Moving Forward

Many changes lie ahead for our family as we prepare to move into a new home in January and then welcome baby #5 in February. I anticipate my blog posts to be sparse for the next few months, if I have the chance to post at all!

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas together at home on Saturday... what fun to see Kooper just as giddy and excited as the little ones to wake up on Christmas morning. Now that our rest and relaxation time is over, it's time to start packing and moving and unpacking and settling. It will be so nice to have Kooper's help with the lifting that I am unable to do right now. ;)

I thought I'd leave a few pics of Caleb's 2nd birthday (of which I didn't have time to post earlier), to tide the grandmas over for a while, until that unforeseen moment when I have time to upload pictures and sit at a plugged-in computer again.

Caleb is so big! He is almost as big as Madeline and absolutely LOVES cars, trucks (he calls them "brmm-brmms"), and balls. He can easily ride scooters, bikes, skateboards, you-name-it. He is a daddy's boy and insists on going for a car ride or a walk with his dad every single evening. What an adorable little [big] boy. We can't imagine our family without him and his large, loving blue eyes & bright blond hair toddling around everywhere.

Happy New Year!

Madeline's Cooking Show

Miss Madeline is quite the little baker! We made mint chocolate cookies one afternoon and she rolled out 64 cookie balls all at once without taking a break. She talked and sang all the while, and loved every minute of it. Here is a cute clip of her expertise (you may have to turn up the volume for full effect).

Warm Wishes to You

The weather has finally begun to cool down and we are excited to welcome the Christmas season. We have much to be grateful for this year. We enjoyed spending relaxed time together over the Thanksgiving weekend. Kooper even tried his hand at baking and is quickly becoming an expert in pumpkin muffins and chocolate cookies. We look forward to more of his yummy holiday treats in the coming month. Warm wishes to you this season!

Talent Night

Audrey was recently selected to perform in Summerwood Elementary School's annual Talent Show. She played "Irish Celebration" for an audience of local parents and friends. Great job Audrey!

Happy Halloween!

Trick or treating this year consisted of our ward's annual "Trunk or Treat" event.

We made our costumes with a food theme... it was a blast!

We spent an afternoon together, listening to fun music and creating these yummy wearable food items:

Brendan went as s'mores...

Audrey was a bunch of grapes...

Madeline went as a bag of Jelly Belly beans...

And Caleb was a slice of pizza...






Enjoy your Halloween!

Baby Five

Here is the blurry ultrasound photo of our newest little Lewis... it's a BOY! We are overwhelmed with joy at the opportunity to welcome another baby brother into our family. What fun for Caleb to have a little buddy to grow up with!

Peace and Focus

My recent connections with the blogging world have been few, at best. My time and energy have been stretched thin as I learn to adapt to ever changing circumstances. I take comfort in knowing that focusing on my family will bring the greatest sense of joy to a very full life and that sometimes good things need to be left out so we can accomplish better things. A recent General Conference talk from Elder Uchtdorf helped described this so perfectly. He said...

"My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most."

How this talk has helped me to focus my efforts on my growing family! This talk and many others from Conference have been so uplifting to me. I feel fortunate to have this perspective and to be able to follow counsel from inspired leaders regarding the path to finding peace and happiness in this life.

My husband has been such a strength to me. How grateful I am to have married someone so close to the Spirit. He has taught me countless lessons in the past few months through his example in handling new situations with perspective and wisdom.

I also feel such gratitude for wonderful friends who have brought us unexpected meals, called to see how we are doing, and stopped by for much needed visits. Recent tender mercies are apparent in our lives!

A special note to Grandma Fletcher who checks our blog daily: We love you Grandma! More posts will come as time and circumstances allow. We think of you daily amid our busy days and pray for your health. Thank you for the love and support you give to our family. :)