Park Day

Have I mentioned how much I am loving having Nic home?! Well, I am! The kids are loving it as well! Yesterday was a super nice day, so after nap time, Nic and I took the kids to Ox Bow Park. We also took Hayden to pick out her bedding for her room in hopes to get her excited to sleep in her room. We haven't set it up yet though because we are waiting for the mattress. She seemed excited but we will see. I told my mom it was hard for me because I saw so many beautiful bedspreads and I knew I had to let her pick it out. Of course it took a LONG time and a lot of "Really? You like that?" in my head. But, she ended up choosing one with lots of colors in it and I know it made her happy...and it was one of the cheaper ones so that was a huge plus! :)

 Right after Hayden flew off the tire swing

 And then she pukes:)

Little bit of everything...

I honestly can say that I absolutely love my husband home with me and the kids. Last Friday he had his man surgery and because of his line of work, he was forced to take the whole week off...darn! He rested all weekend and today felt almost all the way back to normal. The kids are loving every second of him being at home. As he was leaving for BSF tonight, the kids had asked him if he was coming back right away...they love him. 

As for me...I am keep planning all these things in my head that we can do since he is home....like cleaning out the garage, painting the boys' room, hanging shelves in Hayden's room, going to the apple orchard, carving pumpkins...you know...small things like that:) Maybe he will read this and get the hint!  Probably not. 

On another note- Easton has his first cold. It isn't too bad...mostly just stuffy during the night, which means absolutely no sleep for either of us. But I do get to cuddle with him a lot which is AWESOME! I am not really sure if it is worth calling the doctor over, though. There isn't much we can do is there? We have been doing the infant saline drops and the infant Vicks and positioning him upright. Doesn't seem to be doing much though. He is still a happy baby though!

Hayden and Colton have been entertaining themselves quite well since Nic's surgery, which has been nice for me! As for the poor house...that's a different story. 

Last week I finally started planning out meals. I always tell myself I am going to do that and bla bla bla...but then never follow through. I know almost every mom I know does this, but I am not much of a cook and I never have the exact ingredients to complete a whole meal. So I sat down with all my recipes and went through and chose about 12 meals that looked good and knew that the kids would eat. A lot of the meals make way more than what us four need to eat, so I knew I could freeze the left overs and eat later. I then wrote down ALL ingredients on a piece of paper. If I needed more than one of something, I wrote a tally mark next to that ingredient. When I was done with that, I went through my cupboards and fridge to see what I already had (that way I didn't need to buy what I didn't need). That next day I went to the grocery store (all by myself...and Easton) and gathered only the ingredients on my list. I had planned to do a bake and freeze day last Thursday...but decided not to. One step at a time, my friends. 

Fall is Here

Is it just me or is time flying by WAY TOO FAST??? Let's see...since last time I blogged, we have gone to the park a couple of times...

Hayden went to the dentist (unfortunately, I don't have a picture of this).
We went to the Pumpkin place (I forget what it is called). The kids love it every year...and so do Nic and I!

I love this pic!

We got to go to Bri's birthday party at the hotel so the kiddos could swim...

Here are some of my favorites from the past couple of weeks...

Fall is my favorite time of the year. The smells, the colors, the weather...everything about it makes me smile:)

Words...

Dear Hayden, Colton, Easton,

Someday I hope that when you read this, you will find it encouraging. As your mother, I always want to protect you....from everything. I never want you to be hurting...EVER. But as you get older, I realize that sometimes the only way for you to grow as a person is to let you hurt. Sometimes you have to learn on your own, as much as I hurt for you. As your mother, I want you to be the best that you can be. You will make mistakes, but I want you to learn from them. They will make you stronger. As much as I want to be there for you for your every fall, I know you have to get up on your own or you will never learn. That is a hard realization for me. It takes every fiber of my being to hand you over daily to God. It makes me physically ill to think of the "what if's". I want you to know that I love you...love you so much that it hurts.  I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I hope you can always come to me with anything...without hesitation.
There are some things that I want you to know...and to always remember...

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

Love Jesus.
Encourage your siblings...share in their joy.
Always tell the truth.
Obey your parents.
Use kind words.
Have fun.
Sing silly.
Dance crazy.
Be a giver.
Share everything...except bad ideas.
Say what you're sorry for.
Forgiveness is mandatory.
Hands are for hugging not hitting.
No fussing.
No whining.
No bad attitudes.
Never stay angry.
Be considerate.
Be respectful.
Be grateful.
Don't be afraid to try.
Be bold.
Stand up for what you believe.
Love your family.
Don't lose the wonder in things.
Your family matters.
Get enough sleep at night.
Do not compare.
Trying isn't failing.
The joy is found in the little things.
Joy and happiness are different.
Happiness is temporary, joy remains.
Start the day in prayer.
Think before you speak.
Take time to sit.
Read.
Look people in the eye.
Say "thank you" and mean it.
Help others.
Hold the door for people.
Smile.
Don't stress about laundry.
Remember to be thankful.
Share with others what you love about them.
Donate old clothes.
Be compassionate.
Play games.
Take walks.
Sit still.
Watch the sunrise and sunset.
Don't keep a past record of wrongs.
Don't fret the spills.
Be humble.
Respect elders.
Know how to say no.
Manage your time wisely. 

I love you more than life itself. 

Love,

Mommy