Christmas 2013!

As most everyone is feeling I can't believe  Christmas has already come and gone. 

Feels like we just put the tree up!

As always we had a wonderful time seeing all our family!! So blessed to have wonderful people on both sides to spend time with. Mason had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so we did have to miss on some events, but made it to as many as we could!

This year was extra special because of the two new additions we added in our household this year! And 3 new additions for our family including my new niece. My parents went from two grand kids last year to 5 this year.

Meems(my mom) with Lyla and Amelia.

This was baby D's first Christmas in our household. Hard to believe we are approaching the 1 year mark of him being part of our family! 

I don't know what we'd do without this little man.  His huge grin never gets old and he is starting to learn so many new things very quickly. 

Goofing around while listening to the Christmas story!

Some times I just look over at him and can't stand how cute he is!! With his wild hair and the most kissable chubby cheeks:)

He didn't quite grasp opening gifts this year he just sat on the present until somebody showed him there was something inside!

Obviously it was beautiful miss Lyla's first Christmas. She was 'spoiled' rotten with love and attention by everyone.

 On Masons dads side there hasn't been a girl born into the family in many generations, so they are all thrilled to have a sweet little girl join the family.

 

Lyla with two of her Christmas presents...The blanket she is laying on was a gift made by her great great Grandmother on Masons side and the dolly is from her Grammy. The doll is extra great because it has a heat pack you warm for them to cuddle with.

 Our Christmas Sweetie!

 

Snoozin....

Love her:)

Big brother Breyton was all about Christmas this year! At 4.5 he's really starting to grasp it all. We talked a lot about it being Jesus birthday and trying to help him understand the significance of it. He actually loved helping D and Lyla open their gifts and was excited for them.

He also enjoyed the preparation and helping wrap the presents! 

B playing guns and robbers with his papa (with his toy shot gun and rifle).

The boys loved all their gifts! They were too funny because they were equally excited about getting matching boxer briefs and hat/gloves as they were the toys. Breyton immediately wanted them to both put on their boxers and they ran around in them while all the family was still there. (All the pictures of them opening those gifts and looking cute in boxers are on my MIL's camera).

One of their favorite presents is the mini vacuum. As I've said before they love the big vacuum, but aren't tall enough to use it...so they are loving this and it's sort of helping me out, so it's a win win!

My favorite gift that I got was my hubby surprising me by pretending he had to go to work one day and he had really taken the day off:) Also, I've had an old blender from the early 90's since we got married and it finally went out on me, so love my fancy new blender..most importantly it doesn't smoke when in use!

All in all couldn't be more thankful for this year! 2012 was such a hard year, but God is faithful, and the tears and loss were not wasted. He strengthened our marriage and faith in such a way that could not have happened without having to lean on each other and Him to get through. Now at the end of 2013 I can see clearly His bigger plan in all of it...we trusted in Him and he blessed us in bigger ways than we could have imagined with baby D, Lyla, and the opportunity to build a new home this year. Looking forward to another new year with my loved ones...I have all that I need and pray in 2014 we can focus on blessing others....and hopefully legally making baby D a part of our family forever!

Lyla~ 2 months old.

I know I will say it every stinking month, but I can't believe another one has flown by. Baby girl is two months old today:(

@ 2 months old:

•You already hate being carried in the 'baby cradle' position. We have to hold you facing forward so you can see what's going on. Your daddy calls it the 'Prairie dog hold' because the way you have your arms and hands up by your face and you pop your head up to look around lol.

•Still eating about every 2-2.5 hrs occasionally going 3 hrs now. Pretty much the same through the night as well! You have randomly given my 4-5 hrs in a row, but I can't seem to get you to repeat it.

•Giving us big grins that can just make any day better!

•Weighing about 10lbs now and have the cutest double chin.

•You don't really cry unless you need something...though you do prefer to walk around. Definitely lower maintenance than your big bro was!

•I have left you two times since birth-each about 3 hrs total. Once with Grammy and once with Meems and Papa. Definitely not ready for much longer because you were missed!

•Your hair has lightened some. Still dark brown though and still grey/blue eyes.

•Really starting to enjoy your activity mat!

•Not on a routine yet...your naps vary! Sometimes cat nap all day and some days throw in a long nap.  Depending on how naps went we typically start a bedtime routine between 8-9.

  The monthly comparison begins...

Got one quick smile when taking your pics and shortly after you fell asleep sitting there lol.

You smile so much in your sleep:)

Peacefully passed out!!

You missed mommy while she was gone to daddy's police banquet! Ok really I mostly missed you!

 

More cute random pics from the past month!

Wearing her 'Merry and Bright' dress to her first Christmas party!

Napping with daddy...

Again...

This was her first time visiting her Meems clothing store! She slept through most of it, but an important milestone none the less:)

 

A 'Long' Day.

The title of this post is kind of what the blog was named after and the reason it was started. Just to document the random, sometimes mundane, occurances that make up our life together. Over the past few years sooo much has changed since I started this blog and I've wrote on all kinds of topics mostly about our life, miscarriage, my love for adoption, pregnancy, and of course my love of Jesus. 

I have not been writing lately because I am always feeding, wiping, or helping some little person:) My days are very full, but so is my heart here lately.

Thankful to have this space that I have documented life's big and small events over the past few years and looking forward to whatever surprises lie ahead.

Anyhow...

The past month it has really set in that there is only one of me and three children now.

I have realized that I will never ever see the bottom of the laundry hamper as a family of 5.

I will be cleaning up others poop daily for many more years.

Keeping crumbs off the floor is impossible.

Spilled milk is just to be expected. 

Everyday.

Whining and tantrums are normal for my little coworkers.

The number of questions I answer from a curious 4 yr old daily would blow your mind.

Thankfully I also get to hear for the 3rd time the first giggles or little voice say 'mommy'.

Listen to my 4 year old 'read'(from memory) his little brother and sister a book.

Watch baby D dance around the room with a huge grin.

Sneak in to pray over them while they sleep.

And have the opportunity to be here for all the moments in between.

 

If you had asked me one year ago if I thought I'd be a mother of three children at this time I would have never guessed it.  

I keep coming across this same old saying over and over the past few weeks "The days are long, but the years are short." Now as I'm on my 3rd child I'm seeing the truth in it so much more.

Being a stay at home mom many days can feel like they go on forever, so how is it that 4.5 years have already passed since I began this journey??

One thing I have figured out is being a mother is a seriously important job...but you have to be able to laugh at all that comes your way. Life with little people is full of messy surprises:)

So I was sort of recapping just a few of the bloopers from the past few weeks in my mind earlier....

Right before weather turned cold we were enjoying an afternoon outside. Baby D thought it was real cute to put a TON of sand in his hair when I wasn't looking. Rubbing over to try to shake it off only worked it deeper into his hair.

So to get it out I may or may not have attempted holding him upside down to shake it out, using a vacuum hose, finally following up with a bath in which he was laid back to 'soak'.  Most the sand remains trapped in all the tiny curls.

I had to give up...the afro has won. 

While trying to solve this fiasco with tips online I came across the '10 commandments of black hair care for white parents' (for real) and #7 is thou shalt avoid sandboxes. 

Lesson learned.

As it is a right of passage into toddlerhood D unrolled a roll of toilet paper.  Instead of using my 1 free minute tediously rolling it back up I wadded it up by the toilet and whoever is using the potty has to gather some from the pile on the floor till it is gone.

Breyton also pooped all down his legs, pants, and side of the toilet. Yes my ONE potty trained child.  Never a good thing to hear, "Mom hurry! There is poop EVeRYWhERE!!" Apparently, he said  was standing up peeing when all the sudden he had to poop and couldn't turn around to sit in time.....

You are welcome for that story. I'm a girl so this makes no sense to me, but according to my 4 year old this really happens to boys.

Have I mentioned I've really lost my mind lately(hopefully temporarily!)...Including an embarrassing incident of thinking I left my phone in the car while mason and split up in Walmart to tackle the list more quickly. He has the keys of course. After searching all over Walmart, running into a church friend and having her help me search for mason, then finally resorting to having mason paged over intercom and standing there hoping he shows up...is the moment my phone starts ringing...in my pocket..where it was all along.

Also, not surprisingly I leave the diaper bag places. Lyla better be glad her food is attached to me or she may have gone hungry a few times!

Must say the boys were cracking me up in the car the other day. Breyton had fallen asleep while D was still awake, which is rare! Anyways D is reaching over wacking Breyton in the head and laughing...then suddenly Breyton wakes up for a brief second just to wack D back and goes right back to sleep lol.

They are also already starting the "He's touching me"/"he's looking at me" stuff during the car rides. Gotta love it!

This is the life right here...swimming in a big bubble bath to fight off cabin fever from the cold weather.

Our beautiful tree had been up for about a week. Started out looking all cozy and neat like this...

  And the other night ended up like this....

Should probably be on our Christmas card right?  

That's just a few of the millions of things that go on in our household.

I must say we laugh a lot in our home.... that and Jesus is what keeps things going around here.

Also, helps to get some big smiles like this every morning:)

Lyla~1 month old.

November 12th, 2013-baby girl is already 1 month old! 

@ 1 month:

•You love milk.

•Have been held probably 98% of your life so far.

•Have your daddy 100% wrapped around yor finger.

•Adored by your older brothers.

•Have dramatic facial expressions. 

•Starting to get 'real' smiles we think.

•Love baths and the sound of running water.

•Lifts head when on tummy.

•Gaining weight at a good rate and are about 7 1/2 lbs...starting to get some chubby cheeks and rolls.

•Have not had a bottle yet.

•Sleeps mostly 2 hr stretches at night, but occasionally give mom 3-3.5 hrs in a row.

•Dark brown hair.

•Dark grey blue eyes.

And loved beyond measure.