Heidi and Jared's Birthdays

May is always a big month for our whole family, but especially for Heidi and Jared because it is also their birthdays.  I honestly think May is as busy a month as December most years, with all of the end-of-the-school-year events we have going on.

  

On May 16th,  Heidi had her dance performance.  This is the first time Heidi has ever had dance and she really had a lot of fun!  I wanted her to have the experience at least once in her life.  She loved being up on the stage and wearing a pretty costume.  

I know this isn't the best picture, but it's such a sweet memory.  At the end of the program, they had all the dads go up and dance with their girls on the stage.  It was great to see Aaron and Heidi up there together.  I could tell Heidi was so happy!  

May 19th was Jared's birthday and he turned 5.  

On May 20th, Jared had his preschool graduation.  He took preschool from Mrs. Carolyn Francom, the same teacher Erika and Kyle went to.  She is getting close to retirement so Jordan will probably have to go somewhere else.  Jared really had a lot of fun at preschool and just soaked everything up like a sponge.

The next day, May 20th, we had a birthday party for Heidi and Jared together.  They each got to invite a few of their friends.  This made things so much nicer for me, as their birthdays are less than a week apart.  Our kids only get a party every 4 years, on the "big" years, and it just so happened that both of theirs ended up being this year- Heidi turning 8 and Jared 5.  

We had a whole bunch of fun games in the backyard and then the piñata.  I loved that Jared got excited about a rainbow unicorn piñata.  Hmmm....  Well, they both loved it, then.  The kids had a great time hitting it and of course getting the candy.  We got the piñata done just in time for a big rainstorm to hit.  Very lucky!  

After the piñata was broken, Jordan thought it could still be used to ride around the kitchen...

Of course, I had to throw a picture in of our adorable Kaylee, happy as always.  

Heidi's birthday fell on Memorial Day this year (May 25th) and we decided to take a trip down to Salt Lake and go swimming in Oma and Opa's pool.  Swimming is one of Heidi's most favorite things to do.  We first went down to my sister's house in Orem and then went out to lunch at Golden Corral, Heidi's favorite restaurant.     

Erika and Lucy chillin' in the pool.  

Kyle and Logan swimming

After swimming, the kids enjoyed a short ride on the horses.  

Heidi is such a sweet girl and we are so grateful to have her in our family.  What a special girl!  I can't believe she is already 8 years old.  

I made Heidi a frozen cake for her birthday...

A Day in the Life of a Parkinson...

Kaylee is well-loved by her older brothers

I guess over the last 4 1/2 months, there haven't really been any big events to take pictures of so I haven't updated my blog since Christmas.  But, as I have looked through my photos, most of them have been of just everyday things with the kids.    Between diapers and baby food and potty training, here are a few little clips of everyday life at our house...

We spent January and February watching Kyle play basketball with Tremonton City.  

If you want to know anything about the Northwest Indians, talk to this kid!

Need I say more?

My boys like to arrange their cars by color...

Showing off her school project.  Thanks, Daddy!  

On Feb 4th, Heidi lost her first tooth!

On Feb 11th, while Aaron was at his Stake Presidency meetings,  I went over to the seminary with the kids and "Heart-Attacked" his classroom.  The kids had a lot of fun decorating it!!  Aaron also loved his surprise when he went into work the next morning.   

That weekend was President's Day Weekend.  (Feb 14-17)  We went up to Boise to spend some time with Aaron's parents.  I regret not getting more pictures there.  Here are a few of my favorites from when we were at POJO's.  The kids had a great time playing games and going on rides.   We also enjoyed playing at the park, swimming in the pool at the hotel, and going out to dinner for Aaron's birthday.  

Mother and son watching the kids play

Feb 28th I helped to do a baby shower for my sister-in-law Alisa at my mom's house.  

March 3rd and 5th Erika and I took our Hunter's Safety Class together at the Logan Shooting Range.  It took a lot of time to do all the reading online and take the tests.  We were both glad to have it done.  I thought the class was actually pretty fun and I enjoyed learning everything.  I especially enjoyed doing it with Erika.  And, I liked shooting guns more than I thought I would.  

A few days after St. Patrick's Day, I looked out the window to see Jared snapping pictures of Lucky with my phone and just giggling.  He had put a little hat on Lucky that he got at preschool and the poor dog was just patiently enduring.  That same day, Jared did his kindergarten roundup and aced it!!!  Yeah, Jared :) (Hence the name tag on his shirt)  Also notice the "fort" the kids made behind Jared.  

Our little future chef displaying the bread he made at preschool

Heidi and Jared just got done riding their bikes and Jared is showing off his ant farm 
that he got for Christmas (and we finally got the ants, and they were still alive at the time...).

Last but not least, our adorable little Kaylee:  She has been such a delight!   She is such a smiley, sweet little baby.  We are so blessed to have her in our family.  

Home for the Holidays

Pretty awesome when you can have the whole nativity scene with just your own children- complete with Mary, Joseph, baby, an angel, wiseman, and shepherd!

Our Christmas holiday break was just that- a break.  We had a wonderful 2 weeks just being home with our family and enjoying each other.    

The day after Christmas, Aaron took Erika and Kyle skiing for their first time.  They had lessons to start the evening and by the end of the night, they had gotten quite comfortable with it!  

Dec 27th we went down to Salt Lake to spend some time with the Michel's.  My sister had just arrived from California the day before.  We stayed at my parents' house on Dec 26-27 and then Sunday right after church we packed up and headed up to the cabin together.  We have had very little snow this winter- it has been very unusual for Utah!  So, the kids were glad to have some snow to play in, and their cousins there.  They have been waiting a long time to see them and it was very exciting!  We spent the night of the 28th and 29th at the cabin.  I enjoyed hanging out with my siblings and making new memories.  

We had a very special anniversary this year- our 15th!!  Aaron put a lot of work into making it nice for me and I am so grateful to him.  We went down to Salt Lake on Dec 19th and stayed in a nice hotel that night.  The kids went with my parents, who gladly took them to my grandma and grandpa Schulz's annual Christmas party with them (where we made our appearance and then left).    We took the baby with us, of course, and she did great!  The next day, they drove all our kids back to our house and took Erika to her piano recital and Tavaci performance (a second performance we had already seen).   We met up with them back at our house late that night.  

When we arrived at the hotel, I knew something was going on but I wasn't quite sure what.  Aaron had me sit in a conference room for what felt like at least an hour but it probably wasn't.  I was getting really curious, though.  Then, we went out to eat at an Indian food restaurant- our favorite!  

After that, we came to the room.  He had set up a huge protector and screen in our room and we sat in comfort and watched a movie he had made for me.  Wow!  He had pictures of each of our children in order and then he videoed  most of the members of our families and had them tell what they loved about me.   I don't think I've ever received such a thoughtful, well-planned gift!  At the end of the movie, he pulled out a ring he had specially made for me- a mother's ring with my birthstone in the middle and all the kids on each side.  It is beautiful!!   What a surprise!  

We spent the next day relaxing in the hotel until checkout time- sitting in the hot-tub and just doing nothing.  It was great!  Then, we headed over to Salt Lake.  We did a little bit of shopping, of course, and then went out for an early dinner at Bennihana's, one of my all-time favorite restaurants!!  I love watching the Japanese chefs cook on the table in front of us!   After that, we walked over to the Energy Solutions arena where we watched the "Piano Guys" concert.  I had no idea at all what to expect and I was extremely impressed by them.  It was incredible and very inspiring!

Thank you, honey- for the wonderful anniversary gift!  And, for the most amazing gift of all- you.  Thank you for sharing the last 15 years of your life with me and for making me so happy!

The Blessings of a Full Life

Ever since Thanksgiving, I have been looking around a little harder at all my blessings and reflecting on what I have.

  A constant source of frustration for me nowadays is how "full" everything is.  Every where I turn in our house, there is something overflowing- from the garbage can to the laundry basket, a sink full of dishes, or a dishwasher full, too.  And, as it turns out, when I have managed to empty one of them, it is filling up that very minute.  Before I can get all of the laundry put away, my laundry baskets are already half-way full, and same with the dishes.  This must be, of course, because we have a very "full" house now, with 8 of us.  Yes, I do think we've filled this house up pretty well.  My "quiver" is full, as it says in Proverbs 127:5-6:

"As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them;  and they shall not be ashamed..."

As a direct result, of course, my day is also very full.  There never seems to be enough time to get everything done.

You can always fill something up a little more, right?  Well, theoretically, I guess.  I have always taken great pride in my ability to fit things in.  I can fill a dishwasher or a fridge so full when you thought nothing more would fit.  I joke that this is just an analogy of my life- packed to the max.  You can usually pack the garbage can down and add a little bit more, if needed.   My point is that even when we get to the point that we think, "How can I do it all?"  or "I can't fit one  more thing!"  the Lord has been there for me and given me the strength to somehow accomplish it.  He can help us do things that we didn't think were possible.  

  

As a girl, I often read a poem that hung above my grandma's kitchen sink.  It reads:

"Thank God for dirty dishes.

They have a tale to tell.

While others may go hungry, 

we're eating very well.

With home and health and happiness

we shouldn't want to fuss.

With this stack of evidence,

God's very good to us."

-author unknown

So, I guess it depends on how you look it it, right?  Your cup can be half empty or half full.  I have been so blessed to have my needs met- my cupboards and my fridge have never been empty and I have never had to go hungry.  I have a very full life right now, and isn't it wonderful??  Yes, my cup is overflowing.  It is overflowing with blessings.   It reminds me of a scripture in Malachi 3:10-

"Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."  

Although every day is a challenge,  it is also an opportunity for me to grow.  I look back at when I had my first baby and think, "What was I stressed about then?"  I have found that as the years go by, we adapt and progress in our abilities.  I am grateful for that!   Even more of a challenge than just getting it all done, will be the challenge of enjoying every moment of my "full" life.  It will be to see past the full dishwasher, garbage, and laundry basket to the needs of those around me, and to make their lives FULL!  Every day as a mother, there are sweet moments that make everything so worth it!   Children are naturally so easy to please and they don't need a whole lot to be happy.  What they want the most are things that cannot be purchased- love, time, happiness.  It is a very delicate balance, one I have definitely not figured out yet, but I am working on it!

There are also times when I think, "Can someone just not need me for about 5 minutes!!?"  But then, I realize how nice it is to be needed.  How sweet it is when a crying child will come to me for kisses or someone needs help only I can give.  Don't we ultimately love the most those whom we serve, or who serve us?  I guess in a way, to be needed also equals to be loved.  What a great opportunity it is, really, to be "needed" so much!

Because life is a "package deal", if we truly want something, we get everything that comes with it.   Everything good comes with a price.  Just as Adam and Eve said in the garden:

"And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient."  (Moses 5:11)

If I want a house full of people who love me,  it requires some work.   Children's laughter, kisses, and cuddles also come with dirty diapers and some messes.  If you want to do nothing in this life,  you will also receive that much in return.  The most beautiful and wonderful things in my life have come because I have paid a price for them.

I have visited with many older women who talk fondly of the stage I am in right now- the thick of it all.  Their homes are empty now- and they have very few dishes to wash, not much laundry, no little feet tracking in dirt or little finger prints on the walls.  As nice as that may sound sometimes,  I know I wouldn't trade them for a minute.  I will have my time when I get there, and there's no way to fully understand  the challenges of each stage until I am in it.  

Someday when I'm sitting back in my rocker, (and I hope to live to be at least 100), thinking about my life, I hope to be able to say that I have lived a full life, that I challenged myself, made the most of what I had, and lived life to the fullest!  We only get to live here on this earth once, right?

Christ has said:  

• "I am come that they might have life,
  and that they might have it more abundantly."
  (John 10:10)
  How true this is for me, and I am so grateful for his endless blessings and love towards me!  May we all have eyes to see his blessings in our lives!  

Kyle's Birthday

On Nov 10th, Kyle turned 9 years old.  It was an exciting day for him!!

I decided to start a new tradition and I checked him out of school and took him out to lunch.  His 3 youngest siblings also got to tag along.  We went out to Wendy's and he got to pick whatever he wanted!   We had a great time!

We had a great time that evening with our family.  My parents came up and we all went to Bear River  bowling and had pizza while we played.  It is such fun watching the little kids roll the bowling ball and get so excited when they knock any pins down, regardless of how many there are. (This is with bumpers and the metal frame you roll the ball down on.)  Simple pleasures!  

Instead of a birthday cake, Kyle chose a cherry pie, which was a first for me on a birthday.  But hey,  I didn't mind!  It was a lot easier than decorating a cake!  For his gifts, Kyle got mostly legos because that is what he is into right now.  

The Saturday before his birthday, Aaron took Kyle fishing up to Devils Creek.  

  The weather was surprisingly warm.  They caught a few fish and had a good time together. 

Kyle is growing up so fast and I am so proud of the wonderful young man he is becoming.  He works hard at school and likes to have fun.  We love having him in our family!

Kaylee's Baby Blessing

On Nov 2nd we had Kaylee's baby blessing.  She was barely 4 weeks old, and one day shy of a month. I had planned to use the same dress for her that I had used for Erika and Heidi, but they had been 3 and 4 months old, so I ended up buying her a new dress.  She looked so beautiful!  I thought the bow was a little too big, (almost as big as her head) but it was fun for a day!  :)  It has been a really special experience having her in our home.   More so than with any of my other babies, she has been loved to death by all the older children, including the next oldest, Jordan.  I was worried that he would NOT LIKE her, simply because he is very much a mommy's boy and won't share me with anyone.  But, he has been SO sweet with her!  All the kids have wanted their turn to hold and kiss her often.  And, my oldest two are actually able to help a lot with her when I have needed it, to hold and calm her.  So nice!  

I took so many pictures- at least one of everyone holding her- that I decided to make a few collages of them all. It was such a lovely day!  The weather was so nice and it was great to have so much family there to celebrate our new little girl!  

Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween season this year!  Things were a little crazy at our house with school and just keeping up with everyday life.   Halloween has never been my favorite holiday but it is a lot of fun for the kids.   I just enjoy the fall season in general, when you're trying to savor the last few weeks of warmth before the cold comes.  We were enjoying the fairly warm weather this year!  I was able to walk to the school to watch the kids' Halloween parade.  

  

On Thursday, the day before Halloween, I had fun going with Jared on his preschool field trip to the "Old Farm Corn Maze" out in Elwood.  I have never been there before and it was a lot of fun!  Erika and Kyle were in this same preschool class when they were Jared's age, but the weather was too cold or wet and so their field trips were cancelled.  I was grateful it was so nice this time around.   Jared was hilarious at the maze, too.  He was so excited and so LOUD!  We definitely wouldn't have been able to sneak up on anyone!  At one point, we opened a coffin and a horn honked at us.  That must have made an impression on him because he talked about it over and over for the rest of the day.   He is quite the character lately.   He just talks and talks without hardly even taking a breath- to everyone and anyone.  He keeps on talking,  hardly paying attention to who is even listening and sometimes I have a hard time following what he is even talking about.  He is loving preschool and just so excited to learn and experience life.  Jordan is much the same, following right behind his brother in everything he is doing.  I am grateful that they have each other to play with much of the time at home.  They are either best friends or enemies.   I will say, though, that they are each perfect angels when the other one is gone (or while Jordan takes his nap) and enjoy a little quiet time, or "mommy time" to themselves.  

Trick-or-treating was also a lot of fun this year.  The weather was perfect and the kids were so excited!  It was the first year in a long time that we didn't even need to push a stroller.   Jordan is pretty good at keeping up with his siblings now.  It is so cute to watch him run with his little legs up to the door and say "trick-or-treat" and then "thank you!"  So much fun!