Getting some Zzzzz's

I don't want to jink anything but for the last couple nights Kasen has been doing a 9 hour stretch and then EASILY going back to sleep and staying asleep until the morning...I almost had forgotten what more than 4 hours of straight sleep felt like.

FEELS GOOD!

He has also been putting himself to sleep once I bundle him and lay him down

SO SO NICE!

Since I have been super moody lately (due to the freezing temperatures AKA 0 and negatives, and because I feel frumpy and I am not seeing the results I want after working so hard to loose some baby weight) Tj, because he is such an awesome man, is taking us to St. George for a short get away for some warmer weather and fun.

I'm so happy to go and be with the fam and ditch the routines and schedules and swim in the hotel pool and whatever else we do. I'm glad he listens to me when I complain.

Guess he understands that a happy wife is a happy life.

I am just not a fan of January, that is all.

I also have been reading my scriptures everyday and marking off on my chart.

I WILL read the Book of Mormon hopefully more than once this year.

Baptism Preview

On Sunday the girls and I went to the Baptism Preview for the year at the church (TJ was out of town). I can't believe Tallie will be turning 8 this year and getting baptized! She was so excited to go and learn about what will happen on her big day. She even did the lesson for Family Home Evening the following Monday on Baptism and she did such a great job teaching Chloe and Lexi all that she knows. She showed pictures of Jesus getting baptized and asked us why Jesus needed to be baptized and why we should. She showed people getting baptized now days and explained that you can get baptized at any age just no younger than 8. She showed a picture of the Sacrament and told us that taking the Sacrament is like a "mini" baptism each week where you can repent and be clean again. She showed a picture of a baptismal font and tried to explain baptism for the dead and how when she turns 12 she can be baptized for some one who died without getting baptized. She sure is smart and really listens when we or her teachers at church teach her.

This is an exciting year!

Tj finally gets home tonight and I am SO HAPPY because monster mom is starting to come out because I could really use a break and some warm weather.

My baby girl turns 3!!!!

Lexi is such a little fireball and I love her to pieces! She makes me smile on a daily basis and it really pains me to see her growing up. I dread the day when dress ups and barbies and pure innocence fade. Some fun things about Lexi right now: She is a hair twirler. She constantly has her fingers in her hair and I would not be surprised if one day she has a bald spot. I catch myself twirling my own hair just out of habit from watching her. She doesn't just twirl her own but whosever hair she can get her hands on. Whenever Tallie is near or if Tessa picks Lexi up her hands go straight for the hair and it's so darn cute. Sometimes Tallie gets annoyed but she often smiles and thinks it's cute to have her little sister so attached to her. You know Lex has had a rough night when she wakes in the morning and she seriously has KNOTs in her hair that we have to cut out. Lexi is one toned and can only speak LOUD but she is such a good talker and pronunciates very well. She is super independent and is fearless with people and doing new things. She can entertain herself for hours and is often found in the midst of all of her stuffed animals playing. She loves to do puzzles and her "homework" just like the older girls. She loves to sing and play with friends. She can however be a bully and loves to wrestle. She will chase and grab and pin you down and hold and never leave you alone. Her skin is fare and so creamy that I just want to eat her up. 

Since Tj had a work trip over her actually birthday we went to Jump On It before he left with Tessa and Ian. Lexi is in heaven when we go there and is quite the little jumper. We came home to presents and everything DORA. On her real birthday we went to church and then to Tessa's for fajitas for dinner and yet again another cake.

Kid dates

For our January dates Tj took Tallie to a movie "Rise of The Gaurdians". They said it was good and afterwards went to McDonalds for some dinner. Once they got back Chloe and I took off for our date. We went to the mall to take pictures in the photo booth and then we went to a yogurt place that I think is called Yogurt Bliss. You get to choose your flavor of frozen yogurt and then they have endless toppings that you can pile on and then depending on how much your finished product weighs is how much you pay. We shared and Chloe choose 2 fruity yogurts with chocolate and vanilla all in one bowl and then she topped it with gummy worms, marshmallows, sour gummy butterflies and a few brownie bites (I had to convince her to do that since I am not one for all the fruity ness). We sat and ate and talked. It was fun and totally fruity and fun just like Chloe's personality. Lexi is still due for a date this month with either TJ or I and we hope to keep a list of each month who goes with who and what they did and continue this all year. I do love me some one on one time with my kids.

Photo Shoot

So I saw this pose on Pinterest of course and I had planned to do it when Kasen was a newborn because they are so sleepy and posable but so much was going on he didn't exactly come home as a NEW born but all that matters is I got it done and I think they are super cute. And the girls didn't fight me to take their pictures because they thought it was so funny to all lay on top of each other.

(I had to throw a pic of me in there because I feel like I am non existent sometimes because I am never in the photos)

Starting on the goals

This morning Tallie had her first sewing lesson.

She was pretty excited and had been asking for days. 

It consisted of learning how to lift and lower the pressor foot, practicing with the pedal and learning to cut the excess thread.

She practiced sewing lines and trying to keep them straight. 

We sewed line after line after line.

She did pretty well for her first time.

She had good control of the speed but will take time to control the fabric. For her first project she wants to make a blanket for Kasen.

I'm excited for her to learn and I hope she likes to be creative and domesticated like that.

We also started reading The American Girl Doll books KIRSTIN.

They were mine when I was little and I had a generic doll that looked like Kirstin.

I read it to the girls and it totally takes me back to when I read them. I loved these books. 

Is it lame that I even cried tonight while reading about the part where Kirstin's best friend from Sweden, Marta, died from Cholera?

I don't know why but I couldn't hold back those tears. The girls thought it was funny and laughed at me.

I'm actually laughing at myself right now as I am writing this.

Off to bed now, hopefully Kasen gives me a long stretch.

Little people everywhere!

I just printed my first blog book that covers the last 2 years of our lives. It was fun to look through it and read about everything that went on with us and inside of my head. This year with my blog I want to focus on the things that my kids are doing right now that they will grow out of, the little things that I want to remember for always. Just the little things they do and say. I just want to capture their innocence and pure spirits.

Because THANK GOODNESS FOR LITTLE GIRLS!

Here is the latest craze at our house. 

This is what my kitchen table looks like everyday. 

I never clean it off or put them away because I can always count on this mess to make me smile.

At all times of the day, either on their own or all together, I will find them sitting on the table or on the bench letting their imaginations go wild. They sing and talk and make up the most random and funniest stories ever and it's so funny because they all get so lost in their little made up world.

I never want this stage to end.

Thanks to my mom who grabbed every Disney set there was ever made and gave them to the girls for Christmas and thanks to my neighbor who donated the castle so our little friends could have a home.

(and oops I see Mr. Lee half naked in the back ground)

Kasen smiles

Kasen smiles!

And he is just so adorable it hurts.

And every now and then if you're lucky you'll catch a glimpse of his cute dimple.

Tj isn't convinced he has one but I do declare it's there!

He is such a GOOD baby. I really couldn't ask for more (except a little more sleep).

He is so content and happy most of the time. And when he is not and seems to be a little fussy it's an easy fix...

1. He simply didn't eat enough and wants more

2. He has bubbles in his belly

3. He is tired

I even had to put some of his clothes away already, never to be worn again by this little man. He sure is packing on the chubbs and I wonder if I will have myself a big boy, I'm hoping not only because it will make it harder to hold and cuddle him all day.

I never want him to grow up (as the case with ALL of my kids).

TJ left today for 5 days for a show in California.

I miss him already.

It was time for the kids to disconnect with all of their little electronics and reconnect with each other (they have not been the best of friends lately). So I took away all TV, iphone, computer and iPad privileges for one week.

I'm tired of all of the crying and crankiness because of it all.

I'm hoping by the end of this week we will all be a little nicer and happier.

Randoms...

So Chloe comes to me the other day and in her sweet voice, with a smile on her face says "Mom, I know that you will probably say no to me for this but...can I put on my swimsuit and get in the kitchen sink?" How could I resist that request? How could I say no when she she came to me expecting a no? If only you could have seen her eyes light up when I said "Yes!" (plus it got her playing with Lexi). I really should stop saying no all the time, especially to little things that aren't going to hurt anything, like a harmless, casual bath in the sink.

We also put the girls to work doing the dishes. They make a great assembly line and they really enjoyed themselves and I enjoyed watching, NOT doing the dishes. Things are really looking good in 2013!

2013 Family/Personal Goals

2013 Family and Personal Goals

Family: Take scriptures to church, family scripture study every night, service project, do something nice 

             Do something nice for someone everyday, TJ and Lynsey nightly prayer together

TJ: Run a half marathon, 170, read the Book of Mormon in Russian, Pay off all debt (cars)

Lynsey: Only check Facebook once a day, read the Book of Mormon, beat 1:49, be more positive, 

              Bear testimony in church

Tallie: Learn to Sew, learn to cook, learn to rollerblade, play piano, change a diaper, read scriptures by 

           by herself, watch less TV, memorize all the Articles of Faith

Chloe: Learn to cook, change a diaper, to to primary every Sunday, watch less TV, 

Lexi: Learn letter sounds, ride a bike with no fear

Kasen: Sleep thru the night

I love starting out the new year with a family home evening lesson about setting goals and going over the previous years goals and seeing what we accomplished and what we still need to work on. I love hearing the girls come up with their own goals and what they see as important. It's also fun to look thru the previous years time capsule and then to gather things for last years. I hope that by having this little tradition with my family that we all can learn discipline and motivate ourselves and each other to become better people and to really accomplish some goals we have set. (and we always end the old year with a family dinner date to a hole in the wall Chinese Resturant, and then a movie, going on 4 years with that tradition).

And with the new year I get this crazy itch to declutter my house. TJ and I filled 4 garbage bags full of clothes from our closet and then I went around the house with a bag just collecting and putting random stuff inside. I got another 3 bags of random toys and junk. It seems that we are the "dump" house that when everyone else is cleaning out their house they bring all of the stuff they no longer want to my house. This past week my neighbor Jenette Hougarrd brought over a Dora dollhouse with lots of accessories which my kids are in love with and it really is cool and then the Wakefields brought over a princess castle which is also really neat and since they got a million Disney figurines for Christmas its just what they need. The only problem with these gifts is that they are big and take up space which is just what I tried to stay away from when I did my Christmas shopping last year. But since we will be keeping these awesome gifts I had to give in order to accommodate  them. 

My heart has been hurting for Lexi lately because she waits all day for her sisters to get home from school so that she has someone to play with but when the girls get home all they want is a little alone time. And Chloe hasn't been so nice about it and often tells Lexi to go away and won't play with her. And I don't like it and it seems weird that Chloe does that because her and Tallie play. I'm hoping that it's just a phase and that Chloe will become closer with Lexi so she doesn't feel like the 3rd wheel. Lexi broke down today and yelled "I have NO friends, only Ashli and Callie!" so I called Michelle and sent Lexi to Callies house and she felt so happy and big going to her friends house all by herself. I guess it's time for Lexi to have some play dates. She will be turning 3 on Sunday and I just can't believe she is getting so big. After she waved good bye to the girls this morning as they jumped out of the car for school she said she wants to go to school so she can give me a kiss goodbye. I DON'T want her to leave me!!!

I am officially back into the hair scene and did my first color this morning...Kasen was a dream and it went smooth. I wish I could say I was more excited about it.

I am still the primary secretary and last Sunday was a crazy day as it was the first Sunday of the new year with all of the kids getting new classes and teachers. It also was the first day we went to church in our ward as a family of 6! And next week I have to do it alone since TJ will be out of town. I hope it goes as smooth as last week. AND Chloe went to her primary class and loved it!! BIG STEPS for her!

Christmas Continued...

 So I never have bought my girls Easter dresses or Christmas dresses and I don't know if its because I now have a boy that I am craving the whole dress shopping experience with my girls but I have been feeling sad that they might be my last and little twirly girl dresses won't last forever and so I decided that this was the year I would take them. I should mention that I never have bought them dresses in the past is because Grandmas have always beat me to it and they also get so many hand me downs that I feel like most the time we are on clothes overload. Well it wasn't the experience I had hoped for. I lost on all of the dresses I wanted to get but they came home with what they wanted whether they looked like the magical Christmas dresses or not (which none of them did). I feel like I need to redeem myself for Easter.

 Another one of my favorite traditions: Eating Dion's Pizza by candlelight one Christmas Eve. 

 Here is Justin with a pantyhose on his head. I ALMOST peed my pants dying laughing at the sight of him! I could not stop laughing, especially when he tried to play ping pong (his eyelids are smushed he can barely see). Ian thought it was funny to pelt him with the ping pong ball on his head and I don't think I have ever laughed so hard. We told lots of embarrassing stories and played card games and had a great time at home and I can't wait to do it all over again.

This year has been great and so much has happened and we have all grown in so many ways. The last few months have been pretty difficult for me I will be honest. I feel like lately I have become pretty negative, always having something negative to say. I feel like I am becoming very bitter due to Kasens heart monitor and all of the doctors telling me how I should mother my child and having him "tied" down. Some other factors have played a part in me being not as happy and vibrant to be around and I don't like what I am seeing or feeling. I really struggle with the fact that after one month of having the heart monitor on I now have to keep it on my baby for another 2 months. It feels like a huge sentence and to be honest I don't see the point in it and I don't think it is accurate and I don't like it or feel like it is doing any good. I think Kasen is fine and healthy and its just making my life hard. I already feel like I got jipped out of some of the best moments of Kasens life as a newborn and I feel like it got taken from me and I won't get those back as he gets bigger everyday. I feel like the monitor just adds to it all and keeps me from fully experiencing my baby the way I should be able to. I have cried and been angry and upset and jealous of others who whisk their babies here and there. I am VERY thankful that Kasen is fine and healthy and that for as early as he was that there wasn't something really wrong. I have been blessed and I know that. And I know that as a mother I need to protect him at all costs. So after TJ and I deciding to take the monitor off and signing a waiver stating we were going against medical advice, we prayed to feel that was the right decision. TJ feels we are being selfish and wanting to take it off for the inconvience it is to us and that we have forgotten to do what is best for Kasen. I really struggle with that and I think I am having a hard time getting an answere because I am only looking for the answere I want. The bitterness in my heart does not help. We will keep the monitor on and endure our trial. The thing that is helping me this is knowing that kasen is Heavenly Father's son and He has sent him to for me to watch and look after. And it is my responsibility to give him the care he needs. And even if I don't like it or agree or see the need I will try to be positive and take care of him the best I can. This is a trail I have and I am already learning from it as I am going through it. I have so much to learn and I hope I can let myself and not let my pride and bitterness get in the way.

Here is to a new year and a happier, more positive me and a soon to be cord less baby!