The Difference Three Kids Make

So like I said in my last post we are getting ready to go to Mexico for vacation soon. Last year Tim and I were lucky enough to go on a wonderful vacation to Hawaii. It was the first vacation we had taken without kids since our honeymoon and it was so fun. This time we get to take the kids along, which will be so fun too. As the rest of you moms know though preparing for a trip with kids and without are two totally different things. Here are some of the differences:

Hawaii Trip
-Tim and I packed the morning of
-Tim had one checked bag
-I had one checked bag
-I took one small purse as my carry-on
-Tim didn't take any carry-ons
-We both took naps on the airplane

Mexico Trip
-I am preparing stuff a week a head of time
-These are the things we have to take:
1. Checked bag for Tim and I
2. Checked bag for Jace and Brax
3. Checked bag for Ashlyn
4. Double stroller
5. Car seat for Ashlyn
6. Car seat for Brax
7. Big diaper bag carry-on
8. Carry-on backpack with activities for Brax
9. Carry-on backpack for Jace
10. Carry-on bag of snacks
11. A booster car seat for Jace
12. Tim's golf clubs
-I am betting big money that neither one of us is going to nap on the airplane this time
-Last time we attracted virtually no attention getting through the airport to our gate...this time might be a different story : )

Despite the extra prep work, we are all excited to get away for awhile and have a break from all the daily stuff and spend some time together. If you are interested to see where we are going click herehttp://www.moonpalacecancun.com/Resorts/MoonPalace/Index.asp.

We have had a great week. We had such a fun week with the 24th holiday and some other fun family things. I will post some pictures later this week! And I will see if I can say week one more time.. (I just realized as I reread that I was a little redundant) And spell check isn't working so just overlook any mistakes... And now this is really the end :)

Does Anyone Ever Wish...

Their kids would just stop growing up so fast? The last week and a half we haven't had tons of exciting stuff going on...just playing at home a lot, but I have loved it! One day last week my boys were jumping on the tramp with the sprinkler (a daily activity) and just cracking each other up and playing and having so much fun. I was watching them and just thought how I wished I could freeze time. I love the ages they are at...they are so much fun, each one of them. I love that they still love to play at home, they still think I am super-cool : ), they still come running to me if they get hurt so I can kiss it better...and I know that it won't always be like that. I love that I still get to keep them home with me and I am not sad Jace has another year before kindergarten. : ) I know that I still have several years before they are teenagers or even almost teenagers but I swear time has been seeming to fly by so fast lately. I just want it enjoy them at these fun ages as much as I can. So having said that and after looking out the window and getting a little sad that I can't keep them from growing up, I went downstairs to find a whole bottle of glitter dumped all over the bathroom--and then I was a little less sad. : ) Anyway, here is a picture of my glitter lovin little boys in another one of their favorite activities, playing in their "fort" of mommy and daddy's comforter and sheets.

Ashlyn is getting bigger and bigger. I am not sure how much she weighs now but I can just tell she has gone through a little growth spurt lately. She started smiling a little about two weeks ago and has started to try to make little baby talk noises. She is the princess of the house and gets lots of hugs and kisses and attention. This is a picture of her from this morning mid-yawn. The boys thought it was hilarious. As you can see her hair has not fallen out or anything. In fact it just keeps growing. I could put it in clips or little pig tails on top if it wasn't so fine. I love it. I think it makes her look so girlie. : )

Everyone has been asking who she looks like because right now she doesn't look tons like her brothers or Tim or I. My mom always says that she reminds her of me when I was a baby so here is a picture of Ashlyn and then right below it a picture of me as a baby. What do you think? Is my mom right?

Here is just a picture of Tim as a little boy. I don't know how old he was but I have always thought it was so cute! So I decided to post it. He will be so happy : )

Another some of my thoughts lately have been about marriage. Here is a picture from December 21, 2001--our wedding.

In the last little bit it seems like I have heard of so many couples who are getting divorced. They have been friends, friends of friends, family of friends or some of our own family and every time I hear it it makes me so sad for them. I won't pretend like Tim and I have a perfect marriage. With three little kids, a super busy job (Tim), church callings, extended family responsibilities, a house and yard to keep clean and nice etc, etc. it seems like we don't get to spend as much time together as we want. But we both know that no matter what, neither one of us is going anywhere. We know that we love each other so if we have a disagreement or something it isn't a big deal because we know we'll get over it and that will be the end of it. I am so grateful for that. I can't imagine having a marriage where you always have to wonder if this is the end every time there is a disagreement. So for better or worse Tim I'll always be here : )

So not a very exciting post...but hey with a newborn you don't always have a super exciting life. : ) In two and a half weeks though we will be playing on the beaches of Mexico. I will be sipping a pina colada (virgin) and reading a good book. Until Ashlyn needs fed or one of the boys jumps in without floaties and I have to rescue them. : ) No seriously, it will be so fun and we are so excited. Neither one of us have ever been to Mexico so we are really excited. The kids are so excited to go on an airplane and see the beach. We are going with my whole family (thanks dad) before the big weddings. I will take lots of pictures! Ashlyn just woke up so I hope everyone is doing great!

There is No Charge for Awesomeness

This post could have been titled a lot of things...like, "Ashlyn's Blessing", or "Happy 4th of July", or "We Finally Moved Stuff Down to Our Basement". Instead I chose to go with a quote from a great movie we saw this past week...Kung Fu Panda. If you have a boy around the ages of 4 or 2 who like to fight (play fight or the real thing) than they will love this movie. Our boys were mesmerized through the whole thing. It is the first movie Braxton has ever watched without running around at some point. It was even enjoyable for Tim and I which is always a plus when you go to a cartoon. However, at the beginning the Panda says "There is no charge for awesomeness...or attractiveness." I thought it was funny and have decided to remind Tim how lucky he is that that is my policy as well. : ) So...it has been a long time since I posted. I don't know if it is having a newborn or three kids but my free time has dwindled down to zero. It is 11:45 right now and I keep thinking I should be in bed sleeping before I wake up in a few hours with Ashlyn. I will try to start being better again because when I am not you end up with what you have already started reading if you are this far...the SUPER long post. And, because of lack of sleep, I have a hard time remembering things after like 24 hours so...I am missing a lot of stuff I want to remember. Anyways...it has been a good couple of weeks. We have been busy with moving stuff down to and organizing the basement, family visiting, the 4th of July, Ashlyn's blessing, and just the normal everyday life stuff. Ashlyn continues to be the cutest little baby girl ever as you will see in the pictures below. First is her blessing...

We have church at 9 am so these pictures are all after when we had all the family over. She was pretty tired by this point but still so, so cute. : )
After Tim got done blessing her Jace leaned over at said "Is Ashlyn a princess?"

My sweet little girl, I never get tired of looking at her or kissing those chubby little cheeks : )

We attempted to have my sis-in-law, Heather, take some pictures of the whole family. As you will see when 3 of the 5 are 4 and under this is hard. Especially when there are 15 other people walking around the room you are taking pictures in. We didn't get any with everyone looking but that's okay. : )

Attempt #2

Attempt #3--after this both the boys ran to the kitchen where lunch was almost ready so Tim and I tried with our one child who can't run away from us.

She still wouldn't look, oh well : )

My sisters and I at the lunch after the blessing. Jenna, who is the youngest, is now the tallest.

Family 4th of July picnic. Ashly with her great-grandma, Oma. Tim's grandma, and you will never find a sweeter lady. She held Ashlyn for a good hour during the picnic and bonded with her. : )
The whole group

Jace enjoying his hot dog...this little boy can eat 3 hot dogs in one sitting. I think he is going through some kind of growth spurt.

Braxton eating, he is the opposite of Jace. I am happy if he eats 3 bites of hot dog in one sitting. : )

Ashlyn has a Rasmussen nose, we affectionately refer to it as a ski jump.

Like father, like daughter. We start young so they know which school is the best. She is our newest little cougar.

Today I took the boys swimming at some friends' house with Brennan and Tyler. They had so much fun. They both love to swim. Here is Jace flying through the air. Tyler was a good sport throwing them about 100 times.

As a super fun bonus this pool has a slide, Braxton had no fear and loved to do it all by himself.

Here it is! Our basement is finally done and we have moved stuff down. It has been SO nice. The boys go down there to play first thing in the morning and play down there a lot of the day. This is the family room where we have put all of their toys and books. You can also see their little house under the stairs. It is so nice to have so much more space. Our upstairs stays so much neater too, which I love.

We plan to one day also have some couches and a TV down here...someday. : )

Here is the toy closet. A big thanks to my mom who came up one day to help me move all this stuff downstairs and organize it. All these toys used to be spread all over our house upstairs and I will never stop being happy that they all go downstairs now. : )

The guest room, we have an office/craft room too, but it is not done being organized yet so no pic of that.

Our bathroom which still needs a few finishing touches like a shower head and a door on the shower. But the potty works and Jace loves to use it...he thinks there is something special about the "basement potty" Now if I could just get Brax to think that and be potty trained...I know wishful thinking since he is just barely 2.

This parting shot is for everyone who is a big Harry Potter fan like I am. Notice the lightning shaped scar in the cantaloupe we found when we cut it open. If you are a fan you will know how cool that is.

Okay that ends this long post. I hope everyone had a great holiday!