Grace you are 13 months old today

My little baby girl is now 13 months.  She is growing up so fast and doesn't seem like the baby she once was.  Sniff sniff.  Good thing I have another one on the way.  Four more weeks until we find out the gender.  So here's what's new with Gracie Lu.

• She doesn't just take steps now, she fully walks.  I have the hardest time getting it on video but she does.  
• She is a laugh-er and chatter
• She loves to "sing" along with me when I sing
• She is a smiler
• She loves to dance and bop around
• She says Mama, Dada, and "nana" for banana and nods her head vigorously when I bring over a food she might like
• She cuddles us in the morning now when she wakes up and Paul and I just LOVE that.  She is becoming a cuddler
• Still not much interest in books
• She adores Lizzie and likes rough-housing with Moses
• She fits right in to our family and we are so grateful for her!

It was terrible, it was wonderful, it was epic and it was totally worth it!!

So today is Friday, July 3 and we went on an incredible (for us) four mile round trip hike to a lovely place in Sundance called Stewart Falls.  We've wanted to go hiking there for quite a while but Paul had a day off today and he (bless him) was as excited as I was to get out there early with the kids and get out into nature.  It was fabulous!!  We went through so many different areas of nature.  There were lovely grassy areas with ferns and rockier areas with gorgeous views and then, finally, we made it to the waterfall where we (along with many other visitors) were blessed with nature's air conditioning (waterfalls and water spraying gently on us cooling us from the very hot sun).

Oh the hike itself was hard, especially on the way home.  I started off by carrying Grace (and the baby in my belly - four months now) in a carrying pack and then Lizzie (that trouper!!) walked the whole way and only fell once and whined very little.  Then Paul carried Moses for a lot of the time.  We were so relieved when we finally arrived at the waterfall and ate all of our snacks but wow the trek back was really hard at first.  That's when I kept thinking.  This is nutso, Nelda.  Halfway back, we traded kids.  I carried a fussy Moses cause his naptime came up and Paul carried Grace and it was still quite hard.  Paul had a bunch of water in his camelback but a lot of it leaked on the way and so we had just enough water to carry us all through.  Oof!  Would I do it again?  Most certainly, but maybe when the kids are older, or get a sitter for the younger ones, or just me and Paul on a date.

I was telling Paul that I think my favorite part of it was the mindfulness of it all.  I felt very alive and completely in the moment.  No thinking about past or future at all.  That's something I've been trying to work on but that has been tricky because I tend toward, type-A, I gotta do a list, stuff.  But this was so good me to just completely be there.  And I was thrilled that Paul was so on board with it as I was.  It would be so tough to have a husband who just wanted to stay at home in the cool air and watch TV or football or do something lazy.  I am so grateful for Paul's energy and joy for life.  He is such a good friend and partner and we are really on the same page when it comes to activities and having fun (which might be my love language, haha).  The other day, I read on IG that food is a lady's love language.  That made me laugh.  Maybe for me fun, then.  Well, here are some pics to make your day.  It sure made mine and I hope the kids remember it a bit.  I love my family.

Look at that daddy.  Such a trooper and great helper.  And Grace did great too.  And Moses did great until the end. 

Lizzie is so brave, getting right in the water.  Reminds me of me when I was a kid. 

Paul and I both dipped our heads in the waterfall to cool off.  Felt great!

Finally we reached our car again.  It was so nice when we saw the parking lot!

I love Lizzie's pose here. 

My two favorite guys

What Lizzie said today...

Well  she says a lot of funny and cute things like the other day she said "mom, am I not adorable?" in the most serious voice.  So cute but here is the latest:

Scene

Mom downstairs putting Moses to bed leaving Grace in her high chair and Lizzie supposedly sitting at the kitchen table.  Mom comes up stairs out of breath cause she always is and sees a new toy mess on the carpet.

"Mommy, you won't believe what happened!  When you left Grace got out of her high chair all by herself, and walked to the toy box and dumped out all the toys and then walked herself back to her high chair and buckled herself in!" says Lizzie (very seriously).

Oh man I just laughed out loud and then she did too and we talked about how important it is to tell the truth.  Cute huh?  Lizzie you are adorable!

Payson temple with the kids

Sorry.  Photo dump again.  I need to go take a nap.  But yeah we took Lizzie and Moses to the Payson temple open house.  Loved it.  I think they did too.  Afterwards, we took them swimming and to the Spaghetti Factory for dinner which they enjoyed.  Nice family day.  My isn't my husband handsome!  So proud to be LDS and to have a family in the covenant.

Baby Grace you are one!!!

Gracie Lou!!  Look at you.  Just look at you, you little cupcake!!  You are perfect in every way.  And you are one.  We had lemon muffins for your birthday and sang to you and here's what's new with you:

• You say mama, dada, and banana!  You love bananas
• You are eating more solid foods but still love baby food
• You like to "help" me in the kitchen by tossing out all the kiddie cups 
• You love your mom and don't like it so much when she puts your down
• You are a great napper (thank you!)
• You are taking steps!  Yes, two days before you turned 1, I saw you stand and then take one step and today I saw you stand and take two steps to me.  But only when there is no pressure.  
• You are all fat rolls and squishy and you love when I play airplane with you.
• You are a great stander
• You loves bouncing
• You are so snuggly
• You are not such a fan of milk yet.  Your body kinda said "huh" but now I think you are coming around.
• Nary an ear infection since your tubes.  Wahoo!!

I love you with all my heart and soul Grace and your siblings love and adore you too and your daddy does too.  Thank you for coming to our family.  I cannot imagine a life without you.

Gratitude

So yeah it's um 10:45 but here I sit writing.  I just listened to the best Power of Moms podcast called Enjoy it because it's happening.  Those incredible Eyre sisters have done it again.  Here are a few quick notes I took.  

• Live the breadth of life not just the depth of it.  
• Zoom out and get away.  Go outside and look inside your home.  Are you so happy to be a part of that or what? 
• Big picture guys.  
• Spend 45 seconds alone with each family member.  You can do that!  
• Deep, broad, beautiful life. 
• Try to pursue those "crystal movie moments."  You know the ones in the movies where the lighting gets all magical and pretty music plays.  I have a number of those.

I wanted to end by naming three things I am grateful for today:

1.  We planted our garden and the whole family participated!!  Paul did most of the work. that swell man, but I can't tell you how nice it was to dig into the dirt and have our cute little kids around and plant.  It's been something in the works for a few years.  So so grateful we were able to do it!!
2.  I spent some nice, quiet moments with Moses today.  We read some books and I treasured it immensely.  I am so grateful for my son Moses.  I love him with all my heart.
3.  I met a former primary chorister today who has a great reputation and who taught me a thing or two about what to do with the primary kids.  Have I mentioned this is my calling?  Most importantly, she emphasized how important it is to bring the Spirit into the room?  Also she said that it's probably the most important calling in the church.  Gulp but cool too.  She's right.  In times of sadness and trials, primary songs have gotten to me like no other.  They bring the Spirit into my life.  Thank you former primary choristers.  I love you.

And so I'm off to bed.  

Expecting number four!!

Just some reflections above in how I feel at any given moment because yes!! Yes!!!  I am preggo.  Very very preggo.  As in I have insane cravings (olives, cottage cheese, fatty casseroles), everything smells bad, ugh, this one is kinda new, and I am quite emotional.  I cry at the drop of a hat.  Egads!  BUT we are so so grateful for our fourth and last baby.  This is why I have been quite slow at blogging lately.  I just can't seem to do anything and always feel slightly jetlagged and nauseous.  Ugh.  Anyway, happy day.

In other news, I have been working at clearing out my life a bit of the clutter and materialism.  I really don't like it.  I yearn to live a minimalist life.  I've unfollowed some blogs that were just making me a little ill.  Just shopping, shopping, shopping and it was too much.  I'm honing in on blogs that inspire and uplift me, not ones that make me feel annoyed, subpar and yes a little jealous.  So silly what we women do, isn't it?  So grateful for some amazing blogs out there like 71 toes and anything by the Eyres and also other blogs that I am too lazy to link to.  Sorry.  That's how pregnant I am.  Zero energy.  So yeah off to bed with me.  Buh bye.