Christmas Morning

After teasing us about reading the Twilight series, we gave Elliot a copy for Christmas.  He read it in one day and was begging for more by the next.  

After seeing Grandpa Gilbert's power tools last Summer at Moss Lake, Liam and Jameson had chain saw envy.  Santa broke down and got them some pretend ones- what was he thinking?!  The first thing Liam said was, "It's just like Grandpa Gil-verts!"

These are the looks on the boys' faces when they were told they had a large flat screen television waiting for them at home.  

Cute Lily lining up her play-doh cans

We all slept until 8:15.  Everyone woke up at the same time- kind of miraculous.

Christmas Eve- Hanging Out With Cousins

We had such a wonderful Christmas.  This year was our first time hosting a sibling for Christmas.  Brad's sister Sabina and her darling family joined us.  We had so much fun, ate way too much food, and got too little sleep.  It couldn't have been better!  The Jacobs joined us for our traditional fish soup that evening.  Karl made a lovely salad and tart tatin and Mimi brought challah.  After dinner we read about the birth of Christ from the scriptures.  We feel so blessed and happy that we were able to celebrate this Christmas at home with family and friends.  

Papa and Lily cuddling and watching Elmo.  Lily was sick most of the time... poor baby!

Uncle Karl was trying to take a nap.

The kids had something else in mind.

Lily and Lilo coloring

A little bit of  screen time- computers, Nintendo DS, movies, PSP, etc.

And we read some books

The cousins had matching jammies for Christmas Eve- we spared 15 year old Elliot the pain.

Lily (2 1/2), Arthur (12), Jameson (almost 6), Hattie (9), and Liam (3)

Snuggle bugs

We traded baby sitting one weekend with the Jacobs one weekend and had a little snuggle fest for movie night.  Funny how TV can be like a drug for kids!  No one would look at me for the picture.  

Liam's 3rd Birthday

It's hard to believe this little boy is three!  We had no luck getting him to look at the camera, but at least the day is documented.  We had a few friends over for cake and pizza in the evening.   

I am feeling thankful...

Last week we celebrated Hattie's 9th birthday.  That evening I read a few entries to her from the journal I kept while she was in the NICU.  It had been a while since I had read them and the first time I had shared them with her.  Of course, it was difficult to read them without getting emotional.  I will try to write a few posts about our experience in the near future, but I want to dedicate this one to the many, many people who loved us and supported us through the whole experience.   

Mark and Tori Perry are the parents of sweet baby G.  They were in our stake and baby G was born a month before Hattie.  What amazed me about them is that even in the midst of their own crisis/trial, they were nothing but a strength to us.  I want to be just like Tori when I grow up.  She is so calm and dedicated.  She is so smart and good.  They helped to lead us through the whole experience and lift up our hearts and sprits so many times.  

Debbie Bingham was a literal lifesaver.  She is a church member that worked in the Fetal Evaluation Unit at the hospital and dedicated a lot of her own time to helping us understand what to expect and how to keep going.  She was so honest with us and the most amazing advocate in a very difficult situation.  Debbie is also the person that connected me with Mimi and Christian while Mimi was in the hospital on bed rest before Madeline (Hattie's best friend) was born.  I feel our friendship was absolutely meant to be and am so thankful for them in our lives.  

Angela Glenn is dear friend of mine from church who called and visited me regularly.  I will never forget how much it meant to me when she took me shopping for the first time post-delivery when I realized that I couldn't fit into my size 2 pants any more.  She also helped me put together a Christmas letter to send to all of our friends and family that year.  

Ann Ellsworth and her brother John serenaded me in the hospital (guitar and all) one evening to lift my spirits.  Since Hattie was born just a few days before Thanksgiving, Ann also brought me Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital.  Ann was very sensitive to my little needs.  Since I was on complete bed rest (and I mean NEVER allowed to get up), the nurses gave me daily sponge baths, but never seemed to have the time to help me wash my hair.  I was going on day 4 and feeling pretty shiny.  Ann brought a pan and some sweet-scented shampoo and washed my hair for me.  It was a simple act of service that I could not do for myself at the time and meant the world to me. 

 

My visiting visiting teacher, Reiko Takashi and her sweet husband  brought meals to our apartment for eight weeks.  I am not kidding.  She would make several meals and he would walk to our apartment and drop them off before he went to work.  They were absolute saints.  I recently learned that Reiko passed away.  I know she is in a good place.  

Marie Ruiz is another dear friend who visited me and loved us throughout the whole experience.

Glen Nelson and Kent Christensen came and gave Hattie and me Priesthood blessings.  We witnessed miracles because of those blessings, I have no doubt.  

There were many others who visited us, cleaned our apartment, sent gifts and meals and gave us the time and space to do what we needed to do.  Brad was serving as a counselor to Bishop Johnson in the single's ward and he was so kind and patient with us.  

 

I am thankful for all of the friends and family members who prayed for us from far away.  I am thankful for my mom and Brad's dad who came shortly after Hattie's birth to support us and take care of us.  

 

Most importantly, I am thankful to our Heavenly Father for sending all of these wonderful people into our lives to help carry us through this experience and for allowing us to be Hattie's parents and giving us the opportunity to raise her.  She is such a special girl.  She is so curious and funny and sensitive.  She tries so hard to be a good girl.  I love her so much and am thankful for her.  

Our Little Miracle Baby

I just read through a post from last year about Hattie.  I am going to try to write a post about her birth in the next few days- at the request of my Sissy Melissie.  Just thought I'd re-post this until then.

Happy Thanksgiving- late edition

The monkey table

Our gracious hosts.  I like this shot of Mimi.

The group at the table (Thatchers, Yoos, Jacobs and Angela Marino)
Brad was at the other end of the table.

Hattie's Birthday- She's NINE!

I can't believe she is this old. My little 1 lb. 6 oz. baby girl is now a big nine year old! She is such a miracle. Such a sweetheart. It is hard to believe how far she has come. We celebrated her birthday by taking her and a few close friends to see Madagascar 2. That was the easiest party I've ever thrown.

Global Adventures

Isn't Joyce beautiful?

Hattie and Jameson's school has an annual tradition of Global Adventures where the classes study a country from a particular region of the world and then present them in a little fair. This year they studied countries from West Africa. Hattie's class studied Senegal and Jameson's class studied Kenya. Our dear friend Joyce (from Ghana) came as our special guest and dressed in her traditional dress.

Pumpkin Carving/Playing With Knives and Goo

I just couldn't resist...

This one made me laugh because Katie (the picture taker)  was using Hattie's sweater as a scarf and when Liam realized it, he charged off of his post to take it away.  The look on his face is his angry territorial sister-protector face and he is totally serious.  

We are a hap-py fa-mi-ly!

Goofball boys!  Jameson's face reminds me of an expression my brother David used to make in pictures when he was little.  Does anyone remember that?

Anyone who has ever tried to take a picture of my kids knows, or who has ever listened to me whine about it, knows that my kids are the most uncooperative photo subjects in the WORLD!  It makes me crazy sometimes.  I have offered them oodles of bribes and millions of dollars, but nothing works.  Tonight I was looking through some of the shots that cousin Katie took of us in Cape Cod and I (once again) about peed my pants with laughter.   I just couldn't resist posting...

Little Rock(et) Stars

Jameson saw this little homemade guitar on some show and worked Brad over to make them last week.  It is just a cereal box, paper towel tube thingie, and rubber bands.  They get so much milage out of things like these.  Liam calls them "Quitars."  Who needs toys when you've got boxes?

Trick or Treat!

Last weekend we had our ward "trunk or treat" at church.  Hattie was Pikachu, Jameson was a green dragon, and Mister Liam (not pictured) was a bat.  We thought the Jacobs would be out of town, but they decided to leave a day later than planned, so the kids were all very happy to see each other.  

My favorite costumes of the night were these little babies.  They are identical twin girls and they are dressed as lobsters.  Their parents wore rain slickers to look like lobster fishermen (fisherpeople?)and carried them around the party in big lobster pots.  Then for the "trunk or treat" they put each baby on a platter and surrounded them with grapes and candles to look like dinner.  So creative.  And the babies were so cooperative.  

Tonight I was putting the kids to bed and they could barely contain their excitement for Halloween tomorrow.  I am going to both Hattie and Jameson's class parties and I volunteered to make carmel popcorn that I will put into clear plastic gloves to look like a hand for both classes- that should be about 50 (what was I thinking?). 

Anyway, as I was going over some of the safety issues and prepping them for the day, I was reminded of when I was little.  We used to get warnings all the time to check each piece of candy before we ate it and to make sure it had not been tampered with and NEVER eat homemade treats unless we knew the family that passed them out, etc., etc.  I would always try to imagine who could be so evil as to pass out something poisonous to little kids or to put pins or razor blades into candy bars.  

Well, we had some really funny neighbors a few years ago and I could not stop laughing tonight as I remembered the "tricks" they used to offer when we came to their door.  Mind you, they were not serious, and mostly it was for the adults' amusement, but they would invite us in and let us choose from their bowl of "fruit,"  which contained an apple with nails sticking out of it, an apple with nuts and bolts sticking out of it, or an onion.  I just about peed my pants thinking about that memory.  

All of this made little Jameson's head spin. 

"Did those people (who put pins in candy) didn't like children?"  or

"Did they just want to make children die?"

"Did your friends MAKE you take an apple with nails in it?"

"Did you just take the nails out of it and then eat the apple?"

Poor kid, I've added to his already worried little mind.  But I still couldn't stop laughing.  

Any funny Halloween memories from your childhood or your neighborhood?

Sweet Baby Michaela

This sweet little lady is the daughter of my friends Joyce and Michael.  We got to help take care of her while Joyce was sick a few weeks ago.  She is an absolutely perfect baby.  She almost never cries.  She has such a happy face and demeanor.  I think we would keep her if only her parents would let us!  Lilo adores her and loved feeding her a bottle (without my help) and I adored giving Hattie the chance to help babysit.  She has never been the most maternal of characters, but she couldn't resist this sweet little one.  

more beach pics

grandpa was such a good helper to the fisherpeople.  he even went on a night fishing trip with papa.  
grandma sylvia
silly boy
Cousin Katie captured Lilo on film taking care of business.  He is so proud of his newfound ability.  btw I don't think I have mentioned that he has totally potty trained himself.  He did it a few months ago.  I couldn't be happier.  I don't ever have to buy a diaper or pull-up again!!!  Think how much I am helping the environment.   Now back to my post...
Yep, it was so cold we wore coats and sweaters.