Blog Makeover

This blog needs a make-over! But, I've been just a little busy the last few weeks, and don't anticipate that blog make-over will happen anytime soon. So, for those close followers of this blog, don't hold your breath! I'm sure I will get around to posting something interesting just as soon as the laundry is done, the house is clean, the kids are caught up with their school work, the baby is fed and down for a nap, and Gabe isn't drawing on a wall or climbing on the table!

I did manage to clean MY room yesterday which almost never happens, and I did take away most of the kids toys after asking them to clean their rooms, turning into a mean mommy, and deciding it's just not worth it. In case your wondering, the kids were sad yesterday, but they seem to be entertaining themselves pretty well at the moment with an extra crib mattress which has become a slide, boat, and a fort in the last few minutes.

Jim has been working hard on finishing our family room, and with the help of his wonderful dad has now got it to the mudding, sanding, mudding, sanding, mudding stage! We're hoping to have it done by baby blessing time, but it is really hard to work on it without interruptions. Some times it seriously feels like Grand Central Station around here and it is a very rare occurrence to have Jim home in the evenings lately.

Baby Jared is growing way too fast and is such a joy! He looks the most like Spencer did as a baby. Despite my fear that Gabe would be jealous, Gabe just loves him and thinks he is HIS baby. He smothers him with kisses and it is so fun to watch. He also comes running any time Jared starts to cry.

Speaking of crying, Jared has become bored with his swing and thinks it is time to eat. Off to be a mommy!!!

How Does Life Get So Crazy?

I am not a great blogger at this point of my life. Instead, I am just a busy mommy :) A lot has happened since the last post, but since I'm not great at getting pictures off the camera since Jim has it most of the time, I'm not promising pictures any time soon.

Spencer had a great birthday complete with Spiderman pinata, Superman cake, and family. He was so excited all day as he helped finish the pinata and watched me frost his cake. He really is a fun child because he is so easy to please. After watching us make a pinata all day, Jim said that if pinatas weren't so much work, we could just make one every day and the kids would always be happy!

The week after Spencer's birthday as I was watching Amy and Drew's children in addition to our own and Jim was on the way up the canyon to youth conference, Spencer decided to fall out of a tree and cut his head open. It was a little crazy, but fortunately my neighbor had just come over to talk with me and was able to help me quickly sort things out and ride with me to the hospital holding Spencer in the back seat while we talked with him the entire way there to keep him from falling asleep.  Jim turned around as soon as I called him and was able to make it home before Amy and Drew. Jim got to the hospital before they fixed Spencer's wound, and Drew was also able to come up and help give him a blessing. The cut was way bigger than I had realized when they went to clean it. Before I took him to the hospital, I hadn't examined the exact size of the cut--I just knew it was big and it was deep and I needed to get him to the hospital fast! The cut ended up being about three inches long and 1/2 " deep--the biggest one I have ever seen and the biggest one I ever care to see! Jim turned green when he saw it partially due to the fact that he had not eaten dinner yet and he doesn't handle needles and blood stuff really well. It definitely made me realize that if just one of us has to ever stay with our children during the blood and needle stuff, it probably better be me since I don't think the nurses could pick up a guy Jim's size off the floor! 

Spencer was so brave as they put 13 staples in his head. He held really still and did exactly what he was told even though he was really scared. We took him to the store the next day and let him pick out a toy for being so great.

His head healed well and today I took him to get the staples taken out. This was definitely more traumatic for him than getting the staples put in. Scabs had partially formed over some of the staples and it was not fun for him to have them taken out. The nurse was doing her best to be gentle, but it was taking a while and after two staples I was ready to just rip the staple remover from her hand and take them out myself. Spencer got himself really worked up and was screaming and crying hard. He wouldn't hold still and I was telling the nurse to just do it fast. Another nurse came in to help and the nurses were afraid of putting me through trauma watching my son be so upset,  but I told them I just wanted it done. They ended up wrapping Spencer in the burrito wrap and holding him down on the table to quickly remove the remaining staples. He ended up calming down at the end when we told him there were only two more left and they were not scabbed over. Can I just say that I am glad it is all done! 

This experience has made me realized how quickly things in life can change. One minute your child can be fine, and the next in the E.R. getting 13 staples. I am just so glad that it wasn't more serious. I have tried to enjoy the kids a little more lately and have taken them a lot of places in the last couple of weeks even when I didn't feel like going anywhere just so we could have a good time together. I am incredibly grateful for my beautiful, healthy children and my wonderful husband and I realize how lucky I am to have them and hope I get to keep them around for a very long time! 

These are a Few of Gabe's Favorite Things . . .

(pictures to come when I actually have the camera home!)

-Wearing hats. His favorite hats are daddy's superman hat and the construction hard hats. 

-Throwing things down the stairs. Speaking of stairs, he has decided that he will only go down the stairs like the big kids (forward facing)! After trying it a couple of times by himself ending up in an adventurous ride down the stairs, he now just stands at the top of the stairs and yells "Maaaa, Maaaa!" until I come and hold his hand and let him walk down the stairs. 

-Shoes. If he can find his shoes, he will bring them to me because he wants them put on. He also likes putting on other people's shoes. He loves going places and he loves being outside.

-Shaking his head yes and no. Today when I asked him if he wanted some more yogurt, he shook his head "yes." He has been shaking his head yes for a while, but it was so cute that he responded to my question! He also thinks he is so funny when he continually shakes his head "no" which is really cute for now, but I suspect we won't think it is too cute in a few months!

-Raspberries on his belly when I change his diapers, although he is not so fond on the diaper changing thing. He would much rather be busy doing something else!

-Daddy chasing him. The cutest little happy giggle comes out. Today daddy took him to the doctor and chased him around the doctor's office. When the doctor came in, she said everyone could hear them in the hall and that they sounded like they were having a lot of fun!

-Peek-a-Boo. He loves playing this in the morning when he joins mommy and daddy in bed and daddy will hide under a pillow or the sheets. He also loves it when Spencer plays with him! He grins ear-to-ear and runs so Spencer will chase him! 

-Food. He likes to eat and is a good little eater. When he is finished eating, he will start throwing his food over the edge of the highchair. As soon as he is out of his seat, if I am not really fast at picking up the food he threw on the floor, he will immediately find it and start eating it--must taste better off the floor!?

-Family cheer. He loves family cheer at night after scripture study. Last night he even raised his arms above his head afterwards on his own.

-Throwing things. He will throw almost anything he can, including daddy's phone! One of his favorite things to throw is a hard ball that jingles--he throws it, runs to get it, picks it up, and throws it over and over again. 

-Kicking a ball. He is actually pretty good at kicking a little ball around and it is really fun to watch! 

-Music. He loves to dance and will nod his head or dance every time he hears music. He also loves a little doll that will make music if you hold both her hands. He will find that doll and bring it to me so that I can make her "sing." 

He is growing so fast, but he is still my baby for another four months and I am enjoying every minute of it (okay, except the ones where he follows me around the house screaming and doesn't want to be left alone or held!)

1, 2, 3, and then there were 4!

So I'm the world's worst blogger lately, but nobody has complained that I haven't posted, which makes me wonder if anyone even reads my ramblings anyways :)

We found out over a month ago officially that baby number five is going to be boy number four! We are pretty excited, but Emily was pretty disappointed and still continues to tell anyone she meets who will listen to her (including the neighbor out working in her yard, and the dryer repair man) that her "mommy is pregnant, and it's going to be ANOTHER boy!!" She feels so picked on :) The day we found out, I let her make cookies to cheer her up. She insisted that the "boys" were not allowed in the kitchen to help at all because she was the poor underprivileged child who was going to have another brother! She plays it up big time that she is the only girl--can we say "drama queen?" She really enjoyed the day when my sister came and got her for the day and she got to hang out with some girls and have some "girly time!" 

Here are newborn pics of our sweet little boys:

Spencer

Matthew

Gabriel

And we can't forget our little baby girl, she's pretty cute too!

Happy Birthday, Gabe!

Our little guy is ONE! I can't believe how fast he has grown. I call him my little cruiser because he is having fun walking all over the place and it is soooo cute! 

We made him a train cake and a small little train for him to eat by himself!

He wasn't really sure what to think about his own little cake!

He picked at it for a while and eventually dug in, 

but really didn't get too messy considering the possibilities!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GABE!

Exciting Updates!

Gabe is officially taking steps on his own without the persuading of mom and dad! He's so busy and cute. He is our biggest climber and loves standing up in the rocking chair which mommy has to hide sometimes so he doesn't kill himself. He also would like to go down the stairs walking forward like the big kids (Matthew did this too), so we really have to watch him. He has luckily only taken one nose dive so far down the stairs and mommy was there to catch him at the bottom!

That is probably the most exciting news around here besides the fact that we have officially announced (or should I say Emily did the announcing!) that we are 14 weeks pregnant with baby number five expected in September.

Oh, the other exciting news is my children who have been sick for almost a week are finally starting to get better, so I just might be able to clean up this disaster of a house today and move on with life with healthy children for the most part (minus the teething and still poor sleeping habits of Gabe!)

Valentine's Day Fun

Last year for Valentine's Day we did a candlelight lunch with the kids and they remembered, so this year to keep up with tradition, we had a candlelight dinner as a family. We let the kids pick the menu--hamburgers and tater tots (romantic, huh?) It was yummy and fun. We had to continue lighting the candles for several meals afterwards and take turns blowing them out. It was cute.

We also made heart shaped cookies and had intentions of taking them to some of our friends, but they were just too yummy and we ate too many and I didn't feel like making more--sorry :( We did however share with the cousins on date night. I wrote the names of all the kids on their own cookie and then called them downstairs to find their cookie and eat it. They thought that was pretty fun. Daniel ate his cookie by licking off all the frosting first. I didn't think he would actually eat the cookie after licking off every inch of frosting, but he did and was cute!

I let the kids make Valentines for some of their friends and then we delivered them as a family on Sunday. They had a great time and it was cute to see what they wrote and how they spelled it :) Emily got a little mushy in her first Valentine to her secret crush. It went something like this: "Happy Valentine's  Day Aaron, I love you. From the girl that loves you." We told her it was way too mushy (she of course asked what "mushy" is), and I told her that if she gave that to him, he would never talk to her again. Her response was "Why?" then "Mom, he doesn't really talk to me that much anyways!" She ended up giving him a much toned-down version.

Jim and I were somewhat lame as far as actually celebrating the day. We have been so busy lately that neither one of us did a card or gift. Fortunately, it has never taken either of those things for us to know that we love each other and this year was no different! Jim did bring me home a plant yesterday and I brought home a box of chocolates (can't pass up that after Valentine's Day clearance!) I love you, Jim! 

My Kids are Growing!

Emily is always coming up with some paper creation. Her latest yesterday was a paper growth chart where she could keep track of how tall she is getting. She taped it up on her bedroom wall and drew a line to mark how tall she is--it said "Emily's Hite" (we haven't learned how to spell "height" yet, and although she can read that word, she obviously doesn't know how to spell it--still cute for a seven year old!) Along with the line, she also has some sort of a little paper cutout that she can move up the chart as she "grows."

First thing this morning she came running into my room and told me that I had to come into her room at that exact moment to see something because she had "grown overnight!" I chuckled, got out of bed and went to look at her chart. She had indeed grown several inches overnight compared to yesterday's marking. I'm not sure how that happened, but my kids are growing (and apparently really fast!) She had to wake up Spencer and Matthew this morning to show them too, and they had to stand there to be measured. I wonder how many mornings we will get the wake-up call that Emily has "grown overnight!" I also wonder what will happen when she stops growing four inches in one night--oh, the disappointment!!!

Sunday Challenges

Taking four kids to church by myself always presents a bit of a challenge. We have done great about getting ready in the morning and going to church a little early. We have even done great at sitting on the bench for the most part. Today presented a different challenge. It is always a little tricky to make sure four people get the sacrament when I am the only one I really like to hold the trays for fear that if I receive "help," that "help" will equate to the sacrament trays being tipped over and the entire contents on the floor--has that ever happened to anyone? I'm sure in the history of church-going it has happened to someone, but I really try to avoid that person becoming me! 

So today I had all of my children strategically placed on the bench with Emily on my right so that she doesn't try to grab at the tray. Matthew and Spencer were on my left and the baby was on my lap. It is always a little challenging with a baby that grabs at things to be sitting on my lap, but especially challenging when the boys aren't paying attention. With one hand holding a baby and pinning his arms to me so that they can't grab, and the other holding the sacrament tray, there is no option to tap a shoulder to get attention. 

Today after the bread was passed, I quickly whispered in Matthew and Spencer's ears to pay attention and watch the tray so that when it came to them, they would be ready. So, on to the water . . . 

Spencer and Matthew were paying attention. The problem came in the fact that the family sitting in front of us has a baby just a little older than Gabe. He is also at the stage of pulling himself up to things and had pulled himself up to the back of the bench with his hands hanging over on our side--ready to grab at anything that might be put in his way.  With four little hands ready to grab, passing the sacrament tray through a small space right in front of these little hands presented a huge problem. At that point I needed to be an octopus! Do you see where this is going? 

Before I could pass the tray to the boys on my left, at least two hands had reached out to grab sacrament cups and knocked two on the floor. While trying to grab those two little hands and keep them from doing any more damage, I let up a little on the baby whose hands I had previously had pinned. He was now dipping his fingers in several cups of water. At this point, Matthew was crawling on the floor trying to gather up the lost sacrament cups, and I just gave up trying to safely pass the tray to him and just handed the tray back to the deacon passing the sacrament all the while grateful that the whole tray had not been dumped out! Then I took a deep breath and tried to keep myself from bursting into laughter realizing that if anyone had caught a glimpse of this catastrophe, they would be grinning ear to ear as well.

When Jim got home tonight I told him of this experience and asked if he had ever been in a meeting where the tray had been dropped. He then proceeded to tell me that his very first time passing the sacrament he dropped the tray because he thought the person taking it had ahold of it. I asked him what he did at that point "Did you just pick up in bread?" and responded "No, it was the water!" Okay, I think he wins!

Gabe's First Tooth

Gabe has his first tooth! He is almost 10 months old now and some of you may be saying--isn't that a little late to get teeth? Not for my kids, and can I just say I am grateful they don't get them earlier :) I guess we will be saying goodbye soon to our cute little toothless baby and hello to a whole new look. For me, they just start looking so different and more grown up when they start getting a mouth full of teeth :( 

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

Matthew turned three yesterday and it was a great day--except for the wonderful messes he managed to make a couple of times during the day. He was really lucky that he decided to make these choice messes on his birthday, or he may not have made it to three :) We sure love him and are glad he is part of our family. 

When we asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he said "cars" so we ended up with a car cake. Grandma and Grandpa Taylor, and Amy, Drew & kids came over for cake and ice-cream. When Amy, Drew, and boys arrived we were just sitting down for dinner at 7:00 if that is any indication of our crazy day. All in all it was a great day and it doesn't take much to put a smile on Matthew's face! 

Either we are in trouble, or we are going to be!

Gabe is crawling!! He has been moving himself around and starting to pull himself up to things for a couple of weeks now, but he hadn't quite figured out the continuous crawl movement until last night. I guess it's time to move into the really clean floor stage since he puts everything within his reach in his mouth. This stage gets increasingly difficult as we have more children to put those little things on the floor. Can I just say Legos and I have a love/hate relationship--I think they are a great learning toy and I get excited seeing the kids build cool and creative things, but I hate finding them all over my house! Do you think Legos go through kids like pennies? 

This whole trouble thing reminds me of Gabe's birth announcement. Boy, do they grow fast. Maybe I'm especially mindful of this as my sister is working on bringing another one into the world right now . . . Hurry up, Anthony! We need more trouble!!

Surprise!!

Jim was made bishop of our ward on Sunday. We received the official call over three weeks ago, but we had a feeling this was coming a long time before that--long enough for Jim to have a long time to think about what he was going to say that first Sunday. A couple of nights before he got put in, he asked me if he thought it would be okay if he got up to the pulpit and just said "Surprise!" After laughing for about five minutes straight (and I'm not exaggerating!) I told him he probably shouldn't :) He of course told this story over the pulpit when he got put in.

We are excited to serve this ward, but I still can't get over the mouthful of "Bishop Goostrey." Maybe we'll just stick with bishop! 

The kids are excited that their daddy is the bishop and that he will be the one to interview probably our first three kids for baptism.  I just can't get over the fact that our children are growing up. By the time Jim is done serving as bishop,  Emily will be in Young Women's!! I just can't believe it! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that our life has not been this settled ever. During almost nine years of marriage we have lived in six different places and now we are actually staying somewhere. It is just amazing to me, but I do love the people in this area! I'm trying to adjust to this new calling and what it will bring for our family. Jim will be great!!