Remember

Remember this tiny princess?

This was almost a year ago, I can't believe how much she's grown. 

Slow it down, take a breath, look into her eyes.

Take a minute to see the infancy.

So fragile

So small

So inquisitive

So New

She is growing

learning

moving

never slowing.

She is life.

It is a wonder and a blessing to watch, to observe, to see the growth before my eyes.  It is a gift.

House

We moved in October to this awesome old home! 

It's on an acre+ lot and it's almost 100 years old.  It needs/needed a lot of work outside, still working on that, but the inside is great.

It's been "updated" in the past, so we have a standard bathroom, kitchen and laundry room, plus two bedrooms and ample attic space that is part storage and part 3rd bedroom.  The kids love the outdoor space.  It's a rental, but we'll love it while we can!

12 months

OH my how she's grown!  

On Aug. 3rd this pretty princess was blessed in my blessing gown, it was PINK!  She was great, lots of family and friends came, it was a special weekend.  Damen had turned 8 in July and made the decision to be baptized into the church, we were able to do that on Aug. 2nd.  

Handsome boys!  Daddy baptized Damen on the 2nd, then blessed Clara on the 3rd, it was amazing!

Happy smiling girl, this is her classic face!

5 months 14lbs 4 oz, finally doubled her birth weight!

 6 months 26in long and 15.8lbs

 7 months 16.4lbs, moving scooting, trying to crawl!

                                         8 months

9 months, Christmas day, we didn't bring the bear with us to Grandma's.  27in 18lbs 

10  months!  She's been pulling herself up and cruising since the first of Dec. but no walking yet.

11months, not posed with bear, but you get the gist! 

Our camera died over Christmas and I tried to set up an 11 months picture, she refused to sit for the smart phone!  I'm sure she's taller, still mostly bald and toothless, she just looks so tiny still!  

1 year ago tomorrow, wow what a year.

Listening

Listening to my boys

playing their favorite video game

getting instructions from Daddy

Listening to Baby babbles

what does she say?

away she crawls, exploring her world

Listening to the squeals of laughter

listening, watching their every move

happy Wednesday night

hearing my family.

Four months!!

Ok, it's been a while. . . .

Clara has grown a bit, really just a bit, since she was born.  Thought I'd mention it here!

At one month 7lbs 12oz

She'd dropped down to 6lbs 13oz after birth and struggled to gain, so she's the same size as when she was born at 1 month.

2 months 8lbs 9oz 21 in.

 3 months 10lbs 23.5 in
Growing growing growing!

4 months 12lbs 24.5 in

Finally wearing 0-3 months clothes!

She's such a happy baby!  She hardly ever cries, sleeps through the night, and laughs and laughs for her brother Damen.  

We are SO happy to have her in our family!

Clara

Clara Victoria

March 24th

3:24am 7lbs 14oz 19.8in

Our beautiful little lady came into this world quick and crazy!

Even faster than Damen actually, she was born 21 minutes after we got to the maternity ward.  I'm not sure who caught her, but they did have me in a bed and lots of nurses and people were there.

One good push was all it took and there she was.  

Her hair is kind of auburn, not really blond or brown or red, somewhere in between.  She's very mellow, but prefers to be held when she's asleep.  

She's pretty amazing.

The boys are loving and helpful, even little Mason is getting used to sharing my lap.

I can't look at this picture below and not tear up.  It's hard to process that we are a family of five now.  

WE HAVE THREE KIDS!

Really, sometimes it's unbelievable, but I also can't imagine our life without them.  

My heart feels like it's always been this big.  

Little girl

In about two months time, this will be the color that fills my life.

Pink booties, onesies, blankets, burp clothes, dresses.

Oh the dresses.

My oldest boy is excited and curious.  The little one has no idea what's coming.  

An adjustment for sure.

Oh the excitement that a new baby brings!!

Here I am at 30 weeks.

Getting bigger every day! 

(Or so it seems)

I've only seen blue, trains, cars, balls, and buzz cuts for eight years now.  

Wish us luck!

Feelings

Yesterday was a beautiful Sunday.  

Our family went to church.

It is always a little bit crazy with a two year old (especially one new to underwear!). 

 I strived to feel something.  

To learn something.

To be inspired.

The last verse of the last song of the last meeting.  

This I felt.

"How Gentle God's Command"

Hymn 125 of the LDS Hymn book, verse 4:

His goodness stands approved,

Unchanged from day to day;

I'll drop my burden at his feet

And bear a song away.

Pumpkins!

We haven't carved pumpkins in like three years!!

This year we found a great little fruit stand and all pumpkins were $1.99!  The kids were so excited, especially Damen, he wanted to use the carving book we've had for a while.

I don't know how to take a picture of them with the light shining through, but they turned out really good!  Mason got stickers for his little pumpkin, he likes to carry it around.

  

Break Dancing

Damen got to participate in this fun Break Dancing class at school.  At the end of the session they performed for their families.  This is Damen's awesome performance doing some free-style and the end of the program, enjoy!!

Don't you just love his strut!!

Oh, that was Mason shouting at the end, in my ear, a second before the kids did it!  

Update!!

YIKES!  If anyone is following, sorry to be so long in posting, not sure what happened, well that's not true exactly, but I'll get to it.  

Since my last post a lot has happened, Damen turned 7!  Started 2nd grade and lost his first tooth.  Dustin turned 40!  We've had family to visit and been on a few trips to California and Washington to visit family and friends.  Mason turned 2!  He's the cutest toddler ever, and most importantly this happened:

   So I guess this is what's been keeping me from updating!  Not that I was super sick or anything, just exhausted and busy.  Now that I'm farther along (17 weeks) I'm not so exhausted and maybe I'll be able to post for the three people that read this!

I wanted to go back and post pics of everything, but that seemed overwhelming so just imagine cakes, toothless kid, beach, cousins, friends, family, etc. . . 



You can read about how I got pregnant with PCOS, only trying for 5 months, without any harsh drugs Here on another post.

Ice Cream Success!

I've seen this idea, to make Ice cream in a plastic bag, floating around and decided to give it a try!  

I prepared last night by making Peppermint Hot Chocolate, with whole milk, then stuck it in the fridge.  

Today when we were ready, we used the measurements from THIS blog.  It calls for added vanilla and sugar which we didn't need of course!  

We just used 1/2 C. of the prepared chocolate milk inside of a bag inside of another bag with ice and salt in it.

Then SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE!  

Ahhh Ice Cream success!!  

The boys wanted to add chocolate chips too.  It was delicious and just the perfect amount!

Soap!

I'm really excited to share this!  Last year a friend of mine told me about making your own laundry soap.  I was skeptical, but it was SO cheap and easy, my friend and I set out to see if it would work.

We mixed up a batch, takes about 20 minutes, and started using it.  I had an 8 month old and was mostly concerned about the "messes" he makes.  Would this soap really get out everything that comes out of him??  IT DID!!  

It took me almost a year to use up that one batch, which cost maybe $1.50 to make!! 

The recipe is from the Duggers, you know, 19 kids and counting, they obviously know how to keep clothes clean!  

You start out with these three ingredients, found at Walmart in the laundry isle.  

 Shred the bar of soap, I use my chopper/blender. Do not confuse this with shredded cheese!  Although it did inspire me to make quesadillas for lunch:)

Next melt the shredded soap in 4 cups of water on med. heat.  Keep mixing it.

Measure out 1 cup baking soda soap and 1/2 cup Borax in a 5 gallon bucket.  

Once the bar of soap is melted pour it into the big bucket, add more hot water (from the tap), until about half of the bucket is full. Stir and dissolve the soaps.  Then fill the bucket to the top with hot tap water.  Stir it.

Put a lid on and let it sit for 24 hours.  Open it up and stir again, it will be a solid chunk of slime at this point.

Now it's ready to use!  Well, almost.  It's still highly concentrated so to make it last, pour 1/2 water 1/2 soap mix into an empty soap dispenser.  This makes 10 GALLONS of Laundry soap.

That's right 10!!  

I use about 3/4 cup of detergent with each load and add more of the Baking soda detergent as a booster.  Especially with the kids clothes.  

Seriously, this stuff is awesome, and SO inexpensive, give it a try and if it doesn't work for you, you're only out a few dollars!

Here's the link:  Duggar family laundry soap

Questions

Damen is full of awesome questions lately!

This latest one was asked as we navigated a very busy road biking/scootering to the pool today:

"Hey mom, what's a database?"

I gotta be honest, it's hard to think and ride a bike pulling a 50lb (at LEAST) trailer, but I love this kids curiosity.

Summer starts!

Summer has started!!  

We've got cousin Lincoln here most days, 

no car, and not a lot of funds.

So we'll be taking it easy these next few months!

We'll find some fun though!!

Snuggling boys in the morning (those blankets make good forts too)

Painting!  Mason had flour/water/food coloring, I knew he'd want to taste the paint.

Movies and popcorn!  

There are a few parks we can walk/bike to and even the pool isn't too far.  Wish us luck, no one wants to hear the word "bored"!

Ummm, Easter?

So, I was all set to put up a new post when I realized I haven't taken a picture since EASTER!!
And I never even posted them!  So here ya go :)

Saturday we dyed about a dozen hard boiled eggs using the vinegar/food coloring method.  Damen wanted to mix all of the colors and by the end everything was green!

I was taking this pic with Mason in my lap, trying to get the eggs in the background, you can see the egg carton. . . 

Sunday morning the boys were up bright and early, as usual!  We enjoyed our Easter baskets and had them search for the dyed and plastic eggs.  We put something special in the "sports" themed eggs just for Damen.

Lego candies!!  He was SO excited about these, and it took him about a month to finally eat them all.  


After the fun we went to church for a spiritual reminder about why we really celebrate this day:  

Luke 24:

 6 He is not here, but is ^arisen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

The love of a six year old

This morning, as I poured the last of the apple sauce into Mason's bowl I asked Damen if he wanted any for breakfast too.

He eyed the empty jar suspiciously but said yes.

I went to the cupboard, got out another jar and started to dish him some when he said, "You have TWO jars of apple sauce?"

"Yes"

"Hey guess what mom?"

"What"

"You're the best mom!"

Feeling the love.

Growing up

That's what my boys are doing, growing up!  

Seriously, in the blink of an eye these boys surprise us every day.

He gets taller, and smarter, way smarter every time I look at him!  

This is him with the robot he made at school.

It's name is April.

And then there's the baby.  Umm, maybe baby's not the right word anymore :(

He's a climber, a stubborn, do it my self, kind of a kid.  He can do things at this age that the other one hadn't even thought about yet.  

My eyes are on him every second!  

He does have the cutest bed head of any 17 month old EVER!!

They're growing up faster than I knew was possible.  

I'm grateful that they're healthy and strong, but sometimes I wish they'd just stay small, snuggly, and unblemished from the world.

My heart swells with unbelievable love for these two precious boys, how lucky are we to have them!