S.S.R.

S.S.R.
In our home, that stands for Sunday Sacrament Review.
This has probably become one of my most favorite times of the week.
It all started because of a few reasons:
1) I felt like my children would just sit through sacrament meeting without listening to anyone that was speaking. Half the time they would either be searching in my purse for some gum, asking to get a drink, or asking to go to the bathroom. Since we had already eliminated toys from the mix, this ONE HOUR of my week was getting to be my least favorite. (Sad, I know!!)
2) As my children have gotten older, I feel that the talks given during Sacrament meeting are so very beneficial for them. I love when a youth speaker gets up to speak because (especially for my girls who will be in Young Womens in a couple years)  these youth speak right to them!
3) I wanted my children to be involved in the dinner conversations after church. Yes, we ask them what they learned in their classes, but Sacrament is the ONE part of church that the entire family is together. I think it is so important to be able to discuss those talks as a family. :)

So... what we decided to do was have a Sunday Sacrament Review during dinner on Sunday!
 Basically, we go around the table and everyone (including mommy and daddy) shares three things that they learned during the talks that were given that Sunday. I love it! The children have learned so much about the people that are speaking (including their names, how many children they might have, where they are from...etc, etc.). I also love how eager my children are to share what they have learned that day... it makes me smile to know that they are paying attention during Sacrament!

S.S.R.'s are quickly becoming one of my most favorite times! :)

I miss my babies...

Time passes way too quickly. Tonight I'm missing my kids "baby" phases.
I miss the double chins with all the drool, I miss the newborn smells, I miss the way an infant will fall asleep on your chest.
I wished that I could go back and hold Brynn's hand when she was 3 (knuckle dimples and all!).
I wish I would have waited just a little longer to cut Weston's hair.
I wish I would have laughed more when Caden threw a fit.
I wish I would have bought more princess dresses for Lexie to wear as regular clothes.

As much as I miss these phases and times in their lives, I AM excited for the future. I'm also grateful that I miss these phases because it helps me to keep things in perspective but,.... 

I just wish time would slow down... just a bit. ;) 

Summer fun while the girls were gone.

The older girls went camping with their grandparents this past week and the little ones got some great one on one time with Mommy and Daddy... We love our little guys and gals!

My kids can't get enough of play dough! :)

I LOVE Camille's faces in these pictures! 

Moving forward.

Camille enjoying her ice cream

Ellie enjoying her ice cream too! :)

This post has been sitting in my head for the past two hours and I know if I don't get it out now, then it will be lost forever! (My mind isn't too sharp these days ;))

Let me preface, Mike has "day dates" with our children. A special time where they go and do something by themselves with him or in two's. Yesterday was the boys turn and they went to go see Captain America. They had a BLAST with their daddy and while they were watching their movie at the theatre, the 2 little girls and I were able to do some shopping at Ross and then stop for some ice cream. It was a great day all around.
On the way home, Michael and I were talking about how we wished we could be able to remember days like this with our older girls. I told him that I was so sad that my memory was fading a bit and that I can't readily recall how my girls sounded (although I do remember some phrases here and there), or how they walked or how they smelled as babies... I wish my mind was more of a video so that I could still be IN that moment again. (For the record, my husband has a great memory and can remember and recall WAY more than I can at the drop of a hat. :))
Then I told him how I thought it was interesting that I can recall more of what has happened in the last 5 years than at any other point in my life. I can distinctly remember how Ellie was as a baby, yet I can barely remember Weston as a baby, even though it was only a year and a half before that. I always attributed it to the fact that it was because everything in the last five years has happened relatively recently.

Michael has a different take on it, because he feels the same way about our lives "before". As we were talking, he said that he felt it was because of being able to have the Priesthood in the home.
He described it in this way:
"Before, I became a member of the church, we were just floating through life. We weren't bad people. We did good things and tried to help others, but we weren't moving forward. We were just there. Our spirits can't recall as easily because they were stuck in a state of limbo."
I can't begin to tell you how much I agree with this statement. I can testify that this statement is so true. It's amazing how much I can recall and how many memories are emblazoned upon my heart. It's amazing to me how much MORE I can comprehend, and how much more I can FEEL now that we are blessed with the Priesthood in our home. Everything makes sense now. I can more easily taste and remember the sweet moments of life and in some instances, I can almost feel those ties that bind us with our pre-existent selves. It's hard to explain, but someday I want our children to look back upon this and understand how important the Priesthood is and HOW exactly it can affect our lives.

I look forward to so many things with JOY, because I know that we ARE progressing. We are working and (hopefully) little by little, are gaining the knowledge that we need to someday be able to reunite again beyond the veil.
Until then, I am savoring all these moments with my babies and eternal companion. I can feel my spirit rejoice in the Lord's work.

We are so blessed.

Brynn the babysitter

Brynn had her very first babysitting job this summer. She was so excited. Before the designated babysitting time, she picked up everything around the house that could be a chokable for the sweet 16 month old that was entrusted to her care.
She was so loving and kind the entire time that she babysat. Even though she babysat here in our home, while I was home, she did a wonderful job. I didn't do a thing! She fed him, changed him and played with him.
This picture shows just how happy she was that hard work pays off!!
Even though she babysits for me all the time (and is fabulous!), I'm glad that she was able to babysit some one else's child and do a TERRIFIC job!
Way to go sweetheart, we are so proud of you. :)

Summer.

Wow! I can't believe that summer is almost gone... (not the heat, but our non existent schedule and such! ;)) This has been such a wonderful summer for us. Not because we have gone anywhere extravagant. We haven't. Nor is it because we have really done any special activities.
This summer, Mike and I really looked at our family and our family dynamics and we have assessed problem areas and areas where we would like to improve.
In doing this, we made some BIG changes.

One of the first areas we looked at was, where our older children were in terms of preparing for their teenage years. While we realized that our oldest is only 10, we know that if we don't start preparing them now, we may run out of time.
We decided that with this, priority number one would be for all our children to learn their Articles of Faith. You can read about that post here. I think the reason that this was given so much priority is that the Articles of Faith really are WHAT we believe. I'm grateful that my older daughters know almost all of them and that at the dinner table, I ask them a number and they can rattle off whichever AoF corresponds to that number. It's been a wonderful learning experience for all of us.

The second area that we have looked at is how we can be better missionaries as a family. I have been reading this wonderful blog from a family that we love dearly from our old ward, and it really hit me how many times he says, "just invite someone over to the house"... "the worst they could say is no". What a WISE missionary!! It is true.
So... once a month we will be inviting someone over for dinner. We don't know who yet, but we will pray as a family to receive that revelation. It will be a neat experience.
And.... since we don't really know how to keep things simple around here, we have also decided to have the missionaries in our home once a month again. When Mike was ward mission leader, we loved having the missionaries over. They have a special spirit that they bring with them, and if you are reading this, I encourage you to have them around. The messages they share are so wonderful and uplifting!
We will be inviting them over... but with a twist! We will be having missionary meal night. On this night, we will be eating foods from different missions around the world. Our children will also be missionaries as well. They will have to dress up in Sunday clothes, eat everything on their plate and share a message. I am gearing up for our very first one at the beginning of next month. I'll post and let everyone know how it goes! We are excited!

The last one has been the one that has most greatly impacted our children... in my opinion.
No T.V.
We have almost completely eliminated the T.V. from our home entirely.
This was a HUGE sacrifice.
As Mike and I sat back and evaluated what we wanted our children to be surrounded with, we realized that even the most "child friendly" shows on T.V. weren't allowing our children the opportunity to feel the spirit. Most of it was mindless chatter and the other portions of the shows were inappropriate.
So.... Our children now have about 5 shows that are on the "approved" list of television they can watch and their television time has been limited to about 30 minutes a day. That is IF they have gotten an hour of independent reading in, 30 minutes of music practice time and all of their chores done.
It's been about a month since our new "rules" have been in place and I am happy to report that as I am sitting here right now, I can hear the hum of the dishwasher, the turning of the dryer, my boys upstairs playing with Legos and the girls playing a board game. IT HAS BEEN HEAVEN!!!
If only we would have done it sooner.... :)

I'm so grateful to be able to have the spirit to be able to guide us in raising our family. I know that none of these things are easy, but they have all been worth it to create our own heaven on earth, right here in our own home. :)

My baby turned 2.... *Warning* tons of pics.

Camille turned 2 on Thursday. 

We invited a few family members and my friend and her children. 

I didn't want poor Cami June getting too overwhelmed with too many people around. 

It turned out perfectly!! 

Happy Birthday my sweet princess! 

You turning 2 years old was bittersweet for this momma bear. I want you so badly to stay little and snuggle me forever, but that is not what is happening. 

You are growing (quite beautifully, may I add) and are starting to hit these milestones at an outrageous speed. 

On your birthday you even went on the potty ALL by yourself and without us asking you! 

You can put together sentences, like:

Mommy, I eat.

This is heavy

Caden be mean

I no like

Read me please

You also say; please, thank you and bless you. 

I love you baby girl!!! 

Cami with Grandma Wise

We did face painting with Nana

Some of the decorations

Ellie being a not so happy camper

Handsome Daddy and Caden

More face painting

Getting shy during the singing of Happy Birthday

Time to blow out the candles!

Presents anyone?

Giving Thank you hugs

The kiddos playing wrap the mummy...

Caden being a T-Rex

Evidently it was a hit... they played it MANY times. 

Brynn with the birthday girl!!

Cheese!