All-Stars

The boys have started to have their own interests and voice their own opinions about their extra curricular activities. Ben and Luke just finished a fun soccer season with some buddies from church. Ben's games are getting really fun to watch and he is turning into quite the little athlete. He is a very determined player with a lot of heart and tries hard till he is done. He listens to the coaches and is up for any extra practice that Daddy can give him in the backyard.

Luke was also fun to watch, chatting with his friend Jackson, eating snacks and occasionally making contact with the ball. The difference between five year old soccer and eight year old soccer is vast. It was pure comedy to watch these tiny ones play! He loved it and wore his medal for days afterwards. It was Luke's first experience with a team sport and he loved the attention.

Grandma Jones came to watch the final games and braved both fields and cheered for the boys like the pro that she is. I'm pretty sure most of her early married years were spent at the same dusty fields that we live at right now!

Snacks were a big hit with these little ones too!

Ben also played flag football in the fall with some church and school buddies. He pretty much loves any sport and had fun.

Jefferson has chosen gymnastics and karate as his activities and excels at both. His little muscle of a body is perfectly built for flipping, climbing, cartwheeling and handstands. He can climb the rope as fast as the older kids and can do perfect cartwheels and back bends. He recently broke boards with his punches at karate and begged to do another session. He is such a good sport to go watch Ben and Luke practice and play with Henry. With a very busy baseball season approaching he will get to cheer on Ben's team again. He can't wait until he is old enough next year to play. It is really fun to watch these little men grow up and each develop their own talents and personalities. It is amazing to Brian and I that with the same parents, how they can be so different. It will be fun to have a little girl thrown in the mix...I'm sure she will play soccer and that the boys will also have their turn cheering at a few dance recitals too.

Random awesomeness

Here are a bunch of pictures catching up on the last few months of blogging abyss! I love having a camera on my phone and with me all the time.

The "babies" who think they are siblings, eating at IKEA while their mom's shopped for last minute nursery decor. They are getting to such a fun age and a lot more fun to take places.

H and his ladies. Livi and Indie are among his favorite playmates.

Henry recently learned how to navigate the scooter, and ride his little tricycle. It helps that he is so tall and can reach the pedals. Now if we could just get him to stay on the side walk....

It is amazing to me how fast Henry has learned how to navigate the IPad and my phone! Watching him hurl the Angry Birds the wrong way cracks us up everytime.

Ben and mommy got to go on a little date with his class and went on a fieldtrip to see a play about our amazing bodies. I love that he still held my hand and wanted to sit on my lap while we waited for the play to start. Love this little man!

One of Luke's jobs is to have a bath with Henry, although I don't think he considers it much of a chore. The other two are getting to the age they don't want to bathe anymore and will concede to a quick shower so I can stand to be beside them! I think it is so funny how they don't want to get clean. Boys will be boys.

Henry is definitely ready for a little sister. Maybe a little too ready. He hangs out with Olivia, Denia and I most days and has picked up on some girl lingo. He painted his toes like Livi's the other day without a drop on the tile. We also have to watch him around all the baby bows. He would be happy leaving the house fully adorned if I let him!

My boys are crazy, here is Luke swimming in my sister's pool last week and no the pool is not heated! I finally had to tell Luke to get out his teeth were chattering so bad. Jeffey asked me the other day: "mom, why is swimming SO FUN? it is just a big bunch of water, i don't get it?" Good thing we live where you can pretty much swim year-round.

Henry and I took the opportunity to go vote in the primaries. He was very sad that his sticker wasn't a "boat". I guess when you can't pronounce your "b"s and "v"s the two words sound exactly the same!

I often just stand in the hall and listen to these to talk to each other. This day I could here them blessing the food over and over again. It's good to know they are learning something from us. They are so sweet to each other, most of the time, and they light up when they get to play.

This may be part of Henry's identity issues. Avery and Olivia are quick to dress him up as "Fancy Nancy". I am told all little brothers with big sisters get the same treatment. Love the tutu over the monkey jammies!

Happy Belated New Years!

"I color my tummy, mommy" Pure awesome!

Sunday one o'clock church proves a little much for Henry sometimes. Last Sunday he fell asleep at the table eating dinner, and we don't have a very quiet dinner table crew! Pretty adorable if you ask me.

The boys love Grandma's valentines cake/cookies. Each one has their name written on them. A fun tradition.

Sweetie boys

There are some moments that make it all worth it! Actually there are a lot. Sometimes I think that I am going to burst from gratitude for my life and my sweet boys. Ben gathered the boys together and they composed a note and brought it in to us Valentines' morning. Had to capture the memory.

I love so many things about this note Jeffey brought me one morning. I love that his "L"s are backward and that it was straight from the heart, and so thoughtful. From a little man that struggles so much with stuff that just come easy to most...he melts my heart.

I am one lucky mama!

Climbing Camelback

I love that I have an active, fun husband that loves to go on adventures with our boys. I am often sad that when I am pregnant I don't get to go on these adventures and can't wait to join them soon. This morning the boys woke up early and Brian took the older two to climb Camelback mountain. It isn't Everest, but it is a pretty challenging hike (for me!). They were troopers and got to sit above the clouds at the top. I was so proud of them. They came back with reports of the rainbow they saw and the exciting time they had. Poor Luke was sad he missed out and made sure he made the next trip. I love this picture of my men!

Swimming with our Canada Friends

We are lucky enough to have some great friends that come down to visit from Canada and own their own awesome house not far from us. Their pool is heated to a balmy 90 degrees and they have a hot tub too! They invited us out for a BBQ and swim day a few weeks ago. It is so nice to stay in touch and the boys love their super cool yard!

Henry loved being in the pool and this will be a great year for him. It took Luke about ten minutes to remember he could swim and then he was off.

I think the boys could have swam forever if we had let them. It was such a great day.

Some very happy little boys.

Jack and Henry are just a few months apart and they had so much fun hopping in and out of the pool and singing "Twinkle, Twinkle" in the hot tub. It is neat to see my boys be friends with my friend's kids. I'm glad we get to see Lee and Brooke and their cute kids a few times a year.

Getting Ready for the Pink One

It has been so fun getting ready to meet this new little one. It is always exciting to welcome a new baby into our family, but sewing for a girl is extra special! All the ruffles, pinks and cute floral patterns are beginning to find their way into our "boy house". I decided to make most of her bedding and thanks to Pinterest, it hasn't been that hard.

I am so happy with her quilt. It was the first time I designed and bound a quilt. The math of making everything turn out even about did me in, but the end result was so worth the effort. I also realize why the lady on etsy charges $130 for this quilt.

I decided against making her blessing dress however, when I found this one on Ebay. I am in love with how sweet and simple it is and how delicate the lace looks. The seller said it was vintage from the 1920s, it looks brand new to me, but we will count it as her "something old" for her special day. She will wear crocheted booties made by my Dad's aunt that have been worn by Avery and Olivia for the "something borrowed" and I am going to make her a headband for the "something new". I'm sure her brothers can finish the day off by being her "something blue".

I have bought her very few clothes so far, but couldn't pass up this sweet dress.

Putting together the quilt. (In reverse order)

Her ruffled bedskirt. I made it from a Pottery Barn twin bed skirt that a friend gave me. I think it is one of my favorite things in her room.

Not sure there is enough pink in here!

It has also been fun to start making hair accessories and trying out appliques for the first time.

The bodice of the blessing dress. Love the tiny flowers.

I am getting really excited to meet this little lady that kicks all night long and reminds me she is coming. I can't believe that in seven and half weeks we get to meet our tiny pink one.

The Temple

We took a little field trip out to see the progress of the Gilbert Temple. It is so special to see how it gets built. It reminds me that the Lord wants us to have a plan, an end goal and then put one foot in front of the other in faith, sticking to what we know it right. Before we know it we are building a beautiful life that we didn't quite know was possible. I look at these four little boys and wonder what they will look like when they come to the temple for the first time! I am so thankful for the knowledge of the gospel in my life and the clarity that the plan of salvation brings to me and my family. I feel like I have a "cheat book" sometimes and that if I can just follow it, I will continue to be happier than I could ever have imagined. With each little person we add to our family the stakes get higher, the more important the choices I make become. But, along with that, the more capacity we have to experience true joy. There are so many times throughout my week when I am just simply exhausted and wonder how I can keep all the balls in the air, then there are those times when I am so happy I feel like I will burst from the inside out. Lately, these moments both come more frequently. One keeps me humble and the latter keeps me going!! I love this picture. I can't wait for the open house to show the boys the inside of the temple.