Catch Up

I haven't posted in awhile so I will try to catch up with everything!  It's mostly just a bunch of random pictures from my phone!

I had to share this picture of Zach with a peep stuffed in his mouth...

Zach helping Daddy

At the end of April, we noticed a small bump on Haylee's upper thigh. Since we had recently dealt with MRSA with Zach, it instantly alarmed us and we treated it as such. By the next evening it was looking worse and she could barely sit because of the pain. We had to drain it again and took her to the doctor first thing in the morning . It was confirmed it was MRSA and she was put on antibiotics. The doctor drained it a lot more which is a very painful experience. Haylee screamed and screamed at the doctor and at one point started yelling "Come on!!". We were told that if it got worse or she started running a fever to take her to the ER immediately. Well, around 5pm she started running a fever. I took her to the ER and we waited there for about 4 hours. I was starting to think they forgot about us, and Haylee would go through periods of extreme uncomfortableness and would cry. It was miserable. They finally got her back and there was so much built up under the skin they had to do a minor procedure to drain it and then pack it. I'm normally a tough mama when it comes to these things, I don't cry when my kids get shots. I barely held it together this time though, they were essentially torturing her. It took 6 shots to numb her and those are shots being placed in the already extremely painful and tender abscess. I found out later from her pediatrician, she was surprised they didn't put her under for it. Poor little girl, she is a tough cookie. Thankfully she got to come home that evening. And thankfully, that was the worst of it and it cleared up. We are praying that we are done with MRSA for good. 

My precious baby

Scott and few other guys stayed very busy this month landscaping our new church. Our church was able to get a building so we have a 24/7 home!

Scott also joined our church's softball team again this year so I take the kids out there as often as I can to watch him (and their uncles) play. They love going, especially this particular evening. We stayed all 3 games, even Zach was running around having a blast.

The super moon rising over the field.

Pasta night, I think Zach liked it a lot. That, or just smeared it all over himself.

A big storm rolled in one evening. The dust storm was crazy, the whole sky was orange. It was so eerie, the pictures don't even do it justice!

The next picture sums up the month of May for us!

 

It started with Haylee and the MRSA. Then Rylee had a sore throat and a fever and missed a day of school. The next day, Zach had a really runny nose and that afternoon he was sick to his stomach. This lasted for about 6 days. During that time Rylee was coughing like a mad woman, coughing so hard she would gag herself. Haylee ran a fever and was just lethargic for a length of time. She also had stomach issues for almost a week. On Mother's Day, Scott and all of my kids were sick. Scott had the stomach bug and was in bed all day. The next day Rylee got the stomach bug and missed 3 more days of school. That Friday, she went back to school and Scott and I snuck away for a date to the movies. We were SO excited to get out of the house to see The Avengers (we had been anxiously waiting to see it!) and be normal again. Unfortunately, right when the movie started I got a phone call from the school nurse. Rylee threw up in class so we had to go get her! The next day was ok. We all seemed normal. Things were looking up. But that evening I started feeling yucky and was hit with the stomach bug too. And it lasted for a good 3-4 days. I couldn't believe another stomach bug went through our house just 2 months after the last one. Yuck! I was so happy to flip the calendar to June, that's for sure! Memorial Day weekend was fabulous, it was nice to be normal and healthy again. 

During all of the sickness, Rylee's school had a Breakfast with Mom event and I got to go to school with her and have donuts together. It was very special, especially when I left she hugged me so tight and she teared up as I was leaving. I love her so much, and I love those moments.

Playing out back, trying to beat the heat!  

The girls in their swimming pool lol...

I was very sick the evening of the solar eclipse so Scott took a bunch of pictures to show me. You can't tell the moon is there but I thought it was a pretty picture.

Rylee had an award ceremony at school. She received a medal for being on the honor roll all 4 quarters! So proud of her!

Rylee's last day of School! (It was PJ day) I CANNOT believe how fast that year went. Her first day seems like just yesterday! Now she is a 1st grader!

The first day of summer vacation we went and picked peaches. There weren't many left, so we searched hard for good ones. We came home with a full box and I made 8 cobblers to freeze! So delicious!

Love this picture of Scott. They found this guy while working at the church.

 

Scott surprised us yesterday by bringing home a kiddie pool. The kids played in it for hours!

Easter Weekend

On Good Friday, our youngest nephew had to go to the hospital so the 2 older boys spent the day at our house. It was a very busy day entertaining 5 kiddos!

We set up the slip n slide in our back yard which they all loved.

We watched a movie with 3D glasses, Eli cracked me up wearing his.

I had planned to make Resurrection rolls with my kids that day so we went ahead and did it with all of them. I thought they were mostly for teaching the kids but they were actually really delicious too! In between reading the story from the bible, Dade entertained us with his beloved Titanic book.

All 5 finally relaxing!

The next day, we colored Easter egss.

Haylee had 7 done before any of us really got started. She has always been that way, drops an egg in each color for a second and calls it done. She'd rather eat them.

Zach concentrating.

Finished batch

Easter morning began with Easter baskets

Then an egg hunt out back. I didn't get any good pictures of the girls hunting, they were too quick. Zach loved it, he especially loved it once he discovered the candy inside of the eggs. Here he is in an early morning candy induced daze. "Where's the eggs?"

Us!

Each of the kids in their Easter Sunday best.

Rylee

Haylee

and Zach

After church service there was an egg hunt for the kids. They turned in their eggs for a prize and I thought Zach was so cute. He booked it over to the table and handed his bucket over. He knew what he was doing. I don't think they could even see him down there.

We then went over to my mom's for a big family dinner and another egg hunt. They were pros at this by then, Haylee even found the giant egg. She scored $20!

18 Months

Zach is now 18 months old! I took him for his well check appointment and all suspicions that he is a big boy are indeed correct! He weighed in at 31 lbs and 34 inches tall. Which put him in the 95% for everything! The doctor said that since he is perfectly proportionate, he's just a big guy!

I love this age. He's turning into a little kid but still so cute and innocent. He understands pretty much everything we say to him, and he follows direction really well (for now, ha!)! He has a few words which are Mama, Dada, no, ya, up, dog, more, bowl, bye bye, ball, and car. And he loves cars. Whenever we go anywhere he points and yells in excitement at every car (or his favorite, trucks) and doesn't stop yelling until you acknowledge him. He has the cutest run where he takes off with one arm swinging full force. He loves running and being chased. Whenever he wants anything he'll usually come up and smack ya a few times to get your attention then point and grunt. He still loves being held, which isn't working so well anymore because he's HUGE. He is a very picky eater, even though he doesn't show it physically! He is using a fork and spoon just in an extremely messy way. But don't even dare try to help him. He is still considered to be very cute by his sisters, they really baby him. He has such cute expressions, glares, and a scrunched up nose when he laughs. He still has quite a temper though and we still have days that remind me of his newborn screaming days and how I don't miss that part! We've started sending him to his corner and find it hilarious because he actually goes and stays there. He is all boy and the older he gets the more differences I see. Especially the fact that he loves sticks and attacking things (people) with them and playing with toy cars. He also is very accident prone and is always getting into some sort of trouble ending in bumps and bruises (mostly on his forehead!) I love my boy, I still look at him daily and thank God for not only blessing us with two beautiful daughters but a son too.

Scrunched nose


First Popsicle

Jennifer's Wedding

My sister, Jennifer, (she is actually my half sister, same Dad), got married last Friday! I was so glad we could make it! It was at a park in Payson and she looked beautiful!
Our Dad walking her down the aisle. And my niece Ivy behind her!

The I Do's

Our Dad, me, my sister, and her husband Paul!

Just had to throw in a picture of my handsome little guy! ;)Group pictureCongratulations Paul and Jennifer!

Spring Break

Last week was Rylee's spring break and, to be honest, I was not really looking forward to it. I just envisioned a week of my girls fighting over everything and constant tattling and by the end of the week just being done! I was so very wrong! It was a wonderfully perfect week! I really liked having Rylee home again, it felt like a break for all of us. No having to get up and be ready by a certain time, no last minute morning stress or afternoons cut short, no homework!, and Haylee had Rylee to play with all day (mostly outside) which actually gave me a break.
One of the days, our favorite day, was meeting up with Holly and her boys at the Train Park. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a blast!

Riding the carousel

Rylee and Dade on the train

Haylee and ZachHolly and Elliott (and Eli is down there somewhere!)

All 6 kids we managed all day, on the train together

Zach was so happy and content just sitting in his corner of the train. I think he liked the freedom he had.

The girl's favorite part was the ice cream cones! Here is Haylee looking a lot like her Dad with that goatee!After the park, we ventured over to the mall for lunch and to get Rylee's ears pierced. Rylee had been asking for a long time to do it so every time she asked I would tell her that it will hurt so she has to be ready. Once when she was 4, she hit the nurse out of pain when she got her shots. So I felt the need to really prepare her! She was so excited all day. When we got there she quietly sat in the chair waiting patiently as I filled out the paperwork. I could tell she was nervous. It was over with so fast and she did amazing. Afterwards, she sat there so still but tears welled up in her eyes. She softly said that hurt but within minutes she was fine and so thrilled to finally have earrings!Before she got her ears pierced, we were walking around the mall and we had to take the elevator down to the next floor. Rylee and Haylee jumped in first and we asked Dade to hold the door open so Holly and I could get both strollers in. Well, he thought the door was going to close on him so he jumped back and the door closed before we could get to it. The elevator immediately went down and I could hear Rylee panicking, yelling on the way down! Holly raced over to and down the escalator to save the day and she brought back up 2 little girls, one (being Rylee) in tears because she was so scared. Later, I asked her what was worse, the pain of getting her ears pierced or getting separated at the elevator. She said the elevator experience. Easily. Ha!

Haylee originally wanted to get her ears pierced too but decided not too after Rylee did hers. Which surprised me since Rylee reacted so well. Someday though!

I got home feeling like it was such a wonderful successful day, I am so very thankful to be their mother! I love spending time with them, especially when they make it easy on me taking the 3 of them out all day!

Later in the week we had a beautiful rainy day and while we were eating lunch it started hailing. It came down so fast and crazy and completely blanketed everything in white.
It was crazy looking out and seeing our neighborhood like this!We couldn't let the "snow" go to waste so we quickly built a snowman, AZ style, before the white all melted away.