Family Pictures 2016

This year's family pictures were brought to you by Camera Shy.  I'd prefer to have family pictures outside, but this has worked so well for our family's schedule and ages.  They have two rooms with multiple backgrounds and props.  We are able to get a few family pictures and individual shots (including a wardrobe change, if they want) all in 45 minutes.  Then an hour later we can view our pictures and pick up the thumb drive to take home.  Boom!  

We headed over to a burger place to wait for the pictures when I snapped this picture.  Life is crazy and complicated at times and pretty exhausting, but we love it.  We love each one of those kids (including Amy, who had to leave after the photo shoot for volleyball practice).  Funny how that works.  

Ty and Oliver hung out.  That's what brothers do.

Em and Daniel having a staring contest.  It was close - Daniel held it together for a good 2-3 seconds before he lost it.  Emily is always finding ways to help and keep the Littles entertained.

Tyler Jared (17) 

Emily Rebecca (19)

Daniel Oden (3)

Amy Elizabeth (15)

Kathryn Elaine (4)

Oliver Macdonald (1)

  

Vicki & Matt

The Cornish Clan 2016

Curiosity Museum

October 4

We decided to get a pass to the Curiosity Museum at Thanksgiving Point, which has been super fun.  I'm especially looking forward to it for the winter months, so the Littles can have a place to run.  I was quite surprised when Kate was talking to the girl behind the Trading Post and agreed to hold a giant cave cockroach!  She said it felt weird.  I did a slight shimmy as I watched it crawl up her arm, before I told her how cool it is to learn about new animals.  

Daniel was especially excited to try out the plane.  There's not much to do in there... unless you have a little imagination, which Daniel isn't short on.  

Kate and Daniel both were nervous to try out the rope bridge but then realized it wasn't so bad.

Oliver Mac ran around wherever I was, as well has played in the toddler area with the balls and slides.  Apparently he played harder than I realized!

First day of preschool

August 30

I was more nervous this year to start Kate in preschool because it is 4 days a week. That is more like kindergarten.  And that means this ride is getting started.  I've long felt like once kids start school time flies and before you know it they are in junior high.  Then high school.  And then, you guessed it, college and full-blown adulthood.  They are gone (snap you fingers) just like that!  So here is this little lady, ready for school in her butterfly shirt ("'Cause I got butterflies for my birthday so I want to wear that shirt and tell my teacher that they fly-ed away!").  

Daniel started asking more and more when he's going to school.  Kate told him you go to school when your big. "I'm big. I'm 4.  You're little. You still wear a diaper.  You'll be big when you wear panties."

She was excited and nervous as she walked in to her classroom. The evidence of that was her endless hair twisting as she told the teacher about the butterflies. I love this girl to pieces. I'm looking forward to, and just a tiny bit sad, to watch her grow up.

Waving to Daddy

What a pleasant morning! Matt and I went for a walk early, came home and got ready, had breakfast together, and got to come up and see the Littles before he left for work. They all ran to the window so they could wave at him as he left. I sat on the couch watching them, thankful for my husband and our family.

Bless that sandbox!

Everyday.  They still play in it everyday. Oliver didn't get to be in it as much because I want to be close by if he is out there (he eats sand and falls out of the box) and I'm usually working on something so I make him stay inside. But I've been going out more to play with them or watch, so Oliver has LOVED it!  I put water in there so they can build stuff or dig trenches, as was the case in the pictures below. I'm so glad we made it ("we" as in  me pushing the idea but Matt building it).  I love watching and listening to them play. Childhood is an ever changing time of discovery.

Butterflies release

Having these butterflies the last little while has been so fun! I worried that it was a project that Kate wasn't quite ready for, but it's been a little part of everyday to go check on then and see how they're doing.  We watched them go through each phase of the life cycle which we had read about in a book.  (I had primed her for the gift by buying a book about butterflies and reading it with her a week or two before her birthday.)  We were so excited to watch them eat, spin their web stuff, hang from the lid in the "J" shape, and then to wake up on 18 August and see that three had emerged from their chrysalis!  I have a cute video of Kate discovering them. 

We kept them all in the butterfly garden for two days waiting for the last butterfly to come out.  Then on 20 August we decided it was time to let them go.  Kate reeeealy wanted a butterfly to land on her finger when she released them.  I told her that they might be too excited to fly outside for the first time and not land on her finger.  She still hoped.

As soon as she opened the garden two of the butterflies flew out.  She watched them go and was excited to watch them fly.  

The other's were still in the garden, so we suggested she put her finger in and see if one would get on her finger.  While she tried to get one on her finger two more flew out.  But then... wait for it...

The last one climbed right onto her finger and stayed there for several seconds!  I was so surprised that my voice went up an octave!  She was very careful, watching for those brief moments before it flew off her finger.  She called out, "Bye little friend."  What a fun day!

Kate

Summer 2016

This little girl is just plain growing up!  She's got a lot of ideas and energy and emotion that is wonderful (and sometimes exhausting) to watch.  She's changed a lot in the last year.  This may be because - as she tells everyone - she is now 4, and 4 is big, but I also believe it is because she has a strong spirit in her that is anxious to learn and be a part of the world around her.  She is starting her second year of preschool, this time it is four days a week and it is at an elementary school.  I've been feeling some anxiety at this realization because I feel like once they are in school time is just a slippery slope and all of the sudden they are in Junior High and then High School and then off to college (which are all good things, great things...) it's just so fast and I waited so long.  Don't get me wrong, there are some days that I think it will be a nice break, but I just know that it will all slip by and I kinda want to hold onto this little person.  Here are some pictures from her this summer:

We had a Mama-Daughter date of sorts (it was a dentist appointment and then we ran to the store) that was fun.  We rarely, I realized, have time just the two of us.  When we went into Macey's they made an announcement that they were celebrating something and it was prize time!  So we had two minutes to find a number on the floor somewhere in the store and stand on it.  They would draw a number out and if you were on that number you won a prize.  We found the #6 and waited.  She was de-lighted when they called our number!  Our prize was this huge donut (perfect after just coming from the dentist ;)

 

 She cut her lip somehow and wanted to see it.  I was laughing as I watched her pulling out her lip and going cross eyed trying to see it.  I took this picture so she could see it.  I love her eyes.

 

This is her checking out the caterpillars she got for her birthday that eventually created their chrysalis and turned into painted lady butterflies.  It was awesome.

 

This was in the RV during our trip to Nauvoo.  She'd taken a shower and was brushing her hair.  Made me think of her as she gets older.  Her hair has gotten so long!

 

At an Owlz game with Matt's work.  

 

She's figured out how to take selfies.  I find dozens of pictures of the carpet and Daniel (she's always the photographer... he hasn't figured it out quite yet) and eventually she figured out how to do the front facing camera so she can take selfies.  Funny girl.  I love her all the time.

Nap Time and Bed Time

April - July

Nap time and bedtime are not always the calmest times of day.  They often start out with some objections, then some jumping on beds/couch or swinging by a sibling, usually end with a story or book, and always result in angel faces.  There is something heavenly about watching a little one sleep (or, as in the case below, the tired daddy of a little one asleep).

I got suspicious when an hour had passed since Matt took the boys upstairs for a nap.  He deserves one, too.  Look at those faces. 

I forgot to include that royalty sometimes grace our nap times as well.

Oliver's face is often peeking above the end of his crib when I come upstairs to get him in the morning.  And that chubby finger of his... that means he's spotted me.

Amy is usually way more fun than I am when putting the kids to bed.  She swings and sings and wrestles and gives piggy backs and reads and whatever else the Littles come up with and she's willing to do.  She's a good egg, that Amy Elizabeth.

She also helps with teeth brushing, which usually includes a chase.  This was actually Oliver's first experience with the toothbrush.  He wasn't quite sure what to do with it.  When all else fails, chew on it.

I went in to check on Oliver Mac and found him like this.  Love his little tabernacle.

Oliver Mac thought laying in Daniel's bed for nap time was a fabulous idea!

When it's Daniel's nap time Oliver Mac sleeps in his pack n' play in Amy's closet.  For so long he would snuggle up when I was putting him down for his nap.  It's like he knew it was time for a nap and he was ready for it.  He doesn't do that all the time now, and it often takes him a bit to settle down into his nap.  But then he's out.  

This is a common scene at bedtime.  We have been going through the pictures from the "scripture art kit" and reading the story and scripture on the back.  Kate and Daniel are pretty good at listening and answering a question or two. Oliver is good at wondering around.  I know I'm going to miss this when they get older.  It's scenes like this that I simply want to hold in my memory forever.

The following pictures are just a smattering of the Littles sleeping.  I love their hearts and am grateful to be their mama (especially when they are sleeping...).  There is something calming about watching them sleep.  On days when they wipe me out I often try to go upstairs and watch them sleep to bring back some of the calm that was elusive during the day.