These guys

Life around here seems especially busy right now.  There's lots of track, soccer, baby watching, and work to keep us busy.  I've also been very sick twice over the last month and it's amazing how quickly we get behind if I am not at my best.  We've been managing though and somehow these boys of ours just keep growing and changing.  I thought it best to record some of what's been happening with these little men before we've missed these stages completely.  

Hyrum completed a whole half a year of life.  He's entered the scary and exciting time of mobility.  He's a crawling wonder and has started pulling himself up to a stand with no regard for whether or not his perch is stable.  He managed to somersault down a short flight of stairs with no injury the other day-- I couldn't catch him in time.  
He's a smiley and very social little guy.  He's pleasant but is managing to make his opinions known.  He is the best eater of all the boys at this stage except if we give him peas.  I can't blame him.  He's still a wee little guy.  I'll see on Monday at his checkup how he's grown.
He has some terrible sleeping habits lately.  He's decided he'd like to nurse all night long so as not to lose valuable crawling time during the day.  We're working on it but a schedule for this little one is made so much more complicated by the other demands on our family right now.  I have big hopes for the summer.
We are all still completely smitten with him.  Can you blame us?  

Isaac has been stealing my heart lately with his charm and independence.  He is a talker, chatting non-stop with stories.  He's talks constantly about his "friends at his friend's house"--his imaginary friends that do all sorts of death defying stunts.
He cannot understand or accept that he is not five years old like Noah or even seven like Luke.  He cried for 20 minutes about wanting to run track with his brothers when we took them to practice on Tuesday.  He also thinks he's old enough to go and play at a friend's house without a parent.
He is very observant of the world around him.  The details he picks up and remembers amaze me.  
He is an easy little guy most of the time.  He and Noah play constantly and when his cousin Tommy is over the three of them have quite the friendship.
He is the most complicated of my boys emotionally.  One must tread lightly on certain subjects with him.  We've worked out a pretty good arrangement and understand each other well.  I'm glad he's my third because the experience with the other two really pays off with him.   I've gotten better at picking my battles. 
He is by far the most athletic of the boys.  He's strong, strong, strong.  We frequently do feats of strength around here and love to see how well this little guy does.  The best is his long jump-- he flies.  
He gives out some great monkey hugs, wrapping his legs around as well.  It's the best. 
I adore him. 

Noah melts me with his tenderness and concern.  He's the best sleeper and is always the last one to rise.  He comes to find me and hugs me as soon as he gets up.  I call him my morning sunshine.
He is still the glue that holds us together.  He is best friends with both his brothers and brings us all closer.
He is very social and wants to play with friends all the time.  There are some great ones in the neighborhood and I can't say I blame him.
He loves his preschool and his teacher comments frequently about how well he does.  Everything he learns at school is the best and most exciting thing he has ever done.
He has a contagious smile and accompanying laugh.   
He was very timid when he first started running track with the city league.  He spent the entire first practice hugging Luke around the waist.  He warmed up though and now talks about it all the time and can be found practicing his high knee drill all the time. 

Luke's growth has been shocking me lately.  I cannot believe that I have an almost eight year old boy.  He wants so badly to do what is right and is really hard on himself when he falls short.  To be honest, the stage he is at is quite challenging for me.  It's a time of intense emotions and we're learning to navigate them together.  
He is a reading wonder.  He plowed through the first four Harry Potter books this year and is now bringing new books home from the library every day.  If he's into a book I can count on not seeing him for hours at a time.
He is almost completely finished memorizing all the Articles of Faith, which was his pre-baptism goal.  He's got a mind for memorizing.  I love watching him go.
He remembers the things that we talk about at church and at home.  During a recent Family Home Evening we drew out the plan of salvation and I was impressed with his knowledge.  He also drew in the planet Saturn and wondered where that fit into the degrees of glory-- I loved it.
He is running track and playing soccer, which has him busy after school.  I love watching him interact with his teammates-- his favorite part of sports.

Nat and I are stretching and growing as well.  I continue to be impressed with my husband's capacity to balance all the demands placed on him.  He remains steady and constant and is the backbone of our family.

I've been working on finding peace in the times of chaos in our home.  I'm learning all over again that God hears and answers my prayers.  

I marvel constantly at the gift of each of these men in my life.  Watching all of them grow and develop is such a gift.  Each one has his own special place in my heart and teaches me in their own unique way.