Christmas

We are super excited for Christmas this year.  We are visiting grandma and grandpa Stevens in California.  This is the first year that we have traveled for Christmas and it's kind of fun...this time!  The kids are excited for Santa although Malekai is really scared about the whole thing I think he'll realize it's not so bad Christmas morning when he opens his gifts!

I am going to miss Ashley this year with her being in the MTC and all but it sounds like she's doing really good so I guess I can't be mad!  Sure love and miss her already.  I am super glad to have Ryan back home but it's not like it matters cause he's basically busy with girlfriends and such so I never see him anyway (except when he watches my kids around 11:30 p.m. so I can go visit patients in the ER!) I love him for that!

I hope everyone has a good Christmas. I really do love this time of year becuase I really get to remember my Savior and feel his love for me.  I am so grateful for his atonement and plan of salvation.  I am grateful for my knowledge of it and for daily learning opportunities that help me to grow and become closer to Him.  Like the song "I Need Thee Every Hour", I truely do need my Savior in my life -always- and I am so grateful that I know He will always be there. 

Merry Christmas All!

Like Riding a Bike!

I was really nervous about volleyball but it didn't take long to be right back in the swing of things.  It was so much fun and our team is much better than I expected.  YEA!  I LOVE VOLLEYBALL!

In a Month's Time...

In a month's time...Aylee started kindergarten and had her 6th birthday.  She loves it and honestly, it's really nice for me too.  Malekai turned three years old and is now conviced he needs to go to school too. 

I am finishing up my softball league. It was a lot of fun and our team actually did pretty well!  We won games...that's better than usual!  I am excited to start playing volleyball in a couple weeks.  It will be interesting.  I don't think any of our team members have played since high school and not to age ourselves but that was a LONG time ago! I don't plan on winning much but it will be fun regardless!

Aylee First Day of Kindergarten!

Aylee started school and had her sixth birthday

My first attempt at making cool cakes.
(They are ballet slipplers)

Malekai turned 3!

Second attempt...haha at least I tried!

How cute are these boys?
Damon, Malekai and cousin Alo

As the boys get older I am having so much fun with them.  They are funny kids for sure.  I love being able to do things with them and I love, love, love, when they play together.  Of course there are times I am pulling my hair out becuase they just want to pester each other but that is to be expected.  It is so fun having cousins around that they can play with as well. 

Who taught these boys to put plastic bags on thier heads??

 I really do need to keep a close watch on these boys though cause if I don't...well you see! They really do keep me on my toes!

This makes life worth while!!!

So after all is said and done I am glad I can take a step back to really see how great life is.  "By small and simple things..."

Playing Catch-UP

So after my resovle to do better and write more in my blog aka online journal I am making my second post nine months later! Wow!

School started for us all again but this year Aylee is in Kindergarten! What a Milestone.  She loves it so far and is doing great.  She loves Wednesdays because they get to have PE and go to the computer lab. 

Malekai is sad he can't go to school with her. He also misses her when she is gone and constantly asks "when's Aylee coming back?"  Cute.

Damon is my possesive son on more accounts than one.  He can't share his mommy, his favorite books, his stuffed dogs, his toy trucks or toy cars.  What a punk! He has to take them everywhere too.

We are so excited for the arrival of our new niece/cousin.  Cecillia La'laai (spelled something like that)! She is an adorable little girl but now all Aylee can talk about, dream about, and tell others about is how she wishes her mom was pregnant.  To that all I can say is...keep dreaming!

After the half marathon that I ran (in January..refer to last post) I finished with blood seeping out of the top of my shoe and blisters covering my feet I vowed to never run again.  After losing three toenails, a result of that race, and five months later I put on my running shoes again and have been trying to get back in the swing of things.  I've done a couple 5K's but nothing too serious.

I've had a lot of fun playing in volleyball tournament and softball leagues.  I can't seem to get enough but what ever happened to church ball?  Our ward/stake is slacking big time!

Summer was busy as all get out.  There was something every weekend whether it be the lake, vacation, or yardwork we just couldn't seem to keep things in order around our house.  Thankfully school is back in and makes us have some kind of structure to our lives!

That's all for now. Can't make any promises as to when the next post might be cause as we know it sometimes takes months...nine of them to be exact! Hopefully pictures will come soon

New Year

Hmmm...it's already January.  Where does time go?  We have had a lot of fun the past few months.  Aylee turned 5, Malekai 2, and Damon 1.  It's crazy how fast your babies grow up.  We had a lot of fun over the holidays with family and friends and not to mention Santa Clause!  Good Times.

School started again for Andrew and I so we are back to our crazy lives.  I have been running for about six months now and will be running this Saturday in the St. George Half Marathon (it used to be the Painters Half).  It should be interesting, haha.  I'm not expecting an amazing time or anything just want to be able to have events that hold me accountable to running consistently.  Next up is the Marathon in October..wahh wish me luck on that one!  I of course will do races up til then but nothing more than 10K's at a time.

Aylee is going to play soccer this year and is absolutely excited about it.  I remember soccer at that age and I don't think its much of a spectator sport!  I keep telling myself it will be fun to go watch anyway!

Malekai thinks he has to eat yogurt all day long.  He's now climbing up the shelves in the fridge trying to get it by himself.  I'm just waiting for the whole shelf of food/milk/etc to come tumbling down.  Can't you see it?  That would make for a happy mom..

Damon is one now and pretty close to walking.  I keep waiting for the day.  I am getting quite the biceps from hauling that chunk of a boy around all day long!  He really is a funny boy.  Always has a funny face or wooing smile to keep us laughing!

That all for now.  hopefully will have more soon!

Busted!

I catch my kids doing some of the strangest things sometimes but I guess that's why they are kids.  They sure keep things interesting! 

Here's Aylee and Malekai discovering that batteries on your tongue is addicting even if it does hurt a bit.

<>

Here they are again playing pirate ship...how do they come up with these things!

Somebody gave Damon an oreo..were was I on that one?!

Look how happy he was though!  I'd say it was worth it!

And for some reason, Damon and Malekae had the same expression in two different

pictures.  Excuse thier nakedness!

 Its so fun to catch them doing crazy things...it makes me want to be a kid again.  So FUN!

Tiny Miracles

I've been debating on whether to or not to share my "tiny miracle"  mostly because a personal experience might sound silly to someone who wasn't there or feeling the same things I was but I have finally decided that I should record even my tiniest of miracles so that I can always recognize the many blessings I receive daily.  So here it goes...

It was last Wednesday night,  the rain, lightening, and thunder were full force and Andrew was still out of town and not expected back until Thursday night around six.  I had another one of those days and was unraveling into quite a mess (this happens frequently).  I got the kids into bed and despite my exhaustion, decided I better kneel to pray before collapsing into my inviting bed!  I tearfully expressed my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for Andrew and told Him how much I loved and missed him.  I felt prompted to ask for his safe return home even though it wasn't until the next night and then ended my prayer and jumped into bed.  It wasn't an hour later that to my surprise Andrew arrived home safe and sound.  It was a strange feeling  but I knew that Heavenly Father heard and answered my prayer, a lot faster than I had expected.  He explained that the didn't have enough work for a full day on Thursday so he and his co-worker headed back to St. George even amidst the storm.  Although it may seem silly to others, or even appear to be coincidence, to me it strengthened my testimony of prayer and also reminded me of my divinity and worth.  I know that Heavenly Father loves me!

This Too Shall Pass

It seems like Andrew is out of town all of the time!  If it's not for young mens its work.  I miss him a lot and I am running out of patience with the kids.  Malekai is having such a hard time letting me know what he wants (I can't make out the words he's saying..they all sound the same) so he hits and throws tantrums and screams a shriek like girl scream that can pierce just about anybody's ears.   Oh..so delightful.

Aylee loves to tell me what she can and can't do.  If I ask her not to do something she will shoot back with a comment like "I'm fine mom. I can make my own choices and do what I want to do."  If that doesn't add fuel to the fire!  It's aggravating how things that I teach her backfire.  I did teach her that she has to make her own choices and that she has to choose to do the right or wrong thing but I guess she's not understanding the consequence to every action part.

Oh, and when did reading scriptures and praying become such a chore?  I'm wondering if this is what people mean when they say its hard to do.  I always thought it was because you didn't always understand what you were reading and didn't always get answers to your prayers right away but apparently it is actually hard open your scriptures even to read only one verse and to kneel down, dig deep and express your deepest gratitudes to your Heavenly Father.  I'm also having a struggling knowing what I need help with to be able to ask Him for it.

Oh the humanity!

If it wasn't for sweet Damon I don't think I would be able to cope.  As I am battling the other kids, picking up, preparing meals etc...that sweet boy sits quietly and waits for his chance to be noticed and as I look over at him he gives me the biggest smile possible and looks at me with his loving eyes and reminds me why I chose this life!  I think it's Heavenly Father's way of reminding me how precious life really is.

Don't get me wrong, I do love ALL my kids!  I am struggling as I am trying to handle their different stages at the same and thats why I vent my frustrations but I do love them very very much.

I have a lot of work to do...with myself but I know that I can get through this and that my Heavenly Father will be there for me through it all.  I must remember......"This too shall pass."

Smell the Roses

Summer is coming to an end and I have to figure out what to do with Aylee. She misses the kindergarten deadline and is going to have to watch her friends leave her behind.  I am planning to do preschool again but how many days will keep her busy enough?

  The hard part is not paying a fortune just to occupy a little girl. She has been loving gymnastics which is another issue.  Do I keep her in or take her out for the school year?  Decisions, decisions!  Other than preschool, Aylee has really been such a good helper and girl lately.  She constantly reminds me of what things let Jesus be in her heart and what actions let Satan be in our hearts. She has really been a so kind and loving to her brothers.  She makes Damon's bottles now and gets Malekai sippy's constantly.  She doesn't like to see her brothers sad and is always willing to share her toys just to keep them happy.  She really is turning into a peacemaker!

Malekai is a handful.  If he's not pulling everything out of the closet or cupboard he is painting the stairs or something crazy like that. What am I to do with that kid?

If he's not getting into trouble, Malekai is playing in the water.  I can't tell you how many times he's jumped into the bathtub with his clothes on.  His favorite has got to be to jump in with his church clothes on.  I'm learning I have to bathe him last to avoid this problem although he usually finds other ways to drench himself like squirting the water bottle in his face or letting the contents of his sippy dribble out of his mouth soaking his shirt.  As much as this kid does this, I can't help but to realize how cute he is because he usually pulls some adorable face that can soften any anger which lets him get away with too much I'm sure!

Damon is growing like a weed.  He is such a good baby.  He's learned that I don't have much time to give him all the attention in the world even if I want to and he is so good to wait for his time with mommy.  He is a precious little boy.

I really am blessed to have the kids that I have.  They are such sweet things!  I love to watch them learn and grow and especially make good choices!  I wish that I could always remember how special they are instead of getting frustrated because they don't learn as fast as I want them to.  I need to remember that life is NOT a race!  I need to take time to smell the roses!

Grand Grandma B's House

Over the fourth of July we had the chance to go to "Grand Grandma Bischoff's" farm.  Yes she does like to be called grand grandma rather than great grandma.  It's kinda cute if you ask me to hear the kids refer to her as that.  It is always a breath of fresh air to visit Geneva.  We got to see Aunts and Uncles that we only see like once a year and that's if we are lucky. 

Andrew and Ryan someone became the designated entertainers and fireworks show coordinators.  Although we missed Ryan this year as he is gone on his mission...the show had to go on!  Andrew with the help of dad and Uncle Daren put on the show this year.  It was so fun!  We did resolve to  keep the fireworks on the ground this year since last year the boys almost destroyed the towns crops and livelihood by shooting them off in the air and having the wind take hold of them and send them soaring in all directions!

As always grand grandma asked me if I brought her pictures of the grandkids and I, once again said no.  I proceeded to tell her that I don't even have up to date pictures of my kids for myself and she responded with  "well when you take some pictures for me don't forget to make a couple of copies for you to keep!"  Yes, I was ROASTED!  So thanks to grandma B. I got on the ball and took some pictures of my kids.  I made the frames myself because they can get so expensive especially for odd sizes.  So these are the pictures I took of them and then the frames that I made for them.  Thanks Grand Grandma!

I really really want to be able to get our yard put together.  It is taking so long to get everything done in our home that I want to but it is coming a long.  I try to be creative but that usually turns into a really cool piece of furniture that doesn't match anything in the entire house.  Maybe someday I can make creations to fit!

I suppose I should get things accomplished today i.e. clean house, fold laundry etc.  It seems to never end and frankly I am tired of it.  How to people stay motivated to clean? Anyone?  Maybe someday I'll find a solution for that too.

I'm Back

Okay I know its been a while but I got another burst of motivation to keep my blog updated.  We recently had a relief society night on journal keeping and I've decided this is the best way to keep a record of our lives and incorporate pictures as well.  It's my scrapbook/journal and I'm going to call that good!

So Andrew finally talked me into getting a dog....aaahhh!  I'm not an animal lover and especially don't want an animal at my house but the kids and Andrew all love the Roscoe so I guess I'll be okay.

I'm not sure where to begin becuase playing catch up is just too hard so I'll start with a few things that have happened recently.  

Andrew took Malekai to the father and sons outing and they had a blast.  Andrew went with a friend that has a son the same age as Malekai and it sounds like they really had a good time together.  They sure came home dirty so I guess they found the dirt!

We got to visit mom and dad Stevens in California a couple weekends ago.  The car ride was surprisingly pleasant.  The kids did great and found several silly activities to keep themselves busy!

These are their kids meal toys!  Haha! I thought it was so funny to turn around and see them hanging out with their glasses on!

While visiting we also got to go to Lake Isabella.  It was so fun!  We were able to rent a boat and cruise around the lake.  Grandpa got out the fishing pole but had no luck catching anything! Tess jumped in the water and said it was nice so I thought I take a plunge for a nice swim also.  Needless to say the water was ice cold and I could barely catch my breath to make it to the rocks we jumped off.  Can we say FREEZING!  I'm not sure what Tess was thinking but it was not nice!

Malekai sure loved it though.  He is so funny in the water.  He would swim all day and take about 10 baths if I would let him.  I frequently catch him soaked from the spray bottle he found or dog bowl that he has played in.  What a twerp!

Damon is growing up fast.  He is seven months old now.  I can hardly believe it.  Time is flying by but it is getting easier to enjoy life.  For a while there I felt that every waking moment was going to make me lose it but somehow I made it through and am able to enjoy the time I have with the kids before they get all grown up!

I'm realizing as I am trying to find pictures to post that I need to take more pictures of the kids but that is just a side note for myself!

And speaking of getting all grown up..Aylee is changing every day.  Learning new things and understanding tough concepts.  Her latest topic of interest is Satan and Heavenly Father.  I find it difficult sometimes to explain things to her but somehow she takes what I say and makes it so simple.  She has said that "if I am naughty I have to live with Satan and be a ghost forever but if I am good I get to live with Heavenly Father and keep my body...I don't want to be a ghost, that's scary!"  Hmm...smarty pants!

Well I will be working on journaling/scrapbooking/blogging and hopefully there will be many frequently posted posts!

DAMON MALOSI STEVENS! ( it's pronounced mah low see)

Damon was born on Dec. 11th 2009 and weighed 8 lbs 11 oz. He was 20 1/2 in. long.

Quick Update

So school started and my life has been crazy. Aylee is in preschool and loving it. I get the chance to watch my friends kids MWF for a few hours and between all that I'm still getting my homework done and finding time for my sister and her kids without depriving my husband of the time he needs! I am grateful that I am able to do so much and stay pretty sane the meanwhile!

I'm about 32 weeks along and the baby is doing great. It's that time to start preparing for a new baby!

Aylee also had her fourth birthday. She is getting so big! She got a lot of fun toys and a big girl bike that she is way excited about! I didn't really think she would care about a birthday party with friends this year but I was wrong about that. I kinda feel bad but I guess I know better for next year.

Malekai had a birthday too. He turned one! It's so much fun to watch him grow and see his funny personality develop. He is quite a character! He got a cake all to himself and as you can see he demolished it!

Malekai is still not walking but hopefully with a lot of help he'll start.

Aylee went fishing with her daddy and grandpa a couple days before her birthday and caught four fish! She's not too excited to go again becuase the fish are too gross! (She's a little bit like her mommy!) She did have fun though on her outing.

Summer's End

Well summer is coming to an end and I am kind of relieved to be able to have some sort of schedule again. Andrew and I start school tommorrow and Aylee will be going to preschool this year starting the first week of September.

My kids are growing up so fast. Its fun to watch Aylee and Malekai develop a relationship. They are so cute. It's been interesting watching siblings grow to love each other, I never really knew what to expect!

For those of you who don't know...It's a boy! I'm due December 18th which is right at the end of the semester so it should work out just right! :) I really have no idea who I told and who I didn't so now I guess you all know!

Well that's all for now...it's wierd not having fifteen hundred things to post. I guess this is what its like when you keep up on your postings!

Update

The 4th of July was so much fun. We went to Geneva, Idaho. It's practically the middle of nowhere...seriously NOWHERE! It was fun. The boys (Andrew and my bro) put on a firework show and somehow we were lucky enough not to have the house, barn, or fields catch fire. It was kinda scary!

All I could think about was all the cool spots there were to take pictures and how my friends at home would love it! These pix are definately not professional but it was fun and just so you can see the cool props in Idaho!

Our next trip in July was to Logan for the Tippetts Family Reunion. We had lots of fun riding the dune buggy, swimming, and enjoying our outdoor movie. We are so proud of Aylee for jumping off the diving board. She finally dunks her head without freaking out! Good job Aylee.

We got home from Logan and prepared ourselves for the 24th of July parade that Aylee was dying to be in. She was so excited to wave and throw candy! She did great and was so darling in the parade!

Malekai was so good for all of this. He sure is growing up and getting cute. The dang kid just doesn't want to crawl though...or anything else really. Oh well, saves me from chasing him around and cleaning up mischievious messes!

Aylee also had her first sleepover with her cousin Whitney from Washington. They were really cute. They read stories which apparently were funny till they fell asleep. Now it's all she talks about. She wants to have her next sleepover at grandma's! (hint hint mom).

Well that's it for now. I'll try to do better. Maybe I could do one post at a time and not six mushed into one! We'll see!

Here are some pictures of our trip to West Virginia, We went up there to celebrate Andrew's sisters graduation from West Virginia University. It was a good trip, all of Andrew's family was there and we were able to spend a lot of quality time together.

This is Aylee at the Pittsburgh Zoo, she was so excited to see the sharks but when she got up close she was too afraid to take her eyes off of them, she almost jumped off the ledge she was standing on.
So we got home from the graduation and we were all sitting around and there was no sound coming from the kids, Andrew's brother went and investigated and found them all sitting around eating the candy lei's that were given to Andrew's sister. As you can see they were all helping each other out in getting the candy opened.

Look at our two graduates!! They are so cute! And they were so good on this trip! Aylee loved the plane ride and Malekai must have cause all he did was sleep till the plane landed.

Malekai liked seeing the sharks as well, he kept trying to touch them as they went by the glass.

Keep holding that football! That's our future retirement! Just kidding, but he does look good with it.

This is a picture of Andrew's family, this was the first time that all of them were together in the same place for a while so we had to capture this moment.