Life

Another post about my life right now.  It's been very hard to find time to update this blog as much as I would like.  A post or two per month will have to do.  As I've completely neglected my journal and the kids journals, this blog is all I've got.  Sometimes there's a part of me that wants to just quit documenting my life and the life of my family and just live it.  But then I look back on posts or journal entries written years ago and read things I have already forgotten, see how much the kids have grown and how much life has changed, and convince myself that I can't quit.  Not now.  Even though life is as busy as ever and I have to stay up into the wee hours of the night if I want to document it, I really want to remember these years.  Every time I read 1 Nephi 9 I feel a desire and responsibility to keep a record of my family.  Nephi kept the large plates to record the more secular history of his people (like me and this blog) and the small plates to deal primarily with sacred things (like me and... what I want my journal to be).  It's also become quite therapeutic for me.

Life has been busy, full and happy (for the most part) these last couple months.  With the help, encouragement and support of my sweet husband, I have turned my idea of a "Car Play Shirt," a shirt with a map on the back for kids to drive their cars on while daddy relaxes, into a small business.  I redesigned the map and got it printed on shirts that are now for sell on Etsy.  This was a lot of work up front but has thankfully eased up a bit now that I have everything up and running.  I've had to get better at putting the kids to bed by 7:30 or 8 so I can have time to work on the design, logistics, the shop, advertising and shipping.  I don't feel like this has taken any of my time away from the kids, thankfully. Otherwise I don't think I would have done it.  I just don't have an ounce of free time anymore.  But it has been really fun for me to think through everything, use a different part of my brain, and hopefully bring in a little money on the side.

I was sick from the beginning of April through the middle of May, which coincided with Michigan's never ending winter.  April was a very, very, very long month, to say the least.  I started out with a really bad cough and eventually pulled a muscle in my back from coughing so much.  Sleeping was extremely painful, I would wake up every morning and could hardly get out of bed.  I decided this would be a good time to start training for a marathon in July, started running hard every day (not listening to my body whatsoever), ran 10 miles one weekend and just about died the next few days.  About an hour after that run I completely lost my appetite, started getting body aches and headaches and could literally barely move the rest of the day.  Poor Pete and the kids were left to fend for themselves.  I learned that day that my body does have limits, as much as I don't want it to sometimes.  I was pushing myself WAY too hard.  So I decided to take the next 2 weeks completely off of running and any kind of working out, to give my body a chance to recover, and am now just beginning to run again.  I don't know if the marathon is going to happen, my training was set back a few weeks, but we'll see.

The day after that terrible 10-miler, we celebrated my birthday with the kids.  30 years!!  I guess I'm supposed to feel older or something.  I was still feeling horrible, but made it through the day.  Pete made me an absolutely delicious meal of chicken, pesto pasta and peppers, and finished it off with strawberry cupcakes.

My birthday request was for Pete to build me a sandbox.  The kids have already spent many hours in it.  Totally worth all the sand that is tracked in the house.

My sweet friend Seidi offered to take the kids so we could go out to a nice dinner for my birthday.  We jumped on her offer :)  We went to The Chop House in Ann Arbor (and enjoyed 50% off since it was my birthday!)  

My birthday is always followed by Mother's Day a couple weeks later.  I feel spoiled.  My mom was preparing to speak on Mother's Day and asked me what my top 2 things about motherhood are.  This was my reply:

1- This might seem like a strange thing to put down as something I love about motherhood, but I really like the challenge of motherhood.  I've always been up for a good challenge, and motherhood has not let me down.  It is quite the challenge.  And I feel like being a mother is teaching me things I couldn't have learned any other way.  Trying to meet the needs of each child (and Pete... let's not forget him!), making sure each child is getting one-on-one time with me, trying to find a balance with keeping up with the house but not neglecting the kids and what's most important, teaching the kids about Jesus and the gospel, striving to become more organized, patient, consistent, merciful, and loving... It's all very challenging, but I love it.

2- It sometimes feels like the majority of my day is consumed with feeding everyone, keeping up with the chores, telling people to do this or that, and a whole lot of noise and chaos.  And I don't necessarily dislike those things (in fact, sometimes I laugh inside at how loud and zoo-like the house can feel).  But I love and look forward to those moments when I can just sit down and be with the kids.  Reading Will a book before bed time, just him and me, sitting on the couch with John as he excitedly shows me his schoolwork, having a picnic in the backyard with the kids, having Joe cuddle up with me while we read before his nap, or playing a game with Dan.  It's those moments that I hope to remember most when I look back on motherhood.

I really do love being the mother of these 4 sweet boys!  I can't imagine life without them.

Will loves to swing!

 John lost his bottom tooth, and within a week lost the other bottom tooth as well!  He was very excited, to say the least.  He let me pull the first one out with pliers :)  The other one he pulled out at school.

The "twin brothers," as John and Dan wanted to be called.  They have both been playing soccer this Spring.  They dragged their feet the first couple weeks, but can now hardly wait to go to practice or the games.

Will is all over the place.  It's not uncommon to find him getting into the garbage or the toilet (to my utter disgust).

 Dan has all of the sudden become a rock star eater.  Carrots, broccoli, corn, green beans, peas, quiche, lentil soup, he'll eat it all!  I'm hoping he rubs off on his brothers.

Our garden is in!  I'm more than excited, I can't wait to start eating from it.  We planted peas, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, lots of basil, chives, rosemary and thyme.  All thanks to Pete.  He is definitely the gardener in the family.  The last two weeks he has been working from 2-11 pm, so has had mornings free to till, set up the fence, buy the plants and put everything in.  I did help plant a few things though.  And the kids helped me make these little garden markers that we had made for Pete's mom last year.

At 14 months, Will is almost walking!  He loves to walk along everything and is starting to take a few steps here and there on his own before his knees buckle and give out.

I just love his little body.  Can't get enough.

This weekend we went to our friends, the Fredenberg's, house and farm.  They're in our ward but are 35 minutes away.  It's worth the trip, the kids are in heaven here and were kept busy looking at their chicks, goats, sheep, chickens, cows and dog.  They loved playing on this see-saw that Paul made.  I've informed Pete that this will be his next project.

It's heaven on earth when the kids get along.  They played outside all morning before we went to church.  I heard a lot of laughing going on.  They certainly have their moments, but overall the kids get along really well.  I'm so glad they have each other.

Yesterday was our first time taking the kayak out this year.  I dropped Pete and the 3 older boys off at the river then headed home so Will could nap.  I might go next time.  It's funny, it's almost just as fun for me to watch the kids having fun as it is for me to actually have the fun.  I'm more than happy to be the drop-off and pick-up person.  And Pete loves the time with them.

Random pictures of Joe.  I came in the kitchen today and found him sitting on the counter cutting up a banana, then carefully taking the peel off of each tiny piece and eating them.  Luckily he had not chosen one of the sharper knifes.

Dan finishes up preschool this week, and John's got 3 more weeks.  I am so looking forward to summer and being on our own schedule.  I'm not signing the kids up for anything.  They're all mine.  I'm especially excited to have John home more, I don't feel like I get enough time with him.  I have so many things I want to do this summer with the kids.  Lots of reading, parks, lakes, hikes, crafts, cooking, camping, swimming and whatever else we feel like doing.  We will also be going to Utah in July for a few weeks.  Pete's sister Sarah is getting married (we are so so excited for you, Sarah and Justin!!)  My family will be in Utah as well, we can't wait to see everyone.