Just being a mom

Every Sunday, I try to blog.  That means that every week, I try to make sure that we do something blog-worthy (and document it too!).  I do this to feel like I am "doing" my family history.  Ideally I keep this for family members far away as well, but since they don't often read it, I think mostly it is just for me.  This week was a crazy week!  I either sprained or broke my ankle hiking right after the baby shower last week and movement has been slow and painful since then. Every night during the week, we had something going.  We fed the missionaries, celebrated Grey's birthday, cleaned out the nursery and primary rooms at the church, had activity days, helped friends move, and went to the temple (just me while Ken stayed with the crazies).  Those were all extra things on top of the already busy life we lead.  So, the pictures below, are just a snapshot of my life.  The things I do every day.  My life is my kids and I love it so very much!

 

Grover and Pepper have a very special bond.  He loves her soooo much. He's our spirited kid and tends to be bugged by all the other kids in the family.  Not her.  He even told me this week that he loves her more than anyone else in the family.  Including me.  I'm glad that she is his safe, happy place.

We read.  And I nurse. A lot.  This picture looks totally staged, but I promise it isn't!

 

We get outside at every opportunity.  The boys had an early-release day on Friday.  We came to the park because it is lovely right now and wasn't raining.  This is how we do it when there are not enough swings for all my kids!

 

A lot of boys means a lot of hair and needed haircuts.  I started cutting Ken's hair when we were dating.  With the exception of right before our wedding, I've been cutting it ever since.  I also cut all my kids' hair.  Ken was in desperate need of a haircut and I decided that my earlier decision of letting Grover and Grey be super shaggy this summer was a bad idea.  So, here is the result. Now everyone is summer-ready with short hair!

 

My life is full and so is my heart.

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Grey!

This boy.  This boy!  He is one of the brightest lights of my life.  He's a complete nut. His expressions are hilarious.  And he has so many of them! (And let's take note of his backward shirt.  On purpose.  He prefers it that way.  He's a nut I tell ya!)

 

 Grey got capes and masks for his birthday.  Conveniently there were four in the pack.  I still can't believe I have four boys!  So fun! 

 

Happy third birthday to my favorite little crazy!

Dino Baby Shower!

Last week, my entire life was dedicated to sick kids and getting ready for a baby shower for my good friend Ali.  She's having her first little boy and the theme for the nursery is dinosaurs so that's what we went with for the shower theme too.  Ali (and her husband) was the one who watched our kids while I was in the hospital having Pepper.  We ate yummy food.

We decorated onesies.

 

 

 And I made a dinosaur diaper cake.  Even the little stuffed dino on top.

 

 

Of course once the shower got going, I forgot to take any pictures, but we had fun all the same.  There is only so much you can do with the community rooms on base, but I was pleased with how it turned out and I think she was too!

 

Happy birthday Stone!

My baby.  My firstborn.  He's nine.  I can't even fathom that I have been on this journey of motherhood for nine whole years!  Sometimes it seems like an eternity, and sometimes it seems like I just pushed out my squishy bundle of joy and I still have no idea what I'm doing.  I love being a mom.  It brings me more joy than anything else.  And it's the hardest thing I've ever done.  I love this boy who first made me a mom!  My very first Mother's Day gift.  Happy birthday Stone!

Rain, rain, go away!

It rains a lot here.  I hate the rain.  Or I should say, I hate when the rain goes on and on for days.  I could definitely not live in Seattle.

 

 

My boys don't like the rain either because it means they don't get to go outside for recess.  Or out to play.  The weather is finally nice enough that we let them go out in the rain.  They had a blast!

Wisteria Garden Spot

 

 

I think it is safe to assume, we've established how much the Japanese love their gardens.  Spring is so amazing here because in late February or March, the Ume start blooming, and then there is a steady stream of different trees, bushes and flowers that all take their turns blooming.  This week for family night, we went to a local viewing spot for wisteria.

 

 

There are wisteria plants growing in the wild that are beautiful, but in some places, they trellis them and it creates this divine thing!

 

 

The smell and beauty was amazing.

 

The boys weren't quite as enthralled as Ken and I were, but they found some koi to entertain them.

 

And then, like always, they were off.

 

I kinda love that I have four boys! I also kinda love that we get to live in Japan!

Locked door

 

Last Sunday, we had some friends over to help eat the remainder of the carrot cake Ken made for my birthday.  One of their little darlings locked Pepper's door and then closed it.  We have no key for this door.  That night Ken and I both tried to get it open.  We gave up around 11pm and decided to call housing in the morning.  Naomi is housing thought we were ridiculous.  She told us it was easy and for us to pick the lock.  We tried (again) to no avail.  On Tuesday, housing sent over the agent to come pick the lock.  She was unsuccessful.  She called the contractor who had installed the doors in the house.  He finally come down from Hiroshima to get the door open.  After much huffing and puffing, he finally got it open.  He switched out the knobs so that the one we currently have doesn't have a lock on it.  Thank goodness!  It was a funny lesson filled with all sorts of spiritual insights.  Today in Sacrament meeting, we sang There Is A Green Hill Far Away.  The line, "He only could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in" took on new meaning.  How grateful I am for my Savior who unlocked heaven's gate by sacrificing his life for me.  For all of us.