June

We are officially moved in! Thanks to mom and dad, who helped get me over the moving/stressed-out hump, we have just a few boxes left in the garage to get to. It's nice to be so close to work for Jared and we are loving our neighborhood swimming pool. Especially since it has been so dang hot here this month. The kids are little fish and are getting pretty brown. And they are taking advantage of the fishing pond down the street too. Kaia and Brandt can cast, bait, reel it in and take the hook out and release the fish by themselves. Life just doesn't get much better than those lazy summer days fishing with dad.

The kids enjoying the nice big bathtub-

And this month, a happy anniversary and father's day to the love of my life. Nine years that seem to have flown by. This year, take-out was as good as it got. Heck, just a nice quiet meal with just the two of us is something these days.

A cheesy wedding photo just for good measure...

And the happy couple today. We do look older, eh?

Kaia finished her first session of riding lessons. She just loves it. Just watching her with those horses makes Jared and I smile. Kaia has been a great help this summer. It's nice that she is getting old enough to help out. Getting a drink for Tatum or pouring everyone some cereal while I am feeding Maren. It's great. I love when they can get more independent. Like getting their seat belts on, picking out and putting on their clothes...now I am just waiting for the day when they can cut their own food up.

Brandt has had quite the month. I swear he has seemed to grow up so much recently. He is turning into a great swimmer and would stay at the pool all day I think. His mind is apparently growing fast too because everyday he is asking questions or explaining how things work or he's trying to get away with something.

Like today on the way to the store he asks: Mom, do you know how temples are built?

Me: Do you?

Brandt: Yes. They use one whole brick for the bottom of the temple. One huge brick that is so heavy only God can lift it.

Me: Really...who told you that?

Brandt: No one. I just figured it out.

Me: Wow, that is really smart Budd.

Brandt: And I'm pretty sure they use hot glue to make it stick together.

What a kid. He is a thinker that's for sure. And it's quite scary sometimes. For example...
I cleaned up the kiddie potty for Tatum to encourage her to use it and finally be potty-trained. She isn't yet, and if you know her and her personality at all you will understand why I haven't made it into an issue...yet. Well, to kind of get her over the hump, we told her if she goes #2 in the potty she gets to go to McDonald's. She is obsessed with "Donalds" and since she rarely goes it's a big treat. So one day I come into the room and Brandt is trying to talk Tatum into using the potty upstairs so she can go to 'Donalds. Tatum of course is saying No! and pushing him away. But Brandt keeps persisting and starts going upstairs hoping Tatum will follow. Long story short, I find out that he has used the kiddie potty and was trying to get Tatum to pretend she had so he could go to McDonald's that night. Wow. Yes folks, he just turned FIVE!!! I thought I didn't have to worry about this stuff until I had teenagers. I had one of those moments where I'm thinking to myself, "Where have I gone wrong? I have failed as a mother." And then a couple of days later I am asking him a bazillion times to go to the bathroom because it is extremely apparent he needs to go. He runs in the bathroom and runs out 2 seconds later a couple of times saying he tried but doesn't need to go. Does he really think I'm that stupid? I finally drop everything, give him the look and tell him he had better go or else! So he runs upstairs (so he thinks I can't watch him), stays in there for about 30 seconds and flushes the toilet then comes right back out and looks at me waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Big mistake buddy. He came out way too fast after flushing the toilet and I just knew. Call it mother's instinct. That kid is getting quite clever and devious. Fortunately I have just enough brain cells left after birthing four children that I can tell when a five-year old is trying to pull something over on me. I think I better start eating more fish and doing crossword puzzles for the future. And if any of you reading this have any tips on raising perfect, honest children feel free to pass your wisdom on.

Tatum loves to help clean and cook and is really sweet to her little sis. It's nice I don't have to worry about leaving them in a room together. She is following in Kaia's footsteps and insists she wants to ride a horse "when I gets bigger. With Batman boots." Kaia has black riding boots that Tatum thinks are Batman boots. She loves to sing and is always making up songs, especially when we drive. She sounds like a broken record most of the time because she just repeats it over and over and over and over. Kaia and Brandt will start chanting "No more!" pretty loud to drown her out and she just starts yelling her song as loud as she can. I once saw a bumper sticker that said "Caution: Under the influence of children." I think I need one of those.

Maren is still the best baby ever. We are all completely in love with her. Still not sleeping all the way through the night, but that's okay. She's teething and I keep thinking one of them is going to show itself one of these mornings. I actually like getting up with her most of the time because she just greets me with the biggest smile you have ever seen. Hey, at least someone appreciates me ;)