Cecily's First Food!

She tried her FIRST food! She wasn't a fan. 

Although I don't know if it was the food/texture or the other four kids staring and clapping at her because of all their excitement.  

Bathroom Remodel - Winter Project Complete!

Our winter project was completed a few weeks ago and we are REALLY enjoying it. 

Levi (mostly) and I have remodeled several bathrooms in our married life which mostly means I just know what he needs and how to be a good assistant like scrubbing grout and washing out sponges. 

I will say it is also so nice to know each-other's style and that I can say 'you pick' it will be perfect when it comes to buying things. 

We have longed for a bath tub since we left Arizona -having littles, being pregnant, slow winter days, and being sick all calls for time in the tub. 

Also, carpet with a bathroom with children is really not the best. 

We honestly very seldom used this bathroom, it has been nice that now it is our favorite place in the house. 

We are hopefully going to do a kitchen remodel next winter - we shall see! 

It feels so nice to have a forever home and know that the projects you work on you will be able to enjoy for a long time.

Before....

DURING...
We were ALL SO excited when we got the bath in!

/

AFTER - TA-DA!!

The Little Girls! Cecily is getting big so fast. Everyone wants to be with her all the time.

Who knows...? Being Silly.

Everyone wants me to read to them while they are in the bath as their daily special time. 

No pictures of Clairana in the tub but let me tell you she enjoys it....for long periods of time. Alone. 

I wasn't feeling well the other night after dinner and Levi told the kids that I was going to rest in the bath while they got ready for bed and he would read to them.  

It was so very sweet they all came up to check on me and help me get the things I needed for my bath. They brought me a glass of water, my current reading book, magnesium salts...etc...made me think we must be doing something right for them to recognize and show love towards me. 

** It didn't end up being anything thankfully but I do try to watch my body these days and rest up when I feel something coming on because I can't afford to be down and out!

Reading Log

We just finished reading these two last week. 

The Whipping Boy was a great short read about a boy that lived in the castle and was whipped every time the prince misbehaved. 

I never knew such a thing! 

Also, it was full of life lessons. 

It seems like it is always easier to share a story about life lessons than preach to them about something. 

This one was cute and we read it during dinner one night. Teaching Kindness.

Around the House

Some Mornings I eat breakfast with Rock-stars

Nephi made breakfast - steel cut oats and hard boiled eggs... my littles are getting older! It is Amazing.
Bella was too impressed with the orange juice she forgot about me. 

This is how I found Clairana doing her Math. Homeschooling Life.

Hair brushing during Handwriting

Dress Up 

Grandpa Rick and Cecily - Late Nighters 

Clairana finished her blanket! 

Spring on the Farm!

 Our first round of babies have arrived on the farm! 

Clairana went out to check on Rue and saw the first one being born and of course dropped everything and ran back to tell me. 

I ended up seeing number two arrive. It was so exciting! 

Twins! Girls! Perfect!

They are doing great. We are expecting more baby goats any day now....and piglets. 

Fun Times.

This year, I made it a goal to learn how to debud them we shall see how that goes this weekend. 

We also started an orchard of fruit and nut trees! 

Putting in the orchard! 

Dog Treat Making

Clairana has been begging me to make dog treats for awhile now...normally, I just try to sway her into making cookies or a dessert instead.

We did end up making them and it turned out really cute and ended up being a great service activity for the whole family.

I was less nervous to mess up dog treats than real treats to drop off at houses! 

She ended up making enough treats for a few special dogs. 

We drove around town as a family dropping off the special treats. 

Her dog treat recipe book. We started with a simple one. 

Big Bones and Little Bones

How Cute!?

Notes to go along with the treats. Alex, Kizer, and Harley - all relative dogs. 

Cecily Edithe Evans - 4 Month Check-Up

She has found her fingers, toes, and likes to try and pull all the kids hands to her mouth to eat them!

Enjoys little toys now. She rolls over but not very often - mostly because she is held or carried everywhere which she really likes.

I believe she is my SLOWEST nurser and enjoys taking her time to eat. 

Coraline and Nephi are definitely the most in love with her.

Although Clairana loves to change her diapers and her clothes.

This is the first time we have had a baby in the house that others are taking a real interest in helping. 

It can be super helpful and also makes me have even more patience to help them understand and learn how to properly tend her. 

We haven't started food just yet, I am sure it will be an exciting time for all the kids to share in with her. 

I am slightly nervous that once I break the food barrier they will all want to feed her constantly. 

Weight - 11 lbs 11 oz (4th percentile)

Height - 25" (60th percentile)

BMI -  13.20 (less than 1 percentile)

Tiny but Strong. 

No Hip Issues 

Which is completely different from the hip dysplasia statistics on girl siblings.

She holds her head up and can stand up and does have 'great lungs.' 

Science Experiments

Deer Visit

I forgot to post about this doe that came to visit us for a couple days. 

I want the kids to remember this story because she brought us so much joy and sadness. 

One morning, she came wandering in our yard and we stayed peeled to the window all day long watching her and not going out just so she would stay close.

Then she laid down and slept by our pond all night.

Then she was roaming around the house the following day as well. 

It sounds silly but having her so close was magical. 

We homeschooled by the window just to keep a watch on her. 

She ended up passing away one night at the top of our pond which ended up being a great lesson for all of us. 

I reminded the kids how special it was that she came to our house to rest and pass away and that we got to see her. 

We of course were all hoping she came to our pond to have babies but that didn't happen...Clairana of course had to name her - Rose. 

Monthly Book Club - The Green Ember & Owls in the Family

This month we did two books - 

The Green Ember and Owls in the Family

We didn't host this month but helped out by hosting one of the crafts. 

The Green Ember

Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world. 

Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.

The kids made a 'stained glass window' in the book stories are told this way. 

 Owls in the Family

The story is about two Great Horned Owls called Wol and Weeps that were found by Billy, Bruce and Murray. 

When Billy witnesses children throwing stones at Weeps, who is unable to fly, he trades his scout knife for him. 

Wol, who is able to fly, was found after a storm. 

Both Wol and Weeps are given to Bruce before Billy and his family move away to Toronto, Ontario.

I hosted the second craft and they learned to draw an owl using Art Hub online. 

It was very neat to see the different drawings even though they all watched the same step-by-step video. 

How Cute! The decor that was set-up for the party.

Claire, Nephi, and Clairana

Ms. Millie with Cecily

SNACKS!

Our Book Club Babies are getting BIG.
Cabella & Lyla