Leprechaun month is over!!! Elias and I don't say a thing about St. Patricks day and yet each year the entire month of March seems to be dedicated to catching a leprechaun.
I have to say, the kids kicked up the quality of their traps this year.
Their creativity continues to amaze me.
And Smith's commitment to not getting pinched by a leprechaun on the 17th included wearing his green underwear on the outside of his pants and shinguards just to be safe. 
Elias had to go to South Africa for a week so my dad surprised me for a quick visit while E was gone. I love that he still takes care of me even with kids of my own. He is always so helpful and fun.
I love being a mother. The kids are growing up and they each have their own personality. Rose is a crack-up and we've seen a little more fire from her this month.
She loves the swings and screams almost constantly the entire time she rides.
She continues to be obsessed with her daddy and totally freaks out every time he walks into (or out of) the room. Unfortunately she is always a bit more dramatic when he is around but it doesn't seem to phase E.
She is always up for a good cuddle.
Rose loves to get in the middle of things. She really learned how to walk toward the end of the month, and it appears that she is no longer satisfied with life unless she is living on the edge of danger.
Joy continues to rule the roost. She always has an agenda and usually expects everyone else to comply, but on occasion she will venture off to take on a task independently and walk back into the room a few minutes later covered head-to-toe in hand soap or with her pockets full of goldfish or with 13 panty liners artfully displayed on her shirt.
She will give you the how-to and talk your ear off about...we often don't know what. 
I think she has a larger vocabulary than most kindergarteners, but her articulation is a little behind so we don't know what she is saying most of the time. Luckily between context clues and her killer hand gestures, I can usually get the gist.
She cracks me up daily and causes me to hyperventilate almost just as often. She has started making up songs and they melt any frustration that the last stand-off in a parking lot brought on.
Bennett is her best friend and she will do almost anything for a playdate with him.
I love my mornings with these two little fireballs.
We have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.
And some major meltdowns as well.
My big kids enjoyed a snow day off from school and we loved our time building a fort and making snow ice cream while snacking on popcorn.
The weekend brought on another storm and Elias always takes the snow fun to another level.
Elias continues to be a dream boat. He is the most amazing dad and is always so focused on how to connect with his kids and support me.
I'm so proud of all the work he is doing at his job. It is crazy, and stressful, and intense, and yet he comes home and is 100% home. I don't know how he does it. I do love that he has started painting and playing the guitar again. He is so talented and I love having the kids see that artistic side of him. And he's such a hottie!
Smith is always thinking about things.
Once this month I saw him pondering to himself in the kitchen and then he announced out loud to no one, "the best place to go ice skating is the north pole." He is growing a ton.
I've gone in and read to all of the kids' classes and this month I got to go into Smith's class. He loves non-fiction books and insisted we read some not-so-interesting, but extremely-factual books to his class and he loved everyone minute of it.
He loves space and exploring. He loves learning about animals and though he sometimes has a quick temper, it can always be diffused with a book. I'm so proud of how quickly he is learning to read and how hard he works at school His bottom two teeth finally fell out!
He always comes home from school and empties his pockets to share with me all the "treasures" he found throughout the day. He has come home from parks with everything in his pockets from rusty bottle caps to discarded windshield wipers. One day at the park he got stuck in the baby swing and it was hilarious.
Boyd is full of surprises. He has a tough outer shell, but on the inside he couldn't be more gentle. He made me and Elias a little calendar at school for Christmas and each month comes with a little pun that goes along with a picture. I've loved it.
He loves discovering how things work and making new things. He is very social and very physical. He loves to wrestle and chase more than anything in the world. He gets so jazzed he often takes it too far, but just before that is when he is at his happiest.
He often doesn't like to talk when he is put on the spot, any formal reporting at the end of the day is not his style but if you get him in a casual setting one-on-one, he will talk your ear off! Elias and I love our chats with Boyd. He is so thoughtful and inquisitive. And I love how hard he works; when there is a job to do he does it right away. He's on a huge transformers kick right now. He's also a big jokester. He'll do almost anything for a laugh.
Boyd and Smith are great friends. They are so different, but I hope they always remain close.
Summer is the best big sister anyone could ever hope for.
She is growing up so quickly and it breaks my heart and fills me up at the same time. She did so well at her piano recital this month and I was so proud of her. She recognizes when I am starting to go bananas and jumps right into to help so I can take a step back.
She loves writing and I couldn't stop laughing over some of her opinion pieces.
She is an outdoor girl who is always up for an adventure.
Summer has such a strong spirit. I see qualities in her that I can only strive for. She is naturally good and kind. She will spontaneously share her testimony of a gospel principle, or just feel inspired to create religious artwork. And let's not forget the days she wakes up early to surprise us all by making everyone's lunch. She just radiates goodness. When people with little kids come over I know she is disappointed they don't have someone her age but she does all that she can to make those little kids feel happy and safe. She will take them by the hand and lead them downstairs to find something they like. I'm so grateful to have this sweet spirit in our home and I am trying to be more like her.
This month brought so many happy, rich, family moments. I love the mornings with our kids, and I love how a heavy snow seems to make the pace of life slow down.
I have loved the "Come Follow Me" scripture study program that our church has provided. I feel it has enabled me to have meaningful conversations with my kids on a daily basis.
I have loved being a mom in this area. There is so much to explore with kids. I was able to take them to a maple taping festival and it was fascinating to learn all about it together.
Summer and I hosted a mommy & me baby shower and I loved getting to know other moms and their daughters in this area.
I've loved teaching my kids the joy of reading. I savor the weekly ritual of returning from the library to pour out the new books and devour our spoils.
I especially love those beautiful (though sometimes rare) moments when I am cooking a dinner I'm excited about in a kitchen that I love while all of the kids are happily playing with each other in a home that is safe and peaceful and I know that it's all made possible because of a man who loves us fiercely, who is willing to trek into the city each day and carry the weight of the world so that we can live so carefree.
Elias, I love you.
I have better understood my Savior's love for me through experiencing Elias' love for me.
I'm so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and the gospel principles that have provided us with such a blessed and peaceful life. I'm grateful I get to stay home with my kids and experience the day to day of motherhood. I've been humbled recently as I've recognized that the principles taught to me and Elias as children by our parents have enabled us to avoid certain pitfalls and trials and provided us with tools and understanding that lead to a richer and happier life.
Always,
Brittany et al.
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