Our 7 Year Old

Today was Alexa's 7th birthday. Wow. Seven years ago today, Alexa was born and absolutely changed our lives. I remember getting ready to leave the hospital and thinking, "You mean they just help us to our car and let us leave with her?? Then what?" We lived just down the street from the hospital in Provo... it took us about a minute to drive home. We brought her in the house in her carseat, set her down and just stared at her. Over the next two and a half years, Alexa was my little shadow. It was so much fun seeing her reach each new milestone and spending time with just her. It's an experience you only get to have with a first child and I cherish that. Your life truly gets turned upside down by a baby, doesn't it? It's not always easy, but the good times always outweigh the bad. Alexa is amazing. She is determined, independent, brilliant, and loving. She is always willing to help with the younger kids when I ask her to. I love watching her read books to her younger sisters. The three of them will sit on her bed , one on either side of her, and she will read book after book to them. She is a great big sister and we are so blessed to have her in our home.
Alexa has been celebrating her birthday for a few days. Sunday we had dinner at Aunt Michelle's with cake, ice cream and pie for dessert. On Monday we had dinner with friends, the West's, and celebrated again with dessert, candles, and more singing.
Today, on the actual day, we took doughnuts to school for her treat. We opened presents after school. This is a new Webkinz from Aunt Andrea. I think she named it Fluffy because it was so soft....

And this dog, which she named Daisy, was the hit of the day. I dread the thought of having a puppy and Alexa has been begging. She even checks out books at school on how to care for dogs so she will know how someday. Ugh. So, enter Daisy. She makes noises, lifts her head, looks around, opens and closes her eyes. Great. Problem solved. We can move on with our lives.
This is the girls with our friends, Natalie, Meagan and Shane, who came to drop off a gift for Alexa and joined in our festivities.

Alexa told me it was a great day. She was happy with her gifts, happy with her day at school, and the weather was beautiful today, so we spent the evening outside playing.
7 years old... how did that happen?! I think I may be getting old....

Oh, Leah...

This is what happens when your two year old takes it upon herself to get a box of Kleenex out of the linen closet to wipe her runny nose. She, of course, hid under her blankets when Callie came to tell me and promised that she did NOT make this mess. What am I going to do with her?? Serves me right for trying to raise self reliant children... and for buying extra large boxes of Kleenex.

Nine Months

I can hardly believe it's been nine months since Quinten was born. I know I always say this, but time passes so quickly!! It goes by much faster than I expect it to. I can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe a little of both, I guess. Quinten had his check-up last week: 17lbs. 8oz. Still only in the 8th % for his weight, but he's big compared to what the girls were! And, shock of all shocks- the kids somehow managed to make into the 53rd % for his height. I'm sure it won't last, but it was fun to see that he is normal in some respect for size. :)
Quinten is an absolute joy to be around. He is almost always happy and smiling. He rarely complains about anything, even with three older sisters who are constantly in his face. He just smiles at them and pulls their hair if they get too close. They love to make him laugh and it's so easy to do! He has the happiest disposition. About a month ago, he finally decided to sit up on his own. His problem is that he'd rather be standing, so when you put him in sitting position, he arches his back and crashes to the floor. He still does it now, even though he is completely capable of sitting. He rolls like a maniac to get to where he wants to go; still not crawling, and I'm OK with that. I'm happy to let him take his time and figure it out on his own. We are still waiting for teeth to come in; I guess he will take after Leah and Callie, who didn't get teeth till they were a year old. Quinten has recently decided that baby food gags him, so we got rid of all of it and are only working at table foods. It makes it a little more difficult to find things he can eat, but I'm happy to be done with one more baby stage. In the last two weeks, Quinten has finally decided to sleep through the night. IT'S ABOUT TIME. The funny thing is that I've spent so many years of my life waking up because of uncomfortable pregnancies, newborns, sick kids, etc. that I still wake up at least twice every night to listen and make sure everyone is OK. My body just seems to do it without my mind's permission... or maybe it's the other way around. What would you guess that will never go away??
Quinten is truly a blessing to have in our home. We are so grateful for him! He is just the cutest and the best.

We moved Quinten into a big carseat in January. I was so tired of lugging his infant carrier around. He loves sitting up and especially loves looking at his big sisters in the back seat.

Quinten got a Valentine from his cousin, Quinn. He laughed and smiled when we gave it to him...

Then he promptly ate it.

Quinten loves balls. If he can see anyone throwing a ball, he laughs hysterically. It's so much fun entertaining him because he is so easily entertained!

Isn't he just the cutest??

For those who are curious...

So, I've had enough people ask me about Sharing Time that I thought I'd let you know how it went. Senior Primary was good- very easy, time ran out way too fast. Junior Primary... well, it's going to take some getting used to. Those little kids just have the attention spans the size of birds. It's going to take some time to figure out how to water everything down for them to understand. Anyone with suggestions, I'm all ears!

Another Birthday...

Yesterday was Andrew's 31st birthday. It's amazing how quickly another year passes, huh? One year older... and possibly wiser too. :) We are so grateful for Andrew at our house. We thought we'd fill you in on why he is the best:

* "He practices soccer with me." -Alexa
* "Because he does so much for us." -Callie
* "I love you, Dad." -Leah
* Because he makes me laugh and smile a lot. -Quinten
* He tells me I'm beautiful and I know he means it. -Cori
* "He takes me on bike rides." -Alexa
* "That we get to see him and eat dinner with him." -Callie
* "I like Daddy to play outside with me." -Leah
*Because he holds me all through church. -Quinten
* He lets me go home whenever I want, for as long as I want... even if I know he doesn't really want me to. -Cori
* He'd rather spend time with me than do anything else. -Cori

We love you so much! Thanks for being the best Dad and husband we could ask for! Happy Birthday!!

Struggling

Here it is, nearly midnight, and I'm just finishing my preparations for Sharing Time tomorrow. I've been playing with ideas all week as to what I really wanted to do... I've made several phone calls to my sisters to get their ideas as well. And this is my conclusion: I'm struggling. Sure, I've got it all prepared, both Junior and Senior Primary; I have a plan of action for both. So, what's my problem?? I can talk in front of anyone. I can teach the youth in a heartbeat. I can prepare a Relief Society lesson in fifteen minutes with no problem. I am with kids all day, for crying out loud- this should be a piece of cake. It's taken nearly twenty minutes of me sitting here at the computer to figure out what my real problem seems to be... and here it is: I'm afraid I won't get through to them. When I'm teaching a class or giving a talk, I can almost guarantee that someone is listening and will be affected by what I have to say. These kids are a different story. I've been in Primary enough over the years to know how many of them actually pay attention to Sharing Time. I so desperately want them to know that what I am talking about is so important. And I'm terrified that I will fail. I pray for those little ones in our ward every day. It's amazing how much love you can feel for children you hardly know. I suppose it goes with the calling. I know it's too soon to know them all, but I hope over time I will know them and they will know me. I hope they will see me and smile because they know that I love them and that I want what's best for them. Maybe once they know me, they will be more inclined to listen to me... if I'm lucky. Until then, I'll have to pray that at least one of them is listening to me and feels that still small voice inside telling them that what I am teaching is true. And even if I only get one, it will still be worth it.

Memories

My Grandmother passed away this morning. It has been a long time coming... and in typical Grandma fashion, she stubbornly lasted longer than anyone expected. The last week has been hard: she stopped eating and drinking around Tuesday and didn't wake up after that, so we've been waiting for her to go. My Mom says she went fast: they checked on her in the morning, then went to shower and get ready for the day. When they came back, she was gone. She has been living with my parents for the last thirteen years, and has need 24 hour care for three of those. My parents are saints- truly amazing in every way. They changed their lifestyle to accommodate my Grandma because she did not want to go to a nursing home. A lot of children would not be so thoughtful... my parents are the best.

Over the last several weeks, I've had the knowledge that it was almost my Grandma's time to go. I've wondered if I'd miss her or be sad when it finally happened. I'll be honest with you, mostly I feel relief- relief for my parents who have watched her slowly slip away and relief for her because I know she is so much happier where she is now. Sometime when my house falls quiet, when my kids are safely tucked into their beds, I may have a few tears for my Grandma; not because I'm sad, but because I loved who she was and I have such great memories of her. I've been spending a lot of time reviewing my time with her and I thought my siblings would appreciate some of my favorites that I am going to post here. If you didn't know my Grandma and you continue reading this post anyway, know that she was wonderful and I will miss who she once was: not the thin, declining woman that we've known for the past few years, but the round, happy person of many years ago. How grateful I am for the knowledge of eternal families! What a blessing to know that I will see her once again someday.

*I loved eating lunch at her house: tunafish or egg salad sandwiches cut into thirds- halfway down the middle, then to the corners... I still cut my kids' sandwiches like this today.
* Frozen candybars that were always stocked in her big freezer and cans of soda that were constantly replenished in her fridge. I'm positive it's where my addiction started.
* Sleeping on her couch after seminary my Junior and Senior years before my classes at the High School or college started. She gave me my own key so I could let myself into her house whenever I wanted- Elizabeth will remember this well. :)
* Watching Days of Our Lives with her, also during my High School years... I was hooked for awhile.
* Choosing a birthday dessert for her to make: cherry cheesecake, that yummy lemon or orange angel food cake, filled cupcakes for school... she was the best. Oh, and those yummy soft mints- does anyone have that recipe?
* Washing dishes that didn't really need to be washed. She'd fill the sink and put clean dishes in for me. She'd hold my sleeves up with rubber bands so they didn't get wet and set up a stool for me to stand on. I'm convinced that I like doing dishes because it's my thinking time. It was always quiet when I did it at her house and I remember loving that time alone.
* Trips to McDonalds before I was in school with her and my mom. I still remember the first time they were spelling something so I didn't know what it was and I blurted it out: we were sitting in her driveway dropping her off after lunch and she and my mom were talking about Christmas presents. They never spelled around me again.
* Cinnamon sugar toast broiled in the oven for breakfast.
* She and my Grandpa gave me my first set of scriptures when I turned 8. They are so marked up and loved. I still pull them out sometimes just to read silly insights of a young child... some are not so silly and bring back thoughts and ideas of long ago. I used them all through seminary and into the first years of college.
* Drinking soda out of one of many mugs from her collection with a bendy straw. Do you guys remember the robber handle with the bag of money in the bottom? Yeah, I have that... and the sheriff mug that goes with it. Jealous?
* Her duck collection. You haven't seen anything like it. Mom, have you sold them on ebay yet? There HAS to be some duck-crazed person out there who would die and go to heaven.
*Jello cubes. Enough said.
* All the little cups and containers that kept everything organized: her jewelry, office supplies, bathroom stuff, EVERYTHING. I thought they were so cool as a little kid; now I realize they were nothing but a menace to clean up after she could no longer get out of bed to use them.
* Her Texaco mug that was always full of ice and water no matter what time of day or if she was home or not. How did she do it?? :)
* She used to walk us to the corner and watch us head to school in the mornings when Mom was in school. Remember that morning she was walking with us and had Pepper (their dog) and she had to carry him home because he was too fat to walk any farther? Oh, that still makes me laugh.
*Candy dishes. Everywhere. All the time. When I was a kid I'd fill my pockets before I left her house. She used to say that I'd fill my pockets the most. What can I say? I love my chocolate. My kids actually call her Candy Grandma because they would fill little bags of Skittles every time we'd go downstairs in my parent's house to visit with her. Remember years and years ago the time she stuck the dishes in the oven to hide them from the kids and forgot? She turned the oven on and melted everything.
*The cookie jars. Wafer cookies, chocolate macaroons, those marshmallow cookie chocolate things. Ahh... bliss.
* The dollhouse she furnished for us as kids. Complete with wallpaper and everything. Our Grandpa made the dollhouse and she decked it out. That was the coolest gift. It was donated to our Elementary school when we outgrew it, but just recently my sister got it back for her kids.
* Her TV Guide: clipped at the top to the right page. She really was kids of eccentric, wasn't she?? I guess that's why we loved her.
*She ironed her money to make it nice and crisp. I used to take it out of that wallet/clip thing she had and I'd count it over and over. I guess it's no surprise I became a banker and was fairly good at it.
* She never forgot a birthday, an anniversary, or anything else until she became bedridden. She'd send cards and a crisp bill or check. She had beautiful penmanship.

I love her so much. She really was the best Grandma. I think I had the chance to spend more time with her than some of my siblings because of my schedule in High School. We had such great talks and I loved that she loved my company. I love these memories. They will always be precious to me.

What Happened???

Once a year I seem to find myself in a blogging funk. Apparently, it has hit me again in the last month and a half. There will be too much to catch up on, but it must be done...ugh....

I actually love the beginning of the year. Every December I mentally run through the last twelve months of my life and wonder what I could have done differently or better, the excess I could have cut out of my life ( you know the stuff- the time wasting, brain wasting, money wasting stuff). And each year I come to the same conclusions: I'm far from perfect and that's OK. If I was perfect, I'd have no business being here. I also find that every year I look at the time wasting, brain wasting, money wasting stuff and firmly believe that some of it is necessary for my sanity... and that's OK too.

I always set New Years Resolutions for myself, but I've noticed that as I get older, they have changed a bit. They are slightly smaller goals than they once were, slightly more manageable, and frequently half the goals I set for myself are the same every year. I must be getting tired. :) I think it's good to have goals that never are accomplished- it keeps me from being complacent. For example, I will probably always have a goal to attain greater patience. I can't imagine that it will ever be a goal I can cross off a list, but maybe the smaller goal of not losing my patience when my kids yell at me because they won't clean their rooms is something more manageable. Small steps, right??

So, as a small, manageable goal, I'm going to try to blog at least twice a month. It's good for journaling purposes and keeps my family up-to-date on what's going on with my kids since they can't be here to see it. I'm already a month into my other goals for the year and I'll be honest with you, some of them aren't going so well. But, that's OK- I'm not perfect, remember? I will keep working on them, one small step at a time. I still have eleven months left before I will sit down and decide that I still haven't perfected them and need to continue working on them. Who says your Resolutions need to start January and end in December anyway??

December Happenings

We've had a busy month, as December usually is. Quinten had his six month check-up at the beginning of the month. Fifteen pounds even, which may seem small to all of you, but we think it's great! When you start out under six pounds and your parents are Andrew and I, we think he's doing well. :) And, considering Callie and Leah were both under twenty pounds at a year, he's huge! I took him in to the night clinic on Saturday- he's gained another pound this month (16.3 now) and he's got an ear infection. The kid hates his medicine- it took me 20 minutes to get it in him this morning and I think half of it was spit out on me or himself... headstrong little thing. I guess he fits into our house well. Quinten is such a great baby. He's happy almost always, he smiles at everyone, and his sisters still adore him. He is really loud, but it's not the same as the girls. The girls all starting making sounds and talking so early. Quinten just grunts and squeals. It's funny to listen to, but I'm sure will be a huge adjustment for me when I expect him to tell me what he wants for breakfast and he still can't do it. The difference between boys and girls, I guess. We're still trying to figure it all out.
We managed to decorate our Gingerbread house this year. The girls love doing it... Andrew and I- not so much. I forgot how long the thing is supposed to sit for the walls to harden before you put the candy on. We started it way too late and didn't leave it nearly as long as it should have been left. It was a long night, bedtime kept getting pushed back, but they had a great time.
Callie loves to pose for pictures. It's almost impossible to get a picture of her just smiling normal. I actually have to ask for it and then it still only happens sometimes.
The finished product.
One evening the girls asked to decorate sugar cookies. It was too late to start a batch of dough (well, too late for my tired self to start a batch) so I decided we'd make cupcakes instead and decorate them- quicker, cleaner, just as fun. You'll see by the pictures below what kind of fun they had...
Leah's were so caked with sprinkles that you couldn't see the frosting at all. Yep, she actually ate this one after she was done. Actually, all she ate was the frosting and the sprinkles... gross. You can see by her mouth that she was taste testing along the way. But, she loved it and kept saying, "Oh, it's beautiful!" I'm glad she thought so.
Callie's- not as bad as Leah's, but still had its fair share of sprinkles. She also ate the top of her cupcake and left the rest.
This is my conservative child. Even if Alexa wasn't years older than the other two, I could almost guarantee her cupcake would look just like this. That's just Alexa. She's very conscious of what she is doing, careful to do it right, and hates making mistakes. I love her, but I wonder sometimes what this careful attitude will do to her in years to come. She is way too hard on herself.
We've since decorated sugar cookies (in case anyone was wondering), but as usual, I failed to take pictures. However, given the pictures above, I'm sure you have a fairly good vision.
This is the kids in their Christmas clothes after church on Sunday. Quinten spends the majority of his day with his tongue hanging out. It's quite cute. And of course, there's Callie- not smiling but trying her hand at something else- literally, in this case.
This may be the last year Alexa will allow all of them to match. I think she thinks she is too old for it. I've pushed it the last couple years,but I may have to change my tune next year. Who knows? Maybe I can get away with one more year after this... it's just so cute. :) I even wore a black skirt and red shirt to church too... It's not normally something I try to do, but once a year isn't so bad. I tried to convince Andrew to wear his matching tie... no dice. He's not into that sort of thing, even on holidays. :)

Salt Lake

The kids and I went up North last weekend to visit my sister, Siri, and her family. We had a great time, even if we weren't used to the frigid Northern Utah temperatures. Siri's baby is due in January and we had all her baby clothes, so we packed up everything she gave us, plus whatever we'd accumulated for Quinten that he had outgrown and took it all to her. It was more stuff than I had realized and it felt so great to get rid of it. We also took her our swing and rocking/bouncer seat. So, it's official- I have NO clothes in my house that are for a newborn baby. Crazy, huh??
We drove up on Saturday, went to church with them on Sunday, rode Trax downtown to see the lights at Temple Square, ate lunch at Ikea on Monday with Siri and Jack, and then left for home. It was good to get away and I always love seeing my sister; I wish she was closer than four hours- it's just a too little long to be easy. The above picture is of all the kids. We originally wanted a picture of Jack and Quinten's matching PJ's, but Jack would only be in the picture if Callie was too (he loves Callie), so we made it a group shot.
Siri and the kids on Trax. Jack loves trains, so this was great for him. He was hilarious- he kept yelling, "All aboard!" as loud as he could. You'll notice the girls hats and scarves: thank goodness Aunt Siri could outfit everyone... we brought coats, but I never thought to grab hats and such.
Leah spent the majority of the ride downtown this way.
Quinten slept almost the whole time we were there. He was by far the warmest of all of us. Alexa kept saying she couldn't smile because she was too cold. Siri made the comment that the last time she went to see the lights was with me and our friend, Elizabeth, when I was in college. it was the last time I was there, as well. It's amazing that we take for granted the things that are so close to us.

Callie took this picture. Not too bad.

This picture is really our of order, but has a funny story behind it. Quinten was screaming and didn't want to sit for a picture. Jack hates listening to crying- Siri says it really upsets him. I thought this picture was funny because of the look on Jack's face. He looks concerned and disgusted all at the same time.

We had such a good time. I always feel like I'm going home when I go up North. I get to about Spanish Fork and I breathe a sigh of relief and tell myself that I'm home. I suppose I lived there long enough to make it home and because my real home is completely unattainable most of the time, it is a good substitute. It also helps to have Siri there. This time of year is always bittersweet for me- I love the holidays and everything that goes with it, but it is also a reminder that I can't be with my family. When you come from a family of ten kids and you are one of only two that don't live near home, it twists your heart just a little when you know they are all together celebrating without you. I am blessed to have great in-laws nearby. It softens the blow, but doesn't always ease all the pain. Time is a funny thing, isn't it? You think the hard moments will never pass when you are going through them, but they always do. And in no time at all, you are looking back and wondering why you ever thought you couldn't manage. My mom told me just last week something she heard from a friend that made me bawl, but oddly made me feel better too: the Lord can move mountains and part seas for us if He chooses to; but, sometimes he merely shows us the path and makes us go over the mountains or shows us how to build the boat to cross the seas. It's not supposed to be easy, right??

Halloween and Updates

So, Alexa decided she wanted to be a witch this year for Halloween. Sounded good to me, so I made an executive decision that everyone would be a witch this year... really, they were happy with it- I wasn't being mean. It meant no princess costumes, no curly hair, no makeup, no shoes they can't walk in. I'm so sick of all that stuff. This was the easiest Halloween ever and I loved it. Everyone knows I'm much more of a Fall/Harvest person than a Halloween person. I'm always glad to see Halloween pass. Yes, you may call me the Scrooge of Halloween and I'm completely fine with accepting the title. So, here are my three little witches and my little Penguin. This may be the only time the little penguin was awake in his costume. I must have bad timing because everytime the costume went on, his eyes closed. Silly kid. The girls trick or treated in our neighborhood with some of their cousins. It was perfect outside. I had on flip flops and a short sleeved shirt and was fine till we went inside. It's one of the things I love best about St George- I love being able to enjoy the fall colors by actually being in them- not just looking at them through my window. Anyway, the girls had a great time.
My cute little guy. He's so much fun to have around.
Alexa insisted that her had be crooked for the picture... still not sure why. Leah's hair had been in two braids all day, which is why it looks so funky. I figured it was appropriate for a witch to have out of control hair.
Quinten is constantly sticking his tongue out.

Quinten is just over 5 months old now. I can hardly believe it has been that long! A month ago he weighed in at 13 lb. We're happy with it because it's over twice his birth weight. He is finally starting to feel a little like a boy. He grunts a lot more than the girls did and he feels thicker- not so dainty. We started him on solid foods a few weeks ago. He's still not sold on the idea, but we're getting there. He's been rolling around for awhile too. He hates his stomach, so when he rolls to it, he cries. It's quite funny. He is FINALLY sleeping better. I'm only up once or maybe twice during the night now. It was awful for awhile- he hated his bed and loved mine, and since I refuse to have kids sleep in my bed, we were awake sometimes two or three times an hour a few times every night. I think I was so tired everyday that we literally ran on autopilot at our house. My poor kids watched a lot of movies. Quinten has had his haircut again and again. Is this what I have to look forward to with a boy?? I'm already tired of his ever growing hair. And, everyone still comments on his full head. He's like a little ChiaBoy. It has gotten lighter with every haircut. And, the jury is still out on his eye color. I go back and forth from blue to brown. It's still just a muddy mess of color most days. Aside from being a lousy sleeper, he really is the best baby. He's happy and so smiley to anyone who will look his way. We just think he's the best!
This is Leah dressing herself for the day... we stayed home on this particular day. Leah drives me crazy. I love her to death and she can be so incredibly sweet, but she still drives me absolutely crazy. The child spends more time out on our back porch than she does inside our house...OK, it may be a slight exaggeration. (Her timeouts are outside because she screams so loud, hits me, wakes up Quinten, etc... you get the idea.) Am I a mean mom? Probably. Do I feel bad about that? Not so much. I try to remind myself that it's a phase. Isn't it?? She does manage to make me laugh on a daily basis. She was drawing a few days ago and said, "Look, I drew a vampire." I had to think really hard as to where she would have heard about vampires. It took me a couple days, but it was from the Max and Ruby Halloween special. No, I don't read the Twilight books to my kids... which I know went through ALL of your heads when you read the vampire thing. What kind of Mom do you think I am??? We were in the car yesterday listening to the radio and the new Hannah Montana song came on (you know the one- Party in the USA, yada, yada... I don't really know the rest of the words yet.) Anyway, Leah says to me, "Is this Hannah Montana?" How did she know?? I am guessing she actually pays attention to her older sisters even when I don't think she does.
This is Callie during her preschool Halloween program. She loves school so much. I've helped in her class a couple times since the beginning of the year and it's been fun to see how much she has changed in that short amount of time. She makes friends easily and seems to get along with everyone. She has become my helper on the days she is home, now that Alexa is gone all day. And, she makes me laugh. I was getting ready to leave to get my hair done last week and she says to me, "You don't need to get your hair done. Just stick it in a bun and throw it in the oven!" Where do they come up with this stuff?? We had a bit of an allergy scare with Callie a couple weeks ago. She managed to get a small Snickers bar from the Primary program practice and ate it before she got home and I could check it. She came up to me and told me her chest hurt. Alexa then informed me that she had eaten a Snickers. HELLO ALEXA!!! You could have stopped her! Anyway, I got out her Epi-pen, thinking I would have to use it and rush to the hospital. She threw up over and over and over, but her breathing seemed OK. Her lips were a little swollen for awhile and I got up every hour through the night to check on her, but she was OK. I hope it means the allergy is getting to be less potent. We'll have her tested again soon to see what's really going on. Callie still sings and dances every chance she gets. Andrew and I love watching her. She really is entertaining!


The big girls recently got haircuts. They are so happy with shorter hair! I am glad only because it's less to wash, dry, and brush. Alexa's big news is she lost another tooth a couple weeks ago. She also has four more that are loose. She loves talking about her loose teeth and about who has loose teeth in her class... we are quite sick of it. She's doing great in school and still loves it, of course. She loves to read and will sit down and completely zone everything else out just to read a book. It's great! Her best friend will be moving the end of December, so we've been trying to prep her. Alexa is still quite shy around people she doesn't know well. We can always tell because she folds her arms, looks down, and has a scowl on her face. She looks like she has an attitude, but really it's her nerves getting the best of her. I'm constantly telling her to keep her arms at her sides, chin up, and smile! She hates hearing it. :) The other day I had her and Leah in the bathtub and I was leaning over the edge to wash Leah's hair. Alexa says to me (with a laugh), " Mom, your stomach looks like you're going to have another baby!" Thank you, Alexa... thank you.

That's about all for us these days. This was a long post... phew.

David and Angie's Wedding

A couple weekends ago, Callie, Quinten and I went home for my little brother's wedding. It was such a quick trip; I always find myself needing one more day when I go home- just one day to sit at my parent's house and do nothing. It never happens... I'm just glad we got to be home for a couple days. We had such a great time!! Callie was asked by David and Angie to be the flower girl in the wedding party. She was thrilled, of course. The wedding was great, the reception was so much fun, and we had a great time with family and friends. We LOVED Angie's family- they were so wonderful. I always think it's a good sign when you get great in-laws; David is very lucky. I had it easy the day of the wedding- my Dad and stepmom kept Quinten for me, so I was pretty much on my own. Callie ran around with her cousins the whole time and loved every minute of it. She looked beautiful, of course, and everyone kept telling me how pretty and sweet she was. I think so!! There will probably be a lot of pictures to follow- mostly for the sake of the family who may not have seen them. Sorry to everyone else who may find them boring. :)

This is Callie showing off her cool shoes. These were her gift from Angie, who was wearing matching shoes. Callie LOVED them.
This picture is totally out of order... not sure how that happened. I know it's blurry, but I had to put it in because the story behind it is so funny. It's blurry because I was shaking because I was laughing. This is Callie walking down the aisle of the church with the ring bearer behind her. As she drops a pile of leaves, he comes behind her and stomps on the pile with both feet. It was hilarious. He was such a cute kid.
Isn't she just so pretty??
Callie with Grandma and Grandpa before they left for the church. It was great- they took Callie to the rehearsal on Friday night and I got to stay home, and they took her to the church early for pictures on Saturday and I got to come later. Unfortunately, I forgot her pretty sash (as you can see in this picture, it's missing). I had to make a mad dash down to the church to take it to her, which really cut into my getting ready time and my dropping off Quinten time. We still made it; it was just a little more rushed than I had hoped it would be. My sister Karen was my saving grace- she watched Quinten and let me use her car so I could run to the church.

My cute parents.
My little brother Damon, his date Nikelle (someone tell me how to spell her name so I can get it right, please....), and my sister Honor. I tried to convince Damon he didn't need a date because he could just hang out with me since I didn't have a "date" (Andrew, of course) with me. He didn't go for that. Want to know what he told me?? "I guess if I can't find a date I can hang out with you." Talk about being chopped liver....
Honor and her husband Matt. And the ball of sweater she is holding is Quinn.
My sister, Karen, and I.
Cousins: Jacob, Callie and Brielle. They ran all over that reception area. It was so fun to watch all the fun they were having. :)
Angie and Callie showing off their matching shoes.
Angie, David and Callie just before I dragged Callie home; she would have stayed all night if I had let her.
This is the day after the wedding. Grandma with Quinten and Callie. We love going home to visit. Callie cries everytime we say goodbye to my parents- she hates to leave them. We wish we lived closer to home so we could visit more often. I tried to console her by reminding her that her other two sisters had to stay home and didn't get to come at all... she liked that. :) As a sidenote, Alexa and Leah had a great time with Andrew and Grandma and PopPop Hench, who took care of them while Andrew was at work. So, we think everyone won over the course of the weekend.