3 Babies Bathing In A Tub!

Every night I load this crew into the tub, scrub off the dirt, dry them off, get lotion on them, and stick em in their jammies. It is a lot of work and by the time it is done the bathroom is soaked, I am soaked and they usually are worked up from playing and I have to get them calmed down to put them to bed. They are my crazy little circus but I love watching them play together, and treat each other kindly. The 3 of them really do love each other, I can see it everyday and especially during bath time when they play together soaking in the tub. 

Life lately...

• Summer officially started on Friday! 
• Larry started BARBRI and always has his face in a book, compute screen, or flash card. We don't see him much. 
• I've already gotten my first sun burn. 
• Scout cut another tooth...that makes 6! 
• Noah is on the verge of potty training, or so we say :) 
• My mom and I went do to fresno for the day for a cousins wedding, we took scout it was nice to be in the temple. Made me remember how in love I was with Larry when we were sealed almost 8 years ago. 
• Spent a few hours helping my Grandpa get his new IPOD touch all updated. He was so sweet and grateful. He is amazing at 92 using an IPOD touch. Love that man. 
• Noah and Scout went shopping with me the other day at Target...I think we should be a on a Target commercial we are there so often. 
• I've been taking lots of pictures of the three kids in our everyday life...don't want to miss a moment or memory. 
• Max has discovered a love for all things Star Wars and finally got to watch the movies. He really wanted to see how Darth Vader died. 
• We've went swimming almost every day last week. 
• We go to Texas in 13 days!! 
• I've been dying to get away with Larry and have been brain storming where we could escape to. 
• I'm starting to plan Max's Ninjago lego party it's going to be awesome! 
• Max goes around singing the star wars theme song everywhere.
• Max and Noah have been playing so well together. They play ninjas and power rangers or star wars and get all their swords out and fight. 
• Tonight they made a naked army...Scout was in her diaper so Noah stripped down to his and Max took off his clothes and was in his undies. They all ran around with scout crawling behind she thought it was the best. She loves being included with them. 

We are excited for summer and all the things that come along with it. I am a bit nervous as Larry stopped working a week ago and we got his last check for the entire summer on friday. It will be a bit stressful for me to manage all our finances but I know that he has to put in the time to study and he is going to pass if he does! 

Max's LMNO Preschool Graduation!!

My Sweet Max graduated from Preschool on Friday night. His preschool is so amazing and he has loved his year at LMNO. He has grown so much and learned a lot this last year. He has made some really great friends and has learned to share, express himself better, and listen to other adults. He was timid to go last September but would leave the house now waving bye mom see ya later. He has learned to write his numbers, letters, recognize some sight words, and can sing some awesome songs. He got to go on a lot of fun field trips, have some great class parties! He loved his teachers Miss Shannon and Miss Megan who he see at church too.

His graduation was SO cute. They had a fun program with songs, jokes, and they even marched in to the normal graduation pomp and circumstance....I almost melted when he walked in the very last guy he was so nervous, and had a small little smirk across his face. He loved being with his buds as he calls them. He sand a solo song about the number 4, he was so proud and brave. He also did a funny joke about dinosaurs. I teared up when they talked about the unit they did on babies and Max got to bring in scout when she was just 5 months old. He was SO proud to bring his baby sister in and show her off. All the little kids loved her and got to learn about babies and hold her. Max was beaming with pride and as Miss Shannon was recalling the event he was smiling so big. I almost lost it, it was so sweet to remember that.

 I have so many emotions and mixed feelings as he leaves this little preschool and enters public school. I have a lot of fears as a mother and I always felt 100% confident that Max would be loved and safe at his preschool. I knew he would learn and be boosted up! It is scary to send him off into the next phase of life.

I had to add that on the way to the graduation Max feel asleep in the car. Poor guy had a late night before and was tired from all his playing through the week. We had to wake him up and he was crying and grumpy and I thought OH NO this might not go to well. I finally said to him if he could wake up, put a smile on and do amazing he could pick out a small lego. In 2 seconds flat he stood up smiled and went right up there! That kid! Legos are the key to his heart. I also had to add he was smoking hot mad about being in church clothes and the second everything was done he changed right back into his "comfy clothes." It's the little things that make him who is is right? Even though they test me!

We had a fun night with his friends from preschool and took lots of pictures. It might be silly to some but it was so special to watch all these little kids so excited. I love being able to do things like this for Max. It makes him feel loved, brights him out of his shell and shows him that learning matters. Noah was excited to know he will be able to graduate from LMNO in a few years.  I'm so happy for Max to see him grow but also so sad. I wish he could stay a little boy so sweet and innocent forever. I wish I could keep him sheltered and safe, but I know my job is to make him the best responsible, loving, kind, high achieving Man he can be and I am trying my hardest and so is he!

 

 

Pictured above is the girl Max says he is going to marry. Her name is Taylee Rinicki they use to be in our ward long ago. I had to snap a picture just in case you never know...BYU 2027?! Also Megan and Shannon had the cutest display at the front...and yes they used our church building, loving the picture of Christ in the background! Out of the 12 in their class 7 are moving on to K.

 

 

Sweet Max getting up to the microphone! There were close to 70 people there!! Way to go buddy you are so awesome and brave. You made me to proud!! His teachers also made him the best memory book around! I can't say enough about how awesome his preschool was!! 

3 Monkeys Jumping On The Bed!!

Some afternoons when Scout has just woken up from her afternoon nap I have Max run in to get her...well to greet her he can't pull her out of the crib yet. Most times Noah follows along and into the crib they all end up  jumping around and tackling each other. Scout loves it, she is the most excited baby alive when you come to grab her from her crib. It's like she is psyched to be up after a good nap she just shrieks with happiness and always as you pull her up and out of the crib she kicks and pumps her little legs, it's the best thing. I am currently hearing her scream with delight from her crib as I type this. I tell you if your a sad person come hang around her because she will make you feel happiness.

Anyways I found these 3 yesterday jumping around in the crib. Of course being the mom I am I made them take some pictures and then let them play a little more while I tried to clean up the room. If you notice in the pictures the lovely puzzles everywhere and not pictured the extra bed in Scouts room with legos all over them. of course up on the bed so Max can play and Scout can't crawl up and eat the legos...it's a big problem in this house...Scout the lego eater! More on that later. For now enjoy my lovely children who I can't say it enough love with all my heart.

Another thing I say a million times is how loved Scout is. Look at that sweet Noah giving her a kiss. Do you think she just loves her brothers as well?? That one picture of her looking at Max, I can just hear her screaming at him with excitement. Another note worthy thing to remember is Noah's outfit..he did not wear that at the beginning of the day but fell asleep on the floor in the morning and peed through his original more put together outfit. AH motherhood. These are the moments I want to remember...why does everyone have to grow up and grow old? Not a fan. For now I will write down as many memories and take a thousand pictures so I can remember these babies of mine. 

Getting Real Over here...

So I went to the dr. on Thursday, just a post D&C check up to see how I am doing. I got on the stinking scale like they make you do at every appointment and low and behold I am 10 pounds more then I've ever been (except pregnancies) I had been feeling pretty bad about myself and also guilty for how much I gained during those first 3 months of pregnancy trying to push back the nausea I had suffered for so long. I've been feeling pretty bad about myself and this was just the cherry on top! I came home and quickly yelled at Larry why he hadn't told me I'd gotten so fat. He rolled his eyes at me and said I looked no different so it was just a hormonal thing. It's been pretty bad, not only did I loose a baby but I got fat and now have no baby to nurse it off or to show for my ever changing body. Also if I hear one more person is pregnant I feel like I might die! I better go to bed, or hit the gym. Let's hope I wake up happy and not fat or circle-y as I use to call it in college.

Memorial Day Weekend.

This last weekend we soaked up the beautiful weather California had to offer! We also knew that Larry would be staring his BarBri prep on Tuesday and now we won't see him very often for the next 10 weeks. I took full advantage of him being around and did lots of fun things together!

Friday night we hung out with all our wonderful friends. We are blessed with so many different friends in our lives...really it's so awesome to have so many people we can do stuff with, I feel and know how lucky I am! We had a BBQ and the kids played, the moms talked, and the dads watched the basketball game. There were a few screaming kids at the end but everyone had a great time!

                         

  We tried so hard to get a picture of all the kids! Haha I think a few are missing still.... 

                            

{My three crazies!} 

Saturday we went out to Roseville in the morning to run an errand then met up with the Harris Family at the dino park my kids love. We had lunch and the kids played through the afternoon! I got one picture of Larry lounging with 2 kids...I'm sure Noah is giving Larry and ear full about some story he is making up! 

Sunday we went to church, then spent the evening at the Harris eating dinner with them and the Martins. It is always so fun to get together. The kids are so creative and come up with the most funny things like making a prom or playing orphanage.  Monday we decided to hit Cameron Park lake and enjoy the warming up weather. My kids love the lake and will swim and play for hours. Scout was a mess. She was crawling around the sand...ingesting who knows how much of it. She did have a fun time though. It's going to be a hard summer with her balancing her naps and also her not walking yet...I hope it happens soon! 

                   

                     

We had such a fun weekend, and a great kick off to summer. We had so many fun things planned to keep us busy while Larry is super busy studying. Also can you tell that I can't get enough of this girl?? We look forward to all the tan lines we will be getting the next few months!

A Sleepy Scout

Nothing, and I mean nothing is better then watching a baby sleep. It is the most calming, safe feeling watching this precious baby sleep. I have hundreds of pictures of my sleeping kids. Noah in particular I have a lot of because there is something so nice in watching him so innocent even though he is so crazy when he is awake.

Watching scout the other day sleeping as Larry drove us home from a fun Saturday at the park and lunch made my heart burst. I love watching her tiny features I had to grab a picture. She is growing up so fast before I know it she will be a toddler. I am trying to remember every tiny detail of her. I feel like I just keep shoveling more and more memories into my brain trying to capture it all before she vanishes before my eyes. It is honestly giving me this panicked feeling of how cruel time is and how fast it goes by. It makes me heartsick at times.

For now I will document it all, every sleeping picture and every moment I feel totally content with my life. Oh I much I love this darling girl! We were so blessed when she joined our family!

                  

Rain In May!

As I was preparing dinner tonight the skies opened up and poured some rain down on our seriously in need of rain state! We were so happy and thankful for the storm. There has been a drought the last 4 or so years in California so in my kids life time they have never really seen a real California wet winter so every time it rains it is a blessing and a treat! The boys get out their boots and coats and think it's the best thing to go check it out. I thought tonight about the drought and how sad and worried I am sometimes for my kids lives. Things have changed, weather and environments. Things that were once normal aren't anymore. I am not crazy eco person but I do worry about the impact we have on the world and what kind of earth my kids will be growing up in. I read an article the other day about a mega drought being as bad as the dust bowl in the 1930s. Larry says I shouldn't read stuff like that, it was like when the Eboli outbreak happened  in the fall and I was sure we should maybe buy some hazmat suits. Anyways instead of getting on a tangent I will enjoy the rain and pray for more at least so my kids can get a kick out of it and maybe are grass won't die this summer :) 

Scout girl was mesmerized by the rain. I know she has seen it before but only when she was a littler baby now she is more alert and can see whats going on. She hasn't seen much in her short little life so if was fun to see her reaction and every time the thunder got loud she'd look over at me for reassurance and get all startled. She is a beauty. Sorry if you get sick of reading that. 

 

Noah got all his stuff on and matched right outside to check it all out. Max was inside complaining about the lightning and thunder. So typical their black and white personalties. These big brown eyes are one of my favorite features on Noah. Also love him in his hunter boots they have been perfect for all their hikes they go on with my mom. 

 

Instagram Love.

Okay so you all know my goal this year was to better document my family. I have tried to keep this updated and to add things as I remember them so I can look back later on. I have also been keeping my journals for the kids which one day I hope they look at...well I hope they hug and cherish them but lets get real. Anyways I have also for the last 3 or so years posted daily on Instagram. I have loved getting to remember quick moments and share them with friends and family. It is kind of amazing and scary how connected we all are. I do love feeling like I am still in close contact with my best friend Jill who lives in Texas. I love seeing her photos pop up on Instagram and It makes me feel like I'm up to date on her life. We talk lots as well but it's a neat peak into everyday life. I have also found this awesome company that will print my Instagram photos off and send them to me. It is almost no work and I LOVE keeping these books around and feel like I am trying my best to keep our family lives documented.

We had a relief society night a few weeks back about documenting your legacy. The night was dedicated to learning different ways to share your family and life story. Why it is important to keep these memories alive. Sometimes I wonder if I will look back and feel sad, or embarrassed or if I even will care to look back but I know I will regret it I don't try my hardest to get these things down! So kids if your reading this later on in life know that I tried! And Old AnnMarie look at all the things you did to remember this season of your life. Okay that is sad picturing me old..moving on!

Anyways I am so happy for all these ways to keep the memories of our legacy going. We aren't perfect, we fail a lot, I cry and yell too much BUT we love each other and we are slowly making memories and traditions as a family that I do hope will last for generations to come. I personally know how much a good or even worse a bad influence can effect generations. So check us out on instagram..or don't because it is a million pictures of my kids and our everyday life.

Larry's Law School Graduation

Did you guys just read that?? After 4 long years he is finally done with law school! It has been a long journey with  finishing his first year of school down in San Diego to finishing up here in Sacramento. For those of you who didn't know Larry had been working full time at a law firm for the last 4 years then driving downtown to go to school 3-4 nights a week and some Saturdays...for the last 4 years! In those years we have moved and had 2 babies. It has been crazy and almost at times comical. I have fallen into a routine with him being gone so often people will ask me how I will feel when he is finally home and I think I have no clue, it will be weird to introduce him back into our routine but I am so excited for all the extra help in those long evenings. It is particularly hard to juggle bathing 3 kids and putting them to bed alone not to mention FHE and the one night a week I am at mutual which my mom so graciously has watched them for the last 3 years almost.

The actual graduation was hectic and crazy. It was right in the middle of naps and we were having lots of conflicts with different parties going on in the late afternoon. We got there just in time to snap a family photo then get our seats. The ceremony was long and both boys fell asleep on the ground. We actually had to leave a tiny bit early to get Max to a birthday party he had been dying to go to so I snuck out early with all three kids to get Max there so we didn't see Larry go across the stage but its fine the boys were totally clueless to what was happening. My parents and grandpa came as well to support which was nice.

Later that night we had a big open house celebration for Larry. The house was totally decorated with big posters and signs grandpa made and we had lots of people come and go and congratulate the grad! We could not have done this without all the friends and family that supported us during these years. It was a fun night to remember and to also acknowledge what a big deal this actually was! Sometimes I would get grumpy over the years and feel like it was so long with was anti climactic but my mom made it clear it was something that needed to be celebrated and so we partied hard!

I really am so proud of Larry and all the balancing he has had to do over the years. We've come a long way and we are almost done! Larry plans to take the California Bar in July and continue back at his firm in August. He is taking 10 weeks off to study and take this massive life changing test. I try my best to not ponder on the test and just encourage and be supportive...it's all on him to pass and I know he can do it! He is taking a big study class for 8 weeks and not working just to prepare for it! So everyone wish us luck we are almost there!!

Mothers Day 2015

I have been a mother now for almost 5 years. Where has the time gone? and I also have SO many more years of mothering to do, really a lifetime more! Motherhood in one word is exhausting. In a million more words it is the best most selfless, crazy, endless, rewarding, loving, silly, messy, sad, exciting, nerve racking, constantly praying job I have ever done.

Being a mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I've made wonderful friends, brought out talents I never knew I had, dug deep within me, and the love...there is so much love. It is so hard to really describe the love I have for my children. I now know why sometimes It was hard for my mom to accurately tell me about it all. It is one of those crazy things where some little human is driving you nuts maybe crying for no real reason, made a huge mess, ruined your favorite thing, almost brought you to tears type scenario, and then they do something so cute or loving you just melt, and all those things are forgotten. The love is powerful the connection is so strong.

I am so blessed to be called a mom! It is scary to raise these humans to give it all up and try to give them the very best life possible. What if they get ruined? What if they mess up? What if I mess them up? What if they get scared, bullied, are afraid? What if I can't help them? It is the endless what ifs that keep me up at night. I constantly worry for my children...I understand a mothers prayer.

My heart pleads that they will feel and know my love. I hope they remember all the times I took them to the park, the zoo, let them have a special treat, took them swimming and not all the bad things. The time I put them in time out 10 times in one day (well lets hope they learned that lesson) , the time I cried in the car because I just couldn't go on. That time I shoved them into their room and locked myself in the bathroom just to sit in quiet for a second...this job is hard.

I read stacks of parenting books giving me ideas on how to help them be responsible, happy, independent children. I read books on how to communicate with them and how to understand their developing brain. I want so badly to be the very best I can be so that they can be the very best I know they can become! But I am just me, imperfect mother as they come. Sometimes I let them watch too much TV or let them not clean their room because the battle is not worth it. I try to relish in the endless lego battle I am facing and think I know someday I will miss coming down to some lego scene on the kitchen counter. I know I will miss the hands pulling on my clothes, the snot rubbed into my shoulder from holding the baby on my hip. My brain and heart know I will miss it all, but somedays...the hard days I want them to end. I dream of the independence age brings..no more diapers, no more missing pacifiers or bottles. What a dream!

And yet my heart aches for the baby that was lost...a person who won't be in our family. My mother heart prays to be blessed with more! My mother heart wants a baby constantly on her hip, a tiny face to whip down, and little chubby fingers and toes to kiss. My mother heart has more love to give.

I tell my children constantly how much I love them. I think it is important for them to hear it, sure they may take if for granite but they will know and feel their love form me. I think that is the most important thing a mother can give their child...unconditional love. I might not be good at all things but that one I've been working hard on giving to them.

This mothers day I felt sad and happy. I was tired I had thrown a baby shower, a big mothers day evening for young women's, and then a graduation party for Larry. It was a week where I felt I just kept giving and giving and by the time Sunday rolled around I just wanted to crawl in bed for the day.  We had a nice time at church and the boys gave me a sweet card. The one thing I wanted was a picture of us all and I was able to get that! I love that we honor moms, that kids and husbands know how important we are. Everyone has a roll to play in a family and the moms the glue that holds it all together! I'm trying my best along with Larry to keep our family strong and filled with love.

Happy mothers day to all the moms out there! It takes a village to raise a child and I am surrounded by the best moms around. I know my children are loved not only by my, but by their village. It's an amazing feeling to know my kids are safe, and happy and love. It's a mothers dream! Thank you all.