Warm weather, birds and bees, new shoes, dentist

We are finally starting to get some warmer weather. By warmer weather I mean mid 50's. You would have thought it was summer around here. Sunshine=Happiness. 

Gavin thought it was so cool that he and Sam matched last Sunday. Before church he leaned over and suggested that I take a picture of the two of them together.  Handsome young men right there. 

Kate during primary.

 Ethan taught FHE (family night) this week. He gave a great lesson about the Holy Ghost. The kids loved the part where they got blindfolded. 

I love when Gavin climbs into my bed in the morning and wants to read to me. I have to admit that he only does this first thing in the morning because I recently made a rule that in order to have electronic time the kids must read for a bit. He is now highly motivated to read first thing in the morning. Whatever it takes. 

 Ethan had his eye on a pair of "Nike Hyperdunks".  There were a little pricier than what Lance and I were willing to pay so we told Ethan we would pay a certain amount and he could pay the rest of the amount if he really wanted them. Turns out he did!  

Ethan doesn't get too excited about his clothes or shoes typically so it was fun to see him hyped about these. He said that no one in his school had a purple pair. (I bet he is right.) None the less, when they arrived this week he was super excited to put them on. I saw him wiping them off with a baby wipe the first day he wore them to school. Too funny. I love this boy.

Size 9 and half.

Emma and I got away on a little date this week. I have been wanting to talk with her about the "birds and bees".  Lance and I usually tried to do this when our kids turn 8. We feel that it is important for our kids to hear about it from us before any kid at school tries to explain it. I wanted to make sure that I got a chance to explain to her that "sex" is super special and a gift from God, rather than something dirty and silly like the world tends to portray it.  (I can still remember Abby coming home from school one day and telling me about O_ _ l Sex. I was speechless. I think she was in 3rd or 4th grade. I was so mad!)
For some reason I was putting it off with Emma. I decided that I really needed to do it and now was a great time. When I brought it up with her she quickly changed the subject, every time.  She was so uncomfortable.  I didn't go into much detail but I think the most important points were made. Ha, Ha gotta love being a parent. Awkward, but important.

 Emma is such a sweet little girl. I am blown away by her kindness. She has the most tender heart I have ever known. I mean that. I just want to give her so much love.  I know I have mentioned that her hugs are so full of LOVE.  She is always the first of my kids willing to share or give up something so that someone else can have something. Everyone loves Emma. I feel so blessed to be her mother.

 There are some places that I go with all of my kids and can sense the many eyes watching us.  I can feel people mentally counting all the children and then looking at me and then back at the children. I imagine they are thinking something like, "Are all of those kids hers?" I am sure we are quite a sight when we go places all together. 

I am not going to lie, I kind of love it. I am one proud momma living her dream. 

This week the kids all had a dentist appointment (at the same time).  My pediatric dentist office is always so nice and accommodating but I usually get the sense that we are being watched there, not necessarily in a bad way but more curiously. I feel like we are on a reality show or something.  I wonder if the kids ever feel strange. Anyway, it is kind of funny. It doesn't bother me one bit.

 After their appointment, I dropped the younger kids off at school and then took the older kids to lunch. What a fun day!

Sammy and I came home and napped. We had a rough night the night before. Crying it out is no fun.

This morning Abby and I took the kids to a Lowe's workshop to build birdhouses. 

Our neighbors met us there. 

Afterwards we picked up Ethan and ran errands, got haircuts, and then lunch. I love days like this where we all hang out together. We didn't do anything extraordinary but we were just together. I wish Lance were with us but I know he is having a blast in Atlanta.