Easter 2009

Easter was alot of fun this year. Benjamin and Madilyn are really starting to understand what it is all about--the real reason we celebrate Easter. We had Nana and Papa here--as well as Aunt Rachel, Uncle Jeremy, Cousin Pacey, Aunt Abigail, Uncle Alex, Cousin Blake, and Cousin Jadyn.

Jacob did not mess around when it came to finding eggs--he was on a mission.

Madilyn is searching....

Benjamin is looking for eggs that are actually "hidden"...we told him to save the ones on the ground in plain sight for the little kids, and he did. He actually did a good job of helping them fill their baskets, too.Nana with Noah.
Here's the kids after they found all the eggs.


I was not able to get all four kids in one picture. Noah was napping while I took the older three kid's picture. So he got his own picture.

Smiling for Aunt Rachel.

Random Pics

The kids were in our bed one morning watching cartoons while Daddy made pancakes.

Catching Benjamin and Madilyn in a sweet moment with Noah. What a sweet big brother and big sister!! I'm sure Noah wishes they would stay out of his face.
Madilyn and Jacob were suppose to be in bed (their own beds), instead we catch Jacob in Madilyn's bed and Madilyn is reading a book to him...it was too cute!! So cute, in fact, it was hard to discipline Jacob for getting out of his bed.

Jacob was at church with Lou watching the construction trucks work as they build our fellowship hall...and he had to play with his excavator (or, as he says, 'ecabator') as he watched the "real" thing.

Jacob Turns 3!!

What a whirlwind the last 3 years have been!! Our Jacob was a HUGE surprise...Madilyn was only 5 months old when I got pregnant with him. Talk about shock!!! But after weeks of tears, I finally got use to the idea...and, once he got here, I just couldn't imagine life without him. He has definitely been our most "difficult" child--in many ways. He was born with a club foot that required several weeks in a cast that was changed weekly, surgery, and then years in his orthopaedic shoes with brace across the bottom of the shoes to keep his feet in position. He had reflux that caused him to be an extremely fussy baby and in pain everytime he ate for the first 2 1/2 months of his life. He had ear tubes at 11 months. He has been our pickiest eater--still will not eat fruit (except for applesauce). He is the most strong will and defiant child we have. But he is also so loving. He has been a Daddy's boy from the beginning--which is so different than Benjamin. He will come climb up in my lap and stroke my face or play with my hair. He has absolutely no fear--except of dogs--and has one of those "I'll try anything once" attitudes. He is just so precious to us and I am so glad he is "mine".

Anyways, he wanted a pirate party since he is very much into anything pirate--peter pan, Captain Hook, Jack Sparrow.

He didn't like us singing "Happy Birthday". I guess he got embarassed and turned his head away from all of us.But he was all for getting to blow out the candles--he actually tried putting them out with his fingers first--see, no fear!

Cousin Jadyn, Madilyn, Benjamin, Jacob, Cousin Pacey, and Cousin Blake waiting for Jacob to open up presents. They all tried to "help".

Benjamin's Birthday

Well, Benjamin turned 6 in February. I can NOT believe he is 6 years old! Here are a few pics of him during the first few months of his life (excuse the quality--these were taken before we had a digital camera, so they were scanned in):



Benjamin at 6 weeks.

3 months
9 months

He wanted a dinosaur party (big surprise)--which was fine with me since he had a dinosaur party when he was 4 and that meant I already had the dinosaur cake pan and had made it before.

Brady and Jacob wanted so bad to help him blow out the candles.

Waiting patiently for cake and ice cream.

His dinosaur cake and cupcakes. He got to pick what color mommy made his dinosaur and of course the cake flavor. We had white cake with sprinkles in it and red velvet cupcakes--YUM!!
Our good friends, Randa and Bailey and their 3 kids, and my cousin, Josh, and his wife, Dianna--who I went to college with and became close friends with, and their two kids were able to come to the party. It's always so much fun to get together. Usually, when Dianna is driving from Frisco to Lubbock, she will stop in Abilene and meet Randa and I for lunch at Chick-fil-a. It's always an adventure when we get together with the 9 kids (and 1 on the way) we have between us.

The kids are enjoying their pizza and enjoying each other's company. They were having some deep discussions between Grace, Dayton, and Benjamin--pondering the why's and how's of the universe, while Ella, Brady, and Madilyn try their hardest to keep up and get a word in. It's times like these that I know we'll treasure forever (as well as the naps that were taken soon after).