April 2018

Easter Sunday spent in Cedar City with the ENTIRE Goodwin/Hatch/Allen family. Trampoline. Easter dinner. Family pictures. Couldn't let April Fool's not happen at all so I made "Brown Es" for the children for after dinner.

Benson family celebration and egg hunt at Granny's house.

Gordon's funeral. Beautiful and sad.

Crosby has a small fever again, but it wears off during the day.

I try on Bret's army gear. Heavy.

Cedar City fun: visiting Grampa at work, jumping on the trampoline, "paint your mouth" ring pop suckers, watering flowers, visiting SUU's campus and learning about Old Sorrel, reading books, playing with Bret at 2000 Flushes.

Notable: When we went to see the circle of statues at SUU, Nora ran ahead and then came out with a sassy look on her face, raised two fingers and said with confidence, "How come there are only TWO girls in there?!"

April 3: Crosby's car seat gets switched to a front facing seat and he LOVES it.

Drive home to meet back up with Dad (who left on Monday) on Thursday. 

Put Easter stuff away - AFTER a pic of everyone in bunny ears.

Nora comes out of her room and plants her rocking chair just outside her door and says, “Mom, do you know why I came out of my room to color? Because my family is out here and I sure love my family. I’m a smart girl and I know everyone is having fun out here so why would I stay in there?"

Andlie enjoys her special night with Dad playing pool and then going to Pop 'N Sweets and eating floats. 

April 7 - 8: Shennie visits. 

Crosby drives his monster trucks all over my face.

Crosby draws "trucks" during sacrament meeting - with BOTH hands.

School pics arrive! On picture day I dared Andlie to make a crazy face when the photographer counted to three. She totally did and he caught the end of her tongue sticking out!!!

Family walk - we stop to look at a bug.

Andlie asks her teacher if she can play her new ukelele from Shennie in class. She proudly plays "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

Nora tries on Andlie's old skates and loves it!

Crosby hates his hands to be messy.

Andlie plays goalie for the first time and blocks two goals!

Nora LOVES cleaning the bathrooms with me. Documenting for teenage years.

SNOW. April 13th.

Date night! We enjoy dinner and ice cream at a trendy little place downtown. We enter at 9:30 pm and immediately feel like we are 60 years old and end up eating our treat in our car.

Nora gives me dandelion "flowers" often and I love them.

When we go on family walks, Nora gathers flowers all the way. I had her line them up when we got home.

I subbed for Nora's primary class. They were the CUTEST little kids and I had a great time with them. After we came back from getting drinks, they were all smushed behind the door hiding and giggling.

April 15: Crosby's first day of nursery. It's a HELL NO from him. 0/10. Could hear him crying from the drinking fountain down the hall.

Nora has been drawing self portraits and signing her name on them on little papers. I find them all over the house.

Crosby had his first green apple sucker.

Haze copied Andlie & had his special night with Daddy playing pool and eating Sodalicious cookies!

I decorated Andlie's teacher's door for Teacher Appreciation Week.

 I thought Crosby was doing so well with eating his lunch! When I took the lid off of his snack bowl, I found all the food smashed inside. Well played.

We have a new morning routine since Leo arrived - morning walks! Every single morning.

April 18: Well checks for Andlie, Nora, and Crosby! Doctor with four kids is a PARTY! Everyone is growing and healthy and we got a good report. Crosby had to get 3 shots which he was not happy about, but the two suckers totally cured his sadness.

We were late to Nora's dance class so we all stayed and watched. The kids watched her spin and twirl through the window which was adorable.

Animal day at school!

April 19: My sweetest Nora Jane. We went to Target today. On the way in, she noticed an older man sitting hunched in a ball with his head down on the corner. His sign said, “Anything helps.” She pointed him out to me and said, “Mom, I think that guy is sad. He doesn’t have any house or food or family. Do you have any money to give him?” She was pretty disappointed that I didn’t have cash, but I cheered her up when I told her we could buy him something in the store. She suggested that we “buy him some towels and a bowl and a big blanket since he doesn’t have a house.” We did our shopping and were ready to check out when she said with a sense of urgency in her little voice, “Mom!! We forgot something for that guy!!” So we chose some crackers and cookies for him. She handed him the Target bag out of her window and with a big, dirty, happy smile he reached out and said, “Thank you so much, sweetheart. God bless you.”

Leo knows I'm not his biggest fan, but he really wants me to love him. He's getting there when he smushes his way on to my lap even though Cros is already there.

April 20 - 21: Grama & Grampa visit! Soccer games, Pizza Pie Cafe with Bryce, bounce house, love.

Bryan & Chandi speak in church! Topic: What can we learn about the Godhead from Joseph Smith's First Vision?

Andlie has so many Beanie Boos. So many.

Crosby's favorite part of Monday is doing laundry with Momma.

Nora Jane is always dressed up.

April 23: Andlie comes home and asks what she can do to earn money and then asks if she can have a brownie stand. Proceeds to make her first batch of brownies all by herself and then makes a sign and wheels the stuff down the road. Makes a cool $5.50.

Crosby is proud to be able to do big kid stuff like climb up on stools by himself.

April 23: Andlie gets the period talk from Mom & Dad and a special book about growing up. What is happening?!

CrAzY Hair Day! Nora participates from home.

Crosby gets his picture taken when he's sleeping because he's outgrowing my arms and it's giving me all the feels.

April 26:

Me & Andlie went to a Mother/Daughter church activity. We were supposed to dress alike - nailed it hard. And then we played the Newlywed game - also mostly nailed it. I feel SO BLESSED to be Andlie's Mom. She's a true light in my life and I love her so.

What’s your Mom’s favorite dessert?
A: Chocolate chip cookie
C: Chocolate chip cookie

What’s your Mom’s favorite color?
A: Light purple and teal
C: Pink, purple, teal
What does your Mom do after you go to bed?
A: Stay up and watch a cooking show
C: Netflix & treats
Would your daughter rather live in the mountains by a lake or on the beach by the ocean?
C: Beach by the ocean
A: Beach by the ocean
Would your daughter rather read a book or listen to music?
C: READ
A: Listen to music
What is your daughter’s least favorite chore?
C: Allllllll the chores
A: Cleaning the basement
What is something your Mom is good at?
C: Telling jokes
A: Cooking
What time does your Mom go to bed?
A: 11:50
C: 12:30 am
What is something you like to do with your Mom?
C: Special Night/Menchie’s
A: Have fun
Where did your Mom grow up?
A: Cedar City
C: Cedar City, UT

April 26 - 29: Tony & Leslie & gang visit!

April 27:

1. Pull the muffins off the counter while Mom is cleaning dog pee. Unwrap all the muffins and take bites out of all of them.

2. Pull all the plastic bags out of the box. Point to the bags.

3. Throw your lunch plate and sippy cup in the trash.

 

 Me, Cros, and Nora eat lunch on the deck and then get scared of bees. Group pic. Obviously.

Nora finds such joy in every day things! She was laughing at having her little dirty feet sprayed off in the sink.

Nora & Andlie made "gloves" out of sidewalk chalk & water.

Andlie's friend, Brynlee came to watch her play soccer.

We try nursery again. Cros gathers allllllll the trucks in the room and puts them in a pile in the corner and takes a seat beside them. Piles a few on my lap. Doesn't play with them just to make a point. He doesn't like this place.

Bryce comes over for birthday dinner & treats! Birthday handshake.

Haze wears his new shirt and copies the emoji.

Nora's artwork. 

Nora Jane Allen
Rainbow Glitter Sparkle, 2018
Glittery Water Color on Toilet Paper
4 in x 4.5 in

 

Easter Dinner

Brown Es

Haze's namesake!

Benson Family Great Grandkids

Benson Cousins - Missing Jarica

Gordon's Funeral

Happy fevering baby.

Grampa's Work

Front flip! Nailed it. And then peed my pants.

Paint Your Mouth Ring Pop Suckers

Front Facing Car Seat

Found a brick that said: NORA!

2000 Flushes

Quick bathroom stop on our way home with all four kids and a dog in tow!

Andlie's Hand

"I’m a smart girl and I know everyone is having fun out here so why would I stay in there?"

Special Night

Gifts From Shen

Monster Truck on Mom's Face

Drawing "tucks."

One Million Cow Licks!

School Pics - Spring 2018: Andlie's tongue is peeking through!

School Pics - Spring 2018

A bug.

Ukelele in Class

Dirty Hands

Tired

Running

Goalie Face

Me. 100%.

Crosby kept putting his warm little hand on my chest while he was morning nursing.

Got a new dog toy. Not for Crosby.

Date night in the car.

PARENTHOOD summed up in one pic.

Flowers from the walk.

Nora's Primary Class: Maya N, Jack C, Nora, William H, Corbin R

First Day of Nursery

Signed Self Portrait

SUCKER

Special Night

Crosby's Hidden Stash

School Drop Off

Morning Walk

Dancing Queen

Doctor

Watching Nora Dance

Animal Day

Kind to a Stranger

Leo squeezes in.

Their relationship documented in one picture.

Bounce House - Grama's Treat

Princess Daddy

Bug

Told Nora to keep an eye on the bug she found while I went and grabbed a cup to put it in. She took me literally.

Laundry Day

"Boo" Toes - At his request.

First batch of brownies!

Big Boy

ALL BOY

Growing Up

Crazy Hair Day

Dance Class

Sleeping Angel

He loves the triple mirrors.

Dammit. Dirty hands.

Mother/Daughter

Treats afterwards with friends. Andlie & Chloe R.

1 & 2. Pull muffins down & eat one bite each.

3. Pull baggies out and point.

A bee!!!!!

Rinsing her feet in the sink.

Chalk Gloves

Brynlee J, Ashlyn E, Andlie

Little buddy got too hot at the game. Cooling off and drinking water in the shade.

Gathering Trucks

Birthday Handshake

Nora Jane Allen
Rainbow Glitter Sparkle, 2018
Glittery Water Color on Toilet Paper
4 in x 4.5 in