Birthday

My birthday was a good day. The girls were so happy and loving and excited all day long that it was their mommy's birthday! They were wonderful. I did not feel well yesterday and the fact that we spent 2 hours in a doctors office didn't help very much. Michael had an appointment for an allergy shot and for some unknow reason the doctor lady took over an hour to make it to his room where she promptly stuck a needle in his bum cheek and sent him on his way. Just as he was comig out I was heading in with Lily who came down with a mysterious ear ache that caused her much pain and then had all but disappeared before we made it back into our driveway. 

Almost as soon as we got home my friend Arielle came to visit and little did I know that she and my cute husband had been in collaboration with each other! She brought me a delicious lemon and blueberry cheesecake AND handed me a cute orange envelope. Inside was a card that did not have her name signed at the bottom.  Instead it had been signed by Michael and my kiddos! And out fell some adorable pictures of an adorable 2 week old boxer puppy! The very puppy that I posted a picture of just a couple of days ago! Michael told Arielle several days ago that he was going to surprise me with a puppy and wanted to buy one from their litter. He and the children went to Cal-Ranch and purchased a leash and a collar, a doggy bed that is so comfy I might start sleeping on it, and a tiny little dog toy that he'll be able to swallow in one gulp by time he's full grown. Arielle even brought the puppy to our house along with one if his brothers so that the girls could cuddle them and see how adorable they are.

I am so pleased with my birthday present and I can't wait until we get to bring him home on August 1!

Even though I didn't feel well yesterday, Michael made every effort to make my day special and happy. He folded laundry, he brought me lunch in bed, (while I was nappig with Mallory) and he even resisted the urge to heat the leftover chicken back up that he put on my sandwich. He knows that I prefer my leftovers cold. With the exception of gravy, I never microwave anything. 

Michael was extra kind and tender all day and I feel terrible that I wasn't a more pleasant birthday girl.

I love my little family so much and there is nothing I'd rather do than spend all day with them every day! I'm so grateful that my girls and my sweet husband were so happy to make my birthday so special. I LOVE YOU my little girls and my strong and handsome husband-man!

a few more pictures from the day:

Today

Today was good. Really good. It was one of those perfect, happy family, no-fighting days. Okay, that's not possible but it was a close to perfect as it could get. 

Our day started with swimming lessons and French Toast. A little later my wonderful and loving friend Marie picked the girls up and took them to her house to make a birthday cake for my birthday tomorrow. They measured flour, cracked eggs, frosted the cake, and decorated it with strawberry slices. While they weren't doing those things they watched Wall-E on Marie's projector. Marie is one of the most wonderful people I know.

While the girls were gone Michael and I took a trip to his favorite farm store, Cal-Ranch. We made our very first purchase for Baby Boy; a flannel shirt and a sturdy looking jacket. We visited some 2 week old boxer puppies at my friend Arielle's. We shopped for dinner, and headed out to our friends' farm to pick up some fresh eggs and triple-chocolate milk. Yum!

On the way back we stopped to get the girls and then we headed home for one of our very favorite meals, salmon and garlic asparagus. We drank half the gallon of chocolate milk, ate some cake, Michael cleaned up the kitchen (and I helped a little) while the girls got ready for bed. Afterwards we curled up in bed and watched an episode of Sherlock Holmes. And it was the opposite of relaxing. Mallory sat on me the entire time and bounced all over my swelling belly, squishing probably every part of Baby Brother's tiny body, all while babbling, singing, and using her new found vocabulary. The other girls were in and out making their noise, shouting to each other, making sure they were heard by their parents. Thank goodness for subtitles. We did watch the last 20 minutes in peace when the girls finally retreated and Mallory finally gave it up and went to sleep.

Not a super eventful or exciting day, but pretty dang good in my book.

When I wake up in the morning I will be 27. 27??? I look at my life at the age of (almost) 27 and marvel. I've been married for 8 years. Michael and I have grown in our marriage in ways that I can't even explain to you. I am so thankful for our relationship, for the struggles we've had and the way they've refined us and helped us to grow closer. I look at us and see the ways we have both matured and I am so thankful that there is such a thing as progression! I am happy to have spent 8 of my (almost) 27 years with my darling husband and I can't wait for more and more. If you ever read this, Michael, I love you. 

I have 4, almost 5 beautiful happy, healthy children. I watched them play tonight and I remembered them at younger ages. Kaylee at 2 and Lily at 3. Are these the same children? How is it possible that they keep growing? No matter how badly I wish I could slow time and keep them little, time will keep moving forward. Every day my kids will be a day older. They will grow and change and I won't even realize it until too many changes have already taken place. I love these children. They are the jewels in my crown. Everything I ever wanted to be was a wife and a mommy. I didn't care about being rich or poor or following the ways and fashions of the world and these days I care even less. I am living my dream. We have struggles. Life is not perfect and days like today are certainly not every day. I get down, I cry, I get frustrated with my children and sometimes my husband.  But at the end of every day, good or bad, I look back and I am thankful for my life. My husband. My children. Family who loves us. Friends who are good to us. A healthy mind and body. The list goes on...

I started to think today

for just a second that I don't want to be 27. I don't want to get older. But I looked at my life, I looked at my kids and my husband and I thought, "Whats the matter with you, Katie! Life is amazing and wonderful and it only gets better as you keep living, learning and growing old!"

I want to grow as absolutely old in age and years as Life and God will let me.

Bring it on.

...and one more thing. Mallory calls her daddy "Michael". All day long. "Mee-kole! Mee-kole! Ho Mee-kole? Ho Mee-kole??"

Ho Mee-kole? = Where's Michael?

outtakes

{Lily (in a Very Fancy English Accent): "This is not the time for smoking pipes!"}

{Riley (making a breakfast request): "I want GrapeMuts!" (You had to be there. I thought it was funny)}

{Riley: "Mom, Lily called me a 'Buyer'!" (Liar)}


{Conducting some sort of "experiment" with a pan, water, strawberry syrup, and a paper towel.
Kaylee: Isn't this scientific?
Riley: Wowwww.
Kaylee: See? I told you it was scientific.
Kaylee: Mom, I'm doing something scientific.
Kaylee: Scientific. Scientific.}

{Riley (pretending I was Grandma): Grandma Howe is here!!
Sara (Kaylee's friend): I am not Grandma Hell.}

{Kaylee drank some milk that had been sitting out for a while and said, "That milk tastes like it came from a boob." What a memory that child must have!}

Lily: "If we saw Laman and Lemuel in heaven we would just punch them in the stomach!"
Me: "Well, no we probably wouldn't because then we'd be acting poorly, just like them."
Lily (matter-of-factly): "...but they're mean. "
Me: "But is it nice to punch people in the stomach?"
Lily: "noooo?"
Me: "and are Laman and Lemuel nice?"
Lily: "noooo?"
Riley (in a loud whisper): SHHHH! It's Sunday and we DON'T talk about Laman and Lemuel on Sundays!
Everyone Else: ???

Riley during sacrament meeting in a Very Loud Whisper (and out of the blue): "But it will be kind of fun to be dead because then we get to see Jesus."
Louder: "Mommy, it will be kind of fun to be dead!"
Louder: "MOMMY,  we will see Jesus when we're dead and it will be kind of fun!"

Michael had the flu and rather than sleeping in the same bed as him and risk having a near death experience I opted to sleep on the bottom bunk of the girls' bed. Kaylee was being a little miss Chatty Cathy and I told her approximately 25 times very kindly and gently that it was time to stop talking and go to bed. She. Would. Not. Stop. Finally I firmly said, "Kaylee. Stop talking, close your eyes, and go to sleep". To which she took a deep breath and responded, "YOU are a STEP-mom. You are NOT a mom. You're a step-mom." Of course all I could do was giggle very quietly to myself and type it into my phone so that I wouldn't forget it in the morning.

We had just gotten home from ballet and I didn't want Kaylee to walk to the house and get her ballet shoes all wet from the melty snow. I had her jump on my back and I carried Mallory's car seat in front of me. Kaylee had been pretending to be a cheetah and told me not to hug her too tight because she didn't want to accidentally scratch me.
Kaylee: How come you're carrying me on your back now, Mom?
Me: Um.. because you're a tiny baby cheetah riding on your mother's back.
Kaylee: O-rrrrr, because I'm the sweetest child ever!

in case you didn't know...

The Floyd family is happy to announce that we are expecting our fifth baby!

Except this time there is a twist...

(drum roll, please)

IT'S A BOY!

I can scarcely believe it. This will be a brand new experience for us. What a strange feeling to have something so different and so unfamiliar after 8.5 years of marriage and 4 children. 

The girls had voted unanimously for another baby sister (no boys allowed?). But when we told them they would have a little brother they were beyond excited. I am very happy but I've surprised myself with how nervous I feel! Needless to say, Michael is very pleased that he will finally have a boy-child. 

Little Boy Floyd is due October 30. We simply cannot wait to meet him!

June? What happened??

How 'bout that New Year's goal?? The blogging goal is actually the only one I haven't followed through on. I will make my excuses in a week or so. For now, here are some pictures... from April.

 The older 3 and Cousin Kenzie at a farm where we bought some California strawberries and oranges. Oh, those oranges!! I dream about them!

 This lovely girl has favored that finger since birth. I think it's adorable.

 The girl with the pirate tooth. Arg, Matey!

She paints with the colors of the wind.

The Endeavor at the California Science Museum. Educational and fun. Except for when Kaylee peed her pants and I had to let her wear my shirt as a dress. Thankfully I was wearing an undershirt.

Mason, Karter, and Lily. Karter looooves Lily and is set on marrying her. Sorry boys! She's spoken for!

 Future lovebirds.

The one and only time Mallory's had a sippy cup! I'm happy they're banned in our house, but they're fun and special at Grandma's.

 A Sleeping Beauty

Kaylee and our Eko Boy.