The One With All the Pictures

I've been putting off writing for a few weeks now.  There are so many things I want to share, so many pictures.  But catching up with different posts seems overwhelming with everything I am trying to catch up with here at the house.  I have some time right now. Benjamin is napping, the other three boys are playing upstairs, and dinner is in the crockpot.  So here is a ton of pictures I've wanted to share for some time now, and a few words here and there about them.

Also, Christmas was crazy with the family, minus short stack, catching the flu.  We all had varying degrees of it, but Ethan and Simon were hit incredibly hard.  It put our usual holiday festivities on hold for a while, but we were able to squeeze in the important stuff the week of Christmas.

About 35 weeks pregnant

We take fun fall pictures every year in front of Willy's parent's house.  She always does a great job with the pictures and it's so much fun to play in the leaves with the boys.

Colton loves gymnastics!  And is begging to go back soon.

Ethan has played to sessions of soccer, and is beginning club soccer this weekend.  He forgot his socks in this picture.  Better than the weekend before when he had two right shoes.

Oh my, this smile

A minute later, Benjamin started crying and Ethan then started to cry saying Benjamin hated him.

Super proud of how this cake looked!

Ethan turning SEVEN

Colton and I had a shopping day right before Christmas.  It was a ton of fun hanging out with him.

I was nervous handing lil one over, but Santa was certain.

Simon bounced between wanting to cry and being in awe.

My four boys in front of the tree. Christmas was a little tougher this year than last. It was Christmas number five without Lucas and Caleb.  Being busy and up with Benjamin helped some.  There will always be a hole there where they should be, though the edges aren't nearly as sharp as that first year.  

Benjamin meeting Grandma Jojo

And proud Aunt Shari

My crazy boy with his hat and animals.  This is the picture most days during lunch.

I took the four boys to Jump Mania on New Years Eve to get out of the house and run off some energy.  It was a fun, smooth trip.

Game night with the big boys.

Dairy free and soy free cake frosting!  

Hot cocoa and cookies after school.  The boys were excited!!

Thanks for checking in over here.  Until next time....

12.19.13

We're busy.  But we are all well!  There are many little moments I want to write about, but time is short.  Tons of pictures of the boys and Christmas fun, but tomorrow might be a better day for all that.

But for now, we are all well and having a great holiday season.  The big grief storm is beginning to brew, I can feel it deep down.  With my grandma being gone, there have been many moments when tears have reached the surface, a few escaping out.  I miss Lucas and Caleb on a daily basis, but I have honestly been too sick to embrace the hard grief that is due.  This is Christmas number FOUR without them.  How has that much time passed?  And we've survived every one of them. Some have been harder than others, but none as hard as that first one.

The boys are out of school for Christmas break now. Simon LOVES it when they are home.  I don't have Luke next week, so it'll be a vacation for all of us. He's a really good baby, but with the big boys home, it's tougher.

A quick confession: We haven't seen Santa yet or been to SDC this season.  I have only half our decorations up.  With all the crud we've been passing around, I am happy for my tree to be completed and shopping mostly done.  SDC probably won't happen, and it may be the 23rd before we see Santa.  And I am mostly okay with that.

Christmas 2012

I am sure I don't have to tell anyone that this Christmas was better than the last two.  Simon is here, and everyday I feel grateful to have him.  And although I still felt the pain of missing Lucas and Caleb, I was still able to enjoy the season more than I have the past couple years.

 

We always get together with some of our closest friends throughout the holiday season.  We had our annual Parents Christmas party on the 15th.  This was an absolute blast.  Everyone's children are with sitters and we can to enjoy time together without our kiddos.  We love them, but it is nice to reconnect as adults sometimes.  I didn't take any pictures, but there was tons of food, and I laughed more than I have in ages.  I am so grateful for the friends we have been blessed with.  They have walked through this life with our family, and I couldn't ask for better.

 

Our family always opens up a present on Christmas Eve. Normally it is just the Christmas pajamas, but we decided to shake it up a little this year.  Colton and Ethan took time and special thought in picking out gifts for each other, Simon, Willy, and I.  We really wanted them to open those gifts so they could appreciate the thought and be grateful to each other.  It was so much fun!  The excitement they had, oh dear! And Willy requested I open my gift from him and the boys...

 

 

I am truly loved!  They named her Rosie, and she cleans my floors every night after the boys go to bed.  It makes it so much easier to keep them clean, and the boys feel more motivation to have ALL their toys picked up before bed. 

 

We then headed out to Willy's parents house for our Christmas Eve gathering and food.  Oh the fun here!  And when I walked in and looked under the tree, and I saw Simon's stocking, my heart just swelled.  My baby boy's name on his very own stocking.

Ethan's face with each and every gift he opened.  Priceless!

Simon checking out the lights and music.

 

Playing Connect Four Launchers with Grandma and Grandpa.  This game really is fun!

We came home that night and the boys headed straight for bed.  They were so excited for Santa, that there were no problems there.  And I set off to wrapping.  I have decided that besides scaling down next year, Santa's elves will take gifts out of the store packaging (minus legos) and put them in plain, square boxes. Wrapping those awkward boxes is tough, and frustrating the second and third time around.

After Santa visited.

 

 Santa got tired and left a few toys unwrapped under the tree.  The boys were so excited and were able to open and play with them while I fed Simon.

 

Not sure about the stocking

 

Snickers digging into his stocking.



Loving on his elephant rattle.  This is quickly becoming a top toy.

 

The mess.

 

But hey, check out our new floors!

Ethan and the marble maze he asked Santa for.  I think gifts like this should come already assembled next year.  

 

No excitement here!  Santa left this for the boys also.  They have been barely holding on for Christmas to see if they would get Skylander's Giants....they even got it for the Wii!

 

Happy Simon

This is a Christmas gift from Colton and his teacher Mrs. C.  She is so amazingly thoughtful, and I am grateful. For my baby boys to be remembered just swells my heart, especially when it's someone who is relatively new to our lives.  Thank you!

The boys Monday morning.  Taking a break from enjoying Christmas haul to read a lego magazine.

Christmas was good this year.  2012 was really good to us.  And as I held and snuggled my baby Simon, not a moment went by when I didn't think the Lord for my so many blessings.