A is for Apple

The first Saturday in October we headed up to an apple orchard about and hour and a half away. It was the closest thing to a mountain we have seen here in Virgina, and it was appropriately named Carter Mountain. It was a U-Pick farm and we ended up picking 64 lbs of apples. There were several different varieties of apples and one particular variety had been quite picked over. There weren’t any apples left at picking level. Sometimes it is really handy to have daddy who is 6’7”.  

 We headed home and started in on our applesauce project. The kids were so excited to help. 

 I have a flat top stove that I can't can on so we had to get creative. We found a camping stove on craigslist and Chris was in charge of getting that up and running. Unfortunately there must have been some water in the gas line and in trying to get things started the flame exploded and engulfed Chris's arm in flames. We are SO blessed that all he walked away with was singed arm hairs. I am not sure how he got away with so little damage but I am very very grateful he dud. 

We ended with 22 quarts of apple sauce. It was a long day but I was so happy to see my shelfs filled with an apple sauce supply again. :) 

A Choice

All of conference was amazing, as it always is.  But perhaps my favorite line was this, "God will not act to make us something we do not choose by our actions to become." -Elder Todd D. Christofferson

We were in the car driving home from picking apples at the orchard we had conference playing on my phone through the car speakers (hashtag: so thankful for technology) and this simple line was spoken. It wasn't a a specific point that was being made, it wasn't emphasized or repeated but it burned itself onto my heart.

I have thought on this line many times since conference. I feel like many times in my life I have asked Heavenly Father to act to make me into something but have taken no action myself. Example, each morning I fervently pray to be the kind of mom my kids need me to be, more patient, intuitive, empathetic. But then as I go throughout my day I do not choose to do things any differently than I did the day prior. It is not that I don't want the things I prayed for. I do, oh how I do. It is just I do not choose to take the actions that will help me become that way. I think the same goes for any prayer uttered with pleas of help. We must choose by our own actions to accomplish whatever it is we want so desperately. We can not become more selfless if we do not choose selfless acts. We can not be better missionaries if we do not seek out missionary opportunities. Heavenly father will help us, I have no doubt. He will open the doors and soften hearts but we must first take action.

It isn't a novel concept to me, but one that I needed to be reminded of.

So today and hopefully every day I will choose by my actions to become what I wish God to help me become.

You should too.

xoxo- me

Da Bump

Sunday mornings are by far the hardest at our house. Chris is at the church early for meetings before the rest of us are up. Which leaves me to get the remaining 5 of us ready with church bag, snacks and quiet activities packed and out the door by 8:30 to be to church on time. Last Sunday morning was no exception. After getting dinner in the crockpot dressing 4 bodies (thank heavens Kaden dresses himself)  braids, pig tales bows, tights, and searching for the missing shoes. We scrambled to the car only 5 minutes behind schedule I buckled the baby on one side Addi was climbing into her car seat on the other and then.....smack, she dove out of the car onto the garage floor. I heard the screams and ran to the other side to assess the damage. When I picked her up she had her hands covering her mouth and was saying "owie, owie" I checked for blood but didn't see any and she was starting to calm down I gave her some love, buckled her into her seat and off we went to church. Twenty minutes later we pulled into the church parking lot and I herded the crew into the chapel only 7 minutes late. Chris was peacefully sitting in a bench waiting for us to arrive. ( Where is the justice... I mean really.) I plopped Addi on his lap and immediately started rummaging through the quite bag for my latest tricks to keep two toddlers reverent and quite for the next hour. That is when Chris tapped me on shoulder, I turned around and his eyes were about double their normal size. He was brushing Addi's bangs to the side and mouthing... "WHAT IS THIS?" And then I saw it. The real owie from the dive onto the cement floor. Addison had a black and blue bump on her head the size of a golf ball. I stared in stunned silence before I told Chris she fell out of the car. "Um.. have you put ice on it?" I thought, Well, no because I am an awesome mom and didn't even see it there. But I just shook my head "no" Chris immediately left to go find ice. I tried to stay calm and collected, but it lasted about 10 minutes before I picked up the baby told the kids to be reverent and left to track them down. When I found them I started blubbering about how I hadn't even seen it there, her bags were covering her forehead, she was pointing to her mouth and saying "owie" not her head, I was in a hurry, we were already late for church, I would have gotten ice had I know... it took all of 6 seconds before a was crying and Chris was convincing me I wasn't going to hauled away for child neglect.

We kept a close eye on her and the lump significantly decreased after the ice was put on it. Although she was a little docile for the rest of the day (I can't imagine the headache she had) she was her usual self by morning. We were very blessed that nothing worse happened. It has been over a week and she still has a slight yellowish green bump on her head. I have never been a big fan of 1:00 church but right now it is sounding like a welcome change. 

A week later...

Steps

On 9/29/2014  Brielle took her very first steps. 15 months and 2 days old.

And so it begins...

Brielle's first steps from Jill Clayton on Vimeo.

BeUTAHful

When we moved to Virginia I knew I would miss home.  I do not think there is a way one can leave a place they have lived their entire mortal existence and not feel a longing to go back. Our plan was for summer. We would take a family vacation and fly back for a couple of weeks to soak in some family time. However the reality of flying 6 people from one coast to the other set in quickly and it rapidly became apparent that would not happen this year.

I told myself I would be okay with that. I tried really hard to be okay with that. But there was an ache for home that was constant. I am extremely blessed for many reasons but topping that list would be my most understanding and supportive husband. When I mentioned the idea of flying home solo for a week to see family he didn't balk at the idea for a moment. So tickets were booked and I was able to spend and entire week with those I love.

Brielle was my travel partner. I told most people it was because it was easier for Chris to handle the kids if I took her. (which was definitely true) But the most real truth was that I can't go a day without that chubby cheeked girl. She is my drug and I am completely addicted.

I started in St George, traveled to Brigham, back to Layton, Brigham again then ended the trip in Salt Lake. I was able to see so many friends and family members who made time to fit me in. I have so many people I love that live in that little state.

Leaving was harder than I imagined it would be. If I didn't have my 5 most favorite people living in Virginia I don't know that anything would have gotten me back on that plane. But board it I did, with an oath I would someday call Utah home again.

A few favorite pictures in no particular order.

Cousins!

Grandma and Grandpa left for their mission to the Philippines the same day I left to go back to Virginia. 

Some pickle ball with the girls

Chris's aunt Terri and I went walking around the Bountiful temple one morning. 

These cute cousins are within a year of each other. 

My immediate family

Shrimp Steak from Maddox.

I do love these humans fiercely. 

All of my nieces and nephews on my side

All of my nieces and nephews on Chris's side

Utah Trip from Jill Clayton on Vimeo.

A time for learning

The School year came and like a thief in the night it stole away all of our extra play time. Our days are now full of math and reading and schedules. I love myself a good schedule and heaven knows I live for a balanced routine, but our spontaneous days of lazy mornings, sunshine and roller coasters were gone too fast. 

Kaden and Taycee were more than excited to be starting school. The clothes were ready to go, the backpacks laid out and the school supply lists checked off ($100 dollars later, seriously? I don't think my parents ever spent $100 on my school supplies). Chris is convinced he will have to pick up a second job to get all four kids through elementary school. Heaven help us when they get to high school. 

They were itching to run out the door an hour before the bus would arrive, I pray that they always have such an enthusiasm for learning. 

 Kindergarten? This little miss looks like she should be in 5th grade. Actually, as I was stalking behind her in the hall (I couldn't just let her walk to class by herself despite her insistence that she was FINE.) two people asked if she was walking into the right classroom.  Random School Helper "Hey sweetie, are you headed to 2nd grade?" Taycee: "No, Kindergarten" Man B: "Are you sure your in kindergarten?" she emphatically nodded, Man B says to a passerby "She looks too tall to be in kindergarten" The tiger mom in me wanted to jump in and explain that her father is 6'7" and her mom is 5'11" and she has about as much chance of being "average height" as a hippo has of fitting in a mini cooper, and that she was in fact only 5 years old.  But I didn't. Instead I just watched as her confident little self marched into her classroom gave her teacher the biggest hug ever (who she had met only one time prior) and then sat down at her little table. She really was fine, and I thought my heart might burst as I watched this capable, intelligent, beautiful little girl.

 Kaden asked for weeks prior to school starting when it would start again. This most social bug could hardly stand to be away from all 22 of his friends for an entire 12 weeks. He is the happiest and the kindest, and I just wish I could bottle every inch of his 7 year old self up and keep it forever because I just don't think they come any better than him.

We had an FHE lesson before school started and talked a lot about finding people who need a friend. We talked about the importance of being kind and making sure everyone felt included. I was so proud as each day they came bolting off the bus telling me about the times they were able to help a new friend feel happy. It is good to be smart, but it is most important to be kind.

I offered to drive them both on their first day but they chose the bus and skipped off together hand in hand.  

 Taycee marched onto that bus without a second glance back

 The doors closed and I immediately jumped in my car to follow them to school and stalk them down the halls til they reached their classrooms. 

We are in to school 3 weeks now and they are still as eager as day 1. I feel slightly guilty as they have little to no play time in a day but they don't seem to mind. In between math lessons, and word study, and PP--LL--AA--NN--EETT we have found a rhythm and as always I find myself just lucky to be their momma.  

Lights in the sky

One of the nights we were at the beach there was a huge lightning storm.  It was beautiful. We sat out on our balcony and watched for quite awhile with the kids and after the kids fell asleep Chris and I walked out onto the beach to watch a little longer.  We climbed up into a life guard tower (it was wood and the storm was not close to us). I spent a good 30 minutes trying to catch a lightning bolt on camera as it cracked across the sky. But I was so busy enjoying the awe inspiring surroundings that I would always miss them. It was my most favorite night, watching the light show in the sky snuggled up against Chris on our own private tower with the sound of waves crashing 15 feet in front of us, I could have stayed there all night. 

 There were several times the sky was lit up like day. A lot of the lightening was behind the clouds so we couldn't see the bolts just the bright lit up clouds.