A Trip to the Studio...

A couple of weeks ago, we took a trip to Sears to get the kids' pictures made.  I haven't had them made in a very long time.  And I needed a 3 month picture of Peyton to match the other kids' adorable 3 month pics hanging over my fireplace.  So we took off.  As expected, it was quite an ordeal trying to get 4 kids to all smile....I take that back...JUST LOOK at the camera at the same time!  I wasn't super happy with how they turned out overall, but we definitely got a few really good ones out of the whole experience.  Here's a peek...

 

 As you can see, these...

 And these...

...are the ones I am not exactly fond of.  We could not seem to get a decent one of the 4 kids or the family....which was not too fun.  I think after the whole entire experience, we have decided to start taking our pictures at home from now on...but I am glad I got some cute ones of the baby and of each of the kids individually.  So that's that!  AND...only 3 more days 'til Christmas!!  We're getting pretty excited around here!!

This Week...

 Merry almost Christmas!  I am getting pretty excited!  I am pretty much done with my Christmas shopping...and wrapping!  Just a few more things to pick up and wrap...a little bit of caroling to do this weekend...a candlelight service to go to....a 4am wake-up call on Christmas morning....and then off to Tennessee!!  Whoo hoo!  I'm excited!  Have I mentioned that yet?  I didn't think so. 

Meanwhile, we've been going about life as normal.  This week...between school Christmas parties, wrestling, and the usual fixing dinner, laundry, dishes, baths, changing diapers, baby feeding, etc., etc., etc., I have felt at every moment of the last 3 days that I always have about 6-10 things I could be doing.  It has been a little overwhelming at moments, but today I paused for just a moment, in our extremely cluttery house, and reminded myself that my kids are only young once...and that if they are loved and taken care of that day...it's still a successful day.  It really is ok that the house looks like a tornado came through.  That being said...after getting the kids from school and finding out neither had any homework...I took the hour we had before church started and zipped around the house like a crazy woman at least putting everything in its place.  Ahh..it does feel better not having everything everywhere.  In the middle of all the craziness, we did have a little battle one morning with our little Austin.  He doesn't like spinach...at all.  So we decided to try the ole'...go on to bed now and you can just eat it for breakfast in the morning...trick.  Austin, of course, very much lives in the moment...so he wasn't thinking much about how horrible eating it for breakfast would be.  But he found out...

 But we followed through!  He almost threw up several times while eating it, but he did it!  And now I am very temped to never fix spinach again...at least for a long time....of course, I will...I'm just tempted.  :)
And here's my precious baby...the poor guy has really had a battle with cradle cap, but we got some special cream and some medicine and already after one day we are looking MUCH better!

 I've also been getting lots of these special letters lately.  This one was from Daniel (Btw...on the inside there was a little note that said..."I like you" in it).  Melt my heart!

 Love him...

So, there's life for us in a couple of days...I feel like this post was a little all over the place, but that's ok.  It'll be so much fun to look back on a year from now and read.  :) 

Children's Christmas Program

Tonight was the our Children's Christmas Program at church.  This is always one of my favorite nights of the year in all the churches we've been a part of.  It is one of the most adorably unpredictable nights, and that's exactly what makes it so great.  If you didn't have a few kids say funny things, or do funny things...it just wouldn't be the same.  Have I mentioned how much I love it? Granted...I do have my own precious babies up there and that does sweeten the pot for me too.  :)  Here's the first song they did...Party in the Sky.  It was such a cute song...and I can't explain it, b/c it's a very upbeat song, but when they sang it...I felt the tears welling up in my eyes.  Something about it gets me all choked up.  I don't know if its the adorableness of them up there, or seeing them so happy...or because my own kids are getting so big...or all of the above reasons.  But regardless, I teared...and it was a great song and the kids did a great job...

 About halfway through the song, Lily realized her wings weren't sitting on her back perfectly.  So she was a little preoccupied for a bit...

 And then sweet little Kyle joined all the kids up on the stage.  He hadn't been to any of the practices because he is only 2.  But it absolutely made my night that he walked up there like he owned the stage and joined the big kids.  He is so adorable!

 Singing loud and proud!

  I just loved it.  I loved the kids.  I loved the songs.  I loved the whole program.  Have I mentioned that yet? :)  Merry Christmas!!

Three Months!

Well, my little Peyton is 3 months old!  Ok...so yes, he was 3 months old on November 29th....and I know today is December 13th....but better late than never right?  Right. 

Peyton is SUCH a sweetie!  We are all absolutely in love with him!  Here's a little about Peyton at 3 months:
-He loves attention...and is used to getting it with 5 other people in the house!
-He loves being talked to...and cooing right back!
-He loves to smile!
-He is sleeping anywhere from 7-9 hours at night (unless he's having a growth spurt and then he's up about every 4 hours again).
-He's weighing about 14lbs now...so gaining weight very well and becoming a little chunk!
-He still loves his stroller!
-He absolutely loves the bath!
-He loves to snuggle to fall asleep...but also loves being put in his pack-n-play with the little clip-on thing that plays music and vibrates.
-And, he also loves spitting up. :)

We are loving every single minute with him!!

Wrestling!

Well...my little boys are wrestling!

I just cannot believe it!  It is so adorable...and the boys are SO excited about it!  So every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday night they take off to Southern Middle School for wrestling practice from 5:30-7.  (Which by the way...means we are eating dinner at 4:45...that's right...FOUR FORTY-FIVE!!)  Jason is helping to coach as well.  Daniel listens to the coach well and is very good at wrestling!  Austin is a beast.  He is used to wrestling Daniel and Jason...so now that he can finally wrestle someone that weighs the same as him...he kinda dominates.  :)  Anyway...it's pretty cute!  See for yourself...here's a little video of the boys...Enjoy!!