Chris Graduation

We debated weather or not have Chris walk in May. At first when he was going to be defending his dissertation only 2 weeks later we decided he should definitely walk. As things changed and we hit so many set backs it became clear that Chris would not be defending in June. Since we wouldn't be finishing the program til August it seemed a little strange to do the formal graduation ceremony in May, but our options were walk in May, fly back and walk next year or don't walk at all. We were pretty set on the don't walk option, but after talking to a few parents we decided a PH.D. deserved a cap and gown. So 3 months prior to our actual completion date Christopher Kelly Clayton was hooded. We cheered and although it wasn't the actual end it meant the end was ever so near.

Kaden and Taycee were so proud of their daddy. After he was hooded and was walking back to his seat they both yelled "WE LOVE YOU DADDY" the whole stadium heard and there was a collective "Awe". I think that made Chris feel prouder than the actual hooding.

Can you see the head that is a foot taller than the rest?

So proud of this guy

so is his mom :)

He had so many people come to support him. We have the greatest families. 

The end is near people... we just might make it.

7 glorious years

7 years seems like a long time. I have done few things.in my life that long. I was only in High School for 3, college for 4, I have never worked the same job for more than 3. I think I did take piano lessons for 8 years but my point is that 7 years seems like a really long time for me. Yet as I look back at the last 7 years I can't believe how quickly it has gone. It has been the quickest 7 years of my life. The quickest 7 years in which SO much has happened. In the last 7 years we have

• Added 3.75 children to our family
• Moved 4 time
• Collectively had 4 different jobs
• Finished 2 degrees and all but finished graduate school (come on August)
• Driven over 100,000 miles
• Bought 2 cars
• Sold 2 cars

And many many other things. 

It has been a great 7 years, with ups and downs and lots of curves and loops. They have been the most defining years thus far in my life.

And the best part is I got to spend all 7 of those years with this guy,

So really how could they have been anything but glorious? :D

Our anniversary was May 25th. That was 5 days prior to the day I was suppose to go on bed rest. I knew that taking our annual trip to my happy place in Vegas wouldn't be smart or very practical at 33 weeks pregnant. So we booked everything a month earlier and enjoyed it just as much. How could we not enjoy 3 days if this...

With views like this...

I am not a Vegas fan. I hate the place, I feel dirty walking down the streets. Normally we don't leave the sanctuary of Tahiti Village the entire time we are down there. We made an exception this time and went to "The Mentalist", a show at Planet Hollywood. We got the tickets cheap and actually enjoyed most of the show. 

We left the kids with the Claytons in St George and they were kind enough to bring our kids down for a few hours one night to play with us in the water. It really is a great family place and we all had a really good time.

The end always comes too quickly. I really could live in a place this beautiful.

Since we were celebrating our Anniversary a month early I figured we might as well throw in Chris's birthday too. Seeing as I would be laid up in bed on his big 30th birthday. So I game him his present early and before we came home we went and saw Brian Regan at Tuachann. He never disappoints.

I could mush and gush about how much I love Chris. I could write pages about what he means to me and how I really could not do it without him, how he fixes all of my "broken" and holds me together when I want to fall apart. As we are going through a roller-coaster of change right now and the future is scary and unknown there is peace in knowing no matter where life takes us we will do it together. 7 years seems long, but he is my forever... and I couldn't be happier about that. 

In the final hours

As the days on the calendar steadily pass by I am starting to get more than a little anxious about my impending bed rest. I have know from the very beginning that the last month of my pregnancy would be risky. I have known from the beginning that I would spend the majority of it in a horizontal position trying to keep this little one in as long as possible. But now that it is only weeks away I am in full blown panic mode. So this past week I decided it was time to do some prep work.

I spent days going through and washing the bins of Addi's old clothes in the garage. Chris was sweet enough to re arrange furniture and bring an extra dresser upstairs to accommodate all the baby's clothes. I discovered the miracle that is hydrogen peroxide mixed with Dawn dish soap. Good bye yellow spit up stains.

My goal has always been to slowly stock up my freezer with meals. I have done an okay job at that but in order to have all the meals I wanted done by June I needed to amp up my game. So I devoted all of one Saturday to making freezer meals. Originally I was going to only make 7 different meals and just make doubles of all of them so 14 meals total. I invited some friends over and was going to have a small freezer meal party. But no one could join me in my fun so I decided to just really be crazy and I spent 7 hours in the kitchen... I ended up with 28 meals in all. And a really really sore body.

I now have the following in the freezer,

2 sweet and sour meatball meals

2 Alfredo meatball meals

4 bags of ham and cheese rolls

2 lasagnas

3 pans of stuffed Mexican shells

2 pans of chicken rice casserole

2 containers of sloppy joe meat

2 pans of porcupines (a tomato hamburger rice dish)

2 pans of chicken rolls

2 pans of ham poppy seed rolls (different than above)

2 pans of chicken cordon blu casserole

3 buckets of minestroni soup

3 pans of enchilada casserole

2 buckets of chicken cacciatore

2 bags of breakfast burritos

That's 35 meals! The best part is that most of them will last two nights each. So that's two months worth of dinner. AND I was able to do it all for just under 200 dollars which is $5.71 a dish and about $3.33 a night. WAHOO!!

Here I am with a few of my finished products

The next day was mothers day. I had such a great day with my family. Chris and the kids made sure it was extra special. I woke up to breakfast in bed, flowers and cards from each one of them. Kaden and Taycee made me cute little coupon books and then sang with great enthusiasm "Mother I Love You"

 Being a mom to these cute kids is such a blessing.

 After church we went to my moms house where we finally got to meet our newest cousin Ayla. All of my siblings were there so we got to take a few pictures with all of the grandkids on the Webre side.

 We make pretty cute kids that's for sure.

This last week has been such beautiful weather. We spent every single day outside having picnics and playing in the water. These kids L.O.V.E. to be playing outside.

As of today I have 12 days til my bedrest is suppose to start. So I will be spending most of those days trying to make up for the month I will lose in play/prep time. Lets hope the weather stays nice enough we can spend lots of time soaking up some Vitamin D.

Oh hello camera...

I have been failing major in the picture department. Usually my camera is overflowing with pictures of the kiddos. Maybe it is being pregnant or maybe it is just our crazy life's as of late but somehow I set my camera down and really didn't pick it back up for a long time.

So a few weeks ago I actually put on my to do list "take pictures of the kids" and if it makes it on my "list" it eventually gets a neat little check next to it :)

I went to the Aunt Kathy material store and stole a few strips of her material. Since then I have been experimenting with a few new bow styles for our new bundle of joy. This was my first creation.

 Tasty Sweet

These are cute kids.

29 weeks down... fingers crossed about 8 more to go.

The never forget folder

Why does life go by so fast? The more I try to grasp on to the moments the quicker they seem to slip through my hands. And so I pray I will remember.

I want to remember how Addi LOVED to play patty cake and how she would shout "TaDa" after she did everything and then follow it with enthusiastic clapping.

I want to remember how she loved to eat plain bread. If she ever saw the bag hanging off the edge of the counter she would pull it down and indulge.

I want to remember her first time on the big kid swings. How she laughed and smiled. The way her feet barley skimmed the top of the grass. The way she would stand behind them and say "up, up, up" until I would come to lift her up and on.

I hope I  remember her walk, with both hands up and flapping at her side like she was almost trying to fly.

And the way she would chase our bunnies all around the yard. They always let her get just close enough to almost touch before bounding off.

Will I remember the way Addi loved all things bouncy? She loved her jumper til she was past a year old and at 18 months still would try to climb into the baby bouncer so she could bounce herself. This little jumping zebra is a favorite toy.

I want to remember the way Taycee would mother and follow Addison around all over the place "helping" til Addi would cry from all the love. 

I want to remember the way her eyes were always shining with a little bit of mischief. I want to remember the time Kaden called Dr Pepper "Dr. Seuss" and she rolled her eyes and let out a big sigh before exclaiming "No, Kaden. It is called DR. POOTER"

I want to remember how anything that happened in the past even if it was an hour ago was "lasterday" to her.

I want to remember how smart she was at the age of 4. She can do most of Kaden's kindergarten homework with him and she is already reading  like a champ.

I want to remember the way she would sigh and giggle a bit when she thought I was funny and then say "Oh Mother" 

I pray I remember every bit of Kaden just the way he is. His deep dimples, his infectious smile that he can't put away.. even when he is in trouble, his chocolate eyes.  The way he loves completely and unabashed. He is never afraid to greet me with a huge hug when I come to volunteer in school.

I want to remember the day he got into the car after school and said "Mom, even when I grow up and get a wife I will still love you the most." I want him to remember that too!

I want to remember the way he loves to learn. If there is every a word he doesn't understand he makes sure I explain it thoroughly so he can use it himself in a sentence later. 10  minutes ago he asked me what serpentine meant. Yesterday he wanted to know what "in the meantime" meant. While we were doing scripture study he asked why we were called Jesus's sheep because we walk on two legs and don't have fur. 

When we started homework last week I said "are you ready to do your homework bud?" and he said "ready as I'll ever be mom." 

I want to remember the time he signed a school paper for me as Mom E. Clayton. 

I want to remember the way he said "you've come to the wrong place mister" when he was fighting the bad guys on Ninja turtles. 

I want to remember the day he told me Jesus talked to him. He had been in trouble and was up in his room. He came down the stairs with the most repentant look on his face and said "Mom, I heard Jesus talk to me" I was caught a bit off guard and said "Oh really? And what did he say?" He said "He told me I need to make better choices and that he loves me.... so can I come out of my room now."
Whether that was a true story or not I couldn't exactly keep him in trouble. He had learned his lesson, and if Jesus decided to teach it to him fine by me. Can't say the kids not smart.

How do I do it? How do I lock all of the memories up inside of me so in 15 years from now when they are moving away and starting a real life of their own I can come back to these days. How do I breathe them in so deep that they are forever inside of me... just this way.

It's all happening too fast, and in a matter of weeks we will have a new little one that will grow too fast and change with every blink. I will have even more memories to try and file away in the "never forget" folder of my mind. 

 

Dear kids,

Please stop changing. That folder in my mind is only so big and there are too many seconds that I want to keep forever. 

xoxo-

mom