We Are a Happy Family

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Little tidbits

Since my last post there have been lots of little things that have happened. Man time just seems to be flying by! I almost wish I could push pause so I could get a handle on one thing before it is gone and then next thing in line is up. Oh well.
* My family came to town. Britt K and her kids from Texas and the Idaho clan came down too. Britt even stayed at my house this time! What a blast it was. Man I miss them.
* I turned 25 years old
* My mom would have been fifty years old this year. My grandma gave us cute baby pictures of her and me and my sisters had a fun time going through some of her old things with my grandma and aunt.
*I went on a trip to California with my sister Tessa and her (our) friend Alexis. Seriously good times.
* My dad turned fifty this year. Man how I love that guy more than I can express. What an example he is to me. I hope someday to be as good and kind as him.
* My sister Brittney Turned 25. Too bad she moved herself away to Idaho or we could have thrown ourselves an over the hill party ; ) Even still, seems she had a good time up there for it. Happy Day!
*My sister Britt K had a birthday too. Hope she had a good day. Someday I want to be like her too, even though I feel light-years behind. Definetly a good big sister role model for me. Happy Day!
* Got a broken A/C for a while after getting home from Cali. That will teach me to go on trips : )
* My baby is six months old and pulled himself up to the furniture to celebrate. He is getting too big too fast.
* Logan has Two teeth in and two more on the way. He also has been crawling for about three weeks.
* Isaac has starting adding that his belly hurts when he asks for something so he can get his way... I don't want to go to bed because, because my belly hurts. I need to go to LeGrand's because, because my belly hurts. I need that juice.... so on and so forth. He is a funny guy.
*Samuel is getting very good at recognizing the sounds that letters make and working in "learning books" with me. He has such a desire to learn and be creative. I am glad. I am hoping that it will help him to enjoy school.
* Spencer is going to start working nights here in a bit. He is enjoying being in the ICU.
* The fall feeling is slowly creeping its way in. I LOVE it!
I am sure there is tons more that happened to us, but my brain fails me.
Anywho, just a little howdy from the Allen's.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Nikolas

My sweet niece and her husband had to say good-bye to their precious baby boy Nikolas last night. He was born when Taylor was only 28 weeks along, and fought hard for three weeks. He was so sweet and tiny, but his little body got tired and he decided it was time to go home. Life is so fragile. I wish I could take it away and make them feel better. What a gift to be able to have this little angel be part of our family. He is loved and will certainly be missed.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Enduring....

I was talking to an older friend of mine and she had said how she had endured her children's childhood, and worked hard, but how she would never want to do that part of her life again. And I have not been able to get this out of my head. I feel like there are so many days where I do the bare minimum, where I can't wait for the bedtime hour to roll around because there have been about 500 hundred more whines than I can take. I have those days where I pretty much feel like a failure because all I ever wanted to be was a mom, and this is all I've got to give? So as I have thought about this enduring, I decided I really don't like that word. I know, I know. Endure To The End. Well, not if I can help it. Endure in my mind sounds like when we finally get to those beautiful pearly gates we are lying on our bellies trying to make it up the final steps, bruised and battered. I see a weary, tired face, kinda beat up, look up and reach out a shaking hand proud they endured to the end. I know, maybe a little ridiculous, but endure sounds so hopeless to me. So I got a new motto going on in the Allen household (well working on it anyways) over here we are going to:

ENJOY TO THE END

That's right. I need to hear it this way. It sounds better and gives my mind a way better mental picture. You know the one where me and all my posterity come skipping up holding hands and smiling and laughing one with another. The kind where it feels like we are coming home instead of making a pit stop at the hospital first. I know it is hard being a mom. I know I have a million things I need to do better. I know I may be happier with a little less pee and poop out of the toilet and more in it, less little men telling me "NO!", a little less of my mini blinds getting ripped of the wall and toy baskets getting unweaved so they can hide their toys between the lining and basket. But I CHOSE this. And I WANT this. So you better dang as heck know I am going to ENJOY this.

Important keys I have found that help me execute this plan (again working on it):

*a clean house, specifically the dishes. I know I have said this before, but I feel like I am immediately replaced with a new person/mother when these are done.

-example: dirty house, Samuel "mom, can I play playdoh/finger paints/sticky little letters/glue" well, the answer is always no, because for the love I already have to clean up all that other crap, last thing I want is more and since no one else even cares about the STATE OF THIS HOUSE BUT ME!!!!!.......yaddy yaddy, you get the point and not a pretty picture at that.

clean house, Samuel "mom, can I play playdoh/finger paints/sticky little letters/glue" me "oh sure, and after that we can make this other project and here's a delicious snack to enjoy, and oh you just spilled that water all over the floor for the 8th time. That's ok that happens sometimes".........yaddy yadd. Definitely a different tone.

*Another thing is not feeling like I DESERVE things. Like, oh, I have been home all day listening to these precious's whine I deserve, well maybe it's understandable that I lose my patience. Not so. Or I deserve to take a nap while my kids watch another movie, because I work really hard...or not. Anyways , you can almost make yourself think you deserve anything if you want. (not that it is bad to take a nap, cause I let my kids watch a movie while I rest, but could it be just cause I am tired?? And not because I exerted all my forces rocking the house as the mom, but because I chose to stay up way to late five nights in a row and play nintendo with my sister, or watch a movie with my husband, or read too late.) Anyways, I would just appreciate it if "self" would be honest to me, instead of making up "deserve" excuses, ya know?

*Getting ready for the day. Pretty self explanatory and obvious, but it helps.

*Remembering how quick my little people are getting to be bigger people. Having Logan has been a really weird in a way because he looks almost exactly like Samuel. So I look at him so tiny and small and then my big boy that is 44 inches tall, and talking(back: ) ) and is so much more independent and I almost want to burst into tears thinking I may have just endured certain parts of his life instead of enjoy. So when I look at their baby pictures it helps me remember I have got one shot with each of these little boys and puts my perspective back in line.

*Going out with Spencer or someone else is good because it helps me feel like I am still me too. I don't go out too much, but when I do it is good.

Anywho, I have got to enjoy more, love more, understand more. Not just my boys, but myself. I need to take care of me too, because like Elder Ballard said you can't draw water from an empty well. I WILL do this right if it's the last thing I do!!! So I hope everybody else can try enjoying to the end a little more (unless of course your vision of endure isn't so appalling. : ) ) Happy Wednesday ALL!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I have been out and about

Tessa and I were lucky to go to High School Musical at Broadway Palms with my Grandma, my Aunt, and a couple family friends. It was a really good time. Mostly because I was able to leave the baby at home with Spence. That is right, we entered a new chapter in our lives where Logan will take a bottle if needed. I felt surprisingly free. The show was good, it wasn't Zac Efron but what can ya do. Here is a picture of Tessa with Ryan. He seems very happy. Tessa has been living at my house since the end of May so we have been having a good time. Obviously all my pictures are backwards, so this is the end of the night:

just before leaving

Spencer and Logan

Me and Logan

Spence and Me

A few weeks ago me and Spencer (and Logan) went on a dinner and ice cream date. It was nice, but will be even better now that we can leave the baby home and not have to worry he will starve. Thanks to Tess for watching the big boys. Hopefully we go on a bunch more dates soon. It is always enjoyable to go out with that best friend of mine.

He sits!

My baby is getting big. The other day I thought I would try to start practicing having him sit and he took right to it. He hung out like that for a good five minutes. Cute little mister. Good thing he had to make his huge eyes for every picture. : )

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Logan

This little man is almost three months old. He has been such a wonderful baby. His big brother loves to hold him. He just started laughing a few days ago. It is very precious.

I love little baby bods!

His saucer helps keep him happy since he likes to be up tall most of his awake time.

At the temple

Crazy eyes!

We sure love this baby.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Pizza Bagels

Last night we had such a good time for Family Home Evening. First, we made pizza bagels. The kids could put whatever they wanted on them. Of course, my kids just had cheese and sauce, but Brayton and Raylee had a little pizazz on theirs. They were actually pretty good. I think we will do it again sometime. After that, we all loaded up and went to the temple. My boys love listening to the recording at the Christus. Isaac wanted to listen for a third time, but we stuck to two times and went to walk around. My boys love to touch the water at the pool/fountain. Isaac got soaked, but that is just him. We love going to the temple! After the temple we put our kids down for bed and Britt came over so we could watch some funny youtube videos, eat a brownie, and play a few rounds of the dice game. It was a great and we had a a good time.

me and my sweet boys

I wanted a picture of me and Spencer and this was our first attempt...we tried again. : )there I was smiling away and then I look at it and to my surprise Spence was making this cute face.