Changes....

I just read this darling post in my niece's blog and it made me really stop and think! Boy, if there is one thing I can be certain of in my life, it is change! I began being a person who resisted change. After all, I like the security and peace of having everything in my life as predicatable as possible. With that being said, my life has been loaded with changes and I have learned not only to adapt quickly but to also embrace and enjoy this wonderful journey....

My Life!

I can't imagine living, choosing and experiencing anything less than I have because of the inability to accept change and go, learn and grow with it! My perspective has been broadened and deepened in ways I could have never imagined years ago. My empathy, understanding and love for others has grown. My convictions have become challenged, shaped and stronger and my heart has softened and become more forgiving, loving and accepting.

What if I had kept myself from growing with my changes, remained imovable and stuck? What kind of person would I have become? Bitter, depressed, resentful?

I am so grateful for the experiences, good and yes, even the challenging ones that have shaped me into the person I am today and the person who continues to learn and grow from her many life experiences. I am so thankful for my family, every single one of them! They are growing quickly! Sometimes, I pick up a piece of their past, a too small shoe or artwork, a photo or card and I realize that my heart holds memories that will never be replaced! They are mine and, with each one of those people, will remain the unchangeable constants in my life.

I love this quote from our dear prophet, Pres. Monson who, as usual, has a way of insightfully stating how I feel......

"The past is behind, learn from it.

The future is ahead, prepare for it.

The present is here, live it!"

I needed more control and this got their attention.....

This road goes all around my dining room, all three walls! 

 

I have become a big believer in accentuating the positive. Now with that being said, I can tell you right now that it is NOT always easy BUT it WORKS!  I often find myself saying things like, "don't do that", "please get ready",  "go do it right now"..... I'm sure you get the picture. Here's what really works. Instead of telling a child to stop doing something, I simply look for the one that IS following my instructions and point that out instead. For instance, saying the blessing on the food was always a big ordeal getting everyone to sit still, be quiet, fold arms, etc. Now, I will say, "Josh is ready"....and before you know it, all kids are ready. It's AMAZING how much kids want to be recognized for what they are doing right. Well, this is not always easy at first because I will often lose my patience with the ones not behaving and you guessed it, they get the attention so, I hung up this road. Everyone got a car and the road rally began. When I noticed the positive, I would point it out and then move the car forward for that child. This road was a great reminder for me to keep consistent as well as for the kids who wanted to reach the end, where they would be rewarded with a prize in our prize bucket!

There has been a lot more giggling as the frustration level around here has dropped dramatically. Both Bryce and Jesse are on board with me helping these little ones!  I love charts!

Swinging at the pond....

These pictures are hilarious. Bryce started swinging the kids over the pond! Ok, I have to admit, that I am holding my breath a bit, but there is no more fun to be had than a daddy or poppy playing with his kids. Even though the looks on their faces are so funny and look a bit frightened they, of course, continued to line up for more!

Joshua and Bryce

Hallie & Bryce

Nathan & Bryce

 

Kolton and Bryce

Abby and Bryce

More Pond Pictures...

BOYS WILL BE BOYS! 

I love this picture of our little barefoot boys, upon a fence they found to climb with their tadpole jar! This is what a mother of boys can expect and they will keep her laughing AND on her toes!

 

 I love these guys! They are so much fun! They can have fun with just about anything. Imagination at it's best! I often wonder what it would have been like to be a twin! As a mother of twins, I deal with endless slumber parties, (literally every single night), double duty everywhere I go with them because the saying "two minds are better than one" must have been originated by a mother of twins! They think of EVERYTHING! I often feel exhausted chasing these guys around and yet, they make my heart sing with joy and gratitude! 

The first picture below is Josh and the next one is Nate.

 I love this picture of Hallie. She is such a sweet girly girl and yet such a tom boy! She loves princesses, dolls, coloring, bugs, climbing, and anything to do with getting really dirty! 

She also adores her daddy to pieces and  he, of course, loves it!

Abby and her Teddy. 

It's not hard to find a picture of these two pals. We bought Teddy at Disneyland when Abby was 3 months and although his nose is lost, he has been through the washing machine more times than I can remember, his batting is lumpy, and he is very worn, She loves him with all her heart!

We have tried to replace him with a new one, and it's clear (the new one is sitting on a shelf) "Teddy" cannot be replaced!

THE POND AND OUR NEW SCIENCE PROJECT.....TADPOLES!

 Yes! We found tadpoles and boy was it an unforgettable adventure. Nathan & Joshua loved looking!

We first visited the pond 2 days ago. We met Megan and her boys.....

 Here's a picture of Micah, Megan and Kolton searching for tadpoles!

 Melinda was really good at spotting these tadpoles and ended up with the fullest jar!

 Jayden had so much fun just running around with all the "Big" kids!

 We stayed for over 2 hours! The kids had a ball. 

 Besides finding the tadpoles we were after, we saw frogs and fed ducks! (Actually, I had a ball too! I love the enthusiasm and curiosity of children--so contagious!)

 It's not often I see this little guy holding so still!

We came home happy, tired and very DIRTY! Then the unthinkable happened. Someone, (we are not sure who. You see, we have this invisible person who frequents our home and does unmentionables!) put the jar lid on the tadpole jar and they all died! Now in all honesty, we are really not sure if the jar lid on tight killed them or the sticks and moss we had also put in the jar from the pond.

 Fortunately, Hallie, had put her tadpole in a separate jar with pond water only and that one was still ok.

We decided to get a bit more information about tadpoles and headed back to the pond yesterday. This time we went in the early evening so Daddy could come with us! Just had to pop a picture in of my kiddos very handsome daddy! XXOO

Once again, the pond did not disappoint. We found our tadpoles and then spent a glorious evening at this beautiful pond. Besides these 3 handsome boys, Nathan, Joshua and Kolton, there is a beautiful pelican swimming in the lake behind them on the right side!

 

Here's a closer look at that beautiful pelican!

 Now, this tree was truly nature's playground. The played and played and played on this tree!

I have some more pictures I will post later on this evening!

While I was sick in bed the other day, our doorbell rang.......

and our neighbor was greeted by these darling well behaved children!

Luckily the markers were washable!
(Good thing  she didn't come in my house, YIKES!)

Good Grief.........

I know I sound like a broken record here! I REALLY would love to be one of those bloggers who faithfully slice out a special time each day and dutifully record their blogs complete with beautiful pictures, dates, and feelings. I actually visit a couple of blogs a week who are really that faithful (sigh!)

Unfortunately, I am NOT one of those women................yet!

I begin my day at the crack of dawn and fly from moment to moment and hour to hour. I LOVE being mom and all that it encompasses right now. We spend hours every day making memories that are so precious. Fortunately, I love taking pictures so at some point when I am able to do some more "catch up" posts on my blog I will plop those pictures in. Our lives have truly been filled with so many amazing events and much too precious and special to not blog about at some point. I will be starting some posts like that this summer so I will be able to record some of these special events. Meanwhile.....Summer is in full swing here! Megan and I spent the afternoon at the craft store picking up some fun items for the kiddos to do this summer. We have a wonderful family kids camp planned each week along with some exciting entire family activities. I am so excited! Now.......

Check this picture out of Jesse

And now this one! Notice anything different?

 NO MORE BRACES! 

 Jesse was thrilled to get his braces off! The ortho helped him celebrate this great event with a water bottle chuck full of all the goodies Jesse had to give up this past year, popcorn, skittles and all sorts of gooey chewy edibles!

This little guy joined our family May 5 (more about his birth later). Landon Bryce Croxford. Melinda and Jason added their second son and our 5th grandson! Wow!



Uncle Nathan and Landon




Aunt Hallie & Landon




Uncle Joshua and Landon



Big brother Jayden with little brother Landon





Aunt Abby and Landon





Landon with his mommy and daddy, Melinda and Jason!