happy holidays!

Yes, it was the happiest time of the year. We really enjoyed our Holiday Season around here. Two weeks of fun, food, new toys and games, the only thing missing was family. It was great to see much of our Wangsgard family over Thanksgiving but it made for a bit of a lonely Christmas.

Here are some pictures of the fun that we had.

I'm trying to find time to work on the video footage of all the fun and hope to get to it soon as it has some classic moments worth sharing!

more...

photos!

Ok, so it's way too late in the night for me to be doing this but here are some fun photos to share...

Life!

So what is it about life that insists on getting busier and harder with each passing day? I remember being in college and feeling like my life was loaded with responsibility and work. If I only had a clue:) I guess that's the point though, just like the gospel, life builds line upon line...

Anyway, my whole point is that I knew things were going to be busy and hard with Bryce back in school, but I didn't think it would keep getting busier and harder. Not only is he in class 2 nights a week (yes, the 3rd night finally dropped off as it was only half the semester) but work has ramped up to take over with more breakfast and dinner appointments, late meetings, two 3 day trips coming up this month, etc. It just amazes me that there is never any end. I sure am hoping that things will slow down around the holidays so that he can take care of me a little more over the last few weeks of this pregnancy before he has to go back to school again. Here's to dreams!!!

We are finally done with soccer which was a ton of fun but a lot of work, it was really starting to wear me out coaching/refereeing 2 games in a row each Saturday. But the kids loved it and as I'm sure you all can imagine I would way rather coach than just sit on the sidelines:)

Here are some cute family facts: As most young kids do Ashlyn has taken to asking about everything but instead of the typical "why?" she prefers "why not?". What does that tell you about her?!?!?!? Claire is finally walking and it is very cute, I hope that she'll get lots of practice over the next 2 months because she'll need to be a fairly good walker when the baby comes or getting around anywhere will be quite the extra challenge! Lauren's speech is SLOWLY improving, she can actually make most sounds that she should be now but has to be reminded to slow down and say things the right way. She is such a good helper though and loves to try and carry Claire, which is quite a problem as they weigh about the same:)

Hopefully I'll get photos and video up today after I teach Lauren's preschool, but that's the update for now...

more birthday fun

So one week after Linda's big birthday bash it was time for John to turn 7. Luckily he just wanted a sports birthday and with our Fall Break starting that weekend we were a little limited on friends but it was still a fun time. He was so cute playing different games with all of his friends and loved all the attention.





Do you recognize the tall blonde in the middle? As one of Linda's birthday presents we signed her up to "Cheer with the Toros." They do this every year but we've never been willing to pay or go to the games but she's asked for it every year so it was time. She was so shy at first but then really had a fun time. They spent the whole afternoon practicing with the cheerleaders then had a pizza dinner and then we came and watched her cheer during the 2nd quarter. It was fun and Alyssa got to go to the game with us as well. Here's a cute little video of her too. They taught them so many cheers and even 2 cute little dances. It was fun, and brought back a few memories:)

ASHLYN!!!!!!

This morning Linda did makeup and hair for everyone and Alyssa gave out pedicures. All the kids enjoyed it and Ashlyn came out looking adorable!

Then while we were working on other things Ashlyn snuck into the office closet and gave herself a "Wite Out" makeover! Yes, it was a mess, but I have to be somewhat amazed at her artistic ability, somehow she painted one leg all the way around, I mean top to bottom front to back, and everything in between. I didn't know she had the patience in her. Speaking of patience the first two pictures are the beginning of cleanup and the last one is 20 minutes later after much scrubbing and a half bottle of nail polish remover! Needless to say we have a ways to go but I ran out of time and patience and she couldn't stand the smell of the nail polish remover. Hopefully that will be a deterrent for future makeovers!!! We'll probably have to bust out the paint thinner tomorrow to get the rest.

Go Cougars!

Wow, it was fun to finally watch a winning Cougar game today:) Luckily for us we can watch the whole game in about an hour and a half which still leaves time for everything else we have to do and the pause button is wonderful with kids!!!

I also wanted to post this cute little video of Claire. She is turning into such a goofy little girl. She'll be 11 months in a few days and is finally willing to take a few steps so we'll see when she starts walking. She is a heavy one to carry around so I'm all for walking early:)



Hope everyone had a great Saturday and that Brian and Angee's move went well. Wish we lived closer so we could have helped!

double digits

So, it's official, Linda is now old enough for double digits! Now of course she acts way older than 10 but now at least it's official:) She had a great party with many LOUD and fun friends. It's a lot of work to put up with that many girls for 3 hours but we decided that Linda does enough work around here that she deserved it and she had a fabulous time. Here are a few highlight photos, and yes, it was definitely warm enough for a pool party even at 5pm!

AZ storm

You have to love an Arizona storm. Hail and thunder, wind beyond compare, trees downed, the basketball hoop completely moved around, etc! It is fun to feel the cooler air it left behind but I'm going to hate the cleanup!!!

video update

I have had all these video clips clogging up my computer and my to-do list so now they're a video and off my list. I hope Bryce likes it, I really put it together for him, yes, that is a song that he wrote when Brayden was a newborn. Poor guy, it's probably the last song he has written, where does the time go????

it's a...

So, after 5 years and three adorable little girls it looks like we will finally be adding another little boy to our family. I must say that Bryce is the happiest of all about the news but we are all excited. John and Brayden were also particularly happy and John even fasted today so that he could be a better example for when this new baby brother comes--he is such a sweet boy!

We are gearing up for a final day with Dad tomorrow. No, he's not really going anywhere but this week he starts back to school with Tues., Wed., and Thurs. night classes. He won't get home before 10pm any of those nights and we will miss him!


The kids love their Dad and when I looked up from the dishes the other night and saw them all around him I couldn't help but reach for the camera. It started with just him and Brayden but he is a magnet and soon even little Claire had crawled over to be closer to all the action. Aren't Dad's great:)

what's relaxation?

So I was hoping that with Bryce out of school for 3 weeks that life would slow down a little bit. It almost seems to have had the opposite effect:( Granted we are trying to catch up on some minor home projects--such as tree trimming which the kids turned into fort building. The other hard part has been that poor Claire has been under the weather and just miserable, which of course is miserable for a Mom! Anyway, I guess I was hoping for more relaxation but it wasn't meant to be.

On happier news little Lauren is loving her speech preschool and is so brave to get on the bus by herself. She is still incredibly shy so I'm never sure which things she'll take to and what she won't. She is also my incredible little helper. She has even decided to start rinsing the breakfast dishes for me many mornings and she is amazingly good at it:)

School is keeping us all very busy and with soccer starting up last week we have had to be even more scheduled than ever. We're working out some carpools for the practice days and luckily we can hold the team practice here in our yard on Mondays--the only day Bryce won't be in class. Yes, coaching is one more thing to do but it's one of those fun things that is worth it, especially because now Bryce likes going to soccer with the kids:)

This week we only have 4 soccer practices, 2 piano lessons, 2 dentist appointments, one ultrasound appt--yes, Thursday is the big day--2 curriculum nights (kind of like "back to school" night), one home teachee coming for dinner, and possibly hosting Bryce's family for a BBQ this weekend! Did I say I was hoping to relax:)

hmmm...

I sure do miss the days of everyone in bed by 7pm! It's 7:50 and I've got 2 girls in the shower that think it's still bright and early! And Linda just informed me that she still has one page of homework to do. AHHHHHHHH! Some days I wonder why my kids can't be as responsible as I am:)

Sunday-it's a love/hate thing!

So here we are at the end of another Sabbath. Is it a day of rest? Sort of, I didn't do any laundry, bathrooms, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, or any of the other big chores. There wasn't any homework, friends wanting to play, piano practice or other responsibilites so there is some rest from some things. You still have to eat and no matter how simple the meals there's still a huge mess when feeding 7 young children and one very hungry husband:)

I wish I could say that I had time to read the ensign/scriptures, etc. or write in my journal but those things don't happen until everyone's in bed. Somehow we manage to sneak in a nap at some point but other than that it is just one crazy day. I try to keep my needs for cleanliness to a minimum so I sit and watch the house fall apart around me until it's 6pm and I just can't take it anymore! Tonight it only took us 45 min., all working together, to undo the mess that it took them all day to create!!!! Luckily I have a husband who also enjoys a clean home and since Sunday is the only day I see him any more it works nice for those Sunday evening cleanups!

Ok, so I just had to ramble to get all those ideas out there. I love the Sabbath day, but I don't love the end of it, and the chaos that it takes to make the house ready for Monday--maybe I should write a new song:)

day 3...

Well, it was bound to happen but this is only the 3rd day of school! Poor Alyssa woke up late, couldn't find her lunch box, couldn't find her shoes and Brayden was sure that he'd rather play than get ready for school! We did make it out the door ontime but I can't explain enough to my children that the reason we have a basket for the shoes and a place for the lunch boxes is so that we don't have to stress about finding them every morning! Ah well, I guess that's just life with kids, although I must admit it is one of the hardest parts for me to deal with. I like order, my way, and fast:)

We did it!

Phew, 4 kids out the door for their first day of school. All with backpacks and supplies, new shoes and clothes that match. We never did find 2 of the 4 lunch boxes from last year so that's a project for later but they all were up, dressed, practiced piano, made their own lunches, and were out the door in plenty of time:) I'm sure that level of excitement and cooperation won't last but it was a great morning. Now I get to focus on teaching Lauren and Ashlyn how to share and play together! I love this picture of these adorable kids. Linda looks way too old for 4th grade, Alyssa and John look more like twins than kids almost 2 years apart and Brayden looks too little to be leaving the house for a whole day of kindergarten. I will miss them all but am so excited for them to be back in school!

comments

So I'm writing this one just to see if it sends to Bryce, Mom and Dad who I added on my email list so that they know when I'm writing about/to them:) I also want to see if the comment part will work now! I also must say that I am really looking forward to school getting back in session. My kids have been pretty good this summer and it's been nice to have some good helpers at home but I must admit that they number and frequency of fights have increased to the point that it is TIME TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!! I will miss them during the day but they will be better friends with that much time away from each other. There is the problem of homework and tight schedules but at this point I say bring it on:)

random thoughts...

Some things that have been going on around here that have been on my mind.

1-My little Lauren now has an IEP (individual education plan) and I have to admit that when I went to the little meeting to discuss her speech and they called it her IEP meeting it completely took my breath away! Was I ready for this, for a child that needed this kind of help, did she really need this kind of help, was it something I would regret putting on her file and life? I am glad that she will be getting the help she needs and that hopefully as her speech improves she will also come more and more out of her shyness. But it still breaks my heart to see such a beautiful, smart, and talented little girl stuck with a speech problem. I can only imagine what parents with children with bigger needs and disabilities go through and feel. Hopefully I won't have to find out!

2-Why is it that pregnancy is so hard? Aren't we doing a good thing by brining children into the world? Maybe it's just the payment for the immense blessing of being a parent. Bryce and I have been continually amazed at how much joy parenthood can bring. Don't get me wrong it is TOUGH, EXHAUSTING work but it really does pay off, even at this crazy stage! But, again, why is it so hard? I have felt my energy levels getting lower and lower with every passing day and it is making running this crazy household really hard. It is VERY hard to be kind, patient, and loving when all you want to do is sleep. Especially when for the 3rd or 4th time in one week you're alone all night dealing with not only the whole day of messes, fights, laundry, finances, emails and paperwork, meals and dishes, naps ans clean up but now you have to do the whole dinner and bedtime routine alone too. Needless to say it's HARD but I think the Lord is on my side because somehow I make it through every night and I come through it completely satisfied that my husband is where he needs to be and that I can continue to do it without his help because it's just that important. Now those of you who know me, know that the Lord is helping that mindset because I am not one who likes to be in this crazy work load alone:)

3-Why are politics so complicated and why do I actually like watching FOX news? I wish there was a way to bring more things back to a more local level so I could actually see the results of decisions and make them all a little less complex. We do need a federal gov't we just need to start over with what they're really supposed to be doing and spending on.

4-People that I admire...my sisters/sisters-in-law for their willingness to raise children and keep the commandments (even those that haven't had kids yet)! For how important family is to all of them and how much they love their spouses. My friend Becca who is raising her 6 little boys (triplets just turned 5) who makes time to get her Masters degree to better help her boys with their IEP's and special needs as well as survive 6 young children and recover from 4 c-sections. Jodi Brown/Orgill for how optimistic she has been through the last year of pain, change, and recovery. MY MOTHER, the most giving, loving, helpful, hard working, willing to serve the Lord, and wonderful person I have ever met. MY FATHER, so dedicated, organized, the best one to call if you ever need advice, loving...

The list could go on but these are the things I've thought of recently!

vacation

Back from our fabluous family reunion and yet wondering why recovering from such a wonderful trip is always so much work! Claire is still not sleeping well, the laundry is never done (not that that's all that different), the house still needs some cleaning, and I'm having a hard time finding a schedule that gets everything done!!!

On a better note cute little Claire is clapping and so proud of herself. She has everyoneenthralled with every new little thing that she does. We are loving the new computer that Greg helped us buy (thanks Greg) it has solved the internet issue when Dad works from home, has a DVD burner that works and new video software that works with my new camera, all in all it's been a great buy!

I still don't see Bryce much, he was home last night (although he had to start his homework by 6:30 and missed the whole bedtime routine) he had class Mon, and Tues, has a group thing tonight and Fri night and then Saturday it's catch up on homework and chores. I keep telling myself that it's only 2 more years but it's not always a helpful idea:) Luckily we somehow survive all the nights without Dad, certainly that is only with the Lord's help and we feel very blessed to have Him on our side through this whole thing!

My kids are excited about school but I'm dreading the fact that none of them have shoes that fit or more than an outfit or two that are still in good shape! Luckily some outfits can come out of old boxes but we will definitely have to be doing some school shopping soon!

can this be real?

Do I dare hope and believe?  My Ashlyn has made it to the potty all by herself several times in the last few days and once she proclaims to have gone "poo-poo" all by herself!  Could this be it, are we finally potty trained?  Now I've had several kids protest once potty trained so I'm sure there will still be times when she's not willing but to see her putting any effort into it at all is "manna" from heaven :)  Now this new found ability could be due to the frazzled state of her mother over the last 2 days running kids here and there to new activities and appointments and Ashlyn realizing that she was on her own in the potty department but whatever it is I'm way grateful.