Easter Morning Pictures

8 am church doesn't leave much time for dilly-dally if you want everyone ready for Easter morning pictures before church.

(And waiting until after church is not an option.  Saylor had nap hair 15 minutes into church from trying to lay on top of me.)

It was a miracle that we made it with 2 minutes to spare to bring out the camera.

The kids, as always, were forced to pose and felt they were tortured.  Maybe they were coming down off the candy high from the night before, maybe none of them had enough sleep, maybe it was realizing that just because its a holiday doesn't mean we "get" to go home after sacrament meeting.   Whatever induced the crustiness…I'm pleased it didn't last.  

Church was great and our family had a relatively peaceful afternoon full of good food and naps.  

Love these five people more than I could ever imagine. 

(Don't be fooled by the angelic smiles…they fought on the way to church.  But I love 'em anyway.)

we grow 'em tiny

Grady had his 1 year check up yesterday.  I knew he wasn't large, but didn't think much about it.  I guess I was wrong to live in my ignorance.   Grady has dropped percentages on his height chart and even though he is proportional for his weight, his doctor is worried.  He is also anemic.   Today I am having some serious stress over this because I'm worried I will have another Colby on my hands.  Colby wouldn't eat, was anemic, underweight and labeled failure to thrive.  Drs' say a baby won't starve himself.  I'm here to say I have lived through that massive lie.

Steve is telling me not to worry.

I'm having a slight heart attack.

Really…one more food issue in our house?  Because gluten free and diabetes isn't enough??

Tomorrow I will pick up iron drops at the pharmacy and try and choke the nasty things down Grady's throat.  I might also go and buy a shake and share it with my darling caloric deprived baby boy.  

(Can I just say how much I stress over feeding my kids!)

I mean really, couldn't life be easy and all of us be able to eat these kind of things?

While I was in Utah I bought a few loaves of cinnamon bread from Kneaders.  And with advice from a friend, I made french toast for my gluten eating family for Sunday dinner.  Steve, Carter and Andrew were dying with happiness.  Saylor, Grady and Colby wanted nothing to do with this beautiful french toast masterpiece.

I would kill to eat this stuff and not end up sick.

(Other than it being about 55 carbs per slice with syrup…this is a good thing.)

Other good things???

Convincing my daughter that if she sang the mopping song from Cinderella…cleaning the floor on  your hands and knees is actually fun!

Weekend

I spent a little over 24 hours in Heber Utah with friends this weekend at at girl's retreat.

While I was gone, my parents so graciously agreed to watch my five children so Steve could work both Friday and Saturday.

I was grateful to hear that my kids behaved themselves and had a wonderful weekend spending time alone with their Grandma and Grandpa Walker.

Grady was even near perfect and took two fantastic naps without fussing.  He's an angel baby I tell you.

There were many fun stories and pictures sent to me by text as I was relaxing away in the beauty of Heber Idaho.

This was one.

Carter (who I don't know how he kept the seat down and hence the motor running) learned to drive Grandpa's lawn mower.  He was ridiculously happy about it.  He pulled his siblings around all the while sporting a face-splitting grin.  I'm surprised he didn't have sore cheeks today leftover from the perma-grin.  

He even took Grandma around for a spin.

He did make one slight mistake…asking Grandpa if the mower would still go with Grandma in the trailer.  I'm still laughing about this one.

Grady had his first swing experience and as you can tell by the open mouth smile was pretty happy…until Carter pushed him too high.  Then the fun was over.

Other fun first for my kids…Saylor and Colby rode a horse for the first time compliments of my dad's gracious neighbor.  Saylor was fitting to ride with her flowered skirt and pink cowgirl boots.  My dad didn't have his phone with him so there aren't pictures, but he related the extreme cuteness of the whole thing.

The time my kids spend with their grandparents is invaluable to me.  I think its the time spent with them when I'm not there is the most precious for them.  I'm ridiculously lucky to live two miles from my parents.

My weekend was not so adventurous but equally wonderful.

I spent my time eating, shopping, laughing, walking and eating.  Did I mention eating?

Included in the price of the girl's retreat was all you could eat meals.  I did no prep and no clean up.  It was a dream weekend and the food was fantastic.  

View from a short hike above Midway Utah.

View of my dream kitchen found in a model home in Heber.

I think I could go for a white kitchen.

View of our Official Mountain Dew taste off.

Results?  Mountain Dew Code Red was everyone else favorite.

I preferred plain Diet Mountain Dew.

I love these girls and I'm grateful for their friendship.  They make my life really fun!

Other pictures from this week...

Saylor's concerned expression taken during the scary part of Frozen.

I adore how her emotion comes through her face.

She is crack up.  For instance, a friend of mine kissed her on the cheek at church today and told her she was delicious.  She replied, "Well…I did eat a donut for breakfast!"

This boy loves his animal crackers.

My car must be the devil.

Grady Love

Can I just say how much our family enjoys this little boy.

The older kids fight over who gets to hold him or pull him out of bed.  

He has us all wrapped around his little chubby finger.

Those blue eyes get us everytime.

We love you Grady Paul and are so happy you are part of our family!

Conference Weekend

 I love conference weekend and wish it came along more than twice a year.

We stayed in stretchy pants all day and we didn't have to iron.  

It's the best weekend of the entire year. 

We tried our best to listen to all four sessions.  Sunday we did really well and the kids sat in our front room and colored while they listened.

Yes…I said colored, and that includes my four oldest.

Kids can do a lot of amazing coloring in four hours.

I don't think any of them (including my 13 year old) will let me take these off the fridge for a while.

Other things from conference weekend:

My oldest three went to my dads house and worked cleaning up pine needles and branches and loading them up in Grandpa's trailer for future dumping.

Steve started cleaning out the garage. (halle-freak show-lujah)  

Steve helped with the first annual priesthood session wings and pizza night with our ward.  Andrew was in wing and pizza heaven.

The kids, as always, listened for specific words in the conference talks in order to earn candy.  Each time they hear "the word" they earn a jelly bean.  I mistakenly chose the word love for President Monson's talk.  47 jelly beans later…they were all sick. 

Lastly, Carter wore this mustache for about four hours Saturday morning.  He said and I quote, "Mustaches are hard to eat with!"

Other funny things my kids come up with???

Saylor went around singing this morning to a made up tune, 

"I am the smartest and greatest girl in the world!

Because I don't make loud noises!

All I do is watch the I-pad all day long.

And I ask my mom if I can stay in my pj's all day!"

I was cracking up before 8 am this morning.

(she was allowed to stay in her pj's until 10:00 am)

Diabetes Road Trip

Before I get to the road trip, I have to mention that Carter lost a tooth the Wednesday night while eating chicken.  It just popped right out.  

I guess Walmart chicken is good for something….(my filter is being bombarded with inappropriate comments right now,  If I don't change the subject quick, I won't be able to help myself and those hateful comments will be written down.  So I'll move on.)

Also on Wednesday, my three oldest all had stellar parent teacher conferences.  I'm happy, their teachers are happy, the boys are happy.  Happiness and joy all around.  

 Now onto the trip.

Yesterday I drove Carter to Idaho Falls for his 6 month diabetes appointment.  I was extra wonderful because Steve too Andrew, Colby and Saylor to the dental office for checkups and a little yard work, and my mom took Grady for the morning.  Its was peaceful to drive with just Carter and myself for the trip.   Originally, this trip was scheduled for two weeks ago…but Steve conveniently passed a kidney stone on the same day, so we decided to reschedule.  (long story that includes tons of pain so I'll skip it. Poor poor Steve.)

Part of the deal of diabetes appointments is Carter gets to choose where we eat lunch.

He chose Cafe Rio because 1. he loves it and 2. he wanted me to be able to eat too.  Carter is adorable and thoughtful that way.

He is also nice enough to order pork nachos so I can eat some of them.   He's a dreamy kid.

His appointment went great.  He is growing (slowly but surely), his insulin was increased, and the Dr even mentioned how handsome he is.  (I'm not surprised.)   We also received a new Rx for Humalog instead of Novalog because of our new insurance.  

After we see the doctor, Carter always has a blood draw for his A1C.  This is not his favorite part, but he never complains.

But would you complain if YOU got Fart Putty as a prize afterwards?

Probably not.

Part of our Idaho Falls trip always includes a stop at either Kiwi Loco or Orange Leaf.  This time Kiwi Loco was on the same side of the street we were on.  We're all about ease when it comes to crazy Idaho Falls traffic.

Overall, it was a seamless trip.  I like seamless.

Other good news around our house??

We changed health insurance this month.  We now pay EVEN more than we did before but we have NO deductable.  I could roll around on the floor I am so happy.  Even though we are paying through the nose for our premiums, our heath care costs have gone down dramatically.

(This was not what I expected when we were anticipating Obama-care changes…so I'm really thrilled.)

This is how much we had to pay for Steve's CT scan from two weeks ago.

I could cry with happiness.

This is what I paid for two vials of insulin today.  Before our deductible last year, I paid close to $300 for the same two vials.

More tears of happiness.

I actually had to pull myself together as I checked out today at Target.  My face flushed bright red as I tried not to cry.  It was awesome.

cramming with lists

This week is full.

Meaning…I have too many things on my calendar and therefore I feel stressed.

Sadly, I fully realize that my calendar being filled is actually every other normal persons' everyday calendar, but I don't like being busy- or having a full calendar- so I feel stressed.  (I truly love having my biggest stresser being which cookies to make and/or how many bags of gluten free snacks I should buy at TJ-Maxx that afternoon.)

Yesterday, today and tomorrow I will be in my car driving to and fro from 3-6 pm…and I have no one to blame but myself.  I'M the one who signed my kids up for all this crap.

I also have to drive to Idaho Falls with Carter on Thursday for an endocrinologist appointment and I'm leaving Grady for the first time.  He is a huge, as in ginormous, as in colossal, mamma's boy at the moment and I'm secretly terrified he will cry for my mom the entire time.  (I'm really sorry Mom!  It's only until Steve is off work in the afternoon.)

I know my stress threshold must be reaching it's limit because I am making lists of what I have to do and where I have to be.  I'm also repeatedly verbally reciting these lists to my husband who I am sure is rolling his eyes and letting my ramblings go in one ear and out the other.

Friday morning I'm going to be very happy.  My to-do list will be much shorter.  However…my laundry pile will be inversely proportional to that to-do list.  (Two days of untouched laundry in this house can overtake a small empire.)

But for now…I am going to get in my pjs, ignore the fact that I have too much to do tomorrow, watch netflix with Steve and eat at least 500 calories of pure nutritional emptiness.   Denial is my best friend sometimes.