guilty.

I  was just organizing a little b-day party for rachel a bit ago, and a WAVE of GUILT came over me....it stopped me dead in my tracks and I started to bawl like a baby. I know it is over such a silly thing, but i am feeling like a terrible mother today. I didn't throw Sam a first bday party! I had big plans for it - i did. For some reason, I just wasn't in the mood to throw parties this summer. I did make sure Zach had a fun pirate one for his 8th bday, but poor emily didn't get one either - she seemed happy with just going lagoon AGAIN (season passes were a big treat for us this summer!) Rachel asked so sweetly yesterday if she could have a carnival party...how could I say no? :) Anyway, all of my kids have had special ONE year old parties, so here I am feeling so badly that I let myself get too tired to do the same for my little chubba bubba. I know someday he will notice, and I have NO excuse. It's not his fault he is the youngest of 4 - He should have the same things the others did. Why do I worry about such random things?  sigh.......

6 years old.

This little pumpkin of mine turned 6 yesterday! She is a BIG first grader and mommy misses her terribly (so does emily!) while she is away at school all day.
I am sad to see 5 go, but 6 will be great too! Happy Birthday sweet rach! love you!

{best friends}

have to write it down....

 I had the funniest thing happen to me the other day - if I don't blog it -  i will forget it!
 So, I am at Target (my favorite store ever!)  and of course little emily has to pee. This girl is obsessed with public bathrooms..it's an illness really.  Just as I got her all settled in to do her business, I patiently waited on the other side of the stall. Suddenly we both heard this booming loud voice in the next stall over. Emily literally FLEW off the toilet (pants around her ankles) and bursts through the door yelling "Mom! We are in the boys bathroom!" I assured her that we weren't and rushed her back in before she peed everywhere.
 Okay, I could have sworn that was a man talking in the next stall. I quickly scanned the room for urinals, then I nonchalantly made my way out of the bathroom to check the the sign on the door. I am a sleep deprived mom of 4 kids...i easily could have walked into the men's restroom by mistake.
nope. I was in the right one...WHEW!  Just as I thought we were in the clear, Emily came out and SO NOT quietly announced that the lady next to her talks like a man. Just as I motioned to her to SHUSH...the lady came out with her daughter to wash their hands. She gave me the UGLIEST GLARE I have ever seen. Then Emily's friend came out of her stall and said "Hey Aubrey, why does that girl sound like a boy?" I seriously wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Ya gotta love 4 year olds that speak their minds!

Fall sessions are full!!!

All fall sessions are full! thanks for a great year, I will be back after Christmas! I promised my family I would be ALL MOM during November and December (i get witchy when I have too much to do those months!)

Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite people EVER!:) Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE my neighborhood mama's???  i do. Oh, and this hot mama MADE her kids outfits - i want that tie.

a little road trip

I was brave. I did the laundry. I packed our clothes. I packed up the mom mobile. I drove to Logan (i know, it's not far) for our first road trip without daddy. I stopped to get a coke. We turned the primary songs up really loud. We rocked out. It was heaven in a minivan.
Then it got even better...cousins, ice cream factory, cheese factory,
red rover with GREAT grandma in the park, Popsicles, sprinklers, shopping, livingroom sleepovers with late night movies and popcorn. Yes, it is hard to take 4 kids anywhere, but OH SO WORTH IT.:)

 yes, I know these pictures are terrible...I was on a vacation - no work allowed!!!:)

yes, it's true...

i kinda adore these munchkins...a whole bunch.
book your fall session here

sad moment...

I put these cute little vintage stride rite shoes away till emily could wear them...dang it - I forgot all about them and now she can't even get them on! I hate it when I do that!
(my mom used to make me wear these when I was in elementary school. I DESPISED them, and now here I am torturing my little ones the same way! ahhhh...the joys of being the mommy!)

THIS....

makes my heart smile!:)

We have lived in our little house for 5 years without a single kid nearby for my kiddos to call a friend. Last summer I swore that I was going to move because of it!  Our house was under contract for awhile before it fell through. I prayed everyday and promised that I would change my attitude about living here if only ONE little kid would move in!
NO joke - one week later I heard the news that the parents of these 3 little girls had bought the house right behind us! I seriously cried (tears of pure excitement and joy of course!) I couldn't believe it!
I am truly one who believes that Heavenly Father has a plan for me...and if I ask, he will help.
These three little girls were the answer to my families prayers and have changed our lives in so many ways! I am greeted each and every morning at approx. 8:30 when I open my back door by sweet Brooklyn peeking over the fence just waiting for my kids to wake up! I LOVE her!
Yes, they are girls, but Zach doesn't mind a bit. He told me once that sometimes he forgets Eden is even a girl because she plays pirates!
Sam loves little Millie and they holler their baby babbles to each other from the screen door!

Anyway, I was just walking by and saw them all at the fence and I had to snap a picture of their cuteness!