Soup & Scones

I cannot express enough how much these two beautiful girls mean to my kids.  I love that even though they are almost 24, beautiful, funny girls, they still take the time to know my babies and love them!  This is the picture from soup & scones tonight and I love it. My family is really close and my cousins and I all grew up feeling a lot like siblings, so to see them treat my kids with such respect and want to know them is the best.  My girls could not be more excited to have them living in Utah.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Love, The Griffee's

Santa and the Gym?

I went to the gym the other morning with the boys and the Big guy happened to be there.  The boys were so excited and I gotta say I was thrilled they were excited!  They took this adorable picture while they visited.  Everyday we have been back to the gym since then Luke runs full speed for the Santa display yelling "Santa".  It's so cute.  I love that he is so happy about Christmas this year.

Thanksgiving Wrap-up.

This week has been a crazy emotional and busy week.  If I could choose when to have a miscarriage it would not have been the week of Thanksgiving.  Anyway...This past week beside that was fantastic.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I love being with family on the holidays.  I was not so thrilled that Black Thursday Night dominated a lot of conversation but I loved it all the same.

Friday was my niece's birthday party and my kids loved to be around so much of my family and to play with all 13 cousins.  On Saturday we did the Maxwell annual gingerbread houses which I love because I almost never get to be around all of my siblings at the same time so it was like an early Christmas present!!  We took the entire family (all 22 of us) to see The Guardians.  It was such a great Holiday movie, I'm sure we'll be adding it to the collection.  I have pics to post but haven't gotten them on the computer yet.  Next time:)

No comments necassary.

I debated on sharing this but I found it therapeutic to write it out.  I figured some may need an explanation as to why I may not return your calls or texts, etc. for the next few day.  Call me selfish if you must but somethings I just don't handle well. 

addtothemadness.blogspot.com

Sleeping...

These 3 all sleep exactly like their daddy. I know that boy is too big for his crib but I can't handle putting him in a bed yet...he's too crazy.  Plus part of me (a huge part) is not ready for him to grow up yet.

I sent this picture to Michael and he said "I used to sleep just like that when I was a kid"  I laughed and told him he still sleeps just like that:) 

Winter wonderland

 Well it's official..Winter has hit the Mountain west.  We got nearly 8 inches of snow in one day.  My babies are in heaven!!  I love the snow...twice a year.  Once the first time it really dumps and then on Christmas.  The rest of the 5 month period it snows here I could do without.

We were not prepared for this first major snow storm (trampoline still up, patio furniture still out).  Last year we were and it hardly snowed at all.  I let Michael and the kids go out and play on Saturday while I cleaned the house.  As much as I hate cleaning it was pretty nice to turn on Pandora to the Christmas tunes and clean without kids yelling.

I love November!!  I love Thanksgiving (my fav holiday), I love boots and coats, I love the family fun, but most of all I love getting ready for Christmas by making homemade Christmas gifts.  I'm so excited with how awesome this set of Chicago bears plates turned out for my in-laws.  They aren't done but I miss drawing and doing artsy things so much that I just loved taking the time to make these the other day.

While momma Mauss is at school, from time to time we get to love her beautiful babies.  The things kids can come up with just a few pipe cleaners is just too much fun (Thank you miss Sarah for the idea!).  Plus side is, next to no mess and they were occupied for nearly 30 minutes.

you can see from this picture that even the neighbor kids joined in on the fun!  9 kids in our kitchen was quite the experience.  We just love having friends and cousins over.

Optimism is the word.

Not that Romney will have a miracle and come out on top but that people will pull together.  I'm sick of back-stabbing politics.  I'm sick of people hating each other. I'm sick of hearing everyone's extreme opinions.  I'm sick of people telling each other how they should think and feel.  I'm just plain sick of it all!  So from this moment on, for at least the next 4 years, my eyes and ears will focus on the positive and being optimistic.  On understanding and my love for fellow Americans PERIOD!

Now I remember.

After this past week with no blogging I remember why I had stopped.  I never remember to do it.  It's not that I don't have 5-10 minutes to sit and write a quick blurb for posterity's sake I just plain forget.  By the time we get through our day, the Mr. comes home, dinner is cleaned up, kids are in bed, workout is done if it wasn't already, and work is done, I sit and veg.  

Luke is the happiest kid I've ever met...unless he's sick, which he is right now.  All of my other kids are just content to lie on the couch when they are sick,.  Illness slows my middle two to regular speed instead of hyper drive. Not Luke.  He is a whiny, crying, baby boy, who just wants to be held.  But, since just holding him will eventually not be enough to sooth his little heart, I will hold him until it's not anymore.

It's not luxury I was afforded with any of the past three children because I either worked or had another baby to take care of.  Since the other three are, for the most part, able to take care of themselves for a few minutes at a time, I am enjoying the one on one time Lukey loves so much.

October

More Pumpkin Patch fun with the kids.  A farm near our house does free hay rides and hot chocolate & we love a good deal around here ;-)

Couldn't resist

This kid finally grew hair!  Okay not really but couldn't you just eat him up? 

Ignore the fact that I took my kids to Krispy Kreme on one of "those days", seriously I cannot get enough of this beautiful boy.

This pretty much sums up 90% of our days around here.  They were laughing in this one, thank goodness.  I love those two crazies.

Things around here are so busy... I love and hate it.  I love that we are busy working hard to support our family and at the same time I just want to stay home with my babies and not feel like we live in our car.  Such is life.

What's in a color?

Most of you know I do my own hair and since I weave it with foil it takes FOR-EV-ER!!  My hair was getting some lovely, 2 month old roots this past week and I was debating on dyeing it brown for a while.  I started looking at pictures of the color I was thinking of going and I showed one to Buddha.  I asked him if should go brown like Cage and he started crying...a lot..for almost 30 minutes.

It took a little while to console him and then I remembered a situation from when he was 16 months old.  I was 7 1/2 months pregnant with Luke and I didn't want to have to worry about doing my hair for the first few months after he was born, so I dyed my hair dark brown.  Well my little Buddha was my buddy.  Attached to my hip at all times.  If you looked up momma's boy in the dictionary it would have shown his angelic little face. When I came home from dying my hair I walked up to him to give him loves and he looked at me like I was a complete stranger.  He stopped talking to me for 3 days and turned into an anyone-but-momma's boy.  It broke my heart.  There is something extremely special in the realationship of boys and their mommies and I was so sad that my hair color had done anything to interupt that.  

It sounds so silly but because my sweet boy wants my hair to look like his, because no one else in the family does, I will keep it for as long as he wants.  So yesterday I finally colored my hair.

Annual Pumpkin Patch Goodness.

 Michael's mom started taking Kk to a local pumpkin patch when she was 3 years old and a few years ago we started joining in on the fun.  It is one of my favorite Halloween traditions.

 I cannot express in words what this little lady means to me and the AMAZING example she shows to her younger cousins.  We love our Kk and the incredible person she is becoming.

yuck.

This past week has been filled with sickness around our house.  Three of the four kids have had something at some point this week.  I thought as of Thursday we were done with it and then last night it hit me.

Michael is running in TOUGH MUDDER(this link shows the craziness) today.  It's an military style obstacle course race for 12 miles. I really wanted to go watch so my parents offered to take the kids last night and take them to my sister this morning. I was so excited.  BUT...within 10 minutes of the kids being gone I started to lose it...my cookies that is...well not cookies but crackers for sure. 

I have an awful immune system which is made even worse by some medical conditions. So what may hit you as a little stomach bug will hit me like the frickin' plague. It happens a few times a year that I get so sick I literally pass out when I vomit.  I know TMI. 

AGAIN...so grateful for an amazing husband who worries so little about himself and helps to take care of me all night even when he had to get up early this morning to go run TOUGH MUDDER. AND to my awesome family for being more than willing to help with my kiddos.

Work

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work from "home" this year. I work for Michael's mom and I am truly grateful to be able to help support my family.  There is no better feeling in the world, after needing to accept the help from several sources, than supporting ourselves.  I will never forget what it feels like to pay for things with my money.  Money Michael and I worked our tales off to make.  Unless you have personally been through this you may not understand what's it's like.  you may take it for granted because you have never had the opportunity to have to accept the charity and support of others.  Although I am so grateful for the help and support we received when we were in school again, and will be forever paying it forward, I am more thankful than I have ever been to pay for what my family needs with money we EARNED. 

This Guy.

Those who know my husband know how incredible he is.  Those who don't are truly missing out.

The kids and I have been sick this week and although I was able to handle washing out puke bowls yesterday just fine on my own today was a whole other story.

Michael had an appointment down here this afternoon to show houses anyway so he came home a little early to help out with the kids. I went to bed and told him to come get me when he needed to leave and I'd take over.  Well about 4:30 I woke up to a silent house.  Silent...that NEVER happens. I called Michael and asked him where the kids were and he said "oh, I just took them to my mom's" (who by the way is a saint in my book.)  

I was so grateful for the break, for a husband who knows when I need it and gives it without complaint.  Laying in bed is not exactly what I want to do when I have time to be by myself but today I'll take it.

Football, Conference weekend, and sickies

 Michael's family has season tickets to Utah Football so 6 weekends every fall that is where you will find us. This year we decided we are only taking one kid at a time to the games. So Buddha went to the ByU game & the Cage went to the USC game. We love the tradition we started so long ago of going to the games.

 This little guy lights up the day of every person he comes in contact with. He literally is always smiling, even when he gets his massive head stuck in the patio furniture.

My boys are best friends and I really hope it stays like that forever.

 When Luca needs something he will usually run to his sisy first.  I love that she loves him and wants to help him as much as possible. Grandma Leeana came over in between sessions of conference yesterday and took the big kids on a ride up the canyon.  Luca was really not happy he couldn't go. He really gets upset when all his siblings leave him home. (please ignore the mess you see in the background of the following picture...or any picture for that matter!)

This beautiful boy is home sick today & to be honest so is his mommy.  Thank goodness for grandma Maxwell.  She took the Cage so we could get some rest today.

I know that was a little all over the place but I was trying to be quick today while the sicky is a asleep.

Oh the things the Cage says...

While Michael was putting her to bed tonight the conversation went like this...

Cage..."I'm going to be 68!"

Dad..."When you're 68 you'll be a grandma."

Cage..."oh yeah I'll be a big fat grandma. Oh wait no I will workout like my grandma's."

Dad..."We don't call people big and fat."

Cage..."Oh yeah, but we can call them a little chunky!"

She kills me.

What matters most...WARNING! Syrup ahead!

This past summer my goal was to do things with my kids that would build memories.  Not to fill their time with trips and activities that would cost lots of money but do things where they would build genuine relationships with each other and grow stronger bonds than the ones that already exist between them.

I remember growing up with my own siblings and mother and the things that are etched in my memory of when I felt our bond grow deeper and I wanted that for my own children this year.  They are so small and I know the sooner these bonds are made the stronger they will be as they grow older. 

In August I was thinking I failed at this goal.  I was discouraged thinking we spent too much time "running errands" and they spent to much time playing with their friends and not enough time together...until I started looking through the pictures I had taken on my phone.  I realized I'd accomplished my goal without even thinking about it.  Here's the results... 

We took a little get away to St. George with the Griffee family. I wasn't so sure I'd be able to go because I got out of the hospital a week before we went. This is the pool we spent 90% of our time in in our backyard.

 The toodles waiting for Kk at piano on Great grandma's front porch...fresh apricots make it all the sweeter. I love that they have such a special relationship with my grandma and they get to see her every week.

 She's such a goof and I love her for it.She is my amazing helper/babysitter and I don't know how we'd get along without her!

 Where I found the babies daily.  Waiting for Daddy to get home. I cannot express in words the feelings I have for my husband or the amazing man he is.  But this picture shows just how much they think of him also.

Favorite place to play after daddy gets home. There is a significant age gap between Kk and the rest of the kids but once they start playing together you'd never know it.

We spent a few days at the pool.  It was amazing to see them play and run with just the four of them.  Plus I survived the pool solo with all four:)

This little princess is a learning experience for me everyday.  Just when I think I've got her figured out she throws a new twist into her crazy personality.

We spent some time with cousins this summer. We loved going to see some of the game for the U19 World Rugby Championships. My kids and their cousins are more like siblings. Since Michael and I both grew up with strong family ties we LOVE this.

He is always smiling and he LOVES people.  ALL people.  I love that he is so much like his daddy.

More time with cousins at the Autism Carnival.  It's was so hot but they loved it all. Cage has played protector to her one of her cousins since they were tiny.  I love that they are so close and play so much.

We got to spend some time at the cabin the summer.  One of the times we were up there to work we got to spend a night by ourselves before the rest of the family got there. We realized it was the first overnight trip we had ever taken with our kids without some other family.  It was beautiful! The Boys favorite thing to do...throw rocks in the water.  Luke liked it so much that when we came home he threw them in Marley's water bowl for days.

This is the mom to Michael and Adam's best friends from high school.  It was so hot at one of the rugby games we went to she let all the kids take the ice from her cooler and put it on their skin.  They loved having her rub it up and down their arms also.  It was a sweet memory.

Most years one the 4th of July Michael plays in an annual Rugby tournament in Park City. This year his brother decided to come play also. Most already know that my Kk is a huge help to me but it's rare that I catch a picture of just how helpful she is.  I love this picture and how much it shows that she cares for her siblings and cousins.

One of the best memories I have from summer when I was little was playing in the rain. My younger kids are afraid of the thunder so they are perfectly happy to watch from the window while Kk runs and jumps and gets soaked in a down pour. But...after is a whole other ball game.  This puddle was there for days and they asked to go to it everyday...so we did.

On our walks and runs this summer there were several times this little guy fell asleep.  He tries so hard to keep up with the "big kids".

Not 5 minutes after we took this picture, that shows the full personality of the Cage so well, it turned into a torrential down pour.  We got  soaked and laughed and played the whole way home...until the thunder started.  Then they RAN.

During the week when Kk would go play with her friends these three would sit in the backyard playing for hours! Landscaping our backyard was some of the best money we have ever spent.  Their little magical minds think up a thousand different games to play with a trampoline and a tiny play house.

I love moments when my children recognize the magnificence of the world around them.  They stood and looked down on this beautiful world for quite a while.

A true family picture of all the crazies I live with.

The times we spend together without excess company (not that we don't love and appreciate it) are the times we grow the closest.

you will be hard pressed to EVER find this boy without a truck in his hand.  He will stop mid sentence to point them out. He will scream if you try to take them from him. 

I love the area we live in.  It is so beautiful year round.  We love to hike together as a family to enjoy fully the place we call home.

Michael's company had a Lagoon day and we had so much fun together.  We got Buddha onto 1 roller coaster and then he was done but Kk & Cage rode over, and over, and over.

I saw this fantastic facial expression 1000 times that day.  I never want to forget how just plain happy she was.

This boy LOVES his daddy.  We are so blessed to have such amazing little spirits in our home.

Baby boy fell asleep at aunt Hooly's house while I did her hair.  He NEVER does this.

Aunt Holly got a new "toy" and these crazies could not wait to try it out.  Thank goodness for Cousin Ty Ty to watch them and play with them.

We walk...a lot. There is a Target store pretty near our house so during the day when we need something for a treat we're making or for dinner that night we walk.  I love when we have enough time to let my children run there imaginations to their hearts content.  Sometimes it takes us 15 minutes to get there sometimes it takes an hour.

We had a lot of opportunities to do things for free or nearly free this summer.  Michael and I feel strongly that we need to expose our children to as many of these opportunities as we are able.  They love going and learning.

Ice cream is a summer staple in my opinion. (I'm going to blame that one on my grandma)  We found out this summer that Farr's Ice Cream has free kiddy cones everyday of the week so everytime we passed it my babies would all start yelling and asking if they could get ice cream.  Well like my grandma I can't resist a good deal or a good ice cream!

 

 

There are so many other moments from the summer, like finding fort on a mountain hike, running through sprinklers all day long, spending time with the family at the cabin, working together to build blanket forts, etc.  I love my family and know they love each other. I am working hard to grow their bonds and an experience the other day with Buddha showed that it is working. 

Buddha is a mellow kids who is usually more than happy to play anything you want and just be your buddy.  The other day someone said something to his sister he apperently did not like because I came into the conversation just in time to hear "you cannot talk to my sister like that!!  She is my sister!  you have to be nice to her!"  My children are becoming feircly protective of each other and I couldn't be happier about it.  There bond grows stronger daily and I know that it will be beneficial for them as they grow into adulthood.