Crazy kids

Crazy hair day at school and Iris knew EXACTLY what she wanted (surprise surprise 😏)

Even Royce joined in on the fun.

After they left to school the babies also wanted their hair EXACTLY like Kellyn and Iris. ha!

I don't remember what Brooks was telling Wynn not to do (she seems to initiate the "sneak") but this was her reaction while he was talking to her. 😂

We started having a few nicer weather days in March and so I took the kids to the park on Saturday. Royce's soccer ball got stuck in the hoop and he and Kellyn came up with this strategy to get it out. They never asked for my help and I was curious what they would decide to do.

Nothing wrong could DEFinitely happen sitting on top of your brother's shoulders waving a metal bat around.

It was then I decided to step in. 

Firsts for Bronson as well

Well HERE was a first for our whole family!!!!!

We were asked (AS A FAMILY) to be in a talent show!!!! They assigned us a talent, because how could we EVER choose between our family talents of:

-pranking

-singing off-key

-teasing

-creating a competition out of everything

?!?!?!?

Yep, they DEFINITELY had to assign us our "talent". Turns out our family was asked to get up in the Talent Show and do a Family Home Evening lesson.

Not only is this funny since ours never go smoothly but we ALSO had to do it in Spanish. Bwhahaha. 

The plus side.....we got some AMAZING food and a mug that PROVES we have a "talent"

Bronson's friend asked him to go to a Razorback basketball game where they sat ON THE COURT!!!! (well, on the side, but you know what I mean)

He got on the jumbotron and they actually caught him mid-sip of his drink. haha

My boys (including my husband) are ALWAYS flexing at each other as if it's an answer to ANY question someone asks them. ha!

But the BIGGEST first came for Bronson when he totaled his first (AND ONLY I HOPE) car. 

It was his fault in pulling out in front of a car on his way to baseball but it spun him around and went kind of down in this little ditch. Shook him up quite a bit. I was so grateful when he had so many team members/coaches stop and wait with him.

Bronson's first high school basketball banquet.

Now with basketball officially over on to freezing at the first of the year baseball games...

and on to track season! (for Camden and Emerson)

Sickos

Poor Wynn started feeling sick. She would just quietly lay around with her thumb and blanket. Then came the puking. 

She felt horrible forever. One night she puked on herself in bed and onto the floor. And since I lock fasten these little escape artists room door, I needed to give their room a temporary makeover.

I always had to tie back her hair because I was ALSO tired of puke getting in her hair. On the whole Wynn is a pretty easy sick kid. She just lays down, sucks her thumb and listens to Iley telling her about the importance of getting her puke in the toilet.

Two days later I found Iley like this......

I knew it was coming. Iley doesn't let people forget she's feeling yucky. So when Emerson just sat in a chair she climbs up and asks him to scratch her back because she's sick.

Even Wynn, who now felt better, helped keep Iley's back scratched as she puked.

Iley would climb on my lap and just snuggle.....meaning SHE SAT STILL!!!! Whoa, this girl was REALLY sick.

But the absoLUTE sweetest picture of all time was when I found Wynn comforted Iley in the sunroom with both of their hair tied back in "puke buns". Oh man, I love having twins.

And then they healed and back to extra amounts of energy. Some times sick times are a nice break for everyone. 😏

Some firsts for Aleeya

February was also a big month since it was Aleeya's FIRST time to go in the temple. I was actually one of the drivers (in my van) for the 6 hours down to Dallas with a big group of kids. It was a neat day. I had never actually been to the temple with any of my kids since Brooks was always needed to go.

Bronson and Emerson had prior commitments but Camden was there too.

The whole group of youth.

It's ALSO a first to be featured on the local soccer league's advertisement! So cool.

Aleeya did do her first 3v3 indoor competition as well and (of course) did very well. I love watching her little agile body move.

Valentine's Day 2019

Last year Iris wanted a big Cyclone for a Valentine's Day box for school. THIS year when she said she wanted to do a sheep I thought, PHEW! I gave her cottonballs, a gluegun and an oatmeal container and she came up with this.

We decided after she made it that it made a REALLY good Yeti Valentine box. So the yeti it became.

Every Thursday before a Friday varsity game Bronson's basketball team would have dinner together. I think all the other times it had been catered or a bunch of parents will go in on it. Brooks and I decided that we are used to feeding crowds and we have it covered. 

We ALSO signed up on Valentine's Day on purpose. 1) it would be easier to remember that I signed up and 2) I could COVER the place with pink and hearts and hopefully make Bronson get a little embarrassed.

We fed them crepes, eggs, fruit, ham, cookies and all things breakfast. So many on the team kept asking Bronson beforehand what a crepe was. What made it funny is Bronson had no idea they were coming to our house until the day before when the coach spilled the beans. Darn, 

Brooks had them all pick a dinner question that they had to answer and their answers were fun to hear. I think they had fun and we were glad to do it.

The other kids were VERY excited for them to leave though so they could go on a scavenger hunt for their Valentine's gifts from us. I didn't take pics of the poems OR everyone's gifts.....just the ones that wanted to show them off. ha!

Girls Day Everday

I'm lucky enough to stay home with these three girls every day. I mean that. I truly enjoy my days. These three make days amusing, adventuresome and full of surprises (in all ways messes and laughter)

The twins will do anything Everly says too....if she says, let's eat our popcorn snack on the AC unit, by golly, it's a great idea now even if you have to walk through spikey pinecones to get there. I never saw them get up on it, but I imagine I missed the best part watching Everly hoist them both up.

My goal is to never leave the house. ha! A rainstorm comes.....instant entertainment. (yes, I realize Wynn doesn't favor being fully clothed)

Sweet buddies

Princess nightgowns is usually their clothing of choice at home. 

I was sitting on the couch getting something done and little did I know the show was going to come to ME! Next thing I know there's a whole musical playing out right before my eyes!

(Wynn/Snow White's face is so into character above, it cracks me up)

It ALWAYS includes dancing. I'm the luckiest. 

The "Unfortunate One"

In January schools everywhere celebrate the 100th day of school. Usually I have get to send in 100 Fruit loops or something. This year the girls were given the option of dressing up like a 100 year old...and of course they thought of this option the morning of. I'm low on old lady attire but I do have fake glasses around and I ALWAYS dry shampoo. So this happened.

 Take a good look at Iley's cute little face in the corner of the picture, because shortly after THIS happened.

 It became apparent that this girl needed stitches....so sad!. And her body is horribly covered in eczema and gets worse with nylon dresses. But she WANTS to wear them so we have to put cotton under them. The thing is Wynn doesn't have stitches or horrible skin. So we kind of tease that Iley is the unfortunate twin...(.even though it WAS Wynn that causes this accident dropping a clay school ceramics piece on Iley's head)

THANKFULLY Brooks was working in the ER that day and not in the Pathology lab (which doesn't help me out with stitches). So I loaded up the girls and we went to visit daddy at work.

 She was so brave and the girls just charmed all of Daddy's co-workers.

 How nice to have a sister always there for and with you....even if she was the culprit.

(Iley insists on matching with Wynn so I had to convince Wynn to wear a cotton shirt under the dress so I could get Iley to dress like that.)

Royce's Baptism

JANUARY 2019

My mom (Grams) flew in to visit in preparation for Royce's baptism on January 20th. My girls are ALWAYS thrilled to have willing readers and game-players. And my mom was WILLING. Score.

Grams taught them new versions of Golf which is our favorite card game to play with her. (I played so many hours with my own parents!)

My oldest turned 16!!!! AH!!!!! It's crazy and sounds so liberating to have another driver all at the same time!

Bronson prefers a STORE BOUGHT cookie cake to any of my cakes. (should I cheer or take offense?) I just threw his name on it and BOOM, just what he wanted.

He got his junkbox

This picture cracks me up because it is IMPOSSIBLE to open a present in this house AND have arm room.

Everly asking WHY he would want shoes for his birthday.

When Bronson was baptized at age 8 and Royce was newly born we did the math and realized Bronson would be 16 and old enough to baptize Royce when he turned 8. We always called them baptism-buddies. Here's a throw-back to Bronson's baptism day.

Fast forward 8 years and here are these two baptism-buddies getting ready for Royce's baptism.

The look on Royce's face in this picture melts me. There really is something about older brothers....whether they know it or not.

My baby boy getting ready to be baptized.

(I just noticed his dirty church pants. THIS picture is an accurate portrayal of us EVERY Sunday with his church pants)

Lucky for Royce his jumpsuit fit him......well......not all of us can be that lucky.

Royce with Grandma and RA

(RA BARELY holds it together at any spiritual event involving grandkids 💛)

Grams with Royce. They actually look quite a bit alike in this picture!

(My poor mom on Iley-duty)

My boy book-ends together. Oh man, these pictures and moments are such treasures to me whether they like taking them or NOT!

I snuck this picture sitting behind them. Another glance of Royce to Bronson!

Meet the newest baptized member of the church, Royce Hyrum Smith.

(A WHOLE of of Smith-male-awesomeness in this picture...note: I found Royce pants that are clean)

Grandma and RA stayed for a few days after the baptism going to games, golfing, taking the kids lunch at school and all around loving being together.