22 in 2020

Our best boy turned 22 yesterday. He’s such a good boy, really a good man, and we just love him to pieces. 

I looked back through his birthday pictures and every year I make him the same Better than Shopping Cake in the same red pan, so I had to stick to it for this year. 

We picked up some shirts and then d got the fun gift opportunity of some snacks, and she wanted them each wrapped separately. We wrapped them all together and they’d write things like to Bubba, from Delaney, wrapped by Frankie. 😂

I love watching gift giving. Each girl was so excited to see him open the gifts they chose. I. Love. It. 

D picked all of her fav snacks, which I guess is what good present givers do.


Birthday dog piles are all the rage this year. 

It’s gonna be a big year for Christian and we are just behind him 100%. 

Crew-1. Or I guess -3. 

Happiest of birthdays. Bubba! 2020 is your year!

Rando

We’re on a Biggest Loser kick up in here, so D did a BL workout focused on the number 16. 🤷‍♀️ She did 16 jumping jacks, ran around the house 16 times, etc. all my girls would choose Jillian as a trainer, but I’m a Bob girl myself. 

It’s fun to see sassy-cat working to be stronger. She weighs 48 lbs and is thinking about joining us for the Memorial Day 5k for the first time ever. 

Johnna was sick today so we got a surprise break from piano. The girls were stoked. We had baked potatoes for dinner and ice cream for our fhe treat. The girls really love coloring in our CFM journal from momma Debby as we listen to the scriptures.

We had a movie night on Friday. Sephie, khloe, and Morgan came over and we made popcorn and watched Troop 0 - super bizarre movie.

Earlier that day Alyssa came over. She’s always been one of my favorites. She came to give us eyelash extensions, but after taping my lower lashes down and working on my eyes for a few minutes she found her glue wasn’t working. She said she’ll come another day, and I’m so excited!

Lexi had been begging to straighten my hair one day before she left, and I finally relented. For the first time in over a year and a half, my hair was brushed and straightened. I do miss straight hair, but I’ll be back to curly next wash. I’m contemplating a big chop, so we’ll see. 

Everyone had to try on Alyssa’s magnifying makeup applying glasses. 😂 they made everyone’s eyes huge, which reminded me of Lexi’s old bottle cap glasses. Poor girl is blind!

And some maker space fun!

Chris Mitchell and I are the Thursday team. We lost our 3rd, which means we both work every Thursday, so our girls always come those days. 

And how about a sleeping bug pic?

Best month

We just got through with the best month of having Lexi and Emmy visit. It was so nice to spend time with them! I pretty much took the month off of all but essentials and even though it was kinda stressful, I’m glad I did. Life with Lu as a teenager was hard, but that was many years ago, and this long trip was healing and special. And Emmett. Uuuuggghhh. I miss him so much already. He gives the best hugs and kisses and he’s such a happy boy that loves to eat, so he’s basically my spirit animal. Hoping to see them again in April for Josh’s wedding. I hope Em doesn’t hate me next time I see him!

He’d get so exited and bite cheeks or chins and pinch whatever neck or skin was nearby, or pull hair if that’s what was available. He’s a fierce loving little man!

We’re all very smitten. 

Frankie’s still the best little babysitter. She loved to take Em into a different room and read to and play with him. He was her own private baby doll and she loved every second of the last month. 

One night momma went out and Emmy got all the love. 

We didn’t have a high chair, so Em got to sit on the table and enjoy all the food he could eat. 

I. Love. This. Baby. 

Babes are always fun to dress up. 

He loved his uncle Bubba sooo much!

Some precarious cheese eating with Aunt Fran. 

Can you see how important eating is to both he and I? I never had a baby that loved to eat as much as this guy! He’s so fun to feed!

Lexi said he flew well and they got their own row of seats, so that was awesome. 

And they hung out at the USO and walked and walked during their long layover in Denver. 

But now they have landed in Montana and are slowly making their way home through the snow, and these guys were so happy to see each other. 💕

We’re so grateful that Cade was happy to let them visit for a month and that everything worked out. Grown up kids are so much fun and I’m so grateful we didn’t give up when it was so hard back in the day. It gets better!

Baptism

Delaney and Ellie have been planning their double baptism forever. A new friend, maddy moved into our ward last year, and she’s also a January birthday, so a triple baptism it was. 

We were joking on the way to the church and being silly. Delaney asked, seriously, about whoever is baptized second and third and if they’ll have all the sins in the water. Then I teased that we’d drain the water between each baptism, so it would take 3 hours. 

We set everything up, and right before the baptism Delaney started saying she didn’t want to be baptized because she was bored. We prayed with her and her sweet primary teachers prayed with her. 

Then Lexi came and said that Laney had told Chris she didn’t want to be at the church for another 3 hours. 🤦‍♀️ Dang it on my inappropriate jokes. I apologized and she cried with relief and anger, but still didn’t want to be baptized. We made it very clear to her that she didn’t have to be baptized, that it was her choice. And I really had to gut check myself to make sure I wouldn’t be upset with her if she didn’t go through with it. I was just praying the whole time. We finally  decided since it was already past 10 that we would participate in the baptism and she could decide anytime. 

We got through the talk and then while Ellie was singing d just lost it. I carried her out and we sat in the bathroom and cry together. We talked and I promised that i wouldn’t be mad, and neither would Heavenly Father. I also shared with her Anna’s baptism when she didn’t want anyone to see her.  The baptism girls came in and everyone was preparing and d said she thought maybe she could do it if everyone left. So after maddy and Ellie, Bishop Darrow let everyone know that Delaney was nervous and she only wanted her family there. And that sweet girl walked right into the font and chose to be baptized. It was nerve racking and difficult, but we got through, and I’m chalking it up as a parenting win. 

As soon as she came out of the water she was a different person! She was upbeat and cheerful and happy. She was confirmed, no problem. She didn’t eat anything afterwards, and we had delicious treats, but her stomach was torn up from her anxiety. As a side note - the next morning she was reading one of our many books about kids with anxiety. Sweet girl. Another cool thing - Addie and Frankie got to be the witnesses. 💕

It was so nice that so many people were able to celebrate her with us. 

3 beautiful and happy girls. 

We gave out invitations to all our neighbors, D’s teachers, and several friends. Kloe was the only one that came, but the success is in the invitation, so that’s ok. 

These two! 😍

Since the moms did all the work planning, we had to get a picture of the sweet girls with their momma’s. 

Bubba took this cute pic of Lu and Emmy. 

Johnna and Denise are awesome primary teachers, and they gave wonderful talks for the girls. They gave them each a white towel so that was also sweet. 

Charlene and my girls have a sweet relationship. Such lucky girls!

And one more because how many triple baptisms have you been to?

Happy birthday to D!

Our baby bug turned 8! It’s such a fun place to be, I am loving this stage of parenthood. 

She requested donuts for brekkie and they did not disappoint 

I love time hop. Whoever came up with that should get a prize. 

Wednesday’s are our busiest days, so we made plans to pick the girls up from school early and do hibachi lunch. It’s this goofy girls absolute fav. Plus also it’s like half the price at lunch, soooo. 

Alexis had taken the girls birthday shopping and D picked some American Girl doll accessories and she had so much fun playing after lunch. 

Addie was sick, so d flew solo at horseback. I watched for awhile and she literally never stopped talking. She’s hilarious. 

It was a pretty low key birthday, but she had fun. 

Better than shopping cake makes me feel this way too. 

Delaney is so fun. She prides herself on being weird. She is one of the “popular” kids in 2nd grade. She loves to read and is smart, smart, smart. She’s on the temperamental side and sometimes struggles to be kind. But mostly she’s sweet and generous and precious. She is the baby of the family and I’m so grateful to be her mom. 
Around midnight she came into our room crying because she’d thrown up. This commenced a 6 hour, every 30 minute vomit fest. I’m so glad she was able to celebrate her special day before she got sick. And that she got sick in the middle of the week and didn’t miss her baptism. She was so miserable all night, and I’m so grateful for good health.