Month End

:: I can't believe this month is already over. I feel like I have nothing to show for it but 4 kids fed and clothed daily and a garage halfway cleaned out. In my head I had plans for this to be 3 or 4 different posts but a bullet point post is better than none.

:: Our Blue and Gold Banquet last weekend was much less hectic than the Pinewood derby. It was still a long night and definitely not a place for a 2 yr old. Reed was twice as naughty, he needs to not attend the next function for sure. Our nerves can't take it! Our ward is huge and for the banquet turned ward dinner they set up 30 long tables and a few rounds (compared to the 10 that would be set up at our old ward). Still getting used to that part of moving, so many people to meet.

:: Nathan earned his Bobcat (another patch to put on, don't tell me how off the other ones are!) and was really excited to receive his award up on stage. Someone grabbed my camera which was very nice, except I had it on a different setting and they are all really blurry. Well Milo's glasses are in focus but the rest of us are waaaaay out of it. Oh well.

:: We went to our friend's missionary farewell last Sunday in our old ward and he did such a good job. The kids love Chris. When his sister left us high and dry with no sitter (whatever college!) and his mom knew I was desperate to get out, Chris was volunteered more than once to watch the kids. Even 4+ years later, the kids still remember how he taught them to pillow fight each other off the coffee table, ha! Thanks Chris. He's going to be an awesome missionary in Mexico.

:: Chris's mom also passed down his first suit to Nathan and he loves to wear it every Sunday. At dinner Chris gave him his 'future missionary' pin to wear now that he'd have a real missionary tag. Nate is so proud of it.

{ignore Reed's runny nose, Dane being safe with his bike helmet and someone's old garden from last year}

:: The weather has been so nice this past week with only one rainy day in the mix. We have the best neighborhood kids and they play for hours. I love when they decide the backyard is where it's at because then Reed gets to follow them around too. He loves them as much as I do.

:: Reed has such a hard time napping on the weekend when the big kids are around, he doesn't want to miss anything. I was about to get him up because 45 minutes after laying him down he was still talking and moving around in there but I figured if he wasn't coming out I wasn't getting him up. I left to run some errands and this is what Milo found when he checked on him not much later. Funny thing is the guitar is hiding behind Nathan's dresser in a corner so he had to do some work to get it out and play it. Guess he needed a sweet little serenade to put him to sleep?

:: We've made it through the book of Alma and for the most part have found our groove with family scripture reading. Reed still isn't quite on board with being reverent though. I have to repeat.... 'ignore him, don't laugh, pay attention' to the other kids often but it's getting better. The other night he had us all laughing when he ran over, jumped on Milo's back and leaned over his shoulder to whisper in his ear. There's a whole series of photos because once Reed knew we were laughing at him, he just couldn't stop. Again, two year olds!

:: Milo was called into cub scouts today as the Wolf leader so I'm definitely off the scout hook. Him... not so much, it's a big bunch of busy 8 yr old boys, hope he can handle them. Nathan is excited to have him there and I think it'll be funny to see him in a scout shirt!