The Life of Haven

The water is on, the seeds are planted, the baby is sleeping, the bees are buzzing, the blossoms are blooming, the grass is growing, and the kids are so grateful to be thawed out from winter time. What a wonderful world 🎶- May 24, 2019 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx34r6pH5L_ZmfmovXAsf--8bjmj61FZWn9EpU0/?igshid=1wqusfxv4rn0k

Conference weekend is one of our favorite times in the year and H has been wanting to go. H had us promise him we would take him to conference when he turned 8 and we were able to take him for the April 2019 conference. It was such a great experience and was so much fun to spend some one on one time with him talking about the history of our church and having him see the beautiful Salt Lake City Temple Square. - April 9, 2019 https://www.instagram.com/p/BwECJPgHsJQhTpGB_CW5N5ny4JxP-CubtPpr9A0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18so00ze51qe5

H had his first Cub Car rally :). He was nervous that he wouldn’t do well but Hunt helped him out with some last minute touch ups and he ended up winning each of his laps. Of course with little sister cheering him on! He did all of the designing himself, painted it by hand as well. He won the Original Design award. - March 30, 2019 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvsv3V4nZGQGJUHzsYKbn_O1wgDtXzrj2BSIwE0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=8tm5y81xfz8l

H had his first Cub Car rally :). He was nervous that he wouldn’t do well but Hunt helped him out with some last minute touch ups and he ended up winning each of his laps. Of course with little sister cheering him on! - March 30, 2019 https://www.instagram.com/p/BvsuhZdnGmwigyhv-egVhEDzm8xnlPGPhm_R580/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1p8n8uxkf0n6f

H is 8. He chose to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his baptism was wonderful. He likes to wear his hat backwards lately because “it’s cool”. He is full of questions about the world around him and is always suggesting new ways to do things; he’s a wonderful example to me of not being afraid to try new things even though “it’s never been done before”. He loves picking gifts for his friends and family for Christmas and writing little notes. He enjoys his martial arts and also loves to cook. I am hard pressed to catch a picture of him without his baby sister because all he wants to do is love on her. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrRgEDvHeKXUZ-Rg3okmlxE9lZu-lg6uVmLalM0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=j7gi7mbspis0

I feel like we need to make a special tribute to HAIR in our family, because it just seems to be the thing that’s on our mind these days. 1. Baby A and her first pony tail AND I chopped my hair off (woohoo!) 2. Apparently baby A has a mad Mohawk after said pony tail. 3. M and her amazing, bleach blonde curls in the back 😍 (the front is straight for some reason) 4. B and his helmet hair after he tried skating for the first time in a long time - there was much discussion about falling down and getting back up again and let’s be real; sometimes when you’re 5 getting back up again doesn’t sound fun when your body hurts everywhere from falling so many times 😬 5. B hides nothing in his facial expressions. I never have to guess with him ❤️. 6. A has lost all her luscious locks on the sides but is still holding strong on the top ❤️❤️😍 7. H had me dye his hair jet black for Halloween. 8. I have always loved uber long hair. But it’s just not practical right now. 9. Handsome H and his black hair. Me in a pony tail WITHOUT a headache from my hair tugging my scalp 👌🏻 10. Dobby, Hedwig and Harry Potter ❤️❤️❤️ - of course B was Batman. Nov 25, 2018 https://www.instagram.com/p/BqolM9hnuSGCnvDEHiz5cj3H-TXTvM-11Pa0Ds0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1w4hwr2ntm1re

We’re back from a social media purge. I loved being off social media for a time. It seems like we’ve had a whole lot more of moments like this. But with family afar, it is a wonderful way to stay in contact and keep everyone up to date. So here’s to more moments like this and more intentional social media use; cutting the excess and keeping to the heart of the good stuff which is to connect with loved ones ❤️ “What matters most is what lasts the longest - and families are for eternity” - M Russel Ballard . - Nov 19, 2018 https://www.instagram.com/p/BqYVF_unatEi98vXtBrxi6MnwXNF5e5_fIdFjU0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1te47lev7eczc

When he’s not gaining great entertainment by teasing them, H adores his little sisters <3 He also just started taekwondo last week@and is loving it. - Sep 27, 2018 https://www.instagram.com/p/BoPzMtjlL9nBsPo88ti_FWkAukSgKpeytiZfsw0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jwdo9p7ukz4i

What a fun day we had for H’s 8th birthday. Bacon and crepes for breakfast, grilled cheese and raspberry jam for lunch, wedding treats at reception number one, cheese burgers and hot dogs for dinner, bubblegum ice cream birthday cake and more wedding treats at reception number two: followed - of course - by opening of gifts. We are all tired but feeling ‘oh so grateful’ for the awesome family and friends who help to make our life and our children’s lives so enriching and fulfilling. - August 25, 2018

We’ve got some crazy hair girls and boys in our house right now. In A’s first few weeks of life I tried to comb it down and avoid it sticking out everywhere; I’ve since given up on that effort. She always has a few pieces right at the centre of her head sticking up (like a little alfalfa). M’s hair can be tamed easily with an elastic but sometimes wrangling her is akin to wrestling a wet seal and she would rather constantly push her hair out of her eyes. The boys’ have crazy hair simply because I left their Dad and them alone with the clippers and (as he describes it) “they asked for Mohawks so I had to say yes!” 😂 So here’s to my ‘Crazy Hair, Don’t Care’ girls and boys who I adore with or without perfectly manicured hair ❤️ - and here’s to a sweet time in my life of parenting when my kiddos don’t stress about what other people think of their appearance. I’ll be over here enjoying it while it lasts. - August 21, 2018

Who needs clothes when it’s 40 degrees? It might be normal for a different part of the world but us here in this part of Canada aren’t used to 40 degrees. I usually love baby carriers for my new babies but I think A and I would both perish with a carrier - big brother and bouncy chair, to the rescue 😊- August 10, 2018

The first smile happened yesterday ❤️ Her brother H insists that she has smiled at him before but I refuse to believe that I didn’t get to see her first smile myself 👍🏻😊. - August 7, 2018

Four kids is hard but H adores nothing more than holding baby A. He would probably hold her all day if I would let him. The only thing in H’s world that rivals holding baby A is scrapping with his brother B and maybe as a close third, teasing his sister M. This spring/summer we decided to keep things low key and we didn’t sign up for many extra curriculars apart from some level 1 swimming lessons. I have been really glad for that. H is really interested in starting karate in the fall. - July 30, 2018

Four kids is hard but H adores nothing more than holding baby A. He would probably hold her all day if I would let him. The only thing in H’s world that rivals holding baby A is scrapping with his brother B and maybe as a close third, teasing his sister M. This spring/summer we decided to keep things low key and we didn’t sign up for many extra curriculars apart from some level 1 swimming lessons. I have been really glad for that. H is really interested in starting karate in the fall. - July 30, 2018

Four kids is hard but H adores nothing more than holding baby A. He would probably hold her all day if I would let him. The only thing in H’s world that rivals holding baby A is scrapping with his brother B and maybe as a close third, teasing his sister M. This spring/summer we decided to keep things low key and we didn’t sign up for many extra curriculars apart from some level 1 swimming lessons. I have been really glad for that. H is really interested in starting karate in the fall. - July 30, 2018

Four kids is hard but H adores nothing more than holding baby A. He would probably hold her all day if I would let him. The only thing in H’s world that rivals holding baby A is scrapping with his brother B and maybe as a close third, teasing his sister M. This spring/summer we decided to keep things low key and we didn’t sign up for many extra curriculars apart from some level 1 swimming lessons. I have been really glad for that. H is really interested in starting karate in the fall. - July 30, 2018

Four kids is hard but H adores nothing more than holding baby A. He would probably hold her all day if I would let him. The only thing in H’s world that rivals holding baby A is scrapping with his brother B and maybe as a close third, teasing his sister M. This spring/summer we decided to keep things low key and we didn’t sign up for many extra curriculars apart from some level 1 swimming lessons. I have been really glad for that. H is really interested in starting karate in the fall. - July 30, 2018