Mom of 3

A downloaded a bunch of pictures from my iPhone to my computer tonight. I realized something very profound while looking at all the pics...I LOVE being a mom. I love it now more than I ever have. I love having my children around me all day and being a constant witness to their little lives. I love when they are asleep and I feel a sense of "well now I can rest" after a day of fun. I love taking them to soccer, dance, the park, and all other activities. I love being in the thick of motherhood!! 

I feel that going from 2 to 3 kids just made my life better. Yes, I have less time to myself but really I don't miss it. I have arranged our schedule this fall so we have a great balance of busy and simple. Monday and Tuesday we mostly just hang out at home and play. The girls are super into playing house (aka destroying my downstairs) and coloring (aka a huge mess of art supplies on my table). It keeps them busy all afternoon. Most days we don't even turn on the TV, which is wonderful. I also let them ride their scooters outside and have taught them to stay on our street. They love the little bit of independence and I love cooking dinner in peace! Alice will sometimes take a nap in the afternoon when Jack does. When she does sleep Scarlett and I will do home work, read, and chat. I love having Scarlett home in the afternoons and am so glad I found a school that does half day kindergarten.  

Wednesday and Thursday afternoons are our activity days. On Wednesday the girls have dance across town. Alice does ballet/tap and Scarlett does cheer with Centri. They LOVE it. I sometimes stay and watch them but other times I run to the grocery store. We have been meeting up with Emily after dance because her boys have karate right across the street. We will go to McDonalds or the park and let the kids just wear themselves out! Thursday we have Scarlett's soccer practice in the evening. I love being outside this time of year and feeling the change from summer to fall. Scarlett is doing really well in soccer and even scored a goal in her last game. 

Friday is our fun day. After I pick up Scarlett from school at 11 I ask her what she wants to do. So far her answer alway is "go to grandmas house".  We have been swimming at her house and enjoying her backyard on Friday afternoons. The girls just love her house and all her yummy drinks (she has a drink fridge in her garage). 

So far I love Scarlett's school and teacher. She loves it just as much if not more than me! I am amazed at how well she is reading and understanding the world around her.  Her school is just around the corner so drop off and pick up is very easy. Now that it is cooled down I can even walk her to school. I just wish her school did not start so early. Getting her there by 7:50 means everyone wakes up early!! By the end of the day the girls are pretty tired/silly/cranky and crash by 7ish. It's hard getting up early but I love having 2-3 hours in the evening to decompress and gear up for another fun day. 

Why has the transition from 2 to 3 kids been so smooth and enjoyable? I have been thinking about this a lot lately. It is because I have amazing support! Of course Nick is a huge support but I have friends, sisters, and parents that have been by my side. If I need a break I just go to my moms (who have an open door policy) and the kids play while I chat. I have Emily who is always up for fun! I feel so incredibly lucky that I have a sister who always has time in her schedule to hang out. Her kids are my kids and my kids are her kids. To top it all off I have amazing friends in my ward. I love being able to just text them and meet up at the park. I have amazing women in my life that give me constant support and take the monataney out of motherhood. I have never been one to believe the quote "it takes a village to raise a child" but I am changing my ways. 

My constant prayer is that my children know that I love being their mom. I want them to remember a smiley and happy mom who truly loved her job!

Jackson 10 months

Jack is the most wiggly and content baby you will ever meet. I warn people before they hold him "Watch out he will wiggle right out of your arms". And he does. He loves nothing more than exploring and crawling around on the ground. I am amazed at long he will stay happy playing by himself getting into stuff. This kid just never cries...ever. I love that he is happy running errands and never ever throws a fit when he is late for a nap or food.  With being on the go so much an adaptable baby like Jack is a dream. He still gets up once a night to eat about 3 am but I really don't mind. We snuggle, give each other kisses, and then he goes back to bed. Since he is so wiggly those middle of the night feedings are the only time I get to snuggle him and I will miss it. He is even so wiggly its getting hard to nurse him. He just wiggles right off my lap and then off he crawls away...like a little speed car. I kiss his chubby cheeks all day every day and hope he always let me!

Things I love

1. That the girls call him "jack jack". I hear all day "jack jack not don't get that"

2. He can balance on his knees and beg like a little dog

3. He eats great! loves bananas, bread and mac and cheese

4. He three little teeth

5. His big baby hands that he always puts in my mouth. 

6. Watching him figure out his pincer grasp with his chubby hands

7. He gets super silly in the car when the girls make funny noises

8. How he always gets in the toilet...not so fun

9. His blue blue eyes

10. More than anyone he loves me best!

I could stare at this picture ALL day. When he stands on his tippy toes and reaches our his chubby hands it just melts my heart!!

Hawaii Trip 2015

Dad approached me a couple months ago and asked if he should surprise Mom with a trip to Hawaii for their 40th wedding anniversary. Of course I said yes and that I wanted to come too.  Well, that's exactly what happened. We surprised Mom with not only a trip to Hawaii but having it be a girls trips (Dad and Jack don't count). When I was recanting the trip to Nick when I arrived home I just started bawling. It was truly one of the most memorable, relaxing, and once in a life time trips I have ever taken. To have all my sisters with me, husband free (!), and parents on a tropical island is unforgettable. 

The play by play:

Saturday: I surprised  Mom at the airport by sitting next to her at our departing gate. I sat behind her and asked "excuse me but do you have the time?" She screamed and then we laughed. I loved that moment and seeing the look of excitement on her face. We later surprised her with Caity and Kim arriving once we landed in Hawaii. Emily drove with them to the airport so she was surprised with her earlier. My dad told her the night before we left to "pack like going to California and to wake up early for an adventure." The surprise was truly one of the best parts. Then we flew to Hawaii and Jack wiggled the entire 6 hours. Oh boy that was crazy. We got to Hawaii in the mid afternoon and just relaxed in our beautiful beach house the rest of the day. Jack woke up early every morning due to the time change so I got see the sunrise while hearing the waves and eating eggs on toast (made my only the best..my dad). It made getting up at 5:30 enjoyable!

View from our house

Sunday: We went to church and then drove to get Hawaiian ice because I could not wait another second! It was quite possibly the best thing I have ever eaten and had about 10 on the trip. It was SO good. We once again hung around the house, laid outside, walked along the ocean and enjoyed a peaceful Sunday. That night we went to Kaanapali coast to walk along the board walk and get a more touristy feel. Our house was very local and always had local surfers riding the waves so it was nice to get the typical tourist/tiki torches/lava flow feel that you typically think of. 

Monday: Due to babies we were up and at it early. We rented snorkel gear, an underwater camera, and headed to Black Rock at Kaanapali. It was great snorkeling and so fun to swim in the warm water. The best part was trying to get in and out of the ocean. It had to be timed perfectly or the hard crashing waves toppled you. I fell victim as did almost every tourist trying to get in. It made for great people watching...seeing people tumble around getting super sandy. We hit the hotel pools along the board walk and laid out by their pools (it was 10x more fun because we were not supposed to and we did it anyway:) We ate lunch at a fantastic fish place right on the beach and I had the most amazing "island fish". That literally was what it was called...no idea what I ate but I would eat it every day if I could. We took naps under our cabana with the babies and then of course ate more Hawaiian ice. We ended the night cooking burgers on the grill, chatting while watching the sunset, and watching a movie. It as was sunny, hot, bright, wet, and one of the most amazing days of my life. I fell asleep that night with sun kissed skin and sand/salt in my hair...the most perfect feeling in the world!!

Tuesday: My dad rode up the volcano Haleakala this morning and spent half the day climbing 36 miles on a bike. He is quite the intense biker these days. We laid around and watched a movie at 8 in the morning...because we could! When Mom returned from dropping my dad off we headed out to go on a gorgeous hike along the coast. The hike ended with cliffs that you could jump off into the ocean. The view was breath taking and Emily and I concluded that the view went in our "top ten sights of our life". We took another short hike through jungle and then headed back home. Before the luau we took a dip in our pool and drove to the luau still wet and salty (seems to be the theme of the trip). It was a gorgeous luau with live music and delicious food. They did dances from all the Polynesian islands including my favorite...Tahiti. 

Wednesday: It is tradition to eat breakfast at the Maui Prince while in Maui and we stuck to that tradition. They have a great breakfast buffet with coconut, macadaiam nut french toast. It was beyond delicious and something I looked forward too all week. After breakfast we rented a cabana on the lawn and enjoyed another day of relaxing on the beach. We spent most of the day in their pool, sleeping, and swimming the the ocean (minus big waves). On the way home I ate 2, yes 2, Hawaiian ice and loved every second. When we got back to the house we all swam in the pool while watching the sunset and surfers catch their last wave. After babies went to bed the girls went back to Kaanapali coast and swam in the beautiful Hyatt pool. It has water falls, slides and multiple cave jacuzzis. It was a perfect evening enjoying a warm Hawaiian night. I loved sitting in the pool, chatting, and having the night lit up by hundreds of tiki torches. I just love Hawaii and especially love being with my family. 

Just sleeping...dad, jack and caity

Thursday: I enjoyed a last breakfast of eggs on toast by the ocean and then relaxed. I made sure to walk along the beach and collect rocks to take home and enjoy my last moments of Hawaii. Right as we were about to get in the car Dad came home with paddle boards. Well of course I had to try it! I

threw on a swim suit, got bashed around by the waves and loved it. It was quite terrifying trying to go over huge waves with a paddle board but i would do it again in a second. In true fashion I arrived at the airport salty with wet hair dripping down my back. Then I flew home and Jack slept the ENTIRE time. We just cozied up and got excited about seeing our people!

Little things I don't want to forget

-how it was supposed to rain and storm everyday but then was beyond perfect

- how warm the water was. the air and water temp were the same so you never felt cold or needed a towel. 

- the waves would wash up along rocks by our house. When the water went back into the ocean the rocks would clink together making the sound of rain

- how my skin always felt warm and salty. I always had salt in my eyebrows from the super salty air

-the random smell of gardenia and plumeria in the air

- picking pink plumeria and sleeping with the flowers next to my pillow so i could smell it all night

- quotes "land mermaid...you mean human" and "burn day" 

view from our Maui Prince cabana 

beach infront of our house

Products of the beach.