Spring Dreams

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Tonight when I tucked Ava into bed she said to me, “Mom, tonight I’m going to dream about flowers and rainbows and bunnies.”

“Sounds like spring to me. I’d like to dream about spring too.”

“I’ll tell you all about it in the morning,” she reassured me. I look forward to that.

It seems we had a little taste of spring today. The high was 43 degrees. I opened a few windows to clear the smell of bacon from the air as Jake has now come down with the bug, and the thick smell of bacon is no friend to nausea.

I think we all enjoyed the chilly fresh air. We even sat outside on the back porch in just our long sleeved shirts, petting the gold striped neighborhood cat while Hyrum squealed in excitement at his new surroundings (and his furry friend.) He’s been begging to go outside for days. Perhaps we all have. #mamanotes

Surviving the Stomach Bug

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“Mom are you sure I can drink this soda? Because I don’t know if I’ll survive it.”

We’re recovering over here after being mauled by an ugly stomach bug. How many of those are there!? I think we’ve seen the likes of them at least three times this year.

Ava seemed to be able to keep most of her water down throughout the day, so I thought I’d give her a treat of some ginger ale. She was hesitant, but I reassured her that she’d probably be fine since she was able to keep her water down. A few minutes later she was standing over the toilet. She looked back at me and said, “Mom, who was right?”

“Yep, you were definitely right. I’m sorry!”

As much as I hate seeing her sick, I thoroughly enjoyed the times she fell asleep in my arms today. As I scooped her long slender body up to cuddle in the rocking chair, it was clear to me that she is no longer a chubby cheeked toddler, but a beautiful little girl. As I thought about how long I would have before her carefree, mama cuddling days phased out, I just wanted to hold her there forever. I want to keep her running through fields, picnicking in the grass, and dancing in the kitchen with me. I want her to believe that embracing these simple joys will never be childish. She is so spirited, so excited about life. I want to help her hold onto that. #mamanotes

Hyrum’s First steps!

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Jake usually comes home from work really happy. It’s like a bundle of excitement when he walks in the door because he is super happy to see the kids, the kids are super happy to see him, and I’m super happy that he’s home. It’s great. Anyway, after he walked in the door, the kids ran over to greet him with hugs. Jake saw how happy Hyrum was to see him, so he stood him up to see if he would take a step toward him. And sure enough he did!

And then they all shared pretzels. Hyrum has been sharing his food a lot lately. It’s so sweet.

Also, last night while Ava was watching a movie, a slow song came on. Jake and I started slow dancing when Ava says to us, “Why are you guys waddling?” 😂 Must’ve looked as awkward as it sounds. We totally don’t care. #mamanotes

Hyrum’s First Birthday

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My little one year old, do you know how loved you are? I want to share with you a small part of the way I feel about you, my sweet little boy.When we first learned that you would be joining our family, I jumped into your father’s arms rejoicing. Even the thought of your arrival was joyful above even the most happy of things. And then you arrived, and when I saw your squishy little cheeks and your perfect little body I felt as if my heart would burst. I could not get enough of you. I held you as often as I could, kissing the crest of your nose so many times, as if I could convey to you in some way how much I loved you. But I don’t know if I ever could convey that deepest of feeling. It just came when you came. I love you without limits, without knowing who you’ll become, your talents or your goodness. From your glorious beginning, you were first His before you were mine, and I wonder if this feeling is precisely what God gives us parents so that we can feel His love. He shares with us a tiny piece of what He knows of you and your eternal destiny and how perfectly he loves you, and He packages it up in this transcending peaceful wonderful feeling we call love. And oh if I could show you how much He loves you! But that is something you will come to feel for yourself, in time. And it will be a most wonderful thing.
So for now, I will kiss you and cuddle you and sing you lullabies of your heavenly home so that you may know that the love we have for you spans oceans and skies, binding heaven and earth with the divine alliance of your earthly and heavenly parents. So for now may you know that you are so dearly, everlastingly, loved.Happy one year my dear, sweet Hyrum!
#mamanotes Hyrum turned one on December 30th. We were still in Utah at the time, so we invited both our parents for a little cake to celebrate (it was the first time we had any family nearby for any of the kids’ birthdays, so we were pretty excited about it.) My favorite part was watching Hyrum’s face while we sang Happy Birthday to him. He looked like this…
1st birthday (It was adorable.)

Oh Christmas Eve

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Oh Christmas. You were quite loud and busy, all the while joyful and exciting, but on Christmas Eve when there were so many little cousins running around, and I had so many presents to prepare, you gave me those quiet little moments I so desperately wanted with my babies while I tucked them in bed.

Hyrum kept waking up from all the noise, so I turned on some instrumental Christmas hymns on my phone and picked him up from his crib to hold him close to me in our dark room. It was all we both needed to bring that peaceful Christmas feeling. After a few minutes I laid him back in his crib with his little grey elephant and away he turned, all snug in his bed.

Then it was time to get Ava ready for bed. After her teeth were brushed and her jammies on, she nestled into her bright orange sleeping bag and in her little voice asked if I would stay with her for a little bit. And despite my tired eyes and Santa checklist, I did.

So with the instrumentals playing our Christmas lullabies, we cuddled together. In that sweet stillness I was given another quiet moment to wrap my arms around my little one and reflect on the sacred significance of the holy night so long ago when our Savior was born. I felt so grateful, so at peace. And that was just what I needed. #mamanotes

I love this video about Christmas. It’s brings it all back to what it’s supposed to be.