These are the Good Old Days

 This beautiful week.

I feel such a fierce gratitude lately for these four boys and the sweet stage we're in. They are such good kids. My heart just bursts with love for them so often these days. 

I turned 34 on Wednesday. It was such a peaceful, content birthday. And I was reflecting on that feeling that day and I just feel like it's because it's my first birthday with all my people here :) I've needed an Asher all my life and he's here and spending my birthday with him and his brothers and their sweet dad was just really wonderful. Michael and I did a mystery shop brunch that day with Camden and Asher and it felt like our Indiana/Fresno days to be out with two little ones. I just watched them and felt so happy. We just got some stuff done that day and I decided to go get a pedicure during nap time when Michael was mowing the lawn. And during the pedicure I decided to get nothing done on my phone and stop scrolling a screen and just watch Deal or No Deal on the TV on the wall for 20 minutes. That might sound ridiculous but guiltlessly watching something like thad while doing something for me while getting nothing done at all just felt really peaceful. Also the girl picked the $.01 case but she made a deal for over $200,000 before opening that, so, it was just fun to be invested in that for 20 minutes. Then that night I decided I wanted to go to a hibachi grill so I could watch my kids watch it, and it was exactly what I'd hoped it'd be. I'll always remember Camden and the fire and Westin giggling trying to get the shrimp and Asher happily entertained by watching brothers and Bennett pretending to be our chef after the meal and doing all the funny things just how he had just watched the chef do them. And I saw an older couple just sitting watching us the whole time from another table long after their meal was done, and I knew it was because Michael and I are in the thick of the good old days. We won't miss some parts of course, but we will miss these days so much and look back on these cute kids and their cute moments with such a deep love. It was a good night. Good birthday. Good family. Good, good, good.

Westin is flying through the third Harry Potter book since I'm done reading it to him, so now he reads it on his own before I start reading him the fourth. He thrives at school and loves it. He loves to throw the football in our backyard right now, and is excited to start basketball in October. He loves a good joke. He appreciates food. He enjoys one-on-one time with mom or dad so much. I love that kid.

Bennett is working hard at Kindergarten and he knows it. He's proud of how hard he's working, and I love him so much. He can't understand others not being kind, and that is hard to navigate. He just doesn't comprehend it. Whenever he is telling me about a situation it's always some variation of, "Why would they do something not kind if I'm only being kind?" And that is a heartbreaking underlying question. He is a special spirit. I am maxed out but this boy needs a dog, and I will get this boy a dog. He's such a sweet helper with Asher and loves doing his math practice with me. 

Camden. He is such a character right now. When my mom was here last week she told him it was time to go to bed and in a sing-song three-year-old voice he said, "I don't have to. You're just a little grandma." And you want to be annoyed but you just giggle. He waves at all school bus drivers on our walks and is beyond thrilled when they wave back. He loves Daniel Tiger and often rubs noses with Asher and says, "Ugga Mugga!" and it's as adorable as it sounds. He tells me all day long about things he wants to tell daddy when daddy gets home. He has a twisty turny dance move he does when he's happy, swinging his hips to the side and lifting a leg up and out with his knees touching, and it's our favorite. He's anti-glasses these days and hopefully his check up in a couple weeks will get that figured out. I love him.

Asher is an angel, like I always say. Just, an angel. He's getting up on his knees more so it looks like the beginnings of an interest in crawling, and he's picking up food more rather than just ignoring it completely, but doesn't really put it in his mouth and doesn't let you spoon feed him either. I put a little bit of eggs in his mouth and he had an immediate reaction. A rash all over and so red. I've never had a kid with food allergies so we're figuring it all out step by step. He eats once or twice a night and I hug him so close after and sometimes even wish he would just sleep by me for a little bit but my kids just aren't very good at sleeping outside of their own space at that age. But Ali is coming next week and Dallin loves a sleeping buddy so I'm hoping to get some cuddles in that way :)

I love being these sweet boys' mom. I wish I could perfectly remember them at all their stages because this is fast and so precious.

My lesson on Isaiah this week was my favorite lesson discussion yet, which I didn't expect. But people in my ward shared such beautiful thoughts from their studies and I just loved it so much. My biggest takeaway was how real Christ is and how much better life will be for us when we try to live like Him and stay near Him.

See that mountain of butter on his prep table?
I loved when he asked Westin if he liked butter, and when Westin nodded he then put a scoop of probably 3 tablespoons of butter onto Westin's plate, who then just stirred it all around his rice and ate it all up with such a satisfied look, haha. That kid could use all the butter he'd like, he just keeps stretching and stretching out.

My favorite part of watching Bennett pretend to be this chef was when he said, "Mom, if I get a restaurant for real when I'm big, will you come to it?" Absolutely, sweet boy. I'll be front row to whatever you create!

Sweetest Kindal sending beautiful things even when she's literally leaving the country that same week.
I felt so loved on Wednesday and I'm grateful for my sweet friends.

Telling Camden the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff with the pictures he made in Kindergarten.

Some Sunday creativity.
Westin made a little rocket he called "Glider 1" and made this sign about the show we could come to and watch the launch.
"Tikets for the first test of the Glider 1. Mishon to drop a peas of paper if every thing gos rite thats what it should do."