A picture is worth

... how many blog updates? 

I haven't been working at all in May and therefore no blog updates (yes, I realize the irony of that sentence). 

Sister cuddle update: it is still happening. In fact, sometimes this happens:

After Ana falls asleep, Zoe sometimes surrounds her heads with legos to look like flowers so Ana can be Snow White. 

And sometimes this happens:

You have to go to the ER for diverticulits and get -admitted- and have to stay getting IV antibiotics for 2 days. Bummer! 

This guy! Look how huge he looks! Getting asleep pictures of my children is always worth it - even though I'm scared I'm gonna wake them!

Throw back:

A and Z - ~12months and almost 3

 Current Day:

Z and B ~ 4 years and 1 year

Let me tell you something about kids getting bigger - they start helping in ways that are -actually- helpful. It's great! Take this for instance - I wanted to finish the dishes but also had to add things to my grocery list and so Z scribed for me. Perfect. I may have had to spell everything I listed, but still rocked:

Have I mentioned we LOVE spring/summer? Happy ice cream days to us.

Please note how cute Ana is in this picture. It makes me want to explode.

I mean, really. Lets just reflect on this for a second.

ah! ana!

Z has started "posing" for pictures. Here she told us to take a photo of "beauty" -

It was Mother's Day! We went to SA to spend some time with some of our favorite mothers: Mimi and Aunt Donna. I also got a picture with my munchkies. My what a difference a year makes. In both their size and my sleep deprivation.

Mothers Day 2013

Mothers Day 2014

And Mateo is still working hard and doing seminary alongside all the millions of things he does for our church. It's really hard to keep track of what he is doing at any given time - but lets just say he is keeping busy while still being an awesome husband and daddy. what what!

Ben is full on walking now - almost running - and I've even seen him try to jump. He says "mama - mama" - to mean "I want" and he also calls me "mama." He waves and says "byyye!" to basically any car that drives by while we are outside and he does wave and say "hi" some too. Recently he started pointing to the babies in Clap Hands (a book) and saying "baba - baba" - SO EXCITED that he is trying to save baby! Just this morning I got him from the crib and he was pointing to a ball in his room and instead of saying "mama" to try to get me to get it for him he was was saying "baaaaaa - baaaaaa" which seemed as if he were trying to say "ball" - I'm so pumped that he is starting on some words and B words at that! B is a sound you need a palate to make. Great job Ben! He is such a happy guy and I really could not even tell you what he spends his day doing because he doesn't do much of anything for more than 5 minutes before moving on to the next thing. He just toddles around the house working on stuff while the girls run circles and play games and scream at each other around him. I love it. I love Ben. He also falls into stuff and gives himself black eyes sometimes. Eeek! 

Zoe's prek went to the zoo - well actually we all "met" at the zoo but still called it a field trip. I've never been to the zoo here - it is more of an animal rescue - and I am so grateful Matt was able to come with me because I really dont think I could have managed that by myself! 

Quack. 

Feeding animals

Ben was really excited about this particular animal...

... that is made out of metal.

Z and her besties from her class. Hayley and Emma. Hayley was being silly!

I'm not sure if it is the combination of cos school and stay at home mom time or my kids ages or what - but I've been feeling a lot more at peace about where I am in life right now. Maybe I've just resolved myself to it or maybe its just that pumping, taping, dr visits and all hard things Ben's first year are fading further out of sight. I feel like it's such a special thing to be able to say that I feel peace with where I am - I know so many people can't and even myself have had times when I couldn't say that - but God has been so faithful in bringing me through to this side and I am grateful! He has even started working on me in new ways and putting new desires/convictions in my spirit and I'm excited to watch these pan out over the next few months and years. Happy May!