It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love this season.  We have really been trying to focus on the Savior and charity so the boys can understand where the spirit of Christmas really comes from.  With 4 boys in just a hair under 6 years, we have been in survival mode for so long that I think Brett and I need this season and the increased Spirit of Christ to kick in our eternal perspective.  We feel so blessed to have our four beautiful boys.  Our days are so long and our nights are spent just trying to catch up with what happened during the day.  I hope some day we will catch up.  But in the meantime I want to treasure those moments that bring us to the present for a while, and help us forget how far behind we might feel.  I can't believe how much our boys have grown.  I'll give a little highlight of each of the boys, but first this:

   

Brett and I will be celebrating our 8th anniversary at the end of the month.  It's been a long year for Brett.  He's been working long hours and frequently gets back to work after kids are in bed.  Yet, he still manages to make it through "Honey-Do" lists on Saturdays, and play time with the boys.  He volunteered to be a Dad helper at Hyrum's school for a few full days during the year, which Hyrum absolutely loves.  He also usually takes Noah to school in his truck on his way to work, which makes him so happy.  I am very grateful for this man in my life.

 Hyrum is an amazing little man.  He blows us away with his inquisitive mind.  His mind thinks beyond his age.  He comprehends math at an advanced level for a first grader.  He loves to know how things work.  During a neighborhood yard sale this summer he was ecstatic when he saw a really old computer for sale for only $1.  He was so excited to buy it with his own money and then take it apart with his Dad.  Reading hasn't come as easy for him, but it's amazing how much he has progressed in the past few months.  When school started he wasn't sure about all of the letter sounds, and not even close to reading.  He's been seeing an amazing tutor that has really been a game changer for him.  He loves his brothers, and loves helping other people.  He wrote a letter to Santa that he was happy to give to him in person.

I can't say enough about Noah.  He has quite the sassy attitude for a 4 year old.  He is full of emotion, which at times can be a little overwhelming, but it is also his greatest asset.  Sometimes he can't help but just love everything around him.  Every once in a while his cup just runs over and he can't help but share it with everyone.  He will snuggle up and tell me he loves me out of nowhere and he will start telling me other things that he loves.  Noah is very unique.  I can honestly say that everyone loves Noah, really.  He just has this charismatic, funny, magnetic personality that draws people to him.   He is also very smart.  We are asked frequently if we are sure he's only four, because he communicates and thinks more like someone years older.     

Our sweet little Owen is a special part of our family.  He's in the midst of the terrible two's of craziness, yet there is something about him that is just so pure and sweet that I can't help but have the urge to snuggle with him every minute of the day.  He is so tender with his baby brother, which is very uncharacteristic of our boys.  Emmett is our first baby to go 5 months before getting a brother induced bruise, scratch, or other injury.  Owen is his protector.  He loves holding him, talking about him, and laying next to him.  I frequently find Owen just laying next to Emmett on the floor.  They have a special bond that I hope will remain forever.  In fact, Emmett's nickname came from Owen.  We call him Baby Happy or just Happy because Owen would run to me in concern whenever Emmett was crying and plead, "Baby, Happy?" and whenever I would ask Owen what he was doing while he laid next to the baby on the carpet he would explain, "Baby, happy", as if telling me that he was there to make the baby happy.  Owen is caring, giving, and kind.  He gives hugs and kisses to his brothers when they cry or are sad, without being asked.  He is just a very sweet boy.  Owen also plays by himself and is very smart.  I was impressed that at just  barely two years old he made the connection that the Nativity and puzzle we had of the nativity matched.  All by himself he carried the puzzle over to our table and matched up the characters in a line.  There were a couple of swaps, but I was still very impressed.   

Ok, he may not like Santa all that much.  I think he kept his eyes closed because he was too scared to open them. 

And then we get to Baby Happy.  I frequently call him our angel baby, because he is by far my best baby.  Owen is still learning to sleep through the night.  It took Hyrum and Noah both about 3 years before they consistently slept  10+ hours a night.  I was ecstatic when Owen slept a 6 hour stretch when he was about 6 months old.  I've been afraid to say anything about this because I've been afraid I'll jinx it, but Emmett is . . . sleeping. . . all. . . . night! I'm talking 12 hours a night!  He's only 5 months old and thats why I call him my angel baby.  He rarely cries, sleeps through the night, eats well, is healthy, and loves his brothers.  I couldn't ask for more.  

This Christmas I'll count my blessings and find the greatest gifts I could possibly get are already mine.  (Corny, yes.  True, also yes.)

Thanksgiving 2013

I LOVE Thanksgiving!  A whole holiday dedicated to gratitude and celebrated with abundance of food!  That's my kind of holiday!  We had a great Thanksgiving.  It was a relaxing weekend for all of us. I prepared a lot of the food before Thursday so it wasn't as hectic.  I tried out a new roll recipe that was incredible and made my first pecan pie that turned out super scrumptious.  The king of the meal, however was this beautiful bird covered in bacon.  One 16 pound bird covered in butter and garlic salt, stuffed with an onion, apple, and stuffing, and than covered in bacon.  It was also laying on top of several cloves of garlic and celery.   This was by far the best Turkey I've ever eaten.  It was SO moist and flavorful.  It also made the best, most flavorful stuffing as well.  Mmmmm.  Okay, I'll stop talking about the food.

  

We invited some neighbors over for the feast and had them come after 1.  I was expecting 9 kids total, so we had some fun crafts for them to do while the food was getting ready.  They made place-mats, cut out snowflakes, and colored.  Hyrum was so excited about company coming that he made a card for each person to keep.  They were so cute.  He is so considerate of others and making people feel welcome.  

We borrowed a table from the nursery at church for the kids table.  I really loved having the table in the house for the kids to do crafts at.  I wish we could keep it:)

Here's the big kid table.  

One of our guests insisted on taking pictures.  I'm usually the one behind the camera, so here's proof that I was there.  

Hyrum takes after me.  I remember fighting over the 'drumsticks' when I was young on Thanksgiving.  He was excited to have this on his plate. 

We have so much to be grateful for.  

Fall-ing

My favorite sound that I love to hear(other than my own children laughing) is the crunching of leaves.

I love Fall.

Abnormally abnormal

Normal Me:

These are the words that I would use to describe me: content, happy, grateful, optimistic, motivated.  Sure, I have bad days, lazy days, and cranky days just like everyone else, but overall I am generally a mellow happy person.

My Alter Post-Prego Ego:

With each of my boys I've experienced baby blues.  My experience with baby blues has been off and on sadness and brief discouragement about little things that normally wouldn't affect me.  Gratefully, I recognized what was going on with my emotions and was able to cope.  Baby blues are common, and I wish that more prego women were made aware of it so that it won't come as a shock.  This is not an easy thing for me to journal about, but its a part of my mother experience that I need to remember.  A couple of months ago I started feeling those baby blues coming to me.  The discouragement and sadness was at a much deeper level than I have ever experienced.   It wasn't everyday and it wasn't even all day when it did hit.  The inconsistency was the most frustrating part about it all.  I would be totally fine one minute and then suddenly I would have to pull over on the side of the road because I would start crying and couldn't see the road.  It was usually the worst in the evening.  I was embarrassed about it and didn't want Brett to know about it, so I only talked with a few friends who I knew would understand because they've been there.  For the most part I was able to keep 'closeted crazy' in check.  After a few weeks I think I subconsciously felt like I needed a reason for the sadness, so I started thinking in absolutes. Absolutes are usually not a good idea, especially when you are not in a good mind.  Suddenly, when I would take the trash out it became: "Brett NEVER takes the trash out." (which is not true).  When someone would mention they were dropping kids off at Grandparents it became: "EVERYONE has family to help them out.  I NEVER get help from ANYONE."  (Both statement are very false)  The absolutes kept coming and frustration was growing.  There were nights where I would cry for hours.

Abnormally Abnormal:

A couple of weeks ago things came to a head and I had an emotional, verbal, teary deluge.  Up to this point Brett had no idea what was going on in my head.  How dare he not read my mind and look past my smile and keeping it together, right? (I hope you hear the sarcasm there) What I was expecting: "You're right, Stepahnie.  You have it really hard. How can I fix these horrible circumstances?"  What I got: "I really don't understand why you're saying these things. This isn't how you normally feel about . . ."  What! No sympathy? This is not what I expected at all, and it was exactly what I needed. This is why I love Brett so much.  Somehow I forgot who I was and somehow I forgot to disconnect ME from the blues that I had learned to cope with after my other births.

Fixing My Broken Crazy:

This moment I had with Brett helped me really turn things around.  I still get the blues at times, but when I do I remind myself that the sadness will pass and not to dwell on it. I have to stop and think, "Is this something normal me would think?  If this is a 'crazy me' thought than I need to stop thinking it." Oh, and for your informations; the DEFINITION OF CRAZY in this post is NOT IN CONTROL of myself.   Crazy can mean different things to different people, but for me it is lack of control.  I'm admitting an embarrassing weakness, because I love being in control.  I really don't like having little control over myself, which is why I am hesitant of a lot of medicines and supplements, because of how they alter my control, but that's a topic for another day.

Another thing that has really helped me is this beautiful quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.  THIS talk really means a lot to me.  Faith can be interchanged with self worth, marriage, friends, etc. . . It really works.

Here's what I know and need to remind myself when I forget:  

I am very blessed.  I have an amazing life.  I have an amazing family that I love.  I have some awesome friends.  I love where I am in my life and where my life is headed.  Rinse and Repeat.

If you are a woman reading this and haven't experienced baby blues, just know that if you have children it may come.  Don't beat yourself up about it.  It's normal.  You are still normal. . . or at least not completely crazy:).  Baby blues are not quite the same as postpartum depression.  If the blues are to a point where they take up more of your time than the good times and it's interfering with basic function than GO SEE A DOCTOR!  We have to be humble enough to recognize when we need help from more than what we have available at home.  Our families need us and sometimes that means getting help so we can be there for them.  I know that my blues could have been much worse, and I am glad that I'm catching it now and helping myself.

The best things to do to help overcome baby blues:

  -Do something you love

  -Start a new project

  -Talk to someone about it
-See a doctor
-Make a plan every day to do something even if it's just a trip to the store

  -Doubt your negative thoughts

  -EXERCISE!

  -Eat better, it really does make a difference

  -Attempt more sleep (this one is hard to do with a baby)

  -Go on a date

  -Plan an amazing vacation and then don't actually go on one. 

       (THIS explains the last one)

  -Put on some 'happy' essential oils: Citrus Bliss, Balance, Lavender, Serenity
-Take Multi-Vitamins and Vitamin B,D, and C in addition

Halloween 2013

When we found out that Emmett would be a boy we decided that a family of 4 boys meant a family of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  It really worked out well because Hyrum's favorite color is red (Raphael) and Noah's favorite color is blue (Leonardo).  The two littlest don't have much of an opinion so they get assigned orange and purple.  When I mentioned TMNT as Halloween costumes to the boys about a month ago they were REALLY excited about it.  Then as we got closer to Halloween Hyrum decided he didn't want to do it anymore and wanted to be something scary.  By that point I had already started on the costumes.  So I had to just hope that he would come to his senses as we got closer to spook day.  Well, Halloween morning I pulled out the costumes and the boys LOVED them.  Hyrum keeps insisting that we save his costume to wear next year too.  Oh, the drama!  By night time we had a mask left at school and Owen refused to wear his, but it was still good.

Noah was the only one brave enough to sport the green hair.  It was pretty awesome!

I'm not a toy weapons fan, and we've never had them in the house before, but we decided to give in for Halloween.  They were ninja's ALL DAY long!  It was fun, and no one got hurt. 

We had an early dinner of Bloody Guts (Sloppy Joe Casserole), and slime green punch with an ice hand.  The boys loved the hand.  I also attempted some bones of meringue, but they didn't turn out.

Here's the trick-or-treating crew.  I took all the boys to invade our street and then Brett took the two older boys to do a little bit more.  It was a fun night.  I LOVE Halloween! 

Harvest

The boys have been so excited the past couple of months as they've watched our pumpkins growing in the backyard that they planted from seeds this summer.  The long vine-y plants ran out of our garden area and started taking over our grass, but we couldn't cut them back because the only pumpkins that grew from the huge plants were three beautiful pumpkins in our lawn.  So, we went with it, and our yard looked pretty scary for a while.  I was so glad that we had three grow, so that each of the boys could have their own (minus Emmett).  Hyrum's was perfectly orange.  Noah and Owens were perfectly green, but at least they were big and they loved them.  We brought them in and got carving.  You could really see Hyrum and Noah's personalities while we carved.  Hyrum wanted to make something scary, but he refused a pattern.  Instead he just started digging and cutting into the pumpkin.  We asked what he was going to make and his response was something like, "I don't know yet, we'll see what happens after I start".  Yep, that's Hyrum.  Hyrum takes after his Dad in ALMOST every way, except this was all me. :)  In fact I recall saying almost the same thing last year when I made a pumpkin.  Patterns frustrate me too.  His final pumpkin was pretty crazy but I loved it because it was creative and all his.  Noah was hesitant to pick something out to carve because everything was too scary.  After much deliberation and looking through books that afternoon he picked the sillouette of a cute kitty sitting on top of a pumpkin.  He does not like scary!  He has a very tender heart and loves everything to be rosy and cute.  He's such a sweet boy.  Owen was just excited about everything and ran around most of the time, while occasionally stabbing his pumpkin or his brothers and then running away again.  He's a funny boy.

Schedules

I have so much to be grateful for. My boys drive me crazy for reasons that should make me happy.  They love to run, explore, shout, investigate the interiors of things that should remain together, exercise their vocal chords, see things as they are and not as we have been conditioned to see them, and they are not afraid to be true to their feelings and to themselves.  I have a lot to learn from them.  I hope to have their zeal for life when I am encountered with small things easy to overlook.  I need to remember to stop being busy and notice how beautiful dust sparkles as the sun shines through our finger-printed windows.  I need to love seeing all of the dirt under their little nails that has been collected while digging for treasures, wrestling in the grass, and challenging the laws of gravity at the park.  They earned that dirt.  Being a mom is hard.  Days are busy and all of my productive time is from 8:30pm-midnight.  I've burned a lot of midnight oil lately and yet the house isn't very clean, sometimes I forget when I last gave the boys baths, my goal of making three meals a week isn't always hit, and every night when I go to sleep I have a feeling I'm forgetting something.  I know that someday I will wish for these days of snuggles and drool.  And that's why I blog.  

 (Noah wanted to try my camera.  I turned around to put something in the microwave and he took this picture.  It makes me happy.)

(Boxes are our best friends.)

Baby Bubbles enters Toddlerhood!

The terrible two's began for us about 6 months ago when Owen discovered his magnificent skill of climbing.  It's very impressive and very terrifying.  He's been into everything in the upper cupboards, lower cupboards, sinks, pantry and pretty much everywhere you can think of.  For several months I would have to pull him off the counter four or five times a day. The counter climbing slowed down a bit when he realized how fun it is to pour pitchers full of water on the kitchen floor. . . daily.   Why did we not stop it from happening you may wonder?  Well, we tried pretty much everything, short of locking him in his room all day.  It would be much easier if I could give him my full attention all day, but it just isn't possible.  I'm happy to say that his climbing has slowed down quite a bit and I only go through two or three kitchen towels a day cleaning up water spills.  This little destructor of ours has been an adventure in our lives.  With all of the chaos the age enlists, I have to admit that Little O-Man brings some of the greatest joy to our day.  Owen is so very sweet and thoughtful.  A couple of weeks ago I was outside with the boys and six or seven of the neighborhood kids.  Some of the kids mentioned they were thirsty.  I was nursing, so I told them they would have to wait until I was all done.   Before I knew it Owen had come out carrying a cup of water.   He went back in two more times to bring out two more cups of water that he handed out to the neighbors.  He is always so kind and willing to help.  He loves giving and receiving hugs and kisses.  I think if he could fully express himself and you were to ask him who his favorite person is he would first say his Dad and then Baby Emmett would be a very close second.  Recently he found Hyrum's walkie-talkie.  When you turn one receiver on it can sometimes pick up random transmissions in bits and pieces.  He listens to it for a while until he hears a mans voice and then he excitedly yells 'Daddy! Daddy!'  I'm pretty sure that he thinks Emmett is his baby.  He is so affectionate and loving to Emmett.  Whenever Emmett cries he gets very concerned and comes to me quickly to let me know that he's sad.  In the past couple of days he learned to say "Baby, happy."  He says it in a pleading way when Emmett is sad and in an excited tone when he smiles.  He LOVES his brother.   He's picking up new words fast.  He is very smart.  He is a blessing to all of us.  We love our little Owen.  For his birthday we went to the Dinosaur Museum, which is one of his favorite places.  I'm surprised he didn't loose his voice growling and roaring at all of the bones.  

He even spent some time relaxing in the sand.

When we got home we opened presents and had cake balls to eat.  It was a great day and I think it was perfect for our cute little adventurer.   

Celebrating Awesome.

With our lack of moving we decided that one thing we can do to be more content with where we are right now is to utilize our surrounding more.  We have loved going up to the canyon all summer to climb trees, picnic, and nature watch.  To make it even more fun we decided to invest in some more camping things and a raft so we could spend more time up the mountain with the boys. . . and of course Brett bought a big truck to add to his man card:).  Hyrum's teacher has a system for letting parents know how the students do at school.  Each day they are rewarded with a specific color sticker on a chart.  Most of the time Hyrum has gotten green, which means "ready to learn".  It's great to get green, but we let him know that if he got two orange stickers (pretty much means they were amazingly awesome) we would go camping.  He was really excited and worked hard to be awesome at school.  Once he earned awesome behavior status at school we were excited to get things ready to go.  We decided that Brett, Hyrum, and Noah would be staying overnight, while I took the two little ones back home when it was time for bed.  I love camping and I can't wait till the babies are a little bit older so we can join Dad and the older boys.  I got a few pictures before we left.  They had fun eating dinner and breakfast at our campsite. They explored nature and bit and practiced shooting the bow.  In the morning, after breakfast, they packed everything up and spent the rest of the morning at the reservoir just a little ways from the campsite. 

It's hard to see but in this first picture if you look on the camping chair next to Hyrum, you'll see baby Emmett relaxing there.  Owen was filthy and kept going over and giving him kisses, so I had to clean Emmett's face because he was a mess by the time we went back home. 

Emmett's Blessing Day!

Our cute little Emmett has been such a blessing to our family.  He is the sweetest little baby.  Emmett is very quiet most of the time and doesn't require a lot of attention.  He sleeps really well at night and loves snuggling when he's awake.  He really is such a dream.  His brothers love him so much, especially Owen who is his protector and friend.  We were very happy to have Grandma and Grandpa Partridge and Ryan with the boys come for the blessing.  The day was a bit chaotic, but the moment our sweet Emmett laid in the arms of several Priesthood holders surrounded in their encircled arms we could feel the love Heavenly Father has for him and the peace he has already brought to our family.  

Facebook September 2012-August 2013

Monday, September 3, 2012 at 7:41am MDT

"I woke up this morning craving a day on the Puget Sound."

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 9:14am MDT

"After two accidents yesterday, I made my three yr old wear a Pullup for the rest of the day. He was not happy. Today I told him he could wear underwear again and he said, "Good job mom! I'm so proud of you for saying yes to my underwear". He is SOO funny!"

Friday, October 5, 2012 at 4:46pm MDT

"My 5 year old is beyond happy playing with a little boy at the play place that does not speak English. I don't think he has even noticed the language barrier. He just tells him what to do and the little boy follows him around and is obedient. He's the ideal friend for him:). Should I admit that this is the second "BEST FRIEND EVER!" that does not speak English he has made:)"

Monday, October 15, 2012 at 10:04pm MDT

"Noah fell asleep on the drive home from the Museum today, which means he's still up with me. He just came downstairs for the third time and in his sweet little voice he looked baffled and said, "Mommy, it is a mystery why I can't fall asleep whenever I go to bed""

Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 6:00pm MDT

"Tonights dinner conversation: 3 year old refusing to eat because he says 'the food hurts my feelings'. I asked my 5 year old how kindergarten was and he says "I had so much fun, because we got to learn F words and write F words on our papers." ( luckily I know that they are learning about the letter F this week). I love my boys :)"

Thursday, October 18, 2012 at 7:15pm MDT

"At the doctors. First time to have one of my babies reach a temperature of 104.5! Poor Owen."

Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 9:44am MDT

"I told my boys this morning if they worked really hard on their chores all morning then we could go to Kangaroo Zoo later today. We've never been so when I was describing it I said there are so many toys and activities that it would just blow their minds. The expression didn't work the way I intended. Now my 5 year old keeps talking about how we're going to have so much fun that our brains and all of our insides will ooze out of our noses and ears and our bodies will explode:) . . .not really what I was going for:)"

Monday, October 29, 2012 at 10:05am MDT

"My 3 year old: I'm the meanest Monster in the world! Rrrrraaaarrr! His little girl friend: Oh yeah, I'm a Mommy monster! Mine: Aaaaaaaaahhhh! Good to know Mommy's always trump for scariest:)"

Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 2:32pm MST

"Hyrum on the swings. "My brain is telling me to slow down, but my heart is telling me to go higher" :)"

Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 5:14pm MST

Brett's Post: "So the other day Stephanie was teaching our 5 year old 'H' about the resurrection of Christ and how we all will be resurrected one day and how our bodies will be made perfect, specifically that Dad will get his hair back :) Today at the MacDonalds playplace our 1 year old snuggled up a little to a random man there and 'H' saw him do this and said: "Yeah, he must have thought Dad died and then got all his hair back and then came to the playplace." Whatever your religion is (or isn't) that's funny stuff!"

Monday, November 12, 2012 at 3:49pm MST

"Funny how I posted a cute picture of my sweet boys just a little bit ago and now I've put myself in time out so I don't chop one of their heads off. Lets just say our van has its first dent and it was done by a little boy under 4 feet tall."

Sunday, December 2, 2012 at 11:24pm MST

"Finally got our Christmas stuff out and the tree decorated. The top half of our tree is very festive. If you come over and wonder why the bottom half is bare, I will introduce you to our 14 month old. You will understand:)"

Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 3:08pm MST

"My boys are painting at the counter: N: do you like colors? H: Yea, I guess so. N: Sir, can I use your stinkus color? H: Yea, I have lots of stinkus. Me: Um, what is stinkus? H: Stinkus is an american color that is mostly purple. I think it's only American though and even though its purple, Americans only call it stinkus. Me: ok :-}"

Monday, December 10, 2012 at 2:10pm MST

.

"If you've ever wondered what a screaming banshee sounds like feel free to come by my house and experience it first hand. In fact, you probably don't even need to come inside, just stand outside. These teeth need to come in ASAP before I loose my mind/ hearing."

Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 11:10pm MST

"Hyrum: "when I grow up I want to be a make everything-er. I will make big buildings, and toilet paper, and toilets, and dog houses that will be SOOO comfy, and robots that talk to you, and. . ."

Friday, December 14, 2012 at 12:45pm MST

"I sat my boys down an told them what happened this morning(a horrible school shooting where several 5-6 year olds were shot), then we all kneeled in prayer. This is what my Kindergartener said to me: "why are you crying? Don't you know they live with Heavenly Father now?" Me- "I do, but I'm sad for their families who will miss them so much" him-"But they get to see them again after they die, so they shouldn't be sad". -and this is how children teach us."

Tuesday, December 25, 2012 at 7:45pm MST

"4 kids in exactly 6 years? I accept that challenge:). "Mystery Baby" coming to us 4th of July 3013!"

Monday, January 7, 2013 at 1:01pm MST

"H:"hi my name is H and I'm 5. What's your name?. . . Do you want to be my best buddy and play with me everyday?" - I think I'm raising future Buddy the Elfs:)"

Monday, January 7, 2013 at 1:08pm MST

"Brett took our 3 year old to work with him this morning so I could take a much needed nap. Best hubby ever! I am no longer a zombie."

Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 7:04pm MST

"I've been trying to sneak out and see you for a while now. I've missed you and admit that I was a little twiterpated when I parked the car and saw your lights on. I put on my new favorite sweater and some makeup on just to see you. Brett's putting the kids to bed and tonight, right now, is all about me. Thank you for being here for me Costco:)"

Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 3:31pm MST

"I can't believe I'm actually sharing how ghetto we are today. My baby has a super bad diaper rash and so we need to leave him bare bummed as much as possible. This is my compromise: a towel held up with my stretchy headband."

Monday, January 14, 2013 at 2:37pm MST

"Downside to our fridge/freezer breaking yesterday: 3 trash bags of food thrown out. Plus side to the break: when I'm done with the beast it will never look or smell cleaner."

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 7:32am MST

"I'm really hoping our little guy gets all his teeth in before the baby comes. He has two molars poking in now and he woke up 6 times last night in pain! And that's with Motrin in his system! My kids are the worst teethers!"

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 11:36pm MST

"We haven't had a fridge/freezer since Sunday. We thought about buying a new one. We thought about paying to have it repaired. Instead, Brett Partridge dissected it, found what was broken, ordered a part, and tonight fixed it. Total cost: $35. That was worth the wait:)"

Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 11:14am MST

"Last night I dreamt that I went shopping at the Nordstrom anniversary sale and I bought bejeweled fish net stockings and a free bookmark because I recycle. Pregnancy dreams. . .what does it all mean:)"

Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 5:03pm MST

"This boy is scary and smart. He moved his chair AND both stools over to the pantry and climbed up to reach his fishy crackers. Glad I caught him before he climbed up the shelves" -Owen

Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 7:09pm MST

"Noah: "Guess what? Heavenly Father is our Father and Jesus is our brother. And guess what? Jesus has a plan for us tomorrow. Jesus' plan for us tomorrow is that we have a family date to go bowling. That will make Jesus SO happy!""

Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 7:29am MST

"Still teething. Baby O was up from 1-4:30 this am. I wonder if he did this just because he knows Dad's not home. Nap time yet?!"

Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 9:29pm MST

Posted by Brett: "Great to be back home for good. In the last 17 days I've spent 8.5 days in California. Flying twice to San Francisco and back and once to San Jose. To someone who travels for work this is nothing, for a software engineer it's brutal :). And Stephanie has been an amazing mother to non-sleeping, sick, teething, ear infected kids through it all!"

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 9:08am MST

"Dad: "Boys, what do you think we should name the new baby boy that's in mom's tummy?" Noah: " I know! We should name him stinky face!""

Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 7:35am MST

"Noah: "when I grow up I want to be The President, or Superman, or Batman, or Carl's Jr.""

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 5:19pm MST

"Hyrum must have been really hungry, because I was up folding clothes and when I came down he had completely set the table. He was waiting in his seat for me and he told me he already blessed the food:)"

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 9:22pm MST

"Best part of Noah's 4th Birthday today was when I asked him what we were going to do for his party. His response: "I'm going to shake my booooooty!" ( along with booty shaking dance) He really cracks me up!"

Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 6:01pm MST

"I told the boys that the floor in the basement needed to get cleaned up. Hyrum's response: "okay everyone, I have a great plan. I'll clean up the marbles. Mom and Noah, you guys clean up the blocks. And baby O can (pause), make messes all over after we clean, because that's what you always do". He's going to be a great leader someday:)"

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 12:17pm MST

"I think I'm a good mom and a fun person. . . Just not so much when I'm pregnant. Here's to the 9 months we hope our other children will forget how we were:)"

Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 7:21pm MST

"Best part of Sunday for the boys is when Dad lays down on the floor. Who needs a playset anyway?"

Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 1:16pm MST

"When I look to the future and how my life will be someday I am excited to see where the boys will be and how they will contribute to the world, but at this moment I am most excited to someday get 8 hours of uninterupted sleep and not have snot and/or spit rubbed on all of my clothes"

Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at 7:23am MST

""Some days are lamb days when the lion just plays with the lamb, and some days are lion days when the lion be's really mean to the lamb. I wear my hood everyday because its snowy. Snowy days are usually lamb days. If you spell zoo and then change the z to 1 and the two oo's to 00's, then it makes 100. Isn't that cool, mom?" - Hyrum's brain dump all in one breath. One word: squirrel!"

Friday, March 8, 2013 at 12:06pm MST

"Oh, to have this boys confidence and self esteem. Noah: "I think you should name the baby with my name because I'm such a sweet boy""

Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 6:41pm MDT

"Date night! Woohoo. Wish we could do this more often:)Headed to "The Magic Flute". But first things first: Olive Garden!"

Monday, March 18, 2013 at 12:09am MDT

"I'm officially at 'that place' in my pregnancy. Can't sleep. To much to do while the kids are asleep. Brett Partridge is too familiar with my craziness about prego countdown lists."

Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 12:42pm MDT

"When I was little I remember pretending bananas were phones and talking to my friends on them. My boys both have bananas in hand and they are looking at them and talking. My 4 year old told me they were FaceTime-ing each other. Times have changed, but the banana is always a great way to communicate:)"

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 4:11pm MDT

"I just spent the last hour and a half cutting my three boys' hair and getting them showered off. The majority of that time was with my 18 month old. I am in a full on sweat now! That was intense, lets hope my little guy can make it a few months before another cut:)"

Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 1:13pm MDT

Noah(4): "When I grow up I don't think I want to be a dad. I want to be Thor instead."

Monday, April 1, 2013 at 1:32pm MDT

"With four boys I'm sure I will have many years of crazy April Fools day pranks, so this year I'm enjoying that my boys don't realize what today is:) As far as they know today is Cleaning Basement Day and tonight is family night - best day ever."

Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 4:40pm MDT

"My little man, Hyrum, ran in to tell me to get off the couch so he could show me a surprise. So happy when Dads home! He took his training wheels off, and today he rode on two wheels for the first time:)"

Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 12:08pm MDT

"No time to be sick today. Time to put on my mom pants and get going. 2ear infections and a minor case of pink eye, means at least 4 loads of laundry need to get done, Traffic areas disinfected, all while holding a sad little man:("

Monday, April 15, 2013 at 7:35am MDT

"Two boys up, fully dressed, all snow attire on, and played outside in it before 7 am. Now what to do with the rest of the day? Hmmm"

Monday, April 15, 2013 at 8:00pm MDT

"My funny Kindergartener. Tonight one of his homework assignments was to finish this sentence: 'The world would be a better place if everyone. . .' He paused for a moment in thought and responded "if everyone finished their own sentences." Truth. :)"

Friday, April 19, 2013 at 11:02am MDT

"I just leaned down and picked a big crumb off the floor. My 4 year old (Noah) pat me on the back and said, "Nice job, chief." Wow, I feel really good about myself now. Maybe I'll pick two things up off the floor. :). A little encouragement goes a long way."

Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 7:55pm MDT

"My oldest wanted to play more video games after his slotted time aloud to play on Saturday. We said no and referenced the term 'frying his brain'. He has been baffled by the expression all day and asking all kinds of questions. "If my brain fries will I start to get all sweaty? Will my head be all hot? How does it happen? Does it fry like food?. . ." His brain is always going! I think if it ever does 'fry' it will be from over-thinking."

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 6:41pm MDT

"When I'm in a public place with no bathrooms it makes me very grateful to have all boys and plenty of trees:)"

Monday, April 29, 2013 at 8:47am MDT

"In case you didn't know: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were on the ark. According to my 4 yr old (Noah) they protected the prophet.:)"

Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 9:43am MDT

"It's amazing to me that someone so little and so cute can manage to destroy everything in his path. Yesterday: food dumped out on floor twice, oatmeal rubbed all over floor, a climb onto counter results in a broken bowl. Today has just begun and he's already dumped pretzels out in my bedroom and made a beautiful toothpaste masterpiece on some clean laundry and my carpet. Lets hope this stage goes by quickly. Yikes!"

Monday, May 13, 2013 at 7:42am MDT

"No better way to remind me that mothers Day is over then a baby with 3 blowouts, very dirty bedding and carpets, and a load of laundry done before 7am. :) Welcome back Monday."

Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 5:37pm MDT

"The food, drink, and sauce just dumped all over the floor doesn't even make me flinch. It's not even in my top 5 worst things I've cleaned up today. Funny how perspective changes."

Friday, May 17, 2013 at 12:48am MDT

"7 loads of laundry that had to be bleached, 4 very messy blowouts from my toddler, vomit in the car from my 4 year old, and then in his bed just now, diarrhea cleanup extravaganza, 1 load of dishes done, all laundry folded and put away, and I vacuumed the basement. Hubby just texted to say he's on his way home from working late tonight. I think we both put in a very full day:). Strangely enough, after singing my little guy to sleep after throwing up, I was filled with so much gratitude to be a mother. I wouldn't trade this job for the world! I love the days where i feel like superwoman. I am so grateful for Brett Partridge who works very hard and has been very blessed with a job that makes it possible for me to be home full time. I will now lay my exhausted and hugely pregnant body down to sleep. It's a good night."

Monday, May 20, 2013 at 6:19pm MDT

"After 30 minutes if nonstop whining, semi-crying, and angry looks I got my 4 yr old to take a bite of his dinner. While he was chewing he cried and gagged a few times. Then right after swallowing he perked up and said, "Yummy, yummy to my tummy! I like it!" Wow- and they say girls are the dramatic ones:)."

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 11:33pm MDT

"The feeling of a baby hiccuping inside me is really awesome and really strange at the same time. Although I'm in the homestretch of this pregnancy and can't wait to just meet this little guy, I think a part of me will miss the feeling of carrying a living being inside me."

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at 4:09pm MDT

"If I choose to take my three kids with me to Costco while almost 38 weeks pregnant, and having contractions during the process because the empty shelf where snacks are supposed to go is empty and driving me crazy, than I can prove that nesting is not a myth. :) ( and yes that was a big run on sentence)."

Saturday, June 22, 2013 at 3:48pm MDT

"So, the boys earned enough tickets from summer school to go to the dollar theatre. We told them they had to use their own money if they wanted to buy any snacks. N's money was in the room with his brother sleeping, so Brett said he could owe him the money when they got back. Fast forward to when they got home. N went upstairs and yells down very matter-of-fact: "Dad. I have a little problem with my wallet. There's no money in it". Now we've had our lesson in credit/debt for the day:) Brett Partridge"

Thursday, June 27, 2013 at 11:27am MDT

Brett's post: "My amazing wife is 39 weeks today. I can't imagine how uncomfortable and painful things are for her right now, but I sure love her and appreciate her sacrifice to make our family a little more complete with this new baby boy. Get here fast buddy, we're as ready as we're gonna get. It's crazy down here, but it's fun as all get-out :)"

Friday, June 28, 2013 at 4:00am MDT

"Heading to the hospital. I guess the heat and the Italian ice did the trick:) Contractions are a beast. Is it too late to get suggestions for what we should name this little guy?"

Friday, June 28, 2013 at 11:08am MDT

"I was leaning toward one name. Brett was leaning toward another name. Once we had both held him, without any hesitation, we both knew that his name would be neither of our first choices. We knew that he was Emmett and we are so happy that he has joined our family. Emmett Rigby Partridge will be one loved little dude. . . I think his brothers might be a little mad that we're not naming him Fishy though:)"

Saturday, June 29, 2013 at 11:36pm MDT

"I just woke up from a little nap in the hospital and I feel overwhelmed with gratitude and love. I have 4 incredible little boys that make me so happy. I have an amazing husband who can take care of me when I can't take care if myself. I have great friends and neighbors who have been more than willing to drop everything to help me out. My mom has been an amazing help holding down the fort. The hospital and doctors that have worked with me are so knowledgeable and wonderful. I just feel surrounded and I am very grateful. :)"

Friday, July 5, 2013 at 9:08pm MDT

"Today was a great day. My oldest little man turned 6! AND my youngest little man turned 1 week. Yay to my bookends:)"

Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 6:18pm MDT

"I actually almost made it 2 full weeks with my newborn baby boy without getting pee'd on. . .until tonight when he caught me off guard. So much for a record. :)"

Friday, July 12, 2013 at 9:03pm MDT

Brett's Post:"In the last two days we've sanded and repainted the decorative shutters on the outside of the house (2nd story), cleaned up toys, edged and mowed the lawn, trimmed bushes, weeded, cleaned up toys, replaced broken wall plates, fixed a shorted light switch, painted, cleaned up toys, installed a panel door over the water manifold, replaced burnt out lightbulbs, cleaned up toys, dusted, bleached bathroom tubs, and planted some flowers. What to do next.... what to do what to do."

Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 7:59pm MDT

"I know Brett Partridge already announced this earlier today, but I think I'm finally ready to put it into words now. Yes, we are moving. We are very sad about leaving all of our great friends and neighbors we have been blessed with. After much thought, prayer, planning, and time we have decided that we are ready for this change. We never planned on it happening right now with a 2 week old, but things have all been falling into place and we feel that now is the best time (not the most convenient time, but the best time) to take this step. Thank you for all of your support and love. Lets see where this next chapter will lead us. :)"

Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 12:47pm MDT

"This morning I had bathed the baby, all four boys were Sunday dressed, eaten snacks, and were pretty much ready to go to church. I had my makeup on and gotten ready to attend the first hour debuting the baby for the first time at church:). I was feeling pretty good about the day. Then he needs to nurse right when it was time to go and my almost 2 year old fell asleep while I fed baby. SO half the family made it to church. Maybe I'll try for next week. :) Juggling four, while Brett's at meetings, will take some practice."

Sunday, July 21, 2013 at 9:56pm MDT

"First official freak out/break down. It hit me that tomorrow will be my first day with four kids (ages 6, 4, 1, and 3weeks) by myself WHILE our house is up for sale and needs to be 'show' ready at a moments notice. Brett Partridge, thank you for being here with me the past few weeks and all your help. And thank you for calming me down. . .although there's a good chance future freak outs will occur."

Wednesday, July 24, 2013 at 7:27pm MDT

"I can feel my mouth moving. I can hear my voice. Yet, certain people in my house seem to be unable to hear me at all. They must need their ears checked, and that's why I have been kind enough to make my voice very loud today for them to hear. I hate raising my voice. Any tips?"

Friday, August 2, 2013 at 12:28pm MDT

"After a lot of craziness, stress, and a few meltdowns we have decided to take our house off the market so we can more fully enjoy our newborn baby and prepare the kids for school. I know we haven't been dealing with the stress for long, but it's been long enough to recognize that not every prompting from God is intended to be seen all the way through. Sometimes He needs us to learn a lesson in the process and then move on. For now we are going to take a deep breath and just enjoy out family. . . .and tonight I might just buy myself something nice for a little retail therapy:)"

Friday, August 9, 2013 at 5:57pm MDT

"Thank you awesome person who bought us a waffle iron almost 8 years ago as a wedding gift. I forgot we had one all this time and now it's like Christmas! Guess what we're having for dinner now?"

Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 8:05am MDT

"Any suggestions on how to keep a toddler off the counter? I pull him off here half a dozen times a day or more. Sometimes I have to pull him out of the sink. The first couple of times were cute, but after a few months of him constantly being up there and cleaning up everything he pulls out, I'm done."

Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 6:29pm MDT

"I sit down to nurse the baby while my three other boys run around the coffee table screaming and laughing until the inevitable collision occurred and everyone was screaming/crying. The almost 2 year old walks up to me and blows his nose on the babies leg and then walks away. . .nice. I send everyone to different parts of the house to cool off. One minute to breath. Then I hear my 4 year old, who just discovered that locking his door for quiet time from the outside(yes, he did this to himself) had just trapped him inside and he needs to potty. Now it's time for dinner. Today my superpower is chaos. Wanna join me:?:)"

Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 11:26am MDT

Hyrum: "Mom, you are an artist of tying shoes."

Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 7:42pm MDT

"Tonight Brett Partridge was practicing words with our almost 2 year old, Owen. "Can you say...?" After a few successful words, Brett asked "Can you say dinosaur?" His response: "Mom". Food for thought tonight :)"

Saturday, August 24, 2013 at 4:58pm MDT

"By most people's standards I just did something that made me look like a horrible parent, but looks can deceiving and there was a reason behind my madness. Note to self: don't judge parents for bad parenting because you may not see the whole picture."

Facebook

There are so many crazy, funny, sad, and awesome moments that happen in our lives and I want to remember them all.  I know it's unrealistic, but this blog is a start and when I can't get to a computer or a piece of paper I often grab my phone and record it on Facebook so that I can remember.  Here is a copy of many of my posts that I don't want to forget, some because they make me smile and some because they are moments that have made me grow.  After these posts I will be printing the last two years of this blog.  It will be my third blog book.  I love looking back at where we have come. So for my record, here it is:

Sunday, August 14, 2011 at 9:37am MDT

"Baby Boy: I'm glad you have so many awesome crazy ninja moves you like to practice, but please stop practicing from midnight-7."

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 10:32am MDT

"N ate all the frosting off my muffins while I showered, then kindly put the bare muffins back. H started preschool today and I miss my law enforcer:("

Friday, September 2, 2011 at 10:02am MDT

"H: " When I get older I'm going to be a WalMart expert." . . .I think its time to talk to him about reaching for lofty goals!:)"

Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 10:37pm MDT

"I have a watermelon sized person in my belly punching and kicking my insides. . . not to mention the head-butting of my bladder. It amazes me how sweet and fragile they are once they come out. Can't wait to meet the little ninja."

Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 5:10pm MDT

"At this point if I can't pick it up with my toes off the floor its just not worth picking up at all. Good thing I have pretty talented toes. Final week!"

Monday, September 19, 2011 at 9:22am MDT

"Owen Edwin Partridge born 6:59am, 7lbs 6oz, 20" long. Both he and Stephanie Rushton Partridge are doing great. . . tired but great. Thanks for all your love, prayers, and support. The c-section was very smooth and fast and we look forward to a quick recovery and getting to know this little guy better. We struggled a lot with picking a name this time around but settled on Owen which has many meanings: Greek - Born Well Welsh - Young Warrior, The Fortunate One but our favorite is Celtic - Born to Nobility His middle name Edwin is the first name of my maternal Grandfather, a wonderful man I admire very much. We're so excited to have Owen finally here with us!"

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 4:47pm MDT

"Me to H: "You are faster than a speeding bullet!". . A few minutes later H says to me: "Mom, you are faster than a speeding pull-up"

Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 12:41am MDT

"So glad to have my hubby back from NY. Also very envious of his little business trip. Two little meetings with A&E and HBO and the rest of the time to site see. . . What a life!"

Monday, October 24, 2011 at 10:57am MDT

"Going to bed past midnight when you have a newborn is not smart - I don't think I'll even need to buy a costume this Halloween when my zombie look comes free"

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 1:22pm MDT

"Hyrum (4) just spent the last 50 minutes telling me a story about a sunken ship, Mer-people, and spikey creatures. Love his imagination. . .and the fact that it didn't phase him at all when I dozed off for a few minutes twice."

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 11:59am MST

"I bought H a binder to put his preschool papers in. When I showed him he was so excited and said, "Mom! It's beautiful! I love this!". . . Wow, Christmas will be easy."

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 12:10pm MST

"Watching 3-4 year olds play flag football is HILARIOUS!"

Friday, November 11, 2011 at 4:21pm MST

"Funny that our fun activity/reward for the day is shredding papers. . .I love toddlers excitement for everything."

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 9:52am MST

"Me: "Wow, N you are super fast!". Then N looks at me as though my statement was stupid and says, "Of course I is, Mom.""

Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 9:23pm MST

"At WalMart guarding in wait for Black Friday sale to begin:) in Albuquerque. . .I'm a little scared of all the crazy ladies. . .maybe they're afraid of me too. Time to pull out my 'Dont mes with me and savings" face."

Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 9:01pm MST

"We had a movie night with the boys tonight because they were such good helpers for me today. H chose to watch Enchanted, which has never interested him before now. He watched the first 20 minutes and then asked us to skip to the dragon part.:) Meanwhile N kept asking where the 'swordy guy' was (Prince Edward) so he could 'sword' bad guys. There really is something about little boys, dragons, and swords."

Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 7:48pm MST

"The first thing N says when Brett walks in the door: "Dad, we bought you an. . .ipad cover" and that's how fast Christmas surprises are leaked. Next year my Christmas wish will be shopping without kids:)"

Monday, December 12, 2011 at 2:14pm MS

"Just started my fourth load of laundry and I haven't even begun on the piles of dirty clothes in the hampers. . .argh!"

Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 2:14pm MST

"Me "I really need to lay down for a few minutes. Can you play quietly by yourself?" H:"that's easy cheesy Mom.". . .two minutes later: "can I tell you something now?""

Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 4:47pm MST

"H: "He's going to be our little baby scurvy pirate.""

Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 10:03am MST

"Yesterday: family pictures, 6th anniversary with Brett, Brett's 10yrs HS reunion. Today: drive 11 hrs back home. Tomorrow NAP!"

Monday, January 2, 2012 at 10:14am MST

"I came downstairs to ask the boys what they wanted for breakfast. I found an empty bag of Cheetos and an empty gift bag formerly full of chocolate kisses. Hyrum then informed me they already ate."

Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:38am MST

"Day one of potty training "N". Goodbye world. Hello laundry."

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 10:21pm MST

"Potty training day 1: AAAAAAHHHHHH!!! Potty training day 2: Aah! Potty training day 3: I think I can do this. Tomorrow: Possibly get dressed and put makeup on."

Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 2:32pm MST

""H" said our lunch prayer and this was part of it "...we thank thee for all of our ingredients so we can make yummy food. . . We thank thee for baby O, because he's sleeping. . .we thank thee for everything.". Great lesson on gratitude."

Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 6:19pm MST

"One boy screaming, the other two boys crying, I'm standing in the kitchen on FB to get away. Is it bed time yet?"

Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 10:04pm MST

"Behind every happy, rested mom is a babysitter. No shame in needing a break to stay sane"

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:59am MST

"The boys are playing the piano and guitar and I here H yell, "Rock and roll, Mateys!" -evidently pirates can rock out."

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 5:31pm MST

"Best sound of the day: H comes up to me while I'm folding laundry, "Mom, may I please help you? I can clean the bathroom and make the toilets super clean, and even the mirrors will have no spots on them." . . . I love this stage where they want to help so much!"

Friday, January 27, 2012 at 11:58am MST

"This morning in our carpool to preschool the boys (Hyrum and his friend Rowan) spent 10 minutes discussing the difference between Starbursts and Star Wars, and then meatier issues like picking noses."

Friday, February 3, 2012 at 11:42am MST

"Evidently a ground hog is an animal that hinds in the dirt, pops out, and when he sees his shadow he thinks its a ghost and gets scared. He says, "ahhhh! A ghost!" then goes back in the ground - this is what my son learned at preschool today, I think he may have misinterpreted the lesson:)"

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:56pm MST

"Today I registered my little man for kindergarten. . . woa."

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:26am MST

"I'm so glad that H isn't at the age where he cares what I look like when I pick him up at school."

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 9:08am MST

"I love how H explains things. Explaining what a game of pool is: "it's golfing but not on the ground. It's on a table and you have a pointy stick.""

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 8:43am MST

"My boys are so funny! I wish I could remember everything they say. This morning H said our prayer and afterward he said, "I think Lamanites said prayers too, but they say 'I thank thee that everyone will be MEAN!'" A few minutes later N was running around with a blanket on his head and he yelled, "I is a nice ghost so so someone please GIVE ME A HUG!""

Friday, March 2, 2012 at 11:12am MST

"No more excuses. So, I have three kids Pre-K. So, I have a hubby that works a lot. So, I don't have family close to watch the kids. Today I'm making a plan and making some calls and next week I'll be going to the gym and getting back on track. 6 months from now I'll turn 30 and I want to fit in my clothes comfortably by then. Now that it's on FB I feel more accountable, but I may need some encouragement. Woohoo!"

Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 6:59pm MST

"My 4 yr old just had a 35 minute dialogue with himself while sitting in the restroom. . . Wow! Boys!"

Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 2:52pm MDT

"I LOVE this weather! I got some weeding in, some playing in, and some sweet snackage in, and it's barely 3:)"

Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 8:17am MDT

"Once the boys settled down from their St Pattys surprise H looked at me with concern and said, "Mom did something crawl into your hair and make it look like that?. . .Do you have a bomb in there?". . . good to know that candy doesn't spoil his humor."

Monday, March 19, 2012 at 12:11pm MDT

"My 3 yr old just said, "I like bananas. They are yummy to my tummy, yes Sir!. . . Am I cute or what?"" - that's Noah

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 1:14pm MDT

"Note to self, after grinding wheat do not leave your three year old to watch over it while you change a diaper."

Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 11:49am MDT

"I just took an hour nap while the boys played with Legos! Wow that felt great, I woke to N's voice saying "So, you wanna see your mom? (big crash sound) well, I just broke your mom. Muwahaha!" not sure that I love my Lego demise, but that was a great nap:)"

Friday, March 30, 2012 at 1:52pm MDT

"Hi, my name is Stephanie and I am a Root Beer snob. There is only one great root beer and it is A&W. All other root beer is like comparing rolling hills to the Andes. Rolling hills are nice, but really there is no comparison. So, when I am eating out and I ask what kind of Root Beer they serve, I find it a bit irritating when they don't know, as if they are all equal. There's my strange rant for the day. Does this bother anyone else?"

Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 12:08pm MDT

"This morning my 4 yr old got out my hand weights and said he needed to exercise and get super strong so that he has enough muscles to carry all the Easter eggs.:)"

Sunday, April 8, 2012 at 4:42pm MDT

"I love having boys. This afternoon I had the privilege of teaching them how to burn things with magnifying glasses. Can't wait to go camping this summer:)"

Monday, April 9, 2012 at 11:17pm MDT

"My husband is sitting on the couch with a math book working on math problems. . . for fun. . . sometimes I wonder about him. . "

Monday, April 30, 2012 at 12:44pm MDT

"Baby O just discovered the dryer and now he's screaming at it:)"

Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 11:06pm MDT

"How did I deserve such cute boys?:)"

Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 9:30am MDT

"I just walked in on my 3 yr old picking his nose. Before I could tell him to stop he said, "don't worry, Mom. I put the snot back in my nose after I got it out." . . . Oh, ok.:)"

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 11:05pm MDT

"What a handsome cowboy! My Grandpa turned 95 today and he's still doing great and being active. He's quilted more than 500 quilts for the LDS Humanitarian effort, and loves having all 'the ladies' over for his quilting group. Happy Birthday to a great man!"

Friday, June 15, 2012 at 2:01pm MDT

"This morning my three year old decided to no longer call me Mom, but instead call me by my clothes, "Hey! Green shirt.", "Hey shorts", "Hey short sleeve!" Sometimes, I wonder what goes on inside his head:)" -This would be Noah

Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at 11:25am MDT

"This morning I got out of the shower to find my 3&5 yr old standing on the top bunk. The younger had a rope tied around his waist and the other end was tied around the bed post. Of course my older boy was kindly encouraging him to jump. Looks like I got out just in time. Future bungee jumpers=scary and kind of funny:)"

Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 9:16pm MDT

"I became a Mom 5 years ago, today. Now we have three rambunctious little boys! I feel like 5 years has gone by SO fast, yet somehow I can't imagine my life without my boys being a part of it."

Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 11:36am MDT

"I found a grasshopper and caught it for the boys to see. They played with it and hopped around with it for about 5 minutes and were having so much fun until my 3 year old stomped on it. I told him that I was very sad because they couldn't play with the grasshopper when it was dead. I was trying to teach them a lesson on not killing things. Then Hyrum said, "Mom, stop worrying. Jesus will make him alive again". Not the lesson I was going for, but still so sweet."

Sunday, July 22, 2012 at 6:14pm MDT

"When I was little I called the Tacoma Dome the 'Catoma Tome'. Today my 5 yr old yelled 'Dad look! We're making Skabetty and Meatballs'. It made me smile:)"

Monday, August 20, 2012 at 11:10pm MDT

"7 loads of laundry cleaned and folded, checking sizes on every tag, sorting piles into keep/pass down/give away/trash, then run to store to pick up clothes I realized the boys were lacking. It's my least favorite day of the year, but I can't wait for tomorrow morning when the boys wake up to 'BAck to School Christmas' with their drawers full of new (or new to them) clothes:)"

Saturday, August 25, 2012 at 10:03pm MDT

"I can't remember the last time every room in my house has been this clean at the same time! I will enjoy it for the next 9 hours until my 3 monkeys wake up. If only cleanliness could occur during day time hours:)"

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at 11:59am MDT

"First day of kindergarten, yes I cried. My kid is the one with his finger up his nose, but I couldn't be more proud;)"