Organized Olivia

My tiny girl has decided that she likes things very orderly and usually all lined up in certain ways. Lately it has been her stash of puzzles and Russian stacking dolls she likes to work on aligning just so. I think it's very sweet and tidy but my family certainly has some compulsive blood in it...must have found its way to Livs:

Cares couldn't resist popping in for a pose with little sis...

Slow Week

I feel like it has been a slow week but then again, a slow week in our busy lives is a rather relative word. Maybe it has been slow because I fit in an afternoon nap on both Monday and Tuesday--napping in a house that is perfectly quiet is such an indulgence in my life and it's hard to pass up when the big kids are schooling and Livs is snoozing too...

But we are full to the brim with daily homework, swimming lessons 3 days this week, a special Kindergarten night up at the school tonight, party-planning, carpooling, YW, costume making and meal prep. Not really so slow after all.

Yesterday I decided not to nap and instead did research on some Christmas gifts I am hoping to make and give this year. I found myself completely sucked into the worlds of Pinterest and Etsy for over an hour. My head was spinning with ideas and plans and images at the end of it all but it was great fun and so motivating. I didn't realize I would feel so inspired to better meal plan, organize my house one space at a time,  AND create some darling homemade gifts. Who knows if this will really happen but get me to IKEA already--I have closets to arrange and projects to get working on!

Our weekend is shaping up to be a whirlwind--which I actually kind of love this time of year. Today my sister and I were stuffing a pinata for our Smith Halloween party coming up on Saturday (remember here and here). Should be a great event except that I haven't made any costume plans for myself. Could I just wear a muumuu and call it a day?

Love this photo from Gardner the other night...

Gardner Village

A fall classic for family home evening:

  

 

 

Football Date

Last night the hubby and I met my parents first at Los Hermanos for a delicious dinner, and then at the BYU football game--perfect date night plans in my book (especially with the delicious fall weather we've been having). Funny how me and my big, round belly ended up in every pic--I should have been taking some!

Randoms

--I am down to double digits left in this pregnancy--hallelujah!

--Both of my big kids loaded on buses today for fun field trips: Cares to Discovery Gateway and Bentley to This is the Place Heritage Park.

--My sweet mother-in-law called Joseph last Thursday and offered to babysit for an anniversary date that night since she was busy later in the weekend but wanted us to have a special night out anyway. It's easy to take up an offer like that so we celebrated by eating pizza benders at Italian Village and finally seeing the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie at the dollar movies. Any date night away from normal life is a good one.

--Christmas shopping is in full force around here as we may be distracted with other things come December...and I like to be on top of stuff anyway (although this is still pretty early for me). Luckily, I still have 3 little children who are easy to please and love very budget friendly gifts. Another year without a Wii or Xbox Kinect is a happy thing in my world--don't know how long we'll last though.

--My hubby made his very own "to do list" for October and asked me what I needed to add to it...I am still a little speechless over that...but thrilled!

--We have been eating pears from a local orchard and we are cruising through them (actually, how local is that orchard Cec?) Anyway, they are juicy and soft and delicious. How many can I eat in one day without, shall we say "digestive" side-effects?

--Cold weather is finally coming--yes, please. Today another pregnant mom and I walked into the cold dairy room at Costco to grab some milk. Livs shuddered, I sighed with relief and the other mom said to me "doesn't it feel so good in here?" Too true!

October

 I adore this month: celebrating my marriage, enjoying the gorgeous fall colors all around, and settling in for so many words of hope, of love and truth during General Conference. We had an amazing weekend enjoying it all.

We started our Saturday in Park City for an Apline Slide adventure. Some views from the lift:

 My tiny girl--not quite sure what she was in for, but happy to snuggle her daddy

 

Big kids riding up with Grandma and Grandpa

All ready to ride. I am still amazed that Bentley ended up going all by himself, while Joseph hopped on behind Cares. See that smile/look of concern on her face? She honestly thought we might just push her down all on her own. But of course she ended up loving the ride with all her heart.

 The whole crew back at the bottom. Livs and I rode together and she clung to my arms for dear life. When we got to the last stretch and we saw the kids she finally spoke and said "we made it!" She is such a good sport.

Then it was on to the cabin...so glorious up there!

An afternoon stroll between sessions yesterday:

I finally feel like I got to watch and listen to all 4 sessions of conference this year without much interruption from my kiddos. They have arrived at such lovely ages :) But being at the cabin helped immensely. They played beautifully with all the fun puzzles, colored and did art with fun Halloween stickers, ran upstairs and disappeared playing with little critters and on the bunk beds, ran downstairs and played Playmobile, bounced on the old rodeo horse and enjoyed the novelty of the massage chair.

I am so grateful for the messages shared this weekend, for Elder Anderson reminding me how precious and powerful my role as a mother is, for President Monson and his endearing personality and timeless stories, for Elder Packer reminding the youth how to be safe and pure and to heed the warnings they've been promised, for Sister Dalton and her loving instructions for fathers of daughters (I felt especially lucky to reach over and find my own dad and hug him tightly after such a tender talk). It was, as always, filling to my soul.

12 Years

I have been thinking about marriage so much lately with my own anniversary looming, 2 back to back lessons I taught the YW about dating and marriage decisions, a wedding to attend last weekend, and talking with my darling brother-in-law who has been in town and pondering marriage himself.

And all of these experiences, lessons, and discussions have only made me feel so lucky, so content and so very grateful that I married my Joseph. It truly came down to fasting and praying together and feeling so much peace and joy that I thought my heart might overflow. I felt so young and like we had all the time in the world to figure things out--why rush into marriage? But I knew I loved him; loved him for his genuine goodness, his solid testimony and the ways he faithfully honored his priesthood, his love for his family, his creativity, his work ethic and career goals, his unbelievable singing voice and the songs he wrote and sang for me, his long tall frame and darling curls, and the love he showed me.

And on top of all that he made me incredibly happy. We laughed together all the time (as our wedding pictures document well :) and just got each other so well. I was always smiling when I was with him and that kind of joy seems like a rare find. How could I not marry this man?

Joseph continues to be all that I ever needed and now that we have our sweet children in our family I have realized even more so how perfect of a partner he is for me. After 12 years we are still completely in love. Happy Anniversary to the love of my life!