JR in baseball outfits

I have to say that I am not a fan of baseball, but JR looks so cute in the little baseball outfits he has got that it just might change my mind! They are Mike's favorite on him too, and in one month he has gone from a size 3/6 months to a 9 month size in his clothes! He is growing like a weed!

Christmas 2011

What a great Christmas we had this year, especially because no one died of carbon monoxide poisoning! On Christmas Eve we went in the morning to help my parents clean the church because it was their turn, and Sunshine threw up while we were there. That was the beginning of the stomach flu going through our family! We had originally planned to spend the night at my parent's house because Mike thought it would be funner to spend the extra time with family and wake up for presents there, but I decided since Sunshine was sick we would just have to have our own Christmas so we didn't expose anyone else. But Melissa called and said it wouldn't be Christmas without us there, and since Sunshine was done throwing up we decided to go. We always draw names for my 3 brothers and sisters, and this year we had all the grandkids draw names for each other too so we opened all of those presents on Christmas eve. We had my brother Mike and got to give him a gun to go shooting with. He is such a sweetheart and is so thoughtful, he bought all his nieces and nephews gifts that they loved. All the grandkids got new pj's and that is the pic with them on the couch, they looked so cute! The hit of the toys was a Hot Potato game that Nikki got for Wyatt for $10 at Walmart. The kids played for an hour and even the little ones could do it. We had a great time and loved being with family. After dinner and presents Jo threw up all over the bathroom, I mean the walls, etc. it was pretty horrible and I cleaned it up. Mike put the little kids to sleep while I watched a movie with Nikki and Sassy and Jo and waited for SAnta. Eventually I realized Santa was asleep so I had some other helpers that got everything ready with me. Then we all went to bed. Jo threw up one more time that night but Aunt Nikki helped her. Then we got up about 8 to open presents, where we discovered that Apple had peed the bed. Yep that's how it went but my mom was a super good sport about it. After presents we ate breakfast and got ready for church. The next day Apple got sick and today Mike is sick so I guess it will be the rest of our turns soon, yuck!

The Awful Redneck Facial Hair

Mike had been growing his beard out for a while and over Christmas decided he didn't like it because it made him look mean but he decided to have a litte fun with it before he shaved it off. So this is what he came up with, and just surprised everyone on Chrismtas eve with it like this! They all laughed and I told Mike if he had looked like that when we met I never would have ever talked to him! He is back to his handsome self now though!

A Carbon Monoxide Scare

The Thursday before Christmas we had a big tragedy averted. The stomach flu had been going through Eric and Melissa's family, and my mom and dad and brother Mike all had it. Thursday night the carbon monoxide detector started going off, and it never had gone off before. Eric went out and bought a new filter and it still kept doing it, which at first they were going to just ignore. But thank heavens Melissa called 911 and they told them to leave the house immediately so they came down to our house. They sent the fire dept, and the emt's and as soon as they went in my parent's garage their sensors could tell there was carbon monoxide. It was the highest in the basement where Eric, Melissa, Wyatt and the triplets live. The emt's checked everyone in the houses oxygen levels because Ryder had thrown up 5 times on the way to our house, and all the kids and Eric and Melissa had high numbers that needed oxygen. We took all the kids to the ER where they were fine, just had to get poked alot to get their blood drawn and had to have oxygen. They found out it was the water heater that was malfunctioning and causing the carbon monoxide, so my dad put in new water heaters. I just know that if they didn't have a carbon monoxide detector, they would have gone to bed feeling sick and thinking it was just still the stomach flu and in the morning everyone would have been dead. This Christmas we are just SO grateful to have our family, no present under the tree could ever compare with having our family still with us.

JR growing big!

His big sisters just love to manhandle him and he is a good sport! I weighed him at Sunshine's doctor appointment yesterday and he was 15 lbs. 10 oz.! The girls were teasing him that he would have to shop in the big and tall section! He is so happy and snuggly and loving, we just love him to pieces. The other day all his big sisters were dancing and singing for him and he was just laughing and smiling the whole time.

Sunshine turns 6!

Our little Sunshine turned 6 yesterday! We started the day with a big breakfast for her and then she got to open her presents-new boots, new shirt, jeggings and tutu, and the Happy Napper stuffed toy she wanted. She took candy canes and rings for the girls and poppers for the boys in her class, and her teacher gave her the cute butterfly balloon and crown. That night we had Mike's work party, so she got to come with us! We are so happy to have her in our family. Some of favorite things about Sunshine:
-she gives the best hugs, they make anybody feel better!
-she loves to help take care of JR
-she loves to help in the kitchen
-she loves to help dad with all the animals
-she is great with the triplets too
-she is becoming a great reader!

Cousin Ashley

Our niece Ashley came to visit last weekend too, with her boyfriend Kaeo and we had a great time visiting with them. The night we got there we made calzones and visited and stayed up till 1 am making cake pops! Ashley told me that is what she wanted to learn to make, and I had made them before so we made Christmas ones. They were delicious! The next day we took them to clean the sinks(eat ice cream) at Angie's, then they went shooting with Mike and to dinner and the movies with Sassy. They left the next morning and we will miss them!

Sassy turns 17!

Last week our first baby turned 17! We had a weekend long celebration, starting with her staying home from school on Friday so she could visit with her cousin who was visiting. Then she went to lunch and had a dance rehersal for her dance recital which was on Saturday night. She went to dinner with her friends at Texas Roadhouse and then to see a movie. Mike and I had a gift certificate for a night's hotel stay which we weren't going to use, so Sassy and her best friend McKell got to use it for a fun sleepover afterwards which I chaperoned. There was only 1 king sized bed so we all had to sleep in it! Saturday we ate funeral potatoes which are her favorite and she did great at her dance recital, and we all went to watch her perform. Then on Sunday, which was her actual birthday, we made her a big breakfast and let her open her presents, which were a white BCBG purse and a big exercise ball. Sunday night we ate her favorite cake with family and that was the end of the birthday celebration! Our favorite things about Sassy:
-she loves her little sisters and is really kind to them
-she is a good example to her little sisters too
-she is a great babysitter
-she is very thoughtful of others
-she is dependable and reliable
-she thinks of ways to make others days better
-she has a growing testimony about the Savior and our church
-she is fun to be with!

Oh Tannenbaum!

The Friday after Thanksgiving we decorated our Christmas tree. This year I didn't do anything fancy, and just let the kids do it however they wanted. We put up all their little ones they made and ones that had their pics on it and all our sentimental ones that reminded us of vacations and friends we love. It was very nice and then we had yummy hot choclate and nutella hot chocolate, heavenly! and watched ELF all together. It was a great evening and the next day Mike put up all the Christmas lights on the house, which we haven't done in years and they look so festive!

Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year, and it was really wonderful except we didn't get to spend as much time as we would like with our extended family. Everyone pitched in and brought something, which made the dinner really easy. I also made the best turkey I have ever made, it was two brined turkey breasts and everyone kept complimenting me on how moist it was. I got the recipe from the Sisters Cafe, and it did not disappoint! We got all the babies on the couch for a picture, couldn't get them all to smile but aren't they cute! JR is wearing his cute christmas outfit that my friend got for him. Apple and Sunshine worked together to unload the knives and forks and it was so nice to have them working together :)

Sassy dances to "Fire in my New Shoes"

Sassy had her first dance performance of the season on the Monday before Thanksgiving, and it was so much fun to go and watch! She has such a talent for dancing, and we love to see her perform. Afterwards we went to get Fh'zookies with her friend McKell and her family, and Eric and Melissa came too. It was a great evening.