Jonah at 8 months!

A week-or-so ago Jonah turned 8 months!

Here's what Jonah Kimball can do now:

Scoot all over the house! It's a huge pain and awesome all at the same time.

He's acting like he's going to officially crawl very soon.

He got four top teeth all of a sudden earning him the nickname: "chompy"- you must say it with a slight New Orleans accent. So he has six teeth now.

Just this past week he decided he prefers me to anyone and anything. He always loved me most, but he fusses for me now. It's not as flattering as it should be.

He takes two longer naps now instead of three naps.

And while we are here, let's talk about his brothers because they are just as cool and rascally:

Ambrose Carl!

 First let's all have a good laugh at this HILARIOUS spring picture of Ambrose and his Jack Nicholson eyebrows. So so good. And down below is the boy at his 6-year-old check-up.

At the time that photo was taken he was 47lbs and 47 inches tall. Pretty cool!

Ambrose loves his swim lessons.

He tolerates me forcing him to do this reading program over the Summer. It makes me slap my forehead in frustration because he is a great reader. I just need to get him to love it more. Working on that.

He loves to go to the water park and beach, have friends over and go to friends houses, pop popcorn, catch lizards, tease Asher, he comes up with art projects galore (mostly involving robots), his favorite color is green, and he is the snuggliest of all of our kids.

Whenever I ask him if he wants to learn the drums or guitar he says, "BOTH!" like I'm insane for asking.

He is either so amazingly, perfectly cute or an emotional nightmare. Sorry future Ambrose reading this, but it's true. We love you anyway buddy!

He is a little self-righteous at times about rules or church stuff, but I prefer that to rebellion in the long run so I put up with my kid reminding me that we don't do this or that on Sunday...etc. :)

He LOVES to learn as long as I am not making it a daily chore- so that's my challenge as a mom.

He is one of my very best friends.

Now for Asher Henry!

Oh this picture makes me laugh until I cry. The tiny smile, the pointed toes in slippers, the obedient pose... it's just too much.

And here's a day where he came out in the morning fully dressed telling me, "Mom, I a cool guy!"

He is very cool.

His language is EXPLODING! Thomas and I look at each other amazed every few days at what just came out of his mouth. We understand him and he is saying very complex words. It's nothing less than an answer to many, many prayers.

We are keeping him in the same preschool class next year and they will share him with the large class on campus so he can get all types of practice and social experience. I cannot say enough about how good school has been for him and what an answer to prayer it has been! Grateful.

He loves his family, teachers, friends, and baby bear.

He is the best lizard catcher in our family.

At his four-year-old check up a week ago he weighed 35lbs and was 40.5 inches tall.

He just officially learned to swim last week. 

He enjoys the water park, beach, Ruby and Joey's house, quoting silly lines from his favorite shows, dancing, and making presents for everyone.

He eats the same thing everyday and it drives me nuts. (Breakfast: granola, Lunch: PB&honey, Dinner: nothing! :) I force fruits and vegetables on him whenever possible. He will eat plain OnoYo with no topping.)

His favorite color is blue.

He will do any reading or math activities I throw his way. He cheers for it sometimes!

He is stubborn and we are constantly saying, "Asher, be easy to get along with please!"

He is so little and cute and funny and I am in love with him. 

He still gives the best hugs around!

And sometimes we go on "hikes"...

Pretty picturesque, but you should know that even the least strenuous nature walk is met with a fair amount of whining at the end when it comes to these guys. Pretty sure I pushed Asher in the baby stroller the whole way back or something like that. I prefer to remember the good times anyway. Taking the good with the bad is just the reality of life with these guys: fun, silly, beautiful, awesome, and a lot of whining.

Jonah Meets the Hawkins!

I love my parents. I love my sisters. I love my nieces and nephews. I love California. I love Bakersfield. Yeah, you read that right. Have you actually been there? Like in the town and not on the ugly highway that says you are driving through Bakersfield because that is not actually Bakersfield stupid. And the big thermometer is Baker. Learn to read. Yeah it's not Hawaii or Paris or NYC, but neither are you... what?

Anyway, Bakersfield. It's great.

Moving on...I love my friends. I love that I got to take a one week trip with Jonah to see everything I just listed. I love that people are so kind and willing to see us. I love the time we spent there. I love the food we ate. I love the late nights my sisters and I sat up laughing our heads off and scheming and chatting each other up. I love that I got to show my cute baby off and just be there. What a dream! I love that even when this magical week came to an end it wasn't all sad, because I had Thomas, Ambrose, Asher, and Hawaii to come back to. Life is so very good sometimes.

Here's some images from the week - (not pictured: My sisters. They DO NOT like their pictures taken. At all. :) I have provided a group shot that hangs in my parents home just in case you wonder what they look like when we all get dressed up in semi-coordinating attire and stand really close together and feel stressed out that our kids will be the one picking their nose or grabbing their privates in the family photo. You're welcome!)

(See here's the very photo I promised you. Aren't they lovely?!)

Until next time loved ones! Jonah had a great time meeting you! <3 p="">

Let's talk about feelings.

Isn't that the name of a Lagwagon album Thomas? A really good one too.

Anyway, feelings. We all have lots of them. It seems like it's considered a weakness to have them and so I have tried to hide mine a lot in the past, but with little success. I wear my heart on my sleeve unfortunately. It's great for connecting with others and being sensitive to their needs and it's awful because feelings can get overwhelming or be hurt. Overall, I'd rather be a sensitive person because insensitive people are not that fun to be around... wait, people with too many feelings can also be no fun to be around! Well, anyway, I think you get my point. I would rather love than never know love and all that jazz.

Lately I had a feeling that I wanted to remember. So here I am. Talking about feelings.

It happened this morning.

I was taking care of Jonah in a very typical way. He had just woken up and I was feeding him and then immediately I had to deal with a major diaper of his. I only share this gruesome detail to illustrate the interesting timing of this very tender and sacred feeling that came over me as I completed the most basic tasks of motherhood.

And the feeling went something like this:

I know my children. More specifically- I know the adult version of them and love them. We are good friends and we have had good times together before and what I am doing to take care of them right now (in small, every day ways and grand, long-term ways) is completely important.

So strange to have this very warm, familiar assurance rush over me while taking care of my baby.

And by strange I mean wonderful.

These kids will be adults one day and I don't even know how to properly express in words the feeling I had, but it almost felt like Jonah was humoring me in this baby form because it's a necessary part of gaining a body and so he'll do it and I am the person who was chosen to help him get through this fleeting stage of human existence.

I know I've had little whisperings of this feeling before with my other children, but it never hurts to be reminded.

And while I have you here, reading this, thinking I am crazy anyway, I will go on.

It put everything into perspective for me. I already knew being a mom was a big, hard, important job, but it just drove home the reverence and respect I have for this whole process. This life is such a short period in our existence, and we need to take our roles seriously.

Sometimes I feel like being the best mom I can at this stage translates into me therefore being: an unreliable friend, hurried employee, unorganized counselor in Relief Society, rushed spouse, tired human being, and slightly chubby and disheveled looking version of my former self; but right now it's okay and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I was truthfully a little bummed out today because I was supposed to get my hair done and some errands run, but had to stay home because Asher threw-up before school. Suddenly, changing diapers and being patient with a sick three-year-old, and taking care of my children the best way I can seemed not just necessary, but monumental.

I want to do this right. And that's all I really came here to say. I think it's good to share these kinds of feelings. It helps to keep what matters most on my mind. Thanks for reading.

I said come on, come on, come on, come on...

and take it!




Take another little piece of my heart now babies. Thanks for these photos Thomas.

You know what's making my heart beat very fast right now?

I am sitting out in the front room while everyone has finally gone to bed so I can have a second to myself. My husband got home a little later than usual. Ambrose had already eaten dinner because he couldn't wait another minute! It was that kind of late. This husband I speak of had not a single no-show at work. Back to back to back therapy sessions. So many he almost lost track. After all that, he heads out of his way to swing by Costco before coming home so he could pick up things I asked him to get. He comes home and takes care of pukey Asher. He makes sure Ambrose doesn't go to sleep before they've had some bonding time. He comes back to Asher and researches the best way to rehydrate our poor, sick little guy and magically makes that happen. He finishes the laundry because the dryer's on the fritz and I'm tired. He does the dishes I left piled up all day while I am in the other room feeding the baby. After baby is in bed we sit for a minute as I get out the laptop and he watches a show. We are together, but powering down in our separate ways. It's nicer than it sounds. Quiet and familiar. We stop to tell stories of our day here and there. Content in the lack of kid chaos--together. He decides he will call it a day and I tell him I'll join him in a minute. I hear him pad down to our room just as the baby starts fussing and think, "Great, just when I thought I was going to read this..." As I reluctantly start closing down my google reader I hear a sweet daddy soothing the baby back to sleep. Ever so gently. My heart beats fast and I open up my blog to write him this love letter.

Thanksgiving goals progress report!

Usually I am very good at blogging goals, but not really great at following-up with if I actually accomplished them so here goes:

Grandma made adorable place cards with the boys in the morning, the turkey baked in the imu, I made way too many pies and the kind of mashed potatoes that are so good you can only make them once a year or your heart will stop, the Plickas joined us, we went for a long bike ride/playground fest after, everyone brought special/tasty dishes to the table, we laughed and Asher frowned a time or two, and we enjoyed being together. Thanksgiving 2012 was everything I hoped it would be. And I am thankful for that. Oh and thankful that Emily took these photos on her phone since I didn't take ANY. THANKS EM!

And, in the interest of full disclosure, I cut out the fall leaves for the fall leaves garland, but never sewed them together so I guess I am just really early for next year right? Anyone? Anyone? No one want to chime in here? Ok, don't worry I've got this guys: way to go me........