Latter-day Sunbeam

Look who is now in Primary!  His big brothers have set a great example of taking their scriptures with them, so Camden already knows that is the drill.  His second week he got right up and gave the opening prayer like a pro, and even before attending he was already belting out a hearty version of "Called to Serve".  Valiant.  I guess that's pretty standard these days.

Passing the Baton

We are preparing to finish our basement.  It is exciting to think how we can have more space for the piles of kids that are our own and the ones that seem to come over a lot.  Another happy thought is that maybe, just maybe the arguing in our home will decrease just a little when some individuals have their very own space.  The project organizer, planner and decorator in me enjoys the challenge to figuring out spaces, how to make things work, and how to finish everything off.  And the thought that at least one child can wake up to her own blaring alarm and have two floors in between the noise and those we would prefer to stay asleep at 6am sounds fantastic!  But, there's a space in my heart that holds a little bit of sadness.

For the past three or four years I was Kit Director for Serving With Smiles.  We had all this great, empty space in our basement and the SWS supplies needed a home so viola - space filled!  There were some years when we got a LOT of donations from schools.  I got to coordinate the inventory of it all and see lots of great people as they came to drop stuff off or pick supplies up.  It was great to be around when people from other organizations would come by to pick up finished kits - talk about rubbing shoulders with some great people!  Then monthly I got to organize the assembly of about 100 kits.  Sometimes I'd have teens come over and I would train them on kit prep.  Sometimes families would come over and inventory with me.  Sometimes it was just me counting hundreds of things out, or I'd get Tyler or some of my children to help pull supplies together.  I loved it.  I have gotten to know some of the neatest people through this.  I'm glad that I still get to go to SWS every month, and sooo thankful that I can stay friends with everyone.  BUT, it's time to pass the baton.  I had a very, very difficult time coming to recognize this, but as I have relinquished those duties I have felt a huge burden taken off of me, and I find that I have renewed vigor in taking care of my family.  Maybe my turn will come again, but for now I get to rest.  (Or at least focus on the many, many needs of my own family better).

We've spent the last couple of months slowly moving things out.  I'm sad that I didn't take pictures when our storage was in it's glory.  This is after we had removed 2,000 completed kits and about 1/3 of the supplies from my basement, but I had to document some of it - it was such a huge part of our lives for so long.

 The last of the supplies.

The space that held it all.  Towards the end, there was about 5' in the middle to walk in, but the rest of the space was FULL.  You can already tell my family is taking over - what used to be the SWS sorting table is now Hannah's workspace for her dollhouse.  Pretty soon we hope to have this be a nice, big family room.

Puppy Love

At first it was really cute:  Camden's attachment to and love for all things puppy.  We have since gone overboard and are drowning in puppies.  There is "My Big Sad Puppy", "'Nuther One Puppy", and "Maxi" that have been named, but the rest are still known to and loved by their adoptive owner, and all must be present for sleeping times - along with two (that's 2) mini blankies.  

 I think there's a boy in there...somewhere.

Funny Face

Here's a poor attempt to capture my little girl's funny face that she frequently makes.  She scrunches up her nose, puckers out her lips, and then breathes in and out of her nose really fast.  

Rooster Award

The Rooster Award for French 2, Term 2 went to

Miss Callie

for embodying the French Spirit.  

She has already had 2 requests to borrow her cool new hat.

Who wouldn't want to wake up to this?

I must have blinked.  Little girl seems to have grown up overnight.  It doesn't seem possible that she could be standing up in her crib, awaiting a rescue in the morning.  It still feels like Christmas everyday, having this little girl around.

Family Pictures

As you have probably experienced, family pictures can be quite an ordeal.  Hurrah that we not only got pictures taken, but the process was pretty painless and we got some good shots, too.  I am so glad when we can preserve ourselves in pictures - I love my family so much and want to remember us at every stage.

For the record - Callie and I are both wearing heals and Hannah is in flats - in bare feet they are both within 2 inches of my height.  I think I have the prettiest daugthers.  

Merry Christmas

 The most tender little Joseph you ever saw was in the nativity at our house.

So were four cute available women in their 20's - Santa had to work hard to fill all these stockings.  

Little Bunny

Tyler's nickname for Emmie is "Little Bunny".  When I went to pull out her winter gear look what I found, purchased while she was still in utero.

So fitting.  Love our little bunny!

 This year the tree is entertaining but she is hard pressed to pull the ornaments off.

 The sink is a favorite play-place and the only place she will hold still to get her hair done.

If ever Emmie is missing, I know where to look first.

December life

 In 2012 I think Jacob made nachos almost every Sunday afternoon.

 She can scoot and roll anywhere, but now she's figuring out how to get up on all fours...

 sort of.  It's a lot easier to stick your bum up than to move your knees forward.  We saw a LOT of this in December.

 Gingerbread workshop.  This was a highly-anticipated event for Drew, and I was so impressed with the details that my kids put on their houses - not just the girls but Drew & Jacob, too.  

 Camden likes the tasting part.

 Lots of holiday ideas lent themselves to creative play - Santa pulled by reindeer above, Drew's Santa costume below that he created himself!

This is what Callie did in December - lots of schoolwork and research on the computer.

 Emmie is happy when she is in the thick of family life.  Drew carries her around a lot.  He wisely holds her under her arms and carries her facing out, but she is getting heavier and by the time they reach their destination her arms are often straight up, squishing her cheeks in.  She never complains & just soaks in all the busy-ness around her.

 Christmas cookies!  I am the baker, the kids do the frosting & adorning.  Do you love it that we have airplane-shaped cookies for Christmas?  Camden's idea.  They turned out cute.  We loved Callie's snowflake stars.  

Creative Cupcakes

For Hannah's birthday, she requested a re-make of her Cookie Monster cake from when she was little.  Callie the cake decorator came through!  It's a darling cake, but blue frosting is nasty stuff and I think I am done with anything that colored unless it is fondant.

 For H's party we decorated cupcakes with fondant.  She & her friends were sooo creative.  I was impressed with some of their creations and it made for a really fun party.  Some of my favs:

 Basket weave by Callie

 Roses & leaf by Hannah

 I think Michaela did the waffle look with stars on top.

Happy Birthday, H!

Mustaches

It has long been an ambition of Drew's to grow a mustache.  When that had been going on for awhile, the girls snuck in his room one night and colored one on his face.  He was sooo excited to wake up one morning, look in the mirror, and discover he had a mustache!  The gig was up when his sisters got  up and had mustaches, too.  

It was pretty neat when we went to the dentist and for a prize you could bring home a mustache!  Drew was feeling pretty authentic.  Does anyone see a resemblance to Uncle Kirk?

When we aren't eating bon bons...

we manage to do a few other things, too.  I've got pictures to prove it:

My sweet boys carried on their dad's tradition of hauling all the neighbors leaves over to our yard for a HUGE pile.  It made for a super-fun afternoon and now they are all composting in our garden (the leaves, not the boys). 

 Drew loves to bring me these "nuts" from our neighbor's yard and from the playground at school.  He is certain that he is helping to provide for our family (although I'm not sure they are edible - shhh, where they go is our secret).

 Drew figured out that he could make a heart with his splints - he fell off the monkey bars in our back yard and broke BOTH arms (in August he only broke one, doing the exact same thing).  He spent some time at home with mom before they were casted and he could safely go back to school.

 Red and green casts to get in the Christmas spirit - after he was casted the PA looked at his shirt and said, "Drew, we should have done blue and white for BYU."  Drew's face fell just a little and when it was suggested that he could do that next time his face lit right back up.  JUST KIDDING!!!  Let's not have a "next time".  Did we ever have lots of sweet support while he was in casts - tons of attention and love.  A few different friends came by with treats and balloons, my friends brought us dinner, our next-door neighbor and PA got us in for an exam & x-rays in 20 min. in the after-hours clinic, his former Primary teacher brought ice cream...I'm sure I am forgetting things.  Drew felt super loved and once the pain wore off it was all fun.  I'm grateful for the many, many people in our lives that love this special boy of ours.

 We had a birthday bash at the swimming pool for Jacob.

 And then he was baptized - you've never seen such a glowing smile that stayed on his face all day long.

 Grandpa and Grandma got to join us for the special occasion and lots of playtime with the kids.

Jacob is sporting a hot pink tie these days - he has wanted one for a very long time, and he loves to hold baby Emmie.

 Emmie's hair can sustain a pig tail!  When we take it out at night she sports a darling "dinosaur crest".  

Dramatic Desserts night - Callie as the Queen of Hearts - I wish I had a picture of her as old lady Clairee that she played as well - so cute!

 Hannah spent some time working on her doll house.

 Found:  Camden's Big Sad Puppy, cuddled in his arm here.  It had been missing for months and was loved before, but when Tyler found it inside a suitcase in the basement it was a joyful reunion and is now a permanent sidekick.

Fun Family Time for Thanksgiving with Tyler's fam.

 Our littlest girl is growing up!

My little dollie went mobile.

 Homework with two casts takes a little longer, but Drew is diligent at keeping at it.  He still writes, cuts, and glues.  I am so proud of his determination and hard work to keep up in spite of challenges.