Pickin' Berries

We found a fun little place to go and pick blueberries. It was hotter than blazes but we had fun. The babies found a tree full of blueberries and never left it. They ate every berry off that tree! We planned on picking lots of berries and making a blueberry pie, but Aaron got called into the hospital before we made it too far. So we just ate the berries we picked. We got ice cream for the way home and the girls were so sticky when we got home, we got out and hosed everyone off. That turned into a giant water fight with the hose. I think they were pretty happy.

Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime?

Swimming on the blow up slide and game night on the gazebo.

This is what we do just about every day! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Lazy summer days!

Happy Birthday America!

I love the 4th of July. I think it is such a fun holiday. And it is so important to take time to be appreciative of the freedoms we enjoy in the USA and to appreciate those who sacrifice to secure those freedoms. I truly am so thankful to all who sacrifice in so many different ways to make this country an amazing place to live. Despite the struggles we face as a nation, I love the USA!

We had such a fun weekend. We spent Sunday with the Jankes and spent the night at their house. How crazy is it that we are spending holidays together again? We had so much fun. The kids are in heaven being back together, and so are we! We ate LOTS of yummy food and played games and stayed up way too late. Then we all woke up at the crack of dawn and went to a breakfast at the church. Nothing like showing up with 13 people for breakfast! A little overwhelming, but fun. Then we took the kids to a parade in Webster Groves. After being caught in a completely unexpected downpour and getting soaked to the bone; after several slips and falls and scrapes and bruises; and after waiting FOREVER for the parade to come, we watched a fun parade, ate lots of candy and had a great time. Then we headed home, took a nap and went to a ward party at the Bohn's house. They have a great swimming pool and an ice cream machine and cotton candy machine. They made food for everyone and we had a blast. The kids loved swimming and made some new friends last night. It was a great holiday! Here are a few pictures. Unfortunately my camera broke so I have to get some more pics from Jennifer and from Aaron's phone. But this is what I got before it broke.

Happy Graduation!

Happy Graduation to Aaron! I am so proud of his accomplishment. Amazing that he/we made it with a family of seven, but we did. I must admit that I got a little emotional when he walked in during the processional. It just felt like such a huge thing to have finsihed and we are so happy! And I can honestly say that the journey has been great. We have had a few stumbling blocks, but all in all it has been great for our family. We have learned a million lessons and have become a very close family unit. It is hard on the girls to move so much, but they are becoming such good friends and I love it. They really rely on each other. We have settled into our new home in Missouri and we are starting to really like it here. I think it is going to be great for us. A big HUGE thank you to our parents for being there to support us, not only on graduation day, but through this whole process! We love you so much and could not have done it without you! And thank you for helping us with the move. Of course we didn't pull the move off without a hitch (or two or three). And so now we have some great memories to laugh about! Thank you, thank you! We love you!

We are back

Wow! We have been on a little hiatus! Actually we have been in C-R-A-Z-Y mode. It has been the most hectic, crazy year of our lives and I could kick myself for not staying up on the blog. I have missed so many great moments. But instead of stressing out about catching up, I have decided to move forward with new conviction.

So tomorrow wraps up our stay in CA. It has been wonderful here and we have loved it. There is nothing like being with family. It has been amazing and we are going to miss it so much. My parents have been incredible and I feel so lucky to have had even a brief year with them. Was it worth packing up our stuff and our family to move across the country for a year, only to move right back where we came from? ABSOLUTELY! I am so glad we had this time and that my kids had the opportunity to see their grandparents on such a regular basis. What a treat. I could never thank my parents enough.

We have also made incredible friends and are sad to leave them. Moving a ton is hard, but it gives us the opportunity to meet wonderful people and make lifelong friends.

I really can't write a novel tonight. We are packing the truck tomorrow and I am asking myself, what the heck am I doing on the computer? But I needed a breather and it was refreshing to take a break and check in on some friends, which in turn inspired me to post. So here are the Allreds, checking back in and hopefully getting the ball rolling! Here is to a new adventure that begins tomorrow . . .

Take Home Message

I loved the weekend! I listened to the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I was so uplifted. Throughout the conference, there were so many messages that hit home and made me want to be better. But perhaps the "take home" message for me was to slow down and make time for the important things. I am so blessed to have the amazing family that I have. Along with incredible extended family, (parents, siblings, cousins etc), I have an amazing husband and 5 precious daughters. They are so good and so sweet. They have the best hearts and try so hard to do what is right. People often ask if I am disappointed that I don't have a son, or comment that I have my hands full or simply just say, "wow". And to all of them I say- I am absolutely NOT disappointed, I am so richly blessed. My hands are full and I stand in awe of the lives with which I have been entrusted. These girls are the light of my life. They are everything to me and I cherish every moment that I have to spend with them. Life gets crazy at times and I am afraid that I take on too much. But the message that hit home for me this weekend was to stop and enjoy this time. I need to make time for the things that matter and glory in being the mother of my 5 precious girls.

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

While I feel incredibly guilty for the following, I have deemed it absolutely necessary for the safety of my babies! I fought the urgent need to put them in this "playpen" as long as I possibly could. It was only after the third time of doing the heimlich on Aubrey that I felt I could resist no more. I hate that they have to spend their "down" time in this contraption, so I bought as many panels as I felt we could fit to make it big and enticing. I really thought that they wouldn't even notice that they were "pinned in". I researched all kinds of gates and read what other moms have done and I bought the only "good" one that fit into our budget. Despite my best efforts, it still looks like a dog pen and Aubrey hates it! Inevitably within five minutes of being in there Aubrey has this face:

Annie has acclimated and seems to be quite content.

But for Aubrey, there is nothing worse. She finds the side closest to me, and stands up with her little face over the edge and cries. How could she not love it? It takes over our whole living room.
We are going to have to try it for a little while longer to see if we can't develop a love for the gate. I have to keep these babies safe. Overnight they went from sitting up to crawling, eating everything they can find, trying to climb up the stairs, shoving things in the VCR, chewing on cords, etc. I swear with my others, we worked up to those things. Not these two, they are 100% into everything and I can't keep up. And so it is. We'll see how it goes!


And for the next desperate maneuver. Lainey has most definitely outgrown her toddler bed. She falls out everynight and climbs in bed with Hallie or Maggie. With a limited budget and one bedroom to work with, we got creative. We put their beds together and with a little ingenuity, we created the most giant king bed you could imagine. Aaron doubted me the whole way, but alas, it is perfect and the girls love it! But like Aaron says, our living space is ever evolving to meet the needs of our growing and changing family, so we'll see what is in store for next week!