February Fun

This last week has been so busy!  Sean finished his last ski clinic day on Tuesday the 31st, so we had my parents over for dinner so we could visit and return their vehicle.  Sean started with the gastroenterologist on the first and has had a hilarious time telling the kids how all he talks about is the poops!  The kids laugh and laugh and Sean and I laugh a lot too!  I did get little queasy when he told me about a procedure he watched where they had to remove some gall stones that had made their way out of the gall bladder and into the ducts.  Its all so fascinatingly gross.  The missionaries were over the other night and one was asking Sean about where dead blood cells go and of course it all came back to poop!  

Last Friday I was in a bad mood.  I know all the pictures I post make it look like we have so much fun and are so busy, but being a mom of 3 is really hard and when Friday night rolled around I just couldn't convince myself to make one more meal.  Sean came home to all 4 of us either in tears or nearly there and whisked us away to the IHOP.  We had a really lovely evening eating and talking and making a mess somewhere other than my kitchen floor.  

Sean was on call this last weekend and the hospital service was overflowing so he decided to go in and help the intern.  She was very appreciative.  The kids and I swept, mopped, vacuumed both floors, put away toys, and cleaned all 3 bathrooms!  The house felt squeaky clean for about 2 hours =)  When Sean got home we went to the Barnes and Noble.  My Grandma gave each of the kids a gift card for Christmas so we went to spend them.  Brett chose an awesome Dinosaur book, Alana chose a Wild Kratts and Moana book, and Lizzie chose a farm animal one.  Sean found this fun book there about HTML for babies.  

 On Saturday night we met Mom and Dad Z at Macaroni Grill because they had a 40% off family dining coupon.  We got the Chicken Parmesan to share and it was super delicious.  The kids got pizza although Lizzie and Alana enjoyed the spaghetti a lot more!  Lizzie made a HUGE mess, again not on my floor!!  Grandpa and Grandma got some new art supplies for Brett and Alana which was a perfect Sunday morning activity.  Sean had ward counsel and ward choir so he needed to be at church early and I was honestly just struggling to get there.  I was so annoyed with the kids and annoyed with myself for being so dizzy and not being able to fast and just kinda tired of life in general.  We made it though, and I was so grateful we did.  I had just yelled at the kids (something I don't do very often) and was feeling horrible about it.  I was wondering if I should even take the sacrament and then felt very strongly that the terrible feeling I was having was exactly why I needed the sacrament.  I was reminded so powerfully that I need the Atonement!  I am so far from perfect as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, housekeeper, room mother, friend, visiting teacher, RS 2nd counselor, and every other role in my life and that is why Jesus Christ Atoned for me.  When I fall short, he makes up the rest.  It turned out to be a wonderful Sunday and I felt so much better and lighter after realizing that it was really okay that I make giant mistakes and am not perfect!

On Monday we did laundry, Tuesday we had tumbling, and today we went to the post office.  Its been a pretty normal week so far.  Sean is feeling swamped at work, just in time for service to start woo hoo.  Tomorrow night is our Valentine RS activity and we are also planning to go visit Great Grandma tomorrow morning.  The kids have been playing really really well together and I am loving it!  Here are a bunch of random pictures:

Lizzie and her bear

Lizzie and her bear

Lizzie with wet hair

This is a car/truck/sleigh/plane that Brett built.  He has been learning all about penguins at school so has been loving playing with his penguins.  

Alana loves her baby dolls

Lizzie loves Alana's dolls and her bear

Sean or I make valentines every night

We hang them on the wall

They go in the mailboxes first

Brett loves chameleons so we made a color changing chameleon craft (which makes me sound like I plan for these kind of things, but really I just saw a video someone posted that morning on facebook with directions and went for it)

Lizzie turned 10 months old!  Where has the time gone!  She can squeal, she has tons of hair, she pulls her ponytail and bow out almost immediately, she also pulls her shoes and socks off immediately, she has 3 teeth, she can cruise along furniture and has stood on her own a few times mostly by accident.  She loves to play the piano.  She loves to follow her siblings around, eat, and climb.  She can sign all done, can clap, and is learning to wave.  She has beautiful blue eyes and is always smiling!  

Alana playing with her stuffed animals while I folded laundry and ironed on Monday.  I have been watching this Hallmark channel show called When calls the heart which is addicting!  Its on Netflix, check it out! 

Sometimes Lizzie has a hard time focusing on lunch because her sibling rush through theirs and can't stop playing!

I was getting rug burns on my elbows from planks so I bought an exercise mat, I had no idea it would be so popular with the kids, not only is it a great place to do tricks, its also an awesome river.