January

Such a fun month! I enjoyed this month so much.

We went to celebrate Anna Leigh's #6 with an art party!

Blakely wasn't super duper happy, but it was still fun!

So cute!

Baby Loves.

Preschool night fun!

Life size candy land.

Our church is the best!

Nothing beats Chuck E Cheese on a Friday night!

Home girl decided to give herself a trim this month. She walked in the kitchen and I immediately asked her what happened...She ran and hid =). After a while, she decided to fess up. I couldn't find her hair anywhere and finally she told me it was under the couch. After I moved the couch, I found a ton of hair, some scissors, and about 10 empty candy chocolate wrappers...hmm...

Zoos makes the most of some homemade forts.

sweet cousins.

Like I said, January was pretty great.

11 Months

26 days and counting until you are 1. O-N-E. My precious baby, I love you so much. You are such a joy. You bring our family together in so many ways. It is rare to see you without a big smile across your face. 

You eat better than your sister and brother combined! Waaaaay better. In fact, this past month you have filled your tummy with Tuna, Oranges, Salmon...even kale! You amaze this Momma.

You are a solid 21 pounds.

You have started dancing all the time. Anytime you hear music you bounce up and down. You are a crawling machine. You are already walking around while holding on to whatever you can climb up on. This month you started standing in your crib when you wake up from naps waiting on me.

We made it to 10 months and then had to start supplementing formula. You are now exclusively fed formula and love it. It makes you sleep through the nights!!! You have been sleeping through the night about 2 weeks now.

As for naps, well they are slim to none. Not by your doing though, it is due to our crazy schedule. Between Parker's school and Blakely, plus some necessary errands...they just don't happen all that much. You are still one of the happiest babies ever though!

I've started planning your party! We are doing pink and gold with a splash of hearts! This Momma of yours loves her some b'day celebrations!!! We've invited just a few of your friends!

You say Momma quite often, but only when I'm away from you and you are trying to get to me. You've started a bit of separation anxiety when someone you are unfamiliar with holds you while I am within eyesight. I'm not gonna lie, it makes my heart a little happy.

You love Zizi. You two have a ball at meal time. She counts on you to give her a few bites and you think it is so so funny.

You sister and brother adore you. Blakely has started carrying you around the house. Like, all the time. I tell her that you are going to have to learn to walk! She just always looks for you and wants to play with her 'kitt-en" and "meow-ers" as in the sound a cat makes plus ers.

You are my sunshine little doodle. You are just into eve-ry-thing!!! and I mean everything.

We have started to see a tad bit of neediness...we will just say that you like to be held =)

Alli Kate, I love you more than I could ever tell you. You are one fifth of my heart. You calm me when I am anxious and remind me that God is in control. You have a pretty funny personality and are totally laid back. I love you to the moon and back.

A new year

A new year brings reflection and rejuvenation. I love reflecting on all the change a single year brings. Good, bad and all. It really helps me see how fast the days fly and how important it is to seize each day. 

As I reflect, 2015 was a year of learning for me. I almost didn't survive an anaphylactic reaction to antibiotics and that sure made me understand how fleeting and fragile this life really is. Tragedy struck friends and friends of friends way too much this past year. What used to be sad movie plots, I watched unfold all around me. 

I learned how important it is to count blessings daily. Hourly. Even more so. Recognizing blessings make the hard stuff seem smaller. It truly does. One of the most life changing things I've practiced is voicing 5 positives in my life for every grumble/complaint.

I've started eating healthy. It's been 15 days and I've done quite well. I've lost 10 pounds so far! I was so lethargic and kept getting sick. New Years day I decided there was no time like the present. So there's been a lot of this...

and that...

and a healthy fridge!

Here are 16 goals for 2016:
1. Thank God every day for at least 10 blessings.
2. Read one book a month.
3. Start each day in prayer and in the Word.
4. Do something good for someone every day.
5. Whisper in anger instead of yell.
6. Get back to pre-baby weight
7. Walk Zizi More
8. Think and always count to 10 before I speak when angry or hurt.
9. Think and speak 5 positives for every negative.
10. Pray over kids morning, noon and night so that they can hear. Read them scripture.
11. Don't complain or grumble!
12. Stick with our budget!
13. Plan means weekly and stick with it.
14. Let go of expectations!
15. Priorities: God. Clint, Kids, others.
16. Stick with our weekly budget!

Our Break

We spent the better part of Christmas break in our home. Stir crazy is quite the understatement. Somehow or another we all got illnesses that we just couldn't shake. One would give it to the other and so on and so forth. On a positive note, it was full of cozy cuddles!

 This kid. He is hilarious. See the bandaid...he kept it on for days.

 We did get an opportunity on a abnormally warm December day at the park testing out our new rides! Thank you Mimi, the kids LOVE their new bikes!!!

 Blakely thinks she is a for real ninja these days. She wants to be this when she grows up! =)

 content, as always.

 Work of art from our glow legos!

 Rainy day costco trip!

 Fun times with our new playdoh kits!  I think that the most fun toys are ones that include nostalgia  from childhood!

 These two truly love each other!

 Like I said...Cuddles,

 cuddles,

 pretty girl.

 and more cuddles.

 "Look it's a Joey."

 Long, hard life for this one.

 more cuddles!

 oh and did I mention lots of time was invested at the good ole doc?!?

 This boy and his respiratory system. ugh.

 Not sure what Santa was thinking leaving the kids these musical instruments. Really not sure what I was thinking letting P man take them in the car...

 Cold walks around the block, all bundled up trying to cure our 'stir crazy selves'

 Such a trooper, always along for the ride.

It was a great break, but I'm ready for our routine to start back!