Our March recap

 Somehow, with all the posts I had to get done this month I completely bypassed doing a March recap. So this one is coming way late. But... I did get April recap done, Payton's birthday post, Avery's birthday post, and our spring break post done! That's a huge feat for me as the months of April and May are so deliriously busy I can't even take a minute to breathe. 

So, I am writing this quick as can be and posting it so I can say it is done. Because, outside of our spring break trip in March I really don't remember much. That feels like a lifetime ago now. So the pictures will tell our story. 

We went to a movie:

I loved reading Paddington to the kids when they were little. Unfortunately they don't seem to remember much of these stories but enough to want to go to the movie. Although, if I am honest they don't go to the movies often so they will really go for anything just to go! It was a cute movie though and we enjoyed.

I found a picture of Avery's toes. She took it herself and I couldn't resist sharing:

Those two feet will grow so quickly and the random pictures I find will decrease to basically nothing. I know this because I have 3 others who rarely leave me random pictures to find on my phone.

We went to the park. Jayden had a mental health day from school and we soaked up our extra time with him:

And, if you know me in real life I hope that I have exemplified the importance of mental health and taking care of yourself. We all need a break some times from life, school, work, and daily tasks. It is super important to take care of ourselves.

These two also love bedtime and saying goodnight to each other:

                                                    

Our favorite thing right now is watching Avery put her hands together and squeeze her eyes super tight and begin to babble talk. This is how she prays. And I am 100% here for it.

Speaking of Avery, I have several cute shots of her just being herself. 

Payton and Jayden did Lego club. Jayden ended up helping his older friend work on a puzzle but Payton enjoyed making something lego related. We took a picture because she is unsure if she will ever do again. She is actually over age for but the librarian let her do since really quiet that day. 

We also got snow! Which now seems a long time ago as I type this and we are seeing true spring and some summer temperatures. The flowers are coming up and winter seems so behind us.

In fact, the kids got a snow day from school for this! It was fantastic!

Riley chipped his tooth and got an extra trip to the dentist. Rough housing with his brother doesn't always pay off:

Payton went to the father daughter dance with her dad! A true delight that she looks forward to each year. In a few years Avery will join them. Until then, I took Avery and both boys and we had a picnic dinner at the park and then played before returning home for a movie!

And we ended this month with a music concert. It was so great to watch the kids sing. Payton is in band this year so she also had some songs (and solos) for that. 

We personally enjoyed having the concert in March and not in May where it is usually shoved between all the other final performances. This was a real treat for us and we got to enjoy it without being on to the next. Their artwork is also on display with the whole school and it was so neat to see their creations along with everyone else's work.

What a month! Life is full of so many blessings for our family.

Our April Recap

 April came and went in a hurry. But, it is also packed full of activity and events! This month holds Avery's birthday and Payton's birthday. Of course, we are still dreaming of our wonderful family vacation we took to Florida. We miss that state and the family fun time we had!

Back to reality though. This year, Easter fell right between the two birthdays!

Our family loves a good Easter egg hunt. This year we went to far too many of those and will cut back next year.

                                                 

                                                 

Avery was content just getting a few eggs and sitting down in the spot she found said eggs and just watching everyone else hence forth. Next year I would guess she will hunt eggs much differently. 

One thing Avery did love was the bounce house. There was a little kid one at the city park with their egg hunt and she never wanted to get out.

So, that made us realize we needed to show her ours again. The last time she was so tiny she didn't really care for it. Turns out, she still doesn't really care for ours. Maybe because the big kids joined her and it doesn't hold their weight well. Or maybe it just wasn't the same as the parks. Not sure why but hoping she warms up to soon.

Payton has been saving up to buy a vanity and finally earned enough. She also had to clean out a huge chunk of her room and things in order for us to fit said vanity in. But, the day finally came! Here they are assembling it:

At the start of the month we are still working on finishing but I assume a final pic will be in May's recap. 

This month we also got outside like always. Avery is learning to enjoy the hammock:

And she loved the original chicken coop, currently unused, to play in:

She loves walking with anyone that will join her:

She can also rope Jayden into playing with her in their outside play house:

There were also multiple park pictures this month. We always love a good park trip to walk around or play at the playground, fish, or just sit on a bench and talk:

Avery, always with a book, just like her sister:

We gave some friends some of our eggs for their broody hen to sit on. She hatched 9 of the 12 eggs. I have received updates and pictures to show the kids.

The pictures have been so cute that we decided it was time to try for ourselves. We did not have a broody hen so we are incubating. So far, it looks like we have 10 of 12 developing babies. We are so, so excited and it has been quite the learning process for us.

Avery and I got out out to the children's museum to play. It was the first time she has ever wanted to be in a bouncer in her entire life:

She also got a cute Easter dress from grandma and grandpa:

And she loves to brush her teeth:

And spend time with her mommy:

I also found a random picture that Payton had taken while we were driving and she was trying to keep Avery entertained:

We have a pizza ranch nearby that has been opened for several years and we have never gone to it. During one Easter egg hunt, Riley got a coupon prize for this location. So, we went and ate and played! It was so fun. And the company gave each of my kids the prize, $5 to play each. So that was their playing money. 

Jayden treated us to a night out another night as well. It was so sweet of him. We did not get a picture at the restaurant but afterwards we walked to a nearby train station where I got this photo of the kids:

                                                
Jayden wanted to clean up trash around our house so we walked the dirt roads and gathered any litter we saw. I am so thankful for his giving heart. He makes the world a better place:

One night after guitar lessons, Riley saw that the local high school baseball team was playing a game. So, we stayed and watched for a bit together. It was so fun to sit back and watch this game with him. I love the random dates we all squeeze in together:

Lastly, as I end this month I chose a random picture of no significance:

Yet, this is a picture of regular life. This is just us doing life on a random Saturday morning. Two kids are awake and up with me while 2 kids and an adult are still sleeping. It's a randomly, sweet quiet of the morning and one of my favorite parts of life (when I am not entirely wiped out). Avery is getting into magna tiles and Jayden has been loving magna tiles since birth. Who better to show her how it is done? And of course he starts by building the tallest house he possibly can. 

These are the days. I am here for it.

Payton's Birthday

 Happy Birthday to my oldest! It is so neat that my youngest and oldest have a birthday in the same month. I love it. It is just so bittersweet. And busy, really we go from one birthday celebration to the next and Easter is always squeezed in there somewhere. So it goes, this life may be busy but I would choose it over and over again.

                                              

Payton, you are just the sweetest. You made us parents and we feel like we have learned so much more from you than we could ever teach you. Our forever mother hen who always gravitates towards the children. Also, she loves chickens (and we used to always have the chicken clothes to prove it). Our responsible child who always has a book or two (ahem, 10) checked out and reading. A lifelong learner who dreams of becoming an engineer.  You are a true delight. We are amazed by you daily and can't wait to see where life takes you.

This year Payton did a movie, pizza, and hot tub party. She kept asking me the theme and I truly thought that was the theme. In any case, it went on without an issue. The weather was great, despite several storms and gloomy days prior and after. The girls all had a blast and her siblings enjoyed the party and helping to serve all the girls food. Both sets of grandparents were also there which made the evening that more special for her. 

The decor was picked out by Payton herself and Monte made the final okay (aka the purchase). I made sure it was all set up and ready to go before Payton got home from school Friday. Keeping the streamers up and lasting was a huge challenge though for the party. Avery sure loved them and pulled them down constantly. I think they didn't even last a full 24 hours before we had to part ways with what was left of the sad streamers.

Happy 12th Birthday Payton. We hope and pray that this is one of your best years yet.

Love, 

Mom