LOVE THIS

Reason #378 that I love having my little brother home off his mission: he has all sorts of great little quotes memorized

"When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, then God will endow us with power from on high."
Ezra Taft Benson

State of amazement

Well, Ellie is potty trained! Where's the potty chart, sticker poster, etc you ask? Never got a chance to make one. Done deal in 4 days. Not quite the 2 weeks of mortal combat that I know realize we experienced with Hannah. I guess Ellie was "ready." Monday she was 50%. Tuesday 75%, with only one accident on day 3 and no accidents on day 4. I could even leave the room and she'd come tell me POOOOTTTTYYYYYY!!! You can imagine our elation at the timeliness and ease of the whole affair. Being down to one in diapers is a dream...and just to clarify some misleading info in the previous post, I am in no way/shape/form pregnant. (Well, maybe shape but that's for another post). No, no, just a little lot air sick is all.

Starbursts were treat of choice. Ellie going potty soon became a crowded spectator sport as Hannah would get treats also:)

...and our picninc trampoline lunch

In other news, Jocelyn is sitting up, rocking on all fours, and scooting backwards. (It's the cutest thing - she just CRACKS UP at Hannah like no one else) Great strides at the Walbruch residence last week.

He's home!!!

Elder Spencer Richins returned from the Arizona Mesa Mission on Feb 22, 2011! AND WE WERE THERE TO SEE IT! Such a neat experience. Someday I'll tell you how we wound up on the SAME flight out of SLC. Not wanting to spoil the surprise, we rearranged our seats with Spencers. We snuck in back and he never knew we were there:) So, we didn't get to see him "walk off" the plane but we brought up the rear and surprised him. I can't tell you how good he looks, sounds, smiles. His sweet spirit is tangible. I didn't realize he'd changed a terrible lot until we heard him speak in church. His talk was the sweetest thing for me to hear. So simple, kind, and self assured. Such an example to me. ALot of pics were taken on my moms camera but we managed to get a few:

Ellie with a puppy at UCEC's annual yard sale

(These pictures are out of order but whatever)
It was Jenna's birthday on the 27th...she blew out her candles 0 times and H/E blew then out 4 times.

Me and the RM...guess this was after Sunday naps and such...ouch.

Me and Nanny

Now, for real, Jenna did have a migraine that day. We MADE her get out of bed to eat her cake. Again, not sure what my excuse is.

The sibs

This is a random one of my birthday lunch that Natalie (right) hosted at her gorgeous home. It was so fun! Girfriends rock.

I guess this is the only one we got at the airport. Pretty sure I was in the bathroom puking.

Pedicures

Jocelyn getting a bottle from wild hair Grandpa Richins

A little light (not) nap for the two middle children

Feeding the sheep with Grandpa...while they were all toasty in the tractor the rest of us were hanging out in the -20 snow hurricane outside.

Mayday

I need your help and I need it right now. We are in fact in a state of emergency around here. HANNAH WILL NOT SLEEP. It has been a good 3 months since anybody around here has gotten a full nights sleep....not becaue of my baby or 2 year old but because of my 3 year old who has slept through the night since age 7 weeks. It is WAY worse than any newborn situation we've expereienced (which has never been that bad). I feel like I've exhausted all efforts and I've essentially given up. Shortly after we moved Hannah into her toddler bed, we found her sleep walking alot so we switched the lock to the outside of her bedroom door and locked it. (Don't worry, we had a monitor on). And it worked! But a few months ago she started waking up at night and knocking (very loudly and very excessively), waking her roomate and her parents. She worked her way up to doing this for hours despite our going in there and putting her back to bed. I wondered if she had gotten a little freaked out about being locked in so, we left the door unlocked and the girl is fully awake, coming in our bedroom ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT. I've tried taking away her nap, no fluids after 4 p.m., later bedtime, ignoring it, princess night light, NO SUGAR, taking away priveleges, rearranging the sleeping situation (moving Ellie, who still needs her crib, in with us,etc)......aaaannnnddd NOPE. NOTHING. She starts this controlling, demanding behavior (with stories, brushing teeth, blankets, songs etc)as soon as bed time approaches. So I'm convinced it's a behavior thing and I am about to lose my mind with her. HELP! Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!