February

Goal Updates
1. Prayer as a couple
I have really enjoyed this time together. I am so grateful for the power of prayer. I know that this will continue to be a good habit for us. I am so grateful for Michael.  He really is such and amazing man.  He has so much patience and love for me.  As our family is growing up he amazes me with all that he does for us.  I am lucky he is mine for forever.

2. Speak softer with my kids. I think this goal will be a forever goal for me.  Although I am improving and I don't feel that I am a horrible screamer; I am so sarcastic!! It is awful of me and a horrible habit I am trying desperately to break.  I am get so frustrated at myself I especially have a hard time talking to Seth and I need to stop it! I am going to push my sweet boy away and he won't even want to talk to me if I am not careful. So I am setting new goals for my kids.

Seth~ he is growing into an amazing Young man.  he sometimes intimidates me and I am not quite sure I know how to be his mother.  I am really going to try to work on things with him by saying positive things to him each day.  Because he is the oldest I know that he can often feel like I am always correcting his behavior. I want him to feel positive things also.

Sydney~ I am so surprised by her ability to just take life has it comes.  Syd can be sensitive and sometimes cry at the most random time about the silliest of things but she is also the most easy going kid I have.  I just love this about her.  I am so grateful for her ability as an amazing big sister her imagination has taught us all how to play!  I love that my girls can play together for hours usually with minimal fighting and this is all because Sydney is just so good with all of her siblings.  She knows how to include everyone and I know that this makes her such a great friend. I want to have you and me time with her.  Time a couple times a week to color and talk.  She hurt her wrist rollerblading downstairs so I took her in to get it checked out.  It was so fun to have an hour with her and talk about school the friends she is making.  I realized and need more time like this.  I am hoping to make it more consistent one on one time.

Chloe~ Our little Chloe is such a sweet heart. She has had the most challenge with school so far (I am afraid that she seems to be the one who learns the most like me. )  I am hoping that I can still help her be excited for learning.  Mike and I have talked about the different ways we can help her.  We are going to do You and Me time.  20 mins each evening with her so that she can read with us for at lest part of the time and work on her letters.  I know that this will help her so much it can be challenging to be consistent so my goal is at least 3 times a week hopefully more.

Claire~  We have been working on reverence with claire.  If she can't be reverent during prayer of Scripture time she has to sit in the reverent chair and practice being reverent.  I put the timer on for  1 1/2 mins. It has helped so much she has improved greatly over the last few weeks.  Now we need to work on bedtime. We need to work on our night time routine and hoping for a smoother evening as
well as morning.  She is such a stink and will talk, talk, talk, to Syd and wiggle and kick the wall!  I hoping to use the reverence idea for bedtime to help her stay still long enough to go to sleep.

Samuel~ Our baby is growing up! He started walking a week before his birthday and is getting stronger and braver each day.  He is so Strong and can get into everything.  He currents loves are the Toilet YUCK!! Llama Llama books, Sydney, Daddy and occasionally Mom. He is so busy and reminds us often of Seth when he was a baby. We all adore him. We are currently working on sleeping thorough the night again!  Mike tells me that I get up too quickly to help him so I am trying to let him fuss more and hoping for a more consistent sleep. We have tried switching him over to whole milk but he didn't seem to tolerate it. So we will keep him on formula for another month and will try again.

Kids Goals
Seth: Say positive things each day
Syd: You and Me Time 2 X's a week
Chloe: you and me time 3-5X's a week (with mike)
Claire:  Bedtime routine
Sam: sleeping thorough the night/ Let him fuss it out

3. Exercise and have healthy eating habits.  It can be amazing how easy life can get busy and make it hard. This will always be a battle I am sure.  I miss a few days last week so I am going to be better this week.
4. Journal I have enjoyed blogging again. I am planing on starting a scripture journal as well but do not want to overwhelm myself so I will continue to work toward this but for now have this blog continue to be my journal.



Family Update:

Sam turned 1!! I can not believe my baby is 1!  I am so grateful for this boy.  He has taught me so much.  While pregnant with him I was able to have such a great experience. I was in so much pain with Claire it was such a long pregnancy but with Sam my uncomfortableness, although present was at a minimal.  I was about to enjoy the amazing ability that my body was growing baby! I just loved it! Something that I never really enjoyed before.  We had a wonderful birthday celebration Mamaw and Papa Eaton, Sandra and her kids were able to come up for Sam's birthday!  We also Celebrated Claire Dixie's birthday with a fabulous Owl birthday party. at her party after her presents she said Oh This is the best Owl party ever!  It was a lot of fun. (I will need to add pictures of Claire's Owl party when I find them)

 Lake Michigan With our Visitors

 We went and saw the lake with Mom it was sooo neat the lake had huge chunks of ice floating in it it was incredible.

We went back on February 7th and we had gotten more snow it was so frozen the water wasn't moving anymore it was COLD!

Ice skating with Papa 

Birthday Boy!
Sammy got a Dump truck which he loves to push around.  It was great to have the Eaton's and Sandra and her kids in town for a few days we love having visitors.  We are excited to be heading down to Tn at the end of the Month.  The kids have a Mid winter break the last weekend in February.  It will be nice to go back and visit.  Mike and I plan on attending the temple while we are there. We are 2 hours away form the detroit and Chicago temples but it will be hard to go for a day trip with our kids being so young. Attending when we are visiting Tn seems like the best option.

I really felt that the spirt was teaching me things while I was pregnant with Sam that I hadn't learned  my mothering journey just yet and I haven't recorded them so I thought I would. remember laying down and asking my Heavenly Father if this was my last baby. Something that I wan't sure about I knew that mike was ready for it to be the last little one but I also knew that he would be ok if I felt we needed to have another.  I was just laying there rubbing my belly and I had the amazing sense of wonder. Its like I saw small glimpses of our life, of our children growing up.  I knew it was the right time to be done with babies.  I sadness was there also because I have a confidence in the baby stage I know how to do it.  It's this new stage of preteen I am not so sure about.  But I knew that my older kids need me now.  They have been amazingly self reliant something I have needed while I have been growing a babies.  They can get up get ready, make lunches, do chores all by themselves.  I have many friends that talk about how needy there kids are and I am feel like they don't need be sometimes. While I was pregnant with Sam I was feeling a disconnect with Seth and Sydney and I knew that it was time to not be so busy with babies that I couldn't be the Mom they would need.  While I will miss the baby stage I needed this clear confirmation that it was ok with me to move on to the next stage. Although I am terrified.

After Sam was born I have never felt so close with Michael.  I guess after 4 babies he learned somethings!  I feel again that part of this closeness was the spirit witnessing to me again that our eternal family was complete. That this was the plan from the beginning that these sweet spirits were mine from the beginning!  I felt an overwhelming joy for the plan of Salvation for the knowledge that our family can be together forever! It's like I fell in love with Michael all over again I remember the spirt speaking to my heart while we were dating I have never doubted that he was the man that I should be married to.  I am always trying to live up to these blessing to be worthy of this little family I have. To be the wife and mother they need. Oh how My hear burst with love for these people I get to call mine!!!!

This last experience that comes to mind is my Mother.  I am so grateful for this women I am grateful beyond words that she was able to be at each of my children's birth's! Her love and kindness as she has helped me welcome my babies into the world means so much to me.  I often think about her as a new mom and all the things that she did for us as children and I sometimes feel that I can never measure up to all that she did and has done for me.  She gave be a silver heart necklace when Sam was born and I love it!  To me it represents my journey has a Mom from my first baby Seth when I felt completely overwhelmed with the task at hand to my last sweet boy Sam! When I wear it I am reminded of all my babies and of my Mom and I am forever grateful for her!

I have no doubt that Sam will be the one to teach me so much in my mothering journey I have learned so much form each of my amazing kids but My boys really know how to speak to my spirt and help me learn about the things my Father in Heaven wants me to know.

New Year!

This year I have a lot of goals.  I am trying not to overwhelm myself with them but I like goals.  It helps me focus to what I really want to happen in my life.

My top three  four goals for 2015:

1. Prayer as a couple
2. Speak softer with my kids.
3. Exercise and have healthy eating habits.
4. Journal

I liked the idea of having a spiritual goal,  a goal for myself as a Mom and a personal goal.

How I plan to accomplish these.

1. Prayer as a couple: Mike and I have always been off and on with our couple prayers.  I want to have this time together so that we can focus and hear the concerns each other have in regards to our family. I am excited to make this a better habit for us.

2. Speak softer with my kids. Jaimme, Kara and I have form a support group of sorts to help us focus on being more mindful when we interact with our children.  I hate it when I lose it and yell at my kids and I want to find productive ways to help me communicate with them better.  I feel like I am a cross roads with my children. Seth and Sydney are getting older and at such an impressionable age.  I feel sometime I am to hard on them and expect to much.  I saw this sign the other day that said Let them be little!  I loved it! I placed in my kitchen window so that I will see it a lot during in the day.  I am excited that this reminder will help me pause and remember that they are just kids and that too soon they will be all grown up and I will look back hoping I made their childhood special.

3. Exercise and have healthy eating habits. I feel better when I workout.  It can be so hard to find the time. But I have realized over the past month and half with moving and the holidays and not being able to focus on any me time how important it is.  When I workout I feel better and I treat those I love better.  I also plan to stop and sit down and eat lunch with Claire. It has been fun to have conversations with her and I eat a better lunch.

4. Journal.  I used to be so good at keeping a journal. So I figured a great way to do this is start blogging again.

So welcome 2015 I have a feeling its going to be a great year!!

January Update

We arrived in Kalamazoo, Michigan on December 29th it was cold but we were surprised that there was no snow on the ground.

When we got here We said: We made it! We are in Michigan!
Claire:  This is not Michigan!
Dad: Yes it is.
Claire: No its not! There is no snow.
She was very confused. We have been talking so much about the snow that she was convinced we were not in MI yet.

Claire is at such a fun age and is always making us laugh with things she said. On the drive
She said:  Mom is this the pathway to MI?
A:  Yep
C: The Pathway with the beautiful trees?
A: Yes Claire
C: I like this pathway. It's beautiful pathway. With beautiful trees.

We were able to spend New Years eve with a family we met at MBA School, the Christensen's . It is such a blessing to have a familiar friendly face!  They have 5 kids as well and boys! Seth was very excited!  We all had a great time and Amelia their one girl is right between Chloe and Claire. Mike Christensen is the Bishop of our new ward and told Seth that their are 4 other 11 year olds in the ward Wahoo! Seth won't be alone. 

The truck was also unloaded at our new home 4711 Dartmor Ct. However, not all our stuff fit on the truck and they didn't even have all our beds!  It was nice though to keep the hotel for a few days it made it so much easier to come unpack and just be able to walk away from the mess and not have to live in it.  We still had plenty of mess to live in when we finally got the rest of our stuff. But it didn't turn out so bad. (I am still living in mess its a never ending job!)

Seth, Sydney and Chloe had their first day at Moorisbridge Elementary on Jan. 5th. We work up to a lot of snow and all our snow gear wasn't here yet!  I loaded up all the kids and we got them to their first day.  Seth has Ms. Vanderberg for 5th grade, Sydney is in Mrs. Mulder's 3rd grade and Chloe has Ms. Rantz.

They were all very nervous but so brave.  Chloe broke my heart she was trying so hard not to cry wiping at her eyes and looking at me with such a sad face. It was so hard to leave her! All admit when I got to the car I cried as well!  Sydney's teacher sent me an update email saying they were loving Sydney and that she loved her accent!  I had to laugh, Mike was thrilled that she had a little accent. They only had 2 days of school the first week and then we got a foot of snow in one night! So we had 3 snow days! Seth and Sydney start making a snow cave and they all couldn't wait to go sledding.

Snow Days!!

Sam wanted to play too! 

First time playing in the snow! Our friends lent us some snow gear. 

Samuel loved the snow! This was his first time playing in it!

We met up with the Christensen family to do some sledding on Saturday it was a lot of fun.

Claire Dixie and Mom Trying to stay warm. 

That has been our New Year in our New home, at a New school, with a New Job and making New friends. Missing everyone in Tn! Nana Wheeler comes to visit Next week!  Life is good!

Valentines Day!

Love Day is this best!  I feel so blessed.  My little family means the world to me and I am so grateful for them.    I Love how extra special Valentines Day is because we get to celebrate Claire Dixie Birthday.   I really can't believe she it 2 already!!! When, How, Why did that happen.   

The Loves of my Life

 
 This Sassy Pants asked for Valentine hair:  So Claire and Chloe got Valentine hair. So cute!!!

 Claire Dixie at 2: Favorite food Pizza, Chicken and Strawberries

Favorite Parent: Mommy 

Favorite Shows Mickey Mouse, Charlie and Lola, Strawberry Shortcake. (Just loves TV)

Favorite Books: Colors, Dimity Duck and Are our Ticklish loves to read:)

Loves to talk and is Mommy's chatter box

Favorite toys: Wagon and Blocks

Favorite thing:  Care bear Blanket (this was actually moms when she was little.)

Loves to play with brother and sister think she is a Big Girl! 

I am so gald we get to share this life together.  Love you Babe!!

Chloe Bug

I feel like I am having to figure this blog thing our again everything has changed!   

So this picture was taking last year. This was her beloved blankie it was actually made for Sydney by her Aunt Becky.  She was made a purple on but attached to this one.  It was a Sad day when blankie started to unravel. However she just attached herself to the purple one to take its place.  Chloe has had a hard year.  She out of all of the kids had the most difficult time with the move. She will still ask when we are going back to Utah.  It has been hard on both of us my spunky fun girl turned into a screaming, clingy, and extra Sassy 4 year old.  She never had a hard time going places and with the move she would scream when I dropped her off at preschool, the Gym or even at her Aunts house to play.  It has been exhausting and very frustrating!!  I am not always a sympathetic as maybe I should be.   I hated having that child who was screaming "MOMmY DONT GO!!!"  Even though I knew she was claiming down with in minutes after I was gone. Last week we were heading to the Gym and her blankie was in the car she wanted to bring it and I said No it needs to stay in the car.  She had a fit; we went inside.  I was then pulled out of class because she was still screaming.  I was going to get that girl.  I took her in the bathroom and told if she didn't calm down I was going to throw the blanket away.  She did stop and went into the playroom and Said "I am sorry for throwing a fit.   May a please stay?"    She did stay but I was so tried of the fits. 

We have finally had a break thorough she has gone to preschool with out crying 3 times! Hooray!!  Every few months has a family me make goals for each other things that we can work on and encourage each other to do better.  Chloe said that she would go to school with out crying. I was still not convinced   On the first day ater she made her goal I could see the determination but that she was also having a hard time.  As a knelt down she had a pool of tears in her eyes that she was trying to hold back.   I asked her what would help and she said she wanted me to pick her up at the end of the day( her Aunt usually brings her home.)  I said okay I will come get you she walked off to play with her friends.  Wow!  I am not sure if that was really all that she needed and it probably would have been enough months ago but it is such a relief to see my funny,spunky girl coming back.  I love her to pieces even if she was be the one who will cause me to have a nervous break down.  Oh, the teenage years or going to be a blast with this little peanut!

Back At It!