We are Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! I love this time of year. It is fun, exciting, exhausting and memorable. And not to mention the weather in Texas is nice and cool, just how I like it!

The kids loved Thanksgiving and all of the Thanksgiving time things. They had a fun class party at school, made lots of Thanksgiving/turkey crafts, read books about it, and had a great day!

This is Harold. He is our thankful turkey. We all picked a few of the things we are thankful for and wrote them on Harold's feathers. We had him up for a few weeks which helped all of us think about all of our blessings.

Livy is doing lots of writing now and really loving it. She is always asking how to spell stuff. Thanks Harold, for helping the kids learn about being thankful!

Miss Ellie here was an Indian in the first Thanksgiving play that we did. Rachel, Livy and Colt were pilgrims and Eric, Ellie, and I were Indians. Eric was Squanto and had a lot of fun with the kids instructing them how to grow their corn. He was really getting into the part by telling them their corn must stay in the ground many moons to grow, and they had so much fun even though they had no idea what he was talking about! The kids loved it. It didn't go exactly as planned, but what does?

We have so much to be thankful for. We are grateful for each other and the chance we have to be together forever as a family with all of our family. We are thankful for the gospel and the plan our Father in Heaven has prepared for us and the prophet he has put on the earth today to guide us.

Thanksgiving morning dad made a big breakfast for the kids. They loved it and love having Eric home from work for a few extra days. We joined the whole Williams family for dinner later which was delicious. We are so thankful for all of our family. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Late Again with This Week's 10

1. I don't know that I am ready for the girls to grow up. It is too sad to send them out into the world where they will be sad without me there for them. Today Livy came home and said that no one would play with her outside today. So she said just sang the lonely song. I asked what it was and she said just a song she made up about being lonely. See, this isn't even that big of a deal but I almost cried when she was telling me. I don't know if I can handle kids being really mean at school next year. I love you girls.
2. Colt was sick with a 105 fever and wheezing. After visiting the doctors we had a steroid, an antibiotic, and an inhaler. It was rough getting the medicine down him. Twice he threw the steroids up, once completely on me. Glad it is done with. By the end of the week he liked putting the inhaler together in the air chamber and getting it all ready. Glad he is all better now.
3. I forgot to buckle Colt into his car seat one day. We drove all the way to the girl's school and I went to unbuckle him and saw I never did it. Losing it over here!
4. Ellie started eating baby food. Or started trying it at least. She is not very interested in it yet. She grabs at anything I have in my hand but doesn't seem to want to eat the baby food. It's only the first week though so we'll see.
5. We've been talking about Santa and things they would want. While looking at one of the magazines Livy found something gross and told me, "If Santa give me yucky stuff I'm throwing it in the trash."
6. There was a fair set up near us and Rachel wanted to go. She told Livy "If we go to the store with dad and be really good he will take us there. He's such a sweetie."
7. Colt learned to ride his tricycle all by himself. He loves it! He's getting so old.
8. Colt also wants to try the potty every morning when I change him from his pajamas. He says potty and runs to my bathroom, sits on the toilet, and then says "Rachel's turn" and gets off.
9. The girls have started learning some sight words and it is so exciting. They love it and get so happy when they do it. At school they tell them to kiss their brain when they do good stuff so they love that and at home we've added cheering "brain power!" when they get it right. Rachel really loves that part! It is just so fulfilling and exciting to see them learn, happy to learn, and excited about it.
10. And most exciting....Two people I love very much are both pregnant and I am so excited!! I won't name names until they put it on their own blogs but I am so so happy. I am so excited for both of these little babies to get here and so very happy for their moms and dads. I love you guys, you know who you are!

Our first attempt at baby food. And it was morning I don't know why it came out so dark.

Cheese.

Riding daddy's power washer.

Pointing at his favorite "wizards" he looks for everyday.

Taking a turn in Livy's boots. She loves these things. Everywhere we go she tells people they are her winter boots for when we go to New York and it snows.

Love My Girls

Pre-School Pictures, 2011

Rachel:

She asked if she could have some candy after she woke up one morning. I said no. She said why not. I said, because I said so. She proceeded to tell me "You shouldn't say because I said so, you should say because it is not a healthy food to eat and it is not good for your body." Well she told me!

She was asking questions after we read scriptures one night and said, "Oh, I didn't realize that Lucifer didn't have a body." She just amazes me sometimes the way she says things and the questions she asks. She's a philosopher, she loves to learn more and talk about what we learned over and over!

Olivia:

Tonight the girls were counting their money they have been saving to buy a toy. Rachel's toy cost more than she had. She said she would be so sad if Livy got a toy and she didn't. Without a moments hesitation Livy handed Rachel her money and said that she could have her money to buy one so she wouldn't be sad. Sometimes I can't get over how sweet she, especially to her sister.

We told the kids in primary that after the primary program they would get to pick a small toy from this box we have in primary. After the program we went to have opening exercises in primary and while one of the councilors was conducting Olivia stands up in front and asks her if she can hurry up so they can get their toys! (Who's kid is that!)

She has faith. She knows Heavenly Father is there and will help us if we ask in prayer. If one of them gets a cut she says, we just have to say a prayer and you will be ok. Or if something hard or bad happens, she says we need to ask about it in our prayer. Thank you Livy for your great example of faith! You are so sweet! I love you!

Lots To Catch Up On

This is a lot from the past few weeks. Our computer crashed and we just got it back so that is why I am way behind. I also lost most of the pictures to go along with this stuff. It is just stuff to remember, the good, the bad and the funny, from the past few weeks.
1. Two weeks ago I had to speak in church for the first time in like 10 years. I don't know how I got away with that for so long but I knew it was coming. I had forgotten how to write a talk! I haven't written anything but captions so pictures on here for so long! It was about Acting on Prompting of the Spirit to Serve Others. I was really overly nervous and dreading it for two weeks, with nightmares about it and all. Up until the minute I started speaking I thought I would puke but then I calmed down and it went fine. I am glad I had the chance to do it and, I won't say conquer a huge fear, but face it at least. And I learned some stuff while preparing, bonus! Now I'm safe for two more years!
2. We had the Primary Program the week before I spoke and it was awesome. The kids all sounded great. Rachel and Olivia both memorized their lines and I was so proud of them. They were on the front row and we sat up close that week so we could see them good. Colt struggled with that and cried because he wanted to go up there with them!
3. Rachel gave her first talk in primary that week also. She was happy to do it and did a great job talking about prayer. Way to go Rachel!
4. Livy gave a talk by herself too, funny girl...The week after General Conference I was in Utah. In primary we give the kids the opportunity to tell us something they learned in conference to earn a small prize. So before I left I was telling the girls that they could get a prize if they told one of the presidency members about conference and what we talked about. Livy took this to mean she had to give a talk about it. So she got up and gave a talk. They tried to tell her she wasn't assigned a talk and why doesn't she wait until I am there with her but she insisted. I don't know exactly what she said but a few people told me she knew what she wanted to say and it made sense too! Way to go Livy! When she has got her mind set on something she is set!
5. Good weeks, bad weeks, good days, bad days. It is the regular up and down around here. Two weeks ago was a bad one. Just feeling down, overwhelmed, drowning, etc. Then the added weight really brought me down: girls breaking dishes (as we are walking out the door so it was left like that until later), sick kids, non-stop spilling in the kitchen (soda, Gatorade, salsa, you name it-with a rag thrown over it for a few hours until I can get to it), seeing all the other lines go way faster than yours at Wal-Mart with all 4 kids on a Saturday, cleaning doggy poo from the carpet, dropping a gallon of apple juice at the grocery store that burst all over me-leaving me wet and sticky for the next few hours of errands and such, kids playing with dog poo in the back yard-infuriating, and Colt falling in a puddle face first at the girls school. This is only a small portion of what I can recall from a few weeks ago. Just glad we are past it. Not trying to complain but just want to remember these weeks that are harder than normal to help me appreciate the normal weeks more!
6. Ellie has developed a love for sucking her toes now. And she always smells like spit up.
7. Colt is talking up a storm and I can't get enough of it, it is adorable! When he fake cries to me I call him phony baloney and he laughs and tells me back no phony baloney, but it sounds like no pony babony. I can't not laugh. He loves to say "No I don't want to  or no I don't want it," is great at saying sorry, tells me "its ok, don't worry", still calls both Livy and Rachel, Rachel, instead of saying it's locked or its stuck he says "lock it, stuck it, pop it", and always telling us it is his turn on everything. When I don't know where he went I just say "where's Colt" and he says "I don't know". I love the talking at this age. Everyday it is something new he says. So adorable.
8. Rachel asked me today if I had sand in my ears when I couldn't hear her in the car.
9. The girls love to pretend to cook lately. They get out all of the kitchen/cooking stuff and spread it all over the counters in the kitchen. They they just go to town. I let them cut some stuff with butter knifes and they love it. They quote lines from Ratatouille to each other.
10. Livy is still all about dogs. She is always pretending she is a dog and Rachel is her owner. Rachel on the other hand is all about weddings and kissing. She is always saying who she will marry, which is my cousin Fletcher at the moment, playing wedding with her dolls, talking about people getting married, kissing, dogs kissing, people kissing, etc. Everything has a marriage aspect. Where everything with Livy has a dog aspect!
11. Livy loves doing school workbooks. Rachel will do them for a minute to humor me but she doesn't care to still. We are still working on recognizing all of our numbers. I really slacked the past year and I am trying to pick it up again. Kindergarten next year, I can't believe it!
12.The other day for nap time Colt took a bear with him to bed. I told him he should read bear a book so he had an animal book that had different things to feel on it. As I was leaving his room he is saying, "Feel it is soft" while he rubbed the bears hand on the fluffy patch on the book. He is getting so old! So cute.
13. Eric lost his wedding ring while he was away for work for a few days.
14. The girls are serious junk collectors. Every where we go they are taking random flyers, coupons, business cards, all the free magazines, and storing them in their room as if they will be of use to them. So when we went to the jewelry store to get a new wedding ring, they found some business cards. I didn't realize how many until we were walking away and I saw their pockets bulging with stacks of cards. We had to go back and return them all, they emptied the whole stand of cards for 6 people!
15. Eric and I both really enjoy our callings right now. I am primary secretary and he is the assistant scout master for the deacons. He loves doing scouting. We are busy and he is gone a lot more with this calling but I know it is good for us to be "anxiously engaged" in the work.
16. I am working on my patients. Most of the time I feel like the coach Jimmy Dugan from A League of Their Own when he is speaking to Evelyn and trying not to scream at her. He is shaking because he is so frustrated but trying not to lose it. That is me a lot. Like I said, good days and bad days.
17. It seems as though every time I get in a good groove and can handle things, something changes and throws us off again. Most of the time it is probably just me and my craziness but I wish I could be more even, not so much up and down.
18. Everyday the house looks like a tornado hit it. It drives me nuts and clouds my brain and at nap time I move quickly to restore some order.
19. I have found that things I didn't think I could do before Ellie was born, I can actually do. And I know it is only because of the blessings of Heavenly Father. Like the song, I really do need him every hour.
20. I think I ate 30 pounds of candy by myself. I'm slowing down since my kids have no chocolate left, only sugar stuff.
21. I am so grateful for Eric. He saves me when he comes home every day and helps to restore my sanity and take some control so I don't have to do it all alone. He offers to take them out if it has been a particularly hard day and brings me ice cream when I need it. I am so happy to have him as my partner in all of this and I hope he know how much I love and appreciate him.
22. Our computer crashed. Waiting for it to get fixed is also testing my patience. Using our old computer for now makes me so appreciate our other one. Who would think slow Internet could make you pull your hair out?
23. Colt loves stickers but is very OCD about them. He has a little break down if they are touching or if one gets crinkled.
24. We went to Austin with Grandma and Grandpa Williams. It is such a beautiful place there and it was great weather. The kids all loved it, especially that Grandma and Grandpa were there with us. We counted the steps from the yard to the boat dock and there are 70. Some incline walkway in between some of them but still a workout every time up and down!

Another of our cute train!

This is trouble. Trying to get his own milk now. He always tell me "baba entee" (empty)

Weekend at the lake with Grandma and Grandpa.

Picnic at the park. Swinging and collecting junk in paper cups.

This is how we roll at the park. Sometimes we are four swings in a row but it is easier for me if they double up. And easier to feed Colt his lunch in the swing where he is straped down!

Ellie loved the swing. She was laughing which was really cute. Although at first it sounded like she was crying!

Our family at Salt Lick. It is a great barbecue restaurant in Austin that we went to this past time. Yum!

Huge grill with tons of meat. The kids loved looking at it and watching the fire. Thanks for taking us Grandma and Grandpa!

Ellie at 4 Months Old (and 5 mths old)!

So I'm a month late with this one, oops! But here it is...She loves adventure! Good thing because this boy keeps her on her toes everyday! He pushes her really high in here but she just loves it. She adores Colt and her sisters. When ever any of them come near her she can't help but smile that adorable smile!

Here's her stats:

Weight: 18 lbs. 3 oz. (98.71%)

(Colt at 4 months was 16 lbs. 7 oz.-I thought he was big!)

Height: 25.5" (82.60%)

Head: 16.54" (69.61%)

Thigh rolls: 3. And sweet as can be.

She is such a sweet baby! I can't get enough of squeezing her and kissing her. She smiles a ton, laughs some, loves rolling all over the place, loves singing, still gets the hiccups at least once a day, loves playing with her feet and sucking on them too, loves the bath, loves her brother and sister, and sleeps through the night!!!

Love bath time, and moving stroller time. Doesn't like the car much anymore. Wants to eat. If I could just remember to buy baby food!!

Smiley girl. Laughs at Colt the most and loud screams. Loves her fingers and toes. Grabs at everything and is strong and fast. Swipes at anything in reach. Rolling is her method of travel. Covers the room in seconds when she wants to. Spits up kind of a lot. Doesn't like the car seat much anymore and likes to try me with a cry every time I put her down. But then she is happy on the floor usually.

A cute little Halloween chicken!

Rachel and Livy as chickens 4 years ago!

She is a smiley happy baby. We are so happy you are here Ellie. I am so in love with you!

She really loves her toes. She loves playing with them and now sucking on them. When she is laying on the floor she sucks her big toe instead of her thumb. Funny girl!

This is Rachel as a baby and the pictures below are obviously Livy and Rae as babies, just to clarify! I still think Ellie looks the most like Rachel as a baby but now that I have these pictures to compare her too I don't think she looks as much like Rachel as I thought in my memory that she did. Some pictures more than others. Ellie really looks like both Rachel and Livy mixed together.

Ok, but definitely still more like Rachel! Crazy that they were so little once, and it was only 4 years ago!

So lucky to have sisters forever! We love watching you grow Ellie. You make us all so happy! We love you!