently, Luke believes that every time he sneezes he is bestowing blessings.

Ben

2009-03-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

My little Ben is not so little anymore. He is sort of in that in between stage where they're not so much a baby anymore, but not quite a toddler yet, either. He is still my baby, but he is becoming so independent!

He refuses to let anyone feed him, and any attempt results in food being flung across the kitchen.

He runs around the house, getting into mischief in general, tearing things out of drawers, throwing things down the stairs, etc. He follows Luke around, "playing" with him. He reaches up on his tiptoes to try and open door knobs (oh please, not yet!)

Ben has mastered the fine art of communication....in his own way. I wouldn't expect you to understand him, as it's not exactly the traditional speaking of English. However, I understand him quite well. His squeals and gestures, accompanied by an occasional ma-ma, uh-oh, or da-da are perfectly understandable (that is if you're his mama). Although he is a man of few words (perhaps he's considering a career being a mime), he seems to have a good understanding of the English language, responding to whatever I say. You see, we understand each other perfectly!

(OK, OK, not exactly perfectly.)

He is quite adept at throwing tantrums whenever his requests are refused. Perhaps, instead of a mime, he is considering a career in acting, for you see, he is quite convincing in his tirades. When unhappy, he is able to turn on the tears like you wouldn't believe. High pitched screams and quivering lip convince us all that he is in dire need of help! However, the moment he is given what he wants, the tears and screaming immediately stop.

Hmmmm.

But yet, he is still my baby. The one with the cute little feet (I do love babies feet!) The one who snuggles up to me sucking his thumb. The one who loves to get in bed with me and snuggle and "pounce" on me (he thinks he is pretty funny).

He is my joy (one of them, anyway.)

I want mom!

2009-03-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

Lately, Luke has wanted nothing to do with anybody but me when it comes to bedtime. Last week, Brek asked Josh to take him up and get him ready for bed, which resulted in mayhem. Josh was trying to pull him up the stairs, but had to keep prying Luke's hands off the railing where he had a death grip.

Luke was screaming, "I want mom to put me to bed!"

If Brek puts him to bed, we deal with similar melt-downs.

One night, in order to escape while Brek put the kids to bed, I locked myself in my bathroom. (It isn't easy being so popular, you know.) Luke came banging on the door. I told him to let dad tuck him and I would come give him a kiss as soon as I could.

Finally, I felt it was safe to emerge without being bombarded. However, as I walked out of my bathroom, I found this.

Kicked back and relaxed....patiently waiting for mom, he had fallen asleep on my bedroom floor (jammies and pull-up laying nearby). I've got to hand it to him. He is one persistent little guy.

North to Alaska

2009-03-23T12:48:00.001-07:00

Last night Brek left for Anchorage, Alaska. We prepared ourselves here at home for 3 days without dad. At 11:00 this morning, there was a knock on the door. And there stood Brek.

Brek and my dad left last night and flew to Anchorage. Upon landing, they learned that a volcano had erupted about 60 miles away. The wind was picking up and ash was headed their direction. It looked as though all flights would be cancelled heading out of Anchorage. Brek and dad were due to catch a flight out of Anchorage to the north slope of Alaska (ah, the joys of being in the snow blower business), but that flight was going to be cancelled. They were also informed that it was likely the airport would be shut down for a week or more.

Brek and dad made a quick executive decision to get out of Anchorage if at all possible. Brek found a flight leaving almost immediately for SLC. Dad left his luggage, which hadn't even been unloaded yet, and they made a mad dash through the airport. They were the last ones on the plane.

Maybe it was divine intervention. Today is dad's birthday, and he did mention that he would sooner have his eyes pecked out by birds than spend 3 days in freezing cold Alaska (a bit drastic, don't you think?!) So, happy birthday dad! The two weary travellers are home.

Line Upon Line

2009-03-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today Brek and I spoke in church. I can't say that I love speaking in church. Actually, the part I dislike the most is the actual writing of the talk. But it is done, and I now have a greater resolve to make our family home evenings better.

The highlight of speaking in church was sitting on the stand. Because, you see, I got to sit and observe my children from afar, as opposed to sitting with them while struggling to keep them reverent. They were actually very well behaved, at least they appeared to be from where I sat. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them. It is an interesting thing to watch children's eyes. They are so observant, taking in all around them.

After Brek and I had finished speaking, I glanced down at the kids. Josh gave me a huge smile and a thumbs up. It was sweet to see the kids "cheering us on" so to speak.

After church, we migrated to dad's house to see our cousins. The weather was nice enough that the kids spent a lot of time outside playing. Once again, I enjoyed observing. And while doing so, I was privileged to see the evolution of the back flip....backwards.

Sydney, Madelyn, and Luke were all on the trampoline. As though they had planned it, they each performed their tricks one right after the other. Sydney began with a back flip, then hopped off the trampoline. Madelyn followed with a front flip (landing on her bum), then hopped off the trampoline. Only Luke remained, and the minute Madelyn jumped off, he proceeded to do a somersault.

Each had seen the sibling in front of them do a trick and then did their version of that trick. Back flip, front flip, somersault. Reversed, this would be the natural progression of steps a child takes in learning to do a back flip. Each skill mastered gives them confidence to move on to bigger and better feats.

Isn't life a bit like that? In the gospel, we learn line upon line, precept upon precept. We continually work to become better so we are moving towards that "back flip", instead of digressing back to somersaults.

(Good thing I'm not really talking about doing an actual back flip or I would be in big trouble. To this day I still can't do a back flip on the trampoline. In most things in life, I wouldn't consider myself a chicken. But, back flips on the trampoline brings out the chicken in me like you wouldn't believe!)

So, I guess I'll stick to strengthing my testimony, and leave the back flips to Syd.

Birthday Time Once Again

2009-03-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Syd the kid!

Do you know what I love about you? Well, everything!

I especially love your determination. You are not to be outdone by your older brothers. You work hard at everything you do and try to do the best you can. I believe you could accomplish anything you put your mind to.

I love your big hugs for me, and I love to laugh with you. I love the way you try hard to do what is right. You are one amazing, beautiful, violin playing, back flipping, fast-running, ballerina (to sum up a few of your talents!)

Love you my little 9 year old!

Going for the Gold

2009-03-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

As we were watching American Idol the other night, Madelyn looked up at me with stars in her eyes and asked, "Mom, does the person who wins get a great big huge trophy?!"

Because, you know, to a 7 year old, trophies are where it's at!

What A Week

2009-03-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

Where have I been for the past week? I'd say two words can just about sum it up. Sick Baby.

My poor little Ben has been absolutely miserable, coughing his brains out, slightly feverish, runny nose, exhausted....you know the drill.

Ben and his poor dad, who has also been sick, kept each other company from time to time.

Now, a week and a half later and two ear infections later he is once again the Ben we all know and love. He is back to his usual tricks, emptying any cupboard or drawer he can get his hands on, stomping up and down and crying whenever he feels the need to throw a tantrum, laughing, playing, snuggling.

I knew Ben was back to his usual self when he came running as soon as he heard me turn on the bathtub. For the past week, baths have been anything but pleasurable. He would just cry and cry when I put him in the bathtub, because you see, it would require me actually putting him down! But for a fish like Ben, crying over bath time is not the norm.

Oh, it is so good to have my happy Ben back!

Oh, by the way, on top of a sick baby, it was also project week around here. Both Scott and Josh had big projects due, and although they did most of the work themselves, when it came time for the final display, they needed a bit of help from mom and dad! I would have to say they turned out great.

Reverence Issues

2009-02-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, upon entering the chapel prior to Sacrament meeting, I was accosted by three of my children, all primary age.

"Mom! They asked Luke to give a prayer next week in primary!"

I was just finishing a conversation with a friend, so I did not pay much attention.

"OK," I responded distractedly.

"No, mom! They asked Luke to give a prayer in primary next week!"

"OK, that's great," I once again replied.

"No mom! They asked Luke to give a prayer in primary!!"

Finally, sensing their urgency, I turned to give them my full attention. They handed me this.

The looks on their faces told me they were worried, and when I assured them that it would be fine, they responded by informing me that he would have to give a prayer and be reverent while doing so.

Hmmm...now I could see the problem. Luke, the jokester, who can't seem to manage to sit quietly through any prayer, let alone give the prayer without making crazy noises, talking like a monster, or just laughing at himself.

Well, this ought to be interesting!

A Night Out

2009-02-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

Just as Brek and I were ready to walk out the door for a night out together, Ben woke up crying. He had a fever, and he was coughing like crazy. So much for the night out.

Instead, Brek took Syd. At first Syd wasn't too hot on the idea of a road trip, but soon changed her mind and had a great time with her dad. They went to Costco and to dinner. You can't beat that!

For dinner, they went to Johnny Carino's. My kids all think Johnny Carino's is the best. This is a little strange, considering the fact that, until tonight, only one of my kids had eaten there! I took Scott one day after a doctor's appointment, and he loved it. He has raved about it so much ever since that they have all decided they agree with him! So, tonight Syd got her first taste of Johnny Carino's, and I do believe she was not disappointed.

Syd came home tonight with a beautiful bouquet of flowers that her dad bought "just for her".

Althought we had a change of plans, it all worked out for the better. Syd was a princess tonight, escorted by her dad who loves her and thinks she is so special.

The best gift....a day off

2009-02-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

Brek and I spent a great weekend together.... away from life basically. We drove to Utah, shopped around, ate at one of our favorite restaurants (Thaifoons), stayed overnight, slept in, ate a yummy breakfast that we didn't have to fix or clean up, etc., etc., etc.

We returned home with a new violin for Madelyn, and a little something for Brek as well. If you want to know what it is, come on over and he will show you. But I must warn you. Be prepared for a "loud" experience. If you love music or appreciate good sound, then you will like Brek's demonstration. Especially if you like the surround sound sort of sound. (Have I given you enough clues?) After years (and I do mean years) of waiting and looking around, he decided to take the plunge and finally bought a home stereo system.

So, this is off the beaten path, but can I just say that it is annoying to walk into children's stores and find nothing but bikinis and two-piece swim suits. Come on people! OK, I didn't go into every children's store, but the few I did go in were sporting many, many colorful and darling, but skimpy bathing suits. Can't a girl find a cute, modest bathing suit for her daughter any more?

Sheesh.

We returned home and due to exhaustion decided to postpone Valentine's festivities with the kids until Sunday morning. OK, it wasn't really a we decision, since Brek has just about zero to do with the whole Valentine's day thing....unless it is for me, of course (I have trained him well.)

Anyway, Sunday morning, I made a breakfast of waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, and presented the kids with their gifts (a small something from me to my little Valentines).

It was a success. The kids loved it.

Chalk one up for mom.

I so sorry!!

2009-02-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

There is a sound in my home which is becoming a bit too common. It goes something like this.

Ben: WHAAAAAAA!
Luke: I sorry...I sorry....I sorry! It was a accident mom! I so sorry!

Accident? Hmmm, I don't know about that one Luke.

Yesterday Luke even went so far as to blame Ben's wailing on a belt. Not just any belt, but (according to Luke) a weapon belt. He told me this (in his most innocent little voice) as if to say....What could I do, mom? It was out of my hands.

Nice try, Luke.

Goodbye 6, Hello 7

2009-02-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday my little 7 year old!

7 things I love about Maddy:

1. I love Maddy's smile! It is contagious!
2. Madelyn is very creative.
3. Maddy is a very kind girl. She genuinely loves people.
4. Madelyn finds secret delights in many things. A little smile will creep across her face, then she will break into giggles. Very cute.
5. Madelyn loves to read, and she loves school. She thinks her teacher is just about the greatest person on the planet, and is constantly making pictures for her.
6. Maddy is one mean hula hooper!
7. Maddy loves life and everything about it. She loves the outdooors, she loves her family, she loves to learn.

And we love her! She is an amazing person and a bright spot in our home.

Here is a recap of the parties (yes, as in more than one party!) in pictures.

Muscle Boy

2009-02-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

It is 9 pm. Past bedtime.

Luke: I need to do my push-ups before I go to bed, mom.
Me: No Luke, it is too late. You can do push-ups tomorrow.

Luke: Pleeeaaase mom! I will do them very clickly (quickly)!!
Me: (how could I refuse such a plea) OK, very quickly.

Luke drops to the ground to do his push-ups. (I am not sure why he felt the need to do push-ups. For the record, this is not a normal part of our nightly routine.)

Luke's "push-ups" are not exactly the typical push-up. He lays flat on the floor, then lifts his behind into the air over and over. He huffs and puffs as though he were really working hard, then sighs in relief when he finishes.

I'm not sure he's doing much strength training, but it makes for good entertainment!

Calgon, Take Me Away

2009-02-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

Do you ever want to quit? Just throw in the towel and walk away?

Well, I do.

What do I want to quit? Well....life, basically.

I get so tired of ALL the fighting and arguing. And then I just get so tired of being so tired! And I just don't know how to cope, and I think my brain isn't working, because why can't I think of some good way to get them to STOP. I just look at them and the chaos surrounding me, and just want to throw my hands in the air and walk away.

My house is falling apart around me, the laundry is ALWAYS there, and I just want to go crawl in my bed and hide!

But, I won't.

Because I'm not a quitter. And I know life isn't supposed to be easy. AND I know that in the end, the struggle is worth it. AND I know that I am not alone.

Besides, after the guilt trip I laid on my kids this morning, I'm pretty sure they feel very sorry for their poor mother and they will be little angels tonight....right?

A gal can always dream, you know!

Little Miracles

2009-02-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

I believe that in my day to day life, there are miracles that take place.

Nothing big or elaborate.

Just those little things that sometimes go unnoticed, or perhaps are written up as a lucky coincidence.

But to me they are little miracles....answers to my prayers.

Let me give you an example. For the past two weeks, we have been sick. You know the drill. It goes from one child to the next, often times hitting the parents as well. The only person who has remained completely unscathed is Madelyn. But everyone else has been sick, some more sick than others. So, again, let me say that for the past two weeks, every day has been filled with some sort of sickness....with the exception of two days.

Now I will jump to another part of the story. For the past two weeks, my friend Lana has been in Utah. A five day trip to Primary Chidren's has now turned into two and a half weeks and counting. We (her friends) have been trying to help with her kids. Everyone has been so great to pitch in and help. I wanted to help more than I could because of the sick kiddos, but someone else was always willing to pitch in and take over.

HOW-EV-ER, there were two specific days when I was needed to watch the kids. Everyone else had helped so much, some had to work....you know. I really wanted to help out, and what's more, they really needed my help. I prayed that my kids would not be sick so I could help, and guess what? For two random days throughout those two weeks....no sick kids.

A little miracle.

One of those days in particular was quite amazing to me. The day prior to watching Lana's kids, my two youngest both had fevers. The day I watched her kids, they were both fever-free, and seemed to be cured. The day after I watched her kids, they were both sick again....for two more days.

Lucky coincidence? I think not.

Miracle? I should think so!

How grateful I am for a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers prayers.

Ode to Ben

2009-01-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

You know what I LOVE?

When Ben snuggles up to me, then starts patting my back. It is the sweetest thing!

You know what else I love? When I make a smoothie and Ben runs to the drawer full of cups, and pulls out one of his very own sippy cups. He then stands at my feet, cup in the air, waiting for his cup to be filled.

I love it when I come walking into the house and Ben comes running as soon as he hears my voice, huge grin on his face, reaching his hands up towards me!

Or when he walks up to me, smacks my leg, squawks at me, then emphatically raises his hands up high as if to say, "I want you to pick me up....right NOW!"

I love the way Ben laughs. I love to see his funny little sense of humor. I love the way he tries to tackle me and smother me with kisses when I am sitting on the ground....even if I am trying to read scriptures to the other kids.

Then there's bedtime.

Usually Ben goes in the crib and then I tuck Luke. Ben watches as I give Luke hugs and kisses, then stands up and starts making popping sounds with his lips....his way of asking for goodnight kisses. I kiss him goodnight and he squeals and laughs. I love it!

But you know what I love most of all???

None other than the little guy himself.
LOVE HIM!

Let the creativity juices flow

2009-01-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

Maddy had a great Christmas. So great, in fact, that she wrote Santa a letter to tell him thank you for the best Christmas ever! I already mentioned the hula hoops....a huge hit! However, she also got a great big supply of art "stuff". (I'm not sure why the big guy is getting all the praise. After all, she did get the art stuff from ME.) J/K I am a big Santa fan, you know!

Anyway, she LOVES her art supplies. Almost daily, Maddy pulls the supplies out (much to her daddy's dismay). You see.... art supplies = big mess!

Her art "stuff" consists of paper, markers, stencils, stickers, feathers, glittery stuff, pipe cleaners, etc. All the kids join in on the fun.

A couple nights ago, the art supplies came out and the kids began creating. On this particular night, they were all interested in the pipe cleaners. Are you wondering what in the world a pipe cleaner is? Well, it's a fuzzy sort of wire stick that you can bend into shapes. And it is altogether possible that they aren't actually called pipe cleaners. I'm not exactly a craft expert, you know!

They look something like this.

And this is what Josh made with his.... a personalized necklace made completely out of fuzzy wire sticks. It was an early birthday present for Maddy.

Maddy was so thrilled with her gift that she decided to make something for Josh in return. Don't ask me what it is, because I have no idea! But, she was quite proud of it.

Ahhhh, those sweet moments when they are nice to each other does my soul good. We have our fair share of taunting on the one end (Josh) and whining on the other end (Maddy), but who wants to blog about THAT?

They really are great kids!

Lukeisms

2009-01-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday after Josh's basketball game we were running out to the car. It had been raining and was wet and soggy everywhere.

Luke's grandpa was helping him out to the car. Luke turned around and called out, "Watch out for the muddle puddles, Grandpa!"

Then last night, we went to our friends' house for a birthday party. There were lots of kids running around playing. We gathered them all together when it was time to eat. I told Luke to sit on my lap and be quiet so we could have a prayer and bless the food.

He looked at me, bowed his head, and said, "Hea-nly Fadder...I'm not hungry."

And off he went.

Say Cheese

2009-01-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

One day, Luke and I stopped at one of those photo booths in the mall....you know, the ones where you pay a couple bucks and they take four shots of you.

Well, apparently Luke thought it was fun, because the next time we were in the mall, he wanted to stop again. But I wasn't too hot on the idea of spending a couple bucks every time we walked by the photo booth, so we moved on.

Who needs to pay for photos when you can take them for free yourself?! At home, we created our own photo booth, which consisted of me holding the camera at an arm's length while snapping pictures of us making silly faces. We had fun taking pictures and then laughing at them. Even Ben wanted to get in on the action.

You gotta love digital cameras!

Will we miss it?

2009-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

The other day, amidst the chaos in our home, Brek looked at me and said, "So, do you think we will miss it someday?" (referring to the chaos)

I thought for a moment, then replied, "Yes."

The house will be cleaner, the laundry will be significantly less, the noise level will be drastically reduced....but we will miss it.

Because we will miss them.

Along with the chaos comes so much joy. Families are the best!

A Mighty Fortress

2009-01-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

Luke is going through a phase.

A phase which I hope he grows out of soon.

I will call it the fort building phase. In case you don't have kids, or maybe you don't have fort building kids, allow me to explain.

Building forts (in my house) includes pulling all the pillows off the couches (as in more than one couch!) and stacking them in random ways. Usually it also entails running from room to room to gather more pillows.

Luke is still a beginner builder, and his forts usually end up looking something like this.

This a fort built Lukey-style. Or in other words, it is a great big pile of pillows. Usually the creation looks a bit more.... well.... fort-like, when the older kids join in the fun. And on the grand scale of fort-building, this fort is actually quite small, having used pillows from only two rooms.

My response to the forts usually goes something like this.

Day one: I think to myself, "I am glad they are having so much fun. They are being so creative! I'll just let them play and have fun, and we'll pick up the pillows later. Because really, pillows....no big deal!"

Day two: I think to myself, "Wow, forts again? They sure are having fun building forts. Do they really have to use all these pillows, though?"

Day three: I think to myself, "Oh man, forts again?! Didn't I just pick up those pillows?"

Day four: I say right out loud, "Luke! Not again! I just picked up all those pillows. No more forts!"

And so it goes. Hopefully I will have a brief reprieve from the land of forts.

The best Christmas present EVER!

2009-01-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, kids often ask for that one and only thing they have been wishing for. Perhaps an American Girl doll. Maybe a new bike. Maybe a RipStik. This year Madelyn asked Santa for that one thing her heart had been yearning for....a hula hoop. More than anything else, she wanted a hula hoop!

On Christmas morning her joy was complete when she found not one, but TWO sparkly hula hoops awaiting her.

Shortly thereafter, the hip swinging began. Soon Maddy was able to walk across the entire length of the basement....while swinging the hula. She could even go up and over obstacles. Impressive, I tell you!

The other kids have joined in the fun. Syd and Josh are both quite proficient at the hula hoop. The kids have started branching out, trying things such as the neck hula (swinging the hula hoop around their neck), and the double hula (swinging two hula hoops at the same time).

Today Madelyn had show and tell, and she wanted so badly to show her hula hoops. Problem was, they wouldn't fit in her backpack. But, being the fantastic mom that I am, I agreed to bring them to her at the agreed upon time.

The time was 2:45. I arrived outside of Madelyn's classroom just in time. As soon as she spotted me, a huge grin spread from ear to ear. That grin did not leave her face throughout the entire show and tell.

When it was Maddy's turn to show her treasure, she walked to the front of the class, ducked her head, and quietly told the class about the new hula hoops. My crazy and very talkative little Maddy....shy in front of her class.

After her brief explanation, the class was allowed a few questions. Maddy beamed as she got to call on her classmates. She answered each of their questions with a very happy "Uh-huh."

After the questions, her teacher asked if she would care to demonstrate. I was surprised to see her shake off the shyness and begin doing the hula for her class. They ooohhhed and aaahhhed. She beamed!

I am so glad I was there to witness the showing of the hula hoops. It was one of those moments you treasure as a mom. The kind that make you also smile from ear to ear!

Tonight I came home from mutual to find Sydney and Maddy casually swinging hula hoops, with the timer set for one hour! They could have done it, too....if only they didn't get bored.

Just Smile

2009-01-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Often times, I go about my day doing the normal day to day things, unaware of the suffering that is going on around me. I am absorbed in the life of my little family, taking care of their needs, hoping for their safety and well-being.

But then there are those who are just hoping to make it through another day. For one reason or another, their days are filled with heartache, worry, pain, and sorrow....to name a few.

Today I have practiced with my kids, cleaned the kitchen (several times), done laundry, exercised, fixed meals, ran errands. You know, a typical day. Meanwhile, my friend Lana was shaving off what little hair her daughter Emma had left. One more reminder that her daughter has a life-threatening illness. So much for the ordinary, cancer-free life that was hers a few months ago.

I sometimes finish out my day feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. But I am sure Lana would take my exhaustion and stresses ANY day. On top of the normal worries that come with raising a family, Lana (and Jeff) are dealing with leukemia and all that comes with it....and there is a lot that comes with it. It is one bumpy road.

It makes me feel like I should focus more on the positive each day. My troubles are nothing compared to Lana's. I need to be more grateful for all the good around me, not take it for granted. You never know how quickly things can change.

Tonight I stopped by Lana's to drop off Ty who had been playing with Luke. My kids stayed in the car, and as we drove away, Maddy asked, "Who was that in the pink clothes?"

I told her it was Emma.

"But she didn't have any hair," was Maddy's reply. She wasn't bothered by the fact that Emma had no hair. She was just confused.

I explained that Emma had a very bad sickness and the medicine she needed to help her get better made her hair fall out. I then said, "But didn't she look great!"

They all agreed!

I then told them....

"Emma is beautiful, and you know why? Because she always has a beautiful smile on her face, and people who smile are beautiful."

How true it is. Emma is truly beautiful and makes me feel happy when I am around her. Thank you Emma for sharing your beautiful smile with me all the time!

Random Thoughts

2009-01-11T19:47:00.001-08:00

I am feeling so not creative.

Nevertheless, there are a few thoughts running around in my head. And I must jot them down.

I love my calling! Seriously. I am the laurel advisor, and it is one of the best callings. It's not always easy breezy...I mean I do teach every Sunday. But other than that, I get to be around and have fun with the youth. And let me tell you, they are amazing! I am so proud of them and all the good they are doing. Yesterday, Brek and I went with the youth to the temple. What a great day!

OK, here's a random question?

Why do you suppose babies feel compelled to throw things? When Ben is done eating, he squawks at me (his way of asking me to get him down). However, if I don't respond quickly, like within 10 seconds, he just starts picking up any remaining food and tossing it. Now really, what possible good can come from that?!

And then yesterday, out of the blue, he threw a phone right at my face (from close range I might add!) I seriously thought he gave me a fat lip. He laughed...ha-ha...what a fun game!

That leads me to my last question....

How can you be mad at a giggling baby???

Seriously.

They are just too loveable!

Hair Troubles

2009-01-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

THIS is the one thing I don't like about gymnastics!

Every time Syd has a gymnastics performance we have to put her hair in spiderwebs. I am what you might call "hair challenged." I can handle the basics....straight hair, pony tail, pig tails. But anything beyond that is a major stretch! Last year it was french braids for clogging, and this year it's spider webs. Talk about stepping out of my comfort zone!

However, once it's done, she does look very cute. AND she is very fun to watch. She is quite the little gymnast!