First

Tasty Sweet finally got to have her long awaited first day of preschool away from home. She has been wanting to go to preschool since... well since Kaden went 3 years ago. Remember this picture?

 She grabbed her sippie cup and binoculars and charged to the door telling me she was ready to "doe to sool!"

Well now she's got a backpack, a headband and sparkly gloves and she really is ready to go to school.

Which means that I pack 2 lunches each morning

And send these 2 cute bodies off for fun filled days of learning.

After Taycee's first day her teaches said "She fit in like she has been her all year long". She loves it, and asks every day if she can go to school. Life goes by so quickly, it seems like a few days ago she was the chubby pigtailed toddler in the first picture and now she is this beautiful girl with big ideas and even bigger drive. 

Love you my Tasty Sweet, don't grow up too fast.

xoxo-mom

Ice Storm

We experienced our first Virginia Ice Storm last week, everything was frozen and we didn't stand a chance on the roads so Church was canceled. Instead we spent the day in pajamas and made a batch of Christmas sugar cookies. 

Last Sunday Kaden asked if it could be another cookie day. I think they enjoyed themselves.

Puttin on the Ritz

Chris has his first work party. He got the invite while I was still in Utah and called to ask me if I wanted to go. It was a "coat and tie" party and the kids were definitely not invited. We debated weather we would be able to find a baby sitter so soon after moving to an area we didn't know. I was banking on meeting some awesome young women in the ward and told him to RVSP yes. 

Finding a baby sitter was a little harder than I had planned. It turned out that our ward Christmas party was the same night and we couldn't ask anyone in the ward to miss it to watch the kids. Luckily I was told that the Stake Presidents daughters were great baby sitters and they were available for that night. So for the first time ever we left all 4 kids with a cute 15 year old girl and went on a date all by ourselves.

The party was at the country club of Virginia. It was a huge beautiful building. Every room inside had a buffet table with different types of food. Every room also had an open bar, we thoroughly enjoyed the free ginger ale. :) I got to meet a few of the people Chris works with and lots and lots of people he doesn't know. :) I think in all there were about 600 people there. He knew about 10. I think next year he might be a little better acquainted with people. They did have a dance floor with a really fun band playing and we danced for awhile. Towards the end of the night the open bar was starting to show on the dance floor and we decided to call it a night. 

All in all it was a fun time and I enjoyed the chance to get dressed up and do something different. I made Chris take "dance" pictures with me so that in 10 years I have proof that among the days of ponytails sweats and baby spit up there were still times I didn't look like bleary eyed sleep deprived mom.

And then we may have discovered this cool auto shoot setting on my phone where  I call out the word "shoot" and it takes a picture. And this series of pictures came about.

O Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving was over and Christmas was fast approaching. I have to be honest and say that this year I felt a little scroogy (I think I just made that word up) I had just spent weeks decorating, organizing and putting away and digging out Christmas boxes to do it all again wasn't on the top of my list of things I wanted to do. But the little people in my life were insistent and I couldn't let our first Christmas away from home be dampened by my lack of energy. So one day after cleaning up all the Thanksgiving festivities we pulled out Christmas festivities.  The kids were happy as clams (whatever that means) and had a jolly time decorating the tree.

I bit my tongue as their tiny eager hands hung 6 ornaments on the same branch and reminded myself that it didn't really matter where the ornaments were hung because they would be rearranged by the Boost about 400 times before Christmas actually came. They were oh so proud of their finished product.

And although I already have plans in the works to have a tree that look like this next year...

This year I will be content with my little tree in the corner that was decorated by my very own little elfs.

Thanksgiving

I thought before Christmas comes and I am buried under even more pictures and unwritten posts I should catch up on Thanksgiving!

This years Thanksgiving was our first one on our own. We were super lucky to have my cousin and her little family come down and join us. She lives about two hours north of us in Virginia and it was nice not to still have some family to celebrate the Holiday with. Thanksgiving came only 2 weeks after we arrived in Virginia and I spent almost every hour of the day (and night) trying to get our home presentable enough to host such a fun occasion. All the work and late (late, late, late) nights made Thanksgiving day seem extra relaxing. 

We cooked up a turkey and many other delicious side dishes and feasted.

The kids loved having Bridger to play and run around with. They were sure sad when he had to go home.

Brielle was an excellent supervisor as we cooked up the food.

Mckell whipped up some cream and we ended the night with a selection of yummy pies. We had banana cream, pumpkin and apple.

Poor Boost didn't get a nap and eventually just crashed right in the middle of the living room floor.

Chris and Devan went out that night to try and catch some of the Black Friday deals and they were extremely successful. They both got exactly what they went out for. I have a very large TV on my wall as proof.

It was a great first Thanksgiving here out on our own. This year as always we felt like there was so much to be grateful for. We truly are blessed.

In and Outs

I have learned something in the past 4 months. No matter how much you do or don't do, no matter how much you wish and hope and plan, no matter your circumstances, no matter what is or isn't happening, life keeps going. 

That simple truth has become ever so apparent to me lately. It was 4 months ago that we closed the school chapter of our lives. We didn't know where the next chapter would be. I remember anxiously awaiting emails that would provide direction as to where our lives would go. It felt like we had been living our life on a sort of hold as we tried to navigate the next big step. Yet all along life was happening. Days were passing, moments were occurring, memories were being made and little bodies were growing. The trick of it all is being present. Remembering that the days and moments and memories won't ever happen again. Remembering that little bodies will be a tiny bit bigger in the morning.

We, or maybe the more proper pronoun is I, are still learning to navigate the ins and outs of this new life. (That probably more like the old life than I have realized.) I miss my friend and support system on good ole 2600 N. But I do believe that circumstances are what you make of them. So I am trying to make these ones great. The kids are resilient and never skipped a beat. In fact they have already asked when this house will be our old house and we will find a new house. 

Addi is now a full blown million miles per second toddler. From the minute her feet hit the ground in the morning it is non stop go go go. Nap time is a glorious time at our house! She won't sit still for anything so most pictures I ever capture of her look a lot like this...

But every once in awhile I capture her in a moment of still and get a true Addi grin.

Her favorite food is mixed veggies and if she sees them on the table she will point and beg til she gets a heaping spoonful.

We have had a few days that were warm enough for bike riding. I am so grateful we found a home on a quiet culdesac where the kids can ride right in front of the house without getting ran over!

Kaden has some lettering on his bedroom wall that says "Sometimes being a BIG BROTHER is even better than being a SUPER HERO." This seemed a fitting picture to hang along side.

Taycee is always and forever loving on one of her little sisters!

This is a way old picture but I came across it on my phone and realized that I never officially documented Kadens first tooth loss. So here is it about 4 days before Bri was born Kaden lost his very first tooth!

Taycee's most favorite part of the new house is Mom's big tub. 

She especially loves putting bubbles in and turning on the jets til the bubbles almost cover her head.

Life is happening, and we are present. 

xoxo-

me

5 of you

5 months of that perfect baby smell. 5 months of those big blue eyes and perfect porcelain skin. I have had the pleasure of lovin on these perfectly chubby cheeks for 5 months, and I have loved every second of it. 

At 5 months Brielle

weighs 15 lbs 7 oz

is 26 inches long

Is eating cereal every night and then sleeping about 11 hours

Loves her meals times, they can not be missed or delayed or we have a very upset baby to answer to

Has to be holding something in her hand at all times, her favorite is a finger but a toy or blankie will do

Because of the above mentioned she is great at holding her bottle, but it also makes nursing difficult because if she doesn't have my finger to hold she grabs a fist full of skin and holds on tight.

Can sit up on her own for about 15 seconds

Laughs at Addison, especially if Addison is throwing a fit, for some reason Brie thinks that is especially funny, so while Addison is kicking her feet and yelling Brie is laughing.

Squeals and talks LOUDLY

Here are a few pictures from her first cereal. It wasn't too eventful, she opened up and swallowed it all down without a hitch.

Baby Girl,

  There has been a lot of change in the short 5 months you have been alive. You've been by my side ( or more accurately in my arms) through 2 moves 15 houses 10 airplanes and hours of car rides. You have been my solace through it all. Your sweet calming spirit has kept me grounded and pushed me through. Your giant blue eyes and dark long lashes speak a peace to my heart and when I watch you sleeping peacefully my heart bursts with love and gratitude that you (and all of your siblings) are mine. You were sent to me at this time of change and chaos for a reason. Perhaps to ensure that every 3 hours I took a moment to sit and be still and be consumed by your sweet baby smell. Whatever the reason my girl, I couldn't be more thankful you are mine.

You are my very best medicine. Happy 5 months.

xoxo-

mom

Year 5

This little ball of spunk is 5. Although I feel like she is 15. She is quite a little beauty and people stop me all the time out here to tell me so. If she didn't think of herself as a princess before she certainly does now. 

She was lucky enough to have grandma and grandpa here for her birthday before they fle back to Utah. It will be a sad day next year when the kids realize mom and dad are as good as it gets when it comes to family parties for birthdays.

They all built a gingerbread train together before we headed to the airport. Taycee had a really hard time leaving the candy for the train. She wanted to just eat it all.

She got the one thing she had been asking for for months a bike. The fact that it had tassels and a bell was just icing on the cake.

I never buy my kids cake. Normally I take requests and then brainstorm a way to create said request. But this year I didn't have the energy, and I didn't know where to locate half of my cake supplies. ( I wish I was kidding) so this yea Walmart did the cake baking. Tinkerbell was the request and she was over the moon with the end product.

Happy birthday little miss!

    We are so glad you're ours. You are smart, funny, and you can sass the pants of the best of us. You will do great things, I just know it. You have more determination in your little body than most adults. It will take you far. It might also take me to an early grave, but I'm working on learning how to navigate a little version of myself. 

   You are the best little mama and you have been emensly helpful since we have arrived in Virginia. I think your quick little mind and tender little heart can tell this mama is in need of extra help while I try to take on this new life. 

  You are rarely seen without a princess dress and handbag of makeup. The other days I came home from grocery shopping and you had given daddy his very own makeover. He was a blue sparkley masterpiece and you told him all night long how pretty he looked. 

   You are full of life, and energy, and questions. Your mind works at a million miles per second and nothing gets past you. You love learning and soak in new information like a sponge. 

Here is to year 5 little princess, it just might be the best one yet!

Xoxo- 

Mom