July Highlights

Hazel turned three months old.

She is adorable.

Smiling, laughing, and being a social bug.

She hates being alone and loves to be held.

She loves her daddy more than anyone.

She really loves her brother, too.

She loves me (and Maggie), but she's got those boys wrapped around her finger.

Daddy time.

Lots of it.

Hubby time, with Hazel tagging along.

Playing with kids.

Broken fence.

Kids running away.

But at least they go hand-in-hand.

Joyland.

A land full of joy.

So rewarding to see your children have so much fun.

It's partially an effort to make the words "family night" less dreadful.

Partially an effort to create fun memories.

But joyful it was.

Tired kids.

Busy kids.

Free meals at Chick-fil-a (for everyone but Dad who refuses to dress up like a cow).

My birthday.

A free Alice in Wonderland play at the library.

Maggie cuddling up to Henry when the play gets a little too interactive for her comfort level.

Date night with Brendon and Hazel.

A delicious meal.

A day to shop--by myself--with Hazel.

Tired kids.

Cute kids.

More smiling and laughing from Hazel.

Tired kids.

Mischievous toddlers.

(Diaper cream.)

An interview in St. George, Utah.

Hazel's first plane ride.

Grandpa and Grandma Gibson join in on the fun.

Oh, and lots and lots of pooping and peeing.

In diapers and underwear and toilets.

Henry is getting better.

Maggie is, too.

I'm feeling optimistic right now.

Utah Trip

We went home to Utah a couple weeks ago. It was a very quick trip, much to our chagrin. Three days of driving for a four-day stay. But we sure packed in a lot of time with family.

My youngest sibling, Austin, came home from his mission and it was so fun to see him and show him our growing children. Here we are saying good-bye as we were leaving back for home.

Since we were with family, we decided to bless baby Hazel. We were grateful to share the occasion with family and were happy to have some of the Holmes family make the trip to Utah just for the blessing.

Grandma Sheryl stayed with us at Grandma and Grandpa Gibson's house, which was the best of both worlds for us. Leading up to the trip, Henry kept talking about how both of his grandmas would be in Utah--which was a new and exciting idea. Then we got the icing on the cake with two grandmas--and a grandpa of course--under one roof. The kids were spoiled with lots of love and attention, meaning Dad and I were spoiled with a little break. Brendon got a bike ride in the mountains every day possible. I always had someone to talk with and was able to help cook and clean with so many people being willing to hold Hazel.

We squeezed in some Gibson family pictures which was absolute torture for my two tired toddlers (and husband who hates forcing children to smile for a camera). We played at my sister's in-laws house that had a train, zip line, fire truck, and dogs. We went to see "How to Train Your Dragon 2." The kids relished playing with cousins, which is always something I enjoy watching. Brendon and Grant rode around the neighborhood on their mini motorcycles. And we had lots of fun seeing and talking with friends and family.

Utah: We love you. We love to visit you and to see your breath-taking beauty.

Family: We love you even more than we love Utah.

(Good thing Grandma Sheryl came and took pictures, or else I might not have any. Thank you!)

Her Name

Hazel

Brendon's dad's mom. Hazel Fairbanks Holmes.

I adore Grandma Holmes. She has a great love for her family, which is very large. She gave birth to eleven children and keeps ties to each one of them. On top off the eleven children, she can tell you about each of her grandchildren and their families. Her family is her pride and joy. Grandma Holmes is very organized in every way, including how she keeps track of her family. In her home, there is a gigantic list of every member of the Holmes family. Each person is numbered and has a date next to their name of when they became a part of the family. For her children and grandchildren the date is their birthday, obviously, and for those of us who join the family by marriage it is our marriage date. She manages to remember everyone's birthday. Our little Hazel is number 102 on her list.

Grandma is a loving and caring woman. I wish I knew her better and could write more about her. I know that she has a talent for playing the piano and organ--and maybe our Hazel will utilize her long fingers in the same way. She also makes amazing chocolate candies which are always a highlight of the Christmas season. She even mails us a box when we can't make it to California for Christmas. She's thoughtful like that.

I love Grandma Hazel.



Shirley
A derivative of Sheryl Lee, who was named after her Aunt Shirley. Brendon's mom.

From my first one-on-one interaction with Sheryl, I recognized her ability to communicate with people, to touch their spirits, and to be one who is easy to talk to about everything. She is kind, loving, affectionate (in both hugs and tickles), happy, gracious, intelligent, uplifting, and adorable. And I mean every single word in that list. 

Sheryl is a light, an example of a godly woman. She loves her Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, and it is evident in the way she acts and speaks. She talks the talk and walks the walk. Even in her times of hardship, she is quick to share her knowledge of God's existence and love. God is her rock and she is quick to acknowledge Him. Sheryl seeks to do what is right and has a strong desire to follow God's will in her life. And she is very obedient to what she feels is His will for her--her eight children being a product of her obedience.

Sheryl serves. Brendon quickly taught me within the first month of being married how important service was to his family and how his parents seized every opportunity to help others. I love that she taught that important principle to her children; it really stuck with Brendon. I know she has served countless people throughout her life because I have seen others jump at the opportunity to serve her and her family. She is very loved by very many people. But at the forefront of her service is her family. She has done a lot to care for her family's physical needs and continues to bless and help her children and their families with babysitting, visits, gifts, time, and love.

If you were to ask her, I'm pretty sure Sheryl Lee would say her most important roles are as a wife and mother/grandmother. She holds those roles dear to her heart. Her relationship with her late husband is so very precious. They truly adore each other and always think of each other. (Still do.) Their love for each other is eternal and a shining example to many, but especially to our family. Sheryl also loves each of her children and I love hearing about and learning from her experiences as a mother. Obviously, she is also a grandmother. And it has been a joy to see her enjoy that role as much as she does. She is a very good gramma. Her grandchildren all adore her. She plays with them, reads to them, spoils them, and loves them to pieces. She soaks up her time with them and although she has never lived close to my children, she always bonds with them on a deep level. They know her well and love her. I always feel like my children knew her before they came to earth.

I love Sheryl.

And I love that our little Hazel can look to these two women as examples in her life. They both love God and their family.

Week in Review

I keep reviewing pictures on my phone and computer, many of which I wish I blogged about.
So I'm going to try to blog more so I can read about my cute kids.

My goal is every one to two weeks but we'll see how long that lasts...

This week I've been consumed with buying family picture outfits.
Waste of time, energy, and money? Yes!
I'm not going to lie, I am excited to have a new shirt in my closet, so maybe not a total waste.
But as I was wondering what to put Hazel in, I took this cute picture.
I just love her with my whole heart.

And Maggie.
My dearest Maggie.
She is at a really fun stage.
Brendon and I are always commenting about how cute she is.
Her voice is cute, her word pronunciation is cute.
I just love her with my whole heart, too.
She is very shy and would never do this if she knew people would see her doing this,
but here is the real Maggie in all her glory, dancing like a ballerina.

On Sunday while facetiming (is that a verb?) with Grandma and Grandpa Gibson,
Grandpa asked if he was her favorite person. Maggie shook her head.
Then Grandma asked if she was her favorite person and Maggie shook her head.
I asked if I was her favorite person (because really I am) and she shook her head.
"Who's your favorite person?" I asked.
"Maggie!"

The kids and I had a couple fun, out-of-the-ordinary outings this week.
First, the library had a couple bounce house toys and a train.
We waited in line awhile to get to the train.
They were very anxious to say the least.
Every time the train pulled up they both said, "My turn!"
And I busted their bubble every round as we waited in the blistering heat for their turn.
They loved their rides and both of them thought they could ride consecutive rides.

On Saturday Dad was working, but I decided to have fun without him.
We went to the Silent Wings Museum, a museum with artifacts of World War II,
especially the military glider program.
I had never been and it was free admission (because it was the D-day anniversary).
It would be a great place to visit without kids.
But they had some fun things for kids.
My kids loved seeing the planes.
We even got to sit in one and watch one take off.
See the excitement of seeing a plane in the air?
Afterwards we went shopping, picked up a Redbox movie
(Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2), and got a pizza.
The kids were both asleep before 7 pm.
It was a great Saturday.
 

And here's a couple extras for good measure.

Three Children

I was really nervous for three children.
But the adjustment has gone incredibly well.

While in the hospital, I explained to Henry that mommy was staying at the hospital.

He was fine with that but requested baby sister to go home with them.

And he continues to love and adore his baby sister.

He says, "I just want to hug and kiss her," a dozen times a day.

And Henry gives great, big bear hugs but is so soft with Hazel.

He used to request to hold her all the time but doesn't seem to enjoy that lately--just the hugs and kisses.

He also asks all the time, "What is baby sister saying?"

She is usually reinforcing whatever Mom is saying
and he legitimately believes every word I tell him Hazel is saying.

He is a sweet, loving, kind, and helpful big brother.

I have always been nervous about Maggie's transition to the baby.

She has always been a cuddler:

So much so that I never felt like I missed having a baby in the house.

But she had done really well.

Maggie was a little sad when Grandpa tried to say hi to her when they arrived as he held the baby.

Her facial expression was unsure as she looked down and her lip quivered for a few seconds.

But, thanks again to an amazing big brother who loves and plays with her,
Maggie has been occupied and loves to hug and kiss her little sister.

She requests to hold her often.

The cutest thing she picked up on was caring for her own baby doll.

I often find her baby in a bed with Maggie's favorite blanket on her.

She is a nurterer.

My parents came to Lubbock to help for a week after Hazel was born.

We loved their company, as always.

They kept the older kids happy as I held, fed, and doted on our newest addition.
They cooked, left a bunch of leftovers, and spoiled us all (yet again).
It is always special to spend time with your family after the birth of a baby.

I was especially grateful they came when they did.
Their first night here I was up at night for a long stretch of time.
Not because of the baby,
but because I have three little children.
I woke up to feed Hazel and then Henry woke up.
Then Henry woke up Maggie.
I was lying in my bed crying (because I get emotional about not getting sleep apparently),
telling myself to stop crying, everything would be okay because I could nap thanks to my parents being here.
It's so weird how I always feel a lack of emotional control.
My mind was totally fine, but the tears just kept coming.

Thankfully those nights are mostly over.
I am very selective about the nights when I try to get Henry to sleep in his own bed
(he frequently comes and lies on our floor to sleep during the middle of the night,
although there has been some big improvements lately).
Hazel is a decent sleeper.
And when I really need to, I take a nap during the day.
That's a BIG perk to having three young children.
Henry doesn't nap most days, but when I need him to, he will.

We are out of our cooped-up-at-home phase and enjoying real life again.
Henry and Maggie are great friends (most of the time) and have helped make the transition a smooth one.
Hazel is a good baby.
Somehow, despite Brendon's crazy schedule at the time, I felt fine. Great, even.

Baby Hazel is a good baby.
She is a good eater and is getting better at sleeping.
She loves to smile at us.
She handles the sibling love with grace.
She is perfect in every way.

Freeze!

I have felt so happy lately.

So blessed.

So grateful.

So happy for the life I have.

I love having three children.

Not to mention my handsome husband.

Maybe it's that special baby spirit it the home, but I feel so happy.

So blessed with help.

So many angels have been assisting our family: family, friends, and the heavenly kind.

I have felt God's grace helping and sustaining me.
I feel so blessed.

So grateful my role as a wife and mother.
I have been so grateful for Brendon and for his hard work.
I have been so grateful to be a stay-at-home mom.
So grateful for my children, their personalities, and our family dynamics right now.

I feel like I'm on cloud nine.
I want to freeze time (except the residency part).
And because I don't feel this way very often,
I knew I needed to write it down.

I can't express right now how much I love these three kids of mine.
The kids who eat, sleep, poop, make messes, laugh, cry, and scream.
The kids who hug, kiss, play, and fight.
And this baby--oh, this baby--she is a joy.

I have so many things I've wanted to write down about my children lately.
So many things I want to remember.
They are precious.
They are fun.

Life is full of goodness right now.
Full of love.

Grandma Sheryl's Visit

Grandma Sheryl came to Lubbock!!
(In March...I'm a little behind.)

As a mother of eight children,

and gramma to twelve grandchildren,
it was very special to have her all to ourselves.

Brendon was working the night shift--
which makes him almost non-existent in our lives--
so the timing was great for me and the children.
(He did manage one outing with us.)

We showed her all the Lubbock museums,
went shopping,
were treated to dinner,
and enjoyed her company at our home.

I remember thinking,
"If Sheryl wasn't here I would have lost it with my kids,"
on more than one occasion.
Specifically after an incident involving poopy underwear.
(Why does poop have to be such a trial of patience for me?)
 

But we loved having Gramma around.
The kids loved her cuddles,
playing with her,
telling her about their excitement,
and having someone react to their silliness--and even joining in with them.

I loved our talks,
attending the Women's General Broadcast with her,
showing her our home,
and having her company during a busy rotation.

Thank you, Gramma Sheryl for visiting us in Lubbock!