Tobyn's Five Months!

I'm sure this gets tiresome of me saying this, but I really can't believe how fast this is going. Somebody told me the other day that they thought Tobyn was starting to look like a little boy instead of a baby (I told them that was mean)! That can't be. He has to stay my baby, right? He is so precious. He smiles at almost everyone and his smiles get so big that you think he is going to burst! He is often called the quiet one in our house. I don't know how long that will last, but he is usually always content as long as he has Mom and is being held. Things that Tobyn likes are: his mamma, his sissies, his daddy, and most other people, his changing table, being naked, his thumb, his little blue blankie, and the bath tub. Life is so simple at 5 months (don't you sometimes wish everything stayed that simple)! He's still a little peanut, but I think he has done some serious growing this past week! He has been eating like a monster and I am finally starting to put away those 0-3 months clothes.

We Won!!

As a family we entered a scarecrow competition a few weeks ago at the Flagstaff Arboretum. They had a few different categories: the best of show, the most creative, the funniest, the prettiest, and the best scarecrow name. Can you guess which category the girls wanted to enter? I'm sure this was a hard one, the prettiest! They decided they wanted to make a princess and decided it needed to be Princess Jasmine from Aladdin. Daniel made the base and the girls and I decorated her. Taylin drew her face, and Rayna helped stuff her! They called us this week and told us we won for the pretties scarecrow. So, with out further a due, here she is in all her glory, The Princess Jasmine Scarecrow (she is a little weather worn)!

Things I Don't Want to Forget

Here is just a handful of things the girls have said lately that I don't want to forget (I'm really good at forgetting if I don't take the time to write them down).

#1
The kids and I were out on a walk around the neighborhood on probably one of our last nice days before winter strikes. I desperately needed some air and vitamin D (for some reason three kids and homeschooling keeps pushing me over the top). For most of the time the girls were racing ahead and I was playing catch up. But towards the end of our walk, Rayna started to lag behind. I overheard her talking to herself. She said, "Oh wow, look at that bird. He's almost as high as heaven!" Too sweet. I would love to just freeze her and keep her that sweet!

#2
While we were eating lunch together as a family, Daniel asked the girls what they learned in school that day. The girls sat for a little bit, and Taylin didn't really want to tell what she learned but Rayna started chiming in. She said,"We learned about fish, and dogs, and cows, and birds, and..." "We learned about animal homes?" I reminded her. "Yeah," she replied. Trying to get Taylin to talk, Daniel asked her again what she learned. She still was not very willing to share, so Rayna stepped right in for her. "Taylin was reading. She was doing a great job reading." Taylin got a big grin on her face and just started beaming. It looks like it has officially started. Little sister is in awe of big sister and big sister is proud to lead the way. I can remember being in those same shoes, and I was the little sister who was star struck by my older sister.

#3
During school time Taylin asked me if Jaden was learning to read in heaven. "I don't know, he might already know how to read. He is six you know, so he's a little older than you. But maybe when you go to heaven you already know that stuff," I told her. "What do you think he does all day?" She asked. "I don't know that either, but maybe he plays just like you do," I responded. Rayna decided to join the conversation and asked, "Do you think he has to go to the bathroom?" Amused at her question, I said, "Well, he might, but maybe in heaven God has made our bodies perfect so that we don't have to go to the bathroom anymore." With a serious look on her face she replied,"Yeah, because that wouldn't be good if we had to go to the bathroom there." Hopefully, I haven't some how traumatized my child in going to the bathroom for her to think about it so much, but I have to honestly say I don't think I have ever pondered that thought before!

#4
While over hearing Daniel and I talk about kids, Taylin stated that she wanted 40 kids when she grows up. "Wow," I said. "No, I don't think I could really handle that many kids. That would be too many," she stated. "Yeah, I can barely handle three," I told her. "But, Mom, God is raising one of yours." She stated. With smiles on both of Daniels and my face, I told her, "you are right." I can always count on Taylin to never forget her brother. Even in times when I don't expect her to remember him, she always does. She loves to bring him up and to talk about him. I won't lie, there are times when I think she makes it harder for me, but most of the time it brings a ray of sunshine to my heart. I love that she loves him.

Apples, Apples, Apples!

After finishing our apple unit for school, I think we are appled out! We have picked apples, shopped for all the different kinds of apples and eaten them, made applesauce, made apple fries, made carmel apples, and made apple dolls (I know, we missed the traditional apple pie)!

Fall Festivals

We spent the weekend checking out some of the fall festivals in town. The girls had a blast running in the hay mazes, riding the ponies, doing crafts, jumping in the bounce houses, taking a hay ride, picking pumpkins, and getting their faces painted!

A Girl's Got to have Her Shoes!

Normally, I am pretty practical when it comes to the girls' shoes. I stick to what's on sale and what they need. For some reason, I felt for Rayna this last time we went shoe shopping a few weeks ago. We went for both the girls. Taylin needed some brown shoes and Rayna needed some crocks that she could put on herself. Well, we didn't find either one of those types of shoes in our small town of Flagstaff, but we came across some beautiful pink ones that Rayna loved. She had absolutely no need for these shoes, but I could see it in her eyes, the longing was definitely there. Rayna most of the time gets Taylin's hand-me downs and doesn't get as many new pairs of shoes as Taylin. For some reason I caved. I didn't stick to our plan and I bought these pink, sparkle shoes for Rayna. Taylin also ended up with a pair of shoes, but they were black dress shoes, that she needed. Both the girls wore their new shoes home from the store and were in high heaven! Nap time rolled around and Rayna was heart broken that I was making her take her shoes off to nap, "their beautiful," she said with a sad face as she took them off. When she woke up from her nap, still groggy, I went to snuggle her to find that she had already placed her shoes back on! And that has been our routine lately! She has worn her new, pink, sparkle shoes every chance she can. She has only taken them off to sleep, or when I have forced her to wear a different pair of shoes!

The Hunts Over!

After being gone for 7 days to Wyoming, Daniel finally came home! He had 4 tags for antelope and came home with all four of them. He had lots of fun shooting them, but I think the real work is actually in butchering them! After finally finishing all four antelope, I think I very much prefer sending them to the butcher. It really is pretty darn disgusting! But, Daniel tells me I need to be thankful that the Lord has provided, (I really am trying, but I don't think I see it the same way he does). One thing is for sure, the girls and I were sure glad to have him home!

Bath Time!

Tobyn loves his bath! It calms him down instantly when he's fussy and he just becomes so happy! He is my first that has really just loved to splash and kick. He gets a little startled when his face gets covered in water from his splashing, but then he just goes right back and keeps on splashing.

Fall Trips

The past few days we have made a few different trips around town to discover fall. Our first trip was last Thursday to our town Arboretum. We had a tour planned with several other families. The kids had fun with each other and they got to discover the gardens with touching, seeing, smelling, tasting, and hearing. We had a total of seventeen kids plus babies! But it was amazing! They were all so well behaved! After exploring the gardens and eating lunch, the kiddos were introduced to the raptures (hawks, owls, a crow, and a raven)! I have to say this was probably are best field trip so far.

Listening to the "Quaking" Aspen in the wind, and touching their sunscreen (bark)

Learning about the plant life in the pond

Tasting their mint tea that was made from the mint leaves harvested from the garden!

Taylin, Hannah, Rayna, and Livvy

Grant, Luke, Everett and Cole

That's a hawk!

That's another hawk!

On Saturday we went to a friend's house that has an apple tree and the kiddos had so much fun picking apples, their only wish was that there were more apples on the tree! They not only had an apple tree, but they also had chickens! Rayna fell in love with the chickens! I didn't have my camera on me, but I wish I would have gotten a picture of her with the chickens. She was chasing them around the chicken coop trying to pick them up. She would scoop up one and hold it for a few seconds and then drop it. Then she would run to scoop up another and then drop it again. I think she would have stayed in there all day with them, had I not encouraged her to come out! The funny thing is, my other daughter would not even set foot into the chicken coop, let alone touch one!

But she does climb trees!

Rayna, Taylin, and Livvy with their apples!

Since I am a single mom again this week, after the girls were done picking apples, we ventured off to Lockett Meadows to see the changing leaves! We hiked around for about an hour and then decided to head back home. I think the girls actually went pretty far on the trail. Rayna wanted to keep going and was very disappointed we had to turn around. Taylin on the other hand was ready to be done even before we were. After we made it home, I decided I was done! I think I'm ready to be home for a while! (and ready for my hubby to be home!)