When you wake up in the morning

And you feel like this?

I tried to convince myself, that the foggy gray mornings of Monterey are enchanting, mysterious, or fun. That I would miss it when we move next year.

Not so much.
I am convinced I have S.A.D. And waking up to fog every day this summer really was a doozy.
And then! A glorious couple weeks of some bright September sunshine, only to have hopes dashed.
And then! It started to rain! Ha no, just kidding. 20 minutes of sprinkles was plenty.
I feel like I live in a version of Groundhog's Day.
Sometimes we get a break, some sunshine, a high of 75-80 degrees, then it's right back to the fog.
I'm over it.

Sorry for the complaining......

Here's a happy thought:
I went to the grocery store this morning
BY MYSELF
And actually filled the cart up, and got the correct groceries
AND used coupons!
PLUS all that stuff fits a 3 week meal plan. (Because the grocery store we go to is controlled by the gov, and might close...... again.....next week......)
Bam.

and we're back

so behind. whatever. 

figured out how to make this a littttttle bit easier. so maybe more posting. maybe.

first, we'll start with a bunch of random shots, taken from the ipad, ipones, etc.

sorry for the instagram repeats, but, you know. cant get enough or something.

 fell asleep playing superheroes.

all in a day's work  ya know. 

trying to get a shot of the littles all together is rather fun!

this boy turned 3! but he thinks he is four. or five.

joe really missed this while i was gone with the kiddos in utah. 

he really did. (not).

hey susan. come back in visit. i don't think i got enough of mr. atticus's sweet cheeks.

i want to squeeeeeeze him!

hey claire.

still a pistol. and we started preschool. trying to anyways....

thats another post for another time.

and hey, six years with this guy!

i sure love him.

no mushy gushy post about it this year. we kept it low-key.

except, i will post about the gift i made him this year.

oh man guys, it was good. 

you know it was good, because it made him cry. thats the true test right there!

this is the daily. always monkeying around with these boogers.

they think they are cute or something. 

i guess.

she really is adorable. this one is old but i love it so.

i feel like i am always taking sleeping pictures. 

but they are just so stinking sweet!!!!!!! 

and look! his lips still do that thing! 

this guy in uniform, it never gets old.

never.

i finally took claire to get her hair cut in a real salon, for the first time ever,

and lets just say, she would go there every day if she could.

growing up to fast, that one. oh i love her.

she wanted to go to school so, so badly this year, and formal preschool was just not an option this year. i really feel so badly about it, but there was just no way around it.

so we are doing home preschool, and she is doing awesome. most days :) that little firecracker. 

so there is that. next up- more pictures!

Not without a fight

The blog is dying..... But not without a fight.

It has become painfully slow to get pictures up, like an hour to get a few.

Which is why there have been very, very few posts with more than one photo.

But, I'm fighting to make this happen still.

So, for the time being, enjoy this shot of the wild things 1, 2, and 3, post church-crazy-sugar-spiked.

Honestly, the sacrament meeting-turned-circus shenanigans is wearing me out. 

I chant "3 months 'til nursery" every week for 3 hours each week. 

And remind myself that someday, far in the future, I might miss this a little bit.

Basically, an intervention is coming, and schedules, regimented living, and no nonsense will commence, after vacations are done. 

Heh, who am I kidding. That's never actually going to work out. But I can dream, right?

Oh, and bytheway, I am really, really excited for snow cones. I literally have a stack of quarters and dimes I have been saving for our trip to Utah, and all the snow cones and hot, hot sunshine. So my Instagram might consist of bright syrup and cream covered snow cones for a few weeks. Bare with me.

little booger

This cute little booger grabbed a marker and went to town.

I was FaceTime-ing with the parentals, when she rounded the corner with a huge grin on her face.

Oi.

And then I went to her room after hearing screams of terror, because she was terrified of the ants crawling everywhere, seeming to multiply out of the carpet. Oh, did I mention that they were after spilled dr. pepper she snuck into her room at 10 o'clock last night? 

Yeah.

You know the worst/funniest part? She tries to claim no role in any of it. It's always a 'ghost' that did it. Or these things happen on their own, "magic, like Harry Potter". 

So, I'm thinking, no more Harry Potter marathons, and a more severe child proofing has got to happen. Again. Yeesh. 

Little miss E.

Mid sneeze and happy relief.

She really is the cutest, this little devil. She is so smart. And boy does she have a temper. Quite the drama queen that one. She loves to parrot her siblings, thinking she is so big, although she really isnt. We are finally making a little headway in the communications department, she is pointing and grunting! Ha. AND she folds her arms for prayers now. Sometimes. When she's in the mood. And boy, do I love her.

More of the same.

Somehow, each week feels like Geoundhog Day. Same thing, week after week. Seriously, the weather forecast does not differ from 62 degrees, partly cloudy, mostly windy. Day in, day out, its always the same. About once a month we have a really hot day, where they warn of extreme heat reaching a balmy 75 degrees, so watch out. No really, they warn and warn. And then it doesnt get above 68. Such is life.

These days melting into each other have been dotted with a few fun things here and there. A trip to San Fran, a trip to the temple, beach nights, family dates, etc. 

I am trying so hard to find positive, fun things about where we are. It's just not the most young kid-friendly part of the world, and I'm getting realllllly tired of "you've got your hands full!" "Oh, bless you young mothers" etc. every single time we hit the grocery store. I mean there are some fun things. A few. But most of the attractiveness of Monterey is in the food scene, and quite frankly, we cannot afford to jump into that, and it's not conducive to a Mormon's world, and kids are not invited.

That being said. We are finding more affordable side of the highway food stands and farms, adventuring in cooking, and just bundling up, braving the winds and trying to find more of the beauty we are surrounded by. 

And toasting marshmallows on the stove when the wind won't let us keep the fire going outside. 

Also, Evie does this really cute thing where she cocks her head to the side, gets all giggly and laughs and its just about the cutest thing ever. Sometimes it helps on those terribly yucky days.

And her hair is cray-cray. I'm aware. Entirely. But it's getting so close to being long enough to start doing cute things with it...... So, crazy mullet-y hair everywhere it is. 

Wild thing

{this is the post where you need so sing the words in your head. Do it.}

Wild thing, you make my heart sing, you make everything, groovy.

Wild thing, I think I love you.

Etc.

Now, while this is true, you also think bath time is torture, you need constant attention and praise, and you are even more of an 'into everything' child than your siblings. I mean, today you found your way up onto the kitchen table and plopped yourself in the middle of a coloring session, and threw all the pencils to the floor. 

But, seriously, the stinking cutest, nose-scrunching, best giggling little girl a mama could ask for.

Despite the weeping and wailing and gnashing of (sharp, pointy) teeth when I take away the dishwasher soap for the twentieth time in as many minutes. 

My heart really does sing, most of the time with you around.

It's good to be a mother

Mother's Day is hard, and wonderful, always emotional, and thought provoking, with women every in different situations and stages of life, all you can do is just be grateful for all mothers, and all those who have mothered in some way, big or small, you or the ones you love.

We'll leave that part of it alone.

Let's just remember how awesome Claire was today. (And forget the screaming and crying 'I don't love you anymore!...... ) she finally, FINALLY conquered her biggest fear of getting up in sacrament meeting and sang her little heart out, "mother I love you!"

I almost cried. Almost. 

Let's hope she keeps it up :) 

Really, truly, best Mother's Day. 

(Joe took me out last night for dinner to an amazing Indian restaurant, sans kids, and it was incredible. Seriously, that was the first long, uninterrupted conversation we've had since Christmas, and it was much, much needed. Huge, huge thanks to some awesome babysitters!) 

Love my little (okay, here in California, people think our family is huge- ha. Not) family.

start over.

I think it's time to start blogging again.

I read through some of the blog for the last little bit, and I miss it.

I have gotten so discouraged- lotsa personal things going on, and just not really feeling it for a while. But then I started remembering so many funny things. And realized I haven't shared hardly anything about my sweet (and prissy princess-syndrome!) Evie cakes. So! Back at it. New blog will have to wait a minute.

But Oh this girl- walking and babbling away now, and I love her to pieces. But she is also a little terror at church.

I've made the comment to a few people- 12-18 months is just the hardest for me. Really and truly- so many fun things, but also the hardest things for me. 

Also, I have to say this, I am not a lover of cloudy, foggy weather every other day. As much as I'm loving the good weather, gorgeous scenery, and some really fun things, this weather is driving me bonkers. Not as much as snow on may 1st, (ahem, Utah! Stinks for you. But I had 7 years of that, thank you very much) but still. Gotta figure out how to get past it! 

And what to blog about. Gotta figure that out too. 

california update

I am still figuring out what the heck i am doing.

I have a new blog. but, its not ready yet. its not quite where i want it, i need to flesh some ideas out, and fill some stuff in. and maybe design it...... ha.

so, to keep everyone in the loop. 

we live super duper close to the beach.

today was the first time we let the kids go run in the sand. for 10 minutes. its just a little colder than we would like. and thats fine. its still winter. and the beaches are small, crowded, and incredibly windy 90% of the time. we knew that coming here. thats why the focus has been on clam chowder and fish and chips :)

our days have been filled with lots, and lots of outside playtime. its warm enough to be outside nearly every day, but almost always with a light jacket or sweatshirt.

we have some wonderful parks close by, a gym that has a child play area and a heated indoor pool, a children's museum down the street from the base (where Joe is in school), and so much more. we haven't made it to the Aquarium yet..... but its high on the priority list! 

we have pretty much decided, we wont eat at the same place twice. there are way, way too many good places to try! i did find my new favorite taco shop to substitute Diego's in Provo. 

updates on the kids:

evie cakes

cute as EVER. and still not walking yet. praise to that girl that she has held on this long. i like to think its because she just really likes hanging out with me (unlikely) and not because she sees her siblings getting into trouble (likely).

The little stinker is creeping up on turning one in a few weeks, and it makes me ill to think about, so we'll leave it there.

love her to death.

oh, and she hates solid food with a passion. working on it.

but, she did finally start saying MAMA on my birthday. best present ever.

(before we left utah- the traditional sink bath!)

claire bear:

sassier by the DAY. i tell you what, she is giving us a run for our money that one.

but she is also so sweet, and full of giggles all day long.

loves her siblings. loves her parents. wants to constantly be doing, is getting better at writing her name, and misses everyone in UTAH desperately (and those in north carolina!)

i think she misses the snow, too. she kinda liked that stuff. or something. 

this picture cracks me UP. she looks like she has been awake for days. nope. but she did pour herself some yogurt, and dumped on some sprinkles (instead of granola.)

missing her bestie Adi

 and THIS dude.

only likes mommy when dad is not around.

is POTTY TRAINED. no really, after trying 983475938475 times, it finally stuck! (mostly because i was tired of buying diapers for two kids. yuck. ) he loves it, and its been an adventure potty training a boy. for us, a complete, and hilarious, rollercoaster. currently, trying to help him understand he can't just go in the plants (i think we would be kicked out of the military if someone saw it. and we cant figure out how he learned to do that!!!!)

he is so sweet, but also, strong-willed. boy will he do his best to get what he wants. he has leaned that the sweet face he inherited from his daddy doesnt always get him what he wants, and it makes him a little sad. working on it. he is so funny, and the best snuggler. love this kid.

okay, so this was THE sweetest thing in the world. we were have a night of family blessings for everyone, and at some point Bubba decided that he wanted to give his bear a blessing. so sweet Caleb gave Bear a blessing with some help. cutest, sweetest, most tender moment watching him learn about the power of the Preisthood.

With gf Kaylyn before leavning. I might be obsessed with her.

okay, so now just a few since we've been here:

down off the warf in Monterey. SO beautiful here!

making sand angles, and not getting their hair in the sand

 my smoking hot husband

free spirits!

AND, the saddest picture.

 from just before taking off on that winter morning, saying peace out to the snow, holding back the alligator tears, and looking forward to being reunited with daddy. 

 (shellie: that flag pole will come out sometime. when i tried to pull it out before leaving, it was completely frozen in the ground, and we had to leave it behind. ha!)

hopefully i will get the new blog together soon. i want it to be juuuuuust right.

and seriously, we have an open invitation for visitors. we have a really comfy new couch. and some air mattresses. and im sure my kids would share their beds :)