Birthday Dates

One of our birthday traditions is taking the kids with us on our date on the weekend closest to their birthday.  They get to choose the restaurant and the night is all about them.

Once again, Kimber was easy to please.  She chose Trapper's.  We were home in less than an hour.

Addie requested Red Devil.

Later that night we headed to CalRanch where she used her birthday money from Poppy to buy some new boots.  She also tried to mug me.

My Madhouse

Have you seen this?

A few weeks ago it was a particularly hectic night.  Jared was leaving for meetings, the kids were wild, I had a lot to do, the houser was a disaster zone and Colton was ready for bed. In all of the chaos I decided I would long for days like this when my kids were gone and Jared and I were all alone.  With that thought in mind, I grabbed my camera and snapped a few pictures in order to remember the fabulously ordinary moments of my life as a mom.

Lucy had laid on the floor and played dolls.  Later her and Kimber got out a few art supplies and colored.  Kimber seems to think this is the dumping ground for shoes, jackets, etc. after school.

 The chair found a home on the coffee table.  I love how the shoes are placed so perfectly.

 My room became a playground.

 Lucy decided it was a good time to dump the change cup and had money-smelling hands.  While they were cleaning it up Kimber found a pocket knife and decided it was wise to open it up.  She ended up with a cut and me running to the store during all of the chaos for some bandaids.  I bet it's the last time she plays with a pocket knife.

 This little guy was neglected.  Thankfully he took my shoe out of his mouth and replaced it with his toy elephant.

 My kids love forts in creative places.  This time they draped blankets, piled boxes and anything else they could find to make a fort in my shower.

You know, as crazy at it was at time the time I am glad I photographed it.  Looking back it doesn't seem so chaotic, it actually looks like fun!

Addie's Ninth

Again, how is it possible?  Nine?

It's very bittersweet to watch Addie get older.  It's that way for all of my kids, but since she is the oldest and we experiencing so many firsts, it's sad but very fun.

In early March we attended the Gilbert Temple dedication together.

Last weekend we were able to go to the Woman's Meeting.

We even snuck in a mother/daughter date afterward.

Buuuut, back to her turning nine.

This poor gal got the short end of the stick as far as pictures go.  These aren't even the presents she got from us!  

She also isn't as easy to please when it comes to birthday cake.  She request Hungarian Sponge Cake. An old Strubel family recipe that has to be made with precision.

The best part of the night was just before bed when Jared presented the girls with their .22!  It's now pink.

Kimber's Seventh

My sweet little Kimber turned seven on Feb. 28th.  Seven?  How is that possible?

She requested Rice Krispie Treats for her class.  Her teacher's tradition is to give the kids a few spankings.

Here she is with her birthday loot.  The CareBear is genuine in mint condition!  She had gone to visit someone in our ward with Jared while I worked on dinner.  When Sister Burgess learned it was Kimber's birthday she gave it to her.  I think it's the best gift she has ever received.

We are carrying on the junk box tradition.  Not surprisingly, most of the junk food goes to waste but it's still a fun way to celebrate.

Kimber makes her birthday so easy on me.  She always requests a store bought cake.  Normally that would be against my religion but Bashas' sends me coupons every year for my kids' birthdays that make the cake free.  Satisfied child+free cake= Happy mom!

Tumbling

I'm really not into extra curricular activities.  My mom wasn't big on them, probably because having 10 kids doing something would make her go insane.  A few of us took piano lessons and some of us got played a year or two of sports, but other than that our extra curricular activities consisted of after school adventures outside with friends or siblings.  I actually liked it and always wanted to be home, not spending time with a strange coach and rowdy teammates.

Jared on the other hand was very involved in sports and clubs.  He played baseball, football and basketball.  Baseball was part of his life from childhood until high school.  He was also a part of 4H (he has a soft spot for 4H members.  If you ever need to sell something, hit him up.  He's a giant sucker for you club!)

My girls "get" to play baseball every spring and added tumbling in this year.  I signed all three girls up and figured it was a good chance for them to learn to do some cartwheels.  Lucy went at 9am on wednesday's and the other girls went later in the afternoon the same day.  Unfortunately, the tumbling teacher lives almost 15 minutes away and their classes coincided with Colton's nap.  It got to the point that I was dreading Wednesday and Colton was always sacrificing his sleep, all in the name of summersaults.

In January I decided to pull Lucy out.  Best decision ever!  At this point I feel like I am barely holding on in order to get through the end of the tumbling classes in May.  Between tumbling and baseball (which starts in a few weeks) I have once again come to the conclusion that I'm just not a great soccer mom!

I was also skeptical about how structured their time in tumbling was.  They were coming home with new moves every week but I was always curious to know if they were playing or learning.

For weeks Addie begged me to stay and watch for a while so February I finally appeased her.  And I'm glad I did!  I gained a whole new perspective.  It is totally structured and legitimate!

I don't think I'll be enrolling them again, they'll have to sacrifice this one for me, but they've worked hard and are way more agile and coordinated that I can ever hope to be.

I'm proud of both of the girls.  Kimber wanted to master the headstand so badly and after lots and lots of practice and determination, she got it!

And Addie worked and worked at her cartwheels.  She wanted them to be exactly perfect.  She even dislocated her toe one night while working on them.  It was a wonderful day when she finally landed one perfectly.

Family

I'm really lucky to have such wonderful siblings and in laws.  I consider everyone of them to be a great friend and someone I admire.  I'd love to share a few wonderful things about each of them.  I'll start with the Richardson's.

Bethany- she is one of the my best friends.  She is so wise and I always know I can tell her anything and she won't judge me.  Some of my greatest memories as a child and adult include her.  When I was about 17 or 18 her oven broke.  Heather and I heard about this and decided to buy her a new stove.  Of course we were too poor to buy anything wonderful but we went to DI and picked out a decent stove, had it loaded into the back of Heather's truck and made our way to Heather's house.  We backed right up on the lawn and knocked on Beth's door.  We were so excited we could barely stand ourselves as we announced we had a little something for her.  The three of us got to work taking out her old stove, unloading and installing the new one.  It was quite a site!  My favorite part was that we were afraid of getting electrocuted (we were so ignorant!) so we turned off all of the power to the house, put on some yellow rubber gloves (thinking that would be accurate rubber to prevent a shock) and put the stove in place.  That stove stayed in that house for years and years!

Flint- He's a very thorough person and does things correctly, down to the very last detail.  He listens with intent and NEVER interrupts.  He has a calm voice, never yelling or raising his voice.

Ben- This guy has a soft place in my heart, although all of my brothers do.  Ben is funny, like seriously seriously funny.  Things happen to him that would never happen to anyone else.  He is also very kind and thoughtful.  Since he has been away in El Paso he has been so great at keeping in touch with his siblings.  I always get excited when I see he is calling.  Without fail he always has a funny story to tell, like the time he took one of his boys to school late and accidentally signed them into special ed.  He's a meticulous and hard worker and has kept a positive attitude through the difficulties of Medical School.

Briana- I look up to her in so many ways.  I think her kids are a perfect reflection of her wonderful mothering.  They are some of the most wonderful children I have ever known.  They are helpful, patient, fun, hardworking and kind.  She is so resourceful as well.  When finances are slim (and we all know that happens in med school), she stays positive and taps into all of her resources.  She runs a fun blog with her sisters and has an Etsy store.  She also teaches her children to play the piano and a string instrument.  She has managed to work on her own degree while supporting Ben through medical school as well.

Heather- Another one of the funniest people I know.  I always know when we are together there will be endless laughter.  She works really really hard at everything she does.  She is dedicated to their business and her home.  I truly believe that anytime Heather leaves somewhere she leaves it more beautiful than when she arrived.  I wish I had been blessed with her decorating abilities.  She has a golden touch when it comes to creating a beautiful home.

Doug- When I hear his name I instantly think of the word "integrity".  He is so honest and you never have to question what he says.  He is also extremely clean and organized.  It's helpful when they come to visit because he jumps right in and does dishes, picks up and buys really fun food :)

(Time for a new family picture Allie!)

Travis- He is wise beyond his years.  He has a wonderful sense of humor and can make anyone laugh.  A while back when his family came for a visit we went to dinner and had a waitress Jared and I regularly get.  She is kind but never smiles, let alone laughs.  We bet Travis $5 that he couldn't make her laugh.  Wouldn't you know it, he did it!  Another great thing about Travis is that he is a spiritual giant.  I love to hear him talk about gospel principles, he speaks with confidence and testimony.

Allie- What a wonderful woman!  She is so well rounded, kind, wise, positive and everything else you could want in a sister in law.  I love that she is not afraid of anything, even moving Grandma's dead body around.  When she sees a job needs to be done she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty, which proved to be a great thing when she was RS pres at 25.  She is also raising one of the most well behaved boys around.  I love the adoration she has for Travis and Cooper.

Judd- What a fun guy!  He is always up for a good time and has a fun nature.  I always know that if I need a favor I can call on him.  He is also so cheerful.  Whenever we talk on the phone he is always so chipper sounding.  He is so good at playing with the kids.  I don't know a kid in our family who doesn't like playing with Uncle Judd.

Caitlin- She is wonderful!  What a positive and optimistic breath of fresh air she is.  She is fun to talk to and down to earth.  I have really enjoyed getting to know her better over the past few years.  She is a great mom who is really trying to raise good kids.  I'm going to miss her easy going nature when they leave for school soon.

Jordan- Honest!  I doesn't hold back and will tell you exactly what he thinks.  He is also highly motivated!  He is a goal setter and works hard at achieving them.  He is also has a lot of common sense and makes good financial, work, educational and family decisions.  He is also a great husband.  He is always thinking of fun new ways to surprise Nichole.

Nichole- She is one lucky girl!  She is one of my favorite people to talk to.  I genuinely love all of my sisters in law (as I mentioned before) but we have really gelled.  I think it's because I see so much of myself in her.  I know what it's like to come into an established family when you love your own so much.  I always feel honored when she asks me for mothering advice.  What do I know?  I must add that she is so good to my girls.  When Jared and I got away for our anniversary in 2011 she and Jordan kept our kids.  They did such a great job and kept our family moving while we were away.

Taylor- I love this kid.  Like really love him.  He is such a good example to me of making the most out of life.  His life could be so different but he has chosen to pick himself up and move forward!  He is also extremely creative in so many aspects: writing, creating, style, leading people, etc.  When he joined the Army they instantly noticed his leadership skills and put him in charge of his group.  (I wish I knew the correct terminology.)

Nikki- I love her for who she is.  I know that sounds so cliche but she such a spunky gal and always brings a special light with her.  Although we've only seen each other about three times I feel like she has always been my sister.  There was no warm up period for her when she came into the family.  She just jumped right in and became a Richardson.  She is also a great example of someone who has made the most of her life when it could be so very different.  She's expecting their first baby, Olive Jean, this summer and I am confident she will be an amazing mother who rises to the occasion.

Annie- For such a tiny gal she is such a spiritual giant.  I was thirteen years old when she was born since that day she has been one of the most important people in my life.  She is such a good example. I never question her integrity or her desire to do good.  She takes such good care of my girls and I always know they are safe with her.  She does hard things and does them well!

Brigham- What a good way to close the family.  He is such a wonderful addition to our family.  He is fun and always up for a good laugh.  When Judd was a teenager we would get a package of Oreo's and stay up late eating them and talking.  That tradition carried on from Jordan, Taylor and now Brigham.  I've really enjoyed watching Brigham grow and mature.  He used to hate school and was failing but has matured and become responsible turning f's into a b average.  He is also so fun for his nieces and nephews.  It helps that he is only 16 years old, so he is still at the age where he enjoys playing and doing fun "kid" things.

I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful family.  Each person adds so much to my life and makes it better.

Christmas 2013

So what if it's March?  Better late than never, right?  That's pretty much my mantra these days.

I've been accused of being a total Scrooge by Jared, but I think it's mostly because I don't listen to Christmas music in July and I want the tree down about 4 minutes after the presents are opened.  It's not that I don't enjoy Christmas but I like to enjoy holiday at a time.  Although in 2013 I did sneak in some Christmas music in early November.  That was a first for me.

(through a sad turn of events, also known as updating my phone, I lost video and additional pictures of Christmas. )

Since Marlene died we quite spending Christmas Eve in the Valley and started creating our own traditions at home.  We have a fun dinner, a little program and then Santa usually shows up to pay a quick visit then it's off to bed.  The next morning we open presents, get dressed, leave the mess, hop in the car and speed off to the Valley where we spend the day running from one place to the next.  It's chaotic and not the way I want to spend the Holiday.

This year, with some help from my girls, we convinced Jared to let us have ONE year at home where we didn't have to go anywhere and we could just enjoy the day at home as a family.  He obliged and it was hands down my FAVORITE Christmas I've had since being married.  

Before bed Christmas Eve

 Another Christmas tradition that is up for debate every year is how to open presents.  My family did it completely opposite of Jared's and we just can't settle on which way is the better way.  This year we sort of met in the middle.

I'm including this picture because although it was taken at about 7:45 am I looked exactly the same at 7:45 pm.  I never showered, never put a bra on and never got dressed!