I know I'm partial....

but aren't these babes some of the cutest you've seen?!? Jake and Emmy are now 16 months old and getting to such a fun age. They think they are pretty grown up and enjoy jumping on the tramp, playing on the swingset, and digging in the sandbox with the older kids and their friends. I can't believe they are getting so big.

School Daze...

The title of our blog feels particularly appropriate these days...Just Keep Swimming! The premise being that if we keep swimming we will avoid drowning, which appears to be a very real threat given the pace we are expected to move these days. After a rough summer (more about that in a minute) I was so looking forward to settling into the routine of fall - school, soccer, dance, etc. I had no idea my simple stay-at-home life was about to be thrown into a blender. Seriously, am I expected to go at this pace for 9 months?? My kids will hate, no LOATHE, me by spring. And I can't blame them. I've turned into this crazed person since September 2: barking orders at my 6,5,and 3 year old and expecting results??, ripping clothes off children and redressing them into the next uniform in record time, frantically force feeding tiny people in the 20 minutes we have until we all have to be back in the car and off to the next event. WHEW. I seriously don't know what's gotta give but SOMETHING'S gotta give. It's gettin' ugly around here and I don't like who I'm becoming. It's like soccer mom gone way wrong. Any tips? Help!

Also, I have been thinking quite a bit about our summer this year. Those of you who know us know that it was a doozy. There's no question that adjusting to two, tiny newborns last summer was tricky but we weathered the storm. In late spring this year I was just starting to feel like I was getting my wheels back under me. I had taken a few trips to the park with my kids, run a few errands, and was feeling like the dark clouds were starting to part. Then BOOM. One fateful road trip to St. George and on the last day of school Caleb broke his femur and ended up in the infamous body cast for 6 weeks. Spencer and I couldn't help but feel like we had been kicked when we were down. The wind was completely taken out of our sails and we were back to being homebound...only worse than the summer before, if you can imagine. Surviving those 9 weeks with three kids unable to walk or bathe or potty without major assistance was probably one of the hardest things I've done as a mother to date. I recount all this not to whine (although I'm not above a little whining every now and then) but because I was commenting to Spencer that I can't help but feel that this summer was an important one for me as a mother and as a person. There is nothing like fighting through something that you just don't think you can get through--and realizing that you are stronger than you thought you were. It's incredibly empowering and humbling all in the same breath. For back to back summers now I have been so overwhelmed with what life has dealt me. Really overwhelmed. But I survived. And I learned. And I grew. And I had a lot of help. I am grateful to have these hard experiences behind me. But, like Susan Tanner taught, our motto should be: "I can do hard things!" Because each of us can. And each of us does. A big, huge heartfelt thanks to all who helped me weather the storms of '07 and '08. Here's hoping for a bright and sunny '09!