The Toyn Family

I love Mother’s Day. Not because I get gifts, or because my kids make me adorable little things (although I do love that), but because for me, it’s a day to reflect on my purpose in life. I know that lately, certain mothers in the spotlight have been criticized for being stay-at-home moms and “not working a day in their life”. LOL. Anyone who has ever stayed at home with little children knows exactly how much work it really is. They also know how important it is. I do not judge those mothers who work outside the home. I know that sometimes it is necessary. My own mom had to work outside the home for many years. I don’t know how she did that and took care of us the way she did. We always had homemade dinners, and she went to work exceptionally early in the morning so she could be home for us in the afternoons to help with homework and projects. She is truly amazing. However, someone needs to raise my children, and I would rather have it be me than some daycare worker that doesn’t love my children and would raise my children differently than I would.
I have only been a mother for less than 5 years. I am no expert on the “right” way to do things. The thing I know is that I am a good mom. I would do anything for any one of my children. I would give my life for any of them without a second thought. I work hard for my children every day. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. Not even close. But, I am trying, and I love these kids more than I could imagine. They are my life. I can’t imagine life without them. They have each taught me so much. Being a mom has really made me appreciate all moms so much more. I especially appreciate my own mom and the way she raised me. I have never known a harder worker. I love seeing her be a grandma with my children. I can see how much she loves them and how much they love her. I also appreciate my mother-in-law. I wasn’t there to see her with her young children, but I know she was a good mom because my husband turned out exceptionally well. I also enjoy seeing her with her grandchildren. She is always so excited to see them and I can tell how much she loves them.
For Mother’s Day this year, we had my mom and step-dad over for dinner. My brother came over early to help watch the kids while Nick and I cooked. Nick made some delicious turkey burgers, topped with bacon and ranch and served on English muffins. I made a spinach artichoke dip to go with it and my sister dropped off a salad, but couldn’t stay for dinner because she had to work. And, of course, what family function would be complete without a cheesecake? I am super proud of this one. I came up with an idea all by myself, and made up the recipe. It was a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake with a chocolate crust and it was a big hit. My mom said it was her favorite one so far, so I’m really proud of myself.
I am so thankful to be a mother. Sometimes I feel guilty that I have been blessed with 4 beautiful children when there are so many people out there that can’t have any. I am grateful to my own mother and all the other women out there that have helped me raise my children. To all you grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and moms: thank you for all you do. You are amazing and I love you all. Happy Mother’s Day.

I like food. I always have. I could eat all day long, but I control myself the best I can. Well, I think I have passed my love of food on to my youngest child. He has started to eat solids, and he really has been enjoying it. He has liked everything he has tried to far, except he makes a funny face when he eats bananas sometimes. Austin is growing so fast, we can’t even believe it. I think the more children you have, the faster time flies by. I am doing my best to enjoy all the little moments with my Aus-boss.

Well, since I love food, and fresh produce is no exception, this year, Nick and I FINALLY planted our first garden together! You may be wondering why it has taken us 6 years to do this. Some of my excuses are as follows:
1. The first summer we were not married until July and didn’t close on our house until August. By then, it was too late to plant a garden 2. The next May, I was 7 1/2 months pregnant with twins. I couldn’t have bent down to plant or weed it I had wanted to. 3. The third year, we had 1 year old twin boys. Enough said. 4. In 2009, we had 2 year old twin boys. Enough said. 5. In 2010, we had a new baby and 3 year old twin boys. 6. Last year, I had 3 young children and was constantly sick with morning sickness, as I was pregnant with baby number 4.
Well, this year, we still had plenty of excuses (including another new baby AND a new puppy), but decided it was time. So, Nick worked really hard to build some raised garden boxes and this last weekend we went to the store as a family to get seeds and plants and we got everything planted! The kids were so excited when we told them they could pick out anything they wanted to grow in the garden. Brennnan picked peas, Brayden picked white pumpkins, and Emma picked colorful carrots. We also planted corn, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and cantaloupe. I’m a little worried that nothing will grow, but hopefully by the end of the summer, we will have a lot of fresh food to eat!

For some reason, I really enjoy making cheesecake. This is a great hobby to have, unless of course, you are still trying to lose a few pounds from your fourth pregnancy and your husband is also trying to lose a few pounds. That being said, when I saw a recipe for chocolate peanut butter cup cheesecake, I knew I was going to have to make that for Nick’s birthday. Nick’s favorite flavor combination of all time is chocolate and peanut butter. So, I made the cake and took it down to my mom and Lynn’s house when we were celebrating the April (Nick, Brittney and Brian’s) birthdays. Of course, Brian couldn’t be there since he is in Mexico on his mission, so we made sure to enjoy an extra slice for him. I was quite proud of how it turned out and I am already making plans for the May birthday cheesecake. It might have something to do with white chocolate and berries. Yum!

The kids and I have really been enjoying the warm weather we’ve been having lately. A couple Saturdays ago, it was warm enough, we even got the kids little wading pool out. They played in the water for hours! Brennan and Brayden would back up against the fence and then run as fast as they could yelling “Super Brayden!” and “Super Brennan!” and then jump into the pool. It was fun to watch Emma interacting with them, too.
Another day, we went down to my mom and Lynn’s house and had a little picnic in the backyard and then the kids enjoyed playing in the little stream they have, and they caught rollie pollies. It was a fun afternoon.
Grandma also got each of the kids a little basketball to play basketball at her house. I wasn’t sure they would be able to make any baskets since they are still pretty short, but they are actually quite good at it! They love playing basketball. Who knew!?!? It’s been a fun spring and we can’t wait to enjoy the summer together before the boys start kindergarten in the fall!

We had another wonderful Easter this year.  I love that Brennan and Brayden are starting to understand more and more why we celebrate Christmas and Easter.  They can recite to me the Easter story and it seems like they are even starting to understand it’s importance.  We explained to them about the symbols of the season and what they can represent and they still tell me how certain things will remind them of Jesus.  I want them to know that I have a strong testimony of our Savior and the Atonement and Resurrection, and I hope that someday they will too.

This year, we enjoyed coloring eggs and having an Easter egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa Watson’s house. I also bought the kids some good looking Easter outfits, so we took a few pictures of my cute, cute kids!

So, I know I’m way behind on my blogging, which wouldn’t be a big deal, except I print these blog posts out and use them as a personal record.  I want my kids to be able to read these when they grow up and remember their childhoods.  It just turns out that life is pretty stinkin’ busy with 4 kids ages 4 and under!  So, that being said, I am trying to catch up on a few things I have missed.  Austin is already 4 months old.  The more kids I have, the faster time seems to fly by.  It seems like just yesterday I took a pregnancy test and was shocked to see that it was positive.  Now, I have this handsome little guy that fills my days with smiles.  I can’t imagine not having him around!  Austin is a pretty happy little guy.  He is always trying to make those around him smile, by talking to them and grinning his big, contagious grin.  When he smiles, his eyes light up and his cute little dimple shows.  Austin had his 4 month appointment yesterday.  He made the saddest little face when he got his shots and I had to remind myself that I would rather have him experience a little soreness in his legs than to have him catch polio or the measles or some life-threatening or debilitating illness.  It’s just hard to see your kids in pain, even if you know it’s what’s best for them.  Well, Austin is definitely my biggest baby so far.  He weighs 15 pounds, 2 ounces, which puts him in the 45th percentile for weight.  He is in the 15th percentile for both height and head circumference.  He is doing great.  He sleeps from 7 pm to 7 am and takes pretty good naps during the day unless Grandma Watson or Aunt Shauna is around, and then he won’t sleep.  I think it’s just because he wants to be up and play with them.  I seriously can’t get enough of this little guy.  And, while I still don’t feel like our family is complete, it feels more complete with him here, if that makes any sense.

I took some pictures of Austin when he turned 3 months old, and I wanted to share a few, because they are so cute!  Maybe I’ll share the 4 month old pictures in another month or so.  Lol.

During March, the kids and I did a lot of fun crafts/experiments together.  For our first experiment, I gave each of the kids a small tupperware container with baking soda in it.  Then, we put some food coloring in vinegar.  The kids each got a medicine dropper or syringe, and I had them squirt the colored vinegar into their baking soda and watch it fizz.  They thought this was great!  They probably would have been happy doing this all day.  The best part for me was watching their faces the first time they saw the baking soda fizz.  I LOVE watching my kids learn new things!

The next fun thing we did in March was to make slime, which is kind of like the gak we used to play with when I was a kid.  This was super easy to make and the kids actually did most of the work.  At first when they touched it, they thought it was gross, but after that they wanted to play with it every day for hours.  Who knew they would have so much fun with something so simple?!?  Definitely a success!

For our third project, the kids and I made our own puffy paints with self rising flour, salt and food coloring.  This was another really simple project that the kids could make almost by themselves.  They had a great time painting pictures with their paints.  Then, we stuck them in the microwave for a few seconds and watched the pictures puff up.  March was a great month for doing fun new things with the kiddos.  I hope they had as much fun as I did!

A couple weeks ago, we decided to take the kids bowling for the first time. My mom watched Austin for us, which was very helpful. I wasn’t sure if the kids would enjoy it or not, but they had a great time. In fact, they had so much fun, Brayden may or may not have thrown a tantrum when it was time to go. The boys were super competitive with each other, which was fun to watch since they were competitive but not fighting. Emma would do a little dance after she rolled the ball and yell “Yay, yay, yay, yay yay!” Oh my goodness, I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in a long time. The kids did pretty well for their first time. In fact, all of them beat me! (This isn’t really surprising if you have ever seen me bowl). I think this is an activity we will be doing again soon!

Also a couple weeks ago, I saw some Bendaroos at the grocery store and decided to give them a try. They are just little bendable was sticks that you can make all sorts of fun things out of. Each of the kids got to pick something to make when we got home and it was great! They didn’t make a mess and they even had easy instructions to show me how to help make things for the kids since I’m not very artsy. Brennan made a sea horse, Brayden made a bear and Emma made a turtle. The box had 500 Bendaroos in it, which will make quite a few projects, but I have a feeling I will be buying more of these in the future. At only $4.99 for the box, it was a pretty good buy!

Well, today is the first day of March, and it has certainly come in like a lion. We woke up to snow. Of course the kids were excited so after 20 minutes of getting snow clothes on, they went out to play. I have so much fun watching them when they play together well. I sure love these kids. They make me smile every day.

I got an idea from Pinterest to make some no-sew quiet books for the kids. With some help from my mom (meaning she really did most of the work), we found some fun folder games to print off and laminate. Then, instead of velcro I decided to use magnets so we wouldn’t be quite so loud at church. Then, we printed off some coloring pages, tic-tac-toe pages, writing pages, a page for each of them to practice writing their names, and some dot to dots. We laminated these pages, and got some dry erase crayons so they can do these activities over and over again. The kids were so excited when they saw the books. Hopefully they will keep them busy at church. If so, it was totally worth all the cutting!

Today we headed to the Dr.’s office for Emma’s 2 year old wellness check and Austin’s 2 month old wellness check. Both of them are growing well and right where they should be developmentally. The doctor was surprised by how strong Austin is. Emma weighed in at 26 pounds, which puts her in the 55th percentile for weight. When Emma got her vaccination, she didn’t cry at all. She’s such a tough little girl! Austin weighed in at 12 pounds 10 ounces, which also puts him in the 55th percentile for weight. He is 23 inches tall, which puts him in the 50th percentile for height. He is in the 20th percentile for head circumference When Austin got his vaccinations, he did cry, and it was sad, but the nurse said I could feed him afterward and that made it all better. Lol. The kid LOVES food! I sure adore these kiddos and as much as I hate them growing up so fast, it is fun to watch them learn new things. I’m so grateful to be their mommy!

He is such a happy guy!

So handsome.

Sweetheart.

Cute 2 year old.

This past weekend was a very busy and fun one at the Toyn household. Friday was Emma’s 2nd birthday. I can’t believe how quickly the last 2 years have flown by. Emma Joy has been such a great addition to our family. I think she has all of us wrapped around her little finger, and I think she knows it. She is almost always happy and makes us laugh and smile every day. I’m so grateful I get to be her mom. She is a fun and beautiful little girl and I love watching her learn new things. She loves to sing, dance, dress up, play with her baby dolls, and she likes to think she is the mom sometimes Friday evening we met Nick and my mom and Lynn at Red Robin for dinner to celebrate Emma being in our family. We all had a great time. When we got home, Uncle Tyler and Aunt Sadie were waiting for us! The kids were so excited but somehow we managed to get them all to sleep before the rest of our weekend company arrived. Nicks parents, Aunt Michelle, and cousins Camden and Bre Leigh were all able to come from Utah to spend the weekend.

Saturday morning, everyone met at my mom and Lynn’s house for a delicious breakfast of bacon and crepes. So yummy! Then, Uncle Greg and Aunt Monika came from Logan for the weekend! The rest of the day was spent getting ready for Emma’s birthday party. We had everything just about ready for the party when Brennan started screaming. Apparently one of the other kids was trying to get his balloon, so he ran and forgot to look where he was going. He ran right into the corner of the door frame. Right away, he had a huge bump on his head. Luckily for us, Brennan is a pretty happy guy even when things aren’t perfect and by the end of the party, he was smiling and laughing again. My grandparents had arrived from Pocatello by this time and were able to join us for the party. Emma opened a ton of fun presents. Then, we had pizza and salad for dinner, followed by cake and ice cream. It was so much fun to have so many members of both sides of the family there to celebrate our little girl’s birthday.

We woke up early Sunday morning to get ready for Austin’s baby blessing. It was pretty crazy trying to get everyone ready by 8:30 so we could get to the church and save seats, but we managed to get one picture with Nick, me and Austin before we left. When we got to the church, I realized I forgot to put the food in the oven for the brunch we were having after church! Oops! Right after the blessing, we sent Nick’s brother to the house to put the food in, and it turned out just fine but I did panic for a bit. Nick did a wonderful job with the blessing. Austin didn’t cry at all, but he did spit up right as the blessing ended. We are so grateful to have Austin in our family. He is such a sweetheart. He’s had a difficult first few weeks of life with colds, acid reflux, a rash, and a clogged tear duct, but he smiles all the time and everyone who sees his smile can’t help but smile back. We love him so much!

After sacrament meeting, we headed to the house for a delicious brunch. My mom made french toast casserole, which was a huge hit, and we had ham and fruit to go with it. It was so great to get to visit with everyone and enjoy their company. Thank you to everyone that came to support us this weekend. We love you all!