Easter Week-end, the magic continues...

HAPPY EASTER!

We came back Thursday night from Calgary.  I love being home!!!!  We have been gone for about a month.  We went to Arizona, Utah and then Calgary.  The kids have been AMAZING!!!!  It seriously was the best month ever.  There is just something magical that happens when we travel as a family, all squashed up, no cousins, no distractions, no anything except ourselves...well, we did visit with family and friends but the core amount was spend just us as a family.

We celebrated Passover at Aunty Lindy's it was wonderful.  Our girls are so so blessed to live around all this family and good friends.
The best part about the family culture we have established among our group is that when there is an event usually the WHOLE family goes so there is no separation of siblings and parents etc.

Then on Sat the kids spend the day playing on the land with all their cousins.  We went to the temple (which I love!!) and then to a business meeting with Mike and then to Lethbridge.   Sannie and I love spending time together, we seriously are best friends.  We are starting up the furniture business again it is exciting!

THE twins and Grace love the baby so much!  I don't know what I would do without my little crew of girls.  I love them so much.

Sunday we had lots of people/family over and had a sing-song at the end.  My stress level was pretty good actually I feel myself changing and being able to handle more stuff, it still bugs me when things get wild and messy, but the house did ok and we ended the evening around 10:30pm.  This is where this video came from!

Ellice sang in a quartet at church she was beautiful and confident! I love her so MUCH!!!!  It is exciting seeing her grow up (but still really really sad, I don't want my baby to grow up!)  (she is way to cute for her own good!)

Aunty Lindy made this video for me!  Isn't she awesome!!!  Our girls used to sing this song all the time I pray it is ingrained in their hearts forever....I wanna live my life with honor and faith!

Kalynn also sang in a duet.  She was confident and radiant as well, we were very proud of them.

The Sunday program focussed all on Jesus.  I felt the Spirit a lot this past Sunday.  I know Jesus is literally the Son of God and that the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS is God's only true church, and that Jesus was literally resurrected!

Maria and Ellice have been getting along so well....it is wonderful seeing them play so good together although they are sometimes silly!
Maria loves travelling so much.  She thrives on new experiences and lots and lots of family time and attention.  She is one girl that does not need friends right now other than her siblings and family.  She is becoming such a great bbsitter and loves baking and doing anything to do with sugar!

Ever since we have come back to the land the kids have been playing and playing with their cousins....they are so so blessed to all live together out here!
 

 These girls are so blessed to have each other...they all help each other out.  I look forward to seeing them raise their children and hope they get to live close together...there is nothing like a great sister friend!

 Today the twins played all day outside at the Pederson.  Bear got a big pond dug and the kids played and played....I love the twins so much, they are delightful and so wonderful and get along great....school work is far from their radar they are enjoying being a child too much!
They have become great little singers especially at night time when they are supposed to be in bed!!!  There picture is in this Mormon Message!  Ohhhh, I love them so much *I am glad noone is reading this of else they might accuse me of pride!


They begged me to cut their hand and give them bangs!  Yah, I shouldn't have listened to their persistent sweet voices!

Even the baby thinks their bangs look a little silly!!!

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We have in the 2nd week of baby Sala's life, still no name, but I call her Anna bobanna!  She is ADORABLE!!!!!!!!  I am so so so in love!  Maria watched me gave her her first bath with me, yah, she poohed....twice....

ohhhhhhhhhhh, I love her so much!  The absolutely sad thing is is how fast this stage goes!  All my kids are sick and my hubby!!!!!!!!! With the flu and the cold!  The baby and I are quarantine to our bedroom, and so far we are not sick!  I am up every three hours nursing at night BUT at 3am-4am Princess is WIDE awake and needs me!  Sannie isn't sleeping in here right now because he has the flu!  It is pretty crazy sick kids everywhere, I am in bed (actually the whole day today!) trying to recover.  I am having problems with my stitches down below, it was stitched up good except in a little spot now the skin is getting pulled so it hurts me sometimes when I walk and go potty...yah nice!  I will see the Dr. tomorrow!  It has been windy all day here I feel like I am back on the boat!  I LOVE the huge 8 ft. window Sannie put in our bedroom I lay in bed and look outside and see BEAUTIFUL stars, so so so many, at night and then during the day I see the beautiful hills and snow covered mountains.  Grace has been with me almost all day on my floor, she is sick!  I love her so much!  I am trying to do what my Mom said and view the older 3 girls with a new heart, new eyes, and look for the good and be more grateful! 
I am getting kinda bored, hahhhhaaa, the computer just doesn't hold me, I think because I am sooooo tired but have the hardest time sleeping.  I have to wake up by the time I am drifting off. 
Things I am working on in my brain are the fireplace (designing and building one)  eating whole foods and getting together a meal plan for the whole family with recipes, fun learning stuff for the twins, the great exercise program I will start in March when I am healed up, helping our family become a singing family, strengthening my relationship with Ellice and Maria, parenting from bed (not fun or effective!) wishing I knew how to do geneology and how to heal our family naturally.  I did manage to make the vision for our girls, I now need to get it printed, framed and put up! (Becky made it is pretty, she is super talented on the computer, she makes videos and signs and designs...she is amazing, Naomi is also learning how to do that all....I have wanted to learn how to do it I just have not put in the effort but I hope to one day...)  Princess pie is right beside me, oh I love her so much!!!  I feel extremely thankful to Heavenly Father and felt His Spirit yesterday.  I feel like I am doing His work and feel His love manifest thru this new baby, I just feel like I am on cloud heaven right now.  Maybe it is a good thing my family is all sick so then I have this chance to stay down and it also keeps all the kids away from the baby (wink wink) so I get her all to myself!!!  I know that sounds bad but after 5 babies I CANNOT get enough of #6, I just LOVE her so much, it is hard to describe or explain, it is a love that distills on my soul straight from heaven, in the middle of the night when I am so tired it shines brightest and makes me want more and more of my baby, ohhhh, thank Thee so much Heavenly Father and Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love Thee so much and acknowledge Thy hand in my life.  I Love thee...I am so proud of Mom and Dad for serving a mission1

My dear precious,  baby Sala, how I love you and cannot stop starring at you and smiling!  You are so perfect, so beautiful so precious!

I want to call you precious but Poppa says no sniff sniff!!!  I am going to record your earthly birthing story down while I have some free time.  Your Aunties have taken the other 5 girls so we can have a few days with just you, well little Gracey is here sleeping with us, she is ADORABLE, you will love her to bits!!!!  She spends by far the most time with me and is the best sister ever, abit spazzy BUT oh so cute!!!

It was such a hard decision to have the faith to get pregnant again since Momma gets sooooooooo sick, and I hope truly that I don't have to go thru that experience again but it is in the Lord's hands, just thinking about it makes me never want to do it again BUT BUT BUT the end results are so wonderful and exciting so who knows!!!!  Anyways,  i was super sick with you for several months, sometimes I just couldn't handle the nausea and would feel so helpless and cry, your Poppa was AMAZING, when you grow up make sure you marry a man who will always be there for you during the hard times not just the easy times.  We were living in town at 425 5th Street in Cardston.  After a month of utter sickness and despair he moved our whole family out to "the land" and your sisters were in heaven, they roamed the land with the Proffitt's and Pederson's and had the summer of their live.  Ellice spent most her time at home but the other girls were always playing and exploring the world outside.  Grace would constantly be bringing me in rocks and things she had found outside, all the girls were kind and gentle with me and helpful!  I lay in bed all summer slowly counting the hours, minutes and seconds hoping that I would survive!  Meanwhile you were calmly being formed and developed in my sick stomach and the miracle of life was strong in you. 
After awhile I got feeling a little better and would venture out of my bedroom, I was still really sick but slowly life started to return to me.  I was able to continue on with being a mother and home-schooling which was wonderful.  Then during my pregnancy I felt SO SO good, I was back to being a full-time Momma and you were starting to push out my tummy, in fact I gained over 40 pounds with you!!!!!!!  Near the end I was so huge I had a hard time getting around and would spend my days on the couch or bed, you were adorable.  Esther was the most excited to touch my tummy and feel you move, Grace would talk to you and sometimes kiss you thru my tummy....all the girls were so excited for you to be born!
On Sat. Jan 26th all thru the night I had false labor, your Poppa stayed awake with me, it was very painful but I felt the Spirit and knew Heavenly Father was there and that something special was near.  I felt so at peace with having a home birth but Sannie was cautious and wanted to have it in the hospital just in case....then on Sunday I stayed home and slept and tried to recover from Sat. night and only had small contractions.

We thought you were coming later.  I pleaded with Heavenly Father to either stop the false labor or have you come but I still did not know you were coming.   You did come early (according to the ultra sound she was supposed to come Feb12-24) but Eve thinks she came on time, we were so unprepared and still are!!!!  Having it at home with a midwife that is a dear friend I think made it come early.  You and me did get a priesthood blessing which I believe helped out.  you were so blue they had to work a lot with you to get you cleared up from all the mucus in you!  I had little contractions all thru the night then around 6:30am  I couldn't stand it and went and cleaned the House ????? and would burst out in pain every few minutes, (who would have thought cleaning would occupy me enough to handle the pain!)  then around 7am I woke Sannie up and told him he had to run me a bath we both thought it was false labor as I didn't think I was due for awhile then it got to painful (you know!!!!) and he called Eve to check me out, what a difference when she showed up, she talked me and soothed me thru the contractions and said, "Shay this doesn't have to take long, just relax and feel the contractions!"  YAH RIGHT!  But I did as she said and tried to just relax, that made all the difference, when I was contracting by myself I fought then tensed all up felt like I was dieing when Eve came I was on my bed lights off and after 5 or six contractions my body just felt like pushing, two pushes and she was out!!!  I did tear 3rd degree again and fainted and had to have the ambulance come  as a pre-caution, but there really wasn't an emergency it was just cuz I lost a lot of blood...the funny thing was I was laying on the bathroom floor after I fainted and the ambulance men came into the bathroom, I had a shirt on and undies (hope this doesn't offend) on I was like, "Sunny come rub my legs"  Then I heard this, "ohhhh" the amubulance guy name was Sunny he was like, "oh what do I do I don't even know this lady!"  Then my Sunny came over and rubbed them, NEWAYS, Naomi Becky Eve Sannie and the other midwife spend hours with me, Dust and Lindy came to visit me and they made me food, delicious food again! People looked after our kids and brought 3 meals! Baby is PRECIOUS, maybe that is what we will name her and she is the largest Sala yet 8'3 ounces!  As of right now I have 30 pounds to lose to be back at my pre-pregnancy weight!  How fun eh!   It was so beautiful to look outside my window and see the sun come up and have a new little baby, she seriously is ADORABLE and such a BLESSING  (there's three names we might name her!) love ya hope you have a great day!

-- oh, I can' stop smiling at her she is so so so beautiful, you have that look that Mom had when she was little, Ellice and Grace both had that look, you make the funniest faces!!!

Today you opened your eyes for a second and gave me the tinest littlest smile, it was adorable!!!  Your sisters are over at their aunties and they keep sneaking over here with your cousins so they can hold you and see you!  YOU ARE SO PRECIOUS!!!  I usually get a spiritual impression after the baby is born that fills me with love for my baby, the spiritual impression came to me yesterday for you, it just bonds me to you for eternity and makes it so I can't stop being in awe of you and filled with love, oh, what to name you, you are going to be such a blessing to our family!  I love you so so so much1!!!!!!

Be Loyal To The Royal Within You-A night for princess’s

Under the celestial lights that twinkled in the crisp winter air, ten beautiful young royal princess’s made their way to my home.

10 princess’s prepare to enter the ‘House of the Lord’

Their soft giggles and voices floated up to me as I lit the last candle in my library and my sister poured the last foot spa full of steaming water.  Upon our cue, another mother made her way down to the waiting girls and handed them each their own sparkly invitation with their initials upon it.  At the top of the steps, the curious princess’s (for they had been told nothing except to dress in white and to meet in the basement of my home) each showed the guards their invitations, and then were escorted to the candle-lit library on the arm of a waiting father.  Once all the girls seated and their feet comfortably soaking in the waiting water, Uncle Eric spoke to these Daughter of God about what a privilege it was to be allowed to go to the temple.  He told them that as Daughters of God, they were truly born of royal birth and needed to be “Loyal To The Royal” within them
Their pretty invitation represented the precious temple recommend each of them had or would shortly get.  Uncle Eric lovingly spoke about the importance of being respectful and reverent when attending the temple, preparing themselves both spiritually and physically each time they go.  After his talk, the girls were invited to dry their feet and put on a pair of warm fuzzy socks.  They were then escorted to the Living Room.

A Magical Evening For Beautiful Princess’s

The Living Room had been decorated with a canopy of sheer fabric and glittery white lights.  Each took a seat and there Aunty Becky read a poem about their pre-existence that Grandma wrote for them.  The poem talked about them being a princess from on high.  The princess’s were each given a key with the copy of the poem.  The key to exaltation is “doing your duty“.  The girls were so respectful and delighted with their ornate keys.

After the keys were handed out, one of the mothers slipped a beautiful crystal bracelet on their daughters wrists, and I spoke to them about the importance of adorning themselves in beautiful and modest clothing and thoughts.  I spoke honestly about my love for them and the virtue that shines from each of their faces.  I expressed my desire that each of the girls would commit to being a ‘safe place’ for others to be around, a place that inspires virtue, specifically for boys.  In this world full of immorality and immodesty, I know that the temptation to degrade one’s self is sometimes hard for boys to resist, especially if the girls around them are wearing things that distract one from godly thoughts and intents.  As a mother of sons, I plead with them to help inspire all who they interact with, to keep true to the “royal inside of them”.  I showed them a movie I made for them celebrating their royalness.  There were giggles as their faces appeared on screens, hopefully they felt the spirit of the movie as well
Uncle Simon followed up the message with helping them realize that their bodies are truly a temple and they needed to treat it with respect, and consideration.  He hand them each a heart case filled with sweets and said to each one individually “Modesty is a matter of the heart.”

Being Crowned

The climax of the evening was when each girl individually were escorted by their willing dads to the ‘throne’ and crowned a princess.  What a sweet moment that was to look around the room and see such radiant virtuous faces staring back at me.  What peace and awe filled my heart as I saw these royal, beautiful daughters of God being so open to hearing the words of counsel and love from their parents.  It was a precious memory.

Father Daughter

Heather talked to the girls about keeping their mind full of learning.  I am afraid that their willingness to listen to counsel encouraged too many parents to share their own final ‘advice’.  The evening went a little too long, but they girls did not fidget nor did they complain.  They just sat and soaked it all up.  As we closed with prayer, and the princess’s mingled with one another over food, my heart was full.

Royal Juice Fountain

Truly I was in the presence of pure beauty and goodness.  There was no doubt in my mind that these girls were being “Loyal To The Royal” within them.


My princess ELLICE!!!  Oh, how I love you daughter!!!

my little angels...

I love being a mother so much I feel as if I am going to go crazy and I love it...

A DAY OF MAGIC

I love having my kids at home.  I looked outside and saw my Ellicey practicing her violin outside soaking up the rays of sun, the twins and Grace are swinging and making a fort  (actually they called it an ARK) outside in the front yard!  Nothing like the neighborhood seeing my kids and their wild expressions of pure delight.  We had a great morning.  Ellice bbsat while Eliza and I worked out at the Gym.  When I came home the girls had their grooming done and everyone was happy (nothing like a bride to bring this about!) I read scriptures to the girls.  At first Grace was so so disruptive I didn't know how to proceed but she settled down and sat quiet as a mouse as I read.  The kids are so good at scripture reading, they participate and are interested.  Then we read about self-discipline from Linda and Richard Erye (they are some of my favorite parenting teachers).  The three younger girls and I made cupcakes for the Daddy-Daughter dance tomorrow, Ellice is now doing a sewing project and the kids are going to Lindy's school...I miss Maria and feel bad that I don't spend time with the twins on the piano.  Esther waited for like 1/2 hr. for me to come today.  I get so distracted with house work and mothering....

Christmas 2011

This Christmas season started early for me, I think it is because the snow comes early and the nights are darker, whatever it was I felt our little growing family needed Christmas magic sooner than later...it has been an amazing two months...tonight was a beautiful night.  We started Christmas magic early around 4:30pm I made the kids dinner (Poppa was sleeping he had a driving head-ache ???) and we lite candles (always a delight, but I am always having to tell them not to touch, I guess this is what millions of mothers have to do) the kids were excited, loud, good, silly we had a little testimony meeting and then the kids got ready for an imprompt to nativity with towels and dresses, we had a fire going as well, Ellice loves fire and lighting it, she was adorable in her bath robe...(right now Ellice and Maria are having a sewing date together, but they didn't want to share the sewing machine and so they borrowed Aunty Bear's from down-stairs and set up a station in the living room)  (I love seeing them do stuff together, that is the nice thing about not having cousins around sometimes is seeing them play together, like yesterday we went swimming and they played and played, they usually bicker and tell-on during the day but the times they decide to work together and have fun they get along so well...it is a constant struggle to see them not getting along and wears on me, I just want total peace in the home...like they don't yell or hurt each other about 99% but they tell on bug and bicker....I want to help them overcome this so bad...the twins get along so well and spend many hours playing...even when I hear them bugging each other they go from crying to laughing so quickly that I usually don't have to solve it....maybe I should let Maria and Ellice try to solve it instead of me jumping on every disagreement...) anyways, Poppa woke up we were the holy couple, Grace was our baby, she was so cute and persistant...I love her so much...I was watching her today, her little legs crossed, her darling face and sparkling eyes and her non-stop chatter, she is so loud but so so so so so cute, I feel she is my ray of heaven I am so glad she still seems young...she reacted not nice tonight to her sis something like, "Don't do that Esther!!!!!" I was like "Grace" quick as lightning she says in this super sweet quiet voice, "I love you!" She has big spazzes, I make her sit on my lap and count to ten, this usually takes awhile as she spazzes and does not want to count CALMLY, then we talk about it and she does a little consequence and says, "sorry famly for spazzin!"  Oh, she is adorable...the twins are just spending time with Sannie...they were singing and playing together, I know they are going to have a hard time sleeping but they are so cute at night, sannie loves singing with them...tonight during our nativity pagneant Sannie was so silly he seems like my 6 child sometimes, unless he is charge I think he has ADD and becomes a pill...I love him so much though!!!  We did a cute nativity then ate food from Bethlehem and had hot apple cider....things are crazy, fun, loud, sweet, kind, laughing crying this is the greatest life ever....we also went to Fairmont for a week with the Pederson's and Proffitt's it was so fun and every morning we had challenges with our eldest two...but I woke  up early almost EVERY day and studied the Gospel it was AWESOME!!!!  I love spending time with the Lord and need Him so much as a mother....I am still so nervous about having another baby, like getting sick....most days I will my plate is way full with just the five I have.. I constantly struggle with keeping the house clean, preparing healthy meals, being organized, solving, consequencing, teaching the girls and trying to teach them the Gospel and school, well school is the most unstructured...basically they have to do personal scripture study, violin and math/reading sometimes writing...I REALLY need to get them doing more and learning more....every morning we have to have a class with Ellice to help her get on the path and to teach her the Gospel, depending on her mood sometimes it takes a long time to get her happy and going along with the system that is why it is hard in the mornings you really need two parents...sannie is really really good with her and helping out...Maria also has her struggles with anxiety, telling-on and other stuff...But you know Ellice trying really hard and accepting the atonement and trying to follow Jesus....she is making HUGE HUGE steps on becoming a humbler follower of Jesus and I can see her and Poppa and I becoming best-friends, once she can learn to put aside her pride and defiance and fully accept Jesus and our authority and respect us her life will be so much happier and she will be-able to shine...sometimes like yesterday I felt seriously overwhelmed with her defiance and also the WAY I handle her, I know that many times I handle her WRONG because it is like we bash heads here's an example..."come here please" she doesn't come "okay you didn't come so now you earned this....and this.....and this" she might just keep on talking back...what I should say "hey Ellice I need you to go to your room please"
 then go in there after she cools down...still defiant "okay I can see you aren't ready to be humble so when you are ready to talk and pray call me in..."
"okay great it looks like you are ready to talk, I need your eyes cause your eyes always tell me if you are ready..."
"whose team am I on?  Whose team are you on?"
connect the dots...
you are doing so good.....remember what we learned about this morning I need you to remember that...I can see you are humble, I will leave you to say your prayer and as soon as you are ready to come out and add to the Spirit of our family you can...

IT IS CONSTANT work with our two older girls, but I believe and hope an effectual struggle is still to be made, and as we hold out faithful and diligent with them they will get it...we truly are giving it a lot with our girls but we can be so so so much better...
BUT it takes up many hours of talking searching praying studying and even crying to know how to parent her esp. I compare myself so much to this lady called Michelle Duggar she is this famous Christian lady who has like 19 kids and they are so GOOD amazing, I need to learn how she teaches her kids to behave and follow Jesus,,,,it isn't even so much about behaving it is all about submitting your will to God and that means to righteous parents, Sannie and I I would honestly say are trying to be righteous, we strive continually for PEACE and want to have fun and joy with our kids, we want desperately for our children to serve the Lord and reach out to those in need, develop their talents and fulfill their individual missions and be the best mothers in the world...when will they get it I don't know but parenthood is NOT a piece of cake, but I love it and I am so grateful for the younger three that so far are really easy going.  I have felt the Spirit so much about having another baby so that means Heavenly Father knows something I don't, but He must know that I will be able to handle another child even with our struggles with some of our children....I love them all so much though...and I am grateful for the Christmas magic that has come into our home, I felt the Spirit tonight about Jesus and another time as we went carolling, I love Jesus and thank Him for everything!!!!  I love you!!