Front row sitters

Today was our ward primary program where all the cute kids get to sit up on the stand and sing their hearts out. Of course it is the most people we have had in the chapel beside missionary farewells or homecomings. We even had to open an extra overflow. I just love seeing these precious children singing and saying their parts that they have prepared. They just beam and are so proud of what they have done. I hugged each of my girls who participated and told them how well they did. After church today this was my conversation with Kiana about this subject.

Kiana: "Mom, did I do a good job today?"

Me: "Of course you did. You said your part so clearly."

Kiana: "'Cuz when I got down from saying my part some one told me I did a good job. I think it was one of those front row sitters."

Me: (thinking to myself, who? then realizing who she was talking about) Oh, you mean one of the bishopric.

Kiana: Yah, it was one those guys.

Me: (secretly laughing in my head... front row sitters... where do kids come up with these things?)

Cute pillow

I have been sewing some extremely fun projects and I just loved the way this pillow turned out. I found the tutorial here and have wanted to make it for Emma's bed ever since I saw it. We finally found some material that went with her bedding and that she liked. I sewed it with elastic thread and I must admit I was intimidated. I practiced on a scrap piece and I couldn't believe how incredibly easy it was. I have her dresser part way painted and hopefully I will have some time I can spend in the garage to finish it up.

better late...

I know this is a little late, but I couldn't get my pictures to load onto blogger until now. It's our halloween crew.

Kiana as a cat

Shay as Thumblelina

Emma as a 50's girl. I found out that making a poodle skirt wasn't as difficult as I had imagined. Making the poodle was the funnest part!!!

I also made some really cute Trick-or-Treat bags. I got the pattern from my SIL etsy shop. Click here to check out her cute shop.

My angel

I am relishing in all the SPECIAL MOMENTS I get to share with my kids lately~ Especially, ones where I get to see my kids making great choices. Emma being baptized by Steve was a very special moment in my life!! She looks like an angel in her white gown! Her spirit is so tender and I am grateful she came to our family!!


Grandma and Grandpa Wallace
Grandma and Grandpa Bingham

Life is good as a baby!!

Do you ever just watch your kids and laugh at their sillyness or think "they are so cute"? I love all the joy that fills my heart in these moments. I hope there is a replay button in heaven that allows us to watch some of these funny moments again. Or I wish that I had a camera ready at a moments notice to catch the adorable faces of my beautiful kids. Here is few of those moments I caught on camera with Maddux.

He likes to try on everyone else's shoes and walk around the house. Both of these are Emma's... they just don't match. He is ready to run and splash in puddles.



Every baby does this, don't they? What a tiring day he must have had!


He loves to play Rockband with the family. He always goes for the mic to sing, but this day he got the guitar. What a cute boy!

He likes to wear hats... now we just have to teach him which hats are for girls and which ones are for boys!!! He looks hilarious though, don't you think?

Another tuckered out picture. He craweled up on our bed and was lounging out on the pillows. When I came in the room I found him like this. When you are this tired, it doesn't matter where you lay your head.

Bikes

Recently, Kiana moved up to a bigger bike so lucky Shay got this one!!! She could hardly wait for us to put the training wheels back on for her and go for her first ride!! She wouldn't even change out of her dress up clothes, but then again it was a special occasion so we must have been the ones underdressed.

Now Maddux is the only one in this sweet ride!! I wish I could fit in it and go for a ride!!

Where has the time gone?

My darling Emma is 8, where has the time gone? On each of my childrens' birthday I think back to the day they were born and about their birth. I remember first holding Emma and thinking she looked so familar. What a beautiful baby she was! And what a sweet and gorgeous grown up girl she is becoming. She had so many friends she wanted to invite to her party that the only way I could think to handle that many kids was to turn them loose in our pool and let them entertain themselves. What a blast they had! Thankfully, Steve came home from work early and helped out with the party. He got the splash contest going! He is just a big kid and Emma adores him.

The girls know they get to choose what their birthday cake looks like so, a few months ago we walked into Harmon's and Emma saw a beautiful 3 layer cake there and said it was wanted she wanted for birthday. I loved making it and she absolutley loved it!

One of the highlights for the kids was loading up in, on, and around this tube and pushing it from one end of the pool to the other. The other highlight was when Steve suggested having a contest to see who could make the biggest splash. Here are just a couple of the kids who had good form and made some impressive splashes.

As I am taking pictures of the kids jumping in Steve decides it was his turn. His face says it all...

Needless to say I was soaking after this splash.

What a fun group of kids she had! After singing, eating cake and opening presents she told me it was the best birthday ever!!! I love you Emma, girl! I can't wait to see you baptized.

Schools in

After a crazy summer we are back in the swing of things with school started and soccer practice starting soon. The weather's cooling off (if you consider 95 cooling off, which I do) and we are enjoying our last bits of summer at the pool, playing outside, Saturday picnics in the mountains, working out, reading books (I just finished Mockingjay), going to garage sales, and whatever else comes our way. We have some pictures to share and some more fun posts in the coming months with Emma's 8th birthday and baptism, some furniture refinishes and halloween right around the corner.

It will be an exciting fall!! Usually it's the spring that feels fresh and new, but the end of this summer and fall have been so new and refreshing for us!! I hope you enjoy hearing and seeing all that we are up to.

Kiana in her first day of Kindergarten with Mrs. Bonner and Emma at her first day of 2nd Grade with Mrs. Rich.

Is he going to be trouble or what?!

Shay has loved the water this summer. Sprinklers, pool, slip and slides, water balloons, you name it and she had loved it!

You've had a birthday...

Here's to my birthday girls!!! Kiana's and Shay's birthdays are two weeks apart and they both had so much fun celebrating with each other. They each got to choose their own cakes and I had a blast making them. I love these girls!

Come to Jesus

Tonight we had a musical fireside for the whole ward and I was so touched by the beauty of the music. I love music! I love the way it makes me feel. I love the spirit it revives in me. Sometimes I get swept up in the day to day redundance and I forget this part of me that is passionate and wants to sing and dance through life. Music reminds me of the person I am other than a mother and wife and sometimes it enhances me as a mother and wife. This song was sang by our Bishop and I love how it embraces all the facets of emotion and our relationship with our Saviour. Although sometimes I may cry to Jesus or fall on Jesus, I also want to dance for Jesus and share my joy with Him. Watch the video and listen to the words. I pasted the lyrics below the video. The song is "Come to Jesus" by Kenneth Cope.

Weak and wounded sinner Lost and left to die O, raise your head, for love is passing by Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted And carried far away And precious blood has washed away the stain, so Sing to Jesus, Sing to Jesus, Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby Don't be afraid to crawl And remember when you walk Sometimes we fall... so Fall on Jesus, Fall on Jesus, Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely And steep and filled with pain So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then Cry to Jesus, Cry to Jesus, Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over And music fills the night And when you can't contain your joy inside, then Dance for Jesus, Dance for Jesus, Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat Kiss the world goodbye Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and Fly to Jesus Fly to Jesus Fly to Jesus and live!

Waterfall fun

We have had so much having so much family come visit the past month. We had Grandpa Bingham twice, my nephew Chase and a friend, Grandma and Grandpa Wallace, Uncle Al, Shelley and the girls, and my nephew Justin and his girlfriend Michelle. We've gone to parks, hiked, swam, and then hiked and swam. Last weekend we went on this hike that ended in a waterfall pool where the kids could play. It was spring run off water so it was cold, but still fun to dip feet into.

There was a path that took us up behind the waterfall to more pools and more waterfalls.

You can see Emma scaling the corner holding onto a rope while Kiana kept a tight hold onto Michelle's hand. (All the girls had to hold her hand as much as possible). Shay was loving Justin who carried her and gave her shoulder rides.

Here Steve is scaling a ledge that required a rope to hold on to get around, all while carrying Maddux on his back.

This is a view of the continued waterfall up through an area that looked like the narrows in Zion's. Steve and Emma went further up, but the rest stayed back and played around.

The easy way...

I know this is a little late, but it's too priceless not to show. On Easter Sunday we had a little
Easter egg hunt and while the girls were doing this...

Maddux was doing this...





Why waste time looking for the eggs when you can just claim the prize!!!

Races

Emma has turned into a racer. We ran a race together at her school on Maddux's birthday when my parents were in town for the weekend. Then the next weekend Emma did another triathalon. It's so fun to see her getting better.

The only problem this time with her triathalon is her tire got flat on her bike ride, so she had to go slow and it was harder. By the time she got to the run she had such a bad side ache she had to walk most of the way. She was sad about it, but I cheered her up by telling her it was great she just kept going.

Birthday boy!!

I can't believe my baby boy is one already. He is such a joy to have in our family. Maddux we love you and we all love your adorable smile! Keep being the fun, sweet boy you are.

I really thought he would dig into the cake, but he was so cautious. At one point he completely crawled away from his cake and played with his toys, then he came back and tried a bite.

Daily Battle :)

As soon as Maddux hears the dishwasher open each day he crawls as fast as he can over to it. The first thing he grabs is tha sharp knives so most of the time we have to do dishes when Maddux is asleep, which isn't very often. This day he happened to pull out the bottom drawer and climb inside before I could even get to him. It was too funny and definitely picture worthy. Hopefully he will be just as interested in the dishwasher when he's old enough to help with dishes.