A Lazy Summer Day

We just spent the last hour reading The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Everyone is enthralled--especially Jared as we are returning to the tale of his hero Peter.  Now we are eating fresh, hot homemade bread for lunch--we're already working on our second loaf.  Brynn told me it was so good I should open a bakery--you gotta love when your kids tell you something like that.  Ellie broke her leg on Sunday and has a full leg splint until tomorrow when she gets her cast on--I will post more on that later.

We got home late Saturday night from two weeks of non-stop fun with cousins in Utah.  I loved every minute of it and as always feel a bit melancholy now that it is all over and I know it will be some time before we get to see everyone again.  But this is close to a perfect moment with the kids, and I love it.

Miss America

I went to a fourth of July party in the morning (July 5th). I got a flag painted across my face. I got home and went to the grocery store with my mom. When we got there the store manager said I had the best Fourth of July outfit then anyone who ever walked into the store. He gave me a rose. It was a really fun day.

~ Kaitlyn

Ellie Turns Three!

Our little Muffy (as she prefers to be called) turned three on May 17th.  We celebrated with her friend Wyatt Holmes and his family with a barbeque.  Unfortunately, my camera batteries were dead so I don't have any pictures.  However, we did take lots of video footage.
Where do I start about my Ellie?  She keeps me on my toes and is filled with personality.  She is a girl of extremes.  She is either so ornery and strong willed I can't stand it, or she is so cute and endearing I can't stand it.  She continues to be the best little mom to Nate.  She dresses her stuffed animal bears in his clothes and diapers and takes good care of them too.

Ellie loves to play in water and has flooded the bathroom sink more than once.  She wants nothing to do with any thing pink or princess.  We have some great dress-up dresses that she refuses to even touch.  She is thrilled to put on our little bear costume and any of Jared's capes or superhero dress-ups.  I have to fight her every Sunday to wear a dress and have even resorted to bribing her with a piece of gum (her favorite) if she will wear the dress I want her to wear.  She goes through phases of her favorite outfits--her favorites seem to always be my least favorite, and she never keeps the barrette in her hair to keep her bangs (which we have been desperately trying to grow out but were recently cut against my will by the hair stylist) out of her face.

She loves to play anything with Jared and especially loves to get every blanket and pillow in the house out and spread across the entire floor.  Jared and Ellie can spend hours doing this.

She loves to collect rollie polly's in our backyard and recently named a big one she caught "Jacob." 

She does silly things like climb in her hamper.  We have been taking her out on her bike, and she is so proud of herself for being able to ride it (training wheels on).  Now she keeps saying she can't wait to show her grandma when she comes to visit that she can ride her bike.

She loves her brother's and sister's and sings "I love Nate!  Yes I do!" all over the house.  We are so lucky to have this spit-fired little girl in our family.  Her little voice and fun personality make us smile.  Happy Birthday!

FHE Lesson by Kaitlyn and Brynn

Kaitlyn and Brynn love to plan the Family Home Evening lesson, and ask if they can do it every week.  Their lessons are so creative and fantastic that I've decided I need their ideas when I plan Sharing Time for Primary.  A couple of months ago they planned a lesson on goals.  They spent hours drawing a large soccer goal and making smaller soccer balls with string attached.  On the back of the soccer balls we were supposed to write our goal for the week.  They had boxes to check for every day we accomplished our task.  When we had all the boxes checked, we got to put our soccer ball in the goal. 

Scott and I were so impressed by their thorough and creative lesson.  They even had certificates made to give to every person as they completed their goal.  They dressed up as "special visitors" from The Friend magazine who made and accomplished goals.  They always plan a game (usually a treasure hunt to find the lesson) for Jared and Ellie.  Where did these kids come from--they are amazing!  I especially love when Kaitlyn and Brynn work together nicely as they prepare the lesson.  They both have great ideas, and it brings such peace to our home.

Great Grandparents

We took Nathan to Utah to make a premier among many family members for our Spring Break.  My grandparents came down from Bountiful to join us for Family Home Evening. I'm grateful to have some cute pictures with Nathan and Great Grandma and Grandpa Porter.

Grandma and Grandpa have three children, 18 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren with two more on the way.  They even send a card to everyone on their birthdays--my kids always look forward to their card (especially since it always contains some cash!)  We love to go see them.  I especially love the email updates my grandpa sends occasionally.  He sealed Scott and I in the Bountiful temple which was very special. My grandma always has treats to share when we go to their house.  I love these great people and wish we could see them more.

Happy Birthday Jared!

Jared celebrated his 5th birthday last Sunday, May 9th.  He was gracious enough to share his day with me since it was also Mother's Day.  Jared requested Oreo ice-cream cake.  I love an excuse to make this yummy cake!

It's a good thing Jared likes Ellie so much--he even let her help him blow out his

candles.  Ellie just couldn't help herself.

Here's Jared after a couple of bites and an already messy face, but he is showing off his favorite present.  His face lit up when he unwrapped this sword, which made Scott and I smile.  Generally, we only get our kids one present for their birthday, but I was afraid the sword wasn't enough so I got him something else.  It turns out the sword itself would have indeed done the trick.  Jared is in heaven.  The girls made him a crown.  He wears the sword in a holster held up by a belt of mine and all day he rides his stick horse and pretends to be Peter from Narnia. 

 

See how tough this guy is?  If you come over, he'll show you how fast he can unsheath his sword.

Jared spends most of his play hours pretending he is a hero of some sort.  He loves using ropes or robe belts to tie things and people up.  He begs me to play all day.  I'm always the bad guy--he has a million super powers like freezing me with his hands or shooting webs at me.  Luckily, Ellie loves to join in with Jared so I can get something done.  Jared put this football uniform on and had me pin a red cape on him. 

 A couple of weeks ago a friend passed along a Power Ranger's dress-up costume to Jared.  He was in heaven and proclaimed, "Mom I want every Power Ranger's for my birthday."  I thought he meant he wanted all the play figures which made me laugh, because he NEVER plays with any of those kinds of toys.  He clarified that he wanted all the Power Ranger's dress-ups.  Yes, he would love those.

Jared has an incredible imagination and can take ordinary objects and make them the most exciting toy.  He has a fascination like many little boys for all things weaponry.  And isn't he handsome!

Jared has a tender heart and is kind to everyone.  He loves to snuggle and sit on our laps. We went to the zoo the other day.  Jared took it upon himself to act as Ellie's caretaker making sure she was always close-by and safe.  Jared starts Kindergarten next year--it is all day here so we are going to miss him so much during the day.

We are very grateful to have this sweet boy in our family.  He makes us all so happy!

What's Up?

Here are a few things going on around here:

More baby bunnies in the garden!  Mama Bunny is much earlier this year than usual.  One bunny--so small its eyes weren't open--crawled out while Scott was watering.  He was wet and shivering.  Scott wrapped a small "blanket" around him and stuck him back by his hole until his momma came back. These bunnies are softening us all!  Unfortunately the mom must not have liked our "help."  Her litter did not survive.

Brynn is trying to win the "Nasty, Stinky Sneaker" contest at her school.  She begged me to let her make her tennis shoes as stinky as she could.  I don't think I support this program, but she REALLY wanted to do it.  I finally relented since school is almost out and she needs new shoes for next year anyway.  As soon as she gets home from school she takes off her socks and wears her shoes the rest of the day without the socks--she wants to make her shoes "juicy."  How gross is that?!

Jared is engrossed with "Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," the movie.  I wouldn't have even let him watch it, except he loved the book when we listened to it on our way to Utah over Spring Break and then I saw the movie at the library. He has spent hours building Lego horses with little men holding swords just like the fighting scenes at the end of the movie.  Jared is "Peter" of course and tries to mimic the English accent by downplaying all the 'r' sounds. I love when Ellie plays with him too--she's Lucy.

Kaitlyn has her first piano recital coming up.  She has really taken a liking to piano and has picked it up very quickly.  We only have 3 1/2 weeks of school left until summer break.  I can't believe I will have a fourth grader next year! Her teachers have really touted a lot of the creative, artistic things she has done lately.

Ellie wants to play every minute with her friend Wyatt.  Those two kids are hilarious to watch and everyone thinks they are twins.  She's demoted all her dolls and instead wants to play with all the stuffed animal bears we have.  She took one of Grandma Esplin's bears home with her from our Spring Break trip to Utah.  I thought for sure she would quickly forget about the bear, but that is not the case.  It is her "Nate."  She distinguishes between 'her' Nate (the bear) and 'my' Nate (our real baby Nathan).  "Mom, where is your Nate?"  "Mom, my Nate needs a diaper change, does yours?"

I've decided to head up a summer Children's Musical Theater in June.  My friend has done it the last couple of years but is having a baby this summer so wasn't going to do it.  She said she'd help if someone else would spear head it.  Scott thinks I'm crazy to add another thing to our lives, but it has been a welcome change for me.  It's a good distraction from the mundane tasks of my life, and makes me feel empowered to make this happen.  I hope it turns out! 

Scott is busy as always with a million youth things juggled with work.  He is so great to always make time to play with the kids.  He got the garden planted and is enjoying watching it grow.