Today Was A Great Day

So, it has been awhile since I last posted something and in that time we have had six birthday celebrations (we are all now a year older), one lost cat, two new cats, a horrible kidney stone episode, some good days, boring days and fun days. But today was a really great day. Ben was Baptized today. I wasn't too stressed and the whole day has ended up feeling really blissful.  Ben looked very handsome in his suit and we had so many wonderful friends and family come and join us to welcome Ben into our Church.  I just really love Ryan's friends and what amazing people they are.  I am so grateful to all of the family that was able to make it today. I am especially thankful for Ryan. He is so incredible! He gave the most beautiful blessing for Ben.  I am so grateful for our family and for the Church and for good choices. Today was a really great day!

Yes, But Will There be an Audience

Mac is my darling attention hog. We were talking about what activities he would like to participate in this summer. He talking about baseball and I told him that I would like to have him do tumbling. The kid loves to do cartwheels and most of them are pretty good too. He also can do the splits. When I asked him if he would like to try tumbling his answer was "Yes, but will there be and audience?" We will always be there to watch him. Mac was also stopped by one of his most favorite primary teachers that he has ever had yesterday at Church. She told him that he was getting so big. He said "Yes I am getting big, Do you know why? It is because I sleep so good. Sometimes I don't want to sleep but I just close my eyes and I am asleep, then I wake up and I grew." I am surprised that he was able to breathe through that run on sentence.

Ike is also growing. He loves to sing. Yesterday he was singing "Frere Jacques" especially the ding dang dong part. Last night I rocked him to sleep and when I stood up to take him to bed I jostled him enough to get him to sing in his sleep, "ding dong" . Really sweet! Today while driving errands I couldn't see if Ike had fallen asleep so I said "Ike , are you asleep?" his response was "I wake". I love that he speaks so well.

Anikka and Ben both got really great report cards again. Anikka with straight A's and Ben with nearly all 4's. We are so proud of them and their hard work.

Swim Lessons

We finally signed the kids up for swim lessons. Anikka and Ben both did really well and now it is Mac's turn. It was so scary for me to watch. I was shaking the whole time. Their system works really well but Mac is still little to me and it was really hard to see him flail and go under water. He on the other hand is so excited to be taking swim lessons and gets ready six hours before it is time to go. I think he will learn quickly. On Friday we left early and took a drive before his lessons. We were talking about delivering pizza as a job and Mac wanted to go on a pizza run right then. I told him he has to be able to drive. He said okay I will wait until I am 20. I said that he can't go on pizza runs then because he will be on his mission. Mac then asked what he will do while on his mission and would he be able to sleep in a tent. I told him no that he would stay in his apartment and do missionary work. He replied with a knowing, Yes and I will do what the Lord wants me to do. He is such a smart boy and I love the "Liken the Scriptures" movies.

Ike has made a jump in vocabulary recently and is really funny. He is repeating everything. and is really good at saying "I want it" and "I get in" and "I do it". On Friday night after Mac's swim lessons. Ike practiced diving in the bath tub. He would stand up and lift his arms high above and then jump and land in the water. He would just laugh. It is just amazing to see what they pick up.

We also had another very successful "steak" conference. I love it when the kids all eat their dinner and say mmm the whole time. They all say how much they love steak and Stake Conference. It sure does make it exciting to go twice a year.

Conversations with Ike

Ikey is growing up. He is so cute and so smart. We had our first conversation the other day:
Mom: "Ike, is Anikka awake?"
Ike: "No"
Mom: " Well, go wake her up."
Ike: "Kay"
and off he went to wake her up. And Anikka was very nice about being woken up too.
Yesterday, he started telling unintelligible knock-knock jokes. He has the knock-knock part down but mumbles the rest and then laughs about it all. Super cute! This morning Ike brought me my shoes. He really is helpful and likes to clean. I love that kid!

Oh Look! I Do have a Blog

I have so many half started posts in my head and finally just sat down to actually get them out. We had a great New Year's and we started a new tradition. We are going to pick a country and celebrate their time and the country. This year we celebrated Brazil. We ate Cafe Rio, made Brazillian Lemonade and said "Feliz Ano Novo" at 7 pm our time. Then we were all asleep on our regular schedule. I love it and next year we are celebrating Vietnam at 10 am.

We are really busy these days. Anikka is doing swim lessons daily and that is getting tedious. I love them and they are so good but it is a lot of time. Ben will start them next. I am getting anxious to move just because I don't know how to live in any one place for very long. The longest I have ever lived in one place is four years. We are closing in on three years here. There are no plans to move at all and I am trying to be patient and learn to stay in one place. It just isn't time to even look.
So to summerize our life right now. School is Good, Church is Great, Life is tedious and good, often at the same time.