Ambers and Grant's Birthdays

Birthday Month

You know most people say if I could just get through Christmas I will be doing good. Not me!! I don't know how we did this but 3 of my kids were born in February. Yep the shortest month of the year. The lucky ones are Amber (oldest), Grant (middle), and Rebekah (youngest). In that order and all one week apart. No kidding!!! Rebekah's is not until Sunday but since I have not blogged anything this month I thought I should get a head start.
Amber got to do the thing she loves for her birthday!! She rode her horse, Star, for the first time. She did such a great job getting her ready that Star did not even flinch when she got on!! I am so proud of her. She was on could nine. Best part? I got some awesome pictures out of it. :) Amber had a pretty good idea of what she was going to get for her birthday. I looked for about 6 weeks to find the right one. She asked for a blue Ipod nano. So I put the Ipod in my pocket and gave her a sack with a bunch of tissue paper in it. She pulled one piece out at a time. When she got to the bottom she took a look in the sack and all defeated like said, "It's empty". We all laughed and I said ooooppps I forgot it in my pocket. It was great. Enjoy the best pictures of her in a long time!!
We spent the day at my mom's for Grant's birthday (not by choice, I was still sick from my knee surgery). His cousins, all of them, came over and he got some boy time in. Unfortunately, Rebekah was home each time another component of Grant's present arrived. She so kindly shared the news. So he knew what he was getting also. He went through the motions to open presents but he was bored with it. I felt so bad. I will do better. He does thoroughly enjoy playing with his Gamecube though!! :) I am so glad I got my boy. He lightens most of my days and he tells me loves me all the time. According to him I am his most favorite mom in the world!! I'll take it!!!! :)
My heart swells with pride for my children! I love them so much and am so grateful I have them. This month is always a tough one for me, it reminds me all my babies are growing way too fast!

YIKES!!!

The next time I go to the doctor I am going to ask him for some anxiety medicine. Amber got her drivers permit today and she drove us home from mom's tonight. Am I the only mom who was totally freaking out when I had to RIDE not drive? I think not. When we got home I got out and got on the ground and kissed it. Amber did not think it was funny till she thought about it for a minute. She is laughing now. :)

Funny Story:

The other day Amber came upstairs and asked if anyone had a razor. Rebekah excitedly said I do. Reached into her bag she was carrying around and pulled out an eraser. LOL She is hilarious!! We were all laughing.

Inauguration Day

What an awesome country we live in. No matter what our political preferences are we all have to admit that today was a most historic day!! We have come from slavery to not so long ago segregated schools to the 1st African American President of the United States!! Awesome, no other word can describe it. I am so grateful to live here in our country where we have the freedoms we so greatly enjoy. I thank my Father in Heaven for this wonderful blessing!!

They hate it, I love it!!!

This weekend was spent with my mom. Our birthdays are only 3 days apart and so Sunday the kids and I went to dinner at mom's. Everyone was there and we had homemade Chinese for dinner. mmmmmm Sam even came over. It turned into a massive sleep over. Lorri and I stayed the night with our children. (Sam had to work today so he left) There were sleeping bodies everywhere. My four oldest children and Lorri and I played Monopoly until 2 am. It was a great deal of fun. Dad kept coming out and yelling at us cuz we were making too much noise. :) Ahhh what fun. It got to where we started laughing just when we heard his door open. Last night during the game everything kept going over Nicole's head, she was missing everything! Lorri made her put her ponytail on top of her head to help catch stuff. It didn't work! :)

Today the kids kept getting in trouble and tattling. So I thought I would share my favorite form of punishment with everyone. When my kids can't get along and I am sick of he did this well she did this crap I make them sit on the couch and hold hands until they can smile at each other and say I love you!! They HATE it. There have been times that Amber and Nicole have sat in a chair for hours before they could leave. It is so much fun. So that explains the picture! :) Try it I dare you!

New Milestones!!

Two major milestones in our family's lives happened in the last 10 days. Amber went to her first formal dance. The New Years' Eve stake dance was a formal. No date required of course. :) I am so not ready for that. I still have a year left before I have to worry about that :) She looked beautiful. We had bought a dress at DI and my mom made a jacket to go over it. Tons of fun! (Since she hates pictures this is the best one I could get!)

Then on Sunday Rebekah became a SUNBEAM!!! She was so excited and there was no crying involved! She drew me a picture during Sacrament meeting of a sunbeam. It was the most beautiful blue sun you have ever seen. She told me when she came out of class that she didn't even cry cuz sunbeams don't do that. Today she went to her first Primary activity. She came home the proud owner of balloons and a huge smile!

Christmas Blessings

Phew!! It is over. I love Christmas but it is always chaotic. This year we got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family. It is true though that 13 grand kids in one house for any prolonged amount of time is CRAZY!! The kids and I were the last ones to leave last night and Dad had gone to bed at 7pm. He said he could just not fight it anymore. :) We wore him out. It was great to see Sam we never see each other. Christmas miracle--Lorri and I even got along. :)

I am continuously in awe of how much my Father in Heaven blesses us. So many people around us love us. From the tree and the vacuum left on the doorstep to the many other countless acts of service rendered to us. Thank you to all that participated in it. While it is true that Heavenly Father will not take away our trials He WILL and does help lighten the load.

The children have had a great vacation thus far. We especially love to pull the tube around the block with the car!! At one point we had all of the cousins here doing it with us. It was a blast.

I truly with all my heart hope that all of you have had a great holiday season and I love each of you. Thank you for all you do!!!