Pottytrained!!!

I have potty trained all my kids early and for some reason I did not want to do it to Aubrey. She is by far my hardest toddler, but a little encouragement from a friend, I set a date and decided to do it. Much to my surprise, she has been my easiest potty trainer. We have been doing it for 2 1/2 weeks now and she is doing great. She needs a little reminder here and there but we have had several days of no accidents. I am hoping that she will be a pro by the time the baby joins us and will have no set backs! I don't know what it is about having them potty trained, but they all of a sudden decide they are ready to be big. She has attempted a to talk a lot more and show me the things she needs rather than just throwing a fit and expecting for me to figure it out. The other picture of her is of last night...we had ice cream cones after Family Home Evening and she made a disaster, it was quickly followed up by a nice warm bath!

Carson!

Carson has turned a new chapter in life and is off to school twice a week! He has done surprisingly well. Not that I thought he would do bad, I just thought maybe he would have a hard time being away from me, but the fact that Addi and Jackson go everyday makes him crazy that he only gets to go twice a week. Carson is my emotional child. He is so sweet and is always giving me kisses and telling me that he loves me more. He is awesome with Aubrey and can't wait to for the new baby, always coming up with new names for it. The other pics with this blog are just of him climbing into the bathtub after he had gotton out and gotten his jammies on. He is a really fun kid always surprising us with the things that he does. We sure do love our Carson.

The Perfect Evening

I really am not complaining...I feel like the luckiest girl alive, but after a long day of managing a household and trying to be a good mom and wife, I look forward to the evenings when everything and everybody is in relax mode. Before school started we were really being relaxed about the kids bedtimes :) (something I already miss) A few weeks ago when Jack got home from mutual, he made some popcorn and cuddled up to them on the couch and was telling them a story of when he was little. I was in the kitchen giving Carson a little bedtime snack (bowl of cereal) and Aubrey was already in bed. It just seemed to me to be the perfect evening.

First Day of School

Today we hit a new milestone...Addi started Kindergarten and Jackson was off to 2nd grade. After a few tears and much excitement the kids were off and did great! We had back to school night last week so they had already delivered all of their supplies and met their teachers. They were a bit concerned about not remembering where their classrooms were and where to line up, but the school yard was full of helpful teachers directing them where to go! I am so proud of my kids, they really are the best!

Bear Lake and The Badger

My family just came from Wisconsin this past week and one of the adventures we went on was to Bear Lake, which is one of our favorite places to go! We just made a day trip out of it and it was a lot of fun. Good food, good fun, beautiful weather, and lots of fun people. There were seven of the eight of us siblings together!Yesterday Alexa and Stef thought they had heard some scratching at the window during the night but couldn't see anything so just thought maybe it was a mouse...eww. So I went outside to see if I could see what was making the noises and this is what I saw...
this Badger was one mad thing...I called everyone I could think of in the phone book to come and get him out for me...but Fish and Game told me to either shoot him or put a board in there that he could climb up and hope that he found his way home. I am not gonna put a board in there and let him roam a neighborhood FULL of kids...so Jack came home and took care of business...poor little guy!

Best Friends...

Moving into a new home is always a bit nerve racking...but moving into this house, I have made some of the best friends a girl NEEDS!!! We LOVE this neighborhood that we live in. The ward is great, the location is perfect, our neighbors are amazing, oh yea...and the house is okay too. Ever since being married haven't found the need to hang out much besides with Jack (which is pretty stinkin fun) but after having several kids, it is fun to get to get out with girls going through the exact same thing! I really look forward to girls nights and Jack has been 100% supportive in my getting a life besides him...LOL!!! The kids have also made their own friends which is so fun...we spend many hours playing outside with friends. The pictures are of the kids and their friends planting popcorn seeds, campfire fun, and boys doing their thing....(We sure do miss the Rigbys)

Just Journaling

So I just need to catch up on the moments with my kids...

Aubrey- I am relishing in the last few months that you are my baby. I have always felt bad when we have another baby that my current baby will feel displaced, but I think you will maybe like being a big sister. You are definetely my most sassy baby! You hate sitting still and your scream is ear splitting. You are in that stage where you are loving to help throw things away and are trying to attempt at putting things in the hamper. I really do love this stage your in. You are just starting to sleep through the night, which is not uncommon for my kids. You love your dad, mom, stef, and that is just about it. You are not social at all, you are content with our little life and that is it. You think you can communicate anything to us and your facial expressions get quite funny and then you start to throw your arms around...it makes me giggle!
Carson- I know you think you are bigger than you are, and I just want to reassure you it is okay to stay little! You are definetly the one child who still adores me, don't get me wrong you love daddy, but you have never quite fully made the switch. I love who you are becoming. You are still into everything but I can handle that quite a bit better than the occassional sassing. You are so excited to start Preschool and anytime I ask you where you learned something you assure me that it was at Preschool. You are excited for your birthday, but you are already convinced that you are 3, so I don't quite know how old you think are turning...just remember that it is always okay to be mommy's little boy!
Addison- You do anything and everything you can to be my little social butterfly, and I know you got that from your dad. You are definetely a daddy's girl, and we both love it, but especially daddy. You are starting to turn into a little mommy. You mimic a lot of things that I do, including wanting to do the housework. You helped my clean the bathroom last Saturday for the first time and I was a little grossed out that you wanted to do it, but the mirrors looked excellent. You have never been one to change your cloths a million times a day or be picky about your hair, I always tell dad that you are the perfect balance.
Jackson- I don't know why we are having a hard time right now, but for some reason we are. I just tell myself it is because you are home all day and you are just not used to it, though I love having you here. You are such a great example to our family. I worry that you are growing up to fast and learning to many facts about life. I love that you love to read and learn. I think it is still so amazing when we drive around and you just read signs like you have always know what they have said. You also think you need to grow up faster than you need to, just remember you will always be my first baby!