{LOVE this kid!}

So yesterday I was sweeping the floor, and Ryan was standing at the island talking to me about school, etc. He stopped for a minute and then asked..

Ryan: Mom, do you still have baby weight you're trying to lose?

big pause here...not sure what's coming next.

Me: Um, yes I do.

Ryan: Well, it doesn't look like that to me. You just look normal.

I'll take normal!

He is also amazing with his sisters and brothers. His teacher took me aside aside a month or so ago, and told me how much he loves talking about them at school. He writes stories about them, and always wants to bring them in to show all his friends. It really is very cute.

I just have to brag on him for minute more. He is SUCH a huge help to me at home, and I have to say I think it's quite incredible that he can watch take care of his siblings so efficiently. Over the past year he has put girls to bed, fed babies, made dinner and fed the girls, and helped them get their breakfast in the morning. Through my whole pregnancy when I couldn't do much, then after the babies were new and I was still somewhat limited, I really had to count on him a lot, and he did it...with no complaints.

It has been so fun having him get older. Now he gets to stay up later than the four little ones, and we watch movies, eat popcorn, play games, and do lots of other things together. He loves to run errands with me, and he actually makes grocery shopping fun.

I am so grateful for this boy...he was definitely meant to be the older brother, and I have a strong feeling he is one of the reasons that our children came in the timing they did. I love you, Ryanboy!!

This is one of my all time favorite pictures of Ryan and Kate.


Ryan, consoling Kate when she was sick.


Classic tale of Ryan, helping his sisters:


This one just cracks me up! It's a classic brother/sister picture.


This is Jack or Henry...I can't tell, but I think you can see in Ryan's face how much he loves this baby!


This was taken just today, as I was teaching piano lessons.


He wanted to carry a baby, while Rick cut down the tree.


We love you, Ryanboy!

{a new tradition}

Yesterday I was able to fulfill a tradition that I have always, always wanted to do---take my girls to see the Nutcracker ballet.

They are just 3 years old, and we all know how long their attention spans can be, but since it only comes to our small town every three years, I was just too impatient to wait for the next one to come around. I wasn't sure how it would go, so I just planned ahead of time that it would be okay if we had to leave early.

We dressed up, then met our friends for lunch (other moms and their girls) first before heading to the theater for the matinee.

It was SO fun. The theater was packed with people, all dressed up, and everything was decorated so festively. I can't even explain the excitement in the air as we made our way to our seats--just 30 feet from the stage. Some of the programs had coloring pages in the them, and they handed out crayons at the door...SMART.

Then the lights went down, the music started to play, and the show was on.
The girls did pretty well for the first little while. Kate was asking a million questions, which I'm fine with, but her cute little voice can really carry, so I was trying to get her to use her church voice. That was the problem I guess, since that's how loud she talks there too! They were fascinated by the mice, and by the special effects that were used. They loved the sparkly tutus that the ballerinas wore, and told me me how much they wanted one just like it.

After an hour, they were hitting their maximum. They were getting really antsy, and Kate had to go to the bathroom again (despite already going beforehand). I was glad they made it to the intermission, but I knew it was time to make our exit. I believe in theater etiquette, and I didn't want to bother all the other patrons that wanted to enjoy the show. I would have loved to have stayed, but I was doing it for them, and I knew the day was a success.



They had a great time, and are still talking about it. This will definitely be a tradition that I hope will last for years to come.

{a day at the salon}

Call me crazy, but I took my four youngest with me to the salon today. The girls were in desperate need of a haircut, and I finally just made them an appointment to get it done.

Yes, I've tried cutting it myself. I've cut my boys' hair forever, so I decided it couldn't be that different. I actually did okay for several years, until Emma's hair started to get so thick I wasn't sure what to do anymore. I couldn't just trim around the bottom anymore, or add in my own layers or stacking--it required a lot more skill than I was ever going to have. So, I decided if I was going to keep their short, it needed to have a distinct style, and one I could keep up.
So, that brings us to today, and our trip to the salon. I timed it so that the boys had already eaten, and wouldn't need to eat again for awhile.

Our favorite hairstylist in the world is also the smartest hairstylist in the world, and has a whole bin of dum dum suckers and smarties with an unlimited quota. I think they each consumed at least 10 suckers each, maybe more, and I didn't even care. As soon as they were done with one, they would hand me the stick, and I would hand them another sucker! It totally worked, and after an hour and a half, we had two darling haircuts with not one breakdown, tantrum, or frustrated moment.

They are very pleased with their new "do's", and tell me they have princess hair. I love them too, and it was worth every penny!

Miss Emma



Miss Kate

{o christmas tree}

I think this has to be one of my favorite days of the year. There is just something about going out and choosing the perfect tree, cutting it down, and bringing it home to decorate.

When we left yesterday afternoon, we were bundled up to the hilt. Even though it hasn't snowed yet, it has been cold, and standing outside for what could be several hours can be chilly. So, I was thoroughly prepared. It took us 45 minutes to do it, but we had snow pants, boots, gloves, hats, and jackets on...we were ready to go.

As we were driving, we happened to pass one of those billboard signs that shows the temperature, and it declared that it was 48 degrees. Okay, so we might have overdone it just a bit, but better safe than sorry, right?

After arriving at our favorite tree farm, we chose a saw from the barn, and surveyed the different types of trees available this year. We love long-needled trees, especially the Concolor. When you break open the needles, it smells like tangerines, and makes the house smell so yummy. This year, however, only the short-needled pines were ready for cutting, and we finally settled on the Douglas Fir.

We hopped on the hay wagon to take us where we needed to be, and talked about what kind of tree we would look for. Kate wanted a tall & skinny one, while Miss Emma was hoping for a short & fat tree.

According to Rick, the decision was made in record time--only 30 minutes! He cut it down, and we dragged it back to the path to be picked up again by the hay wagon. Emma insisted on keeping one of the branches, and called it her "tree". That girl carried that branch all the way to the car--how could I not let her keep it?

After getting it shaken, baled, and on top of the truck, we were ready to go. Tradition stated that we stop for hot chocolate afterward, but everyone wanted ice cream this year. Maybe it was the unseasonably warm weather?

Despite the lack of snow, I am definitely feeling the Christmas spirit. Lights are up on the outside of our house, Christmas music is playing almost non-stop, and today the tree will be trimmed. I love it!!

This is the one!



Miss Kate


Ryan carried Jack most of the time, while Rick got the tree down.


Henry missed the whole thing!


Emma, and her tree.


The girls found the tree they wanted to bring home...just their size!

{santa parade}

The Saturday before Thanksgiving is a big day in the town we live in--it's the day of the Santa Parade! It's a super fun tradition that we look forward to each year, but this year was even more exciting, since I had two kids in the parade, and a husband that walked beside the float.

To advertise the Nativity Exhibit each year, there is a live Nativity float done by our two wards. Ryan was a shepherd, and Jack was baby Jesus. How did we choose which baby would play the part? Jack is lighter. :) We figured Mary might get tired holding Henry for two hours!





Can you tell what the girls' favorite part is? All the candy they get! They went home with more candy than they did on Halloween.



Christmas is coming!!

{it's already started}

{my darling girls}

{wordless wednesday}

{three months already?}

Considering how long the last three months of my pregnancy seemed, I guess it's no surprise how quickly the three months since the boys were born have gone. I feel like my life is going in warp speed, and I wish I could figure out a way to slow things down.
These boys are the light of our lives, and we all adore them. The girls have already divided them up (convenient, isn't it---two for two??)...Henry is Emma's "friend", and Jack is Kate's "friend". They take responsibility for "their" baby, and are always more than willing to help.

HENRY



*I really just want to squish him all the time. He is our big boy, and has definitely earned his most affectionate nicknames..."Hank the Tank" and "Bubba" (Emma came up with this one). He's still Henry most of the time though, and his smile takes up his whole face. He does everything big!! As you might guess, he is a big eater. At the time I'm writing this, we have been home from church for 4 hours, and he has consumed 18 ounces of formula. Yeah. Our formula budget is pretty much outrageous. He loves to snuggle, and I love to snuggle him. He is a happy, adorable baby.

JACK



*I can already tell he will be a mover and a shaker. He loves to kick, wave his arms, and play--he is full of energy. I love how he responds when I come in the room, walk by, or talk to him. His whole face lights up, and in turn, lights everyone else up. He is such a content baby, and loves to sit and observe everything that's going on. He has been dubbed "Jack Sprat", or "Jack-Jack". He's just as sweet as can be, especially with his bright blue eyes and fuzzy red hair.

and because I can't resist a good snuggling picture...


(and yes, it was sheet-washing day...)

LOVE these babies!

{halloween parties galore}

Wow. It's now time to take a breath. So many good things, so little time.

1. Halloween Gingerbread Houses

What fun we had making these! Of course a bunch of candy and frosting doesn't hurt, either. Each child's personality came through on their house...Emma was Miss Do-it-Herself ( you can probably tell which house is hers), Kate was mostly concerned about which candy had the best colors, and Ryan was meticulous as he created his house. It will definitely become a tradition at our house! Oh, and you have to love Kate and Emma's bling. It kills me. They even wore it to church. You gotta love what you can get in the grocery store aisle!


2. Halloween Party...Little Girl style

My friend and I decided to throw a party for our girls and a few friends. We played games--ghost bean bag toss, mummy wrap, and donut on a string. Spidery fingernails were next on the agenda, followed by a yummy menu of pretzel spiders, Nutter Butter ghosts, witch's brew, and the ever traditional decorated sugar cookie.



3. Halloween Night

One of the best nights of the year, in my book! I love the excitement in the air, the yummy food, the feeling of family and community, all the fun costumes, and getting together with friends. We enjoyed a delightful dinner of mummy hot dogs and carrot fingers for the kids, and pulled pork sandwiches and pasta salad for the adults. We topped it off with apple cider and Halloween cookies--yum! Trick-or-treating didn't last as long as usual for the little ones...it was FREEZING outside. They are easy to please though, and were thrilled with all the candy the got. After we got home, I put the kids to bed while Rick took Ryan out to another neighborhood.
Oh, and you'll notice I don't have one picture of Mr. Ryan in his costume. For some reason, as he gets older in years, his love of posing for the camera diminishes exponentially. I had my chance at our trunk-or-treat a few weeks ago, but of course I forgot my camera and didn't nary a picture. Take my word for it though--he was awesome as a mad scientist, complete with a very official chemist's flask, borrowed from a good friend, who is indeed, a full-fledged chemist.






Happy Halloween all!!

{take a bite out of...}

I always keep a basket of fruit on my counter, like a good mother should, but in the past it has been in the far corner, and fairly unreachable. This past week I moved it to the center of the island--and this is what I've found...



Hmmmm. At least they didn't throw it away, right?

{fall favorites}

Some things just have to be done in the fall. I think my some of my most favorite traditions happen right now.

1. Cider mill & pumpkin patch

They are aplenty around here, and it's only a matter of trying to choose which one to go to! We always go once to pick pumpkins, and then several other times just to enjoy. We have our favorites, and my MOST favorite in particular is a little over an hour away. It's close to where we lived for grad school, and holds a ton of memories for us. Ryan has been going there since he was 2 years old! So, when we had the opportunity to go there this year, we jumped on it. It was a WONDERFUL day. The weather was nice, the sun was out, and it just felt like fall. We ate a yummy lunch, rode the train and the wagon, walked through a corn maze, watched apples being made into cider, had donuts and apple cider, and thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was perfect!!








2. Something warm...

My new favorite? It's called Autumn Punch, and is very similar to Wassail. Add the ingredients to your crock pot, and not only will you have something yummy to warm you up, but your house will smell divine! I found this recipe at allrecipes.com.

AUTUMN PUNCH

12 c. apple juice
4 1/2 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. brown sugar
6 T. lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 oranges
24 whole cloves

Combine first 6 ingredients in crock pot. Cut oranges into thick slices, then poke 4 cloves into the rind of each slice. Float oranges on the top, then place cover on crock pot. Warm through on medium-low heat, then simmer for as long as you like!!

3. Pumpkins on the porch



I love having pumpkins on my porch, and of course it's extremely traditional across the country. This year I tried something new, and I love how they turned out! They were super easy to do, and gave them a whole new look. For details, check here.

4. Fall leaves & country roads

The roads here are breathtaking. I want to just hold on to the view forever, and wish that the season would last just a little longer. (Not to mention winter is coming, which is a whole other story...) This is the street I live on--



5. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

What a yummy fall treat this is, and a fall must for our family. A few years ago we decided to try a sweet version of our favorite pumpkin seed recipe, and this is what we came up with. They are sweet, crunchy, and delicious, and DEFINITELY worth the effort!

TOASTED CINNAMON & SUGAR PUMPKIN SEEDS

2 c. pumpkin seeds
2-3 T. butter, melted
cinnamon & sugar

Wash seeds well. Boil seeds in a small amount of water in a medium saucepan for 10 minutes. Spread out evenly on aluminum foil and dry well. Toss the dry seeds in the butter, then coat with cinnamon & sugar. Spread out on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 225 degrees for approximately 1-1.5 hours or until toasted brown.

TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

2 c. pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. butter, melted
1 1/4 tsp. seasoning salt (or table salt, if preferred)

Follow same directions as above.

Happy Fall everyone!!!