for fun..

hmm..think these faces look a little guilty?? What Mom, we weren't doing anything..except maybe emptying our water bottles in the dryer:) sleeping in the middle of the living room floor with addy and mason playing tag..she's amazing.
i love mason's face in this...and yes, addy's new thing is just wearing underwear.just doesn't get any cuter:)

McKinley aka (Kin Kin)

I can't get enough of this little sweetheart. She had a rough start to life with bad gas, but that's so much better now, and she's an angel. Thank goodness since my hands are full with the other two crazy kids. She's 7 weeks old and has started cooing and smiling the past couple weeks. It absolutely melts me..everything else in the world stops when she locks eyes and you can see her recognize you and she starts to smile.

Splash Pads

There are so many amazing things about Vegas, but one of the things that tops the list is their splash pads and parks. At least this one. It is INCREDIBLE! The giant flowers are the coverings over the picnic tables.Trying to get Mason used to the watermad that we kept throwing his ball in the water to make him get wetisn't it adorable!?!I love how he walks..so cute!

Natural History Museum

We had heard that there's free shark feedings at this museum every Saturday, so we definitely wanted to check it out. It is such an AMAZING museum. The kids loved it and Chris and I loved it.
In each area they had buttons under each animal that you could push and hear the sounds they make. Needless to say, Addy and Mason were loving it.

Mason found a friend:)

My favorites were the dinosaurs. When this one roared.....

...these were their faces:)he loved that the fish tanks were at his level
pushing the buttons

checking out the sharks and sting rays

Life in a hotel room

We are SOOOOOOOO happy to be out of this hotel. It was fun for awhile, and we made the best of it. But we are all so relieved to be out of it and in an apartment. The kids are loving having room to run around and I'm so happy to have a furnished kitchen and big bathroom.

it was interesting sleeping with 2 kids in our room...we've only ever done it when we're on vacation.

Rose Reunion

Wow, I didn't realize we took hardly any pictures. We weren't even there 24 hours though. Chris flew in on a Friday at 2pm..we loaded up the car and headed up to the cabin in Island Park to see family before we moved down to Vegas. We haven't had much luck with warm weather the past couple years up there, so no swimming while we were there. It was so great and I'm glad we went, because everyone was there except Dan and Mike..so we were able to see almost everyone. Addy and Mason were sick, so they weren't in the best moods. Hopefully next summer we'll all be in good health and we'll have warm weather so we can jump in the lake!

I am so grateful for the wonderful blessing of marrying into such an incredible family. I feel bad that I don't have as many pictures of us with them as I do with my family. But I want them to know how grateful I am for all they do for us. There's no way we'd be where were at today if it wasn't for all their help. My kids are so blessed to have such amazing Grandparents and aunts and uncles that have been so close by. They talk about them all the time, and it makes me sad that we're so far away right now. Chris's mom took the kids each week for a whole day after I had Kinley, and I can't express how much help that was. Plus, Addy and Mason LOVED it and would live there everyday if they could. Thank you for everything!!

some random thoughts on motherhood

It makes you scream, laugh,

cry happy tears, cry overwhelmed tears, cry for no reason at all.

It's go, go, go from sun up til sun down...and a lot of the time, in between.

There's moments that you never want to end, and moments that you can't wait to end.

It can make you feel on top of the world, and on the bottom.

There's just nothing else like it.

I was so unprepared to be a mother...and then ready for number 2...and then more than unprepared for 3. The past 3 years have been amazing and so overwhelming. We've been married 4 years, and there just hasn't been a break or ever a time to be newlyweds. It's been up and down and yet so fulfilling.
I know we'll never be perfect, and that we all lose it from time to time. But sometimes, I really wonder what Heavenly Father was doing sending me 3 so close in a row. I want to be able to be patient and give them each the time they deserve. It's so hard sometimes when all 3 want my attention. I want to be the mom they deserve, and a lot of the time I fall short. I have my good days and bad. I've cried many tears over this..on feeling inadequate, on yelling more than I should, on wanting to just jump in the car and drive away to get a break, on missing my body and feeling ugly, missing being able to just jump in the car and go to the gym, or shopping whenever I want, on wanting time alone with my husband, on needing to sleep straight for a month...and on and on. And then I cry because I feel guilty over throwing a pity party when so many people I love can't have children. I know I am extremely blessed to have children..and so easily, even when I'm on birth control. I am so grateful, and even though I throw these pity parties from time to time - these 3 little kids make me happier than I've ever been. That's why Motherhood can make you feel the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It's the most rewarding thing, and pushes you to your limits. It's amazing how a little coo from Kinley can just melt my heart and I can stare at her forever watching her smile and make faces...such a simple thing, but so rewarding. I have such 3 fun stages right now, and it's stressful, but it's amazing how each one makes me appreciate the others. Going from holding Mason to Kinley keeps her a baby longer and I'm able to appreciate and stay in the moment of her being so small. Otherwise they grow so fast and you miss that infant stage. But I get to savor each stage when I get to compare them to each other right now.
It's so hard to not watch others and compare yourself. There's moms I look at that make it look so easy. They always look amazing, they have a clean house, they go shopping and their kids are quiet, they just seem to have it all figured out. Maybe I'll get to that point someday. One thing I've learned along the way is to take it one day at a time. There will always be things each day that will stress us out, but to step back and focus on the little things. We can only do our best, and for me right now, I'm surviving. We'll soon have a permanent job, house and life can calm down for us. Until then, I keep repeating Hilary Week's song, " Believe in what you're doing, Believe in who you are...and hold tight, to the truth, that you're a Daughter of God..Believe in who you're becoming, believe in who you are."

Goodbyes

This is a post I've definitely been putting off. Just looking at these pictures brings the tears back. Saying goodbye was not easy. Living with my parents for the summer was bittersweet. Of course we missed Chris, and nothing can replace being back with him. It was the hardest thing I've ever done being away from him and hearing Addy talk about missing him. We would always count down the days till he would come visit and I hated bedtime when I'd have to go to bed alone and start the days all over again by myself. Transitioning from 2-3 kids alone was so hard. But, when we started this whole process..my parents were so quick to offer their home to us. They were able to fill the void as much as the situation would allow. It's hard to put into words the relationship my kids have with them. It's so sweet to watch. Addy and my Mom are like soul mates, and same with my Dad and Mason. He would light up and follow my Dad around every weekend when he would come home from his trips. I'm so grateful beyond words for their help. I was going through such a hard time, but they helped make it easier and we couldn't have done this without them. Those few months have some special memories and we have definitely missed them since being down here.

Saying goodbye

Thanks again for everything

Time with Darik's Family

Darik, Kristine and Ellie came up to my parents about a week before we moved down to Vegas. It was their first time meeting McKinley and little did we know, they would be moving across the country for Darik to start work with Virginia Tech. We were able to go down to Poky to say goodbye before they left on this fun adventure.

Kristine, Kinley and Batty

Ellie and AddyMy poor Mom..Darik and I were the last 2 siblings that were still in Idaho. Now she has a kid in Oregon, Arkansas, Nevada and Virginia

such a stud

still here...

First, I don't know why it's underlining everything, but I couldn't and didn't have the time to fix it.

Wow, I've never been this behing on blogging before. It got so overwhelming to think about, that I just totally put it off. But, my goal is to get all caught up before we move again. I'll update our Vegas adventures and work stuff later. Here's all my random pics from back when we were at my parent's house in Idaho.

Mason is such a special kid...SO happy and makes everyone around him happy.
McKinley's first Sunday at church...I believe this was at 3 weeks.

My Dad took the liberty of teaching Mason and Addy how to spit water...then when they did it inside, he had to teach them that it's only okay when they're outside and not at people :)

I love that he taught her how to do dishes:)