Adding one more

I have had all kinds of mixed feelings about a new addition to our family. I'm happy to say we are so excited that it's a GIRL! Scott, the girls, the boys (even Cannon)and I said from the very beginning it's going to be a girl, we were all right. I couldn't even think of boy names.

If I don't record the events leading up to this I will forget, so hear goes about 1 year ago I was telling Scott I really feel like we are missing another child from our family and I had many different experiences that led me to believe it was a girl that was still waiting to come to us. When I started to express these things to Scott he had told me of different instances where he had the same feelings. Keep in mind we were DONE! I thought 4 is a great # and I really didn't want to do the whole pregnant thing again, I am not one of those who enjoys being pregnant. Medically it is really hard on my hips and back and all the other uncomfortable things that go along with getting huge. So we had talked about adopting, that was the extent of that and we just kept "talking" about it not making any big plans. We weren't really preventing anything either so the possiblilty was always there, well it happened. I was mad, sad, irritated, surprised, happy, scared, all those emotions I'm not good enough to handle 5, I'm just a stress case. Apparently Heavenly Father thinks I can do it and he was trying to prep me a year ago when I had strong feelings of someone missing.

We are glad to find out it was a girl, Scott kept saying "If it's not a girl, we are not done yet" both of us knowing there was still a little girl to come, so YEAH! Let's just hope in 2 years we don't have another "feeling" of someone missing.

The joys of the Piano

I decided to move our piano to upstairs this summer. I realized I am never in the basement and if I was serious about making my children be "serious" about playing than I needed to make a change. Now that it is in our family room the children are on it constantly and sometimes even Dad. Even though sometimes I cringe at the banging and annoying sounds that come from it, there is something about listening to Lucy(or anyone else) play a song she has worked really hard on and make beautiful music. We spend so much more time on it upstairs and I'm glad we made the change.

Ideas from moms/dads out there

We have decided together as a family we set up certain rules to try and "help" our children make smart choices, and keep them out of situations that could be harmful or not constructive for there spiritual growth. The most important thing to me as a mother is to "shelter" my children from the destructive things of the world and do all that I can to teach them to be Christlike, and have a testimony of the Savior. I want them to feel safe in our home, and have an open dialect about all topics.

Just a few simple and not too major rules that we have set up as a family are:
1. No sleepovers (unless mom & dad are going out of town)
2. Chore charts.....or consequences
3. Scripture study as a family in the am before school (it just helps set the mood for the day)
4. Personal prayers at night time.......
5. No bad words (we know what those are)
6. Not to be judgmental
7. No swimming on Sundays
8. Obeying parents (the answer "NO" is not acceptable)
9. T.V. and computer are monitored.
10. No TV before school (this is really hard considering Talmadge wakes up at 5:30, and Lucy 6) this is a work in progress


These are just a few simple rules we have set that we have found are helpful to our children in many ways.....obviously things are always changing and we are learning as we go. If some of these things make my children sheltered well good. To say "Someone's children are going to rebel because you shelter them." I think is a bunch of crap if I can do everything in my power to teach them correct principles and set up ground rules, so that later in life they can understand the importance of them, and gain a testimony on their own, it really doesn't matter what others think about the decisions you make as a couple in raising your children. Scott and I hope and pray everyday for guidance on how to raise our children and what is best for them.

What rules or things do you have set up in your home that can help your children?

Toothfairy's are real!!!!!

We have lost a ton of teeth at our house over the last few months. Zoie took this picture with the barbie holding her tooth. When I downloaded my pictures I found it and just laughed. What a cute concept. She lost her other lower front baby tooth while wrestling with Lucy. She had bread in her mouth when it happened and the tooth was never recovered. I'm thinking it was swallowed in all the chaos. Lucy wrote a note to the tooth fairy explaining what happened and Zoie signed it, making sure the tooth fairy knew it was Zoie's tooth. She was still visited by the tooth fairy and thrilled!!!!

Long time coming

It has been sooooo long since I last posted a blog I just didn't even know where to start, or sort through any pictures. So Grandma L this is mainly for you the pictures are all jumbled up, and a mess but this was majority our summer. We had camping trips ect. but I didn't bring my camera, smart me!
This is a pile of worms Talmadge found after we ran the sprinklers in the back yard for a while, he was pulling them out of the ground like a bird, the worms tripling in size as they stretched
Lots of canning............ the girls were a ton of help.
We finally moved the piano upstairs so the practice time is way more effective with Lucy, and she loves to play! I hope that attitude continues as she gets older.
I downloaded a ton of photos and realized Zoie was not in most of them, she is my little photographer. I had to sensor most of the photos, Scott and I got a real kick out of what she took pictures of, and Talmadge of courser was the guinea pig.
More of the worm collecting
Zoie in all her glory DANCING, she loves to dance next karate is on her list of to do's.
This is a regular occurrence in our home Lucy sits and reads stories to her brothers and sister, they love it and so do I!

She loves her some BRODY!
"I'm a mean pirate guy" so he tells me
Speaks for it's self, happy go lucky, dirty, and eating sand from the sand box
Some pool time, this is where we spent most of the time this summer. We got rid of the boat and put up the pool. Lucky for me we stayed at home and had many pool parties (I have not been feeling good this summer).



This is what I got up to one morning, Talmadge's breakfast. He is not messing around
Cute little Zoie swimming away, she really learned well this summer to swim and was so tan she looked like she didn't belong in our family!


All in all school is here Lucy is in 2nd grade and loves it. She is so shy I never would have known it. Zoie starts Kindergarten and is NOT looking forward to it. She wants to stay home with me, sad but makes me a little happy she doesn't want to leave me yet. I kept her home from preschool she just didn't want to go and I really worked with her on her alphabet but she is a pigheaded one and just didn't want to learn. So I will be curious to see how she does this year. Talmadge is wanting to go to school and is working on spelling and writing his name, his teachers are in for a real treat when he goes to preschool.
This is where Cannon spent most of his time this summer in between the sprinklers and the sandbox. He is so sweet and such a joy to have in our family. If he would only go to a babysitter so I could get away that would be great!!!!!

Silvercreek Falls

A while back we went and hiked 2 miles at Silvercreek Falls, it was a beautiful day. Our goal this summer is to hike 50 miles combined with all the kids, it will be hard but extremely rewarding as well.

The kids had a great time, seeing the falls, finding bugs, throwing rocks and sticks down into the water way below. If you are wondering yes that is a harness Scott made for Talmadge the morning we left. He knew how stressed I am with that child and to make things more enjoyable for me, he made that leash. I'm glad he did the first chain link fence we came to of course he started to climb it with rocks and water 150 feet down, he just me so nervous.

Each of them also carried all their water the whole way, Scott made them a rope to carry it on their shoulders.





Cannon did great the whole time, not a even a peep out of him, when we stopped for lunch he stayed in his pack, and eventually fell asleep at the end of the hike.



We are really looking forward to some fun hikes this summer, any suggestions please let us know.





My cute boys, and yes that is my husband.......his beard is now gone, thank goodness!!!

Butterfly Exhibit

One of the things we did during out Spring Break this year was visit "Wings of Wonder". I heard about it through a friend and decided it would be fun to check it out. I didn't know what to expect. It was beautiful and the kids just loved it.


Cannon was a little uneasy about the whole thing but then again why wouldn't you be there were some almost as big as his head.

We had to be very careful to not step on them, they were all over. My mom went to sit down and I noticed this one had taken a liking to her behind. Lucy yelled "Grandma don't sit you have a butterfly on your butt". I'm sure she appreciates that picture.


This particular butterfly stopped on Sterling's shoulder and refused to move, he thought that was so cool, and left it there for majority of the time we were in the atrium.



Talmadge loved every minute of this, although it was very hard to keep him from running around and trampling over all the butterflies. He was more interested in the frogs, and lizards that were there too.
This was Zoie's favorite one, mainly because it was the only one she got a hold of, you were not allowed to pick them up, or catch them. If they landed on you it was a free game, you just couldn't touch their wings. Also if they were on a plant you could very carefully put your finger next to them to see if they would crawl onto you. Zoie was a little apprehensive.

Birthday Boy!!!

So this is pretty much lame, I down loaded all of my pictures backwards......so if you want to start at the beginning go to the bottom of my post and work your way up.And I think his most favorite part of the day was the bath in the sink. Thanks to all the family who came and got him gifts and celebrated with us a wonderful year with our baby boy.
I love his chubby little fingers


He had no problems diving into his extra large cupcake, and ate for a long time in his chair

This is a typical Lashmett face, we all joke about the mouth wide open catching flies. He also just like his sister has a huge mouth, in fact we think it's even bigger.
We got lots of balloons with helium and tons with out, he loves them.

It was a pretty uneventful day in the beginning for the most part, we played and wrestled on the ground and wore himself out. After hugging on him he fell asleep on the rug next to me.