Introducing...

Our newest bundle of joy: Eliza Rae Potter 10-9-2012 6:07 PM 8 lbs. 1 oz. 19 1/2 in.

Have you heard?

For those of you that might have and are wondering and for those of you that haven't yet...

We're expecting a big harvest this fall!!

Our October

Well, October was a great month with lots of fun for our family! Mostly, it was great because we were able to be TOGETHER for a lot of it! Ben was able to come home for General Conference weekend and we had a lovely time just staying at home as a family! It's funny how easy it is to take those little moments for granted. These last few months, with Ben in Idaho finishing up his MBA and the rest of us in Washington, have really helped us appreciate these special little moments together.
Anyway, here's some of the highlights of our month:

Candace's Bridal Shower - got all the Whatcott sisters together and had a LOT of fun! Thanks, Ben for helping it happen!

Apple picking, marshmallow-toasting, and movie nights with friends & family in Idaho!

An afternoon at temple square with Oma & Opa & Great-Grandpa Smith!

Fun times with cousins, aunts, uncles, & grandparents in Utah!

Saturday morning hike in Payson Canyon & fishing at Maple Lake. All the girls caught a fish (thanks, Opa!), but none of them wanted to actually touch it! Caleb, however, was quite enamored with the fish and even took a dip in the lake.

Candace & Matt's wedding dinner -so much fun to have an adult's night out and visit with the newlyweds and extended family!

Last-minute, low-maintenance, & creative Halloween costumes! (Natalie=witch, Lucy=spanish dancer, Karalie=princess of all valentines (she came up with this herself!), Camilla=reluctant cowgirl, Caleb=clown).

Our ward's annual Primary Presentation! Natalie, Lucy, & Karalie all did a great job singing and saying their parts and Camilla was in the congregation singing right along with them! She is really looking forward to being in Sunbeams next year!

Well, that's about it for our month of October. I guess time flies when you're having fun!

Moving Back

Well, the truth that I've found is that moving is hard no matter what. I guess I was expecting moving home to be easier than moving to a new place. Not so, however. While we were gone our ward was absorbed into another ward which then split. So we came home to a new ward and while we still know a lot of people, it is not the same. Even after a few months I still feel like a visitor. Old friends have become casual acquaintances at best. They say "Hi" when they see you, but that's about it. Having Ben gone to Idaho has made me realize just how much I depended on his outgoing, friendly personality. It turns out that on my own I'm kind of a hermit and recluse. Of course, being a single, homeschooling mom of five children doesn't really help to ease the feeling of isolation. Okay, Okay, life isn't all bad, I mean we still have a home and Ben still has a job and I still have my sanity. Maybe I should lose the sanity and start talking to myself and then it wouldn't feel so lonely around here. I guess I never realized that the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days Alexander talked about weren't so bad. It's the weeks, and months you have to watch out for!

Catching Up

Well, under this heading I could just write my whole life history, but rather than bore you to death I'll just "sum up" (think Princess Bride) some of our main events of the past couple of months:

Natalie's 8th BirthdayIt's hard to believe that my first baby girl is so grown up! We had a really fun party for her birthday. She wanted a scripture-themed party where everyone came dressed up as their favorite scripture hero. It was a little daunting at first, but with a little creative thinking it turned out pretty well. Ben made an awesome "Book of Mormon" cake..and we played games like "Pin-the-tail on the Curelom" and even had a Gadianton Robber shooting gallery! I think she liked it - what do you think?

Christmas 2010Here's all the kiddos in their Sunday Christmas outfits. Even though we were in the middle of a transition, Santa still managed to find our house and a great time was had by all! The older girls got "adventure packs" that they have really enjoyed using in their "explorations". Camilla got a new dolly complete with stroller which she sometimes calls by Sunshine and other times by Baleigh Grace. And Caleb got to enjoy two new stuffed monkeys of his own for his first Christmas.

Saying Good-bye

After Christmas, things got hectic as we started in earnest to pack, de-junk, sell, and store our STUFF in anticipation of our upcoming move to Idaho. It was crazy, but made easier because of the help of so many wonderful people! Thankfully, we were also able to squeeze in a last get-together with some dear friends whom we already miss!


Natalie's Baptism
We were so glad we could also squeeze in this special event right before we left. We are so proud of Natalie for the great decision she made and the wonderful example she is to those around her! It was a great experience and we were once again grateful to be surrounded and supported by so many family and friends!


Move to Idaho
Our last main event was the BIG MOVE to Idaho! It was a VERY long day, but again we had so much help before, during, and after the move that everything ran much smoother than it would have been if we'd had to do it all on our own! I really don't know how we would have gotten through it without all the help from our families and friends! We have been and continue to be greatly blessed by the wonderful, giving, supportive people they are! Thank you, thank you to all who have helped in so many ways! We love you and are deeply grateful for you!

For Posterity's Sake

Here is Natalie's first attempt at a newsletter! We had a lovely time reading and chuckling over an 8-year-old's perspective. I know it's a bit long, but hopefully you (and her future boyfriends) will enjoy! :0)

The Potter Gassette (original spelling & grammar included)
Headlines:
the Biggest Blow-out ever!
Baby Caleb Potter was sitting on Lucy Potter's lap when it happend. it was so Big Caleb's suit had to be washed right away. the end of the Big Blow-out News. Bye folks --> Don't go yet! turn to the other side
thanks for comeing to the other side
more news!
the Baby corner
Babys need Just your milk & not formula. they can take formula but formula is not as good for them.
Helpful tip
if you have a more than usuwal sleepy Baby, pump and feed it Bottles
the corner about guns
guns are not toys! guns are weapons.
Helpful tip
some guns kick. do not get a gun that kicks.
There is to be a royal wedding in Eng-land. We do not know when the wedding date is. this wedding is going to be bigger and fancyer than any other.
what Natalie says about her mom
sometimes mom makes me feel angry & unepreciated but I know mom loves me and I will always love her back
feelings
I love mom!
the Book corner
Book are g-r-e-a-t!
Books help you learn!
Helpful tip
You can Buy Books from the Bookstore

The New Comfort Food

Yes, according to my four-year-old, salad is the new comfort food. This revelation came about when discussing what kind of treat we should make and take to some family and friends who were under the weather. As we discussed the various options (brownies, cookies, bread, etc), Karalie pipes up her vote is for making brownies and taking the salad (part of our dinner) to the sick people! So there you have it, salad is the new comfort food of choice (when you're craving brownies of course)!

Summer's Special Events

1. Blessing our first son - July 4, 2010. (Also the birthday of cousin Hyrum!) Blessed by his father with both Grandfathers and Uncle Nathan & Uncle Robert in attendance! It was a wonderful day and we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with so many of our family who came to show their love and support.

2. A Trip to Pennsylvania! We had a lovely time getting to see Eric & Linda & Co. in their home in Pennsylvania! While there we enjoyed lightning bugs, thunderstorms, homemade ice cream, swordfights, bedtime stories, late-night chats, chocolate milk, and some good ol' fashioned creek swimmin'! We hope to return again soon for some more of the same!

3. A REAL Camping Trip (with the WHOLE family)! Yes we did it, and we even survived to tell about it! The girls were dying to go on a real camping trip and sleep (or at least try to sleep) in a tent. Truth be told, most of our family camping trips have been in Grammy & Papa's meadow using their firepit for our s'mores and our very close bathroom and beds as a back-up. It was definitely time to break out of the comfort zone. So we got Nathan & Jenny & Co. and Grammy & Papa to come along and we decided to go to Mt. Rainier National Park the weekend before public school started (we weren't aware since we homeschool). We had a lovely time (once we finally found a campsite). I felt like we did amazingly well considering we got to our campsite much later than planned and had no bathrooms or running water (yes, we were really roughing it)! We even managed to catch a few snatches of sleep; and, with all seven of us in the same tent, that is a pretty incredible feat! The next day we had a lot of fun picnicking at the base of Mt. Rainier and then hiking in the Grove of the Patriarchs. It was a very easy hike and the children really enjoyed learning all about the enormous, ancient trees from a friendly park ranger. All in all it was a great trip with lots of fun memories. Who knows, we might even try it again!

A New Addition

As you can see, we've been busy at our house adding on a couple of feet! Caleb Benjamin Potter made his debut on May 27th. We are so happy to have him here (finally)!

Here's our latest and greatest addition with mother #4 - Karalie. The girls are having a great time holding, touching, kissing and generally mothering this sweet little guy. Thankfully, they're really good about washing their hands first!As you can see...he's a hefty fellow and weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs. 14 oz. and measured 21 1/2 inches long! We're making sure that he tries out all his newborn clothes because they may not fit for long!

We're so happy to have this little man here - it's like we brought a little slice of heaven home with us!

We're Still Here

Just thought we'd let you know....

We're all still here....

doing great...
and feeling fine!!

Stay tuned for more posts!! :0)

Summer Fun!

So as you all have probably already guessed, we've been pretty busy this summer (hence the lack of posts)! Here's a few pics of what we've been up to:

Planting grass....
And more grass....
And more grass!! It's a little patchy in spots (that's what you get when you do it yourself) and it's been a LOT of work, but it's so nice to see green instead of brown! Now if we could just figure out how to get our grass & garden to grow as fast as our weeds!!!

We've also had some fun celebrating birthdays! Here's Camilla with her first birthday cake!

She wasn't so sure at first, but as you can see she decided that chocolate cake is a GOOD thing!

Here's Grammy and Karalie, the birthday buddies! They each got their OWN birthday cake thanks to our sweet visiting teacher. Oh, and she made Camilla's cake too! Thanks, Marge! You were definitely one busy lady!

Here's Karalie celebrating #3 with her very own stick horse (she named him "Buck") and cowgirl get-up (thanks Grammy)! We can now always tell where Karalie is in the house by the tap-tapping sound made by her galloping with Buck!

As for other goings on we've had, my family came to visit over the 4th of July; Ben's been involved in a ward roofing project; and we've had Jenny & co. and Bob & Julie & co. come to visit as well! It's been chaos at times, but we have just loved it! The house and life in general just seem so lonely and quiet after everyone goes home! However, with all the excitement we do tend to get a little tired and often fall asleep at odd times...:0)

Lessons I've Learned

So I have a little confession to make. I never ever thought that being a Mom would be this hard! I was the oldest of seven children and, honestly, I thought I knew everything and could handle motherhood without a problem! I loved kids and I had babysitting down pat! What more could there be? Fast forward a few years and -WHAM! - I'm a new mother with a screaming baby and I have no clue what to do! Thank goodness for parents who have been there and done that and can give some much-needed encouragement and advice when needed (even if that happens to be in the middle of the night)! So the learning began, and as all mothers, I have been in intense, hands-on, motherhood lessons ever since. For a Relief Society bookclub, we recently read I Am A Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson. It was such a good reminder of just what an important job mothers have! As I have read this book I've been led to ask some older Mothers what they would do differently or what advice they had for someone "in the trenches of motherhood". While each answer has been unique, they have all had the same theme of spending less time on the unimportant and spending more time really enjoying your children. So here are some of the lessons I've learned in an effort to more thoroughly enjoy my children: #1: A little smile can light up your day!
#2: A spoonful of sugar (or in this case, "princess panties") helps the medicine (or potty training) go down!

#3: If life gives you dirt and water, make mud (and let your kids enjoy it)!

#4: Enjoying your kids is not a spectator sport (in other words get down and dirty with 'em)!!


#5: I LOVE being a mother and wouldn't trade these experiences for anything!

Busy As Usual!

So life seems to be going faster and faster and I've been noticing that with all the crazy stuff we've had going on the last few years (moving several times, house-building, babies, etc.) I've really gotten out of the habit of taking pictures. I'm not just talking professional pictures, but regular everyday pictues as well. So, thanks to the world of blogs, I am now not only aware of my ineptness, but am resolved to do better in my own little realm of photography (however amateur and uncreative it may be)! Hope you all enjoy some everyday shots of the fam!

This is how Karalie likes to fall asleep for her afternoon nap! She chooses a book, I read it to her while she sits in her bed. Then she gets to keep it and read it until she falls asleep. It's worked really well until she decided she wanted to start playing in her poop at naptime....ICKY!

Here is Camilla crying because I wouldn't pick her up. She's been going through a stage where she's decided she no longer wants to take naps! Tough for her and Mommy! She'd get to the point where she'd be so tired that she wanted me to hold her all the time. If I put her down, this is what she would do. Thankfully we've reached a compromise. I put her in her carseat at naptime so she can still see everyone, and she goes to sleep!

This is the girls' favorite place to come in the morning!

Unfortunately, it's not big enough for them and us. So Ben and I usually get up and go about getting ready for the day while they lounge around in their pj's and play. Talk about living in the lap of luxury!

Growing Pains

This may seem like a weird title for this post, but really, I think it applies. There are so many experiences that help us to grow that are not comfortable. In fact, I think that some of our best growth occurs when we are experiencing extreme pain or difficulty in our lives. Recently, my sweet little niece passed away. Even though we were never able to meet her in person, her tender little spirit had a profound influence on our family. We were fasting, praying and thinking of her often during the three weeks that she was here. I was amazed at how diligently my own children were praying for their little cousin. I have been equally amazed to see how strong and faithful my sister and brother-in-law have been throughout this whole ordeal. This experience, though extremely painful, has brought so many blessings to me and my entire family. I truly feel that as a family, immediate and extended, our faith and love for one another has grown. Incredible isn't it, how much the important things matter and how insignificant the little things seem when we are really tested? I am so thankful that Kaylie came to be a part of our family! Though she is gone, she will be remembered in our hearts forever.

Primary Giggles

Primary really is the place to be on Sunday! For all of you who are elsewhere, you are really missing out! All of us adults were in stitches today due to our many "out of mouths of babes" moments! For instance, after the counselor who was conducting recited the fourth article of faith one of my dear little ones said, "Correct!" just like she was Alec Trebec on Jeopardy! A little later we were having sharing time on things the children could do to help out their families. One little boy was practicing cheerfully helping make dinner. After he was done a darling little girl piped up, "He did it wrong! He forgot to lick the spoon!" I'm sure it's not nearly as funny written on a blog as it was in real life, but hopefully it gives you a little bit of a smile and sunshine as it did me!

Happy Everything!

Well, as you all have probably noticed, I kind of fell off the blog bandwagon for a few months! It just kinda got crazy there for a little while! Of course, after it had been a couple of months, I put it off purposely because I just felt there was so much to cover that I would never catch up! This is kind of a bad cycle to get into, because it just keeps getting worse not better. However, I am not going to let the past hold me captive any longer! So here are some pictures of our all our holiday and winter-time fun! :0)

We really enjoyed seeing the beautiful lights and nativities at temple square this Christmas!

Lucy & Karalie trying out Grammy's "real" sled! They had a BLAST! (Aren't Grammies great?!)

Natalie cheesing it for her 6th birthday! We made a special "Lethal Peppermint Chocolate Cake" just for her and she just loved it (in fact we all did)!

Here's our little Camilla! She's growing so fast we can hardly believe it! She's already scooting around the house, thus earning the nickname of "Scooter Dooter" and "Hoover"!

And here's a last recent shot of our girls in their jammies! They are really into building forts and "camping out" lately!

Happy Halloween!

Well, here we all are decked out in our costumes for Halloween! In case you can't tell, Natalie & Lucy are girl pirates, Karalie is a snow princess, & Camilla is a pumpkin. Ben is a deer & I am the mighty huntress (Lucy & Ben are holding my bow & arrows)! Sorry about the lack of extra photos, but because of the craziness of the day we didn't take pictures until after all the fun & sugar and the girls weren't really in a photo-op mood.
Try as I might I can never seem to get Halloween to not be a crazy last-minute improvising affair! This year I thought I was doing pretty well by just getting Natalie & Lucy store-bought costumes. I was even smart (or at least I thought I was) and didn't let them see the costumes until the day before. This proved to be unwise because Natalie's costume fit Lucy and Lucy's didn't work for anyone. This left me scrounging all day Friday trying to get a pirate costume together for Natalie. As you can imagine, she was very put out that her little sister got to wear her costume!
So Friday morning I called Grammy and asked her to come to our rescue! She did, thankfully, and helped in so many ways! Her sewing stash and expertise were a blessing and the only reason we even had a costume for Natalie to wear!Then she made dinner so Ben and I could finish up all the little stuff and we could all make it to the trunk-or-treat! Ben was a lifesaver too, running to the store for little necessities during his lunch hour and after work! All-in-all it was a crazy, but fun day!

Life With the Potters

Well, life's been moving along as it always does. We recently had a quick trip to Utah to see my younger sister get married in the Salt Lake Temple. It was wonderful to see everyone and to be there with April & John on their special day. Of course, we forgot our camera so we don't have any pictures to post. Our arms were so full with kids that we probably wouldn't have gotten much of a chance anyway! The girls had some really cute matching skirts that John's mom made them. I will try to get some pics of them twirling posted soon! This trip was hard, but so worth it for so many reasons. We got to see some family that we haven't seen in quite awhile. The girls all got to see three of their great-grandparents which was really neat! Also, it was such a good thing for our girls to see April & John looking so happy at the temple. Our girls know that their Mommy & Daddy were married in the temple, but here they were able to see it first hand!Thanks April & John for being such a great example!

We were able to have my sister Christine and her family come stay with us for a few days! We had a great time with them here. The girls especially loved playing with Uncle Robert and cousin Sammy! We're still crossing our fingers and hoping that they will find a job up here so we can have them close by permanently!

Other than that, it's just been business as usual. Karalie's really come into her "terrible two's". She doesn't throw fits so much as she sneaks and gets into things when Mommy & Daddy aren't looking. She doesn't say "no" too much, but says "Dus a minute" when she doesn't want to do something you tell her to do. It's adorable, but aggravating at times. Here's a picture of her getting into my make-up. You can see that she thought the cover-up stick was lipstick and that the mascara was blush!

Here's a couple new pictures of our little Camilla Anne! She's growing up so fast, it's hard to believe she's already four months old. The girls just love her and have fun making her smile, giggle, and coo!

Oh, and they like dressing her up too! Here she is sporting Lucy's new sunglasses! What a cutie!

I've been "Husband Tagged"!

Meet my Hot Hubby - Ben Potter!

Well, I really think this is a ploy by my younger sister to get me to post more. She's always telling me that I don't post enough. She's probably right. Still, I am the mother of four children, isn't that some kind of excuse?! I guess not. So here it goes - info on me and my husband including all those juicy tidbits you didn't really want to know (just kidding).

1 - Where did you meet?

We met in Rexburg, Idaho in the fall of 2000. I was barely 18 and Ben walked his sister, Jenn, back to our apartment. She was my roommate at the time. And we were introduced.

2 - How long did you date before you were married?

Well, we were actually just friends for quite some time while we both dated other people. I came to think of him as my older brother. Then after a few break-ups we went out together. This was around the middle of February 2001. We were engaged in March and married in August of that same year. So I guess you could say we were dating for about six months before we were married.

3 - How long have you been married?

A little over seven years! It goes by fast!

4 - What does he do that surprises you?

When he goes on business trips he'll come back with clothes for me! It surprises me because if I were in his shoes I'd probably be buying clothes for me and not for him! (FYI: He has really good taste!)

5 - What is your favorite quality about him?

I love his willingness. He is willing to do just about anything anyone asks of him. He's the first to help out and the last to leave most of the time. It's a quality that I've always admired and am trying to emulate - it's not easy for me, but it seems to come naturally to him.

6 - Does he have a nickname for you?

Yes, but it's special and I'd like to keep it that way!

7 - What's his favorite color?

Green, I think!

8 - What's his favorite food?

He loves sushi and anything Japanese including sticky rice, gyoza, yakisoba, & okanomiyaki.

9 - What's his favorite sport?

Basketball, especially Potter basketball

10 - Who said "I love you" first?

Honestly, I can't remember, but we've loved each other for so long now I don't think it really matters.

11 - When and where was your first kiss?

Our first kiss was in the middle of a snowball fight in Rexburg, Idaho.

12 - What's your favorite thing to do as a couple?

We love to talk together, especially after the girls have gone to bed so it's quiet and we aren't interrupted.

13 - Do you have kids? How many?

Yes, we have four daughters: Natalie, Lucy, Karalie, & Camilla.

14 - What's a hidden talent he has?

Well, most people don't know that he's a really good juggler!

15 - How old is he?

29

16 - What's his favorite type of music?
Country, especially old classic country

17 - What do you admire most about him?

His ability to interact with people. He is so good at making people around him feel at ease and happy. He's also really good at handling people in difficult situations. I remember when a random lady on the subway got offended at something he said in our conversation. I remember feeling like it was none of her business and getting ready to tell her off. He didn't get mad, he just started talking with her and ended up having a really good conversation with her. It was pretty amazing to watch him just turn the whole situation around by using his positive influence!

18 - What's his favorite pastime?

He loves to go trap shooting and he's really good at it!

19 - Do you think he's going to read this?

Probably eventually. :0)

So anyone who is reading this, has a husband, and hasn't already done this is tagged! It gave me a good chance to reflect on my better half! Hope it is for you too!