Finally some snow!

We've been waiting... and waiting... and finally this morning we awoke to a winter wonderland outside! This was the first significant snowfall we've had this winter and by significant I mean about 3 inches, so not really much, but we didn't care! The kids got a new sled and some new snow garb from Santa and have been itching to use it ever since. So Jeremy stayed home today (yay!) so we could tag team it with the kids, taking turns staying with Mason and playing outside. We built a snowman and sledded until each little heart was content. We walked on the golf course (normally a big no-no) and shoveled our neighbors driveways. We had snowball fights, chased one happy pooch and made snow angels and then came in to warm up with some hot cocoa. I just love to watch it fall and I hope we get gobs and gobs more of it!

Brothers are forever...

This afternoon the house was quiet. The boys had just eaten lunch and were playing upstairs. I started to worry that it was a bit too quiet and went to check on them. The door to their bedroom was cracked just enough so I could peek in and this is what I found:Two sweet brothers snuggling before it was naptime for the littler one. In the past couple of months I have really noticed that the bond between these two is getting stronger. Cameron has whole-heartedly taken on his bigbrother role to his two siblings and Gavin even sometimes lets him help. Cameron puts on Gavin's shoes, helps button his pants after the potty, and apparently even sings bedtime songs and I heard him doing today. Gavin looks up to his brother, and more often thatn I ought to admit, Gavin will go running to Cameron for a hug when he thinks I'm being mean to him. When Gavin is being naughty and I am confronting him about it he always says he wants daddy and when he realizes daddy isn't home he asks for Cameron. Cameron is always waiting with open arms and in a very calm voice tells him "It's ok, but you can't do (fill in the blank) , you have to listen to mommy." Good kid, I tell ya. I wondered in the early days of this brotherhood whether these two would ever be close, but now I think I know they will be not only brothers, but great friends forever.

A quote to start the week

"To you who are parents, I say, show love to your children. You know you love them, but make certain they know it as well. They are so precious. Let them know. Call upon our Heavenly Father for help as you care for their needs each day and as you deal with the challenges which inevitably come with parenthood. You need more than your own wisdom in rearing them."

President Thomas S. Monson

Am I the only one who really needed to hear that?

Seven, eight, no nine!

I am in denial... You are all probably getting sick of my ranting about how quickly my children are growing up, so stop reading now. Someone asked me last week how old Mason was and I answered "Seven months, no wait, eight months, holy cow, he's almost nine months!" And sure enough, he turned nine months on Saturday. I went through his drawers and closets this weekend, weeding through clothing that he no longer fits in and I was nearly in tears. Not only will Mason not be wearing those clothes, but I don't need them for any of my children anymore and it is time to pass them on. Some other kid will get his cute little shoes and sweaters, and I will only have pictures to look back on. Boo hoo. As sad as I am that Mason keeps doing this whole growing thing, I really love this age- it's my favorite, in fact. He is so much fun to be around, and my child in particular is just as sweet as pie. If ever he is fussing, which isn't too often, all you have to do is look at him and he smiles. And recently it isn't just any old smile, it's this too big for his face kind of grin that makes his eyes squint shut. I love it. Can I tell you a secret? I really like it when strangers (and non-strangers) tell me how cute, sweet, fill in the blank, Mason is. Like when we're grocery shopping and I catch some old lady talking baby talk to him sitting in the cart while he gives her that signature smile and she tells me what a darling boy he is. I feel like he's made her day and she has just made mine. You really can't help but be happy around this babe. Except for one thing. It seems he is a boob hog. For months he would take a bottle no problem, but it seems there was a month or so when he didn't get one and when Jeremy tried to feed him one he looked as if he'd never seen such an item before. What was this thing daddy was sticking into his mouth? No amount of persuasion would convince him to imbibe. I tried the next day for an hour and a half, still a no-go. Finally last week he drank a sippy cup of juice- a small victiry, but we didn't hold our breath. The next day he drank formula, and we started with the hallelujahs! The next day again he drank the formula and we were certain we had jumped this hurdle. Not only could we wean him, but he was taking a sippy cup which meant one less battle down the road, no bottles to wean him from. And just as quickly as it came, it went. The next day he refused formula, no juice either. The next day we tried again, and I even let him try some chocolate soy milk, no, no, no. And here we are, with our angelic baby that will be nursing until he turns five. Oh well, he's worth it.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Gavin got a camera for Christmas. And while most of his pictures turned out like this:
And this:

Some were pretty decent:

The artist:

Ringing it in Right!

It's always a lot of fun for us to spend New Years with our friends. We had another get together here at our house this year and we played games and enjoyed visiting until the ball dropped. Always a good time- Happy New Year!