Basement Progress

This month Russ stained and hung the shelves on our built ins. They look amazing! Seriously. It looks professionally done. He has done such a great job with our basement. It may take 10 years for us to finish it but it sure looks nice!

Piano Recital

Hallie had her first ever piano recital tonight. My mom is her teacher and comes every week to teach her piano. She also teaches most of her other grandkids too. We are really lucky she does this for us! Unfortunately Brooks seemed a little sick today and so Russ and him and Stockton stayed home. I recorded her performance to show Russ later though.

Hallie is not one to shy away from the spotlight and she killed her performance tonight! She played Chim Chim Cher-ee from the movie Mary Poppins. She had it completely memorized, no surprise there, and she didn't miss a note!

Kids

I know I sound like a broken record but boy do I love my kids! They are my life and there really isn't a second in any day where I am not thinking of them. I pray for their safety, success, health and so much more every night. 

Hallie was teaching Brooks how to dance. It was pretty hilarious and they both enjoyed it too!

Picnic in the backyard!

Hallie

Oh Hallie, you are simply amazing! She is a freaking genius and she doesn't even know it. Things just come so easy to her. She is so mature for her age. I really don't know what I would do without her. I expect so much from her and rely on her so much. She is the best biggest sister and oldest child. Her brothers have quite the example to look up to. She loves school and hearing her speak Spanish with her little Spanish accent is quite possibly the cutest thing ever. 

Looking at all the Valentines she got from her classmates

Hallie is old enough to go to Activity Days at church. I also got called to be an Activity Day Leader. Luckily Hallie still thinks I am cool and loves that I was called to be a leader. For Activity Days we cut and decorated hearts to "heart attack" a member of their family. Hallie chose to decorate 4 hearts for each member in the family writing why she loved each of us. "Daddy, cause you say I love you." "Mommy, cause you hearts on my door." "Brooks, cause you ask me to play everyday." "Stockton, cause you kinda hug."

Brooks

Oh my sweet Brooskie boy! I sure love my little snuggle lover! He asks pretty much every day if he can hang out with his Grandpas. He prays that Russ gets home safely every day in his prayers. He Tells me he loves me at least a few times a day. He prefers to sleep perpendicular in his bed. He can be so silly and crazy and yet be so timid and shy as well. He has a tender heart and we are working hard to get him to learn his letters. 

One day, while Gigi was here teaching piano to Hallie, Brooks told Gigi that Stanley was coming over later to take him on a "dirt road." Gigi and I looked surprised as this was not what was happening that night. Gigi then proceeded to call Stanley and tell him of Brooks' request. Stanley ended up coming over in the evening and took Brooks on a dirt road. There was still some snow on the road so they couldn't go far but man Brooks was happy!!

Russ is still serving in the bishopric and so I am solo on Sundays. Going to church with 3 little kids is hard! I feel like half of the time we make it and half of the time we don't. We don't make it because one of the kids is sick, or one of the kids is asleep or we aren't ready in time, etc. Lets just say that Sunday is not a day of rest for me, or for Russ. One particular Sunday our older kids were fighting during sacrament meeting. Hallie didn't want to sit next to Brooks but Brooks only wanted to sit next to Hallie. Hallie proceeded to move rows to be away from Brooks and then Brooks would follow her. I was upset that they weren't being reverent but felt like I had little control over the situation because I was trying to be quiet myself and take care of Stockton. While moving rows Brooks found a piece of electrical tape on the back of a chair. He then put it on his face and said, "Hey mom. I have a mustache!" In the moment I was upset but it really was pretty funny!

He does so great during my workout everyday. He actually looks forward to my workout. I don't know why but I'm glad he doesn't dread it. 

One minute he was awake and the next minute he was asleep. Haha!

He calls this "his band." He made this for Shelli but then once he "gave" it to her he asked for it back. I'm not sure he totally understands the concept of a "gift." Haha! I makes her something pretty much every week. Usually it is cut up pieces of paper in a plastic bag. I'm so glad he enjoys going to Shelli's so much!

One day I found Brooks taking his nap underneath his bed frame. Silly boy!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! I have the worlds best valentines and I am so lucky to call them mine! They are my everything and the reason my heart beats. I love them so much!!

Heart attack to Hallie's door. Hallie looks forward to this every year. She leaves the hearts up on her door for as long as I will let her. Often she chooses 3-5 hearts that she wants to keep forever. She is so sweet!

"Things we love about Hallie!" "How you are so good at solving problems," "How observant you are and how you notice the details of everything," "How you aren't afraid to share your opinion," "When you curl your lip when you really focus on something." 

"You are so smart and learning Spanish so well," "How you always draw/color or make something to give to others when we go out," "Determined and know what you want," "How you always want to choose the right," "When you laugh hard," "That you will still hold my hand in public."

"Friendly and can make friends with anyone," "How kind you are to your friends," "How confident you are," "

Brooks' door

"Things we love about Brooks:" "Your love for camping," "That you look just like your dad," "I love when you laugh hard," "How much you love your Grandpas," "How happy you always are," "That you love to wear hats." 

"Your love for trucks and trailers," "That you eat meat with Daddy," "That you love to snuggle," "Your missing teeth smile," "How protective you are of your siblings." 

Stockton's door. "Things we love about Stockton:" "Tiny toes," "Determination," "Laugh," "Hearing you jabber and say "mamama"," "Dimple smile." 

Russ' door

"Things I love about Russ," "The way I fit into your arms and feel so safe when I am there," "You never forget important days!" "You think I am beautiful and treat me so well," Your integrity," "Your patience with me," "When I see you kiss our kids." 

"Your love for good food," "Your love for sports,"You tell me you love me everyday," "You always support me." 

"That we have been together for more then 17 years!" "Your shoe and massage gun fetish," "How we get along so well and almost never argue," "How you are geniunely just a really good person with a good heart," "Your faith in God," "How we can be silly together and be completely ourselves around each other," "When you laugh really hard and start to cry a little," "Those times when we are going to bed and start talking and then laughing really hard at something," "How smart you are and how much I rely on you for knowing everything about anything."

"How handsome you are," "How you care about my happiness," "How you know me better then anyone else and still choose to love me," "How you randomly say, "Hey Ky, I love you!"" "How you like my dance moves and when you dance with me too!" "How I turn you on without doing anythiing (really, I'm glad you find me attractive)."

The kids woke up to their heart attack doors and presents. We went a little overboard on gifts this year. I got the kids something and then Russ also wanted to get them a few things. They are so spoied!

Russ got me and Hallie and Brooks our own snuggie hoodie. I am actually a little surprised at how much I use that thing when we are hanging around the house. 

I got the older kids "tiny books" filled with pictures of them. My kids LOVE to look at the yearly books I make of all of these blog posts. They ask to look at them often. So, I made 3 tiny books for each of them containing pictures of them and the family! They loved them. 

Russ gave Hallie and Brooks their own Jazz hats. Brooks loves that he has a Jazz hat "just like daddy's." He wore it everyday for like a month straight after getting it. Haha!

I gave Russ a personalized desk calander for work. Each day has a different picture of us as a family or individually. He loved it!

Stocktons is obsessed with Hallie's stuffed animal, Ollie. So, I got him a different stuffed animal but one that is just as soft. He took a liking to this racoon initially but then still wanted Hallie's Ollie. So, a few days later, we bought him his very own Ollie. He loves it and snuggles it and now sleeps with it every night. It is so funny to me how particular he was about the stuffed animal he had. Both were equally soft and brand new but just different animals.  

After presents, Hallie was off to school with her homemade Valentine's box!

Grandma Becky and Grandpa Joe dropped off a Valentine's treat on our porch!

For dinner we had our annual candlelight spaghetti dinner!

After dinner, we decorated cookies!

Well isn't Russ just cute!?!