Quickie...

I have been reprimanded. Seth told me that if I'm "going to use my blog as journal" than i need to be better about updating it. Ya ya ya. More like if WE'RE going to use MY blog as a journal...

But he's right. I have missed a couple big events over the past month or so. Summer + 4 kids has taken it's tole on me. Blogging has been at the bottom of the list. We're heading off to Utah for a little vacation so I better get semi-caught up before we leave.

Nash's Blessing:

Precious. He is such a good baby. Not perfect. Not a great sleeper, yet. But he's just so sweet. His blessing was... great. The blessing part was fantastic. Seth is an amazing father and we were blessed to have Seth's dad, my dad, our brother-in-law Brandon, my brother Bj, and a few friends (Christian Newitt, Steve Harper and Ben McAvoy) there to stand in on the blessing.

The stress and drama that seems to go with having large family get togethers is almost not worth the effort some times. I love my family very much. I love Seth's family very much. Both families in my house at the same time is overwhelming to me.

So overwhelming that the only pictures I got were of him sleeping in his car seat (before all the family arrived). I need to get the good pictures from my mother-in-law. But this will do for now. Isn't he adorable. I made that bow tie. It was super easy. Well super easy once I got the size figured out. I made about 6 of them in the process.




Miss McKay Turns Seven!:
I can't believe my baby girl is 7! Not sure why that is shocking seeing as how I've only been married for just over 8 years and we just had our 4th child but its still crazy to me. She has been my challenge the last few months, my sweet little girl has started to develop some serious attitude. She reminds me a lot of me at about 12... that's 5 years early but maybe I just don't remember me at 7. She's still a great girl. She loves her baby brother and will be a great mommy some day. She's a great mommy right now, only problem is this family can only handle one mommy at a time. Seth and I were sneaking a quick, innocent kiss in the kitchen the other day and she told us to "get a room." I'm pretty sure she doesn't really know what that means but it's so par for the course with her, always reprimanding and correcting us.

For her birthday we took her and 3 friends to the drive-in to see Kung Fu Panda 2. It was kind of a good idea. They all got tired about half way through and half of them were sleeping by the time we got them home. But it was fun. And way less expensive than taking them all to the actual movies.

Quatro!

Four is harder than I thought it would be.

I can leave the house with them and I do pretty good. As long as I'm not in a hurry that's not too bad.

It's staying home and getting anything done with all four of them here that is difficult.

It might have something to do with it being summer and there's no school/preschool to send them off to.

And lack of sleep. That could be part of it too.

Bless me with patience this day! Don't teach me patience I've had plenty training in that just help me to show the patience I've already been "taught".

Kids are a little too honest sometimes...

We had a very fun day on Saturday as we celebrated McKay and her cousin T.Jay's birthdays at Seth's sister's house in Chandler (I cannot believe they are both 7). The kids played games, cracked open a pinata (after many, many hits with the wiffle ball bat), ate dinner, opened presents, and ate cupcakes and ice cream. After all of that fun you would have thought that the kids would have been full of praise to their loving mother for all I do and have done for them. Not so. Here's the conversation we had as we drove away from their house:

Me: Everyone be quiet because I'm going to sleep and Dad is going to carry me to bed when we get home.

McKay: Then Dad will faint.

Me: That's not nice. Are you saying Dad isn't strong enough to carry me?

M: No, I'm saying you're too heavy.

Me: Hey, that's not nice.

M: I'm not saying you're fat.

Me: Thanks

M: I keep talking and I'm making it worse.

Me: Yeah, maybe you should stop.

M: Well it's true...not that you're fat. I need to just shut up.

Me: That's the best idea you've had all day.

I didn't actually say that last one, but I wanted to. Kids definitely keep us humble.

Hot Date at the Hammered Hog

In the last couple months my wonderful husband has been really good about making sure that we get a date night every week. It's the best. There's nothing like kissing the kiddos goodbye and just getting out of the house for a couple hours.

We haven't always been good about that. We haven't always had the money to pay for a babysitter on a weekly basis. For a long time our dates seemed like they were monthly and they always involved going to the temple. Which isn't a bad thing. I like going to the temple and we try hard to get there once a month but there is something refreshing and renewing about spending some alone time out of the house every week. By the time we get back I am ready to love my kids again. Especially when they are snuggled sweetly in their beds snoring.

My advise to all newlyweds would be "go on dates." Not so much when you are first married and all gushy-in-love but after the children have come and you've stopped kissin' on each other every 5 seconds because the kids are always there making gagging noises when you do. Go on dates then. And kiss on each other. It will make a huge difference.

So with that we are off. Ready to be refreshed and renewed... and to eat some deliciously messy BBQ. (we hope. we've never been to this particular establishment so I'll let you know how it is.)

Memorial Day

Sometimes when I'm perusing other peoples' blogs I see their blog list on the side bar and it says somthing like

Avey Family

6 days ago

And I'm like "nu-uh!" And then, as if the great blogger calculator must be on the fritz, I run back over to my blog to check. Because there is NO WAY it's been that long since I blogged. I blog like every other day I swear! But alas, the blogger calculator is always right. It has been 6 days. And sometimes it's been like 6 weeks then I get that dreaded 1 MONTH calculation and I feel bad because I missed a whole month of our lives. Or at least missed writing anything about it.

So here I am blogging about blogging no it's worse than that I'm blogging about not blogging. Which pretty much makes this post null and void because it has no point. Ugh. It matters not how I try!

So lets make this worth something.

MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE AVEYS!

We took the girls to Nana and Papas on Sunday night and "let" them have a sleep over with their cousins. Luc was so sad. Not that he wanted to stay he just wanted "KayKay and Kimbo" here with him. It was sweet.

Monday morning we went and cleaned my car then headed up to Nana's for a day of swimmning. It was beautiful. A high of like 87! Which is unheard of in Phoenix, it's usually in the 100s by now.

We bbq'd. I think that's a requirement for Memorial Day

In the afternoon we took the kids for a drive through the National Cemetary. It was very touching to see all the flags and take a moment to remember those who have gone before us. Mckay begged us to take her back when we could get out and walk around. A girl after my own heart. I love cemetaries!

Dinner at Culvers! Which I thought was delightful but Seth thought was a bit chaotic. I think after 4 days of being home with the kids he was ready to head back to the quiet confines of his cubicle. I would like a cubicle sometimes too. Would that be weird to put up a sound-proof cubicle in my home?

Phew! Now this post counts. Awesome.

*Warning: spell check must not be working because it says I have no misspellings and it always picks up on Luc's misspelled name. So excuse any misspellings.