Spring Happenings

 Braxton recently started swimming lessons for the first time ever

 Mom and Braxton ran a 2 mile race at Greer Elementary to raise money for the school library.  Braxton beat me by a good minute or two.  I was so proud of him for running almost the whole time and in rain too!

 Digging (as always) in the backyard

 Aurelia has learned how to climb and now must climb everything in site; her favorite is the dining table and our neighbors slide outside

 The boys got to sit in a real ambulance, have free food samples, meet real policemen and fire fighters, see the life flight plane, and enjoy a beautiful day

 It's finally warmed up so we can go on walks again to see the beautiful flowers

 We went to a petting zoo and Aurelia loved it!  She got to feed food to a peacock. Carston had fun pulling the pulleys to feed the goats as well.

 Napping because we get tired faster when we are outside so much

 Eating yummy food and of course making a mess of it

 Playing at the park with Daddy

Carston loves loves loves swim lessons and smiles the whole time!  Braxton enjoys his but his lips are blue by the end and he's always so cold (so thin!). 

Carston's 4th Birthday!

 Birthday balloons to fall on him when he got up in the morning.  He also had birthday cake pancakes for breakfast.

 Opening his GREEN swimming pool from Mom and Dad for the back patio.  Someone is highly obsessed with the color green right now. 

 Some swim goggles and some swim toys. 

 All he wanted was his green pool. 

 Trying my hand at using my frosting tips I got for Christmas.  It turned out pretty well for a first time.  Carston asked for a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, green mint filling, and green sprinkles on top.  Easy enough!

 Aurelia really loved this birthday cake. 

 Getting his present from Grandma Jules in the mail; he was so excited to open a package just for him!

Grandma Jules made Carston the softest green digger blanket ever!  I thought it might be hard to get him to throw away his old one (he has chewed the edges to shreds on two blankets since being born) as it's been his favorite for a long time; however, when he got this new green one from Grandma he promptly went and got his old one and threw it in the trash without looking back.  Thank you for the love and effort put into this blanket Grandma Jules!

This year we kept things simple and just tried to make Carston's birthday extra special for him from waking up to balloons and birthday pancakes, to opening presents, no chores, and just a lot of playing.  We had a few friends over for cake and ice cream that night.  He and Braxton are also going on a weekend getaway with Grandma Jane to Diggerland in New Jersey soon; that is a BIG gift and I am sure they will have a blast!

I am so very grateful for this sensitive, green loving, passionate (which can be both good and bad), thoughtful little boy! Though we are still working on trying to use words to communicate what is wrong or how we are feeling he can be very thoughtful and is always the first to say "thank you" to me.  He is full of energy and loves playing with Braxton.  He mimics him a lot.  He is still learning to be gentle with Aurelia but usually lets me know if she's headed somewhere bad (like the street!).  He loves her very fiercely and also loves to annoy her by ripping out her pacifier, pouncing on her and squishing her, etc.  He is learning to "do his list" in the mornings really well (make bed, get dressed, put pull up in trash, etc.). I can only imagine the changes we will see in him this next year.  We love you little Carster Bear!

Easter

The Easter Bunny was invited to our house on Saturday so as not to interrupt the true meaning of Easter on Sunday.  The boys got 3 Easter baskets this year.  One from our sweet neighbors, one on Saturday from the Easter Bunny, and one on Sunday at Grandma's house from the Easter Bunny.  Needless to say we were all spoiled with good food, yummy treats, and delicious company. We got to go to church with Grandma and Grandpa Dillon as well as see 3 of our 4 Dillon cousins. 

Inside this Mommy's head

Life with the little's in my house is crazy, boring, tiring, silly, fun, adorable, exhausting, and happy.  Today I just wanted to put some thoughts down about what I will miss about having tiny people in my house.  There are so many times when I have thoughts of grandeur about how my walls won't be so messy from little hand-prints, I won't be getting thrown up on anymore, etc. in the future when my kids grow up just a little bit more.  It seems that sometimes I get caught up in how much better or easier things will be when my kids are older that I don't take the time to think about all that I will miss when my childbearing days are done.  So at least for today I want to be grateful for healthy and happy children and acknowledge all that I will miss.

I will miss....
the smell of a newborn
soft as silk newborn hair
soft baby skin
cute little tiny fingers and toes
pinching little cheeks
seeing their joy and sometimes fear during all their firsts
little squeals of laughter (seriously can someone just record baby laughter and sell it to me?)
my kids always wanting to be with and play with me
rocking children to sleep
the pure love of a baby (they are always happy to see me and don't care whatsoever I look like, how much I weigh, they don't judge me, they just love)
baby snuggles
the way they pronounce and mispronounce certain words
tiny shoes
unsteady walking and falling down
seeing them eat for the first time
seeing them crawl and walk for the first time
their first day of school
the fact that all it takes to make them happy is a hug and a treat
being the tooth fairy
being Santa
being able to control most of their choices
having them ask me the "why" of things
having them believe almost everything I tell them
"knowing everything"
making cookies and cakes with them
reading with them
seeing them learn to write their name
exploring outside with them
having them never question if God exists
little toothless smiles as well as just some baby teeth smiles
dressing them in tiny clothes that are so cute
dressing them how I want them to be dressed
their laughter at things that really aren't that funny
listening to the jokes they make up that make no sense
coloring with them
doing crafts with them
finding random things in random places...cell phone in a freezer...sim card in the back of a clock
having all of their time and attention
teaching them new things
playing peek-a-boo
feeling them kick inside me
seeing them play in the snow
being there for everything
watching them play make believe
seeing my kids interact with each other
seeing my husband playing with the kids
the fact that I can make them happy by giving them a pacifier
messy faces
watching them dig in the dirt for hours
swimming with them
baby babbles
milk drunk faces
seeing them sleep so peacefully
simplicity of life
tiny baby tip-toes
hearing them pray


There are some things that I don't think I could ever really miss but these I know I will. 

Happy 1st Birthday Aurelia!

Happy 1st birthday to our baby girl!  I can't believe that one whole year has already gone by! Each day at the beginning goes so slowly and then keeps going faster and faster.  Aurelia has been such a good baby!  Besides being fussy when she had RSV and an ear infection at 6 weeks she has seriously been so amazing.  She has such a calming presence and is so chill which is amazing with Braxton and Carston always being full of energy and craziness (which I also love).

  She is always ready with a sweet baby smile and a snuggle. Braxton and Carston were never that snuggly so I extra enjoy this. She was walking at 10 months and is a FAST walker.  When that girl wants to get somewhere she does.  She loves being outside, playing with whatever her brothers are playing with, pulling bows off of her head, playing with other friends, and not being strapped down.  She wasn't a huge fan of her cake (that I worked for quite some time on) but ate a little.  She has 6 teeth and is still waking up once a night....sleep training is forthcoming.  She babbles all the time and Carston asked,  "Why Aurelia talk so much?".  She likes climbing and is learning how to safely get down from things right now.  She is already pulling chairs over to things to get into them. We are in the process of weaning her.  I took way too many pictures of her but I seriously can't get enough! I always want to remember the swirl of her soft baby hair, her tiny tip-toes reaching for things, her smile, and the beauty and wonder she sees in everything around her. We are so grateful for the joy this girl has brought to our family and I am also grateful to not be so outnumbered and have someone to share girly things with.  Happy birthday baby girl!!!!!!!!!

Happy 28th Hillary

We spent my birthday this year with the stomach flu; not the best year but also could have been much worse. This stomach bug is wanting to linger far too long!  Patrick (and the kids) got me some cake decorating items.  These will come in handy in the next few weeks for Aurelia's birthday.  We got dinner at Wendy's and went to Cold Stone despite recovering.  It was delicious although I think we regretted it a little the following day. I also got some flowers and cookies from a friend as well as an ice cream cake from a neighbor.  We will be saving the ice cream cake for another few days yet.  Grateful this year to not be super pregnant and to be able to celebrate with my family. 

Merry Christmas!

Dillon Family Review 2016

January- We were getting so excited for a baby girl to join our family.  Hillary's mom flew out from Utah this month to help.  While she was here we got to celebrate Hillary's birthday, go to Michie Tavern, go out to a few restaurants, walk around the mall a few times (trying to bring on labor), watch movies together, go to the children's museum, etc.  We had our only big snow storm this month and had so much fun playing in it; the boys especially loved making a snow fort with Daddy.

February- It seemed like baby girl was NEVER going to arrive.  We finally made the decision to do an induction after a week and one day of being overdue so that Hillary could have her mom here to help; luckily for us Julie extended her stay for an extra week J  We were so grateful to have her cook, clean, entertain the boys, and help with so many other things.  Aurelia Ann Dillon finally made her debut on February 9^th at 7:22pm.  She was 8lbs 9oz and 21inches long.  It was a hard delivery but we are so glad she is finally here!

March- This month was a rough month at our household.  Hillary got an ear infection that half ruptured and was a long recovery.  Carston ended up with an ear infection.  Aurelia followed by not only getting an ear infection but a high fever and RSV as well.  Then Braxton wanted to join the fun and had an ear infection too.  Things were pretty crazy and we couldn't have gotten through this without many meals brought from friends and a lot of help babysitting.  So grateful for prayer, family, friends, and neighbors!

April- We are finally through the worst (we hope!) of illnesses for a little while.  We finally ventured out of the house a little more with baby.  We enjoyed celebrating the resurrection of our Savior with Easter at home (and we even dyed eggs which was a big feat for us!). 

May- Patrick gave Aurelia a beautiful baby blessing in church; it was so special to have my Mom make Aurelia's blessing dress as well as for her to wear booties that her great-great grandmother made (and that I was blessed in).  In the same weekend we had Carston's third birthday party at home. Carston enjoyed a chocolate train cake, presents, and having family come visit us.  Carston is very spirited and also very shy at the same time.  He mostly enjoys trains, diggers, playing in the backyard, and is learning to love his little sister.  His favorite phrase he says all the time is, "baby so tiny."

June- We loved soaking up some sun while  visiting, parks, pools, and splash pads this month with different friends.  We love having some warmer weather to play outside more. 

July- Patrick went to West Virginia this month to help with the flooding there.  Hillary got to learn more about the refugees in Charlottesville as well as volunteer at our IRC store a little bit.  Braxton got to take a few swim lessons this month as well as have Kindergarten camp for a few days.  I think he enjoyed Kindergarten camp more than the swim lessons. 

August- Braxton turned six with a delicious Lego cake and birthday party at a park, broke his arm, and started Kindergarten (how are we old enough to have a child in elementary school?!) three days after his broken arm. Carston and Braxton were playing in our backyard where there is a  green electrical stump.  After I told Braxton not to be climbing and to get down he put both feet on top ready to jump down except little brother pushed him off first.  He fell just right and broke his left arm.  He got a dark blue cast and was bummed he couldn't go on the playground with his new friends at school.  

September- We are still getting in the swing of school with Braxton and juggling things. Braxton loves riding the bus to school, his teachers, and his classroom. Carston is still getting used to not having someone older around to tell him what to play as well as adjusting to new preschool friends.

October-We had a fireman (complete with working headlights) and a very handsome construction worker in our house for Halloween this year.  Grandma Jane was kind enough to make their cute little costumes; Carston even won cutest costume.  We had a lot of fun trick-or-treating at church, at school, and in our neighborhood. 

November-  Hillary, Carston, and Aurelia got to visit family and friends in Utah this month.  We had so much fun going to the zoo, seeing (and meeting for the first time) so many family members, visiting with friends, going to the train store, and having Grandpa take us to Chuck-a-Rama.  Braxton enjoyed visiting with Grandma Jane, going to the Lego store, and having some Daddy time while the rest of us were gone. So grateful that (most of us) could go for a visit! We miss being there already! We also had Thanksgiving at our home this year for the first time.  The turkey turned out really well but we have agreed that turkey and bacon aren't the best mix.

December- Patrick went to Haiti for a few days as a volunteer for an area hit hard by this past hurricane.  The area he is going to is where he spent 6 months of his LDS mission so he is loving this opportunity to serve. Aurelia is taking tiny steps all by herself and growing so quickly! She is such a happy girl and a sweet and calming addition to our family.

We love the Christmas season and celebrating our Saviors birth!  We also love doing advents and have about eight going on right now. We are so grateful for the many family members and friends who have helped us over this past year!!  We have been greatly blessed!  Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and yours!

Love to you all! 

~Patrick, Hillary, Braxton (6), Carston (3), and Aurelia (10 months)

P.S.  Hillary is making a renewed effort this coming year on our family blog so please follow us there as we hope to post more frequently to keep everyone updated.  http://www.skunk-monkeys.blogspot.com