Our Family

 Our three kiddos.  It is night and day when comparing our third baby to our first.  With Boston we tried to be quiet because the baby was sleeping and now this baby has learned to sleep through the chaos and yelling.

 I recently heard a inspiring video that talked about gratitude.  The idea is to take a few minutes either writing them down or thinking about things that made you happy that day.  Then explaining why they were good and what role I had in the situation.  This has been awesome because I'm starting to see those tender mercies that I encounter each day.  As I've been doing this I've laughed at the times it could be opposite like for instance, when I went outside to see Boston's clothes off and him on the side of the house pooping like a dog.  Yeah, that was a shining moment or when my drink got run over by a van as I was loading the car full of groceries or when my neighbor stopped by and Boston starting throwing rocks at  her little girls because he has decided he doesn't like people.  Or how about when Cambree peed at the Carl's Junior playplace.  She usually has no accidents but saves them for when she is at the top of the highest slide and I get to climb up there and hope the other kids can manage themselves, plus the looks you get when parents actually realize that kids probably pee in there on a regular basis and that my wet daughter is not the first.  Good times but all in all I'm learning to laugh about these things and not let them destroy my day as a mother.  Keep trucking forward.

 The other day Ryan started talking like a cowboy to the kids and this is what transpired.

Dance

Cambree started dance class at Syracuse City.  40 bucks for eight weeks is a steal and she loves it.  It's pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen.

 My girl seems to need a lot more reassurance that she is doing well than her brother does.  Just an observation I've made as she runs over me during dance class and constantly tells me she is my "special girl."  She also looks to me for smiles and encouragement.  I thought about this the other day and am trying to think of ways that she can know it on her own without my constant assistance.  Our Love and Logic class once told us that instead of me always saying, "Good Job,"  I can instead ask her how she thinks she did and have her come to her own conclusion.  These pictures bring smiles as I think about them.  This is her first day of dance and I tried to figure out a cute outfit and then she ended up insisting that she wear her ABC shirt and sweats over the top.  Whatever....if I had a slogan for me as a mother it is...Pick your Battles.  I'm kinda over it.

The Last Five Weeks

This is what happens when my kids take my phone.  I get about 40 of the same picture that looks like this or pictures of some random part of the house.

We found out the Utah Grizzlies mascot lives across the street.

Brinley is starting to smile more.  She has slept through the night for the last five days.  It is usually 10 to 7, but right now she is still asleep and it is 7:45.  This makes our lives so much easier.  However, we do have this terrible time before she goes to sleep.  About 5 she begins her colick.  Thank goodness that is about the time Ryan is coming home.  Crying drives me nuts.  It is my tool for insanity.  We spend the rest of the night taking shifts until we can get her to calm down around 10, sometimes 11, and even once at 12.  We often comment that she is our "best colicky baby."  The others were worse and she really is helping me out by sleeping so much once she falls to sleep.

 

This big brother loves his sister.  I have seen such an improvement in his behavior since Brinley came to our family.  He still gives me a run for my money but he is getting better and I will take anything I can get.

Boston's field trip to Black Island Farms just me and him.  Grandpa took Cambree to dance and daddy was home sick with the baby.  Thankfully Brinley slept the whole time.  Boston is really loving his preschool teacher Ms. Kate and she told me she really loves him.  There is something about Boston that can melt your heart.  He's pretty sweet and innocent sometimes.

My Silly Boy

A Selfie

Smiles.  Poor Brinley always looks like a little boy but the headband is literally the last thing I'm thinking about when we are rushing out the door.  It is okay.  She's still cute.

This picture is at the mall.  I was trying to give the baby some sun for a few minutes (she's still a little jaundice) while the kids entertained themselves playing hide and go seek.

See....jaundice or just really tan?

My pretty girl

First bath at grandmas and the only one she has ever enjoyed.  Grandma has the touch because there was no wailing and screaming.

Cambree going to dance.  When Ryan and I looked at this picture, we had a glimpse of what our cute girl will look like when she gets older.  She wears that jacket and tells us that she is gorgeous.  I believe her.

Baby Brinley

Boston's 5th Birthday

 We had a pirate party for Boston's 5th birthday.  We had nine little pirates and two big pirate leaders.  We dressed them all up like pirates and did a treasure hunt around the house until they found the treasure.

 They decorated boats

 Walked the plank

 Pinned the tail on the aligator

 Floated boats

 Played musical chairs

 Had pirate cupcakes

 Uncle Brian came from California to see the baby and join in on the celebration.

 Ryan even buried treasure in the front yard.

 We had a lot of fun planning this party and hope the kids had fun too.