Friendly Competition

It started with golf balls.  I decided that I wanted to lose 20 pounds by the time July came around the first of May.  My brother-in-law (Nate) decided to do a support system and join me.  It's been going good.  I'm seven golf balls down.  The move has been rather hard and stressful on me.  I haven't worked out like I had in the past and I still hadn't dropped all of the baby weight.  This past week I started Insanity and jump-roping to help become active again.  This golf ball thing, this was not a challenge.

But then Nate decided to challenge me, on my birthday, to a double under or double jump challenge.  He told me to YouTube Buddy Lee and then watch and learn how to do a double jump.  Then, knowing I'm competitive, told me his record for double unders is 33, and told me I couldn't beat it.  I hate being told I can't do something.

So I started trying the double under last Saturday.  I got 7 in a row on my first day.  I figure by the time I get back from my vacation in August I will have that record smashed!  

I really only have a small competitive side in me. 

Five is a handful!

On Memorial Day, I took the challenge to try to take my kids' pictures. I had forgotten the work that this entailed.

Its quite the job to get five children to look at the camera.....

and smile.....

without making a funny face, 

 

or standing funny,

or even pouting, all while focusing and working the camera.

I may or may have not let a certain someone play with a stick to make them happy.

I have forgotten how much babies hate grass.

But, I think I was able to capture a few that will work, for now.

I also love how Kielle still sticks her tongue out all the time.  How I love these kids!

Loving our Missed Ones

A lot of things have happened since I have last posted.  I think a year has almost passed.  A lot has happened time.  Some good, some bad, some hard, some happy, and some sad.  But I think it's time that I start posting again. 

With that being said, a move in September last year took us to our new home in Western New York.  I'm still not sure how I feel about it but this is where my family is.  Enough said.  With us being in the East and family in the West, it makes it hard to participate in all the holiday festivities.  I miss that.

When I was a kid I remember going to my grandparents graves and putting flowers on their headstones.  I would do that in the morning with my mom and then go to our annual Smith BBQ.  Even while we were living in Idaho somehow we always managed to be in Utah on Memorial Day.  My kids very rarely went to the last day of school.

This Memorial Day wasn't the normal.  I couldn't visit my dad's grave and I couldn't participate in my family's lunch.  We made some great memories with friend's here but I wanted to do something to honor my dad.

So the girls and I decided to play and sing the song that was sung at my dad's funeral.  He has always loved the mountains and had lived in Utah his whole life.  So this song says it best.  Hope you enjoy.  It's definitely not performance quality but its the memory that makes it special.

More to come: New header and new family kid pictures!

How Am I Related to William Clayton (The Mormon Pioneer and Inventor of the Odometer)?

Are you a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of Robert William Clayton and ever wonder how you are related to William Clayton? After doing some research on FamilySearch I have the answers.

Our relative, Hugh Clayton, was William Clayton's first cousin. If you follow the general accepted degrees of relationships as described on Wikipedia, then you will discover that William Clayton is your first cousin (either 4, 5, or 6) times removed.

Come on.....brand new bike (baby)

I promise that I won't always post about our new baby.  I just want to get everything down that happened or I thought.  So bear with me.

About two months before I had Kielle, Cruz asked one night at family prayer if he could be the first to hold her.  Since I hadn't even thought about it and none of the other kids had "called" it, I said yes.  He was in seventh heaven.  While the baby was in my belly, every night he would give he a kiss.  No every night he still has to give Kielle a kiss on the forehead.  He's a great big brother.

Many of you remember the Macky (McKay's new nickname) begged for another baby back in 2009 and many times since.  When I helped Betsy as she had her jaw surgery that summer she asked me one day how taking care of eight kids was.  I answered by saying "easy."  She followed back by saying, "does that mean you will have one more?"  So when I had told her early on that I was expecting and that I would need extra help because I get extremely sick and dad would be traveling she (first) thought I was playing a mean joke, and then (second) she was ecstatic.  She has been a great big sister.  Every morning she comes in and takes Kielle, changes her, dresses her, and has her own one on one time while everyone else is sleeping (we are on an awful summer sleeping schedule.)  It's been great to have the extra "big" help.

Katanya is such a big helper before the baby.  She loves to surprise me with jobs that she has done in secret.  She loves to hold Kielle as much as she can too.  Her famous line is, "But I haven't held / loved her today."  With also being the youngest in the family giving up her spot, it hasn't been hard at  all (as it shouldn't be at seven years old.)  I secretly think that she can't wait to be able to play with her as in more than just holding a baby.

Kirsten my peacemaker.  She is only okay if Kielle isn't crying or pouting and only if she is happy.  She doesn't like it when she is sad in anyway and her feelings have always been very tender.  She also is a great big sister.  Her sweetness and care shows.  She has always been a great friend to ANYBODY and she will be a great friend to her sister without a doubt.

I guess this just means, I'm a proud momma, and 

I LOVE MY KIDS!

How five became the new Four

 Some of you might wonder why there is such a big gap in age or wonder if this was one of the common "oops" that you sometimes hear about. Here's our story.....

A little over three and years ago, I wanted another child.  I had talked to Jacob several times and our situation just wasn't right.  He was still in school, or I was working, or we didn't have the financial means....you get the jest of it.  It was just the wrong timing.  So as time went on, all of our kids got in school, I started exercising a lot, I was called to be the YW's President and things were going smoothly, Jacob came home from priesthood meeting in October with a big surprise.

He told me that night that he wanted another baby.  I thought he was kidding.  I tried to talk him out of it.  I had a lot of selfish reasons on why I didn't want a baby.  I had also remembered someone telling me a reason about odd vs. even and I strongly agreed with it.  But.....after a lot of talking and praying, I agreed to give it a set amount of time and if it happened, it happened.  Three weeks later, I found out I was pregnant.  It was truly meant to be.  To skip a long story, one of the things Jacob called for was giving the baby a bath every night.  He loved that moment, and loved wrapping them up in the towel and cuddling with them after.

 

Kielle has been no exception.  Although bath time puts her right to sleep.  She thoroughly enjoys it.  Maybe cause it reminds the most of what her home was for nine months.  Jacob has also been on cloud nine since she was born.  I've had several friends comment about the glow and the smile on his face and he picked up the kids or as they have stopped by the house.

In fact, Kielle has put a smiles on all of our faces.  The kids love holding her and have been a big help.  I know they have sacrificed having their summer be rather dull and slow but as I'm learning my lesson of patience, I think they are seeing the rewards of them being patient too.  I think we are all very ecstatic that she was chosen to be part of this family.
P.S.  It is still crazy to think that we now have five kids and not four.  As we walked out of the hospital I realized that my random head count of four has been interrupted and I will have to train my mind that five is now the lucky number.

Always happy to come home from the hospital

(With the convenience of Instagram and Facebook, I've been slower at posting on my blog.  I'm sorry for the repeat of some pictures.)

 

Kielle and I came home on Sunday.  

We have taken it easy the past week and the kids have rotated through each other numerous times a day for their turns in holding her.  After getting her through the first three days, she has finally figured out (a little more) that night time is for sleeping.  I was only able to get eight hours of sleep the first three days.  Somehow, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I think adrenaline always kicks in and you make it through it. 

With this baby, it has been a really easy and fast recovery.  Probably my easiest.  I have gotten through several projects that I needed to organize and do.  Its also weird having someone their that watches her.  I know there is a huge age gap but its actually been really nice!