Prescott with grandma

After spending all summer in the valley braving the heat and getting used to our new sister we decided to take the last weekend before school starts and head north. We loaded up Grandma and the kiddos and drove the hour and an half to Prescott. It was the perfect distance and the two day felt like we were gone for a week. What a wonderful mini-vacation with my favorite people.

The boys were very excited to have Grandma come along with us, and I think Grandma had a great time too!

After we dropped my mom off to hang out with her sister for the day and headed to the lake. We rented a little boat and spent time fishing and just hanging out altogether, contained in one little place. I loved having all my babies in one place on the peaceful lake.

Charlotte was again the best baby ever and traveled like a trooper. She is so happy all the time, we love this little "sweetie bells".

Playing with sticks and skipping rocks made for a great overcast day.

We finished the afternoon with a little hike through our own little magic forest. Brian even found some mistletoe growing on a tree, so romantic!

My boys...love em!

Sweet girl laying on the beach while we skipped rocks. Mommy needs some practice to catch up to the boys.

We didn't catch anything, but everyone had a great time.

Luke and Jefferson got to stay in the room with Grandma and each got a queen sized bed and had fun going to get breakfast in the morning while we slept in a little more.

Jeff liked driving the boat a little more than fishing. He was very patient and loved going in circles.

Henry needed his hands washed and Daddy obliged.

I can't believe I have five kids. It really is amazing how much capacity you have to love others. Each one is so different and so special to me. I feel so blessed to be a part of their little lives.

The view from my aunts's house is fantastic and the boys had a blast throwing rocks off the cliff.

My sweet baby hiker. She has completely stollen my heart. Can't imagine loving any little thing more.

Slurpies as big as they wanted was Lukey's highlight of his trip. We had a ton of free coupons from a Diamondbacks game so we hit the Circle K twice. Good times.

Eating dinner at Aunt Tanya's. Fun to have more Grandmas.

Henry was happy he packed his toque afterall, it rained pretty hard the next day and got a bit chilly while we were eating our picnic lunch.

Grandma saves all her toys from the kids meals she eats and the boys got to pick through them, it was like Christmas in the hotel.

I think Henry is going to pass up Lukey sometime in their teens. These two are going to be good buddies.

Love this little man, sometimes he drives me batty, but he sure is a sweetie. 

Ben and H had the pullout in our room. Henry loved sleeping in a big bed with his big brother.

I think Arizona has its own kind of beauty. When the storm passed it turned out to be another great day. 

My cute mom and my cute daughter. I am a lucky lady! It was a wonderful trip and just what I needed to get reading for a new school year. 

Baseball, cousins and fireworks

We spent the Fourth of July with some of our cousins at the baseball game. It is one of my favorite ways to celebrate this holiday. It doesn't get much more American than baseball, family and food.  I love this picture of my sweet in-laws and their grandchildren.

At the end of the night the roof of the stadium opened and we listened to music and watched a great firework show.

I had fun making my nieces patriotic headbands for the night.

Charlotte looked so sweet in her little t-shirt, jean skirt and bow. I love dressing her up, and then squeezing her.

Cute cross-eyed smile.

Henry loved that Livi could come and be his buddy for the night.

My mom and some of her grand-babies.

Watching the show, again the best little girl. She loved the lights and music.

Watching the game in the box sweet is a nice way to go. We are kind of spoiled now.

I am very grateful to live in this beautiful land and for all the blessings I have in my life. 

Our baby girl

On April 10, 2012 at 9:03am, we welcomed our daughter into our family. She weighed 6lbs, 14 oz and 20 inches long. She was delivered via C-section by Joel Falk, our doctor/neighbor that has delivered all five of our children. It was a scheduled and much anticipated event. I think I worried about her being okay, and was still making her move until the moment my body went numb. After a little suction on her head, she was born. It was a sweet moment that I will always remember. They confirmed that she was actually a girl and that she was perfectly fine and I cried when I saw her for the first time. It was a surreal feeling to have a daughter and to add another sweet spirit into our home. She looked nothing like I had envisioned. She has petite, feminine features and is defiantly a little lady.

Papa was home from up north and my parents welcomed their eighth grandchild. Brian's parents also came and were happy to meet their thirtieth grandchild.

The sweet nurse found a purple bow and "glued" it to her head. I waited a long time to put a bow on my baby's head.

39 weeks

Here I am at 39 weeks pregnant with our sweet little girl. I was the "smallest", if you can call 40lbs heavier than I usually am small, than I have been with the boys. They think she was breech and her head resided somewhere up in my ribs the whole time. This was a great pregnancy and I felt really good right to the end. I had trouble sleeping and my feet and hands got a little swollen and I had to take my ring off. I enjoyed feeling her move even until a few minutes before she was born. I feel so blessed to be able to have had this experience five times in my life. I am so glad my body worked how it needed to and that she got to "cook" until she was done. We love our doctor and are grateful for all the skilled doctors and nurses that helped us have the wonderful family that we have.

33 weeks with baby girl Jones.

Easter Sunday

We had a pretty low key Easter. Unlike other years, we didn't host dinner at my house for tons of people and there were no coordinating outfits. I love that this is the Easter picture for our family. Daddy slept in and the boys followed clues to find their basket full of goodies in their sister's crib. With two days till baby, Mom was kind of tired and Henry had a bit of a cold. We ate dinner with Grandma and Papa Tosczak and finished off the day with an egg hunt at Uncle Darrell and Aunt Aubrey's house with cousins. It was a wonderful day with our crew and a peaceful way to remember the significance of this special Sabbath. The boys are starting to understand the concept of the Resurrection a little more each year and were so happy with their treats and being with each other. Life is so good and we are very blessed and happy.

Last weeks as the baby!

Whenever we bring a new baby home from the hospital, the last little one always seems so big to me. I spent the last few weeks before the baby came soaking up every bit of Baby Henry that I could. He is about the cutest little thing right now and I am amazed with all that he can say. He loves to sing songs and his nursery teachers always tell me how much of a participator he is. I attribute a lot of his speech abilities to hanging out with his sister/cousin Olivia. The two of them are constantly babbling and are very polite tiny humans. They both love to be in the water, whether it is the pool or the bath. I think a large part has to do with being naked. What baby doesn't love being naked?!

No one can get messier faster than H. 

Having fun at the park with our friends. Three weeks ago we were wearing coats. Today it is 104 outside!

Love this awesomeness.

Payche loves to read and read and read. He will sit with anyone willing to tell him a story or read him a book. "Dinosaurs Love Underpants" and the Elmo counting book are favorites. Henry also loves anything green, even if it is his sister's hairbows, loves cheese and candy and is starting to pottytrain.

He was very interested in the baby coming and would stuff her swing with stories, blankets and stuffed animals. He continues to be a big helper, and is very independent, insisting on doing everything themselves.

Riding his scooter, wearing underwear and a helmet. Love this little man!!

Henry loves his grandmas. Grandma Jones is always willing to read to him and he will bring her story after story. I have loved having Henry as my baby for the last two and a half years. He is very ready to be a big brother and is growing up so fast. He loves to cuddle with me and I love it too! He is always ready with a hug and kiss, please and thank you and a love you. I'm glad that even though he no longer looks like a baby, those things haven't changed. We love you Henry boy.