Sun June 28th

One of the talks in church had a very interesting story from president Oaks daughter. She said that when she was young her dad used to constantly tell her to pick up after herself. Then one dad President Oaks got the impression that if he didn't stop constantly nagging his daughter, their future relationship would suffer. President Oaks decided that he was going to work on showing more love instead of only looking at the negative things.  The daughter said she didn't notice an immediate change but over time he stopped nagging and let those little messes go. 

I thought that story was interesting because I've been thinking I need to figure out how to teach my kids to work and I also need to stop yelling. I've been getting so mad when they make random messes and don't clean them up. 

I think this story shows that the most important thing we can show our children is love. Yes we need to have high expectations for them but most importantly we need to love them and they need to know it.  Okay I need to change my anger level. I think it stems from my lack of sleep but that is no excuse. I need to stop getting so upset about the little things that don't really matter. It's much more important to have a good relationship with your kids then to yell at  them to get them to do what you want them to do. There's no controlling children. That's one thing you learn pretty quick as a parent. No matter how hard you try to control them it is not possible. And controlling is not Heavenly Father's way and we want to be like Him don't we?

Still I do want my children to learn how to work. It sure is hard being a parent. You want so many great things for your children but you don't really know how to get them to happen. I'm reading a book right now called the entitlement trap and it's very good. It has some really good ideas and how to teach your children responsibility instead of entitlement. I'll keep you updated once I read more. I only have read the first chapter.

Lisey says to nick and I today "I'm not a baby anymore. I'm Lisey". Her other favorite thing to say is "remember". 

Ironically later this evening Lisey was crying and says "I want my pacy". Thinking maybe I didn't hear her right I asked "you want your pacifier? Your pacy?" She replied that yes she wanted her pacy. That came out of nowhere! So much for not wanting to be a baby anymore. 

Sat June 27th

Link has been getting up at 6am. Which isn't bad if he didn't get up at 11or 12am and not go back to sleep for an hour. Then I can't go to sleep till 1am and 6am feels very early. 

Ella has also been getting up early, usually by 6:30. She's been having fun one on one time with Link. She loves playing with her brother and her brother loves playing with her. So cute! 

Link was staring at the picture of Jesus this morning. I think he remembers something of the world before this one :)

This afternoon we took our new little raft and innertube out to the lake Springfield. We had a ton of fun. It took a while to fill up the raft but once we did the girls had so much fun. Even Link didn't hate it. He had to wear his red light jacket the whole time which did not look very comfortable, but he must've been semi-comfortable because he just slept on my chest inside the yellow innertube on the lake. I'm really glad we got the lifejacket for all three kids Ella Lincoln and Annalise. Ella had a good time wearing her life jacket. And it made it easier for Lisey to wear hers. Poor Nick is still sick. But he was a good sport and came anyways. It was a really great family day. Then we watched hoodwinked on the projector. Great family day.

Fri June 26th

Another rainy rainy day. It's rained almost for the entire day and the lake in our back lawn is growing wider and wider. I took the kids out to McDonald's to play at the playground just to get out of the house. 

Yes... Ella is wearing a life jacket. You never know when you'll be stranded in a puddle up on the third floor. 

Poor Nick is out in the rain today knocking. He has a sore throat and maybe strep.  My poor sweet husband. 

After McDonalds the girls went and played in the back lake again while Lincoln took his nap. I watched from the top porch as the girls played and had a jolly good time. 

Lincoln is definitely crawling now. He's in the stage where he puts every single thing in his mouth. I found more than one nonkosher item in his mouth. He loves paper and hairclips and tiny pieces of plastic. He's crawling everywhere. My little man is a man. A man that still isn't sleeping through the night...hmmm... Perhaps not so much a man yet. 

Thurs June 25th

I went for a run this morning in the rain again. I'm getting very tired of all this rain!

While Lincoln was taking a nap I took Ella out for a mommy date. We went to Scheel's for our adventure. We rode the Ferris wheel together, and rode the NASCAR race car simulator. Eledra listen to wall after wall but we laughed and laughed and laughed. We got Ella and her life jacket as well so that when we go to the lake and Saturday so she'll have something to wear and won't be jealous of Lincoln and Lisey. Then we got some fudge. It was super fun to hang with my little girl Ella :)  

We went to target to get Lincoln some diapers and some cool things to use in the car for the next big long road trip. 

The back field looks like a lake from all the hours and hours of rain. I let the kids go out and float around in their floaty rings. Poor Lisey got bit by some bugs though. 

Nick wasn't feeling well today. He's got a really sore throat so he didn't go knocking. He and I got to hang out a little bit and relax which was nice.

Wed June 24th

It rained all morning. I woke up feeling very very grumpy. I'm sure it was partly from the rain and partly from Lincoln sleeping so terrible. Last night he got up so many times and wouldn't go back to sleep very easily, that I decided to lay by him in the extra bed in his room. I ended up in there the whole night. Those things just made the ever present stress of moving and finding a place to live in UT with a good school and nice neighborhood even more terrible feeling. 

I had a good cry and took a 20 minute power nap while Link was sleeping. Then went for a run in the pouring rain. Those things all helped but it was still a glum day. 

Finally in the afternoon I took the kids to this indoor play place. It cost $10 a kid which I thought was pretty pricey but it ended up being worth it for three hours of fun. 

They had this crazy fun slide that the girls loved. Lisey was having so much fun she had an accident. It was only thirty mins till closing time so I let her just run around in her pull up. 

They had three different rooms that you could travel to and every room something a little bit different. They had a fun baby area that link enjoyed. The girls liked the five-story play area the best. It had a little train that you could control with your hands that went around a metal track. Lisey just liked to just hang ;). And the other room had that little roller coaster thing Lisey is riding on and some foot games you could play (they were projected onto the floor and would change after a little bit).  

Link pulled himself up there all by himself! My little muscle man :) 

Everybody had a good time, Link included. It was nice for the kids to get some energy out after being stuck inside all day with the rain beating down all around us. 

Tues June 23rd

Today we went to a magic show at the Lincoln library downtown. I remembered why I dislike cities so much. I couldn't find a place to park and everywhere that we could potentially park had parking meters outside. We finally found a parking place a couple blocks away that had free two hour parking. Even though we were late the kids, or I guess I should say Ella, really enjoyed the magic show. It was more of a comedy show geared at kids Ella's age. Ella laughed and laughed. Lisey was not impressed.

After the magic show the girls had fun playing with puzzles and putting on a puppet show. Then we all got a shot by the Lincoln bike rack. 

More Lincoln with Lincoln: Lincoln is playing with Lincoln logs at the Lincoln Library; Lincoln is standing by the Abraham Lincoln bike rack outside the Lincoln Library; And Lincoln is by the Lincoln Library basket. 

Mon June 22nd

I went for a quick run this morning then after the games that I took the girls back to Scheels to get a little raft for the lake and a life jacket for Lincoln. The kids are pretty crazy there... running around the store and getting things down on the shelves. So I was already feeling overwhelmed when Ella had a major tantrum because she couldn't go on the Farris wheel (I couldn't take her with drinking and there were no employees I could take her). All I can say is three kids is hard business. One keeps me awake all night. Another runs around like crazy and pulls things off shelves. And the third throws tantrums because she can't go on the Ferris wheel. Hard business indeed. 

Then I took the kids to the Illinois State Museum again. Ella spend her money on a rainbow ribbon stick from the gift shop.  Then we went straight down to the children's area to play. The poor kids needed some active time to use their imaginations. They had fun :) . 

This picture seems very symbolic of the kids personalities. Ella is trying her best to smile and be obedient, but it's hard. Lisey is tackling Lincoln with her rough nature, but definitely is a loving little girl.  And Lincoln is just chilling and is pretty happy most the time, even while getting smooshed. 

After the museum I was totally exhausted and we went home for a movie and nap for Link. But the night still wasn't over yet. Nick's bosses (the Dish corporate ones) were in town and wanted to take the whole family to dinner. It was very stressful. I wanted to make a good impression, especially because Amir is very intense and somewhat mean. And my kids aren't exactly little angels at restaurants. 

Overall I suppose it went all right. Lisey needed to go to the bathroom about six times and Lincoln was exhausted and ready for bed, but Ella was pretty well behaved. No one got eaten or yelled at by Amir, so I guess it went all right. 

Sun June 21st

We subbed for Lisey's primary class today. It was craziness. Lisey is very good in primary...for other people. Not so much for me. She would not hold still! Nick held Link out of primary so he could nap which was nice I didn't have to hold him, but not nice because I had the sunbeams all alone. Plus Lincoln slept terrible last night so I was tired and not exactly on my A -game. I felt very overwhelmed. But the lesson went ok I think.

After church I made Nick and the kids grilled cheese sandwiches. Then Nick took a happy Father's Day nap. I even got a short nap. 

Then we went to Washington botanical gardens to walk around and enjoy nature. It was beautiful out there. So green and lush and it was cool to see all the ducks, geese, fish and turtles. We even saw a giant snapping turtle. It made me really appreciate all of Heavenly Father's wonderful creations. 

 For dinner we had filet mignon, rice pilaf, and asparagus. It was delicious. Overall I think Nick's Father's Day weekend was a success.  

Sat June 20th

 We started the Father's Day festivities today. We made Nick breakfast in bed (we have 9am church so we decided to do it today instead); bacon, amulet (eggs, cheese, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers) and orange juice. Then Link took a snooze and Nick got a little relaxation time (a very little...he spent most of it working, poor guy never gets a real break). 

After Link's snooze we went to Scheel's to spend Nick's gift card Lisey won. The girls modeled some sunglasses. 

Then Nick took the girls for a spin on the Ferris wheel. Scheel's is a really fun store. We had fun looking around and planning future adventures. 

We found some more Lincoln memorabilia to take pictures of with Lincoln. 

Then we went to an Indian buffet for lunch/dinner. Nick and I loved it. The girls kind of like it. They at least tried most things and enjoyed the rice and the naan bread. The owner was very friendly and was chatting with us and was making jokes about Ella coming over and eating with him. She laughed and laughed, but without missing a beat and in the middle of a laugh, she said "stranger danger" very loudly. It was so so funny. Nick and I laughed and laughed. Ella was absolutely right, but it was just the wrong time to be saying it so loudly. A little awkward but a lot funny. 

Then we went to the mall so Nick choose his Father's Day present. I told him he could choose between rainbow slippers, sunglasses, or new clothes. In the end it came down to the rainbow slippers and the sunglasses and sunglasses won. Nick is very very stylish :). 

Then we went home so Lincoln could take a nap. Our plan all day was to go see the new Disney movie Inside Out, but we thought it best to where the kids first. I guess it took longer than we expected to wear them out because by the time they were worn out the next showing was 7 PM. It was late and we felt crazy for taking them but a promise is a promise so we went at 7 PM.

 Nick, Ella and I really enjoyed it. I don't think Lisey understood a lot of the humor and therefore didn't like it very much. And Lincoln was just plain tired. I had to walk him around and feed him before he finally fell asleep. Even though it was late and the kids were kind of restless, I'm really glad we went. It was really great to spend a day with the family, especially with Nick with us. 

PS Lincoln has been sleeping very poorly lately. Last night was a continuation of that. Oh dear sleep, I sure do miss you. 

Fri June 19th

I went for a run this morning and it was fabulous. I listened to conference, which always puts me in good spirits. The Gospel is so true! 

Link took an incredible nap this afternoon. I got the chance to shower, get ready, make lunch, eat lunch, and finish this thank you card for my friend Caroline. 

Today is free zoo day so I took the kids for the afternoon. It's the smallest zoo I've ever been to. Even smaller than the one in Amarillo, which was tiny. But it is a absolutely perfect free activity. 

We rode a little train around the zoo. While riding on the train Ella sees the monkeys and says "Look at those adorable monkeys." And then she turns to Lincoln and says "no offense Lincoln, no offense". I couldn't help but laugh. I guess she didn't want the king of cute to think he was getting replaced. Haha. 

Sometimes Annalise can be so independent, but today at the zoo park she has been sticking close by her sister. I'm so glad they have each other.

The kids got to feed goats and a horse. My favorite was the monkeys. They really were just so adorable!

Back at home I had Ella clean up the crazy tornado of a mess they made this morning. Then we watched Barbie Princess Power. Link went to bed early which gave me a chance to do the dishes and cut up some watermelon. Nick made 2 sales today which is awesome. Good day :)

Thurs June 18th

Happy birthday Cameron! I can't believe he is 18 years old today.  I remember when he was little boy and I would take him on walks. Though he is 10 years younger than me we had a lot of fun together. We'd go to the park to play and he'd drive his little bike everywhere. Sometimes we'd go to web park and feed the ducks and climb on the rocks. One time, when Cam was four or five years old, we climbed all the way up Black Mountain. We started at our house and trampled over the huge hills of pokey bushes just to get to the base of the mountain. Then we climbed all the way up to the top. Then hiked home.  I'm sure it was at least 10 miles if not more. Cameron was one tough kid. Now he is one tough man! I love you Cameron! Happy birthday brother!

Ella ran a whole mile with me this morning!! Nick asked her how she felt when she got back and she said "I feel so tired but I also feel awesome!" That's my girl!

 Looks like I have a new running buddy! Ella is stretching out her body after a hard workout :) 

I got stung by a bee today. And now I can say for sure that those shots I had to do everyday when I was pregnant with Lincoln feel just like a bee sting aka Terrible!! We were at a splash park when it started pouring and pouring. We ran to the car and as I was getting in I felt the sting on my arm. I haven't been stung by a bee since I was a kid. I forgot how much it hurts! 

After links nap we went to the craft store to get some crafts to do while Lincoln is sleeping. We don't have many toys here and it's been hard to not watch TV while he's snoozing. Hopefully the crafts will help solve the TV problem. That being said... we ended the night with a movie night. So much for no TV :/

Wed June 17th

Lincoln woke up with a fever in the night. Poor little guy. Luckily with a little Motrin in his system he was able to go back to sleep. 

Lisey's new favorite phrase is "boo yaa". It's so funny to hear her saying it around the house. Ella did the dishes all by herself for the first time today. She had to do them as a consequence for splashing water out of the bath last night. I will definitely be having her do the dishes more often. 

After Lincoln's nap we went the mall. The mall has a merry-go-round just like the one in Texas. It even has the same frequent rider card. The only thing different about it is that it costs $.50 more than the one in Texas. Lame. Actually pretty much everything costs more here in Illinois. The only thing that's less is the tax on food. 

I put Lincoln in the polkadotted moby wrap today at the mall and he loved it. And I loved it too. He even took a nap in it. I definitely need to be using the moby more. It may save my arms and back from major pain. 

After the mall we went to Walmart just for a minute to get Nick's Father's Day meal items. He's going to have bacon and eggs for breakfast and filet mignon for dinner. Spoiled boy, yum yum :). 

We got home early enough for a movie night. We watched the new tinker bell and the neverbeast one. Pretty good. The tinker bell movies are all very well made. Leave it to Disney to make cool stuff. They're good. 

The girls had a really hard time falling asleep tonight. Ella was feeling really attached to me. She didn't want to let go of my arm when I tucked her in. I wonder what's up. Overtired? Hard adjustment from the move? Poor kidos. They were born into a band of gypsies. Or I guess the more positive way to say it is "we're an adventure family" (that's what Ella likes to say). We are adventurous. And crazy. 

I went for a run after putting the kids to bed. I needed to let off a little stress. Lincoln is one great little boy but he wants the be held all day. And between him and Lisey my body is a personal juggle gym. Nick come home early but wasn't really home. He was on the phone most of the evening. The run felt great. I ran just 2 miles but I ran fast and hard. Let the sweat rain down! :) 

Tues June 16th

I went for a run this morning and found this cool cornfield right in our neighborhood. I took a picture of it because I thought it was both bazaar and cool. 

This is another pic I took on my run. I am in awe at how green Illinois is. It's very beautiful... More beautiful then I remembered.  

I took the kids to the Washington Park botanical gardens today. It was gorgeous. As I sat on the bench listening to the birds chirp and the quietness yet loudness of being outside in nature, I kept thinking of the song by Simon and Garfunkel the 'sound of silence'. I think I finally understand what that means. Silence is not really silence, at least not in nature it isn't. It's the chirping of birds and the sound of water rippling. Serene and absolutely gorgeous. 

We found a very cool park in the middle of the botanical garden and the kids spent the rest of the afternoon playing there. Everyone had a super fun time.

They had this huge rock for the kids to climb on. Lincoln felt like such a big boy sitting on top of it. Lisey loved being with him and climbing to the very top all by herself.

Lisey took Lincoln for a ride down the slide. He loved it the first two times... then Lisey accidentally (i'll give her the benefit of the doubt) let go and he slid down on his face. He cried and had red marks all over his face, the poor little buddy.  But it was fun while it lasted. 

Lisey fell and Ella is comforting her. What a good big sister. 

I thought this would be a cool picture to paint to symbolize Illinois as well. It's just so whimsical and cool looking. A swing set in the woods. Cool. 

I couldn't resist playing around with the photos. He's just so cute!

Sun June 14th

The ward is so nice here! I'm so glad! It makes things seem so much easier to bear. Tons of people introduced themselves to us. Apparently there was a sister that just moved from the ward last week named Brooke Stephenson. Everyone was shocked when I told them my name. It made a nice ice braker. 

I met a really nice lady in the mother's room named Calista. I almost wish we were staying here longer. I think I could make some really good friends. Ella and lisey had no problems going to their classes. Lisey's teachers came right up to her and took her to class personally and the primary president took Ella to class. Everyone was just so nice and friendly. It was a good reminder to me how I need to be when someone is new in the ward. Welcome them with arms open wide. 

The lesson was on following the prophet. It was very good. It was kind of nice being back in relief society. I haven't been there in ages. But I won't get to enjoy it next week. Lisey's teachers asked us to teach her class next week bc they'll be out of town. Back to primary it is :). 

Nick has to go out of town tonight. It stinks because we just got here. We'll miss him. Luckily he'll be back on Monday night! 

Sat June 13th

Ella has had been having a bit of a tough time adjusting to Illinois. It's mainly the fact that she doesn't have any friends around to play with. Ella is very very social and loves to be around other kids. And we just haven't found any to be friends with yet. 

I thought it might help if we got some items to help make her room feel more like her room. So we went to Hobby lobby and look around for something that she can put on her wall. She chose some cute little dogs in shoes... mainly because it had one Yorkie. 

Here's the Yorkie up on the wall :) 

These are some pics of the girls just playing around with things at hobby lobby. They are all girl. Except maybe Lisey dressed as a pirate....

Fri June 12th

Link is so cute! 

Here he is chewing on a water bottle. He loves water just like the rest of us. Link fits in the family perfectly, of course.

We made it over to the lake today. We attempted a little swim but I didn't have things planned out very well. I hadn't thought about what was I supposed to do with Lincoln... and Lisey can't swim yet. I'm planning on going back another day with inner tubes and a floaty for Lisey. Then maybe we can all have a good swim in the lake. But we did have a good time at the park by the lake and exploring around the lake. Ella and Lincoln loved the seesaw the most. Lisey liked climbing on the rocks around the lake the best.

We are definitely in the land of Lincoln. I'm going to try and take pictures of everything Lincoln so that I can remember it for the future. And I'm going to try and take pictures of Lincoln by Lincoln wherever possible. Bring on the Lincoln ;) 

This little farm was on the way to the lake off the side of a main road. I took a picture of it because I thought it looked very very Illinois. I think I'm going to paint a picture of it.