LaFeber Life Lately- Back to School and Back to Life!!

Austin started school, and with it came alllll the stress and scheduling it requires! This job is all mine as I try to balance work, home life, and everybody's schedules. Evie is still in swim lessons and started Pre-K in September! Her first day was so exciting and she loved every minute of it! She LOVES to learn and gets so excited to do her homework pages she brings home from school. Austin, on the other hand, wishes he could be home schooled so he can just hang out with me all day and not have such a structured routine. I've thought on this a lot, but I honestly think it is best for him to stay in school and learn how to deal with this struggle. He is growing so much socially and academically and I am finally (it's almost the end of October) seeing him starting to love what he is learning! He is always my slow starter when it comes to things he doesn't want to do. I was starting to get really worried about him there for a while because his teacher kept telling me how he was acting out in class and refusing to stop talking when he should be quiet. The outright disrespect is what bothered me but we have been working on this a lot and he is growing in leaps and bounds! Basically he finally caved. This is Austin and has been since he was born. He puts up a good fight if he really wants to and it takes an extremely strong person to hang in there with him until he finally submits to what you want him to do. My sister in Law, Jenn, told me to nip it in the bud when he was a toddler and break his will. But I couldn't do it. In my head, if God wanted to give him a strong will and a stubborn side that would rival the most stubborn donkey, then there was a purpose for that and it wasn't up to me to break him. So here we are. Austin also started Instrument club and loves it! He gets up early every Wednesday morning to go to club before school so he can learn how to play the drums and other instruments. He is making friends left and right and is doing so well academically! He loves math and has lately been spending hours at night before bed writing out math facts. SUCH a turn around from his attitude just a month ago! And all I can say is, "Praise Jesus!!" :)

Josh has been working and working, but we try to really enjoy the time we do have with him. He gets 4 whole months off when the baby is born for Paternity Leave so we are just biding our time until then! This has been a blessing that we NEVER counted on! It's paid and everything! I only get 3 months off and it's not even paid!! However, this is more than either of us has ever gotten before. With our other two babies, Josh had to go back to work the very next day after the birth and I only got 8 weeks off. So extremely grateful is an understatement. I can't wait to have all of January-April with my husband finally at home to help out with the kids so I can love on our new baby! It has been all me at home with him working so much and it has been hard. Doable, but hard. However, I am grateful that my husband finally has a job that allows me to only work 1-2 days a week, depending on what our schedules allow, and after the baby is born, I will probably only work a couple weekends a month! SUCH a big difference from how my life was when Austin was born!! So I'm not going to complain about anything. God is good :).

My baby's first day of Pre-K! We enrolled her back in Children's Learning Adventure so she can get the awesome education that Austin got! She had been waiting for this moment for months and couldn't contain her excitement all morning! Then, when it came time for me to leave her, she started crying and begged me to stay. So I hung out for a little while with her and helped her make some friends before I left. It broke my heart to leave her and I anxiously awaited pick up time all day long so I could hear how it went!

Her Frozen backpack that Daddy bought her for this special day!

Hanging up her backpack in her little cubby! She was all smiles when I picked her up at the end of the day and had soooo much to tell me!! She made all sorts of new friends who hugged her goodbye and she couldn't wait to go back next week! She also begged for extra homework for us to do so she could learn even more while she was home :).

I have been feeling much better after the doctor realized I have a stomach ulcer and put me on Nexium. I suddenly don't want to puke all the time! So this meant I actually got to enjoy the rest of the second trimester and use that newly found energy to put the girls' room together! Evie got a new big girl bed and was ecstatic to pick it all out! She helped me turn the toddler bed back into a crib and we have been working on organizing clothes, toys, and the bedroom to fit two little girls in it!

I love that Evie's preschool sends me pictures of how she is doing!

She loves to learn and is so dang smart it's scary! She can already add and subtract, count to 100, and is working on writing and sight words!! I can't believe we made this little genius!

With it being just her and I at home, we do a lot of cooking and whatever else we feel like that day. Evie is my little shadow and just loves hanging out with me. I feel so bad that Austin is missing these moments, but I know it is important for him to be growing at school and for her to have this special time before baby sister arrives! :)

Mmmmm.... cookie dough.....

The house gets pretty crazy after we pick Austin up from school. Sometimes in a hilarious way like this, and sometimes in a not so hilarious way. But I am so grateful we are adjusting to this new way of life and our routines without too much trouble.

Off to church! Josh is the Sunday School President and always has meetings before church, which leaves me alone to get everyone ready and off to church on time. I'm basically a single Mom all the time who happens to meet up with her husband at different times of day. It is stressful, but I am grateful for a husband who knows the church is true and does his best to be there for all of his many responsibilities. I am also grateful for these two smiling faces who make my life worth living.

Evie and I have been in full baby mode and can't walk by the baby aisle without cooing over the adorable outfits and buying something :). This is going to be one spoiled little girl!! Evie is constantly hugging and kissing my belly and talking to her little sister. I love that they are going to share a room. I can just imagine their sweet little friendship growing. Evie wants to take care of a baby so badly! But she does NOT want to share her Mama so that part is going to be rough. She freaks out if I hug Austin too long, so I'm actually kinda scared of how she's going to take me constantly holding a baby..... From the day she was born, Evie has been my girl. My other half. My constant shadow. All I can do is pray that she will adjust quickly.

Summer turned into Fall and we celebrated by making homemade pumpkin bisque! Our all time favorite fall recipe!!

But of course, Fall in Henderson means 70-80 degree weather so we have been spending as much time at the park as possible! We play in the morning and even after we pick Austin up from school! It gives Austin a nice hour or two of down time before we jump into homework and school projects. I sure do love our happy little community!

Evie and her sweet friend Coco (Cosette) from church. They were preschool buddies last year when we did our little home preschool and have been missing each other lately. So a play date was just what they needed!

Taking the Barbie Jeep out for a spin!

Evie hard at work at school sorting colors and counting!

A perfect lazy fall morning! I caught a head cold as soon as the weather turned and I haven't been able to get rid of it since! Ive even been on antibiotics! But nothing seems to make it better. So I've resigned myself to hot drinks and the fact that I will just be miserable until this baby is born and I can finally take medication to help my symptoms again :( :(.

Evie and I went to the Nursery to buy flowers to replace the ones that didn't survive the summer. We love this place because of all the amazing plants and the beautiful pond filled with Koy fish and turtles! And Evie loves that it gives her a chance to stop and say "good morning" to Every. Single. Flower. along the way! :)

We sure do love our Costco dates where we always get lunch before we shop! Evie has been making this goofy cross-eyed face lately and it cracks me up! This was right before she told me she loves these special moments with just her and I... insert silent sobbing in my Mama heart :).

We had an impromptu family date night and it was so fun! We went out for Vietnamese Pho soup and the kids loved it!!

We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

Evie trying so hard to use those chopsticks haha!

Oh how I love these people :).

After our soup, we headed over to the Movie's and Candy store to pick out all sorts of fun candies for our movie night that night!

We've spent a lot of time out in Logandale now that Aunt Briana and our sweet baby Gracelynn live there!!

Oh how I love Logandale sunrises! My body wakes me up at the crack of dawn for no reason every day now that I am pregnant so I get to see a lot of these :).

Grandpa Nate went on a trip and came back with cool gifts for the kids! This was a geology kit that they got to crack open with tools and find the rocks!

Our awesome finds!

Decorating for Halloween is always a good time!

Austin at his school Popsicle party that they got for earning enough reward points in class!

More cooking with my girl! I was having a rough morning when a total stranger bought me this cup of coffee and suddenly my life didn't look so bad :).

With all of this constant running around, it is hard to remember that I'm pregnant! Well, except for the lack of sleep and pelvic floor pain whenever I walk.... But baby girl is doing good! She moves around constantly is going to be an active baby like her brother! I am getting huge and struggling to find clothes that fit these days, but as always, I am just grateful to have her and that so far she has been healthy and all is well :).

Grandpa Steve and Grandma Janis came to visit for the weekend and we had so much fun! We played a lot at the park since the weather was so nice!

We also played a lot of board games since the kids love them so much!

Hanging out at the park after we picked Austin up from school.

Evie sure loves her Grandpa :).

We played a lot of baseball!

And they even joined us for church that Sunday!

We went out to eat at Chili's once Dad finally got off work!

We have been having all sorts of car troubles over the past month so Evie and I found ourselves at Kneaders again while we waited for the latest car update.... I guess you can't complain with a parfait and a cinnamon roll :).

Our neighborhood Oktoberfest was a bust this year because they made it open to the public so there was wayyyy too many people there. But the kids did love the root beer obstacle course!

I am always getting all sorts of sweet pictures from my kiddos and Evie's always has a picture of her and I and if you look closely, you can see the baby in my belly :). This particular picture has the holy ghost floating by because we were watching General Conference :).

Taking a break from Conference to head to the park!

Everyone fell asleep on me during the afternoon session of General Conference and I couldn't help but take a picture. This is what life is all about people :).

Grandma Jill came to visit and attempted to help Austin learn to ride his bike without training wheels! Sadly, it was a failed attempt..... I don't know what we are going to do with that kid.

She also read them stories and taught them how to make caramel apples!

Fun at the park with my crazies!!

Aunt Sadie came out for the weekend to celebrate her birthday! :)

We made a fun dinner and the kids helped me bake a homemade pumpkin pie for Sadie's birthday! It was a great weekend!

Starbucks Date with my bestie :). She got this box that looks like a cell phone from Austin's school book fair and now she carries it around everywhere talking on it hehe!

Drawing pictures while Mom reads. The perfect date!

Evie-girl loves to do puzzles so we spend a lot of time out on the porch relaxing, munching on snacks, and doing puzzles.

Go Texas!!

I love having Austin home! He's always full of surprises!

Like I said, she is my constant shadow and even falls asleep on me!

Swim lesson buddies! She's doing great!!

We had ourselves a girls day and did our hair, nails and makeup! :)

We even added a little bling!

Austin with some buddies in his class! The whole school is sorted into houses (Harry Potter Style) and these are the 3 Isibindi kids in his class.

Austin's teacher (Mrs. Westra) sends photo updates every once in a while and I love it!

Working hard!

Annual Pine Valley Family Camping Trip 2019!!!

We had the most amazing camping trip this year! The weather was perfect, the kids were old enough for me to not worry much about them dying, and it was soooo good to see family that we don't see every day! I look forward to this trip every year as the single most stressful/exhausting and yet rewarding trip of the entire year! And it melts my heart that the kids look forward to it all year as well. It takes sooooo much preparation and planning on my part to make sure everything is packed/loaded from food, to clothing that will support all weather changes, to games and snacks for everyone during all the relaxing down time we relish in! So much work, but so so worth it :). And this year I was pregnant and still feeling terrible so it was even more challenging. But once we got up there and got camp all set up, it was completely worth it. I would live up in Pine Valley in a tent for the rest of my life if I could. All I need is my sweet family and and the beautiful scenery to make me one very happy Mama :).

Josh has had to work overtime every week since he took this new job so he was only able to come for the weekend. The rest of us, however, went 6 days of camping without showering and loved every minute of it ;). The kids loved being totally free to do whatever they wanted. They played in the river that was just right behind our tent, we went for hikes, I did yoga whenever the mood struck me, and we even did Austin's homework in the hammock every day WITHOUT ANY COMPLAINT! I can't tell you how abnormal that is. But I think it had a lot to do with him enjoying the one on one time with me, the relaxation of cuddling in a hammock, and the treats that we brought along with us ;).

In the mornings we all gathered around the fire and ate breakfast/drank hot cocoa or hot coffee, and enjoyed long, leisurely chats while we all slowly woke up. Then everyone would separate and do their own thing for the rest of the day. That's what I love most about camping. The possibilities are endless and you actually have the freedom of time to do whatever you want! We played card games, painted rocks, went fishing, walking, ate lots of food, read books in the hammocks, or took naps! The world is your oyster up in Pine Valley. (Yes, because of this, I was extremely depressed on the day we had to come home :(. Every time we go on a vacation, I realize how sad it is that my days are not truly my own. We are owned by jobs and responsibilities and very rarely do we get a whole week to just do whatever we want to do. Hence my living in a tent for the rest of my life idea.) Then at night, we would all gather around the fire for dinner, roasting marshmallows/S'mores, and playing Mafia! The kids absolutely love playing Mafia (mostly Austin because he's old enough to understand) and they looked forward to this every single night!

Family members came and went as fit their schedules back at home, which was slightly annoying because we planners (-aka- Me, Sadie, and Grandma W.) had to reserve all their camp sites while they took their time and decided whether they wanted to show up or not. This is the frustrating part about my Mom's family and I couldn't hold my tongue when they finally did show. I told them all exactly what I thought of them and how rude they were to tell us to save spots for them and then not show up until 2 or 3 days later!!! I mean, we had planned the food for extra large groups, Grandma had paid the reservation fees for those camp sites just for nobody to sleep in them, and it was all because those annoying people who shall not be named said they were coming and then either didn't come altogether (aka my Mom) or showed up at the very end of the trip. Okay, I'm done venting now. But I am never going to be played the fool like that again. It's every man for himself next time and that's THAT!! After I said my peace and argued a bit with the ones who dared to voice their stupidity (aka Heidi), we moved on and had a really great time! :) That is one thing I do love about my Mom's family.... fights never last long.

Anyways, I'll let the pictures do the talking from here. I can't even tell you how exhausted I was once we got back. Josh was only there for a couple days so I packed, loaded the car, set up camp, tore down camp, and loaded the car ALL BY MYSELF! And then once we got home I unloaded the car, put everything away, and washed EVERYTHING all by myself! Being pregnant made this extremely difficult but I had to keep reminding myself that it was an amazing trip and totally worth the struggle. As always, we stopped at the old pioneer cemetary on our way out to pick wildflowers and put them on Grandpa Robert Gardner's grave, along with his 3 wives. I owe everything to these people. EVERTHNG. And I hope that someday my kids will carry on this amazing family legacy with their own traditions inserted into the ones that they remember from their own childhoods. That's the goal anyway :).

My special "meditation rock" that I came to every day to meditate. It had the most beautiful view by the river!

Yoga in the most beautiful place = perfection!

Playing by the river with Daddy! We were so happy when he showed up for the weekend!

Hammock life = PERFECTION!

Hanging around the fire at breakfast time.

Sadie brought her dog, and my cousin Anna brought her puppy! The kids were in heaven!

Painting rocks is a time honored tradition that the kids love so much! We always did this when I was a kid and it was so fun to bring these fun creatures home and decorate our yard with them!

Roasting Marshmallows

Enjoying the view

Evie adores Uncle Joey (Sadie got married immediately after this trip in a courthouse hehe. I guess Pine Valley does that to you!)

Gone Fishing.

Playing games with Grandma.

Hanging out with Joey.

Sadie and Joey promised to take the kids fishing and they didn't let her forget it! hehe!

Sadly they didn't catch anything :(

Cuddling around the fire with my boy.

And of course there was our favorite baby cousin Gracelynn!!

Aunt Tammy brought her girls up for the weekend and it was so fun to see them! They live in Salt Lake so we don't see them often.

Oh Evie..... :)

Cousins playing in the dirt!

More campfire snuggles!

Grandma and her posterity. This is Jordyn, my cousin Lara's little girl.

The great family photo!

Grandpa Nate bought Austin this pocket knife over a year ago and I have been scared to let him have it. But I figured the mountains is the perfect place to start! He had so much fun whittling wood with it!

Doing homework and loving it! Austin missed three days of school on this trip and his teacher didn't disappoint in the homework department :(.

Making fairy rings down by the river (another favorite tradition that I started with my babies). They aren't babies anymore though and they asked me to just watch while they did it themselves! Austin scavenged for supplies while Evie built a giant fairy city! It was so fun to watch!

They were so funny to watch! Evie ordered Austin around like a little Mama, telling him exactly what she needed him to scavenge for and he came back proudly, running across the river, with all sorts of supplies to build their fairy village!

They're the best of friends and it makes me so happy.

More homework.... but loving the cuddle time!

The old pioneer cemetary!

Wildflowers were abundant everywhere we turned! The kids loved it!

And I loved telling them the stories of these people buried here. It all comes full circle in a way, and it makes my heart so happy.

Austin's First Day of First Grade!!!

Austin started First Grade this week and it has been so fun! He sits next to one of his little friends from Kindergarten and he already has little girls flirting with him and trying to catch his eye. Josh and I both laughed so hard when we witnessed it first hand at drop off :).... mostly because he is such a shy kid and didn't know what to do with the attention so he just walked away and didn't say anything back to them hehehe!

We woke up early and went to breakfast at Krispy Kreme Donuts per Austin's request. Then we walked him to the playground and helped him find his teacher and his line. This year was so different from last year, and for that I am grateful! There were no tears, only happy smiles :). Austin is getting so big, too fast, and it kills me. He is still the most handsome boy I've ever seen in my life and has that sweet, witty charm that I love. He grew so much over the summer and is at least a couple inches taller! Must have been all that fresh air and sunshine! :) His teacher's name is Mrs. Westra and she is new to the school this year so we weren't sure what to expect, but so far he loves her! His sister is loving having one-on-one time while he is away, but they both love to play together at night like they never missed a beat! When he grows up, he still wants to be a scientist, but the type of science varies depending on the day. I love his love for science and at night when I tuck him into bed, I spend at least 30 minutes answering all of his questions about the body, the universe, and how things work. It makes me so proud to see his inquisitive mind at work :). We are still struggling with his obstinate hatred of homework (ugh, the bane of my existence) and I still don't know how to get it through his head that he is just beginning on this long journey of papers and worksheets! However, I remember giving my own mom a hard time when I was his age, so hopefully this is something he will grow out of ;). Good luck this year, Buddy! Mom and Dad are so proud of you and we love you so much! Your Dad even took the day off work to be there on your first day of school because he wanted to make sure you knew how much he loves you! Your support system is incredible. Don't ever forget that :).

First day of First Grade!

Walking my sweet boy to his teacher on his first day of school! So exciting!! :)

Dad is so proud of you Buddy. You two have been two peas in a pod since the day you were born.

After we dropped Austin off at the school, Evie wanted to play baseball at the park for her special day alone with Mom and Dad! These moments are very rare, and oh so special :).