angels from above

This is still hard for me to write about. The feelings are still raw. I am emotionally drained.

I hope this NEVER happens to anyone.

I hope that you, too, have angels watching over you and your families also.

Whenever we get together with family there are a LOT of us.

It is usually chaotic and everyone is going everywhere 100 miles an hour.

Our morning started our early...and we were tired from staying up late the night before.

We had a graduation to attend for Berkley.

We all ate lunch at the Olive Garden.

Garrett and I loaded up our car and ran a few errands.

By this time we were all ready for naps and running on LOW.

I still needed to grocery shop so Garrett offered to take all the kids home to nap while I ran to the store.

That sounded good to me.

We pulled up to the house and everyone got out.

At the last minute I offered to keep the baby so he could rest.

I assured Garrett that it was fine so he headed in the house with the other three kids.

Once I reached Albertsons I had to search for a good parking place.

The guy next to me parked crooked so I squeezed out of my door and headed into the crowded store.

It was record highs...middle of the afternoon...and BUSY!

I grabbed my cart, my mile- long- list and my newly acquired stack of coupons.

I was set.

My mind was set on what I needed...what was on sale...what coupons I held in my hands...

My cell phone rang. It was Christy.

She was going to meet up with me so we could shop together.

Once she arrived we chatted and shopped around for awhile until she realized that she forgot to pick up Malia.

She high-tailed it out of the store and I continued on my way down the aisles of food.

All of a sudden I got a sharp pain in my chest and I realized my milk was coming in.

It was time to feed the baby.

THE

BABY!

The blood drained from my face.

I dropped my list...purse...left my cart...and

SPRINTED

out to the car.

My heart was racing.

I was praying...holding back the tears...hoping I wouldn't find my baby laying still in her car seat.

Once I reached the car I could hear a faint, weak cry.

My heart broke and yet I rejoiced at the same time.

She was still ALIVE.

I undid her car seat as fast as humanly possible and rushed back into the cool...air conditioned store.

She was red...her body was saturated in sweat.

I collapsed in the nearest chair...ripped open my shirt, so she could nurse and rehydrate...

and I WEPT!

I cried...and cried...

how could I be so irresponsible??

How could I be so blessed??

The day could have ended so much worse.

I thanked my Heavenly Father that she was okay.

I recommitted to protect my beautiful children to the very BEST of my ability

and not let the everyday nuisances get in the way.

Every time I hold her I have a new appreciation for her.
Her every sound...and smile.

I know angels were watching over her.

Trouble

Being 3 is rough. 

Benton had an especially rough night.

We had a lot of family in town and there was a lot of action going on 24/7.

Benton was wrestling with his older cousin on the bed and fell into the corner of a dresser, giving him a split open and black eye. 

Then he slammed his fingers in the door.

Later on that night I ran my girls home to get their PJ's on so the could have a sleepover at Grandmas. 

I left Garrett at Grandma's with the baby and Benton. 

Everyone was visiting in the front room while I ran home.

Benton came up to his dad and asked where Mommy went. 

Garrett said, "She went home."

Pretty soon he disappeared...meanwhile, I get a knock at the door.

I open the front door to find my crying, 3 year old!

It was 8:30pm and he had walked home...ALONE...in the DARK!

Two seconds later Garrett and Randall came sprinting into our yard....
Grandpa was searching his yard with a flashlight...
and

Travis (who was sick) went driving around in his van.

Everyone had divided and was searching for Benton.

I am glad to say he only went missing for a minute before the adults realized he was gone. 

He safely made it home...but so many things could have happened to him on his little walk home.

Needless to say, we had a nice LONG talk about NOT walking home alone...especially in the DARK!

great scott

We found the most beautiful, blue Great Dane on our doorstep one day.

We looked for the owner with no luck.

We took this dog in as our own.

She was magnificent with our kids.

She was loyal and protective.

She wouldn't let strangers into our yard.

The time came for her to be breed-ed with so we found another blue Great Dane to mate with.

She was one week away from having puppies...

then someone stole her!

We thought she'd gone away to have her puppies.

Weeks went by...no dog.

No puppies.

Two months later one of our friends heard that some Great Dane puppies were for sale.

She found out they were the same age as our puppies would have been, and they were all BLUE.

The mother was "conveniently" being held at a different location.

No one would let the mother be seen, even if a puppy was being sold.

I know that is our dog!

We fed her...loved her...someone else took her to profit from her puppies.

Garrett is convinced that she will be dumped again once the puppies are sold.

Not many people can afford to feed such a HUGE dog.

I am sure they waited for her to get pregnant...they watched her...they timed it perfectly.

Then they came and took their dog back.

That is one theory.

Most people are afraid to approach such an intimidating dog...unless they knew her.

We are heart broken...and they just want her for the $$.

We hope our dog comes back to us.

Spring Break

This week we had family in town for Spring Break. 

Every time we jumped in the car, my nieces and nephews would diligently buckle up. 

Even if we were just going around the corner from my house to my mother-in-law's house. 

It got to the point where I was transferring up to 10 kids at a time and we couldn't all buckle. 

Some of the kids were very concerned about this. 

My kids kept reassuring them that we would be okay. 

We never reached speeds past 30 miles an hour and all our destinations were less than half a mile away. 

I guess seat belts are a foreign concept for my little country kids.

Whenever I tell them to buckle up they assume we are going out of town. HA.

It is definitely SPRING around our house.

In Mexico, Spring Break is called Semana Santa and it lasts for two weeks. 

We have big plans to relax while Daddy is busy planting this year's crop.

The planting season always falls on Semana Santa so we've started some traditions of our own.

Just me and the kiddos.

Happy Spring Break.

Adalyn 20 weeks old

creative

Living in the middle of nowhere, you have to be creative.

I was using a bar stool for a nightstand and it just wasn't working out. 

I received this inspiration from watching the NATE show. 

I learned how to "re-purpose" items around the house/garage.

I have TONS of books so I stacked them next to my bed and topped it with this vintage breakfast tray I found in the attic. 

It is a perfect nightstand. 

This would also look great with a beautiful silver tray.

black and white

My mom is so good to us. Any time she sees a beautiful dress, she has to buy it...then make sure it has a matching one for each granddaughter. 

She has a great eye when it comes to fashion. Grandma Udall loves to make sure her grand-babies are dressed to the "9's." 

While growing up my mom made me and all my sisters match...every Sunday. 

There was NO escaping it. I hated it. I swore I would NEVER make my kids match. 

Then I became a mommy. 

I LOVE to see them all coordinating. 

I love joining in on the fun. 

I am now eating my hat.

Thank you Mom, I love it!

{extracurricular}

I am a ballet teacher...correction...I am THE ballet teacher. I have a small studio behind my house and I teach my girls, along with their friends.

Living in a small community, we have limited resources. We rely on each others' talents and volunteer efforts for our kids' extracurricular activities.

My good friend is a concert pianist, so she is our piano teacher,

another friend is a gymnast, so she is our cheer coach/tumbling instructor,

our husbands are the football and basketball coaches,

my neighbor is the tennis coach,

my mother-in-law is the "after school tutor",

our Aunt is the town seamstress. 

The list could go on and on...

We all contribute, in a small town, to develop the talents of our children and help them become well-rounded.

It is just a small part of the role we play living here!