Lately

My blogging comes in doses now, as you may have noticed. I still take lots of pictures of my kids, but they always hit Instagram before you get to see them here.  Between constant sickness in our family this winter, my busy calling in the relief society presidency, helping an elderly friend that I visit teach who's in bad health, getting new carpet and paint, my creative blog, our Arizona trip, the mommy preschool group that I'm part of, teaching music lessons, family outings....life has been crazy lately to say the least!  I don't see it ever slowing down either. I often yearn to be home all day for just one day, lounge around in my pj's, sip lemonade and eat bon bons.....  Gone are those days.

But I love life just the way it is with my kids each in a very unique, fun phase in their development.  I don't ever want them to grow up, so I'm trying to savor every moment while they are little.

I told myself that I would always still keep up with this blog because it is our family journal/scrapbook.

 Whenever I mop, the kids like to play under the chairs.  They usually bring out the big blankets and make forts too.

 One day I was playing the piano and Jane and Blake were dancing.  I didn't see it happen, but Jane must have made herself too dizzy spinning and she fell and hit her head on the leg of the piano bench.  Ouch!  She ended up with a black eye a few days later too.  Poor thing.

 We love to get out to the backyard for some fresh air.

 Blake having fun on our jungle gym.

 We're part of a babysitting swap with two other families in the ward.  This was our first time watching the twins.  They basically cried the entire time, but now they're getting used to us. It was a little crazy having three babies under the age of two plus five other kids in the house, but we made it to tell the story!

 Jane playing while I cleaned upstairs. 

 Jane's first ponytail!  I just love it.  I know we'll look at this and laugh later, but it's a proud mom moment when you can finally put an elastic in your daughter's hair.

 Blake's preschool group had a birthday party at ITZ-kind of like a Chuck E Cheese.  We had an absolute blast.

 He was the first one to volunteer to go on this Frog Hopper ride where they raise you up and then slowly drop you back down. My little daredevil.

 I caught Jane looking so cute on her daddy's lap before church.

 This is the same Sunday as above when everyone was looking especially handsome/pretty.

 On Natalie's day off school in January we went to the aquarium.

 Natalie and Blake got to touch a real life sting ray and a little shark!

 Jane had fun putting on daddy's beanie this particular night.  So cute.

 This baby does not want to sit in her high chair to eat anymore. She likes to be with the big kids at the bar.  Which translates into one big mess for mommy to clean up after meal time, and lots of spilled milk.

 Blake's preschool group took a field trip to the Natural History Museum.  The kids' favorite part was looking through the microscopes.

 We made homemade Valentines for each of Natalie's classmates that said "Valentine, you "BLOW" me away".  She gave bubbles and bubble gum.  She was very meticulous about checking each name off the list and making sure that the "girl" colored bubble gum went to the girls and "boy" colors to the boys.

 Natalie recently had a four day weekend because of President's Day and then a Teacher Inservice Day.  I took the kids to the zoo one of the days because the weather was just too perfect.

 We got to see the adorable baby elephant!

 Natalie insisted on pushing Blake in the stroller, but Jane wanted to walk on her own.

 Jane was fascinated with the ducks.

 The bird lady was out with a parrot, so the kids got to get a picture with it.

 Blake had a very fun preschool Valentine's Party at the Dickerson's house.  I got to go and help/watch.

 I made the kids some fun heart-shaped pancakes on Valentine's Day.  They've been asking for heart-shaped ones ever since, but I told them it's a once a year deal, since they are lots more work. :)

 Jane having a nap on her daddy one weekend afternoon.

 On President's Day I took the kids to the Natural History Museum since Natalie was in school when Blake's preschool group went there.

 Jane insists on choosing her own clothes each morning.  This time she chose two shirts so I put one around her neck like a scarf.  She wore it like that all day.

 This past Saturday we went to the Explora Science Museum as a family.  Blake loved the marble on the track that you could recline or incline.

 Jane loved all things water there.

 Daddy helped the kids figure out how things worked.

 Once again, kids are attracted to water. :)

 Rob built this really cool boat that he was very proud of.

 And their most favorite part was...the gigantic bubble tank!

I got to ride on the high-wire bike!  I'm terrified of heights, but it was really fun!