Easter Pictures

I love taking pictures of the kids all together, but of course that rarely happens since they are all too busy to sit still for pictures, so on holidays, when they are all in their holiday best, I insist we get pictures. I think this years turned out pretty well. I love matching all their outfits but this year was a bit harder with a girl in the mix, and with Landon being in the big boy section now instead of the kids section. I of course dont have them identical everytime like I did when they were younger because I know as they get older they will not want to match exactly. They love it now though when they think Noah and I match them too. I love the in between pictures we have of trying to get the family photo, the second I walked away to set the camera on the timer again all craziness happens and the boys are everywhere. I love the look on Noahs face as he tries to get everyone back together again. 

I love the chance that we have every year to remember the death and resurection of our savior. He broke the bands of death and because of that we can too. We can live with him together as a family in heaven again someday. We talked to Landon about it and told him that even thought Jesus rose again we still had to do our part by being nice to each other and loving each other like Jesus would so that we earn the privilage of living together again. I had to teach him aboud honey and vinegar and told him about how when he is nice its like honey but when he is mean its like vinegar and it hurts other people, a few days before. So it was nice for him to be able to see that and how it ties into being resurrected. General conference was the week before and it was so nice to be able to have such an emotional high two weeks in a row. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth that it brings into my life, I love knowing who I am, where I came from and where I am going. 

 

Easter

The boys had a blast this Easter. It was of course a 1/3rd more fun then last year because now Tayton was able to get involved and know what was happening. Sort of! The Easter Bunny always hides our baskets and the boys have to go search for them. This year we talked to the boys about coming and waking us up before they went downstairs. There was a long hard talk but it apparently wasnt long or hard enough because it didnt sink in, the big two boys woke up, went downstairs and found their baskets and then came and got us. I was very sad that I missed out on the finding it part, but at least they still had fun. Tayton was very cute trying to find his basket and all of his food he would pull out and say "hum hum". I love that kid. After out legoland adventure the week prior to Easter the boys decided that they wanted legos for easter. Good thing the Easter bunny had not done his shopping/making yet, so they all had their wish fufilled and they each got some legos. I have to say the 5001st time I stepped on one I cursed the Easter bunny and wanted to chuck all the legos (okay maybe more like the 2nd time) but they are slowly remembering that they are not allowed to have legos out when tayton is awake, and that they have to stay on the lego/train table. Its working a bit. I think the pivitole moment of major change was when I found a lego head in taytons poopy diaper and I made Landon fish it out and wash it off. He fought me a ton on that one, but I told him if that was the only way he would learn to put the legos away so Tayton couldnt get them then that was what was going to have to happen. He was smart and got a wipe to fish it out, but it still wasnt easy, there was lots of gagging and whining but in the end he did it and I have yet to find legos all over the floor.

The boys had fun dyeing the Easter eggs and we made lots of fun colors and designs. Im not sure why I didnt take a picture of them. :O( They had a lot of fun hunting for them and Tayton kept saying "Ball, ball". It was so fun watching them hunt and seeing the determination and how they were each helping each other. Tayton I think was the best hunter, he found them so easy, with little to no help at all. My parents came over for the hunt and the boys enjoyed running around with nannie and pops. We did of course not find 2 eggs, I dont think there has ever been a year where we found them all, at least we found all the money eggs this year, and we didnt have any little neighborhood kids come in and fight my kids for the eggs (that happened last year and it was not fun.)

Aowyn got her first little baby doll. She got some big ones from her brothers for christmas and my friend sent her an alabama doll before she was born, but this is her first doll that is little enough for her to hold. She loves it, the boys will try to give her their toys and she fusses, but when she has her baby she is so happy. I love having a reason to buy baby dolls. :O)

First foods

Aowyn had her first thing of rice cereal around the middle of April. When I first put her in her chair for it she was not happy with me. As soon as I starting feeding her though she got much happier and did a pretty good job. Of course she moved it all around in her mouth trying to figure out what to do with it. Its so funny to me that kids learn to eat just like they learn to walk, ride a bike, crawl, swim, ect. A lot of people say that their babies dont like food when they give to them the frist time, but its not about them liking so much as it is about then trying to learn how to use their tongue to push it to the back of their mouth and swallow. I remember after my grandmother had her stroke she had to relearn to eat again too. one of those things that we just take for granted I guess.

I love that she tries so hard and makes such funny faces of concentration. She is such a sweet girl and its fun to have her at the table with us. (I usually eat and then feed her while the boys are finishing). One of the times I fed her Tayton decided he wanted some too, so he did his normal "hum hum hum" and so I put some on his plate to see what he would do. He made a very funny face, spit it out in his hand almost right away and tried handing it back to me. I had to tell him to put it on his plate and not give it to me. It was so funny, he kept trying it too, with of course the same results. I m not sure wheither or not he thought it was going to get better the second or third time along.

Aowyns newborn pictures

I love my daughter. I love saying that I have a daughter. I love looking at her, I love cuddling with her. I love holding her in my arms and kissing her lips, cheeks, and nose. I love waking up to her cooing and walking in to see her smiling face. I love that she wants to hold her baby dolls and not her brothers boy toys. I am so happy that I have her in my life. I never knew what I was missing until I had a daughter and I held her in my arms. I think everyone needs at least a boy and a girl. I adore my boys, I love that they are mamas boys and love to cuddle with me and talk to me. I love going to sports with them and watching them play super heros with each other. I am so grateful to have three boys, but when Aowyn was born a hole in my heart was filled, I hole I never knew was there. I cried when I found out she was a girl, I was so overwhelmed by the thought that I was going to have a daughter . I was going to have some one who will watch princess movies with me, and play barbies with me. A little girl who will shop with me and watch chick flicks and tell me all about the boys that she likes. I am so in love. I adore her. I hold her and I am so overwhelmed with love and my heart is so full with gratitude to my Father in Heaven for realizing that I needed a daughter, for knowing before I even did that I needed to have her in my life. Now life is so full and now I have not only an amazing husband and three wonderful little boys but also a beautiful healthy daughter.

My three men and a little lady.

We got these taken last year, so its a little late posting but I love them and every time I see them I want to add them on here, so here they are. I love the christmas picture, Im sad that you cant see Aowyn but I love that Braddoc is grabbing Taytons head and making such silly face and how Tayton is reacting to it. Such silly kids! I love my three men and a little lady so much. I couldn't have asked for a better family or a better bunch of kids. I am so thankful that heavenly father chose to bless me with some of his precious spirits.