Tia Allred Blog

Landon started T-ball this last week.  Actually, it's technically "Pee Wee", which is "simplified" t-ball (believe it or not, there is such a thing!).  He has really been enjoying it!  We signed him up in a nearby small town.  We don't know anyone else on his team, we just decided to go for it and get to know some new people.

He has been doing well!  He has already made great improvement and I'm sure he will continue to do so over the next several weeks of his season.

He marched (with Brett) in the opening day and opening ceremonies parade.  Later that afternoon he had his first game.  I snapped a few pictures of him warming up and during his game.  I hope it continues to be a good experience for him.
Landon played the position of "pitcher" most of this game.  You can see him in the middle crouched down.  He did really well going after the ball once it was hit!
I thought this sign at the ballpark was funny, and a good reminder for some people.  I've kinda been surprised at how seriously some people are taking Pee Wee!

Last week, Adelle had her first few bites of table food.  So far, she has tried:
avocado
mashed banana
a few bread crumbs
a teeny tiny bite of cheesecake
So far, she still isn't sure if she likes food or not.  I'm sure she will learn to love it soon.  Landon and Vivienne were pretty excited when I actually fed her some things with a spoon!

The kids received these adorable little egg-collecting aprons in their Easter baskets.  Today they broke them in.  We have gotten behind on collecting our eggs and so the aprons got put to good use!  I just watched them through the kitchen window and had to run out there and snap a few pictures.
There is something really sweet and grounding about watching them collect eggs from afar.  It's a simple chore--something they can do entirely independently, a task that has been done for so long and by so many.  I love it.  And I love that they get the chance to help around the house, to help take care of other living things, to see where some of their food comes from.  They are so lucky to have opportunities like that, they are learning so much without even realizing it!

We were able to go on a short and sweet trip to Seattle.  My brother was running in a track meet in Seattle.  My parents came to town for it and we wanted to join in on the fun!  We drove over on a Friday and spent some of the afternoon and evening walking around Seattle and then going to watch my brother compete.  Saturday we hung around a little more and then headed home.  It was a quick trip, but we still managed to do a few fun things!  

Brett gave Adelle a beautiful blessing on January 29, 2017.

I honestly can't even begin to say how much we enjoy having our sweet little Adelle around.  She truly has been a delight.  She is content and we love having her around.  We have had a rough day or night here and there, but overall she really is simply the sweetest and we just adore her!
I would have thought that Landon and Vivienne might not care for her as much a few weeks after she was born and the newness of a new family member wore off.  Or that they might even resent her a little bit, since I would be spending a lot of time feeding her or resting.  But man alive, it truly is the opposite! They don't leave her alone, it's like they can't help themselves.  They seriously are talking, singing, "helping", and laughing, along with her every waking moment.  It really is the sweetest thing for a mama to see.  I have a hard time even getting her through a complete diaper change without one of them trying to help and observe and intervene in some way.  While it can be exhausting sometimes, I really wouldn't wish it to be any other way.  



Brett and I often snuggle her in our bed while we watch a show or read in the evening and we thoroughly enjoy trying to get a genuine chuckle out of her.  I'm so grateful she is a part of our family, she fits in here with us just perfectly.

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday this year!

We attended church as a family, came home and let the kids enjoy their Easter Basket goodies for the afternoon, and then went over to Bud and Melanie's and enjoyed dinner with Brett's two sisters and their families.  We had the traditional ham dinner--I took two pans of au gratin potatoes and a huge green salad with homemade poppyseed dressing.  After all of the Easter candy we snacked on throughout the day, it was even more tasty to have a good home-cooked meal.
I told Brett, that if I had to choose only one thing that my little girls had to wear, it would be white eyelet dresses.  They are just so perfect on little girls!  Crisp, clean, a perfect balance of femininity and youthfulness.
I bought these dresses a while ago on clearance but didn't plan on using them for Easter since Adelle's dress was a size 12 months.  However, it ended up fitting her pretty well.  So it ended up being quite the happy accident!
Easter Baskets included:

a container of play dough and sidewalk chalk
new swimsuits for the girls
new bowties for Landon
egg collecting aprons
mini clipboards with scripture story coloring pages (to use during church)
a snack and a few jelly beans
a little lovey toy for Adelle
a new teddy bear for Landon

I love this picture I snapped of Landon last week--he was looking at a book of photos taken by Mark Mabry.  The book is basically photographs representing the life of Christ--His birth, ministry, miracles, death, and resurrection.  He looked at this book for a long time, several days in a row and would quietly ask me questions.  It was really sweet and tender and I think it helped him learn a little bit more about his older brother, Jesus Christ.
I'm so grateful for my Savior and all that he did for me.  To know that I will get to be with my family forever, no matter what happens, is the biggest blessing to me.

Christmas Eve we took the kids to the "big city" and let them meet Santa Claus.  I wish I could've captured the look on their faces (especially Landon's) when they heard the Christmas bells and laid eyes on him for the first time.  They wouldn't stop staring at him with their wide-eyed gazes and waved to him while we inched our way through the line and waited for our turn.  They plopped on his lap (Vivienne was a little hesitant, though), and were so happy to be there.
After meeting Santa, we went to a nice restaurant nearby, where we had made reservations.  We even ordered an appetizer to share (because it was a holiday!), and Vivienne was quite fond of all of the different dips it included.  I nursed Adelle almost the whole time, and we begged Landon to at least try one bite of his over-priced french fries (which he did not).

We ended up at the airport and picked up Brett's parents.  They hopped in and we drove an hour and a half, straight to Brett's sister's house for Christmas Eve activities.  We didn't even get started with Christmas Eve activities until about 8:30 pm.  We played some games, acted out and read the nativity story, opened a few presents, ate, and decorated cookies for Santa.

Then we headed home and snapped a quick anti-climatic picture of the kids in their Christmas pajamas in front of the tree at 11pm, before putting the kids to bed.  Santa STILL had to come visit.  He was pretty tired by the time he was finished with all of his work.  I think next year he will request a caffeinated beverage to be left with the cookies instead of milk.  Oh, and chocolate.  He also will need some chocolate.
Christmas morning was spent unwrapping gifts and then we attended church.  It was a lovely service with beautiful musical numbers.  It was also Adelle's first time going.
We came home and rested and then went to Melanie and Bud's house for dinner, playing games, and visiting.
I was chalking it up to being a fabulous Christmas (which it was), and then Landon threw up all over himself in his carseat on the way home.  Niiiiice.  Poor guy.  It was a rough one, but he did fine through it.

Brett had the week off of work and so we hung around the house and let Landon get better, we drove to Yakima and watched our nephews play in a basketball tournament, and Brett helped the kids with all of their creative endeavors (he is so patient and willing to try to help them create exactly what they have envisioned).
New Year's Eve we went to Uncle Wiley's shop.  They cleared out all of the equipment so the kids could ride their bikes, plasma cars, and scooters around.  They also had a basketball hoop and ping pong table set up in there.  The shop is conveniently off of the office "break room" kitchen where we had pizza, cinnamon rolls, cheese ball and crackers, and all sorts of good junk.  Someone even got their drone out and the kids had a blast just chasing it around the shop while it flew above their heads.
Then we headed to Melanie and Bud's and visited for a little while.  We came home right before the new year was officially here, but we were all exhausted!

New Year's day went well, we attended church.  Landon got to be in an older primary class and he has a new teacher now (where is the time going?!).  I loved getting to snuggle Adelle the whole time while I attended classes.

But naturally, that night, Vivienne threw up.  Bring it on,  2017!

I know that in decades from now I will think and wonder about the mundane little details going on in my day-to-day life with nothing but little children underfoot.  Aside from a few major things, most details will likely be foggy and muddled in my mind and I will try to remember all the small things that made up my days.
This is what an evening looks like around here--

After dinner, we divide and conquer.  The kids go get in the bathtub, and Brett supervises and helps them soap up while I clean up the kitchen.  Sometimes he will hold Adelle while the older kids play in the tub.  But on this night, Adelle helped me with the dishes.

At some point, when the kitchen is cleaned up or the kids are getting in their pajamas--Brett and I reconnect and join forces once again, completing the bed time routine:
brush teeth,
sometimes a book,
always a prayer or two,
usually fulfilling the request for one more drink,
hugs & kisses,
turning off the lights,
and tucking into bed.