Heart beating out of chest

I had a very scary experience last night in which I over reacted like I usually do. We were getting ready to do some trunk or treating due to Halloween being on a Sunday this year. It took me quite some time to get all the kids ready...I mean seriously... it takes time when you have so many kids. I was having a ball though transforming them into scary monsters and princesses when I realized I hadn't seen Scarlett for about 10 minutes. I assumed she was with Chris. I asked him if he had her and he said no, so I of course started looking, but I didn't hear or see her anywhere. I started asking for help from Chris and kids. I went out to the street scared that she could have somehow got out of the house, but she was seriously no where in sight. Even Chris (the normal half of us) was starting to freak out a little. Finally Halee found her tucked quietly inside a kitchen cabinet. I guess I know where to look next time my child goes missing. It was a very mean trick on her part as far as I'm concerned.

Let's Dance

After my run a few nights back, this is what I came home to. These three girls were snuggled up on the couch, listening to music while Austin snapped tons of pictures of them. We are without a radio right now...I think it broke during the move into this home. But what's a teenagers life without one? So, Halee and Austin found music on Direct TV, not the MTV kind where you see pictures on screen, just the kind where you listen with no picture. It's actually been fun! We listen to 80's, and 90's, and Y2k hits, and my personal favorite, Oldies. It helps the time in the evenings go by fast, and we just sit back and enjoy while Grace and Scarlett jump around dancing, sometimes Chris and I too. Having teenagers is actually a lot of fun.

How sweet

Do you ever look at your kids and see yourself through them? This happens to me often, in fact daily...maybe because I have so many kids. Grace loves to nurture everyone around her. She loves to help Scarlett in every way. She'll dress her, brush her hair, get her things. She doesn't just do this for Scarlett, she's this way with the whole family. She says to me at least once a week that when she grows up she wants to be my mommy and I will be her baby. Hmm...not sure how that will work. I love this about her. I personally love to nurture whenever and however I can. I guess that's probably a plus because of all our kids. I do however complain a whole heck of a lot too, I see that in my kids sometimes too. ;)

Lovely music

I guess Halee and Austin aren't the only ones who can play piano...

I'm just so done...

Does anyone else feel that they are living in a dream of laundry that just never ends?? Or maybe nightmare is a better word. I swear that less than 6 months ago I was doing one load a day...all was well. Now all of a sudden I have 3 loads a day...THREE!!! It's like, clothes magically appear in my laundry room playing tricks with my tired head. I have 3 words...Go..away..laundry. I'm only smiling in this picture because there's only 5 minutes left on my last load...see you again tomorrow washing machine.

Mom eating monster

When my sister April's 12 year son was a baby, my sis would get so excited at his cuteness she would pretend she was going to bite him. You know, like when you think your baby is so fliiping cute you just wish you could eat them. This picture gives me that biting feeling, like I could just eat her up because she's such a sweetie.

Dress up at a whole new level

This has been my house the last few days. The only way to contain their excitment is to dress up in anything and everything. Even Scarlett has been obsessed.

I have to say that parenting for me was much more arduous when I only had little ones. There were days when I had three kids under age 4 that I wanted to hide under the covers and never come out. It's so rewarding to see moments like in this picture, when for no reason at all, Halee picks up Scarlett and gets her to giggle her little head off by telling Scarlett she has stinky toes. Having a bundle of babies, can be a true and wonderful blessing, even if it's hard to realize at times.

My Baby...

I love this little girl from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Which proves that even when you have a baby who cries more often than not, you still love them just the same. I think she just needs a little extra tender care. I'm up for that.

We finally got around to carving pumpkins. The kids look foward to this from the beginning of October. I love the month of October. The leaves are turning! I want to make a pumpkin pie so bad. I think I'll do that this weekend. Yum!

Mowing with a baby can't possibly be fun...

Do you know many dads willing to do this? I consider myself lucky.

Playtime

This is what Grace and Scarlett like to do when all the other kids are away at school...

Bubbles

All I ask of you Scarlett, is that you stay little. That's not too much to ask is it?

Blessings...

I have been so blessed lately it's just craziness. It seems like ever since Chris and I got married, blessings after blessings have followed. It took a lot of faith to bring he and I together. We didn't really like each other that much when we first met, but we felt heavenly father throughout the entire journey telling us that this was all we would ever need..each other. The "not like" became love very quickly and I believe because we took a leap of faith we have been watched out for. But, I know my trials are a comin'. When I was little I used to sit by the phone when my parents would leave for a few hours and worry to death that it would ring and one of them would be hurt, or worse, way worse..be dead. I know, ridiculous, especially for a 7 year old. I am a fearful person at times. I wish I could change that. I have got much better as I have lived longer, but still..no tragedies. I have also never been stung by a bee and because I haven't, I'm even more scared because I don't know what to expect. How will I react if I lose someone I love? I do not know. I don't know what to expect. I know this much. The lord loves us. I know I have been blessed with happy warm, good things for so long, but I know deep down that I will have huge tremendous trials at some point and I will still be blessed because we grow from them, and Heavenly father wants that for us. I just hope I can be a strong little girl and not fall apart. For now, I'm going to enjoy the warm happy things.

My fort building children. You're never too old to still have fun.

Let's just say, I pick and choose my arguments...

I guess milk still does a body good, even if you do drink it from the carton...

Warmth

It must take a lot of energy to be a kid. Grace liked this spot today because the house was a little chilly. This spot in the kitchen under the warm sunlight was nice and toasty. Maybe I'll try it sometime. Wouldn't that be a picture to remember.

I love Cabbage Patch Kids. The one closest to Grace in this picture is one from when I was a little girl, hence the scratches all over the dolls head. Halee was given the other two cute ones at Girls Camp. She graciously passed them on to her little sisters. I wish I was little again for just a few hours. Wouldn't that be so much fun?

Mmm, mmm good

I guess I'm not the only one in this family obsessed with chocolate...

We watched General Conference this past weekend. This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love staying home with my family and hearing all the wonderful counsel given. I wish the kids were better listeners, but I can only hope they absorb at least some of the special messages intended to aid them through out their lives.

We love to make donuts during this time time too. It's a tradition. Have I mentioned that I absolutely love traditions? I know, I talk about tradition way too much, but honestly, I think it's so important for my family to have things to look forward to together. Things we cherish. And boy do I cherish homemade donuts.

You know you're tired when you fall asleep on a hardwood floor...

I Love Friday...

I am so fortunate to have the kids in a school that consists of a 4 day school week. Without my Friday, I don't know what I would do. This is cherished time for us that I have enjoyed for many years. It's the one day where the kids and I wake up when we feel like it...we eat breakfast when we feel like it, we get dressed when we feel like it, and if we don't feel like it, we just don't. This is the day where I don't monitor computer time as much as every other day of the week. I get to take off my Nazi clothes and just enjoy my kids. Thank you Friday.