Messy But Worth It

Our advent activity for 2 days last week was putting together our 'gingerbread' houses and then decorating them. The kids were super excited and I just let them go for it knowing good and well that more would make it in their mouths than on the houses. But they shared really well and just had a ball.
A glimpse of organized chaos...





I can't get enough of excited Taylor...she is so funny to me lately. And the way Hailey bats her beautiful eyes. And how Payden loves to help and share with everyone. And how Lincoln is grateful for a compliment! I love these kido's and they just crack me up.

The first of many

Who knows how many different programs we will attend as the kids grow up, but this was the first of them all!

The excitement for Payden and Lincoln's Christmas program had been building since pretty much the beginning of the school year. They have been learning their songs at school since day one and as you know they love to put on talent shows so this was very exciting for them. Unfortunately Lincoln got the 24 hour bug that has been going around here and he was sick all...day...long! Poor guy. When I told him he was going to have to stay home with Grandma Kari and rest he tearfully said 'it's okay mom, Payden said she'd tell me all about the program' broke my heart!

I didn't know how Payden would respond being up in front of an audience because normally she gets anxious or embarrassed when there are people she doesn't know. Well she blew me away. Spot on. She nailed the motions...well most of them. Pretty much lead The Lord's Prayer, her voice was the loudest and quickest pace so everyone was following her. She was simply adorable, and I was so proud!

And now to bombard you with a few video's. She's in the front and center!

I recorded nearly all of it on our video camera but I don't quite know how to get those onto my computer so we're stuck with little clips from my camera.

Changes Everything

We decided to let Payden grow out her hair when she asked because she loved long hair and was always commenting on people with long hair. So it hadn't really been cut in almost 2 years! The rule was if it was long she had to let me brush and fix it whenever it got unruly, and she was always excellent at allowing me to do just that.This beautiful long hair she had wanted it for so long so of course I kept asking her for weeks to make sure she was serious! Finally after probably the 50th time she brought it up and I responded with "are you sure?" she said "mom I wouldn't be asking if I didn't want it short! I know it will be short but I just want it short!" She was kind of exasperated. I just didn't want her to regret it and evidently I got kind of attached to her long hair too! Well she had a fun date/hair cut with daddy a couple weekends ago, and sure enough came home with an adorable new 'do!

It really does change everything about her. She seems so much older. Satisfied with her independence. She loves brushing her hair now and she can pretty much get ready for the day completely on her own. I'm blown away. And did she regret the decision? No way! She's not jealous of anyone elses long hair (which I was concerned about) and proud for Hailey the she has the longest hair out of the kids...although Taylor is making a run for it!

So excited to head out with daddy.

Snip, snip

So happy

There it is

Such a wonderful time!

The hardest part of new

For me one of the absolute hardest parts of moving meant we had to find a new pediatrician. Now I know that Dr. Kosmala is not the only wonderful kid-loving pediatrician out there...far from it, but still it was tragic for me to say goodbye to her as our Dr. and our friend. The friends we moved away from was sad of course but there is a connection we have that will go on and catching up will be effortless when we do, and have gotten to spend time together again...effortless. But Dr. Kosmala has been with us from day one of parenthood and she is wonderful, caring and most importantly cares about our kids on a level deeper than just their health. Well today was the first appointment with our new pediatrician, and she is lovely, and personable and Hailey loved her. Hailey had her 3 year well child check up today and she is just so much fun. Me and her, by ourselves...I want it more. I love this child, she legitimately cracks me up gets me laughing for reals and not just giggling cause she's cute...she is freaking hilarious. And adorable. I found myself wishing I had my video camera out just to remember the slight comically timed facial expressions that flash from hilarious to beautiful in the span of a second. Well I had to get a picture of her in her gown waiting for the Dr cause she was just too much.

And of course she is perfectly healthy! 35lbs (65th percentile) and 38.5 inches tall (75th percentile). After she got her one shot, and didn't cry just looked down startled and slightly offended that she wasn't able to fully enjoy her sucker, we were walking out of the room and she said 'mommy why did that Dr hurt my leg?' Now it sounds sad as I read what I typed but it tickled me so and she wasn't sad, purely curious. I just love this little three year old and that we get to spend time together as two girls running through the freezing parking lot to try and stay warm.

Got it

Well we got the ugly nasty 24 hour bug going around. Not everyone but so far Lincoln and Taylor have been hit hard. Poor Lincoln woke up sick the day of his preschool program and had to miss his first of many Christmas concerts! He was so cute after every round he would wimper and say 'I really don't like throwing up' 'I don't want to do it again'. I know bud nobody wants to ever do it again. And then Taylor got it...the thing I learned right off? Me and Jer? We're a perfect puke cleaning machine, seriously we should hire ourselves out except for that is disgusting and there is no way we would ever do something like that. We're far enough out now that I'm pretty sure everyone else is in the clear but hopefully I wont be eating my words here soon....or something worse!

Fa lalala la lala la la

We went caroling last night with the kids and some friends. Caroling is a weird thing, but we had so much fun! After days of baking and getting lots of treats ready to give away we gathered family and friends together to sing and give to our neighbors. Of course there were people who didn't come to the door even though we're pretty sure they were, in fact, home and a kind neighbor we met at our garage sale gave us a homemade cookie mix to take home, and a middle scholar who was afraid to answer the door cause her parents weren't home even though we could see her. But the people who did come to their doors were grateful and blessed and joyful at the sight of our kid-heavy crew...let's face it, we're always kid-heavy.

The cast and crew of the gifts! I wish I had my camera with me when we went caroling. Lincoln was so adorable standing in the doorway, tin in hand just staring at our neighbors waiting to hand over the goods.

We came home to a chili dinner and an overflow of treats. The tree was lit and beautiful and the company was even more beautiful and delightful. It was one of those nights you think the kids will remember way back in their somewhat fuzzy memories where they got to stay up late with their friends in pj's and the grown-ups were together and the kids got to play away. One of those nights you wish you could bottle up to save for a rainy day. One of those nights that fills you up for a good long time. Life is so sweet!

Three Years Old -Hailey Ann

Happy Birthday to our spunky, beautiful, strong willed, bold, 'Blowhorn', lovely, bright, animated, third born Hailey Ann. We love you and treasure exactly who you were created to be!

From a perfect beautiful baby to a perfectly beautiful young lady

Hailey entered this world at 12:37am on December 17th 2007 after a couple days of laboring at home and many hours in the hospital. A successful VBAC after the twins were born by C-section. I was pretty proud of myself and my 9lb 9oz baby girl. She has grown into a fantastic and entertaining intelligent compassionate little girl.

For months Hailey wanted a Cinderella cake and being the obsessive recipe driven crazy person that I am, I decided it would be fun to make it myself. Well many hours later and we came out with a pretty fun cake!

The grandparents were all able to gather, living in town now makes it so wonderful for gathering and celebrating together.

The sugar cookie spread.

The birthday girl hard at work.

Payden had a hard time saying goodnight to the cookies. She made many cookies for people at the party and only ate one or two herself. I had to teach her to ask someone if they wanted a cookie before just making them. Taylor was the gracious recipient of many of Payden's cookies
and was very upset when she wasn't allowed to have anymore.
One happy creative little girl!

Going back

We went to the Tadmor progressive dinner this year. One of those things I took for granted when we lived up the mountain but quickly realized I would miss greatly until Jer told me we were in fact going! What a delight. Even better was getting to stop by and visit with the Zderad's...a bit of normalcy that I didn't realize the degree to which I missed. The kids played together and we got to chat with our friends...it wasn't for long but it sure was a blessing. The dinner was packed and as usual I ate too much...apparently so did Hailey cause she got dramatically sick in the car on the way home. Not exactly the end to a wonderful evening you envision. Well it doesn't start much cuter and delicious that this.
Admiring Dave and Jennifer's train around the tree.

Lincoln wouldn't want to be anywhere else in this moment!

She's gotta be like the big kids.

Hailey cozied up with Sarah.

And of course enjoying a spot in Jennifer's lap while she can.

Advent

For the first time we are going through and Advent calendar. And easy way to get excited about celebrating the birth of our Saviour and looking forward to His coming again. The kids get to take turns taking a magnet down everyday and reveal what fun thing we get to do as a family. So far we've read the Story of Jesus' birth from the Jesus Storybook Bible, watched Rudolph, made marshmallows, got our tree, decorated and slept out in the living room. It already feels like we've been living in this season of expectancy instead of letting it sweep us away.

Thoroughly enjoying hot chocolate and homemade mallows. Who knew the floor could be so comfortable?

Sleepy boy!

Can't wait to continue the celebration!

The 2010 Tree Hunt

Well we had to find a new place to get a tree this year, it figures that Albany is too far to drive to get a tree when we now live in Portland. And sure enough there are tree farms galore in the area. So we chose a farm where we could cut our own tree and that wouldn't break the bank since Jer wanted to get a big tree for our big front room. Figures that the day the weather was dry and gorgeous was Civil War. So we went for it all ducked out and everything.

Payden is always caring for Taylor, and care she needed poor thing walked straight into a piney nobley branch. Everything is so much bigger when you're small.Hailey very uncharacteristically wanted to be carried and kept tripping and falling, okay the clumsiness is pretty spot on, but her neediness was very very strange. So she got comfy on daddy's shoulders till it was time for him to get to work.

We found the one!Oooooo, I love how Taylor is watching Jer in the first shot...And joining right in on the second. She just wants to be one of the big kids. My sweet baby girl growing up so fast!One happy momma, let me tell you.

Freezing little ducklings waiting for daddy to come back with the car. All in all it was a success. I think next year we may try and find a more familiar kind of farm that we're used to, one where we can maybe linger a little bit more, but for this year we got what we needed and had a fun little outing. Although Jer is already thinking ahead for next year...adding 4 more feet to the vision...hmmmm Griswolds anyone?