Back to School

We have some AWESOME pictures this week. Some weeks we have none! But I could stare at some of these forever. 

Landon: He had maybe one of the lightest work weeks this week. He is enjoying work and the people he is working with. He did work today, but he was home twice this week around 3. Its amazing how fast you forget how long days can feel when dad comes home early a few time. I was so thankful on Friday that we had the ward BBQ to head to even though Lando wasn't home. He did eventually make it though. In time to launch water balloons! Lando took us on an adventure to the Unitas on Saturday. We hiked Bald Mountain and it is the hardest hike we've done as a family. Then for date night we went to the Temple, Blue Lemon, and walked around City Creek. It was a lovely night. Oh and he came home from work today, wrestled the boys and is now cooking dinner while i'm blogging. I love my life with him. 

Becca: My life shifted back to schedules, early mornings, and school work. I love it and hate it at the same time ;). I think I have the schedule down though. If I can start cooking breakfast by 7:00am then it can be ready by 7:30. If its ready by 7:30 we can eat till 7:50. Then we brush teeth, load up the car and drop Jax off before 8:10. It felt nice to stay in bed till 9:00 on Saturday. I keep saying this, but the older my kids get the more I think to myself, "OHHHH this is what moms were talking about." I'm humbled every day, over and over, by what moms have done in the past and what moms are doing now. At the temple I saw a picture of a women, holding her infant, at the feet of the Savior. It made me cry. And what a beautiful imagery. I hope I can continue to bring my children (and their struggles) to the feet of the Savior. 

Jaxson: He started school this week. He's at a new school! He loves it so much. He missed his friends at Bennion, but was able to play with them a few times after school. He also made a few new friends at Hawthorne. He loves riding the bus home! Its nice that there are only 15 kids on the bus. He did so great on our hike up Bald Mountain. He led the way and often held out his hand to balance me and Luke. He was such a cute little leader, telling me all the places that were wobbly or slippery. 

Tyler: He missed Jax this week, but I also think he appreciated the alone time. We went and met his teacher one morning and she wanted to do a little assessment of him. He was nervous. I told him that I'd get him a doughnut if he was brave and answered her questions. He did great! We went to go get a doughnut: 

Ty: I want a maple bar! 

Me: OK bud!! 

Ty: What about Yaxson (Jaxson) 

Me: Oh Jax is at school, he doesn't need one. 

Ty: (crying) NOO!!! Yaxson does need one, I want one for Yaxson too. 

Me: (eye roll, but heart full because of how much he loves his brothers)

I ended up getting Jax one too, and Ty REFUSED to eat his doughnut until Jax was home from school 5 hours later. He wanted to eat his doughnut with Jaxson. I also loved how one night Luke woke up and I was just waiting to see if he would fall back asleep. But Ty quickly came into our room informing me that "Mom! Yuke NEEEDS you." And when I told Ty that I was just going to let him cry for a minute he lost it. Crying he said louder and with more gusto "NO MOM! Yuke wwweeally neeeeeds you." I immediately went and got him. Ty did great on the hike too. We didn't bring the carrier for him and wondered if we would regret it. But we were pleasantly surprised at how well he did. Landon did do some shoulder carrying, but i'd say he walked 75% of the hike. 

Luke: Yep! Luke is now sleeping in his brothers room. Its not the smoothest of situations. They all wake each other up. But we have had one successful night. And i'm just hoping one more week will make it so they all learn to sleep through each others moments in the night. If we had three bedrooms, there is no way Luke would be in a room with them. I appreciate (and am trying to appreciate) the forced circumstances here. I think they will all learn to be better sleepers and become closer because they have this opportunity to share rooms. Or at least thats what I tell myself. I say this every week but Luke is an angel baby. I literally feel Heavenly Fathers love through him. He is so calm, pleasant, peaceful, special. He slept and smiled the whole way on our hike yesterday. He loves being near me. And if I will carry him, he will be content for ever! I also don't have to swaddle Luke anymore for bed. I can just lay him in bed wide awake for naps and bedtime and he just goes to bed. He also slept on my chest in Relief Society today. I just love holding him so much. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!

I also have to say that our boys playing so peacefully right now. I feel the sabbath spirit! Which isn't always the case. OOOO and also, we got through the week with only watching TWO MOVIES and no other TV. I was proud of that accomplishment. 

Ty was adamant about getting ready for school too. 

I was feeling successful because breakfast was ready at 7:30! But I still left the kitchen a disaster. Getting back into school routine takes time.

Okay but really this was an amazing breakfast. 

This picture kind of makes me sad. Ty lost his batman about an hour after this little picture! He seems okay with it. But I hate when my kids don't need their toy anymore. Its just another moment that proves they are growing up. This was the toy he got when Luke was born, and batman has been Ty's constant companion for 4 months. We had to lose him sometime right? 

I didn't know Lando took this picture. All of those papers were given to me from just Jansons class. It took me over 2 hours to go through everything. I felt like a rockstar when I finished and had everything organized. Man I miss school so much. I'd go back in a heart beat. And I will, someday! 

Landon convinced me to do a 20 minute strength training with him. I had Luke do it with me and it made it much more enjoyable! 

He found his hands!!!!! Oh little boy, stop growing up!!! 

Coolest place i've EVER EVER nursed. 

I spy Jax. 

I love this picture so much! This is how I see myself. I think I look so good here (its that weird to say???). This is just me! 

Love this man of mine. So so so handsome! 

All ready for church and on time without daddy! LOVE these boys. I'm so grateful i'm their mother!!! 

Last Week of Summer

Landon: 

He put in a really awesome block one day this week. Haha, he just said thats not worth writing about. Whatever, babe. On Monday night he had a surgical airway lab. On Tuesday night he went to his RIC (Resident Interdisciplinary Council) meeting. He is the Vice President. #fellowshipresume. On Wednesday he went to Elder's Quorum Presidency Meeting. On Thursday he got off at 6:00 biked 6 miles as fast as he could to pick up our mini van at the dealership, then picked us up to go to Jaxson's back to school night, then dropped me off so I could go to our Relief Society Activity, and he put all three boys to bed on his own. Rock. Star. So lots of long productive days. He hasn't been able to run as much as he wants. He needs to sign up for another race, after my race he will. He did wake up before work once this week to run. Our dateS this week was with my family for my moms birthday and with Nate & Sarah on Saturday. Now he is folding laundry and listening to a talk from Elder Neal A. Maxwell. Sooooo I just love him. And I always brag about him, because I just think he's the best. 

Becca: 

I took our minivan in early Monday morning. Long story, but they STILL have our minivan. It really changed our week. They told me they'd have it done on Tuesday, than Wednesday, than Thursday. We picked it up Thursday evening, but the engine light came back on Friday. It's been ANNOYING. We will never buy a dodge. But with all of that said, my the blessings I have seen. The A/C units were added at the PERFECT time last week so our house was only 78 degrees instead of 93 degrees. We had the car just long enough to visit one of my best friends from Indiana, Tiffany. Landon got off early Friday and was actually able to help me take the minivan back in and switch all the carseats and be WAY too kind to the mechanics. I was just rolling my eyes while he was small talking with them and joking with them. THEY ARE THE ENEMY BABE!!!!! Whatever. We were still able to make it to my moms birthday dinner just in time. One of my favorite people in the whole wide world, quietly just sent us some money through Venmo to help with the car payment. I love him. It made me cry. I love them!!! (You know who you are ;)) Jaxson was able to pull together a school outfit he was very happy with, even though none of it was new. Actually that isn't true, we had just enough time on Saturday to buy him some very needed shoes. Luke has slept through the night 3 nights in a row. Tyler has been INCREDIBLY pleasant this week. He was just Ty minus the any major 3 year old tantrums. We didn't have a way to get any groceries this week (again, if I had KNOWN we weren't going to have a car for a week, it would have been different. But every day I thought i'd be getting the car back), but we still managed to get lots of yummy food in our tummies and I even packed Jax a surprisingly delicious lunch for school tomorrow and we have pancakes, cottage cheese and smoothie for breakfast tomorrow. Landon and I were able to run 9 miles with my brother Johnny. Basically I just saw SO MANY BLESSINGS THIS WEEK. And also, maybe the biggest greatest most happiest think this week is I'm starting to feel like myself again. #sleep. I can't explain it, but I didn't not feel like I was in any sort of survival mode this week. There was space in my mind, space in my time, and energy to be able to do more and be more. Its happy. I'm happy right now. Life is good. I feel like I did my very best this summer to make memories for the boys and our family. Also, maybe a small thing, but I decided this week not to watch any TV once the boys were asleep. Maybe its coincidental. Maybe not. But I wonder if I slept better and deeper because I wasn't starring at a screen right before bed. I also believe it was a prompting I had from God, and I followed the prompting, and I was blessed. OMG, I wrote to much. Again. 

Jaxson: 

He is soooooooo excited for tomorrow. He is so much like me. I loved school so much. He set out his clothes. We drove to his school tonight and practiced dropping him off and him running to his classroom. He is ready for school again and I'm excited for his little mind to be challenged. He also loves climbing and being super heroes with Ty this week. He also loved playing with Laws and Ava and Jack one day. Tenley and Kaders one day and his cousins one day(at the Belt family reunion). I just love this little boy so much. First grade. The big leagues. The real REAL deal. I'll be honest, i'm feeling 98% excited for him and 2% depressed for me. His school starts so early, dang it. No more slow summer mornings. But routine and fall and holidays are well on their way, and i'm feeling enteric and excited about that. 

Tyler: 

He is also very very excited about school. ANNNND it doesn't start for two weeks. I think its going to be a long two weeks for him. But he put out his school clothes just like Jax and we went to his little preschool park tonight too. He was his cute adorable wonderful self this week. It was SOOO night to have him back. I feel like he was in a rough stage there for a few weeks. I honestly thing he's the most adorable person on the planet right now. I'm excited to get some one on one time with him again as Jax heads back to school and Luke will be napping. 

Luke: 

Speaking of LUKE!!!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS. In my family, there are 4 boys and me. Nate is the middle child and he is the one that is constantly checking up and taking care of my mom. Even when he was 16 years old he would call my mom on his way home from school and ask her if she needed anything or if he could grab her anything at the store. He still does those things for my mom. Nates amazing. Luke is my Nate. I honestly feel like he came to earth to take care of me. He brings light into every moment of my day and I'm obsessed with him. I can't WAIT to see who he becomes. I already know its going to be AMAZING!!!!!! 

This is Luke, all the time, when he's awake. 

Dinner time often looks like this. I'm nursing Luke. Landon's working. Boys are eating/not eating depending on the meal. 

ALL THREE IN ONE ROOM!!!

I love these little buddies. I call him Pierce Man. And I love him! 

He is such a flexible fourth child. He warms my heart. 

This cuties. Branbury Doughnuts Maple Doughnut is better than any doughnut i've ever had. And its 2.5 blocks from us. And we didn't have a car this week. Soooo we are now on a first name basis with the staff :). 

I'm always so impressed they figure out how to still be boys and have fun in such a small space!!! No complaining from them. Ever! 

When he hasn't seen them in a few days, he writes notes! 

Guys! He is SLEEPING IN A TUPERWARE BASKET. I love him more than I could ever explain. 

Luke and Spenc!! Spencer is the youngest of three teenage sisters. He's ADORED in their home, has four mommas. They were so kind to invite my boys over and share the Legos. 

I put newborn clothes away. CRYING. All three of my boys wore this little thing (Only once each, because truthfully it was always too small.) But I put that in the box and had this, "I wonder if i'll ever have another baby wear this." Not a worry thought, just a fleeting thought. Who knows what the Lord has in store for us next! 

Sent him to his room to clean up the peanuts he threw everywhere. He got out of it.  

Oh this light popped up 6 miles after we picked it up. GRRRRRRR!!!!

Meet Luke and Luke. 

This girl!!!! Tiffany got me through both medical school and our first year of residency in Spokane. She is one of the strongest minded people I know. She is crazy consistent. Super obedient. Fiercely loyal to her family. She does SOOO much. Mom of 4. Young Womens President. Book Keeper of her husbands dental practice. She is incredible. He is calm and wise and such a good listener. I don't think she'll ever know how much she has done for me and how much she's impacted me. One of my best friends ever. I love her! And her newest addition is just insanely adorable. He is younger than our Luke, but technically was named Luke first. So we copied them. But I'm okay with that. They are good people to cope. 

My brother Johnny is in surgery and did most of the picture taking for my moms birthday. So i'll post those next week. But I have this one. She hated it! I love her. For birthdays we go around and say one thing we love about the birthday person. I cried when it was my turn. My mom is my best friend. She has done everything for me. I adore who she is. I think she's incredible. I'm grateful for the testimonies shes left in her music for me and my children and grandchildren. She is my super hero. I hope I can be to my children what she is to me. PSYCH!! My mom just sent me pics:

 I never won a single game in my life growing up. Nothing changed on friday night. #onlygirlproblems.

9 miles with Johnny and Landon and my dad past doing 50 miles on his bike!! 

Love these aunts and uncle of mine. The Belt family has shaped me soooo much!!! 

Stop it Luke. But don't. 

9 miles!!! 

Snapped a priesthood blessing picture. I'm a terrible person ;). 

BACK TO SCHOOL HERE WE COME!!!!!