Snow!!

It was great getting to New York again. The girls were awesome on the plane and sat together in their own aisle while Eric, Colt, and I sat across the aisle from them. They're getting so old! Colt was a handful to say the least but he wasn't screaming so that's a plus. We got there Christmas night and of course the girls got right into presents and loved every minute of it. It was so good to see everyone. After a late night it started snowing early the next morning. A few hours later we were out for our first session of playing in the snow!

Hannah and Rae on the trampoline. The girls loved it this year! Last year they didn't have so much fun but this time they loved it. When it was done I think we got like 16". And it stuck around the whole time we were in New York.

In this picture with Hannah you can see the snow drifts. It was so crazy windy when it snowed that some places had no snow and right next to it there would be a huge pile. Some of the hills used to go sledding on were showing the grass because it had all been blown off of them.

Hannah and her friends played out in the snow a lot too so the girls loved being with them out there. The guys made a small hill in the front yard from some of the snow they shoveled off the walk way. It was perfect for the girls, just their size! They had fun going up and down for a few days.

And having all these older girls to play with helped entertain them a lot!

This was Eric's first real snow storm too so he was quite excited. He rode with the girls a few times on this tiny hill! One time he was getting on the sled and lost his balance swinging his arms out trying not to have the sled go backwards down the hill. Livy was standing next to him and she got completely wiped out down the backside of the little hill by daddy falling off backwards. It was really funny when it happened. I got most of it on video too!

Our first family snowman. Colt was inside so they named the snowman Colt.

They had so much fun in the snow and I'm so glad they got to experience it! Grandpa and Dad put in a lot of time pulling the girls and playing with them out there, thanks guys! And the three older girls as playmates were perfect! We did make it to a bigger hill to do some sledding which they again loved. Those pictures will be up soon!

Christmas Morn'

Yea! Christmas morning! What we've been waiting for! They girls came down telling us "Santa's been here!" They were so excited but they handled it quite differently. Livy was so happy to open everything. Starting with the stocking everything she opened she would say "This is just what I always wanted!" to everything from socks to candy. It was pretty funny. It wore off after a few of her regular presents but she was still so excited even though she didn't say to each thing it was just what she always wanted!

Little Buddy wasn't interested in ripping open presents. He just wanted to eat the paper once it was opened and steal the girls stuff!

Now we get to miss Rachel. She knew one of her presents and kept asking for it through opening her stocking. After her stocking she opened the Polly Pocket (or Holly or Molly Pocket as she says) she wanted and that was it. She said she didn't want anymore presents, she didn't want to open any more. So as Livy went through hers we couldn't get Rachel to open any. That was all she wanted. Eric tried to convince her that Santa brings better presents than mom and she might have something better under the tree. Livy opened Pebbles', Eric's, Colt's and my presents and we were still trying to get her to open stuff! Who ever heard of such a thing on Christmas morning for a three year old! I didn't do too good on getting pictures because we were video taping most of it.

Finally she saw something Livy got that she liked so we convinced her to open the rest of hers. And she so so happy when she did! Funny little girl! Rachel got her Polly Pocket doll and stage, the airplane set she asked for from Santa, kitty's in a house, and princesses.

Livy excited and loving it all! Livy got the Thomas the train set she wanted from Santa, a large dump truck, princesses, kitty's in a house, and Polly Pocket stuff.

Colt loving stealing stuff from the tree, the girls piles, or the garbage! It was all a joy to him! He got a few toys but his favorite was a bouncy ball.

Christmas Morning 2010.

Grandma and Grandpa came over a little later to give the kids presents but Colt was already napping. They loved the 101 Dalmatians sets they got and play with them a lot. I love the system we have set up where Grandma and Grandpa visit each family for a little on Christmas morning. It is fun for the kids to be with just them for a little. When we tried the group all together a two years ago it was crazy when the kids tried to open their gifts so this works great.  It was good to see them for a little since we were headed to New York that afternoon and would miss Christmas dinner with the whole family. It was a great Christmas morning and then a quick clean up and finish packing while the girls played with their new toys and then we were off to the airport. Our flight wasn't until four so we still got to have a great Christmas. It was a fun and packed day. We made it safely to my parents house by 9 p.m. just a few hours before the snow started to fall and a just in time for another round of presents!

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve we all went to Kevin and April's again and had pizza and wings together. The cousins all had picked someone else's name so they exchanged gifts and sang a few songs for Grandma. They all had so much fun and had a great time playing in their awesome play room. And I loved the no cooking or cleaning!!

Doing just this one gift this night was perfect because they all looked forward to giving their gift too. They were so excited for giving and getting. And it wasn't too crazy. It was a good Christmas eve.

We came home and got the kids ready for bed. The put out their Santa cookies and milk, reindeer carrots and then we got down to the real meaning of Christmas. I read the nativity story to them while they acted it out with their nativity sets. Then we completed our nativity puzzle pictures they had been working on all month long. Each day we read a scripture that taught us how to be more like Jesus. We would talk about it and sometimes it had an activity to do with it like a song or write a note. Then after the scriptures they would get to put a puzzle piece on that would be the nativity picture at the end. They really enjoyed doing it and learning about Jesus. I was trying to help them go to bed each  night remembering what Christmas was really about. On Christmas Eve night they completed their picture and each chose one way that they could try harder at to be like Jesus this year. Rachel said she will be like Jesus by being happy all the time. Livy said she would be like Jesus by bearing her testimony or telling people about Jesus. We wrote them on paper and put it in a box we wrapped and put under the tree for Jesus. Maybe they don't get the whole idea yet but they are learning and I am so proud of them. They did a sweet service project this year that I know wasn't easy for them but they brought so much joy by doing it and I could tell they felt good about it. I am so proud of you Rachel and Livy, and you too Colt! You made daddy and I so happy as well as Heavenly Father and Jesus. I know I have been blessed with sweet, loving, and amazing children. I love you and I am so grateful for you each day. Merry Christmas.



More Fun with the Kids!

They loved finding Shorty (the elf) everyday. He is way up on the top of the window in this picture where they are supposed to be pointing at him!

We played a game where the girls had to pick something from around my room and put in in a bag and we would exchange gifts and I was trying to have them practice saying thank you even if they didn't love what they got. They had fun playing and Livy was excellent at saying she loved the gift or it was just what she wanted. Too funny. Rachel did pretty good but once I gave her a neck tie and she threw it down and said that is a boy present and she didn't want it. I couldn't help but laugh. So we worked on it more and she got it down.

We did some Christmas crafts. This the one I got picture of. They made snowmen with their faces for the tree. Livy decided hers needed feet!

This year we copied the idea of wrapping Christmas books and opening one each day until Christmas. This was another thing that was so exciting for them each day. No wonder they loved this month so much. I am realizing how many fun little things they got to do each day! They could never wait until bed time to open it though. It was always first thing in the morning. Those are morning pj pictures, not night time ones!

Colt enjoying his new favorite place to play. He loves this plastic play house we have in the play room. He opens and shuts the door, rings the door bell, and just is happy in there. Which is perfect because the girls don't play in it so he at least has one spot that is his! This day I found him in his house inside this box sucking on a pretend bottle. Silly boy. He is such fun little smiley boy.

We went and took a carriage ride one afternoon while Colt was sleeping. We had to wait a while and it was colder than I thought out but the girls really enjoyed it. They kept yelling at him to run faster. Nice closed eyes of mine, I know, but it is the only picture I got!

A shot of the girls the day we took the group photo. They are getting so old!

I didn't end up getting one of all three of them looking but I like the little man on the chair here. He was up on the chair during the beginning of the group pictures but took a tumble, a graceful tumble, onto the ground so he just stayed there.

Kevin and April had everyone over for Christmas stories and hot cocoa one night and the kids loved it. They all wore their pajamas and Halli read them a book. Then April took over and after that they all played upstairs for a while. Thanks guys, it was lots of fun!

Entertaining the little men!

They loved looking at the Christmas lights wherever we went. We have a great block for lights and their decorations were always nice to see on the way home each night. They loved driving though Prestonwood and seeing all the themed streets with lots of lights. They also liked helping me wrap and Livy became an excellent wrapper all by herself. She would cut the paper, wrap it and tape it up all by herself. She did a lot with me and a lot on her own wrapping stuff for her animals and having parties for them all month long. The like playing with their nativity sets and really knew more than I expected when we did a family home evening on the birth of Christ. Rachel has this excellent memory and vocabulary that surprises me daily and did as well that night with what she knew. She's always listening!

Picture of the Gang

We took a picture of all 13 (so far) grand kids on the Williams side. Halli is the oldest at 7 and then the rest are 4 and under. Thanks to Aprils amazing skill and photo shop she some pretty much everyone smiling by replacing faces from other pictures. Here they are. Christmas 2010.

Kids make it so much fun!!

I am way behind and have lots to catch up on from this amazing and super fun Christmas season. The girls loved everything about Christmas and all the anticipation. Here are some pictures of stuff they loved doing that we have done each year.

Helping Dad decorate the tree. It was a little bigger than we thought once we got it home! Then they decorated the tree with the ornaments while standing on chairs so that none were on the bottom. Anything that Colt could reach he pulled off so we had another year of an empty bottom!

They each picked out a blowup lawn decoration this year. Livy picked Rudolph. She was infatuated with Rudolph this year. She played with the Rudolph stuffed animal non stop and loved singing Rudolph too. My favorite parts were when she would say "then one foggy Christmas Eve" and she would put her hand up to her head on top of her eyes to help her see through the fog. It looked like she was blocking the sun but so cute. And on the last line she would sing "you'll go down in mystery!"

Rachel chose Frosty and really enjoyed watching the Frosty movie over and over. They both loved doing their chocolate advent calender each day and a Toy Story advent calender that Grammy got them. They were so excited just to open the little door each day.

Since Colt has been mobile he has been getting into the girls things. First we had a problem with pushing Colt down or away but now Livy has learned to keep him tied down until I can come and get him. So if he is near her stuff she is playing with, this is what you will see!

They loved decorating the gingerbread house. This year I cheated and bought the pre-built house. It was a marvelous idea because last year the roof kept falling off because we didn't let the house dry enough before decorating. They saw a fancy one with a train and stuff so next year we'll have to try and build some other stuff with graham crackers.

This was about a month ago when I was 13 weeks. I am done being sick and feeling good. Just tired but who isn't! They girls ask all the time if they can feel the baby kicking yet. And they still want a baby girl. We'll see soon!

Now that the girls dress themselves a lot this is what I see a lot, totally backwards outfits!

We made Christmas cookies one day with Tish and her kids. Lexie and JJ came over for a bit while April had Peyton's school party. They all had fun eating sprinkles, decorating, and playing. Thanks Tish for a fun afternoon!

The two on lookers. They were quite entertained just watching the older kids.

Well that is some for now. More to come on the month of December and Christmas. It was so much fun and very exhausting. I'm glad it is back to normal now but it was fun doing all the fun stuff with the kids and watching their excitement grow each day. Next year I will try and do my shopping early like some of my friends who have it together! It would be nice not to have to worry about that during the craziness!