October

It's been over a month since I last blogged, so it's a lot to catch up on!

 

 

The kids all have their "favorite" dish jobs after dinner and all go nuts if we try to rotate them. Michael is the dish master. He might take his own sweet time, making towers with cups and having battles between the different utensils, but the job (usually) gets done.

 

Jake really did amazing this soccer season. He has stepped up his dribbling game and loves to be tricky, sneaky and fast. He scored almost every game and was so fun to watch try his best!

 

Nicole is 10! She is 61 inches tall. Wears size 14 pants to get them long enough. Size 6 shoes. She says her top three traits are: funny, creative and fast. She is a major helper with the little ones, they adore her. Whenever I'm baking, she's usually in the wings helping measure, put ideas together, and read the recipe. For her birthday, she invited two friends to go bowling- her cousin Kiersten and friend from around the corner Clarice- who also happen to be in her school class.

 

She requested a death by chocolate cake with buttercream roses. So yummy!

 

We had a moms vs girls game that kind of dissolved as the game wore on. The girls got to name the moms. I was Baboon, Laura was Orangutan, and Marian was Proboscis Monkey. It was so fun seeing the girls laughing so much and having fun with their moms.

 

Taking a timeout from bowling to play with gifts. We maxed out our bowling time we were having so much fun.

 

The moms! We realized that each of us has six kids, whew!

 

Nicole bowling.

 

Women's Conference with a baby and tired mommy! But we did it and Nicole stayed awake until almost the very end. It's hard to stay away once we get towards 9pm for her, but I loved listening to talks and singing the songs together.

 

Diana holding John at church. I have discovered if Diana is ever getting restless, asking if she wants to hold John is magic to get her to settle down. You can see her barely restrained energy. And this was before the meeting started!

 

Nicole and her Eiffel Tower of Cookies.

 

Jim and I had a meeting before school with some teachers and the kids played in an office and wound train tracks all through the different teachers offices! We had to hurry and have them clean up when the bell rang.

 

Never had or made macarons before and had to make them three times before I was happy with them. Wow they are good, especially these salted caramel ones dipped in chocolate! Jim delivered these to one of the doctors he goes surfing with.

 

 

Nicole with her card from Great Grandma and Grandpa Davies! I love how they have so many memories from last year's trip to UT and I hope we get to go there next year when my parents get back from their mission.

 

That night, Diana fell off of Katy's tricycle. She came inside saying "I broke my ARM!" and I just thought she was super hungry for dinner and fussy. But, a half hour later, long after she'd normally have bounced back, she was still fussy and pain was on her face. So Jim took her in and sure enough, it was a complete break of her elbow and she was super swollen it was crazy.

 

She was so exhausted the next day from pain and took a long nap. It was SO hard for her to be careful with her arm only in a sling and not being able to run in case she fell and broke it more.

 

When Jim was at Urgent Care he accidentally texted both me and our neighbor that her arm was indeed broken. So our sweet neighbors brought over things to keep Diana happy and entertained.

 

John figuring out more of his world.

 

Our favorite this fall so far- Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cake with Candied Pecans. This one had to leave the house fast or we would have devoured it! :)

 

Michael is in my Wolf Den now and gets to join our group of 9 scouts. It's a wild wonderful crazy time...and way after my bed time :) I love those boys and all of that energy output means I usually spend the next day or two recovering. To put it in perspective, Michael is by no means the most active boy. Whew!

 

Salted Caramel Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting. Another big hit at the dr offices.

 

Finally, after a week that was so stressful for me constantly worrying about her falling and getting a break requiring surgery, Diana got her cast! 4 weeks. And come to think of it, I haven't blogged since she got the cast. She was such a good sport about everything and what a joy it was to watch her be able to play more actively.

 

There's the break. Clean and painful.

 

Determined to have some active fun before General Conference started, and even though Jim was at the hospital on call, we went to Home Depot's kids workshop. Since I had John, I told the kids they needed to help each other and they did it was so wonderful.

 

I love to see the skills they've developed. Lego sets have helped them learn how to follow directions.

 

No smashed thumbs this time! Both of the boys had soccer games that morning too, so we went from the workshop to drop off Mike at his game and then go to Jake's game. Jim was able to get back from the hospital in time to pick up Mike and then we had a good hour before conference started. Quite a lot of activity before conference, but actually made it easier for them to settle down to conference activities and listen. I have loved their soccer games because it gets me out of the house in the fresh air. Such a wonderful feeling to get out and play.

 

I made us one of those salted caramel pumpkin cakes for conference, and then friends brought by some byu cookies that the kids loved!

 

Each night, I get a little time with just John. I treasure these moments of peace and stillness, when I thank my Heavenly Father for the gift of being a mom and for the promptings of the Holy Ghost that bless our family. He is doing the sign language for "I love you"

 

On Sunday morning before Conference, we took a nature walk and Nicole took pictures of beautiful creations. I love her shots. Here are a few.

 

It was quite an adventure keeping up with Michael and the others and encouraging a reflective, slower paced walk. Michael and Diana trying not to run on a straightaway was a kangaroo trying not to hop!

 

Sunday was tougher than Saturday, as the activities and quiet time hours added up. We started like this.

 

And during the closing song I took this picture. Quality family time. And we will need to revisit some of those talks :)

 

Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars

 

During Jacob's soccer game, Diana was fooling around in a spare soccer goal. Somehow she got her pants button stuck on the net while upside down. Only Diana!

 

Diana getting some drum skills going.

 

A favorite was to add candied pecans to the salted caramel brownies.

 

I have to watch John like a hawk because his sisters love to be little mothers and don't quite understand why he doesn't need to be completely covered with blankets.

 

Every day at carpool picking up the kids the little girls fall asleep. Power nap before they chase after their siblings the rest of the afternoon.

 

Pumpkin Spice Cake for Marian's birthday. A key detail of this cake is that it has 3x the cream cheese frosting of a normal cake due to the ribbon ruffles.

 

We had a hurricane go up the coast and come right up to NC. We got over 6 inches of rain in one day and that night Jim's mom and Kelly and her three boys flew in. So while the newscasters are saying stay off the roads at all costs, Jim is heading to the airport! Made me glad we don't live out in the country and he could take main roads the whole time.

 

While waiting out the hurricane, I made a Turtle Cake. The power flickered once while the cake was baking but thankfully we never lost power, unlike most of the area around us.

 

The next day the ward went to help demo some trees that had fallen at a member's home. Nicole and Carter went to help.

 

Jacob and Sterling jamming together.

 

Kathryn's visit always heralds delicious seafood meals!

 

Nicole showing how many mussels she ate.

 

John discovered his fist and I loved my little nighttime hour watching his fascination with the mysteriously moving fist.

 

Sweet sugar boy

 

Kelly's visit always heralds a visit to our fav kids museum Marbles! Katy was crawling the last time we were here and she had a blast running and exploring this time!

 

School was cancelled because plenty of people didn't have power, so it was a free holiday for the kids to play with their cousins. We got there early and it was pretty empty.

 

Diana and an ambulance. Hope this is the only time the twain shall meet.

 

Carter the fireman putting out a fire with Michael the fireman in the background trying to determine if he can swing from the ladder like monkey bars. No, Michael. :)

 

Diana shopping!

 

Katy shopped prettymuch the whole time we were in the pretend play area. She loved being a little mommy. She's showing me her fish.

 

Fully suited for battle with the flames.

 

Jake the fireman.

 

D and Jake aboard the pirate ship! Diana's cast made it quite easy to spot her in case anyone is looking for accessories that make it easy to spot kids.

 

Nicole the mad scientist.

 

Katy at the pirate lookout.

 

Nicole made this darling Halloween craft from her imagination. It's a Frankenstein riding a witch's broom with a black cat on top of the witch's hat.

 

For some bizarre reason, Katy likes to "ride" this Barbie horse around the kitchen. It makes this awful screeching sound but she happily scoots around on her trusty steed.

 

This bunch of cuteness plotting and planning can only mean trouble! I have watched the little girls become better and better friends while their siblings are at school. I love it!

 

Diana and Brody watching a movie. Sweet to see cousins become friends.

 

 

Nicole has started drum lessons and has a great sense of rhythm that has already allowed her to have some fun jam sessions with her Dad. Dream come true for him!

 

Jim and Jake sit in on the lessons, learning everything they can too. That is, in between Pokémon mini figure battles. :)

 

We also took Jim's family to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. Way more to do than one day's worth of energy! Here they made it past a bunch of life size dinos to a fossil dig. Not sure if they found any but the digging was sure fun!

 

Eight sailboats on the water, with remote control sails captained by kids and adults alike- this was a favorite spot.

 

And in the kiddie sail boat construction area, Katy loved taking things apart.

 

Inside the museum, they had a spaceship!

 

While his siblings continued their week at school, Jacob went with his cousins and dad to the beach!

 

Morning fun in the waves

 

Jake caught a puffer fish, known around here as a blow toad!

 

John looking around as his sisters zoom by. He does not lack for entertainment.

 

When the cousins drove back from the beach, we all met them at a pumpkin patch.

 

Look at Katy's big smile- she loved the goats and was fascinated by their horns.

 

Racing in the huge tubes

 

Diana jumping...with her cast on. Good idea? I'm still not sure, but it sure beat her rolling around in the corn crib (which I had just dragged her from!)

 

Nicole showing how high she can jump.

 

Daredevil Diana off to the next most dangerous thing she could find. She went down this huge tube, making loud sounds as her voice vibrated with each bounce on the way down. She did this ride over and over and over!

 

Hanging on as best she can on the swing. They had a teenager in charge of swinging the tube back and forth and the older ones loved going inside the tube!

 

A favorite was the cow train! The kids went on this ride three times.

 

Everyone ready to go! They drive along the corn maze and through the trees to other side of the pond and back. A bumpy, fun ride.

 

Look Mom no hands!

 

After making it out of the corn maze, Michael insisted I take his picture as a momento. He is a character.

 

Jacob was dying to shoot a pumpkin from their pumpkin cannon. Both he and Mike got to take a shot and the loud noise and big shot totally made their night!

 

Katy "helping" give Phoenix a bath. Jim has so much patience with his little helper.

 

Another shot of Jake's big catch. He just couldn't believe how it puffed up!

 

Dinner with his new besties. He and Brody really had fun.

 

John with his new crinkly toy that his Aunt Kelly told us about. Crinkly and a teether he can mash against his face and chomp on all day long!

 

Maple Pecan Bars. Pretty yum!

 

A lot of my day seems like cycles of this- cute kids sprawled around, get one dressed, laughter, make a meal, jumping around, feed one, another needing things, having fun, diaper changes, and then I turn around and it's bedtime.

 

Flare and Phoenix bathing- they are so vivid and beautiful!

 

Every. Single. Time. Like I said, patience of a saint for Mr. Dad.

 

I made some apple butter with granny smith apples and WOW it was good! I froze 8 portions and Jim was getting another out before they even froze all the way.

 

Stocking up in between a double header of soccer matches. Mike's team made it to the big semifinals for his league. His main position is goalie and he is never afraid of the ball and loves stopping kicks on goal. They didn't win, but he made a good (and quite lucky) save. And while he was waiting for the ball to come to his side, you could see him break dancing, doing cartwheels, and otherwise being completely oblivious to the big game at stake. The coach's wife remarked to me that he is always smiling and cheerful. I remember on swim team he got that same award and I agree- this kid is positive and cheerful and a bundle of fun! When you're with Michael, you'll always have a story to tell :)

 

The "magic" swaddle that holds his hands close enough to snuggle with but secures the blanket from going over his head. John has slept from 8pm-7am for almost a week now. I live in a different world! And although an infant is exhausting in a million other ways, at least I start the day with more gas in the tank. Angels must be singing, I am getting real sleep!

 

Nicole just feels like baking sometimes and the other day it was blueberry muffins with a sweet topping. And they were delicious! Amazing to see her grow up and be capable of more.

 

Love at home. John doesn't know what to think of it! Better get mobile quick.

 

Nicole made a "toothy smiley face" out of her muffins and took a picture (just like she sees me do). What a sweet girl she is.

 

Brothers

 

Hey I'm getting stronger! John will be four months old this week.

 

Apple butter on toast means fall is here!

 

Sleeping up before Mike's game.

 

Guess pics a little out of order. There is Mike at their last game, signaling to the referee that he is ready for the game to start. I love that he has to pay attention for at least the first ten seconds haha

 

Clean house to Blanket/Toy Zone in a day. We have special talents over here!

 

Jim plays guitar at night a lot and it seems that John settles down if he's fussy when he hears daddy play.

 

Look at him watch the guitar. Love it!

 

Pumpkin Spice Cake, with Salted Caramel drizzled on top for fun. Lucky dr office!

 

Good morning world!

 

Diana finally got her cast off! They had to pour out a good amount of sand. Of course.

 

Free!!

 

Before and after. Amazing what four weeks of healing does!

 

My handsome Jacob chillin on the couch waiting for Friday night movie!

 

Nothing like Scooby Doo meets Batman for a relaxing night.

 

How they are so enthralled with such old animation and cheesy dialogue is a wonder, but they love it. 

 

White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

 

Spiderweb cake. Need to use a smaller piping tool, but it was fun to make the web! Since it didn't turn out as pretty as I wanted, we ate this one. Nobody complained! It's been a very full, fun month. Super busy with D's cast and soccer winding down and family visit. We are looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving with my family that can make it and the kids have already campaigned to have Christmas a day early so they can open presents on Saturday.