Finally!

I know it has been forever since we've been on here and its pitiful our Christmas entry has stayed up for so long, but I'll make a huge post with lots of pictures to make up for it. Al and I went to Taken with some friends tonight and I am wired now! What a perfect opportunity to work on the family blog while they're all sleeping. We took the kids swimming earlier this evening and were beat, but wanted to go out. We missed the early show and were worried about staying awake for the late show that didn't start til 10, but it woke us right up. It was such a good movie, although disturbing and violent. Now it's 1:00 am and I am wide awake, surprise.
We got home around 11:30 and Abby was still awake! They were all so wiped out after swimming I can't believe she was up- and she was past the point of no return. She was so giggly and funny. After our friends went home I ran upstairs to check on the sleeping kids and when I got back down Al and Abby were chatting over a bowl of Captain Crunch at midnight! Too cute.


The last few weeks have been packed with fun for the kids especially. We've had parties and visitors and more parties and traveling and to top it all off, nice weather! We are loving the sunshine and fresh air.
This last Sunday we all traveled up to Spokane for Sara's baby Connor to be blessed. He is so sweet and cute and it was fun to see everyone. The dads got sucked in to the kids cartoon they were watching at Sara and Tyler's apartment before church.

Last Thursday my sister Britta and her family drove all the way up here and stayed with us for a few days. We were thrilled to have them and the kids had a blast together. The time flew right by and it was really hard to see them go again. We hadn't seen them since June and I'm sure it will be another long while before either of us gets a chance to get together.

The kids had such a great time playing together. They were here over Valentines Day and were kinda worried about crashing our romantic plans- yeah right. We're not big Valentines Day people, I would much rather get flowers on some random day because you really love me and feel like doing it than because it's the day to do it like everyone else is and pay $50 for em! Plus all the restaurants are packed yadda yadda yadda. Valentines Day is a blast because the kids LOVE it, so we decided we would just have a big fun family party on Valentines Day. Eliza, my niece referred to our plans as a "celebration of love", soon we were all calling our vday plans our celebration of love plans. She is a funny little girl. Abby and Caleb were so sweet about their little love notes they would leave around for everyone. Caleb made me a cute one that says "DIS ES YUR VLENTIN GIFT. I LUV YOU MOM. CALEB" I love it. So for the big day we made a pink red and white breakfast of crepes and strawberries with lots of whip cream. Then Britt and I took our older girls out shopping. Abby and Eliza are little shoppers and had a great time being together on such an outing. . .
We had plans to have an exciting valentine picnic at the park but were too starved to make it so we ate heart shaped sandwiches at home, then headed to the park. The kids had a great time running and playing in the nice weather. I think they would have stayed for hours, but we did eventually make it home again.

We were going to have heart shaped pizzas from Papa Murphy's for dinner but they really looked like a beat up circle.The kids were creative about it all though and loved it. Then they decorated their cupcakes with tons more candy, scarfed them down and ran around until they crashed.


....literally

With the kids all knocked out for the night we were free to eat the good stuff and play pinnochle all night long! We had such a good time with them and are so happy they came to stay with us. Our sweet husbands let us talk and talk and talk some more and I loved it all!


Okay, so before that we had a fun Valentines Party with the preschool group. I think kids are too fun with these sweet holidays full of candy and friends. They
had a good time and it was hilarious to listen to them laugh and share their valentines with each other. We played silly made up games and ate more junk!


We had also been sick for forever it seems like. One kid would get over something and another would start something else. It got kinda crazy for a couple of weeks, but it's all good now. Even Al missed a bit of work because of it. Him and Caleb had a pretty good sick day together. Caleb was thrilled to be able to hog his dad all day. They watched movies and read and colored all day long. It was actually pretty nice.


A couple of months ago Abby was sick and she told us she really liked being sick and I'm thinking she's loving being cared for and rocked hah hah, the real reason is she said she really likes having servants and getting to tell everyone what to do. I don't know why that shocked me coming from her.



We also made a trip over to Kennewick so Abby could go to see "Annie" with her Grandma. She had a really good time and loved the music. They got all dressed up and stayed out pretty late for a seven year old, and Abby couldn't have been happier. What a cute Grandma.





And, while Abby and Grandma had their special date, Caleb went out with Grandpa. They got to go get any ice cream he wanted and go in and sit on the bench. Our kids love to "go in and sit on the benches". They sat and talked and Caleb felt like pretty big stuff. It really made him feel special and we all know the way to this boys heart is certainly through his stomach. I can't believe how much he delights in dessert, or really how much it makes him feel loved when I make dessert. If I did nothing else for this kid in a day but make dessert, he would feel like the most loved little boy there was. It makes me love my job as a mom and homemaker.

This is just a cute picture of Avery rocking out, it suits her personality.


Speaking of Avery, she got to go on her first outing with her Daddy the other day and thought she was pretty big stuff. She adores Allen, when she's not getting in trouble with him, and was so excited to go with him she could hardly stand it so I had to snap this picture as they were leaving.


And to end, these are a few a pictures Al snapped of me with each of the kids at the park and I love the moments he gets. He is so good about catching the real moments. Whenever I try to catch everyone when they're not paying attention there is no way it works out. I just always tell everyone to look at the camera and pose for the picture. I like Allen's way better.This first one is really of me and Abby having a nice little chat (really me chewing Abby out) after her timeout for fighting with her brother. But, it caught the real moment.

Then he caught a better one of us in a happier place after everyone had made up. She is a good little girl and helps me out so much. I think we tend to expect so much from her because she does help out so much, I need to remember to cool out on her sometimes.
I like this one of me and Caleb having a little talk off to the side, regarding the same incident as previously mentioned. He always wraps his little arms right around my neck when he's in trouble, it's ridiculous. The pathetic part is that it works on me. He's so like his dad. I told him this one day when he was standing on the table and I was getting after him for it. I was sitting at one of the chairs and he walks right over to me and cups my face in his hands, and tells me "I just love you, Mom." To which I responded "Oh, you are just like your dad!" and he says, "My dad stands on the table, too?!?!" He was barely three and already had the Luke charm running through his veins.

The last one is of me just walking up the stairs with my little Avery. I don't know why I like it so much. I think it's just because it's so real. She's my fiesty little stinker and I love her strong personality.... for the most part.