Back to work!

Today was my first day back to work. Tyler has been home since the middle of last Tuesday helping out with everything while I was in the hospital and then home trying to recover from having Ethan. I am so grateful he was willing to do that for me. It was definitely a good experience for our family to have to share responsibilities and get used to each other all day long!!;)

I was a little nervous for today thinking it would be a rough day trying to manage Josh, Kate and Ethan but its been fine. I kept my expectations super low. I thoroughly enjoyed getting caught up on the laundry and polishing up leftovers. Josh and Kate did really well and seem like they have suddenly become way more independent. They have been playing fairly peacefully all over the house!!

I am sure once the boys come back on Sunday it will be a different story with having to run kids to school and doctors apts etc. But for now I am feeling pretty confident going forward.

I am surprised at how happy and fulfilled I am with this extra guy at home. I thought I would be overwhelmed and I am sure that's coming but I really did not expect to enjoy having the extra work and added responsibilities that come with more children feel so good.

I think that because Tyler and I are learning to work as a team more I am less overwhelmed and more able to focus on things that really matter to me because we are spreading the workload out between the two of us more than we have in the past.

Tyler is currently at the park with Josh and Kate while I try and wrap up that laundry hopefully I can get it all put away before they get back and we have dinner. AND I am watching the show fixer upper on Netflix.  Good Day!!

Post edit:

While at the park Josh got his elbow dislocated. Tyler felt terrible about it. It took a while to decide what to do. Josh was in quite a bit of pain so we gave him some ibuprofen and called his pediatric PA who also happens to be in our ward and Grants Scout leader--we call him a lot for many reasons.   He tried to walk Tyler through popping it back in and gave us a number for a pediatric quick care that had late hours in Henderson. I remembered a friend of mine (also in our ward) told me her kids have elbows that pop out all the time and that she could help me if it ever happens again. (This was when Kate's popped out)  I called her up and she said she was just about to go Visiting teaching but we could swing by. Tyler ran over and between her and her visiting teaching companion who happens to be a physical therapist they got it to pop back in. I guess there were a lot of tears but once it was back in Josh was as good as new. Tyler got home a little after nine and we had a short quickly thrown together FHE. We listened to Halloween music, read some Halloween stories, lit our Halloween candles and had some ice cream. Then we followed with a bath and some Halloween PJ's that the kids are so super excited about.

Memorial day weekend fun/chores.

We have had a little bit of fun mingled in with chores so far this weekend with the boys.  We had plans to camp at Pine Valley with the rest of our ward and were really quite excited about it but as we got closer and closer to the weekend though it became apparent that going would not be a good experience with our crew. The weather forecast called for rain and possibly snow. We scrapped that idea and stayed home instead.

Spencer and I kicked off the holiday weekend by pulling out anything we had that could be assembled into a patriotic display, we did a pretty good job too if I do say so myself. Spencer likes to decorate and so we have fun together doing it.

After the quick decorations at home we decided we needed some more flags to put around the house and Yard and some paint to make even more decorations. Not to mention ingredients to make a star Spangled Slime.

Friday night we kicked off with our usual pizza and a movie but we ended it with camping in the backyard. Josh, Tyler and Spencer were the outside campers. The rest of us stayed inside.

In the morning we had a nice breakfast of french toast and little smokies, then we did about a million chores. :) Ate BLT's, had some apples and veggies, and finally about 4 watched some movies and had cereal for dinner. My day is still going at 12:12 am as I wait for Grant's church shirt to get dry. I have to wash these white shirts over and over it seems to get the stains out. I finally started to pour straight bleach onto them, tossing them quickly in the wash just as soon as the stain fades. I hope I am not making slow holes in the shirts but they were next to useless the other way too being such dirty eye-sores.

Grant had some homework to catch up on and so he spent a lot of time reading newspaper articles online and writing summaries, Spencer and Josh made their room spic and span and Spencer practiced his piano like a champ.

The kids may have been disappointed that we didn't get to relax as much as they might have liked and I really would have liked for them to have more fun too but there was just so much to do.

Excercise

We have been hot and cold at our house about excercise. We feel so busy with all there is to do keeping up with a growing family, trading kids back and forth, pregnancy and work demands. The excuses seem valid and for a long time we have felt justified or at least very frustrated that we could not fit one more thing in.

Turning 36 changes things a bit though--we have less energy. Trying to keep up with two toddlers might just be the end of us at our current energy levels. We are feeling exhausted and our patience is wearing thin. It's very clear to us that we need to just do it. Make it a part of our life. Give Exercise a prime spot in our day and fit the rest in around it. But we live in Vegas and it's hot. So we decided to go this morning at 6. We actually woke up at 5:30 hoping to get out the door sooner but 6 is when we all finally we're ready to go. 

By 9 though Josh, Kate and all were all ready for a nap. And for the last few hours we've been sleeping to the wonderful sound of a rainstorm and it almost feels like Heavenly Father telling me good job for getting my family up and moving this morning despite all the reasons it would be easier not too. 

Josh inst really a fan of naps anymore --even though he needs one. But, he crashed today at the top of the stairs. :) 

Presidents day hike

Valentines day!

St. George trip for presidents day weekend.

A session from November