Evee-Bee

We call her Eve, Evee, Eve-bee, or Bee.  We are all in love. 

She is a good baby.  Although she hasn't embraced her role as the 6th child.  Madison was a great 4th baby.  She knew her place.  She was fine being set down, put herself to sleep, and waited patiently to be fed.  Eve likes to be held, rocked to sleep, and takes about an hour to eat.  But I have so many helpers (and Jason works from home) that none of us really mind giving her what ever she wants. 

Her days and nights are still switched.  She spends most of her time sleeping - especially for our outings (which makes outings pretty easy)

She is laying on my baby blanket that I had all growing up.

She loves bath time. 

I mean.... come on!!  So cute!

Frumpy face/chubby cheeks!

She is a tad cross eyed.  The doctor says it is likely to go away around 4 months.  But with Megan's history we aren't so sure!

She loves a good swaddle and being outside.

Grandma Hanna bought her this outfit.

Great grandma Brown bought her this blanket.

And Aunt Ashley made her this towel.

Aquarium

We have been to the aquarium a few  times now that it is open and we have our pass.

Dane chases this bunny all day that lives under our pine tree but he can never catch it.  It was thrilling to be able to pet one.

19 years

We like to celebrate what we call our "dating anniversary".  On July 29, 2001 Jason's brother, Matt, was having his missionary farewell.  Jason and I had met about 6 weeks earlier through mutual friends.  (I think I will write the whole story next year) but to make a long story short we started becoming better and better friends.  He liked me first, but I only thought of him as a friend.  We had spent that whole weekend together and when I got home from hanging out with him on Saturday night I realized that I liked him.  I was happier when I was with him, when I wasn't with him I thought about him all the time and couldn't wait until I could see him again, any spare time I had I called him - it took me a while to realize that I felt this way because I had a crush on him - haha.  So on the morning of Sunday the 29th I was planning to tell him I liked him back.  He claims that as soon as he saw me he knew that I liked him - I looked at him differently.  It's true.  I did.  I still remember that moment.  So does he.  That moment is sacred to both of us.  That moment is what made our family, our eternity.  November 10th was just finalizing it - just a random date the reception center had available.  July 29th carries a lot of emotion.   So we celebrate it more.  

That was 19 years ago!  19 years seems like a long time.  Longer than 20 for some weird reason.  Not long in a bad way - I just don't feel a lot older than 19 - so how can it be 19 years!  Hopefully we can do something big next year.  But with a 1 year old, a 2 year old, and who knows about RONA... it may not happen.

For our anniversary we got my ministering sister to watch Eve, our older kids watched Dane and we went out to dinner.  It was the first time we had been to a restaurant since Cornona hit.   So we went to my favorite - PF Changs.

We had Megan take some pictures.  Wish I had time to pull out a picture from 19 years ago.  

And the best part - Jason convinced me to order EVERYTHING I wanted.  People and waiters were making fun of me.  But I didn't care. It cost 130 dollars.  For some perspective that is more than our monthly grocery budget when we first got married.  More than we spent on going out to eat ALL year in 2018. I felt so indulgent.  Jason is a great provider and likes to make me happy.  And he made me SOOO happy (not just in life) but I had the best lunches all week with these left overs! 

Hanging Around

After the older kids got home our summer really slowed down (could thing slow down ever more from covid state??? apparently!)   I mostly took care of the babies and the kids did their own thing.  We hung around the house a lot.  We tried to go on one big outing each week that everyone came too.  I took Even and Dane to park or swimming almost everyday and sometimes a girl would come with me.  The kids just played with their friends on the street.  They boys actually really started to hang out with boys from their quorum - that has been nice.

The kids have enjoyed holding Eve.

As stated earlier we hang out in the front and back a lot!

Is there anything better than a sleeping baby?

Reading one of Dane's favorite books.  All my kids have loved Sesame Street.  Particularly Elmo ("mo-mo"). Dane does love Elmo and Elmo's world.  But he seems to like Oscar and Cookie Monster just as much or even more.

Dane is so good with her.  He loves her.  She is SO patient with him.  She looks at him differently than she looks at the rest of us.  I think she loves him too.  It feels like they already know each other.  He has a whole routine when he sees her.  He first identifies if she is "crying", "seeping", or "wake".  Then he points to her nose and then usually her feet or toes.  Then he wants to hold her.   I can't totally trust them alone together - but I never have been able to at this age.

Since pools have been difficult to go to (even though we DO go twice a week) we have more back yard swim parties and sprinkler run throughs.  *On a side note my girls friends ALL wear two pieces and my girls wear one pieces and my girls have not even mentioned it or made it an issue.  I am just waiting.

We had to get a new gate and Brock decided it needed to be sanded so one day he just started sanding it. 

I have these two monitors to carry around.  I love watching them sleep.  It gives me a dopamine rush every time I see them! 

This is how he holds her.

Lately he has been liking it like this.  Evee doesn't like this one as much.

One day Jason fell asleep on the porch with Evee and the girls found them and thought it was adorable and ran in to grab my phone to take a picture.

Another time they found me.  haha

The girls have been spending A LOT of time down in thte basement with their friends.  They put on plays, shows, and routines for us.  This is a rapunzle play they did.

And this was a gymnastics routine.

Without being too prideful we have kind of been killing it with the new Children and Youth Program.  All the kids have done different goals and many of them have been on their own.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't the main driver of it - but I think for ages between 8 and 13 that is expected.  But they often surprise me with their own effort and ideas.  A few things we have done (some pre covid, some not).  Family walks, movie night with primary class, night games with quorum, special things for quorum or class members that need extra love, work out videos, practicing talents.

The girls wanted to learn to make a 3 layer cake with candy inside.  They watch you tube videos and did it (honestly) 100% by themselves.  I wasn't even home for most of it.  AND they cleaned it all up  - I was especially impressed they cleaned up the frosting mess - the kitchen was a DISASTER - I walked in and walked right back out with my blood boiling.  Powdered sugar, cocoa, and butter EVERYWHERE and about 4 or 5 bowls dirty.  I cam back an hour later when I felt prepared to clean it up with them and they had it all cleaned! Because I wasn't home/involved in the baking part I didn't get any pictures.  But here is one of filling the cake and the final result.

SO impressed.  And SO yummy.

Dane and I spend 90% of our day outside.  One day we were walking down the street together and the shadow made me happy.  Also... you can spy my fanny pack.  Yes, I wear a fanny pack.  It took me 2 weeks knowing i needed one before i had the guts to do it.  So embarrassing.  But I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  As you saw before I often have 1 or two monitors to carry around, plus my phone, also I need a binkey and a burp rag.  This is just so much easier.  I feel so free. AND I rarely look at my phone now.  Out of sight out of mind.  It is the best.