Simplifying!

Scuba Ethan!
Ben bought some wet suites for future boat outings...for now, if you looked in our yard you will see 3 kids and 1 adult (that would be Ben!) swimming in the pool with wet suits! It's pretty comical! At least we are getting year round use of the pool!

Sophia obviously doesn't have a wet suit, but enjoys the hot tub and the extremely mild winter this year. By mild winter, I mean 80's and 90's (and of course it's the winter I went on a sweater buying rampage!)
Isn't she getting big? The pig tails age her a bit, I think! She is growing up and doing a lot of new things, that include; talking, learning the names of her body parts, sounds that animals make and my personal favorite....saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. Her current likes are books, parks, going on walks, and swimming (with floaties of course!). Also ranked at the top is testing Mom's patience at an hourly rate, and getting into every possible thing except the mounds of toys that surround her.

Emmy and Ethan (could this be a more perfect picture?)

While it looks at though he is winking to say..."yeah baby look what I have going on!" He is actually pretending to be a spy (how that applies I don't know but that's what he said before he winked) and Emmy is checking it out! On that note, Ethan draws and creates cards every day that have Emmy's names written all over it! Her name is the only word, besides his name, that he can spell without help!

Our little missionary!

Ben found these awesome suits for a great deal! Ethan was with him when he bought them and he had the jacket on before he got out of the car, and the pants on as soon as he got in the house. A few minutes later I didn't' see him anywhere. I found him outside riding his scooter in his suit! I'm sure the neighbors got a kick out of that one. Probably saying something like, "look at the Mormon kid riding around in his suit!" Doesn't he look like a stud? Boston looks so old in his. I just pictured him passing the sacrament and it made me want cry! How fast they grow, but how fun to see each step. Such a double edge sword!


So there it is! Now I'm sure you have been asking, "Where or where has the Pribyl family been? Why haven't they been posting?" LOL Totally kidding of course. I can't imagine anyone sitting around waiting for our next post! Needless to say, life comes at you fast! We all have busy lives, and honestly, I can't say that I have been the best at reading up on others blogs as well. First, if your private, my google reader doesn't show me your new posts, so unless you make a comment on mine(which conveniently goes straight to my email) I often forget to check. Then sometimes my inbox for my google reader gets so full, and to keep me from being overwhelmed I admit I do quick scans and clear my inbox! I wish life afforded me time to thoroughly read all blogs and emails, keep my house clean, help kids with homework and all their other needs, volunteer at the school, make meals for all who need one, exercise, plan and make meals for our family every night, keep up on facebook, blog, watch my favorite shows, read, go to the temple, do FHE, scripture study, journal, do church callings, spending quality time with kids, spouses, friends and family.....and then get adequate sleep....but that is soon becoming impossible. A friend and I were discussing the other day how we seem to have less time to do what we want as our kids get older. How did that happen? I remember thinking, no fantasizing is more like it, about all the time I would have, to do whatever I wanted, once my kids were in school. I should have enjoyed those years and the free time that I had! I remember painting, doing endless crafty projects for me, my house, and the kids and still having time to watch all my favorite TV shows and read, go above and beyond in my callings, and all the other great things on the list above! Though things haven't gone the way I have expected, I'm learning that some things can take a back seat, while I attend to the best things! That includes this lovely blog. While it is a better thing, it's not ranked amongst the BEST things. It used to stress me out, thinking how I needed to update it, and it seemed to take up big chunks of my evenings! Now I have more time to relax with the hubby and watch our favorite shows, read a good book, talk to old friends, lay with the kids when I put them to bed and just talk about their day (the best child/parent talk time by the way) and journal in our personal journals. The blog can wait...And no one really wants to know my daily comings and goings, right?! People just want the pictures, occasional brief updates, or a "funny" that will make you laugh or make you realize that no one is perfect! Am I right? ......the personal journals stay with me!;) So here's to simplifying....until the kids are gone and then we realize how much they filled our lives! Hope you liked the shortened version! LOL