Trying to read to Noah

Taylor is such a great big sister and she often asks if she can read books to Noah. His attention span is so short that this isn't always an easy thing to do. But, he loves dinosaurs so Taylor thought he would enjoy this new book. He paid attention to most of it, but didn't get through the whole thing. Taylor is now in school again and we all miss her so much! She seems to really like 2nd grade so far and she has a really great teacher. I just miss having her around the house. Ellie had her kindergarten assesment today and she did a great job. She is very bright and her teacher was impressd with all that she could do. Joslyn will start preschool after Labor day, and then it will just be me and the boys. Actually Joslyn will only be gone twice a week and Ellie has half day school so we will be busy. I also will be helping their classrooms. Taylor has soccer this month and all of the girls have dance twice a week. Whew, I am tired already. The kids bring so much joy and I love seeing them grow up and learn new things. Noah is talking non-stop and cracks me up all day long. And I think Andrew might finally choose walking over crawling soon. Justin and I had great birthdays and we will have our family party next weekend. I think that about sums up all we are doing. Love to all.

Another crazy Sunday

Sorry it has taken so long to post something new. We have been busy enjoying summer and visiting family. I really can't believe that school starts in a couple of weeks. Taylor and Ellie are actually really excited for it. I am a little sad, I miss the kids when they are gone. Anyway we just got back from another trip to Nevada. Justin's parents celebrated their 40Th wedding anniversary. Justin's sister put together a really fun party. We also went to the Lake and just had a great time spending time together. I am still trying to catch up on all the laundry, but we are so glad we went. Nothing else really new, I am doing okay on my weight loss, but I haven't seen how much weight I gained in Fallon..... I am afraid to look, we ate REALLY well. These pics are from a few Sundays ago. I used to struggle with Sundays before. It is supposed to be a day of rest, but I felt like I was working harder than ever. Getting the kids all ready for church, going to church, fixing a big dinner... Now I have learned to relax and enjoy the time my family gets to spend together. Church is still a little stressful, its hard keeping 5 little kids quiet for any amount of time, but its getting better. I do love seeing my kids all dressed up, even if it only lasts for a minute. Oh and Ellie begs me to wear her Christmas dress every week. This time I gave in.

Princess Noah

Really what can you expect? The poor boy has three older sisters. And believe me, he is usually all boy, so I don't have any problem with him exploring his feminine side. Since Matt moved out, his room has become our playroom. This is what it was actually built for anyway. So I have been able to get out all the dress ups and the kids have been having a great time down there. Noah loves to wear the princess dresses, just as much as the girls do. I told him that dresses were for girls, and he didn't care. He does make a pretty cute princess though, doesn't he??

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor's super mario party

I may have mentioned this before, but my kids are really into Super Mario Bros. One of the kids favorite things to do is play with Justin. So when I asked Taylor what kind of party she wanted this year I wasn't what she picked. We started the party by setting up 3 TVs to play different Super Mario games. We had it on the Wii, the DS, even an original Nintendo with the first SMB. It was a lot of fun. The girls played while I put the finishing touches on the gourmet lunch I had prepared. NACHOS! Taylor picked this and it was a hit with all but one friend who had had an unfortunate Nacho experience in her past. Next we went outside for a pinata. I don't have any pics of that because Justin was at the doctor's office with Ellie and I couldn't do the pinata and take pics at the same time. But believe me the girls got plenty of candy. It took a while to crack the thing, but once they did, the candy was flying! Next we opened presents and Taylor got some really cute things. Her friends are so nice! Then, more food of course! Cake and ice cream!! I admit, I didn't make a cake this time, but guess what, the kids didn't care. Overall, it was a lot of fun!! Enjoy the pics...

Weight

So, I know this is kind of dumb to blog about, but I am kind of desperate. I am tired of carrying around this extra weight. I need to loose around 20 lbs to get back to my pre-baby weight. I have always lost it by now with each baby, but for some reason (I'm 32) it is harder this time. I actually lost most of it last year, but decided to eat a lot and now have it to loose again. I am sharing this on my blog so I will be accountable for it. I hope to post how I am doing every week. I am not going to do anything drastic, just get back to the gym and eat better. So thanks for listening and I hope that lighter times are ahead!

Fireworks!

We had a great 4Th of July thanks to our awesome family and neighbors. Rebekah and Alex planned a BBQ at our house with the family, everybody brought some yummy food and I grilled up some mean hamburgers and hot dogs. Yes, I am the one that BBQs at our house. I actually really enjoy it. Mom and Dad brought stuff do make homemade ice cream and it was so so so so good. If you have noticed that I look a little plumper lately it is because of the ice cream! They left some at the house and I have been eating it EVERY DAY! Anyway, after dinner and a rain storm, our friends invited us over to share their fireworks. For some reason I was too cheap to buy them this year. It seems like they were more expensive or something. I am so glad the Whatcott's shared with us because the kids loved them! We are so lucky to be surrounded by fabulous friends and family. What a great night!!