Christmas Break and a Happy New Year

We had a great week during the week between Christmas and New Years. Devon took the week off, and we just hung out at home... literally. Several of the days we went absolutely no where, and the front door was only occasionally opened to tell a friend we were having a family day, or here and there, the boys did go play with a friend or two. But for the most part we just had fun in our house. We played with all the new toys, we played the Wii, we built Legos, the boys played lots of Nerf Gun war games, we built forts in the backyard and had a snowball fight. We also had fun playing our family's favorite computer game "Age of Empires II." I don't know what it is about that game, but I love it too! Devon hooked four computers together on a network, and we played so many games together during the week. Dylan and Jayden were in heaven! It was nice for me to be lazy for that week. Usually I am doing so many things every day, rarely sitting down for hardly anything, and especially I don't have a lot of time to do something that truly sounds fun to me. There is just too much laundry, cleaning, bills, errands, cooking, cleaning, diapers to change, mouths to feed, boys to dress, boys to bathe, boys that need help with anything and everything.... I could go on forever. Blogging is probably the most "lazy" I get (but I don't think it should count as being lazy - its journaling for my family!). Don't get me wrong, I love my family and it is all worth it - it is just a lot of work, and I really don't have a lot of time to do what I want to do, so to take a week essentially off to a small degree - it was so nice!

New Years was a good crowning event to end our great Christmas Break. We had a big sleepover at Devon's parents house. Not all the Gibson's were there but those of us who could make it had a great time. The kids had their party at NYC's New Year, and then supposedly went to sleep. They were asleep at 12:30 when I checked on them, but I don't think they fell asleep much before that. How lucky they all are to be surrounded with so many cousins their age, and be able to be such good friends. Of Dylan, Jayden, and Ethan's age group there were about 10 little kids who all slept together in the toy room. I should have taken pictures of them - but take my word - they had a lot of fun!

Ethan was too tired to party at 10. He acted excited about 30 minutes before we started, but by the time for it came, he just couldn't do it.

Christmas Day

There was something just really nice about Christmas this year. It felt very relaxing and and enjoyable. These little boys are just good little boys and I love them so much!

Dylan had been asking for months for a Lego Clone Turbo Tank. I didn't even know it existed before he started asking for it, but he knew just what he wanted, and Santa delivered.

Austin wasn't too interested in opening presents. Mainly he wanted to eat the food from his stocking, and carry around everything he could see.

Jayden is my boy who loves video games, and he knew for months what he wanted as well: Super Mario Smash Bros. on the Wii. Lucky him... he got it as well. This picture is him getting to open another present.

Austin gave all the bigger boys Nerf Guns. The boys have all had a blast playing with them. Luckily they have all been pretty tough, including Ethan, who got a nice little welt on the side of his face when the gun was shot from too close.

Here Dylan is "dying."

Santa brought Ethan this "Paper Jamz" guitar. I don't think Ethan totally knew what it was when he opened it, but he excitedly said "I wanted one of these!!" He was so funny to watch the very first time he started to play on it. He seriously started to bounce, jump around, and rock out. It has been so fun to watch him with this. I need to get it on video soon! All before Christmas he insisted he wanted Santa to bring him more trains. Of course when Santa came to visit suddenly it became that he wanted a new James train. He got a battery powered one for his birthday last year, and just the week before Christmas it started to die. Santa did bring him trains for Christmas, but this last minute idea couldn't be filled. Ethan noticed he didn't get exactly what he asked for, but he seemed okay with it - especially once he opened his guitar.

Austin's favorite toy from Christmas

It has become tradition that Dad and Dylan start building his lego set on Christmas morning. The last 3 years he has asked for big lego things.

Our family gave Grandpa Kirk an air pressure rocket launcher. My dad loves to do stuff with the kids, and in the past has launched other kinds of rockets with the kids. I loved this idea when I saw it a few years ago, and Devon was kind enough to build it since you can't buy these in stores.

Here's Jayden and Dylan with some of their Gibson cousins. We always have a fancy Christmas dinner together.

Austin's favorite part of the Gibson get-together was this candy cane!

Santa's Visit

Our house was lucky to have Santa come for a visit before Christmas. We had just finished Family Home Evening, and the boys were about to get ready for bed when in walked Santa! Dylan, Jayden, and Ethan took turns sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what they would like for Christmas and telling him they had been good. Austin was okay with Santa giving him a treat, but when Daddy went to put him on his lap, he was not happy about it.

Its like Christmas today!

I am stunned. I don't know what to say. I don't totally know if I believe it all the way. But he says its true. Who, you ask? The doctor. Its a girl. Yesterday I was 20 weeks. Today was the "big" ultrasound, and yes, I will be having a girl this coming May. I had to keep asking the doctor "...now how sure are you?" But really the evidence is absolute. I have the pictures. But still, there's a part of me that feels like it will all turn out completely opposite. That someone's going to say "just kidding, it was a joke." Its kind of keeping me back from that giddy excitement of getting something I've been hoping for, but haven't totally dared get my heart set on it. I wonder what she will be like. She may be the only daughter I'll have. Will she be sweet and thoughtful, strong and sassy? Will she love to spend time with me, or will our personalities clash? Time will tell, and without a doubt I will love her and won't be able to imagine our life without her!

Happy Birthday Jayden

Jayden turned 6 yesterday, and what a good day he had! We ate our traditional "sugar cereal" picked out by the birthday boy. This time it was Lucky Charms and Cocoa Pebbles. Jayden also got to open two presents to start the day off with his birthday clothes and a Wii Game that the family could play together during the day.

We later went to Trafalga hoping to do a lot of fun things. Unfortunately our timing was just off. They have apparently been working like crazy to redo the whole inside of the building, and were hours away from finishing the laser tag, and a week away from finishing mini-golf. Also the arcades were somewhat under construction as well. Because of what they were doing, the few games that worked they were letting everyone use for free, but that caused problems of people staying on one game for a while, and then all the credits being used. So we spent a lot of time waiting for turns, and then trying to find the guy who was recharging credits. We had fun, but I don't think it was the fun family outing we all planned on having.

For dinner Jayden chose to have nachos, so we invited the grandparents from both sides over to join us for dinner, ice cream and presents. Notice I didn't say cake... and that would be because Jayden wanted an ice cream cake. He ended up picking out some interesting flavors: Spumoni and Blueberry-Pomegranite-Chocolate chunk. We used the second one to make his cake with and had the Spumoni out for anyone who wanted it. The Blueberry Pomegranite Chocolate Chunk was suprisingly good, and everyone's favorite. Strangely enough, I would probably pick it again, myself.

Highland Children's Choir

Dylan and Jayden have been singing in the Highland Children's Choir, and they had their Christmas concert at the beginning of December. Grandpa Kirk came along with us to it. Before the concert we treated the boys to dinner at Chuck-A-Rama which they thought was awesome. The only bummer was that their smart mom knew that too much sugar would be a bad thing right before a concert - so they didn't get to fully appreciate the dessert bar. They did each pick one thing, but I know they would have eaten much more if I had let them.

They did such a good job at the concert, and the whole thing was really a nice concert.

Before the concert

Jayden is just to the right of the left microphone stand.

Dylan is just to the right of the conductor's hip. Jayden is third from the right.

Jayden and Grandpa Kirk

Grandpa Kirk, Jayden and Dylan

Jayden and Grandma Gibson

Dylan and Jayden hugging Grandpa Gibson

Dylan and Jayden with Grandma and Grandpa Gibson

Their concert was at this beautiful place called the Provo Tabernacle. It was built in 1883. The sad thing is that just a week after the boys concert this building burned down.


One interesting story about the fire is this painting that was in the fire. Everything on this painting is scorched except Christ.

Thanksgiving

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving, and adding to all that fabulousness (sure its a word), was the fact that my sister was in town! We loved seeing all their family and spending some time with them. Thanksgiving was primary spent with the Kirks, and we had some pretty good food!


Ethan, Nate, and Spencer playing Blokus (sidenote - I love this game, how about you?)


I would have to say that Devon and David's favorite part of the Thanksgiving holiday was working on R2-D2. This has been Devon's pet project for the last 6 years or so. It is finally starting to look real. It even makes sounds now too.



I had this great idea of a craft the kids could do on Thanksgiving day to keep them busy at Grandma's house. We ran out of time, so my kids just did them on their own at my house a few days later.

November

Another post to sum up the last month.


My boys have discovered the joys of the piano. Jayden especially loves to play the piano. I can't keep him off it - morning, noon, and night he is constantly stopping to play the piano anytime he walks by. I started to teach him about a month ago, and he is progressing fast! Dylan is starting to pick up the idea of wanting to learn, and I am also teaching him as well. Austin also has caught the bug of wanting to play the piano and loves to make his own kind of music.


Legos are a fun favorite at our house. Here is another of Dylan's creations.



We were lucky to have Sister Cruz come visit and play with us for a day. The kids LOVED having her play with them, and they think she is the coolest.




Fall seemed to have come late this year, seeing as how we are raking the leaves in November!

Ethan didn't remember ever playing in the leaves before so it was a lot of fun to watch him play and enjoy the joys that come from doing something for the "first time."

Kicking the habit

When Ethan was about 9 months, I took his binky away. He was such a good baby, and didn't seem to rely on it, that I thought we may as well get rid of the binky before he actually cared about the binky. I was so wrong on that one because he replaced the binky with two of his fingers. In the couple days it took me to realize my mistake, it had become to late. The binky was no more, and the fingers were what he sucked as he went to bed.

Luckily, I use comfort objects with my babies. They all have had a special blanket of sorts. Some that have had arms and heads of bears and elephants, other have simply been a blanket. I have loved this because I know it has helped my babies become good sleepers. They always go to sleep with it, and when they wake up in the night they snuggle with it and go back to sleep. More often that not, they also suck a binky, fingers, or a thumb when they are holding it. One thing I have found interesting is the fact that all of them have become particularly attached to a tag or a ribbon on the blanket, and either suck on it, hold it in their hand, put it by their face, under their nose, tickle their ear, etc as they go to sleep (really my kids have done all those things). While all my children except one so far have ended up sucking fingers and thumbs (Ethan was my only one that actually ever took a binky - and I spoiled that), I have been saved by this mere fact of a comfort object. Because of that they seem to associate the thumb/finger sucking with the blanket and the habit only happens when the blanket is in their hands.

Jayden and Bear

Jayden was able to kick the habit of thumb sucking when he was 5. We have the best pediatric dentist, and from the first time I took Jayden to him, he pointed out to Jayden how his thumb was sad from being in his mouth. So, twice a year, the dentist encouraged him to stop. As 5 years approached, Jayden and I talked about stopping sucking his thumb, and how we needed to be done with his bear blanket so that could happen. I told him when he was ready we could go to the store and buy a new toy, but he needed to be done with his bear and let me put him away. Eventually he was ready and we headed to the store. Jayden picked a game out instead of a toy, which I was fine with. And from then on, he hasn't had his bear and he hasn't sucked his thumb. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!

Ethan and his blanket

The dentist has been talking to Ethan about his sad fingers. Ethan has talked about stopping sucking his fingers, and just the other day I was looking at his fingers, and noticed they weren't "sad" anymore (the fingernails were back to normal). When I asked him about it, he said he had stopped. Then yesterday he told me he was done with his blanket and that I could put it away... and he wanted a game. So I told him we couldn't go to the store right then, but maybe another day. He said he wanted a game from my room (we store the most used games in my closet). Then he said he wanted the fishing game. I said "okay," went and got it and we played it. He informed that that now it was his game. Again... fine with me. Then he told me to put it back in my room. And with that - we have officially finished with thumb sucking and comfort objects by only 3 and a half! I am amazed!!

Dylan and Blue

On a side note, Dylan was the one who didn't suck anything, and was also the one who didn't want to give up his comfort object. I think he was around 6 when Blue got "lost" (in the closet) and we haven't found him since. ***wink,wink*** I felt totally mean doing this, but for Dylan it was too much for him to actually decide to be done. He would pick out a toy at the store, and then put it back on the shelf saying he wasn't ready, then he would pick either the same or a different one out, and then put it back. Eventually nearly in tears he would just decide he couldn't do it. After several times of this... the loving shove was given... and he was able to move on. Hopefully there are no permanent emotional scars there that he will tell me about when he is grown. =)

Austin and his blanket

Lets just hope my luck keeps going with Austin. He does only suck his thumb if his blanket is in his hands... so we've got that going for us again...

Hee Haw Farm

I got to join along with Ethan's class for a fieldtrip to Hee Haw Farm. We had fun seeing the great big pumpkins, picking our own little pumpkins out of the field....


Going on a hay ride...


Going down slides and sitting on a tractor...


and petting some animals.

I was watching from outside the animal petting area with Austin, and I was suprised to see how adventurous Ethan was being. When in a new situation, if I'm around he sticks right by me, so when he went in and started to pet the animals it was fun to watch him. This picture is one of my favorites from the trip.