Lived

“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”

― Marjorie Pay Hinckley

My cousin Sarra posted this quote on her blog a long time ago and I think about it often as I survey the runny nose marks, tears and crumbs my children leave on my shirts.

The Heart Warming-est Things

Harls carrying the teddy my Dad gave me, on the day I was born, as he walks all over the house.

He is quite affectionate of that bear of late.

Jonas summative statement of his new bike:

"Two wheels. No pedals."

All uttered as fast as he can talk in a super excited voice.

Twin antics! And the sweetest guilty expression on Harl's face.

I came back from helping Jonas in the washroom to find these two on the window bench sampling all of the pears.

I'm sure Rhett started it.

Jonas' car sculpture.

He called it "windmill".

And he stood near the couch guarding it from the babies for the better part of the morning.

Watching Jonas share cars with his brothers.

And watching the twins driving cars over everything while making beefy engine noises.

The looks on Rhett's face at the Birds of Prey centre!

He was overcome with expressions of wonder at nearly every bird we saw!

This boy makes me laugh and laugh.

Feeding the ducks and then fleeing for our lives as the mob chased us down the path (there were so many ducks when they all amassed together, it truly was terrifying).

Rhett petting Basil, the burrowing owl, with his perfectly poised pointer finger while forming the most perfect, breathless "Wow!" with his mouth.

And Jonas completely contented to hold Basil on his hand.

Way easy

and way tastier than the boxed stuff:

Martha's simple layer cake (even my non-cake eating husband is a fan of this):

http://www.marthastewart.com/971882/simple-layer-cake-vanilla-frosting

10 minute mac & cheese (even my non-mac & cheese eating self is a fan of this):

http://sayyestohoboken.com/2013/04/10-minute-homemmade-mac-and-cheese.html

These were both instant family classics!

The Present

Rhett wants to build with Megabloks so bad but after trying a few seconds he gets frustrated that he can't lock two blocks together and he totally loses his cool.

Take a look at the difference in circumference between those gams!

I love the way Rhett looks in his new cap. Harls has a matching one but he likes to try on Jonas' instead. It's really cute.

The way Harland chugs his milk and swings that mug around and smashes it on the floor is really messy!

He crosses his fingers like this a lot lately.

Ear grab, thumb popped, and muttering gulla-gulla. No one could miss Rhett's tired cues.

And no baby could top how easily this guy goes to sleep.

Harland's favorite perch.

Fun with Uncle Dallin.

Our kids LOVE Aunt Beddy and Uncle Dallin. I'm predicting that them moving might be a bit traumatic for them!

Harland climbed to the top of the slide yesterday!

He's also taking steps. He is going to walk before Rhett which is a little bit of a relief because Rhett crawled first. They can't tease each other about those things years down the road because it's all evened up.

Jonas made this a couple weeks ago by himself. He called it a parking lot.

The incredible tricycle riding boy is up to 5K now!

Henderson Park is now on the long list of parks we have to choose from every morning.

Jonas 4 months ago (I'm really behind on blogging!)

-puppy is still his most treasured possession

-is really snuggly

-likes to tell stories and talk about his day before I tuck him in bed (these are some of my favourite moments together)

-is branching out from transportation/construction vehicles into dinosaurs a little now

-is completely renewed by being out in nature just like me

-his tricycle is his second most treasured possession

-sings the alphabet song, "I am a Child of God", "Jingle Bells" and "Twinkle, Twinkle"

-builds amazing hybrid vehicles out of small megabloks

-a trip to the library or book bus is his favorite outing (after the park)

Rhett at 8 months

-oh, Rhettles, vivacious, energetic, forceful

-he is very forward and direct and he doesn't percieve anything in the way of his goal as an insurmountable obstacle, this guy is confident!

-for all that he has the softest whispery sing-songy voice he speaks his own language in

-he gives me love nips on my shoulder and my stomach (I have a purple bite mark on my shoulder this instant so that hasn't changed in the last 5 months!)

-he is agile like a cat, he likes to climb, and somehow mostly lands gracefully from his falls

-has the sparkliest forget-me-not blue eyes

-crinkles his nose

-says "dada", "gullagulla" and "goyagoya" a lot

-body slams me and pillows if either of us is innocently resting on the floor

-still can't get enough of music- he has a natural groove

Harls at 8 months

-says "mama" and "eh" all the time

-has the widest grin that stretches across his whole face

- inhales so sharply when he is excited (when he hears the bath running for instance) that is momentarily incapable of breathing

-has a koala bear hold on me most the day, sometimes I find myself wishing for a kangaroo pouch I could put him in, because he wants to be close to me all the time

- gets the saddest "sad" face I've ever seen if I dare to put him down for a moment, those eyes kill me

-sets his jaw if he is determined to do something Matt or I don't want him to do

-has a sharkfin on top of his head

-loves any and all vegetables

-does a funny prancing tap dance with a huge grin when Matt walks him into the tub for his bath

-is a sensitive soul who is gentle and kind

-has the skinniest little limbs but is somehow still so snuggly