I know this post is almost two months late, but Devin is done with school for the foreseeable future :)
He has worked so hard these last few years. Harder than anyone I know. He took full loads (14+) credits each semester and worked part time on top of that.
This last semester he took 20+ credits...I know.
He was crazy.
I think we all were.
Tac on three kids and his amazingness just went up another 100%.
But he did it! He passed every class and graduated and got a wonderful job!
I couldn't be more proud of him.
In celebration of his and Ryan's graduation & job offer. We ordered Sprecher's Root Beer. If you haven't tried this stuff you have too! It is UH-mazing. (Side note order it through Walmart WAY cheaper than their original site)
At the beginning of the year we made a deal with Celecta and Ryan that for every job offer the guys got we would order a pack of Sprecher's.
So one day this came in the mail :)
See that little hand? How is it that kids instinctively know packing material makes the best toys?
Too bad this was kind of lame bubble wrap and didn't pop like the stuff I'm used to. But they had fun jumping on it nonetheless.
Devin checking out the goods ;)
See. I told you we all went a little crazy.
Bubble wrap dresses
Cute little Celecta Rose (oh how we all miss her!)
We forgot to borrow a cap and gown to get Graduation pics of Devin (why we always space taking pictures of the important things I will never know.)
So we took this instead.
What a stud! I love him. And am so lucky to have him!
And she can make anyone smile with her little smile.
At her four month check-up she weighed 11.11 lbs.
She is still in the 10% percentile and below in all categories...I think her head might be up in the 30%...the may have something to do with being Devin's daughter.
She LOVES food. Any and all food. Whether she is supposed to be eating it or not.
She doesn't like gas.
She enjoys the outdoors as much as both of my other children. Which is A LOT.
Singing makes her happy.
Lucy jumping makes her laugh hysterically.
She already wants to watch TV whenever the kids are watching.
She likes to suck on her toes.
She goes CRAZY! I'm talking CRAZY if you put her in the bath with the other two...I will capture that on video in a day or two.
In a three week span she has gone from scooting like a worm to balancing on one leg and arm...this morning she was up on her arms and knees. Pulled up one arm, pulled up the opposite leg and did a roll from that position over to her back and back onto her tummy....fastest roll I have ever seen!!!
Gets so close to objects she has been ramming her face into them when she falls. Hopefully she will learn that proximity is not always the best option.
Following are three videos showing her crawling progress...I'm pretty sure I've already posted the first one.
Devin drove last tuesday and wednesday...he drove through one of the biggest storms the midwest has seen in years. I had a hard time sleeping that night, but thankfully he made it here safe and sound. A little wet from a leaky cab, but safe. Then the kids and I flew Wednesday night, we ended up having to fly around three different storms on our way here. It was a little bumpy but I was not in fear of my life. Welcome to the midwest! haha! The kids were AMAZING by the way. Did great on the plane and made me actually open to the idea of flying again :)
It has been great here so far.
The ward has been incredibly helpful and kind.
The kids are loving it.
We have a blue bathroom (blue tile on walls and ceiling and in the shower...crazy, I know) that Lucy loves. She kept asking for a blue house, thankfully she at least gets a blue bathroom. Everyday since we've been here Lucy will tell either Devin or myself, "I love our new house." I am SO glad!
Cole loves that there is a park across the street from our house. Before they went down for naps he said, "Please mamma, part?" We've been there almost everyday since we moved.
We have encountered new and abundant wildlife here. As I write this there are huge bugs tapping on our living room windows....you think they'd learn eventually. Lucy has made a home for the gazillion rolly-pollies that live here.
She loved them in Utah, but you see one every five feet you walk here, so, she now has a little home for her rolly-pollies.
We have sadly killed probably close to 30 of them. At first we realized they couldn't just live in dirt...then we accidentally left them outside when it rained. I guess they are not good swimmers. We have also found that they go into hibernation if you keep them inside a cold house...Aaand Cole has learned what it means to "be 'soft' to bugs or else they die."
We went to the park with a few ladies from our ward on Monday and I'm pretty sure Lucy carried a rollie-pollie around for an hour.
They are her friends and they tickle :) That is what she tells me every time.
On a bigger note there are squirrels, chipmunks, lots of birds, we have robins, cardinals (love those ones), finches, you know birds. I'm getting bird feeders in a few weeks, I'm so excited! And for the kicker...we've got these living in our backyard.
Yup...groundhogs, marmots, woodchucks, call it what you may. This one is just a baby. I discovered them when I walked out to throw away a diaper, I glanced over thinking it was a squirrel. Nope, not a squirrel. The mom is HUGE! Okay, huge if you are expecting squirrels. I jumped and ran for the door, closed it, looked through the window and called for Devin. After a minute I realized it was silly to be scared of her since she was running away when she saw me...but still. That thing is big, probably 5-6 times bigger than the baby you see here.
We are still in the process of unpacking and will need to buy more furnishing eventually, since we moved from a furnished apartment. We don't have a tv so we're not pulling out all of our movies yet.
So our movie cabinet is currently empty....
Or so you thought!
Haha, these goofballs have been having a lot of fun exploring and playing. Finding the little nooks and cranny's I would never think of fitting into.
Last but not least here is Sadie baby.
She doesn't really like her bumbo anymore. Unless, she has a non-stop flow of food to her mouth.
This is how she tries to get out.
Well that is all for now. We're excited to be here! Devin starts work on Monday...We've had him all to ourselves for 6 weeks!!! No school, no work. We'll see how everyone does when it's just mommy again. We'll see how I do when it's just me again :)
Lucy and Cole are staying with Oma and Opa while we're gone.
I miss them. like. crazy.
I've made lots of comments about not wanting more kids. I've felt so overwhelmed with three, how could I possibly have anymore?
I read an article today while looking for classifieds. It was all about he and his wife 'forgetting' to have kids because they were doing all these 'fun' things. The last sentence of his article was 'forget to have kids'.
That was his solution to the difficulties of parenting.
As I read his list of 'fun' things they sounded so empty, so lacking of real JOY. They were things I would've loved to do while I was in high school, probably even the first couple of years of college. Yes they might be fun, but what real value do they hold? To they bring you joy for the rest of your life? Do they fill your heart and make you truly happy?
I'd venture to say they do not. And there is no way they could. Very few things, I should say NOTHING can bring joy into your life like having children does. Yes, children can be difficult. Yes, parenting is hard, especially if you care about how your kids turn out. Yes, you have to be selfless and make sacrifices.
BUT.
The good far, far, far outweighs what could seem like 'bad'. It is not bad.
It is stretching.
Learning. Growing.
Family is what this life is all about. Life is so empty without. It makes me so sad to see what this world is coming to. How selfish we have become with our time and with ourselves that we are giving up children. That we are giving up the opportunity to grow. And to feel love in ways we could never have felt otherwise.
I am so grateful for finding that article. For making it realize that these children of mine. While difficult at times. Have brought me more happiness than I ever could have thought possible.
