Easter

We had a little egg hunt with some friends:

The ward had a breakfast and egg hunt too.  All the kids played in the dirt on the baseball field, which they thought was way more fun than hunting eggs after all.

Jane's first time on grass, she did not like it touching her feet.

Dirty from the baseball field.

We also colored eggs at home:

Jack spent Friday and Saturday taking a 16 hour board exam.  We were glad to have him back come Sunday morning.  The kids found their Easter baskets and we went to church.  Jane slept through the first two hours of church, which never happens (she usually fusses through most of it because it is during her morning nap time), I called it an Easter miracle.  I actually listened in Sunday School and enjoyed it.

The weather was beautiful, so later we went and walked around Liberty Lake and dreamed about what it would be like to live in a lakefront home.  Then we went home and had a delicious salmon dinner.

The kids looked festively adorable in their new Easter clothes from Mimi:

Can you tell that Jackson hates having his picture taken?

Can you also tell that there was a fingerprint smudge on our camera lens, we didn't realize that until later.

I would be remiss if I didn't express gratitude for the true meaning of this holiday, our Savior's atonement and resurrection.  While the eggs and candy are fun, I really love Easter Sunday and the chance that we have to reflect upon and remember all that He has done for us.  Happy Easter!

Mom's Phone

Recently Hannah has discovered how to use my phone for taking pictures and sending texts (yikes!). She can find who she'd like to text by looking at the pictures in my contacts. Her texts look something like this:

And my camera roll is filled with pictures like this:

Yes that is a naked boy in a messy living room.

Jackson is 3!

Jackson,

Today you are 3!
Today you weigh 32.6 lbs and are 39" tall.
Today you love flashlights and screwdrivers, building things and taking them apart, figuring out.
Today your imagination is flourishing, I love hearing the little conversations you have with your cars.
Today you adore your sisters.  You talk in a sweet voice to Jane and call her "Janey" or "Wonderful."  Sometimes you like to scare her by yelling "Baby!" in her face or tip her over when she's sitting up.  But most of the time you are very loving to her.  Hannah is your best friend.  If Hannah wakes up before you and leaves the bedroom you wake up angry finding that she is not there with you.  You mostly play very well together, but sometimes you fight too.
Today your favorite movie is Wreck it Ralph.
Today you are a picky eater and don't eat much at all.  Your favorite foods are cereal and pancakes and apples and wheat bread (plain, with no butter, jam or honey).
Today you love to go to Trader Joe's and push the little shopping carts.
Today you say, "I'm so mad at you!  Go to time out!"  whenever you feel frustrated with me or Daddy or Hannah.  Sometimes when you are mad you sing a song you made up and the lyrics say, "I'm so mad at Mom, I'm so mad at Hannah, I'm so mad at Daddy, I'm NOT so mad at Jane."
Today you are into music and frequently ask me to turn up the radio.  You are good at learning lyrics.  I love to hear you sing Primary songs in the back seat while I'm driving.
Today you have incredible ears and hear even the tiniest sounds.  You like to imitate the sounds you hear around you that most of us just ignore; the sound of a zipper being zipped, the shower curtain rings against the rod, the TV turning on.  You always ask me, "Mom, did you hear that sound?" and then do your best to imitate what you just heard.
Today you like to play with friends, but only if Hannah is there too.  Usually the friends always make you be the bad guy and chase them around.  You usually comply and pretend to be a bear.
Today your favorite game is hide and seek in the dark.  The other day you and I hid in your closet behind the clothes.  It took Daddy and Hannah a really long time to find us because you were so quiet and still.
Today you like to help me cook.
Today you love arts and crafts.  Your favorite Netflix show is Art and Music and you love to paint, cut, glue or use play-dough.
Today you are starting to become interested in play guns and weapons.
Today you could spend every waking moment outside.  Oh how we will both the rejoice when we finally have a yard for you to play in.
Today you love to ride bikes and scooters.
Today we call you Jackson, Jack, Jack-Jack, Mister, and Buddy.
Today your favorite color is green.
Today you can count to 30, you know all your letters, numbers, shapes and colors and are beginning to write your letters too.
Today you choose sweat pants, short sleeve t-shirts and rain boots if I let you pick your own clothes.
Today you don't  really like candy, but you love cookies.  Especially Oreos.
Today you are starting to give up naps, only napping every 3rd day or so.
Today you are done with binkies and diapers, a real big boy now!  I can't remember the last time you had an accident, you are completely potty trained - even at night.
Today you slept in and woke up to a room full of balloons and Oreo cookies (your favorites!).  You ate Oreos for breakfast, shoving them in your mouth as fast as you could the moment you woke up.  Daddy was already gone to work, but you couldn't wait to open presents so I let you open the ones that your grandparents and aunts and uncles sent.  I could tell you felt so special.  We sat on the floor and played with your gifts the whole day.  When Daddy came home we ate tacos and then had cake and opened your present from me and Daddy.  I made banana cake with caramel frosting and made a big number 3 on it out of M&M's.  You loved it and said it was the best cake ever.  We went bowling, something you've been talking about doing for your birthday for months.  At first you were taunting Hannah saying, "You aren't going to win Hannah! Ha ha, you didn't win!"  But by the end you were giving her big hugs every time she knocked down a pin.
Today I love you and adore being your mom.
Happy birthday Mister!

Jane was very excited about the wrapping paper and Oreo wrappers.

Oreos for breakfast!

He got some fun gifts! 

Jane 6 months

Jane is 6 months old!  I still think of her as a newborn, but she most certainly is not anymore.  She can sit up on her own very well and can roll around too.  She is finally figuring out the sleeping thing and usually takes two solid naps (sometimes 3) and goes to bed at 6:30 pm.  She wakes up to eat at 11:00 pm and 5:30 am and goes back to bed until 7:30 am.  Not too bad!  If she doesn't nap she cries a lot, but otherwise she is very happy.

She is eating a little solid food.  Just rice cereal and sweet potatoes so far.  She gets very excited for each bite but then makes a face once its actually in her mouth and spits most of it out.

She weighs 16 lbs 11 oz and is 26" long.  Her head is 17".

Jane loves to go outside.  If it is warm enough (aka above 40 degrees) I walk the kids to school in the double stroller and Jane rides in the front pack.  She doesn't make a peep the entire time, just looks around with wide eyes.  She loves to go to the park and sit in her stroller or swing in the swings.

She eats up any attention she gets.  She smiles at anyone who talks to her.  She laughs at the kids' antics and whines if she is being ignored.  She loves peek-a-boo and when we sing silly songs to her.  She enjoys being part of the family: sitting up to the dinner table and reading stories before bed.  She cries when I leave the room and reaches for me when she sees me come back in the room.  I am definitely her favorite!  She adores her dad and siblings though too.

6 months is such a great age.  We love our sweet baby Jane!

Jackson said, "I like my new haircut because it looks like Jane's!"  Yep, she is still a baldy.

Hannah is such a helper with Jane.  Jane was whining while I was trying to make dinner, so Hannah cuddled her to sleep!  I was impressed.