Our lovely Fall Break

I joke with my friends that my family never goes anywhere besides Utah.   The truth is that we love going home and will use any excuse to see our families.  Fall break was no exception.  Besides, we had a baby to bless and really wanted family around to make it special.

We blessed #4 on a Saturday at the home of my in-laws.  Almost all of Spouse's family attended and many from mine did too.  It is a blessing to feel love and support! After the blessing we broke out the ice cream and had a build-your-own-sundae party. 

#3, cousin "Jophes" and #2 digging into some of the toppings.

Cinderella baby.  In the commotion of being passed around, she lost a shoe!

My sister in law and my dad swapped back surgery nightmares.

My sweet MIL holding #4

  

 

Spouse flew home on Monday and the children and I stayed the week to enjoy a real Autumn.  I know I say it every year, but isn't October glorious?

#3 finding apples in Grandma's yard

One afternoon my mother in law hosted a "Mysterious Pumpkin" party for some of the cousins.  She had fancy dresses for the girls and mysterious capes for the boys and they were all given aliases like, Miss Golden Beauty, Mrs White  and Colonel Mustard.  Then the hunt was on, looking for clues as to where the pumpkin might be hiding.

Mrs White and Miss Golden Beauty

Another day my mother took us to Tooele to visit my grandmother and then onto Provo for a fun afternoon at Hee Haw Farm with cousins.  My lovely grandma is warm and welcoming and I was pleased to introduce her to #4.

At Hee Haw Farm we basked in a golden October afternoon enjoying hayrides, pony rides, a corn maze, petting baby pigs and bunnies and getting lost in a vast tub of corn.

This was an authentic hay ride. No bales of hay to sit on or wooden benches.  Just a bunch of loose hay on a flat bed trailer, pulled by an old farm tractor.  The kids loved it but I was sure the thing was going to fall apart.

#1 loves creatures of all kinds and spent the most time in the petting coral, feeding the goats, sheep and little pigs.

With love, from one ham lover to another.

They don't call it Hee Haw Farm for nothing!

Buster giggled while these little bunnies sucked on his fingers.  He even put up with a little nibbling!

Can you believe all this corn?  Want to guess how much corn we found afterwards in pants, shoes and jackets and various body parts?  Let me just tell you, there was corn in the unmentionables!

I'll let #2 sum up our Fall Break, "I had so much fun, I almost forgot about school!"

For those of you concerned about my mental health, considering that I single-handedly flew home with four children, I survived.  #4 is blessedly a mild tempered and easy baby and we had no diaper emergencies, so overall it was a success.

No baby, no cry

Because we live in a little house we have to improvise sometimes.  This is #4's current sleeping arrangement: a moses basket on top of the toy chest we moved out of the girl's room.  

She loves her little basket and sleeps like a champion, even at night!

You will notice there are two signs taped to the wall and the bottom of the toy chest.  Here is a better look:

"No crying!"

One morning #1 was having an uncharacteristically emotional time, which involved some crying.  This was upsetting to my very sensitive and compassionate #3.  While I was focusing on #1, #3 went to work drawing and distributing these signs throughout the house.  As mentioned above, #3 placed two around #4's bed, as she is the main culprit of the now illicit crying.

Later in the day after having a small meltdown involving tears #3 said, "I don't like those signs anymore."

She's here!

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!

Early in August my doctor scheduled my induction for Monday, August 27th at 5:00 a.m.  At that moment I made a mental assessment of my remaining physical and mental strength and subconsciously rationed it out to last exactly until Monday, August 27th at 5:00 a.m. 

So it wasn't very good for me when the hospital called on Sunday, August 26th at 7:30 p.m. to tell me that they were backed up and I would need to wait an indefinite amount of time before space was made for me.

I was frustrated!  I was mad! I was depressed. I was going to be pregnant FOREVER!!!

Two long days later, I was finally called in.  It felt like I had won the lottery.  On our way to the hospital, I paused in my excitement and told Spouse, "I can't believe I'm this excited to be poked and needled, put in a tremendous amount of pain and to be split in two."

Of course what I was really excited about was this moment at 9:36 a.m. on Wednesday, August 29:

The relief of the pain and the joy of meeting our daughter, all 7 lbs 11ounces and 21 1/2 inches of her.  Her head is only 13 inches around!  So tiny and so precious. I'm not used to small babies; it's a new and pleasant experience.  In contrast, Buster's head was 17 inches. 

Please excuse my immodest shoulder. 

We think she looks like Spouse's mom.  It's her mouth and nose.  I told a friend that I thought she resembled my mother in law and she replied that my mother in law must be very beautiful.

Meeting their sister for the first time

So much about the pregnancy and birth of this baby is a new experience. It's fun for me to share the joy of her birth with my children, who are not toddlers.  They love her!  They are concerned for her, and for me and want to help.

We are so lucky to have my mom here.  She watched and fed our children, got them off to school, did homework with them and put them to bed at night so Spouse and I could spend those first precious days in the hospital enjoying our new babe.

I think about everything Spouse did for me during my pregnancy, how he was by my side supporting and loving me throughout my delivery and how he continues to be gentle and serve me during my recovery.... if that isn't love I don't know what is. 

Plus, he brought me chocolate in the hospital.  Lots and lots of it.  Then he brought me flowers.

This is a little how I felt too when I thought about coming home from our babymoon at the hospital. Not quite ready to face reality.

We have been home three days are are doing just fine.  I'm starting to remember all the little things about newborns, like their funny faces and bowed legs and how to burp them.  I'd forgotten what 3:00 in the morning felt like.  My mom is here for two more days, I plan on sleeping as much as possible.

Backpacking

Nearly a month ago, Spouse took #1 and #2 on a backpacking trip with many members of my family.  It's a backpacking trip that has been a tradition in my family for my whole life; I blogged about it a few years ago, the last time we participated.  The location is in the Sawtooth Mountains about in the middle of Idaho.

The circumstances this year were much different than in years past.  There were no moms!  Well, almost.  My mom and my two sisters in law were able to go, but the rest of the girls in my family (5 of us) stayed back to watch the young children.  It was a Dad's trip and from what I understand, they all did great!

#1, #2 and Spouse hiked a total of around 14 miles in three days, carrying everything they needed on their backs.  They filtered water from the stream by which they camped and built fires from the wood they collected. 

That's a whistle in #2's mouth, not a pipe. 

#1 and #2 both caught many fish.  #1 threw all of her fish back into the water, but #2 decided to try one for lunch.  He said it wasn't bad.

That's #1 in the middle with her cousins.

#1 and #2 working on their walking sticks and yes, that is a skirt #1 is wearing.  She insisted.

Nothing wrong with a little stick fight, right?

#2 all geared up for the hike down the mountain.

Nana with #1 and a TX cousin

#2 is practicing his balancing skills.  On the hike you must cross a rushing stream, precariously balancing on a log high over the water.  It freaks me out every time but apparently my kids are much braver than I am!

All ready to head home for showers and a soft bed.

Spouse earned the Dad of the year award for doing this trip without me. It is a hard hike, and that's if you're only worried about yourself and not having to encourage two little ones up the mountain too.  And once you're camped, everything is a lot of work: preparing meals, getting water, brushing your teeth, even using the bathroom!  Spouse managed everything... and didn't lose the kids!  Well done Spouse!

More from Utah - my family reunion

Day one of my family reunion started at the lake where all my siblings from Kentucky, Texas, Wyoming and Utah converged for boating, picnicking and serious sand fort building.  Between my dad, Spouse and my brother Miguel, the boat always had a driver ready to take willing kids on thrilling tube rides.

#1 and #3 with awesome cousins from UT and TX 

One exciting moment of the day was when Buster came running out of the water screaming, hitting at the back of his swimsuit.  My sister reached him before I did, and by the time my pregnant body made it to him, the screaming had stopped but he was still trembling and frightened.  "A lobster bit me!"  Sure enough, scurrying away from him was a huge crawdad that apparently couldn't resist a nibble of his white bum cheeks.

When we were sufficiently sun-burned and tired of the beach we quickly showered and met at the park for dinner and our FAMILY DANCE.  You betcha!  Spouse took some really fun videos but unfortunately there was a big blue whale moving to the beat in at least a few frames which means you don't get to see the rest of my family getting down on the dance floor.  The dance was a hit! The kids loved letting loose and it was fun to see the adults break it down. 

These three totally rocked the dance floor!

#3 getting ready to boogie!

Buster busting a move

After the last song on the playlist my talented bro-in law Bra (his moniker, not mine!) brought out his guitar and treated us to his music.  Bra plays his own music which is acoustic and upbeat and my sister sings the harmony.  Their sound is unique and so enjoyable to listen to.

Bra wears red TOMS, so you know he's way more hip than the rest of  us

The next morning we got up bright and early and drove up Logan Canyon to Tony Grove lake where my mom had reserved a few camp sites. We didn't actually sleep over, but used the space for meals and activities.  My mom surprised the grandkids with these tie-died shirts, fun games where they could earn "power pebbles" and a store that she opened at the end of the day where the "power pebbles" could be turned in for prizes.  

Tony Grove is a beautiful area with tall pines and thousands of wild flowers. The lake is pristine and perfectly blue.  My parents rented a canoe in which the kids loved taking turns.  While on the lake they saw two bull moose wading in the shallow edge.  Buster caught a tiny fish, without a fishing pole. It was already dead, but that didn't reduce the excitement. He carried around that fish carcass for hours before I finally convinced him to throw it in the fire.

#1 and #3 getting ready for some wilderness games.  My nephew A is getting himself a snack for later.

Showing off their tie-dye

This is all of us!

#3 working on her bird house.

Buster and his rotting fish

 

Sweet Brother Brig taking his nieces out for a canoe ride.

There's just one more post to cover the rest of our vacation and you don't want to miss it! Spouse took #1 and #2 on a back packing trip, without me.  Did they survive? Stay tuned....

1st day of school, 1st day of school!

 This morning my house was quiet and I was alone, really alone for the first time in 9 1/2 years. 

#4 will be here in a few weeks and then it'll be like I'm starting all over.  But until then, I've got mornings all to myself.  If I weren't giantly pregnant, I think I'd use the time for shopping, working out, going to the temple... you know, things that aren't fun with kids around (or impossible with kids around!).  As it is, I'm not ashamed to say I'm planning on spending my mornings laying in bed. 

Here they are:  my school kids!

The 4th grader

 

The 2nd grader

 

 The Kindergartener

 

#3 is attending a different elementary school than her older brother and sister because their school doesn't offer a 1/2 day class.  So after I dropped the older ones off (literally, I dropped them off. They didn't want to be walked in), we drove over to #3's school and got her set up in her classroom.

#3 did great. She didn't seem nervous, she just found her seat and started coloring.  I asked her if she was ready for me to leave and she replied by pointing to a chair in the corner, "You can stay, but go sit over there."  I watched as she tried to make polite conversation with her fellow table-mates.

"What's your name?"  They weren't as collected as #3 was this morning and all of them were too shy to answer.  "I said, What's your name?"  "What? I can't hear you."  So then she directed her questions to the parents milling around.  "What's your daughter's name?  Why won't she answer me?"

#3 also convinced me she didn't want to be picked up on her first day. She wanted to ride the bus home.  The bus stop is right in front of our house.  She loved it.

Here's to a successful 2012-2013 school year!  And here's to a few weeks of laying in bed all morning!