Where does the time go?

So yesterday I went to pick up the kids pictures from JCPenny. When I got home I put some of the new pictures up and they looked so lovely. Afterwards I went to put the older pictures I had taken out away and realised all the other pictures weren't very organised. So yesterday afternoon I spent about an hour going through all the pictures getting them all in order.

While doing this it got me thinking how fast time goes by. It was funny to look back at pictures of all the kids when they were babies and think how so many things have changed since then. Even just with Spencer, him being 2 now, he's so different and is getting so big!

Maddie was such a happy baby and little girl, she loved playing with her baby sister, pushing Syd around in her doll stroller. Now she's 6 going on 16 and thinks she knows pretty much everything but most of the time she's a great helper to me. It's crazy to think that in just over a year and a half she'll be 8 and getting baptised!

Sydney was a beautiful baby with lovely big eyes. She was so calm until she turned 1 and then she was all over the place, climbing on everything. Nothing has changed since then, she's still all over the place and pretty much does as she pleases, in her own world most of the time but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Spencer is our little man. He was and still is so handsome, he's always had a look of Peter and Steve which is really nice, especially those days he looks like Peter, it's a great reminder. Lately he's realised that he can do lots of things so he thinks he can do whatever he wants and isn't afraid to say no. He talks so much and is getting so big, he's such a boy and likes to get his sisters. I told them that one day he would be big enough to get them back when they tease him and now they're finally realising that's true.

Anyway, just looking at those pictures made me think how fast time goes and that I really need to treasure every moment I have with the kids because before I know it they'll be in high school and be super busy all the time and then they'll be off and married, CRAZY! I feel so blessed to be a Mom and have the chance to have children, it's the greatest blessing ever. How thankful I am my children are healthy and strong, they maybe crazy at times and drive me crazy at times too but I love them and would never be without them, they're the best!

Our fun filled Saturday!

We had a great day today! The day started with Steve going on a 10 mile run. He's going to run a marathon in June so he's being training for the past month and is doing so well. Once he got home we had to get all the kids ready because Maddie had a soccer game at 11am. Sydney didn't wake up until about 10.20am so we had to rush to get her ready, she's such a sleeper!

This was Madison's 2nd soccer game, they tied 2-2 in their first game which was good. Steve had told me that he didn't think they were going to be that great this time so I was expecting bad things but they did a good job. They did even better today, they ended up winning 2-1. Maddie is one of the best players, I'm sure I'm partly bias but I did hear one of the other parents saying that a girl, (meaning Maddie) was better than all the boys! She's so fun to watch, she gets all excited and into it and then she just stops so we all yell, keep going! She did good though and we all had fun watching her. Steve's Mom, Dad, 2 sisters and our niece and nephew all came to watch so it was fun all being there together. I made Steve's sister laugh at one point though. We were a little bit late so Maddie missed the first quarter, then the second quarter she wanted to be in goal and she didn't have to do much except stand there. Anyway after the first half she went in and played forward and did really well but then she wanted to be on defense but I told her no, they needed her up front. Then when she went on the field she told her coach she wanted to be a defender and I said no, you need to be forward! Trish laughed at me and then I laughed at myself because I realised how much of a soccer Mom I was being, it was funny! Anyway they did great and she's getting good and as long as she's having fun that's all I really care about even if I did get carried away for a minute!

After that we went to the zoo, it was the first time we've been this year so the kids were all super excited. Steve's Mom, sister Trish and her kids came with us which was really nice. It was fun to watch Spencer because even though he liked the zoo last year he didn't always pay attention but today he was so into it. He loved the monkeys and thought the snake was pretty cool too. I was teasing the girls, saying that maybe the snake would jump out like on Harry Potter, I don't think their cousin Tre was too impressed by that, he wouldn't even go near the glass, it was pretty funny. It was earth day today so they had lots of crafts at the zoo so the kids were able to do those while we went around, Maddie really loves doing all the crafts. They also had a big set up outside the zoo too for earth day which also had crafts and other things the kids could do so we went to some of those. We also saw smokey the bear so Maddie, Spencer and I got our picture taken with him, Syd was too busy eating her peanut butter she got from one of the booths.

After all that excitement we were pretty hungry so we decided to go to McDonald's, the kids choice of course. We stayed there for a while letting the kids play which they loved. Steve had to leave to go to priesthood leadership training, the rest of us went to Sams Club which was fun with 5 kids?! They were actually really good, they love going there because they get to try all the food samples, their Dad has taught them that. When we got done Steve's sister Steph had told the kids that they should all ask Grandma to get them ice cream and then give her a sad face so that's just what they did, it was funny and of course Grandma said yes. We all met at Grandma's to have ice cream and ended up staying there for the evening which was fun. It's so nice to have Steve's family live so close to us, the kids love it and so do I. Of course it would be nice to be by family too but that's not possible so it's nice to have Steve's family just round the corner.

Well it was a fun day but now we're all tired and I need to go to bed! Tomorrow we have Stake Conference so it'll be an earlier morning for us. We normally have church at 1pm but tomorrow it's at 10am so we'll have to make sure and wake Syd up bright and early otherwise we'll have to take her to church in her pj's!

Our newest pro pics!

Well we went to get Sydney's 5 year old pictures on Monday and it was lots of fun let me tell you!? I always try and get some pictures of all the kids together because it's always so hard to have all the kids look good, well atleast smiling good because there's always someone who has a crazy smile or something like that. Anyway none of the ones of them all together where amazing but they were cute and it's the memories that count!

When it came to Sydney's turn to have her pictures taken, that's when the fun began! Whenever Maddie gets her pictures taken it's so easy and there's always so many lovely pictures to choose from but Syd is so much harder! The guy would put her in a pose and she'd stay like that for a second and then she would move and it was like that the whole time. She did get some cute pics so that was good but it was hard work.

It'll be interesting to see how the kids pictures go when we have the new baby. I guess the baby might be asleep which would make things easy but at the same time the baby might be screaming, it'll be interesting!

Sydney's 5th Birthday

Well Sydney turned 5 on Friday, I can't believe it! It's so crazy how big all our kids are getting. Sydney is normally the last to wake up of all the kids but she was the first on her birthday, the first thing she said to me was, "it's my birthday today Mom". She was so excited and had been counting down the weeks and days until her birthday. We went out on a date for lunch, Maddie was at school so it was Sydney, Spencer and I. We went to a pizza and pasta place, Syd's choice. She's all about the dates as you'll hear about in a minute. Steve came home on time for once so Syd could open her presents, she was so excited! I felt bad because it was the Elders Quorum Pinewood Derby that night and it had been partly Steve's idea to have one so we went there and all the kids went to Steve's parents house. I felt bad leaving Syd on her birthday but they had fun because Grandma took them all to McDonald's.

Today Syd was excited because she was going on her 2nd date! Last Sunday we were at Steve's parents house like always and Syd went up to her Uncle Rod and told him they should go on a date for their birthday. Sydney was born on Rod's birthday so she always calls him her best pal! He was nice enough to say yes so this afternoon he came to pick her up and off they went. They went to this place called Mongolian Grill which is one of Steve's favorite places to eat and now one of Syd's, (Steve and Syd went on a date there together a few months ago). Anyway after they ate Rod took her to the dollar store and he let her pick a couple of things out, she thought that was great!

Later this afternoon we went to the store to spend the money that my Mom and Dad had sent over for Syd's birthday. She was excited to be able to pick her own things out. Steve's Mom and Dad had given her a couch and dining room set for the doll house that Steve's Dad had built them for Christmas so we were looking for some more things to decorate the doll house. She ended up choosing a bed that came with a barbie, a vanity set and a kitchen that also came with a barbie. They couldn't wait to get home and open it all and both girls have been playing with it since. It looks so cute I'm sure it will all get lots of use so thank you everyone for the lovely gifts.

Sydney really is GREAT! She's such an individual and has her own little personalty, well it's not really little. It's so nice to see her growing up and learning and just being the busy, in her own world, goofy, fun, kind girl that she is. We feel so blessed to be her parents, to be parents to all our kids, they're all amazing, we're so lucky! Tomorrow we're having cake and ice cream so I'll add a pic of that then, she said she wants a castle cake so we'll see how adventurous I'm feeling tomorrow!? Quick update! As you tell I wasn't feeling very adventurous with the cake. It's a good thing that little kids really don't have a clue, she thought it was amazing and I guess that's all that matters!

We're expecting number 4!

I've been waiting for this day for a long time, to finally announce that we're having baby number 4. Normally it's so hard for me not to tell people but this time I've been so nervous to let people know. Well I'm 18 weeks, I'm due Sept 3rd and we're soooo excited! We went to the doctors today for our ultra sound and everything looked great, I was so relieved. I have been so worried this time after having a miscarriage last year when I was 18 weeks, the baby was actually 14 weeks and I had some complications but this time everything is fine and I'm SUPER EXCITED!

We didn't find out what we're having so we're going to have to think of girls and boys names, Steve isn't very good at thinking of names and doesn't like any of mine so we'll see what we come up with. I like Peyton, Hallie and Hadley for a girl and for a boy I like Hyrum, Harrison, and Joshua so we'll see, we've got 20-22 weeks until we'll have to make that decision though. I'm so excited to not know, I think it's going to be so exciting when the baby finally is here and they say, "it's a boy/girl."

Anyway that's our latest news and most exciting news right now. I'm new to this whole blogging thing but I thought I would give it a whirl.