2011 so far!

Is it really already almost the end of February!  I guess time does fly when you are having fun.

One of the greatest highlights of this year was for Matt - he finished his first marathon!! So, to sum Matt up in one word, I would have to say "Champion."  Seriously, I'm not using that word lightly.  He is A-amazing when it comes to running and pushing himself to the limit.  In addition, he was very diligent in training, which really paid off in the end.  He told me before the race that he wanted to do under 4 hours.  Since I haven't done a marathon, that number didn't really mean anything to me.  At first I thought he was trying to qualify for some other great huge race, but he was just trying to achieve a personal goal.

So that morning was kind of crazy.  He thought he was going to be done about 10:00, so I got the kids ready, planning enough time to drive to the race and walk to the finish line.  Seems simple enough, but while I"m busy getting Lexie dressed, Jax has attempted to get a snack out of the pantry, only to pull an entire shelf off the pantry, dispersing Goldfish crackers all over the floor.  Of course, I can't just leave the mess, so I hurriedly sweep it up, throw the kids in our car and we are off.  Meanwhile, Matt calls me to tell me that he has 2 miles left to go, so I start to panic.  We can't miss him at the finish line.  We get there and I have no idea where to park.  I find a park that is pretty close to the finish line and we park.  Of course I forgot the stroller, so I gather Lexie in my arms and we literally jog over to the finish line.  I realize at this point that I have forgotten the camera (of course).  I dig in my purse for my phone so that I can at least use that to snap a picture of him, but find it with no avail, realizing it must be in the car.   I definitely do not have time to run back to the car.  Then this lady approaches me and says, "Your children have the most beautiful eyes."  I tell her that is from my husband.  Then I ask her probably the most random question she has ever been asked.  "Do you mind taking a picture of my husband as he crosses the finish line?" I could have (and probably should) have offered her an explanation, but maybe she could tell by the fact that I was sweating bullets that she should just help me and not ask!

When we see Matt's neon yellow-green jacket coming up the bridge, it makes us all excited.  At 3 hours and 47 minutes (and some odd seconds) Matt crosses the finish line with tears in his eyes.  We go over to congratulate him and he seriously acts like he just went for a short jog.  Besides the fact that he has a blister on his big toe (which he eventually lost the toenail of), he feels great.  Then he says, "I could have gone 10 more!"  Really?  See, he's a CHAMPION.  I have to get the picture off his phone so there is proof of the grand finish!

Not quite sure about the single side pony?!?!

And this is what Lexie looks like half the time1  She likes to take  her pony tails  out when we aren't looking and this is the result - Frankenstein hair!

Lexie also turned 1 just last week.  I really can't believe that she is a year and also that we have been Texans for almost a year.  (Still haven't got the twang, but I'm trying to pick it up).

Cupcakes for breakfast anyone?e

Christy and her family came over so we could celebrate Texas style.  One of Matt's friends gave him tickets to the Baylor versus Kansas State BBall game and so we made a family outing of it and went to cheer on the Bears!  We had a blast.

Go Bears!

Lexie's favorite part was the popcorn!  The boys liked meeting the mascot and yelling really loud (cuz that's what boys do, right).  I'm proud of Jax, as a year ago he wouldn't have anything to do with a big, stuffed, life-size moving bear.  (When I put it that way, it does sound kind of creepy...).  He's really grown up in the last year and walked right up to the mascot to say 'hello!'

Sic' Em Bears!

Can you find the hiding boy?!?!  

After sitting in the parking lot for what seemed like eternity, we made our way to the Mayborn Museum.  It's a museum catered towards kids. There is an anatomy room, a recycle room, a bubble room, a sound room, an eye room, just to name a few!  The kids had a blast.

I like your thinking Chase!

A birthday is not complete without cupcakes! (My first shot at fondant -I had a blast!)

Lexie "picking" at her cake.

By this time, Lexie was getting tired so we made our way home, ate pizza and then she took a 45-minute cat nap so she would be good and ready for cake and ice cream.  When she woke up, we presented her with the cake.  I was waiting for her to smear frosting all over her face and clothes, but instead she used her pointer fingers to scrape  frosting off the top and taste it.  I guess she just likes being a lady.  She opened her presents.  Christy and family got her the cutest little Adidas running shoes.  See her in action..

Run Lexie, Run!


Carter is doing really well in school.  He is already reading at a 3rd grade level.  I was able to help out in his class last week and had a blast.  He is learning a lot.  He is usually one of the first ones done with his work in class.  He usually aces his homework, except for when he goes to fast and misses things.  (I remember being like that).  He's becoming a rich man as all his teeth fall out. #3 came out last week and I think he's up to 10 bucks!  I think I got 50 cents when I was a kid!  Gotta love inflation! We are going to sign him up for Coach-pitch starting in a few weeks and he's excited about that!

Silly as ever!

Carter lost his third tooth!  (Actually daddy pulled it out, which was quite traumatic...what a trooper!)

Jax can be found outside.  Sometimes he even likes to play outside.  When I allow him, he likes to play outside.  H loves riding his bike, scooter, mini quad, jumping on the tramp or just running around.   Our neighbors that moved in a few months ago play a game called "Washers" or "Kentucky Horseshoes." and Jax and Carter have really enjoyed that.  In fact, he just made us a BYU set that he finished today.  I'll have to post pics soon.  I'm pretty sure Jax is a lot like how Matt was when he was little - full of energy.  Grandma Jo said that Matt would play so hard and then fall asleep anywhere.  Jax is the same way (if he sits still long enough to do so).  He is full of life and our family definitely wouldn't be the same without him.  He's getting very good at writing and learning all of his letters.

I just loved this picture of Jax.  You can find him on his bike more often then not!

I hope the rest of 2011 treats us this good!

2012 Family Pics!

I can't believe I'm just now getting to posting these, but better late than never!

 I guess I've been thinking a lot about my kids right now and my role as their mother.  As I was in the shower today and my kids were all playing on the floor in the bathroom, I wondered to myself why they have to follow me around everywhere.  First, I'm cooking in the kitchen and they are surrounding me and now I'm showering and they are less than 10 feet way.

This seems to be the trend around here, not just lately but always.  I think I may have even asked my mom if we were like that being young and I'm sure she said yes.  Then I thought to myself, there will be a day when my kids won't want to be around me anymore and I'm sure I will be completely sad about that. I'm so grateful for my kids and that I'm able to stay home and be with them every day.

I do have a confession to make as well.  It seems like recently people have been asking me if having 3 kids has been a lot harder than 2.  My first thought is well, no.  Lexie has been a great baby and so much fun, so I feel like it hasn't been too much of adjustment.  Then lately I have felt like I just can't get anything done and I wondered if it was mainly due to the addition of Lexie.  By the time I get Carter off to school, feed Jax and Lexie, breakfast, head to the gym, run a few errands, feed Jaxon and Lexie lunch, put Lexie down for a nap, help Jax with his letters and numbers, clean a bit here and there,

help Carter with his homework when he gets home, fix dinner, eat dinner, spend a little quality time with the family, get kids to bed, it is 9:00 and I look back on the day and think to myself, "What did I do today?"  I guess when I say "get things done," I'm not sure really what I mean by that, because I did get a lot of things done. None of my kids went hungry, got injured, and are now safely in their beds getting the rest they need.  So I guess, I have to remind myself to enjoy this time and season in life when "getting things done" mainly constitutes of making sure my kids stay healthy and strong and learn how to be good people.  Back to the original question, though.  Three kids hasn't really been that much of an adjustment.  I think there are certain situations when having 3 kids is harder, like getting ready to leave or taking the kids anywhere by myself.   Just having one extra person to get ready, has been a bit of a struggle at times, but I wouldn't change it for a second!  :)

Bath time!

Caution:  This posts contain partial nudity...

So I know the last few posts have been about Lexie.  Well, maybe the cat's finally out of the bag, she is my favorite.  Okay...totally kidding.  I better not say that or I'm going to give my boys a complex.  I love all my kids equally (like we are supposed to, right).  I'm not gonna lie though, it has been really fun to have a girl.  

Lexie absolutely loves bath time.  Tonight I let her splash around in the tub for about 20 minutes and she was in heaven.  As I would say, "Splash, splash," she would splash around.  Maybe it is just that her smile melts me...

See what I mean!  :)  This is her funny scrunched up nose smile.  My theory behind this face is that she looks at me when I smile and is trying to mimic my squinty eyes!  :)

Our first "mean parent" moment with Lexie

Pretty much from the day we found out we were having a little girl I was so excited to be able to pierce her ears.  I have always had a fetish with cute little earrings on baby girls.  I'm silly, I know.  I wanted to do it when she was really little (like 2 months or something) and our pediatrician suggested that we wait until 6 months so that she has all of her immunizations.  So six months came and went and we finally made it to the jewelry store last month.  

The good part about it all was that (of course) Lexie had no idea what was going on.  It was the worst for me and Matt because we knew what was coming.   She was smiling at the salesperson as happy as could be, until...the snap.  The lady told us that the noise was the worst part and what actually made them cry.  Sure enough, the minute she snapped the gun (for lack of a better term), I remember looking at Lexie and seeing the look of horror on her face.  She held her breath for what seemed like a minute and then let out a gut-wrenching cry.  I felt so awful and mean for choosing to inflict this pain upon her (although someday I'm sure she will thank me right?).  Luckily the crying only lasted for a few minutes, and we all survived. Isn't she precious?!?!

Where or where has the time gone.

So honestly, my first-liners of "It's been forever!" or "Where has the time gone" are getting pretty monotonous around here and it's almost funny at this point. I think one of the main reasons it has taken me this long to blog again is I've been trying to figure out how to sum up everything that we have done since Easter. Did I just type Easter? That must have been a typo....nope Easter was the last time I wrote. That means Lexie was 2 months old! Yikes, I'm really bad at this. I guess blogging needs to be bumped to the top of my Weekly To-do list. I'm just going to spew things out as I think of them, so it will be a jumbled mess, but hopefully I can at least count it as a blog catch-up and move forward from here.

In August Uncle Cody came home form his mission to Santa Maria, Brazil. It was so great to see him and even better than that, we got to take a 2+ week vacation to Utah to visit everyone. Unfortunately daddy wasn't able to join us for the whole time because of his new job, but he came at the tail-end of the trip.

The kiddos and I were able to go to cousin Mike and his beautiful new wife Courtney's wedding in Idaho Falls the weekend after we got there. It was beautiful and they are so happy. Attending weddings always make me reflect on our wedding and I can't believe we are almost at our 10-year! Happy times.

We had a great time spending time in Idaho with lots and lots of family. That is one thing we really miss about living far away now is seeing all our family on a more frequent basis. I guess we just have to cherish the time we do have with them and always make the most of it.

We went back to Utah after that and I was able to hang out with aunts Debbie and Janie, Dustin and Amy, and Christy (whose loving husband let her spend a week in Utah without all her kids). I also got to see some old friends from high school and Lehi and it is always fun to catch up.

Cody arrived home on Tuesday, August 16 and we got to meet him at the airport with the banners, balloons, and the sorts. And what airport homecoming wouldn't be complete without a full-size cardboard stand up of Cody with a sign saying, "Have you see me?" A lot of bystanders got a kick out of that one.

Grandma and Grandpa Hill rented a huge inflatable double slide that kept the kids entertained literally all day. I said "literally" because really from the time they set it up (about 11 a.m.) Carter and Scotty played on the slide from then until sundown. I kept thinking they would get bored of going down the same slide over and over again, but they just couldn't get enough. Jax loved it too. I even took my stab at it and had a lot of fun.

Sunday was the Homecoming and it was great to see family come to celebrate. We had a chance to see Great Grandma Shane and Grandpa Shane for a few hours and that was really fun. We headed home Tuesday afternoon and arrived home late Tuesday night.

Carter started 1st grade this year. He has loved it so far and is getting really good at reading. His teacher is teaching him sign language which is very cool and so he comes home and shares it with us every night. Carter is a very good student and the minute he gets home, he pulls out his homework and is reading books and gets his homework finished. I'm impressed by his discipline. Hopefully he will keep it up throughout his school years! I'm crossing my fingers...

Jax started preschool and loves it as well. He asks every day if preschool is today. I think he would want to go every day if I let him. Jax is so fun to have home, even though he likes to test me in every way possible. I have had fun seeing Jax and Lexie interact. Lexie's face seriously lights up when she sees Jax and she gets all excited, waving her arms and kicking her legs. It is almost as if she is anticipating what he is going to do next. I'm glad she doesn't look at him with terror in her eyes, because he does like to mess around with her a lot and he does love to pick her up and play with her, sometimes to her dismay! In fact, the other day, he figured out that he could pull her around the tile floor when she was lying on her silky blanket. She was just laughing and laughing.

Lexie has changed so much and continues to every day. She is now almost 8 months and crawling all over the place. She loves to pull her self up and stand up by the couch and it almost seems if she is so proud of herself when she does so. She is so funny and kind of a stinker at times and definitely has a little "diva" inside. She tries to roll over when I'm changing her diaper and I'm scared for what is in store if she is already being a little tease at only 7 months old. LIke I said above, she loves her brothers and loves that she has mobility. I can barely hold her at times without her trying to jump out of my arms. She has started solid foods and some of her favorites are sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, muffins, oatmeal, and peas and beans (she doesn't like these so much).

That is our life in a nutshell right now.

Easter Fun

It seem like Easter came and went. It's funny how much having a girl can change things. When I say that I guess I mean, I never "made" anything for my boys. The minute I found out I was having a girl, I got busy making bedding, dolled-up onsies, carseat covers, headbands and bows, and the list goes on and on...

This year, as many of you know, I attempted to sew Lexie a dress for Easter. It turned out pretty good (and had many flaws, which I won't share with you) and I was pretty proud of my first dress. Even if it wasn't perfect, I had so much fun, I believe there will be more dresses and outfits to come.

Of course since I got Lexie all dolled up, I HAD to match the boys. I found some lavendar $10 dress shirts and ties that I thought went perfectly with Lexie's dress and I think they all look adorable.

Our easter was full of egg dying, egg hunts, and most importantly reflection on our Savior and his resurrection. We are so grateful for him and all he has done for us. Happy Easter!

2 months already!

I could just eat her up!!

They say "Time flies when you are having fun!" We must have been having lots of fun around here because Lexie was born and just the other day I called the doctor's office for Lexie's 2-month appointment! Also, my friend sent me some pictures the other day that she had taken of Lexie when she was about a month old and I can't believe how much she has changed in only a month. I just want to freeze time and I want her to stop growing. Actually, if I could freeze time and stop all of my kids from growing bigger I would.

I love their innocence and I get frightened about their future in this crazy world of ours. I always tell my boys that they need to just stop growing and they tell me that I'm crazy. "Mom, we have to get bigger" or "We want to be big like dad." Well, no matter what my wishes, they continue to grow and unfortunately I can't freeze time. So I guess we will just have to continue having fun...