Landon Graduates From Preschool!

How did this happen......?

He looks so much bigger!  This sweet boy has grown so much over the past year.  Not only, in height, but in maturity.  I remember the first week of Preschool, one of the carpool workers had to literally pull him out of the car.  He did not want to leave me.  That didn't last long.  He has loved preschool.  He loves his teacher so much and is concerned that he may never see her again.  He made some good friends and I'm pretty sure he had a crush on a cute, little girl named Piper!

The whole crowd got involved in a silly song!

Look out Kindergarten, here he comes!

I can ZOOM!

For Mother's Day, Seth surprised me with a new lens for my camera!  I love it!

Seth took Laurel, Landon and Sawyer for a bike ride and I stood on the deck and played with my new lens.

The deck is a long way away from this point!  I was like a kid on Christmas morning!


The next morning I zoomed in on two gobblers and one had his feathers spread out!  You can barely see it on here, but there is a hen laying beside him.  My dad, who can do the best turkey call, has educated me on this.  He said that the gobbler is trying to impress the hen before he woooos her!

This afternoon, Seth grabbed the camera and took these pictures of five deer and then he got one of a turkey with her babies!

Look at those little baby turkeys!

At Their Mother's Knee

For the past year, the boys and I have listened to a CD, The Mother's Day Collection by Janice Kapp Perry, every night as I rock them.  I usually rock them for two songs a piece and then put them in the bed, with them begging me for more rocking time.  Last night, Landon came up with the idea for me to rock them at the same time.  With one on each leg, we began to rock to the music.  They had played really hard and it didn't take them long to fall asleep in my arms.
I don't know if it was because Mother's Day had just happened, or what, but as I rocked in the dark, holding these sweet boys, listening to the words of this particular song, tears were streaming down my face.  I had already said goodnight to the girls and they were tucked in on the other side of the wall.  The house was quiet and this song was playing.......A song I've heard every night for the past year.

At Their Mother's Knee

Have you given the gift of your faith to your son
So he'll stand with the right till the battle is won
and like Helaman's Warriors will his victory be
through the things that he learned at his mother's knee.

The hours and the days slip so quickly away
He's becoming right now what he'll be some day
Your son is a child but he'll soon be a man
Are you teaching him now of the Savior's plan

So quickly, so quickly they grow and they're gone
Have the courage and vision to see 
For their failures and triumphs so often depend
On the faith that they learned at their mother's knee

Are you teaching your daughter of Esther and Ruth
That there's beauty and virtue and comforting truth
How to follow a husband while leading a child
Do you tell her you love her {I can't understand what the singer says right here.  I have memorized this song, but can't make out the last part of this sentence.  She sings with a bit of an opera tone.} So I made up,  Do you tell her you love her and love being a wife.  

The months and the years slip so quickly away
She's becoming right now what she'll be someday
Today she's a child, but tomorrow she's grown
Will she know how to teach a child of her own

So quickly, so quickly they grow and they're gone
Have the courage and vision to see 
For their failures and triumphs so often depend
On the faith that they learned at their mother's knee.

My tears were  for all of those mothers who are trying to have more babies, or who have never been able to have any.
My tears were  for those mother's who have lost their children early in this life.  Who will never be able to hold and rock their children again because they have had to return them to our Heavenly Father before their earthly life was complete.
My tears were for the days that these little boys are not going to want me to rock them.  Although Landon has said, "I want you to rock me even when I'm a daddy!" ;)
My tears were for the days that Seth and I might face trials with each of them.
My tears were for the day that they will no longer be so innocent and they will know about really evil and awful things that go on in this world.
My tears were for the great responsibility that I feel to teach them and guide them through this life.
My tears were because I know time is going quickly.
My tears were for the joy that each of them bring to me.
My tears were for the love that I never knew I was capable of feeling.

I love this quote:
"Motherhood is not a hobby,
It is a calling.
It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in.
It is what God gave you time for."

My heart is so full and my hands are so busy right now.  I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who has trusted me to take care of four of his children.  I pray every night that I will be a better mother tomorrow than I was today.  I pray for patience and for forgiveness.

Field Days!

Whoo Hoo!  School is almost over and we can not wait!  May is crazy around here and we are counting down the days until summer!

Landon, Laurel and Savannah's Field Days!

I can't believe this little guy is going into Kindergarten in a few months.  He sure is going to miss his teacher, Mrs. Kathryn.  She told me that he is ready for Kindergarten and catches on really quick!  I loved hearing that.  Then she told me that she sure was going to miss him.  She said he was the sweetest, little boy and that he could make her laugh so hard!  I loved hearing that even more!  He makes me laugh so hard too.
The other day, I picked him up from school and I saw a wet circle on the front of his blue jeans!  I said, "Landon, did you wet your pants!?"  He had an embarrassed look on his face.  I asked how long he had been like that and he said, "since lunch."  I asked if Mrs. Kathryn had noticed and why didn't he go to the bathroom!?  He said, "she didn't notice.  My shirt covered it up."
That night as I was getting him ready for bed, I said, "Landon, you can not wet your pants at school!  You have got to go to the bathroom.  You need to stop what you are doing and go!"  I said, "What did you think when you realized you had wet your pants?"  With the most serious look on his face, he looked towards the ceiling and said, "I prayed, Jesus, please dry it up!"  "And Jesus did not answer my prayer!"  Oh my goodness, I could not quit laughing!  For days, I laughed every time I thought about what he said!  "Jesus, please dry it up!"

Laurel's last field day at the Elementary school!

Look at her!  Poor girl was once terrified of a basketball.  

Laurel and her friend, Taylor

Savannah's Field Day!

Yellow flowers

Every spring, we pass by this field close to our home.  The field turns completely yellow, with wild flowers, or weeds.  Every year, I tell the kids that I just want to pull over and plop them in the middle of that field and take pictures!

A few weeks ago, yellow flowers started popping up along our driveway.  This past Saturday, Laurel took the boys outside and took some pictures.  I love seeing how she poses them and let me tell you, they cooperate way better for her than me!