It All Began Five Years Ago.....

....this last wednesday when we welcomed our precious, firstborn son into this world.  And so our family began to grow (and has yet to stop growing:).  Our lives have never been the same, we have been challenged, changed and molded beyond anything we could have imagined!!  Happy Birthday to our dear, wonderful son, Reese!!  When he was born, I couldn't imagine the day that he would start school and now that is just around the corner!  On wednesday we had a party for him complete with his requested dinosaur cake.

 It's not perfect, but he thought it was cool.:)  His grandparents, great-grandmas and cousins came over to help him celebrate.  

 

He got a cool Hawk-eye shirt and football from Aunt Kim and his cousins.  

 
 

A lamp that he got from Grandma Slabaugh along with a milk truck that he immediately said was a "creamery truck."  (Tim works at a creamery.)

He received many other gifts that required Mommy's assistance and so for the rest of the week we played games, built a tow truck with lego's, made sandwiches and other things out of Bendaroo's, and played with Moon Sand.

 
 

Looks yummy, huh!?!

 
 

Moon Sand--Fun Stuff!!

Not for Babies!!!!!

Thank-you to all family and friends who have helped or contributed in some way over the last five years in Reese's life.  Thank-you also to God for giving us such a beautiful and miraculous gift in our son, Reese.  We love you so much, Reese and we look forward to the next five years and beyond!!  

 

Bible Study and The Twins

A couple of weeks ago, I started a Beth Moore Bible Study, titled "Living Beyond Yourself."  It is centered on being filled with the Holy Spirit and living Spirit-filled lives.  I am privileged to do with some of my dearest friends and every week I look forward to getting together with them and being able to share our struggles, our God stops with each other and encouraging and lifting each other up.  We also have 5 days of homework we are supposed to complete each week and that is also something I look forward to.  This morning one of the verses she had us read was Philippians 2:13--"For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him."  I have read that verse before but it really hit me this morning that we cannot, no matter how much we try, please or obey God in our own power.  Sometimes I know that I should or should not do something, but I have no desire to obey and do it or not do it, as the case may be.  It is awesome that He will actually give us the desire to obey Him in everything!   

On a different note, yesterday was a lazy, stay in your pajamas all day, sort of day.  Here are some pictures to prove it.  Not of me though, you don't want to see that. :)  I love the pj's that Hadyn has on!  It makes me want to be little and wear fun pj's again. :)

Hello?

 Miss Cheesy!!!

 Big Brother Love!!

 

 

This was taken as he was crawling at me and the next second there were tiny fingerprints all over the front of my lens.:)

One last little story to amuse you:  Right after Gage woke up in the morning, he was sitting on the couch and in a very whiny voice he asked me if he could watch a movie.  I said that no he couldn't and that whining was not going to get him a movie.  So immediately his tone changed and he asked, "Is this going to get me a movie?"  I had to laugh and so he laughed and then asked, "Is laughing going to get me a movie?"  I still said no but I had a good chuckle out of it!:)  It amazes me how quickly he catches on to things!  A challenge to all of the mothers out there:  WRITE DOWN THE FUNNY THINGS YOUR KIDS SAY!!!  I am trying but still forget sometimes.  Hope you all have a blessed day!!

Our baby....

I had an ultrasound yesterday, so here are some pictures!  I thought everything looked great, but what do I know, most of the time I couldn't tell what in the world she was looking at. :) I don't know how in the world they find the liver and kidneys and everything else that is on the inside.  Amazing!!  Even though it is our fifth baby, everything still amazes me about being pregnant!  I love to feel the movements and see what is going on inside.  God is so amazing and he created us perfectly!!  I am excited to meet this little one, but I am only half-way there so I guess I will wait awhile. :)  No, we didn't find out what it is.  We have never found out, we like the surprise at the end.  Going with our track record, I think it is probably another boy but I really have no idea. :)  God knows exactly what we need and we will be happy with either one! They are all miracles.  (I should remind myself everyday that my kids are miracles because some days I could think of other words to describe them.:)  I love them all!

My Mom's 60th Birthday!

 

My Mom, a wonderful, kind, amazing woman!!  Thursday, the 4th was my mom's 60th Birthday!  My sister and I picked her up on Thursday morning and took her out for breakfast with Anna and Marge.  We had a good time!  

Then we spent the rest of the day shopping.  Always fun!:) 

In the evening, Tim, the kids and Kim's kids came to Mom's and we had pizza.  Gage and Kelsie blew a ladybug (dead) back and forth on the kitchen table!  There were lots and lots of giggles and screams from Gage when he thought it was going to get him. :)  

Mom thought that was all she was going to get for her birthday, but we weren't done yet. ;) 

I had invited all of her siblings to come and surprise her that weekend but due to weather and other circumstances only one sibling could come--her sister Mary.  Shannon, Shae and Annika also came and even surprised me.  He had been sick and so I called him on Saturday morning to see if he was coming or not, and he went on and on about how he still felt awful and that he wasn't coming.  Well a couple of hours later he showed up!  Someday I will get him good! :)  Anyway, Mom was excited to see Mary and we had a party for her on Saturday night.  We all brought gifts to equal 60 total.  She had lots of help opening them.  :)  I love you Mom!!

Our Week (or two)....

Life around our house is never dull, hectic, but never dull.  Here is what a "typical" day in our house looks like.  First off I have been getting into a new habit of getting up an hour to an hour and a half earlier than the rest of my family.  I know, I know, most moms already do this and I used to, but to be honest this past year I have been cherishing every second of sleep that I have gotten.  Therefore, until I hear that yelling on the monitor or feel little hands shaking me and a voice saying, "Mommy, I sleeped really long and now I waked up! Please get up with me", I wasn't getting up.  Anyway, on to my point, I have been getting up early and though it is hard to roll out of bed, I absolutely love it!!  It is the part of the day I most look forward to now.  I can get things done without little ones constantly needing attention, I can have my coffee (which is only half-caf btw:(), and most importantly I have been able to sit down and have devotions without being interrupted or extremely exhausted!  Did I mention that I LOVE coffee!!  It is a weakness but not one I have the strength to work on yet.  Baby steps.  

Next in our day is of course the rest of the family waking up and breakfast, play and cuddles ensue.  The kids all play quite well together with the normal sibling squabbles here and there.  We have told the boys that they are each other's best friend and that they will love each other and be kind to each other.:)  The twins have started to mind a little when the other one takes something away.  It is pretty funny actually, Everett can take something away and Hadyn will just screech and take it back, but if it happens the other way around, Everett just cries like he is brokenhearted.   What does that tell you?!?!:)    They are getting so big and I can't believe they are 11 months old already!!!  Little side note here but by the time you all read this it will be my mom's 60th birthday!!!!  That's right, February 4th!  Happy Birthday, Mom, I love you more than you could ever know!!!    

After the twins go down for a morning nap, the boys and I have school.  It's the part of the day that we all look forward to.  It's nothing major, (after all I am the teacher:), but they are actually learning things and we have a lot of fun. They love to color.  

Then lunch, then naps and then the best part of the day--Daddy comes home!!!  The above picture was taken during a movie and when I left the room the boys were sitting on the couch but apparently something slightly scary happened because when I came back the boys were both in Daddy's lap.  By the time I got my camera, they were giggling at Beethoven.  I love that sound! 

Here is our house, in all it's mess and glory.  Why, you may ask, is the chair ottoman in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room?  Well, whenever I open the dishwasher door, it has this magnetic-like pull on both of my twins.  They both love to climb onto the door and proceed to empty the dishwasher as fast as I can fill it!  So Daddy barricaded them in the living room and gave them raisins to keep them happy.

I have a hard time saying no to their adorable smiles.:)  Hope you enjoy the pictures and hopefully next time I will have something more interesting to blog about.  Oh yeah and if you think about it I would love your prayers for Everett.  He has been really fussy the past few days and had a fever today and I don't know what is wrong.  My prayer is that when I wake up in the morning he is going to be perfectly healthy and fine!  I'll let you know.  Blessings and good night or good morning:)!!!