How We Roll...

Every year we try and make it up to the cabin during the winter..which is always a much more difficult task..instead of the breezy 45 min drive in a car, it takes us just over 2 hours in the snow cat...but the kids have a great time sledding up and down the hill..and tubing behind the four-wheeler. This year we went with Brian, Lisa and their family..along with Gma & Gpa Belnap. Here are a slew of pictures of the grand trip (huh..there's a word I don't use much.."slew"..kind of a fun one.) Enjoy!

Sophie & Lillie

Lillie, Sophie, & Mags all patiently waiting for someone to take them sledding

Ellie and Brooklyn

Besty brothers Brian and Nate

As luxurious as this looks don't be jeal..this big ol' Cat is quite slow and jerky which makes quite a ride..but it does get us up and down the mountain..this is how we roll

Poor Maggers..she loved riding on the snow "mouse" (as we call it) so much that she sleep finally won...and in about 30 degree weather nontheless

Here is where little Chloers hung out..sittin up like a big girl

Her new found sucking device...

"Hair" You Doing?

I put some Valentine candy out the other day...someone found it! Her name is Maggie. Maggie has unruly hair. I am resolved that with 4 girls, I only do their hair once a day..by about mid-day, Maggie's hair looks like this. She also had obviously found the markers too...(see picture one)  She ate 8 Reeses cups before I noticed the sneaky culprit...then an hour later I think she stole about 5 more. She takes after her dad..he loves those things too. In my defense, we are still sick around here and yesterday I finally took Sophie to the Doctor...diagnoses..Pneumonia! And I am off today to take Connor in..so it could get worse. Just can't catch a break here. Wish me luck and hope you have a Happy Valentines Day

Fact

Fact- I am sick..sore throat, gucky throat, cold chill sick

Fact- Unless you have a nanny, maid and chef, a mother should never get sick. Do you hear me God? I said never! So add that to your tablet of 10 commandments..along with never stealing and loving your neighbor, please add "thou shalt never get sick if you are a mother" Amen.

Fact- If I am ever in a situation where I need to choose a line to get in..ie the grocery store or bank..I will inevitability choose the slowest one. And then it gets worse when I choose the slowest line..I will think to myself that the other line is faster and hurry and change lines..then the line I moved from will immediately go to fast forward. Ughh! What gives?

Fact- My little Maggers is the best...our conversation two seconds ago
Me- trying to nap while chloe is sleeping..remember I am sick
Mags- "Mom I'm poopy"
Me- "K..go get a diaper" 
Mags goes and gets a diaper..comes and lays down on the floor (I know..i know..you would think we were ready for potty training..but she will have nothing to do with it)
Me- roll out of bed and say "I will get the wipes"
Mags- "they are all gone mom"
Me- "I will go see" go to the bathroom and get the baby wipes..come back in the room
Me- "here they are"
Mags- "Oh you are so smart mom!"
Glad that all it takes for me to be smart..is to know where the wipes are.

Fact- Why is it that boys just know how to hock a loogie? You know that gross thing where they sniff and snort and make those grotesque noises and then spit out the yucky junk? Cause I for one can not do it..gross I know but I have all this phlegm and junk and all I do is try and then end up gagging myself, crossing my legs so I don't pee, get watery eyes and spitting out a meager drop of saliva. Nate has tried to teach me but alas..I must be too much of a lady cause this girl can NOT get it.

Fact- How do you get an 11 year old boy to swallow a pill. Connor and Sophie are sick too and Connor for the life of him can not get the darn thing down. We even tried applesauce to hide it..total basket case. Any great ideas?

Fact- At this moment, Maggie has Nates iPod and is asking me how to play Angry Birds

Fact- I have no clue how to play it! Sorry Mags!

chloe rhees

This little dream just turned 4 months old..we had her check up today and she is now at a whopping 16 pounds (89%) and is 24 inches long (34%). What can I say? All we do is big around here! She is over her colicky phase..thank heavens. And she grins and laughs like crazy. Her clogged tear ducts are gone in the right eye but her left one is still struggling. She tries grabbing at anything and shoves everything into her mouth. She is my little love!  

Family Pictures

A few weeks ago, the whole Belnap Bunch was together..which doesn't happen often since there are 32 of us. We decided to brave the 30 degree, freezing weather and get a much needed..updated picture. Of course it was crazy and of course it's not perfect..but darn close..I think they turned out great! Here a few..

Tender Mercies

The last week and a half of my life have been absolutely exhausting..draining..physically and mentally...and I'm afraid the worst is yet to come....

It started out with Sophie. She first got an ear infection. Had been up all night screaming in pain. Got her into the doctor and on an antibiotic. She got better. Then 2 days later, I had just bathed the kids and put them to bed when Sophie started complaining of a stomachache. I gave her a barf bowl and told her not to throw up on her bed. An hour later, I hear barfing and crying. I run into her room. Vomit all over her bed, her hair and the wall. Fabulous! Call my mom to come help..since Nate is still working and Chloe won't let me put her down. Bathe Sophie again..change her bedding, clean  up corn vomit everywhere. So much fun! Thank heavens for mothers who come in their pajamas and Clorox the room and bathroom. Finally she settles down and goes to sleep. But then proceeds to throw-up a million more times, more pajama and bedding changes and we are finally asleep around 3:30 am. She is better by the next night. Phew! This was last Thursday. The following Sunday, Nate gets congested and a sore throat..the story of his life lately. Chloe gets a cold..the worst stuffy nose and can not breathe...Maggie starts to fever, Connor has a sore throat and Sophie is complaining about her ear again. I take Sophie in..another ear infection..perfect..just what we wanted. And we finally go see an ENT for Nate. We have known for a while that he has needed to get his tonsils out. The Dr. says it's up to us. After much pondering and praying, we decide to get them out. But at this point I have not slept for over a week...I am seriously thinking I can not make it through one more day and listening to poor Chloe just breaks my heart..she is so stuffy and we are literally carrying around the blue booger sucker thing all day.
Nate is scheduled for a tonsillectomy for Thursday and by this point everyone is finally better minus Chloe. I tell Nate I can handle anything as long as she gets better and can breathe so she can eat and sleep. The night before Nate goes in for surgery, Chloe is the worst she has been...I prepare myself for another sleepless night. I am saying my prayers..pleading that she will somehow get over this cold. Telling my Heavenly Father that I can't do this. You all know how hard it is to have a sick baby. You would trade places in a heartbeat. And the poor little girl is trying to smile and be happy all while she has boogers galore and probably a sore throat from mouth breathing. So sad... so we went to bed and I tell you those pleading prayers that I know Nate and I offered were heard. And I experienced a little tender mercy in my life. Chloe only woke up once that night to eat and she was able to breath the entire night. She woke up the next morning barely stuffy at all..and I was amazed and filled with gratitude for the love and concern our Father in Heaven has for each of us.
Nate went in for his surgery yesterday and so now I am geared up to deal with a sick husband..and we all know how that can be. These boys just need a little more TLC when they are down and out..am I right?

I was watching my sister play basketball last night and my Aunt was there. She asked about Chloe since she is still a little stuffy and her eyes were watering (mostly because she has both tear ducts that are clogged). I proceeded to tell her about it all. And she told me I needed to write it down because as I did I would start to recognize more and more the tender mercies that He gives to me in my life.

Now wish me luck because you've all heard the horror stories about adults and tonsils and on top of that our family has to speak in our new ward on Sunday..well minus Nate. Betcha you all wish you were me right now!

Fact

Fact- My kids usually ride the bus to school but as of late they are too sleepy to get up that early so I take them

Fact- When I take them to school I pray I won't get pulled over seeing as how I take them in my sweats (aka pajamas) with no bra and I barely manage to get my hair combed and I usually put on my dressy peacoat and sunglasses so I "look" put together..but as of yesterday I have no sunglasses since Maggie snapped them in half

Fact- I am not mad about the sunglasses..I have had them for a few years (I know.. a record right?) and now I have an excuse to get new ones.

Fact- I can not for the life of me find even 20 minutes to exercise..what's that you say? I should do that instead of blogging/pinterest? Now where's the fun in that. Today I am thinking I am just going to have to suck it up and wake up early

Fact- I super hate waking up early

Fact- Raising 5 kids is enormously hard..worth it.. but dang hard. They are all so different and just when you think things are going smoothly, one of them has a melt down/mental breakdown that makes you think "what the crap am I doing and am I  even doing any of this right" It takes me back to the fact that raising these kids is and will be the most important thing I will ever do and that my friends is a huge responsibility. Talk about pressure. I hope my Heavenly Father has more faith in me than I do because as of late, I am beginning to doubt my abilities...mostly this is stemming from one incident with the only boy in the fam...when you hear grown-ups (well parents older than me) tell you that it just gets harder and that you worry more as your kids get older..you should believe them because it's super true. Time to regroup!

Fact- The other night, Nate and I watched a movie for the first time in forever...

Fact- It only took us 3 hours to watch an 1 1/2 hour movie..with 5 kids there is always a fight to break up, tears to wipe, a drink to get, a show to start, or a bumb to be wiped..you get my drift..and get this..the movie we watched was "How to train a Dragon" and only Nate and were watching it..pretty good show though..man we are lame..sigh!

Fact- I need more time, energy and maybe some cleaning ladies to get the things I need done in a day..is that really too much to ask? For a baby gift from my thoughtful mother, she gave me cleaning ladies for several weeks...It was the most glorious day when I saw those two ladies come through my door..and wa-la..two hours later my house was sparkling clean..a little bit of heaven. I am trying to work them into the budget..if even once or twice a month. If we start eating more Ramen, you'll know it's coming out of the grocery budget. But in my opinion, totally, totally worth it

Fact- I am going to be done and go shower while Chloe is asleep..otherwise it may never happen today.

 Fact- I always have great "facts" I am gonna blog about that I think of throughout the day and at night..but when I actually sit down to blog, my brain can not remember them. Sorry

It's Christmas..again

This year was the on year with my family so Nate's family celebrated a week later on New Years Eve. We had a great party and lots of entertainment

Christmas Day 2011

Christmas Day at the Belnap household did not begin until a comfy 8:30 am and we still made it to 10:00 church only 10 minutes late..can you say "impressive"? Here are the moments of the big day.

Is Maggie's smile not the best?

And Connor was lucky enough to get his Ipod

The girls finally figured out that with chairs they could throw a lot further

Chloe was wiped out after all that sitting and watching..phew!

Usually it's Chloe who is the crying one..good to know Kate has it in her too..can you say "naptime"

And of course, Luke is always just chill

Who knows what Maggie is up to?