Loving our Leprechaun

 If you were to ask Katelee what the best holiday of the year is, without hesitation, she would say, St. Patrick's Day.  Of course, this Irish celebration coincides with her birthday, so it is incredibly important to the entire world!!Katelee had a fun time celebrating her big #8!!  She took a few friends to Airborne to jump to their hearts delights...

Harrison was a big fan, as well as Miss Brenna

Grant claimed to be bored, but I would beg to differ.  

He may have been scared of the wild girls, which is more credible.  After the jumping, we came back to the house for pizza and cupcakes.  

A week later, was St Patrick's Day, so decked out in green

, 

we had her birthday dinner and cake 

and ice cream.  We had been working on her present for sometime and were anxious to give it to her.  Grant was involved in the secrecy and was so cute as we prepared everything.  We moved him over to the smaller bedroom in the basement, painted the guest queen bed headboard as a family, rearranged furniture all weekend, and while she was at school, we transformed the basement big bedroom into...

It still needs a few things, but to say she was excited would be an understatement. We opened the door, didn't have to explain a thing.  Although she didn't suspect one bit what her present was, the minute the door swung open, she knew it was all hers!  Katelee flung herself onto the bed and just squealed!!! She has been asking and asking for a year at least when she would get her own room.  In my mind, I had always imagined my girls wanting to share a room, giggling to each other at night, confiding their deep thoughts, just filling their time with love and laughter.  Well, enter Brenna into the equation (ok, and Katelee too) and that just wasn't happening.  So, we hung the signs love and laugh in her room as a little encouragement.  Katelee already invited Brenna down to have a sleepover.  Maybe the space apart will encourage the bonding I envisioned!  I don't really blame Katelee, Brenna can be super scary!!

It was pretty much the best birthday ever!  Katelee is full of animation!  She feels to the extreme-crazy hyper to end of the world sad in the blink of an eye.  She has the best giggle, loves to try new adventures (like diving lessons)

 and is so much fun!  We rely on her  a lot and she is a special part of our family!!!

Other exciting happenings as of late: Katelee (here with her friend Courtney) had her Grammarasorous play)which was stellar

It is birthday party season in full bloom.  There is a party to attend every time we turn around, but the kids love it and I am grateful they have good friends.  This is Brenna after going to Kate's fun party.  Ollie the Octopus, from preschool, also got to attend.  He apparently didn't want his face painted (glad about that, it would be a little hard to explain!).  Brenna's new thing to make people laugh is to talk about her Grandpa.  We were riding home from Katelee's birthday party with friends in the car and for one second it was quiet, so Brenna burst out with "My grandpa's name is DONALD!"  (which is true, although my dad goes by Scott".  That one liner got her loads of laughs and has since brought many a giggles to friends of all ages around here.  

 Last weekend we went to see the Lego Americana exhibit at the mall...  talk about some master builders.  Grant must have been inspired because he asked his teacher if he could build his science biome out of legos.  She thought it was clever and he has created quite the forest.  We love legos...except when I step on them unexpectedly, then I hold back the cursing.  I was so frightened to have a baby with kids that love legos, but as far as I know, only one lego head has been ingested, and it came out fully intact :)  ha!

 

For the Love

 I thought I would mention our February love day events...Katelee and Grant both had to make Valentine boxes to take to school.  I have zero percent crafty Valentine box ability and left the kids to fend for themselves.  I taped as instructed, but I let their creative juices flow.  Katelee came up with 'The Castle of Love'

 And Grant went for a similar design, (to Katelee's dismay, of course), but made his a temple...with a thoroughly taped golden Lego on top to mimic Angel Moroni.  Ha!  We were so pleased and the kids were thrilled to take them to school.  However, when their parties were over the next day, they were completely deflated and embarrassed.  Curse my lack of pinteresting skills!  There were some LIFE SIZE Valentine boxes that resembled dinosaurs, boxes that should be displayed in a museum of art, sorry kids, but lets go for a Walmart sack next year!

We heart attacked the kids' doors, per tradition and left them cards and treats.  Our favorite Valentines gift was actually dropped off a few days later on our doorstep:  (the mystery has yet to be solved as to who gave me the great laugh!)

Dave and I had a date planned Valentines night-dinner at the Roof and a dance performance of some BYU artists at the conference center.  We hesitated leaving because Katelee was sick, but knew my mom was very capable, so off we went...only to come home to an even sicker daughter with a temperature that would not go down! We ended the romantic evening in the ER

She was so sick before we left and Dave and Jason (who had come over with Paige to assess Katelee) gave her a priesthood blessing.  I am telling you there was miraculous intervention for sure.  Katelee has had a couple of miracle blessings and I can not doubt their power.  She was rushed in to a room, due to her heart rate, fever, blood pressure and breathing, but even before they started treatment, she started to perk up.  Influenza anyone?  She had the horrid test up her  nose to confirm it and we braced ourselves for a two week recovery.  Nope, the next day, she was a brand new woman.  But, don't worry, Brenna got it a couple weeks later...

We thought we were recovered, but Harrison started a fever last night, lets hope its a quick sickness and not the flu.  

I find myself frequently using the above blog title "For the Love, " when I am beyond frustrated, or flustered, or just really have no words.  I have used that phrase a lot recently with little Harry as he has become possessed.  His tantrums are impressive and exhausting.  But, I may have yelled FOR THE LOVE when I walked up the stairs to his room the other day.  I knew it wouldn't be pretty when I could smell the stank before I opened the door.  I peeked in and was greeted with a smile and just as Harrison grinned, the poop from an exploding diaper squished right through his binkie.  I could say nothing but FOR THE LOVE as I witnessed the brown mural across the crib and through Harrison's fingers.  And I really have pondered on this a lot lately, it's not really FOR the love, it's BECAUSE of the love.  It's because of love I wiped that boy clean, it's BECAUSE of love I spend my days holding sick kids, it's BECAUSE of love I scrape crusted boogers off walls.  It's a love that I didn't realize I would know on previous Valentines days.  Love truly does require action, no not even require action, it invites action.  I sure do have a lot of opportunities to show love to my kids and I have to remind myself it is love I am showing, as are they as they forgive me of my inadequacies and love me for the mom I am and not the Pinterest winner they weren't given!!  I'm grateful for this life giving me perspective to reach for charity-that perfect love we are shown by the Savior.  For now, I'm just going to use the phrases FOR the love and BECAUSE of love interchangeably, because there are moments when they both apply...

Brenna the Birthday Girl

Luckily, the countdown to Brenna's birthday is very short after Grant's special day.  Brenna asked for weeks and weeks how many days it would be until her birthday.  This girl was born old.  She is ready to race through young childhood and can't wait to claim a larger number as her own.  We tried, in vain, to convince her to do a party just with our family and go somewhere special.  

She opted for an at home friend party.  Because Brenna has a winter birthday, we thought we would make it a BRRR-thday party.  We invited her buddies to come in pj's, play games, decorate sugar cookies and drink hot chocolate.  Ironic that this year, for her winter party, the temperature was in the 60's!  Winter has been skipped this year.  It is almost eerie.  We played pin the carrot on the snowman (on the front door), blindfolded kids to scoop snow (cotton balls), freeze dance, popped balloons to find a special snowflake, played frozen peas (hot potato) etc.  I believe it was a hit.  Here is a pic of the group: Katelee, Audrey, Cooper, Kate, Madison, Brenna, Keira, Kinley, Cooper C, Jane, Boden, Megan and Emree.

The friend party was a few days before her actual day of birth, so she still had the 10th to look forward to.  

 It was a preschool day, so she filled out her VIP poster with pertinent information...favorite animal (giraffe), favorite food (white bread), what she wants to be when she grows up (a missionary), her favorite place (Disneyland), what she likes to do (dance, color and play with friends), favorite color (pink) and a wish (Elsa's freezing powers).  And off she went to Miss Amy's.  Brenna has decided she should be done with preschool, and should be in kindergarten.  To her delight, and my horror, it will be here before we know it.  

After school, we prepped for her family celebration.  Dinner consisted of Ham, broccoli, cheese rolls and chocolate dipped strawberries, as per the 5 year old's request.  

She opened presents.  Grandma and Shannon were there.  Grandpa McArthur was in town.  Aunt Amy and Mark stopped by, as well as cousin Michael.  She was thrilled with her gifts, and had to pull a crazy face holding each one.  

Then, cake and ice cream.  Who knows why this pic won't turn for me, but it's a tiara, if you can't tell.  This little darling is one prissy princess.  Everyday she loads on the make-up, to the dismay of Katelee, because most of Katelee's make-up stash has been discovered and used.  Every outfit must be accessorized and she frequently designs her own hairstyles.  I don't even explain to people when she wears one side of her head a piggy tail and the other a tiny clip on top or a braid pinned across her head that she desired it so.  They have to know it was from her orders, or they feel sympathy for my lack of hairstyling skills.  Both assumptions would be accurate.  

Every year we have seemed to capture a photo of Brenna gazing dreamily at her lit up cake.  I love it because each year has the look of  'this is the greatest moment of my life' on it.  She exclaimed after her friend party.  "Best. Party.Ever."  Then she said "Best. Day. Ever." after her family party.  As I was tucking her in, she was asking when her next birthday would be!!  Ha!

 Harry wheeled around Brenna's overnight bag and donned the paper crown. Brenna was so excited to have a special over night sleepover alone with grandma, we knew she needed a new bag for it. 

  It was wild times at our house, perfectly fitting of our wild child.  Our family, no, the world would not be the same without Brenna.  She makes up saucy dances daily, orders everyone around, makes me laugh and scares me all at the same time!  She is a mover and a shaker and we love her more than she will ever know!! (even if she proudly and unabashedly eats her boogers...after being sick the other day, Shannon told her maybe it was something Brenna ate.  Brenna wouldn't believe Shannon because she only eats 'boogers and food."  Brenna tried to convince Shannon on the tastiness of the slimy mucus, but Shannon has yet to be swayed!)

Double Digit Dude

A decade ago, I was learning how to be a mom.  Fast forward ten years and I am still trying to learn how to be a mom!!  But, it has been an amazing and eventful decade and we got to celebrate the boy who started it it all!!

Grant turned the big 1-0 a few days ago!  He had a really busy fun filled week!!  On Monday, Dave took Katelee, Grant and his best buddy, Matthew to see the Harlem Globetrotters!!!  It was an awesome birthday activity (so I hear!).

The kids came back laughing, telling me all about the players, their tricks and the one who wore a skirt as underwear...not so sure about that, but they claimed it was true!  

 A couple of days later, Dave and Grant were back at the Energy Solutions Arena with Grant's junior jazz team.  All the teams got tickets to an NBA game and so we pretended that they organized it in honor of Grant's day of birth!  Ha!  The seats were apparently the second row from the top.  Dave could only handle the nosebleeds for so long.  By the second half, he had convinced Grant and Mikey to find some empty seats closer to the floor.  The Jazz lost, but the night was a win!

 The next day was the actual birthday.  Grant requested Dad's buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, so Dave obliged.  After school, he got to go to his first Webelos meeting and played outside until the birthday dinner was ready...quiche for dinner and a donut cake for dessert!!

Grandma and Shannon came and as you can tell, he was delighted by their gift-a Kandama.  Apparently, they are all the rage right now.  He has been showing us all the tricks, I can't remember most of their names, but many of them have animal references... so he sounds like he is practicing his zoo techniques nicely!  Who knows?

He also got a new watch and a huge bike.  I mean gigantic.  We shopped and decided he is pretty much into grown up bikes.  What?!  When did this happen?!  I sat up the night before his birthday and looked at old pictures, thought about the memories we've made with him over the last 10 years, and I got a little teary (shocker!). My arms ache for that chubby little red headed baby with the puckered up lips. I miss that sweet little 3 year old stinker, asking for toilet paper as a gift, or the 5 year old Star Wars Jedi twirling light sabers to his very own sound effects.   I can't believe it's been two years since he was baptized.  I miss that little fella, but boy can I say how we are loving this little man.  We had some interesting phases and I know there are so many more challenges to come.  He is a good hearted boy and I have treasured every minute and smile with him.  We sure love our Grant!!!!  Because I know the time passes oh so quickly, I let Harrison do stuff like this everyday:

It drives Dave crazy!!!  Ha Ha!

December's Doings

 So, December has come and gone and with it another year.  Man, I'm sure I say this every year, but where does the time go?  And how in the world did I get here?  The questions of how did this all happen I wonder on a more frequent basis when I look in the mirror and see a grown up and not the 21 year old college student I feel like.  And four kids?!  I sometimes feel like I am just playing house.  Here is what our play looked like last month:

Brenna had a glorious dance recital.  She had her performance smile plastered and loved being on stage.  She loves to dance and she loves feeling beautiful, so recitals are days she lives for.  

Harrison got his first haircut:

He was unsuccessful in his attempts to avoid the razor.  Poor kid and his double cowlicks.  Those little swirls are going to severely limit his hair styling options in the future!  But, he came out with balloon and sucker in hand looking like a big boy.  

The kid thinks he rules the roost.  I can't keep anything clean, but if he is busy and not hanging onto my leg wanting to be held, I encourage the destruction...to a point.  Harrison loves me A LOT.  I know all babies adore their mommas and moms in turn, are enamored by their little ones.  But, this boy really really loves me.  He doesn't have stranger anxiety, its not a clingy-ness due to fear, he just looks at me with unconditional adoration and needs to be with me all the time.  As tricky as that can be, I am trying to soak it all in because before I know it, he will be 4 and asking to have another family (like someone else I know).  

He really does bring so much joy to our home.  I hope I can adopt that open love...loving without restraint, making it apparent on my face when my family walks in how happy I am to be near them.  I wish I could capture the innocence and joy forever...so I have to document it, so I know it was real!  

Holiday festivities were in full swing, of course!  We had preschool programs, 

a ward party, work party, caroling to a rehab center.  Christmas wishes were made-like someones two front teeth!  (How often does that timing really work out!?)

I do not enjoy looking at the teeth hanging by threads or twisting in mouths.  It makes me grossed out.  So, when my kids start tying strings to their teeth and the other end of the string attached to a door knob or bow and arrow, I run and wait for them to show me the result.  

We went to our annual Christmas with Santa breakfast.  It was delightful! Minus me seeing a kid spew all over the floor...at least it wasn't one of our children, I guess!

Christmas Eve party at Grandma's was fun.  With Brad's family in Colorado, Becca in China, Rachel on her mission, and Paige and Jason in California, numbers were smaller.  But, at least we had some reminders of the Cali family...

Christmas morning was extra magical because all month long we were longing for snow.  The kids woke up Christmas to a blanket of fluffy flakes ready to play in!  (After presents and breakfast, of course).

 I had a few favorite parts of Christmas this year.  First, I love the books Katelee makes.  She made the sweetest present for Grant:

It warms my heart when my kids show each other that they do indeed care about one another!  That was the other best part of Christmas.  I think the most excited each person got was when someone was opening a present they purchased.  Like this little stick of deodorant Brenna was thrilled to find at the dollar store for dad!!

 But really, they ran to each other and hugged and were so grateful...it was a proud momma  moment.  We hung out and played all day, rode around on unicorns...

 read books in Santa jammies that dad said can never be sported again!  I can't believe it!  I think Harrison looks mighty jolly!

 Played Legos, Clue, watched movies and just chilled.  It was fantastic!!

 We loved having the two week break from school, staying up til midnight for New Years Eve and getting moved to 11 am church!  Wahoo!  While I don't know where time has gone, I do know that I want to appreciate each day with this crew of mine.  I want to live 2015 fully and with purpose!  May it be one of our best!