Discovery Gardens

We went to the Children's Discovery Garden's at Thanksgiving Point. One of the only reason I am sad that we moved to West Jordan instead of Lehi is because I wanted to get a pass at Thanksgiving Point - we love going to all the activities there. I would have loved to live closer.

My new stroller - I decided to go with a sit and stand. Both Brock and Noah can fit comfortably on the "stand" platform. I have loved it!

Payton and Brock are at a great age right now where they can just go off and play. They play really well together too - they never fight over a toy or hurt each other. They also love to wrestle together - they are really tough with each other. I wish we could spend more time with them.

This is what Megan did the whole time:

Why we keep journals (blogs)

I went to write a post about some of the discouragements I have in my life right now. The desires to do service, decorate my house, get really involved in my ward, etc, and the inability to find the time or energy to do them. As I started writing the post I remembered I had written a post kind of like it already, but instead of being negative, it was more positive. I searched my blog to find it and I did.

Funny, I wrote it in May of 2009, maybe it is something about the spring that gives me desires to stretch myself.

Click here if you want to read it.

This was exactly what I needed to read - and relearn.

I am grateful for my blog - I know that sounds dumb, but I have used it many times as a journal, and this blog really does show who I really am. I try really hard for it to be real and authentic (whether for good or for bad). I hope some of you find it enjoyable and interesting and have gotten to know me a little better along the way. (My most personal stuff is on my side bars - for all you google reader people :)

Some Meganness

And one of the boys...

Mother's Day

My Mother's Day was wonderful - thanks to my wonderful husband and three darling children. Jason worked extra hard to make sure that I felt very loved and appreciated this Mother's Day, and I sure did.

Here are some pic's with me and my kids:

Brock get's two because I couldn't decide which one I liked better

This was the best family picture we could get.

This is all the cousin's on my side. Brock, Audrey, Megan, Brad, Emma, and Noah

Brock and Emma got to bond while she was in town. They are only 8 weeks apart.

Noah has taken a liking to the cape

Status Report

So everybody is asking: "How are you handling three?"

Well... I don't really have a clear cut answer, it depends on the moment, but for the most part it hasn't been that hard. The BIGGEST reason I have been able to adjust is because of Jason. He stayed home from work the first week, and went part time the second week. The first week Megan and I just stayed up in my room and "got to know each other". She learned how to nurse really well and I was able to just stay in bed and heal. Then the second week I just eased back into things in the morning while Jason was a work, and then he came home and I took the rest of the day off. If it wasn't for these two weeks, I don't think I would be adjusting as well.

The postpartum hormones you get don't help the situation. I cry a couple times a day, not that I am really that sad, I just catch a glimpse of Megan sleeping and I wish that I could be holding her while she slept, or I see Noah reading a book to himself, or I have asked Brock to wait for something for the MILLIONTH time that day. I wish I could be everything all the time to all three of them, but I know this is good for them.

I am overwhelmed about cleaning my house. I am pretty good at keeping it picked up and surface cleaned, dishes are always done and toys are always put away. But I just don't know when I can find the time to do bathrooms, dust, floors, etc. Cleaning 1800 sq feet is a lot different than 500 sq feet. I wish I had would have had a few more weeks in the house before I had Megan, these were two huge life changes so close together.

Our days at home are really good. We have fun and everyone is usually well taken care of and happy. It is the days that we have to be somewhere by a certain time that mess me up. I just can't figure out how to get all three children out of the house without at least 2 of them screaming. No matter how long I have to prepare, it just all falls apart at the end. Plus, I am the type that likes to have the house clean before I leave, you know, so I come home to a clean house, and that has just gone out the window, and it really irritates me.

It is probably going to take me a few months, but I think we will be able to work out these kinks. The two biggest helps have been Jason and the scriptures. Jason has been amazing, I can't imagine doing this without him. He is the best dad and husband, he has made this adjustment so easy, thank you sweet heart. And as for the scriptures, usually after a baby the habit of daily scripture study goes out the window, and I really wanted to make sure that didn't happen this time, and it has made a world of difference. Even just being in them for 2 or 5 minutes makes a noticeable difference in my day. I am also writing in my journal everyday, just something about my day (or emotions) with the kids. These days with such young children are going to go by so fast, and I want to be able to remember what it was like.

Well, there is my status report. This is a work in progress, but I am loving every minute of the work.

Brock's Birthday

I had a grand party for Brock planned. We were in our new house and could finally fit everyone (we have always had 2 parties, so we could accommodate everyone), he understood what a birthday was and was really excited (and had been counting down for 3 months), and I thought I would still be pregnant. Well... since I had Megan a week ago, it turns out all I could do was have my house kinda clean and make a cake (actually Jason's mom made it, I just decorated it). I used the wrong frosting tip on the black lines, it came out a lot thicker than I wanted it - but I had to accept it. Brock was thrilled and that is all that mattered. He kept saying, "mom, I love my basketball cake." That was all I was going for.

Opening presents

Brock was lucky to get his cousin Emma at his party. She is living in DC while James goes to dental school. Her and Brock are only 7 weeks apart. We miss them a lot. (She is the one with the pink flower in her hair)


Brock's favorite present came from his aunt Ashley and uncle Daniel. A soccer goal and soccer ball. He has not stopped playing since he got it... he wanted to take the ball to bed, in the tub, and to church. It is weird, we have a million balls (seriously), including a few soccer balls, but for some reason THIS one is so cool.






Somethings about Brock as a three year old:

• He loves to write letters. When he colors or does any kind of creative thing he usually just tries to make letters. His favorites are O, M, H, B, and A.


• He is the best big brother to Noah and now Megan. He is so protective of Noah and always tries to be a good example. If we don't want Brock to do something, if we just tell him to be a good example to Noah, he will stop. I can't imagine Brock's life without Noah, it has make him a more compassionate, more patient, a nd more understanding boy. He is so patient with him. It is wonderful.


• Brock is very obedient, he always has been. He stays right by me when we go somewhere, and will leave when I tell him it is time to leave. He goes to bed when it is bed time and never gets out of his bed.


• He is so logical, he gets this from his dad. If you just explain to him the reason why, he will be ok with it. He does not like being treated like a child. The more straight foreword you are with him, the better he acts.


• Brock is still a natural athlete. That is all I can say about that.


• He is a good eater. He will eat what ever you give him (usually), and most of his favorite foods are vegetables. He usually could take candy or leave it, it doesn't matter much to him - but he will cry if I don't give him a carrot.

Brock has changed our whole world. Looking back it is hard to see Jason and I as a family until Brock was born. He is molding Jason and I into the type of mother and father our Heavenly Father wants us to be, and for that I am so grateful. I feel like Brock has an old soul and has more to teach me than I could ever teach him.

I am giddy about...

This little girl and...

my blossoms.

I came home from the hospital to find that my pear tree had blossomed while I was gone. I have never been so excited about blossoms... knowing that they are my blossoms, on my tree, in my yard just makes me so happy. The boys and I have been singing "popcorn popping" several times a day.

Easter

We did celebrate Easter at our house this year - I just haven't posted it yet. It was fun this year because they were both so old.

Here we are dying eggs. We didn't get around to dying the eggs before Sunday, so we put a spin on the tradition. I boiled them Saturday night and then the Easter bunny came and hid the white eggs for the boys to find. Then once they found them we dyed them on Sunday afternoon. My boys thought is was great and didn't even know that it was because I was too lazy to do it earlier.

The Easter Bunny left a lot of eggs...

Brock waisted no time finding them.

Brock went around and picked up every egg and put it in his basket. Noah stood in one place and put each egg directly into his mouth. Not ONE egg ever made it into his basket.

Instead of Easter baskets this year the Easter Bunny left Easter Pails, all full of sand toys for the boy's new sand box.

It was a great Easter.

My mom's birthday

My mom turned 50 this year. Me and my sister's threw her a surprise birthday "get together". She assured us that she did NOT want a surprise party so we just had family and a few close friends. She was very surprised... she didn't want it... but she deserved it.

Right when she walked in and we yelled "surprise". (This is not my dad behind her, it is a good family friend). She tried to walk out as soon as she saw us, but he made her come in.

This is the "display table"

Me, my mom, my older sister Katie, and my younger sister Ashley

My Grandma and my great aunt Pat

My sister Ashley, Nancy, and Kim (both these women were my young women presidents in YW - they are both a big part of the woman I am today - I love them)

My aunt Jen and Aunt Leslie

My mom is so wonderful (see post), I am so glad that we were able to throw her this party despite mine and my sisters crazy lives right now.

How my boys say "I love you"

Megan is crying in the kitchen - I am pumping in the living room. Noah is concerned about Megan crying. Noah walks up to the kitchen to "check on Megan". I am just a few seconds behind him, and when I get there, this is what I found...

Obviously it didn't solve Megan's problem. If you haven't been following my blog for a while, you might not get the humor. Click here, here, and here

He obviously is learning to be a big brother from his big brother... that and my boys think that having a ball solves all your problems. Soon they will learn that women are much more complex than that.