Mountain life.

Y'all know how I love my mountains, right. Well, I do and just wanted to make sure you knew that. This is the hike I take a couple of times a week. I go and contemplate the mystery's of life while listening to Selena Gomez's song, Love you like a love song. I'm deep.
Update! Remember them? Well, it's growing bigger and bigger by the day, and there is now a blow up snow man on the roof! Sweeeettttt.

Bless their hearts.

On mountains there is dirt.
When it rains something crazy chemical reaction occurs and mud is formed. I know! Very messy but if you're four very fun. I have many a fond memories of my friend Lesley Mickelsen and I swimming in an irrigation pond and catching polliwogs. Oh the joys, I distinctly remember my mother shrieking one afternoon upon discovering my nest of polliwogs. Which I had cleverly hid in the bottom drawer of my dresser. Everything would have gone off seamlessly too if they hadn't continued on their growth cycle and spouted legs. Only to then use them to jump around my closet floor.
Maybe it's things like this that make my dad smile from ear to ear when he hears of the shenanigans my children put me through.

There is also the rabbits. Oh we love the rabbits around here. It is Duke's one and only mission in life to catch one. He will sit patiently by the dog door waiting for the perfect moment to strike, then he will dash out after them attempting to supplement his diet. He has his dreams.

I walk around my home and feel blessed. Mountains surround us on every side, and the view of the city lays out below us. This is beauty. I pull open the curtains and carry on with a smile on my face and gratitude in my heart for seeing the beauty that surrounds me.

After all, it's not just about having something that makes you happy; it is being grateful for what you have that makes you happy.

Recognizing that you have something great.

Embracing the crazy

Life with four small children is loud. Crazy loud and then lots and lots of just plain crazy.

I find on days that are especially crazy I do better if I just accept that this is how today will be. Milk will be spill, fights will happen, babies will get woken up. And loud? Loud is definitely here today. So what am I to do?

I go with it baby. I turn my music up, let my hair down and go with it. I forget about the things I need to get done today, ignore the children when they are clamoring for me to chose a loser of whatever the current disagreement is over and tell them to just carry on--forget-about-it. I tell them to get over it, go and go be happy and play. Then I take my own advice and go be happy.
My house on these days isn't the type of house I love but the way that house feels more than makes up for it. Music is pumping and messes are abundant; I cook dinner for everyone in the midst of this chaos.

Jack looks on as visitors do a stop and chat.

Secret Santa gifts must be taken even though you totally forgot until 7:30. Our ward is doing the twelve days of Christmas and let me just tell you this, the children go crazy!!! We pull up to her home and they are shrieking with anticipation. They excitedly jump out of the car and race to her door, hooping and hollering the entire way. They ring the bell and race back to the car and we dash away, I am grateful that she plays along and takes her time getting to the door.

Don't cha just love Luke. That boy cracks me up. Cracks just about everyone up, I can't tell you how many times his teacher or school nurse will call and tell me about something hilarious he did or said.

The wonderful thing about family is, they are there for you. You need something, they got your back. Not convenient? No matter, we are family and I am here for you. Until I became a mother I would have never understood how important this is a mother. I want my children to be there for each other. In addition to Chad and I being there for them, they have each other.

To take care of each other when we can't or won't still be here to. Their bonds as brothers and sister is something that is independent of us. That is comforting to a parent.

Owen pitched in and rocked Jack when Jack was in need of some comfort. That freed me up to make Pioneer woman's meatballs. It was a crazy day and I could have just heated up some quick pre-made food from Costco, which I'm totally not above; but on this day, I wanted some comfort. Recipe here.
That is the thing about life now, it is crazy; some days more than others but busy busy is the order of just about everyday. The thing is; I know someday it will end, gradually there will be quiet here in place of my rambunctious children.

. . .and I will miss these days.

So, for today I am grateful that I can recognize that these are the days and just go with it.

Tin tin, the magic man.

Tin tin is our newest family member, and just my type too; he doesn't eat, speak or make messes. We all just love him.

I have no idea why we have waited so long to get our very own elf. He is magical and the children go literally crazy every morning looking for his new spot.

Tin tin watches every move the children make, especially Lily. I don't have a photo of his spot in her room the day after she touched him. The boy's saw her barely touch him, which is a HUGE no-no in the elf keeping his magic rules.

So the next day, Tin tin moved his spot hovering above Lily's bed watching her as she slept. He even wrote a personal note to her, telling her that he would be watching her extra close and that she is NEVER, never, not ever to touch him again. . .or else. Around midnight she awoke and came out of her room crying saying that Tin tin creeping her out. Chad removed him for the evening but at 6:30 when I got up to get the kids up, I put him back hovering over her bed. Suffice to say, she has been properly psychologically damaged and hasn't come close to touching Tin tin since.

Tin tin has seen many many things; naughty things like these candy wrappers under Lily's bed. The mystery as to where all the candy from the advent calender went was solved.
I'm not sure if you remember Mr. Mead's comments on how markers are basically responsible for ruining our children and their futures. Thinking now he may have a point.

She tried to make it up in small ways; like tucking Duke in at night,
and dressing herself in an outfit made up entirely of skirts and a monkey shirt for a sash. Then wearing the most hated wardrobe item; pants.

Tin tin appreciated all the children's efforts to be good and made them cookies.

Got his thrill on by zip-lining through the living room with a candy cane for sustenance.
Tin tin took a break the next day and vowed to stay in bed all day. That is once he properly cleaned the glass. Tin tin contemplated about what pigs he must live with, that would allow such a fifthly fifthly mess linger.

He cooled his jets on some rosemary and felt fine as he observed teasing and yelling and that was a just the lady of the house. The kids. . .fughedi aboud et.

Tin tin went fishing one day, but since we neglected to take a photo I stole the picture from Bethany's blog, and felt it appropriate since that is the place where we also stole the idea from in the first place.
Tin tin went for a ride on the lamp on day and was knocked off by a flying pillow. Fear ran thick through the children but I assured them that there was an allocated one pick up by thongs allowed each season.

He even watched baby Jesus one day. No one gets off easy with Tin tin on the prowl.

Santa stopped by too! Our doorbell rang one evening and there he was with a loaf of bread all by himself. I must say, it thoroughly creeped me out when I looked through the little door in our door and spied him.