ANNOUNCEMENT

Ok..so I know that many of you made a comment on my last post and it wasn't necessarily about lost teeth or haircuts!!

So I will officially announce that yes, I am pregnant!! We are excited to get our last baby here to complete our family. My due date officially is August 10th but for me that probably means that it will be the end of July--which means it will be a long hot summer. Russell is going on a trip to Alaska for 10 days in July--so I have to hold out until July 25th so he will be home.

Yes, I have calculated it all out if I have the baby as early as I had Brinton, it will come on or around July 14--that won't work.
If I have the baby as early as Brock, it will come on July 31st
If I have the baby as early as Breanna, it will come on July 20th--that won't work
If I have the baby as early as Hattie, it will come on July 29th
If I have the baby as early as Logan, it will come on July 26th
So there are a few options that would work. And you know babies--they are unpredicatable I may hold out and have this baby in August!!

Everyone wonders if I have any ideas of what this baby will be--I am suspecting a girl. Hattie has been asking for a sister since about last July and Breanna was a pretty good predictor that Logan would be a boy. My other reason I think it is a girl is because when I have been pregnant in the past with the girls I got a horrible rash on my cheeks--and it is back and it is really bad this time. So that are my thoughts on what the baby will be (and just so you know if we have a girl or a boy we will be happy to have it join our family.)

Anyway, it was fun for me to watch my comments to see who noticed the ticker!!

Lost Teeth, Hair Cuts, and Playing in the snow!!

Ok This was not on the title but---the other day Russell was holding Logan at lunch time and I turned over to look at them. I couldn't believe how much Logan looked like his dad and thus I had to take a picture. What a couple of cuties!!!














Breanna has lost her two front teeth this week and receive a hair cut yesterday. She loves her new look (probably more the hair than the hole in her mouth)












And since Breanna got her hair cut Hattie needed one two. Sometimes it is nice to cut all the scraggly hair off the ends. It makes their hair look so much more healthy.

Side Note: I did five hair cuts Saturday afternoon--and I cut Logan's the other day. Guess that means I don't have to feel guilty about going and getting myself pampered and getting a haircut as well!!!


Friday after Hattie, Logan and I ran some errands we came home and built a snowman. It was

fun. Logan played while we built. It wasn't the biggest or strongest snowman (he fell over during the snowstorm on Saturday) but he was a good snowman. It reminded me alot of the story Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner. He looked pretty sad and droopy by Friday night. Oh well it is the memories of making it together that last right???

Then today after church and lunch and home teachers the kids wanted to go in the backyard for a little while. While the big kids were putting on their snow stuff --Logan found Breanna's coat and insisted that it be put on him....

Well he went out looking like this and had a wonderful time playing in the snow!!

Brock even took him for a sled ride.

Hattie looking cute in the snow.

Even though last week I was looking forward to spring. It was great to get a good snow storm so that the kids can have great memories of playing and building in the snow with their family. In a few weeks we can look forward to springtime puddles and mud to play in :)

Brinton's Last Pinewood Derby

Yesterday was the Ward Pinewood Derby. This was Brinton's fourth time to make a car and race it. Russell and I are definately not like the parents in the Down and Derby movie. In the years past he has not made a winning car--so this year we decided to help him make an original, creative car. So I asked him some ideas of what he wanted to do. Then I suggested that he pick a favorite candy and we would recreate the wrapper on the block of wood. He decided that Hubba Bubba would be a great car. So after a while of painting and printing here is what he came up with.


We tried to incorporate Brinton's name on the car as many places as we could.






Then the day of the race. Brinton and his buddies and their cars.


Getting his scientist award.

His car lost a race, won a race, and then lost another race. The best part is that he came home with a smile on his face and proud of his car. And we are proud of him--he did a great job.

Here Comes Trouble

So today was a day that I didn't have to be anywhere and my list of things to do today were:
1. Laundry
2. Bathrooms
3. Vacuum
4. Make cheese cake
5. Exercise

Well the morning started out good and then trouble came along. I went in to help Hattie wipe and I found Logan swirling the toilet paper in the toilet with a new brush I bought yesterday for the girls.

Then he was so grouchy that I put him down for a nap at 10 (he usually naps at 12:30) So I did have a couple hours to get some things done.

Well when he woke up, I was working in the kitchen. I had a bucket of water cleaning out the fridge. And I had brought in the mop--because eventually I was going to be mopping the floor. Well he found the bucket and swirled the bubbles around a little. Then he eyeballed the mop. He made it over to the bucket of water and proceeded to try and mop. Before I knew it all of the water was out of the bucket--on him and all over the floor. (so he roamed around in just his diaper for a few hours)

Next I found him with a bottle of lotion he had found in the nightstand in my bedroom.

Next he found a crayon and was writing on the wall.

Then he dumped all of the pens out of the desk drawer onto the floor.

Then he found my scissors and was trying to cut the sliding glass door!!

COULD IT GET ANY WORSE........


Well he did throw all of his corn dog on the floor after I had already swept the floor --getting ready to mop.

But then this mom got wise. I went outside to find him a ball and realized that it was actually a pretty warm day. The sun was shining and the wind amazingly was not blowing.

So I recruited Hattie to watch Logan (putting hats and coats on) and rounded up their bikes and sent them out to the back porch to play. It was the best hour of the day. Then the big kids came home from school and played outside with Loggie for a little while longer.

(Logan did happen to find the garden which is all muddy --and got his shoes all muddy) But he was in heaven out there.

He wore himself out and came in to take another nap.

What a little bit of trouble he was today. Even so I got most of the laundry done and the upstairs clean ---exercise will have to wait until tomorrow--I am too tired today!!

Finally--A Christmas Story from our house

So it hasn't been a whole month since Christmas and I know there are some of you out there with your Christmas decorations still up--so it is really not to late for me to post about our Christmas.

This is the kids in their new pajamas. We have had years when they get to open a new Christmas book, or new pajamas, or new slippers. Nothing really consistant--and this year I wasn't going to do anything (partially because of the cruise right before it was easier not to do anything.) Well, I already had pj's for the girls so I only had to look for some for the boys. So on Tuesday night Russell and I went shopping at about 9pm. We went to four store before I found pajamas that would fit the older boys. Next year I will be more prepared!!!



Russell reading the kids the Christmas story and talking to them about the true meaning of Christmas.





CHRISTMAS MORNING (just a note--we told the kids that they couldn't wake us up until 7am--they did a good job--at exactly 7 they came in and asked if they could go through their stockings)
Both girls got a HSM microphone--one of the best and noisiest toys.




The boys--



Logan had fun time trying to open his presents. The other kids were very much impatient and started opening his presents for him.

Daddy and Loggie


The boys checking out their new sled (too bad there isn't much January snow for them to go sledding)

The girls got some cute hats

This was the famous toy for all the boys even the dad. I thought it would be fun for Logan and he is probably the one who has used it the least. Brock really loves it. The big boys play horse and just goof around. Even Brinton and his friends had a good game of ball going on the other day.


We also got a ping pong table for the family. It has been fun to go downstairs and watch the kids play with their dad.

We had a great day. And some great days of vacation afterwards. It was fun to be with our family and our extended family throughout the holiday vacation.