Mother's Day 2011 and mini-update

I have a gazillion pictures and memories that I need to get down before they're lost from my mind but sadly I can't seem to find the time to do so. I think maybe I need to start realizing that each post doesn't need a bunch of pictures...although it's nice but if I wait to post with pictures then I never do it and I don't my children looking back at my "journal" and having complete years missing from their lives.

So with that:

Nathan has been busy with school and playing soccer and tormenting/being tormented by his younger brother. We just found out Nathan got in to the new charter school, Infinity Prep, here in Irving for next year and we are thrilled. We've talked to his teacher and parents of kids in the other charter school and some of the teachers in the Irving ISD and even one in what would be Nate's public school and it all boils down to this: Nate needs to be in the charter school because he needs to NOT be in J.O. Davis Elementary School. From everyone we've talked to, it's one of the worst schools in the district and Nathan is so far beyond where he should be, that he would just get lost. Infinity Prep can provide a more challenging curriculum and more flexibility when it comes to moving him to upper levels for reading and math. Eddie and I know he's a smart kid, but hearing it from his teacher now just kind of solidified for me what I thought I knew about Nate. (It's hard when you're the parent because we're biased and programed to think our children are amazing and wonderful...as it should be...so coming from someone else took away some of my worry,fear,stress,anxiety for Nate next year.) I'm really torn up inside though because I don't know what I'm going to do next year when My Nate AND Drew are BOTH GONE! I love getting to spend time with Nate and listening to his mind work a million miles a minute...It's going to be such a long day for him and such a big change for both of us. It makes my heart sick. Why do they have to grow up so fast? I just pray that I've taught him enough in these last 5 years. He's entering the world where he'll spend more time with other people than with me. And I'm rebelling inside...It's time and the right thing, but it still hurts. He's not liking soccer as much as we had hoped, but at least when he forgets he's miserable, he's having a great time! And oddly enough, every Saturday rolls around and he is dressed and ready and excited for soccer...it's just after a few minutes in the game that he remembers he isn't happy.

Andrew is still the happiest, friendliest child in the world. He is kept busy with pre-school, soccer, loving on his sister (a little too much...according to Maggie at least...I think it's adorable!), tormenting/being tormented by his older brother and eating up every spare second he can with his Dad. Drew went to play frisbee golf one late night with Eddie and some of his friends. He LOVED it! He came home so excited to tell me all about how he had almost made it in. I love Drew because he didn't dwell on the fact that he never made the frisbee into the bucket, but rather how much better he got in the end that he almost made it in. He is always the first to give up or share whatever he has, to make someone else happy. He is our family peacemaker and it kills him inside that Maggie doesn't love his "kisses and hugs" as much as he loves to give them. He is enamored with his sister but she just screams at him when he comes near her. I'm sure as she gets older and can start using her words and Andrew gets older and can start realizing what she likes/doesn't like and what is appropriate "preasure" amounts, they'll have a wonderful relationship. What little girl doesn't love being worshipped by her two big brothers? ;) Andrew is really getting good at soccer and can't wait to get home to tell Dad all about how many goals he made. Nathan and Drew are on the same team and it is the cutest thing to me to watch them walk out on to the field holding hands and cheering for each other. They really can be the best of friends at times...so why is it so easy for them to forget that? Andrew is really coming along in his speech and clarity...I find that I have to "translate" less and less for him to strangers and family. He is really in to music right now and playing the drums (aka pots and pans and tupperware)and he's singing around the house all the time. He even wrote me a song for mother's day:

Love, love, love
I love you song...
A word in Christ
And the word in the song
is for you.

We can't get enough of our Drew-bee-doo and Nate-a-roo and find my heart overwhelmed that I get to be their mother.

But there is no secret that Maggie is the light in everyone's eye. She brings a smile to her brothers, her dad and especially to me. She just has a sparkle in her eye and smile that melt away your stresses and worries. She loves to be tickled under her chin and tossed high in to the air. She has added a few words to her repatoire, but not many. Her favorites are still "hi" and "no" but now she also likes to say "ball" and "bye" and "moo" and "uh-oh" and "eeee" for three and "good" after almost every bite of food. She is in love with the letter magnets on our fridge and will find you anywhere in the house and hound you till you tell her the name of the letter and make it's sound. Then she claps for you and makes you feel like you've accomplished something amazing. She loves to put her diaper in the trash all by herself. She pulls all the laundry out of the laundry baskets daily. She will sit in the boys room all by herself for long stretches of time "reading" books and snuggling their pillow pets. Her hair is finally getting a little longer...at least long enough I can do pseudo-pigtails. She still loves putting anything soft and furry into her face and bites it. She LOVES being outside and any time a door opens anywhere, she is right there to escort you in or out. She is friendly and will wave and say "hi" to EVERYONE! She's not very big, but rather on the tall side for our children. She weighs 26 lbs, Drew weighs 42 lbs and Nate weighs 34 lbs. And each of them have gorgeous, big, round, deep, old-soul eyes. Maggie's are a light brown like her Daddy's, Drew's are a darker brown like my mother's and Nate's are green/hazel just like mine. We've recently started to play the "love bug" game where anytime someone sees a love bug and calls it out then everyone in the car tells that person a reason why they love them. And let me tell you, when I tell my children something like, "I love Drew because he has brown eyes like his daddy" or "I love Nate because he has a nose like Daddy's" they EAT IT UP!!!! Truly, they love any reason we give them; I wish I could capture the smile that lights up their face when I tell them or Eddie tells them why they are loved.

It's getting really late and I'm past ready for bed, but I had to quickly write down my thoughts and emotions from Mother Day of 2011. Because I have never felt so loved by my husband, my children and especially my Heavenly Father. I was feeling pretty blue and sad the morning of Mother's Day as I thought about my own mother and how much I missed her and ached to be hugged by her. Eddie was so thoughtful to let me sleep and rest in the morning but when the time came to get going, he tenderly nudged me to get going and to forget the sorrow. My children must have told me, "I love you Mom! Happy MOther's Day!" at least 50 times each and everytime they did it melted my heart. In Sacrament meeting (which was amazing!) Nathan came up and asked if he could sit in my lap. He gave me kisses and hugs and kept telling me that he loved me and that I was beautiful and that he was so glad I was his mommy. The other thing he kept saying was, "You're the best date partner." (Side story: I took Nate on a one-on-one date Friday night and Drew got to go out with me on Saturday night, and it was by far the best thing I've ever done with my boys...it was amazing! And it will definitely be something we do each year for mother's day!) I was already feeling so much love and happiness inside and feeling pretty good that I hadn't had a major breakdown yet when Nathan twisted around and whispered in my ear, "Mom, I love you forever and always." I instantly broke down and wept as the pain washed over me...that's what my mom used to say to me. And then I felt my mother's love through Nathan. It was as though my mother was telling me, "Tracy, I love you forever and always. Forever and always my baby you'll be." I'm so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord that allow us to be comforted and brought peace and love when we need them most. The rest of the Sunday went by so fast and was so fun. I had some great phone conversations with family and loved ones (J it meant the world to me that you called...come home!)and really amazing conversations in person with dear friends that feel like family. I was made and served an amazing dinner and one in which I didn't have to do any prep work or clean up (it was so wonderful). What touched me the most, was that Eddie had called my OA sponsor and friend to find out what he could make that would be allowed on my food plan. I'm telling you, he was so thoughtful and kind and really tried to make it a wonderful day for me. And it was! It WAS wonderful. I'm thankful for my family. I love my life and I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with opportunities to grow and stretch in motherhood. My wish is for everyone to feel as loved as I have.

Anteater in Utero

Yesterday we got to spend a wonderful day together as a family thanks to the generosity of the UT Southwestern MDPhD program. They let us go to the Dallas Aquarium as a family for free and that night Eddie and I got to go out to eat at a restaurant called "Smoke". (Again for free!) On our way home from dinner Eddie needed to stop off at the lab to check out some brain slices under the EPI Fluorescent microscope. (Whatever that means, I just was along for the ride.) As I watched him fiddle and mess around with the settings of the microscope and change out slides and stuff, I realized how brilliant my husband is. I was overwhelmed with pride for all his hard work and for how much he loves science. And then he wanted me to look at what he was looking at....

Yeah, wanna know what I saw? What looked like a baby anteater in utero. Maybe I spent too much time at the aquarium today.

Tender moments

So yesterday was a pretty rough day for our little kiddos. Eddie got up for work around 4:45 a.m. and we didn't see him until we picked him up at the train at 6:45 p.m.. I had dinner on a plate so he could eat in the car because he had to go straight to Mutual and then he went back in to work. He didn't get home until 3ish in the morning. (I don't know the actual time cause I was dead asleep but I do remember waking up and seeing him and asking him, "Are you getting home or are you getting ready for work?") Needless-to-say, the kids missed their Dad.

Well, Eddie and I have recently changed our family scripture study to in the morning instead of before bed. It's been really fun as the kids come snuggle us in bed and we read and pray before the day really gets started. Since Eddie was gone yesterday morning, when the kids came in (their usual sequence is Drew, Maggie, then Nate) I knew it was up to me to continue in the way that Eddie had set for our family. And I'm so grateful I did because it was one of the choicest experiences I've had with my children. We are reading in Jacob about Sherem and how he doesn't believe that Christ will come and he wants to dissuade the people away from Christ and how Jacob couldn't be swayed because of the testimony and experiences he had had. As I read to my children the words of Jacob, I was able to testify of the reality of Christ and that I too could never deny the reality of my Savior. I told them how much Eddie and I desire for them to have that same knowledge in their lives and that they can as they pray and listen to the Spirit. It was powerful and my heart was touched as each of the boys talked about how Jesus is their friend and that if someone tried to tell them not to believe, that they would never stop.

I'm so grateful for these little tender moments I get to have with my children.

November & December Events

In November Eddie and I had the opportunity to go see a Maverick's game for free. It was a great date night! We were reminded not only of how much we enjoy each other's company, but how much we both love sporting events. (Even when it's not our favorite sport.)



For Thanksgiving this year we stayed in Irving and had a wonderful time celebrating with friends. Our pity party for one turned into a rip-roaring good time. I was feeling so sad to not have any family to spend the holiday with and thinking we were just gonna wind up having Thanksgiving dinner by ourselves. Eddie came to the rescue and discovered another family that we're good friends with was also going to be in town without family. From there it blossomed into a "come one, come all" party and it was totally the way we want to do Thanksgiving from now on. We got to know a really cute new couple in the ward who had just moved in, we got to know an older gentleman and his wonderful wife, get re-acquainted with others and ultimately to walk away with an afternoon spent in wonderful company and delicious food.


You can see behind Eddie that we had set up a few kids tables to eat on and then do some fun activities. Allison S. brought stuff to make this really cute candy turkey and the kids "gobbled" them up. (couldn't resist!) I brought some fun coloring pages but mostly the kids just loved running around the building. They did however perform the cutest "Thanksgiving" play. I wish that I could get video from my video camera onto the computer and not just off my camera. But alas, you'll just have to take my word for it...It was AWESOME! I think my favorite part was when they brutally killed the turkey (Kyra) and then proceeded to eat her.


We had so much food! We had to add a second table to just hold it all. It was soooooo good! Thank you to everyone for making it such a wonderful family holiday!

That next day, Friday, otherwise known as Black Friday, was spent in shopping and decorating the house with Christmas decorations. We had so much fun setting up our tree and the kids got to do 80% of the decorating. (Only a few minor adjustments, but for the most part, they did it!)



Maggie really enjoyed the traditional "Thanksgiving Leftover Day" and ate rolls like there was no tomorrow. We did however manage to capture Maggie's first, true walking. We had captured her first steps, but this was really walking.


Just watch this movie on mute okay? If you don't know how to mute it, just please ignore that crazy, high-pitched mom voice you hear...I promise it isn't me. :)

It seemed like after Thanksgiving, Christmas was around the corner and there really wasn't much down time. We had the wonderful opportunity to go down to San Antonio to see the Davidson's and meet new baby Ella and to be with "family" for the holiday. It was an amazing trip! (Minus the puking...more on that later)

We drove down on a Thursday and got up Friday to walk the Riverwalk.

Maggie enjoyed cruising on Dad's shoulders. Why did I lug the stroller around again?

We passed by the "Ripley's Believe it or not" and most of the kids loved all the statues and other creatures.

Andrew did not. This was about as close as he would get to the dinosaur. It looks like he's squealing with delight, but he's not. He's just squealing.

My sweet, sweet baby girl.

Andrea, Nate and Lacey enjoyed the day together. Drew was somewhere near by and we got a really cute picture of them all together but I think it must be on Jeanette's camera.

Our next stop was...


We managed to get a family photo in front of the "closed for the Holidays" Alamo...maybe on our next trip. We did however get to listen to a very animated telling of the events from an off-duty tour guide.

As we walked back to our cars, we noticed some rain clouds were beginning to look more and more scary. We got to our parking garage and "CRACK"!!! The heavens opened and the rain descended and the flood waters came. It was remarkable....HAD I NOT BEEN THE ONE DRIVING! Let's just suffice it to say that I've been traumatized for life from my return trip home from cali in a rainstorm. I think at one point we were going less than 25 mph on the freeway back to the Davidson's house. It started to get a little lighter and lighter the closer we got to home and as we pulled in to the driveway, the rains ceased and we were able to get all sleeping babies into the house and down for naps. It was amazing! If only the rest of the trip could have been that fate-filled! Unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way. Poor Hyrum was sick on the way down and Andrea fell victim to it next. That night Andrea got sick, really sick and then poor Maggie woke up puking. And after that it was kind of a free-for-all of puke-age. It got Mark next and then Caleb and then myself and then Jeanette I think. Anyways, it was not a pretty sight. But even with all that ickyness, we had a GREAT time. We laughed, we played games, we ate really good food, we re-newed deep friendships and we came away feeling like it was a wonderful Christmas.

Nate on Christmas morning...Love the new Christmas PJ'S! (I think we have a picture of all the kids in their new pj's, but again, I think it's on Jeanette's camera.)

Drew re-enacting Maggie's Christmas morning.

This is how Maggie spent the entire day...practically catatonic on either Eddie or my chest. Poor baby! It was really, really, really hard to see her whole body convulse trying to get what was in her body, out of it. But thankfully it was a fast bug and was over soon.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thank you so much to Joe and Sally and Dawn for letting us crash your family Christmas and for making us feel so welcome despite washing 8 loads of pukey blankets and towels in your washer. We owe you big!

October Events part III

Nathan had his 5th birthday in October too. It kind of got thrown together last minute (a trend in my life) but we had some friends come to the local Chuck-E-Cheese's and help celebrate Nate's special day. He was so excited to finally be 5 and he had a great time with his friends. They got to decorate their own goodie bags and play lots of fun arcade games and eat delicious ghost cupcakes (my first time playing around with fondant...they turned out really cute but I totally forgot to take pictures...also a trend in my life) and a ghost cake with glowing/fire eyes. It was a blast!




Some things about Nate at 5:
He weighs exactly the same as he has for the last 15 months but has grown taller. I've already had to replace his school pants twice.

He still loves to read and color and sort things.

He lights up when we pick him up from school and Drew is in the back seat.

He greets us every morning with a hug and a kiss. He's usually the last one awake too. (Drew is first and then Maggie and then Nate)

He says the most awesome prayers and always look at you like, "Wasn't that a good one?"

He is so in love with his baby sister and get her to smile and laugh almost as much as Eddie can.

He still doesn't eat a variety of food but has added celery and ham to his diet. Baby steps, baby steps. ;)

Nathan is so wonderful and we are lucky to have him in our family. Heavenly Father knew what He was doing sending Nate as our firstborn. We sure need this little man-child in our life.

The last event of October was an amazing Halloween party we attended. It was so much fun and we had to post just 2 more videos of the night. We already posted the one of our "grand entrance" but these were worth not leaving out. (Just ignore my hyena laugh and occasional squeel)

Eddie was the first in his group to get his donut all the way off...

and so we did a match-up between Eddie and Matt...It was pretty entertaining to say the least.

October Events part II

So also in October we celebrated my 29th birthday. I had been sick all week with some kind of sinus infection/cold type thing and was feeling pretty icky. Eddie was so sweet and really wanted it to feel like a birthday party so he invited over some good friends to help celebrate. It really was a wonderful day.




We also were able to go with our Church play group to the Pumpkin Patch. It's the same pumpkin patch we've gone to every year we've been here in Texas. We love it! Just looking at the pictures and video, Nate informed me that he can't wait to go there again. They always have such a wonderful time.


The orange crew. ;)

Nate and Drew sitting still for the only time that day.

It's hard to tell in this picture, but Drew is running away as I snap this photo.

We have a picture of Drew about this same age in the exact same pumpkin. I'll have to go find it and do a comparison.

The boys all time favorite thing to do there is definitely the bounce house slide and trampoline.




It's not very good video, but here is the crew we went with.

Devereaux, Haws, Harrison, Cavaness, Murphey, Craig, Stratton, Ririe, Trayner, Riding, and Cowan. What an awesome group!

October Events

I probably should split up the October events into a few different posts. So here is two of the six.

MAGGIE'S BIRTHDAY
The first event in October that we had was Maggie's 1st birthday! It was really very exciting to see our baby turn one. I can't believe how fast the time flew by. We, as in the ENTIRE family, are constantly telling Maggie how much we love her. You'll also hear things like, "Why are you so beautiful?" and "Hi Princess" and "Yeah for Maggie!". The boys are enamored of her and just want to see her laugh and smile and no doubt about it that Eddie and I are completely whipped. She's a great sleeper, a great eater, and very easy going. She loves to cuddle and doesn't cry too much, but definitely has an opinion of how she thinks things should go and will let you know if they don't. It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but she LOVES to watch movies. She absolutely loves anything soft and will squeeze it and put it in her face as she squeels with delight.

We kept her birthday pretty low key and had cake and presents that night as a family.



Maggie with Dad opening her presents.



Singing Happy Birthday to Maggie.


Getting her first bite of cake.

Are you ready for this?


She was definitely NOT shy about digging in.

GREAY WOLF LODGE

The second big event in October was when we got to go the Great Wolf Lodge for free. We had gotten a 3 day/2 night stay for sitting through a really boring timeshare presentation. (Would do it again in a heartbeat!)



Here we are in the front lobby.

And these next ones are of the kids playing in the water park:









Drew going down the slide. The boys really split their time in half between the slide and the wave pool. They were at the slide until they heard the wolf call and then would run over to the wave pool.



Lovin' the wave pool! I wish I had gotten video of Nate without the innertube. He was in the waves up over his head and loving every second of it. Eddie taught the boys to body surf and they got pretty good at it.

The water park was such fun but the kids loved going in to the hotel room just as much. We let them watch Disney (we don't have cable at home) and we brought in all our own food so we would have picnics on our bed. The boys shared a bed and we had a seperate living area where we put Maggie in her pack-n-play. It was perfect!





We can't wait to do this again as a family...Our goal is to get there one more time before we leave Texas. (Which gives us 4 years to save up...and we'll need that time for sure!)